Tag Archives: Finnair

Finnair adds frequencies and destinations to Europe, Asia and North America

Finnair has made this announcement:

As the share of fully vaccinated people continues to increase and societies are opening, travel is picking up in several markets. Finnair is meeting the increased travel demand by adding frequencies and destinations in its network to Europe, Asia and North America for the upcoming winter season.

Finnair continues to serve its key Asian destinations, flying daily to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok, and offers multiple weekly frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong. Finnair’s Osaka service resumes in October, expanding Finnair’s presence back into the Japanese market, with Nagoya joining this route portfolio in February. Finnair will also start serving its Dubai connection with a wide-body aircraft.

Finnair will strengthen its North American services and will serve Chicago, previously a summer route, throughout the winter season. Finnair also serves New York daily from Helsinki and operates three weekly flights to Miami and Los Angeles respectively.

In addition to serving North America from its Helsinki hub, Finnair will introduce direct routes to Los Angeles and New York from Stockholm, Sweden.

Finnair will also introduce direct routes from Stockholm to Miami, Phuket and Bangkok, as previously announced.

Finnair’s European network will rapidly increase in frequencies throughout the winter, with double daily services to key European cities such as Amsterdam, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Frankfurt, and three daily frequencies to London and Paris. Finnair also increases frequencies to St. Petersburg to support the traffic flows to Finnair’s North American destinations.

Finnair also offers multiple frequencies daily to Scandinavian capitals, and Finnair will introduce Krakow and Gdansk for the winter season.

Finnair will increase frequencies to the popular holiday destinations in Spain, serving Malaga, the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona with multiple weekly frequencies.

Also the Finnish Lapland continues to attract winter travelers and Finnair offers four daily connections to Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Kittilä, and two daily services to Kuusamo, with smooth connections from Helsinki.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A350-941 OH-LWA (msn 018) LHR (Keith Burton). Image: 955017.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Finnair’s August traffic was up 38.1% versus 2020, up 24.6% over July

Finnair issued this traffic report for August:

Continued improvement in most passenger traffic figures although the COVID-19 pandemic impact still visible in August, another strong month for cargo

In August, Finnair carried 266,500 passengers, which was 38.1% more than in August 2020. The COVID-19 impact was already clearly visible then as Finnair operated a limited network due to strict and extensive travel restrictions. The number of passengers in August 2021 was 24.6% more than in July 2021.

The overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) increased in August by 63.3% year-on-year and by 17.0% month-on-month. Finnair operated 127 daily flights (cargo-only included) on average, which was 9.5% more than in August 2020 and 19.8% more than in July 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to August 2020 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair’s traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 64.6% year-on-year and by 15.9% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 0.3% points to 42.0% year-on-year but decreased by 0.4% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 7.4% year-on-year. In North Atlantic traffic, the ASKs increased by 100.0% as there were no passenger flights in August 2020. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 28.8%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 0.4%.

RPKs decreased in Asian traffic by 12.9% year-on-year but increased in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 53.6% and in domestic traffic by 14.4%.

The PLF was 19.7% in Asian traffic but it was supported by the strong cargo operations and a high cargo load factor. The PLF was 28.3% in North Atlantic traffic, 63.0% in European traffic and 71.6% in domestic traffic.

Passenger numbers decreased in Asian traffic by 11.5% year-on-year but increased in North Atlantic traffic by 100.0%, in European traffic by 43.7% and in domestic traffic by 5.5%.

In August, available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 127.7% year-on-year (increased by 7.0% month-on-month) and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 99.2% (increased by 0.2% month-on-month), both due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights especially in North Atlantic traffic in August 2020. Cargo related available tonne kilometres increased by 81.9% year-on-year (increased by 1.1% month-on-month) and revenue tonne kilometres increased by 70.5% (decreased by 5.5% month-on-month) and they both also include the cargo-only flights operated mainly between Europe and Asia as well as Europe and North America. Cargo-only tonnes were up by 11.1% year-on-year but down by 19.2% month-on-month. The total cargo tonnes increased by 61.9% year-on-year but decreased by 5.1% month-on-month. Demand for the cargo capacity remained strong especially in Asian traffic. As a result, the cargo load factor remained high.

In August, 90.7% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (96.0%).

