Finnair to launch Melbourne-Helsinki flights

[tdimdad]

A slightly different question: I wonder how will this impact AY's A350 operations in Europe? Currently they use one aircraft for the HEL-LHR run and have recently started also AMS runs. Would these be scaled back to A320's?

One great side benefit was the ability to snatch a PE seat on a Y ticket and it'll be a loss is this goes away.

 

[Oubline]

It was mentioned earlier in the thread by am0985, but according to Finnair’s website they say they’ll release Avios seats from 23 December. I reckon midnight GMT that day will be the next milestone, until then (or later) I’m not thinking we’ll see any Qantas availability.

From past (anecdotal) experience, I’m guessing we’ll only see whatever seats Finnair releases above and beyond their minimum seat guarantee which Avios programs get first access to.

Use Avios on Finnair award flights

Use Avios to pay for award flights or reduce the flight price by combining Avios with money. Put the miles flown and Avios collected to good use.

www.finnair.com

23 December has come and gone, now Finnair’s website just says: “Award flights to/from Melbourne are currently not available for booking on our website or app. We are sorry for the inconvenience.” I wonder if they’re having technical issues with this route on award (leading to the original ‘mistake’ pricing of awards), are holding off due to demand, or something else.

 

[justinbrett]

My recollection may be faulty, but pretty sure non-schengen arrivals didn’t just enter the departures area. We were funnelled along corridors to either arrivals or transfers (which involved re-screening). I doubt security would let you into non-schengen without a non-schengen flight.

I think it is possible. I was only watching a YouTube video the other day where he flew LHR-HEL-KTT and used the non Schengen lounge before going through passport control.

 

[PrezRegan]

Yeah when I did a trip last year I accidentally ended up in the non-Schengen lounge before going to the Schengen one when flying to LHR from HEL.

 

[justinbrett]

Yeah when I did a trip last year I accidentally ended up in the non-Schengen lounge before going to the Schengen one when flying to LHR from HEL.

LHR departs from the non Schengen gates - do you have it the other way around?

 

[PrezRegan]

LHR departs from the non Schengen gates - do you have it the other way around?

No…

 

[justinbrett]

No…

Then I don’t know what you mean. You should be in the non Schengen lounge for LHR departures.

 

[PrezRegan]

Then I don’t know what you mean. You should be in the non Schengen lounge for LHR departures.

From memory you can go through the non-Schengen area to get to the Schengen one, so you can use the other lounge first.

 

[PERLHR]

From memory you can go through the non-Schengen area to get to the Schengen one, so you can use the other lounge first.

That is correct. All pax after passing security enter within the Schengen area....with shops etc, food and bars. The AY Schengen lounge is there (upstairs) and they allow access unless overly busy where they tell you to proceed to the non Schengen lounge if you are flying as such. . So in theory, you can indeed visit the Schengen lounge, then walk for quite a wee bit to the sterile passport control and onwards on to the non Schengen area where you go to the larger, and better AY lounges. I have also used both outbound after being in HEL.