Traffic statistics for September 2021 will be published on Thursday 7 October 2021.

Finnair Traffic Performance August 2021
	Month	% Change	YTD	% Change
Total traffic
Passengers 1,000	266.5	38.1	1,031.2	-66.6
Available seat kilometres mill	1,103.8	63.3	4,666.6	-58.3
Revenue passenger kilometres mill	463.9	64.6	1,605.1	-79.0
Passenger load factor %	42.0	0.3p	34.4	-33.8p
Cargo tonnes total	6,557.1	61.9	53,784.6	11.7
Available tonne kilometres mill	194.1	53.6	1,229.1	-36.0
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	90.1	67.9	540.7	-45.7

Asia
Passengers 1,000 Asia	7.9	-11.5	38.3	-92.0
Available seat kilometres mill Asia	298.8	7.4	2,000.7	-61.5
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Asia	59.0	-12.9	288.4	-92.2
Passenger load factor % Asia	19.7	-4.6p	14.4	-56.5p

Europe
Passengers 1,000 Europe	197.6	43.7	657.0	-64.1
Available seat kilometres mill Europe	458.2	28.8	1,687.7	-62.2
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Europe	288.4	53.6	935.2	-67.5
Passenger load factor % Europe	63.0	10.2p	55.4	-9.1p

North Atlantic
Passengers 1,000 North Atlantic	11.8	100.0	24.1	-70.7
Available seat kilometres mill North Atlantic	304.6	100.0	654.6	-22.9
Revenue passenger kilometres mill North Atlantic	86.2	100.0	175.4	-72.9
Passenger load factor % North Atlantic	28.3	N/A	26.8	-49.4p

Domestic
Passengers 1,000 Domestic	49.2	5.5	311.8	-55.2
Available seat kilometres mill Domestic	42.2	0.4	323.6	-52.0
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Domestic	30.2	14.4	206.1	-49.8
Passenger load factor % Domestic	71.6	8.8p	63.7	2.8p

Cargo Traffic
Europe tonnes	220.6	-37.2	1,495.8	-81.2
North Atlantic tonnes	1,706.3	100.0	4,051.0	59.4
Asia tonnes	2,998.4	34.5	20,621.9	-16.6
Domestic tonnes	28.2	11.4	216.1	-1.1
Cargo scheduled traffic total tonnes	4,953.5	90.1	26,384.7	-25.5
Cargo flights tonnes**	1,603.6	11.1	27,399.9	115.9
Cargo Traffic tonnes total	6,557.1	61.9	53,784.6	11.7
Available tonne kilometres* mill	66.4	81.9	495.9	-5.5
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	48.8	70.5	398.0	26.5
Available sched. cargo tonne kms* mill	50.9	127.7	241.5	-40.7
Revenue sched. cargo tonne kms mill	35.9	99.2	189.4	-14.9
Cargo load factor* %	73.5	-4.9p	80.2	20.3p
– North-Atlantic cargo load factor* %	63.9	N/A	67.8	1.5p
– Asia cargo load factor* %	83.3	-6.2p	85.6	26.5p
Scheduled traffic Cargo load factor* %	70.5	-10.1p	78.4	23.8p

* Based on average operational cargo capacity

** Including purchased traffic

Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points).
Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available. multiplied by the number of kilometres flown.
Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A321-231 WL OH-LZU (msn 8401) ZRH (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 954917.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Historic Photo: Finnair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 OH-LGF (msn 48766) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 105595.

Finnair refreshes its business class menu

Finnair has made this announcement:

The food at Finnair is well known for its high-quality Nordic specialties and local ingredients. The refreshed Business Class menu still highlights these elements but to boost the Scandi flavors Finnair has now looked towards the tastes of Japan and makes the most of local delicacies in the destination countries.

Both the short-haul and long-haul flights can now enjoy a renewed Business Class menu.

“Customer service is obviously always the number one factor in customer experience, but food is also very high up. That is why we are happy that we’ve been able to rethink what our customers want the food service to be now,” says Maarit Keränen, Head of Inflight Food and Beverage Concept.

At the center of the new menu selection remains the modern and high-quality flavors that the customers expect and appreciate.

“But we have also found that a little twist of Japanese cuisine works well with the Scandinavian flavors. The culinary traditions are very similar,” Keränen states.

There is a focus on local ingredients, especially when it comes to the meals made in the Helsinki kitchen. On the return flights from long-haul destinations the meals are made locally, and the local food heritage is respected.

SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL

According to Keränen the new menu strives to be simple yet pleasing to the eye and delicious. The idea has been to find a limited number of options that most passengers will find delicious.

“Of course, we cater for all that have dietary restrictions or allergies and offer around 20 different special meals to pre-order,” she says.

Simplicity is important for the sustainability targets that Finnair has. The goal is to avoid carrying large quantities of extra meals onboard and offer a high-quality experience done in a smart and resource efficient way.

Customer wishes have been heard in the changes made and this has led to entirely new features in the service.

“For example, we are now introducing oat milk as a coffee creamer option to the long-haul flights in Business Class. This has been highly requested by our passengers,” Keränen mentions.

LONG-HAUL GIVES YOU TIME TO SAVOR THE NEW FLAVORS

The meals on long-haul flights are a great combination of tradition and refreshing new experiences. Before the actual meal passengers can snack on a small amuse bouche. The starter is a combination of three different elements where Scandinavia meet the piquant flavors of Asia.

There are three options for the main course, one of which has the interesting, sustainable Benella rainbow trout as the main ingredient. The other two options are a Japan inspired chicken dish and a plant-based meal that celebrates the tastes of India.

“All the main courses have an emphasis on umami. Your sense of taste is not as heightened when on air, so deeper flavors hold their own better than more delicate ones,” Keränen describes.

After the main course there is a separate cheese course, where at the moment the traditional French Comté meets a Finnish white cheese Heidi from Herkkujuustola cheesery.

Many passengers know to expect a cake to finish the meal with and you can still find a lovely Normandy apple tart on the menu. To fit the trend of all things traditional and as a nod to the Finnish exotic the other option is now a whisked berry mousse. It is usually made with lingonberries but modernized by Finnair and made from blackcurrants.

“My bet is that it is going to be a bit hit,” Keränen mentions.

There is another meal served prior to landing on long-haul flights. If arriving before noon the meal is a generous breakfast including continental elements such as fresh fruit and bread. If you are feeling quite hungry there is the option to have a traditional hot breakfast as well.

Later in the day the second meal is an avocado pasta. According to Keränen Finnair wants to include plant-based dishes but with a strong focus on deliciousness.

“The most important factors are always quality and taste,” she states.

In addition to the actual meals there are small snacks available throughout the flight to satisfy a small hunger or a craving to snack when watching a movie.

SHORT-HAUL MEANS FRESH AND EASY TO EAT

Even on the short-haul flights there is an emphasis on wonderful food experiences. But the food must also be easy to eat, light and refreshing.

On the flights that are approximately an hour or under the meal served is a sandwich with accompanying drinks. If the flight is under three hours the meal is a fresh, cold dish made in the Finnair kitchen. For now, the meal is a hearty salad made from Benella rainbow trout. In the future the dish might be another chilled option, such as a poke bowl.

For the flights that are over three hours the passengers have the time to enjoy a rounded three course meal based on the new flavor profiles.

In addition, the passengers can always make the most of the Nordic Kitchen onboard menu, that features light snacks and a variety of drinks.

“Our service now represents a new way of thinking about food. It is local yet global, simple yet offers incredible taste sensations,” she outlines.

Finnair to offer an affordable COVID-19 testing near Helsinki Airport

Finnair has made this announcement:

Several EU countries require travellers to have a negative corona test as a requirement for entry. To make travel more accessible to more people, Finnair is now introducing a rapid antigen test that costs just 65 euros and is available from 4 August. Testing is handled by Finnair Health Services and it’s available at Finnair’s headquarters in Vantaa near the airport at Tietotie 9.

The test can be booked online at finnairtest.mbooking.fi. The booking can be made with a Finnish personal identity code, or your date of birth. The test result and certificate in English are delivered electronically within two hours. The results are also available in My Kanta in Finland.

“Pre-testing is a prerequisite for safe travel in many countries. Therefore it must be affordable and reasonably priced for anyone who wants to travel. Finnair’s new rapid antigen testing service smoothens the journey. The rapid antigen test is a good option for tourists arriving in Finland who need a negative corona test certificate for their return journey. A growing number of countries are accepting rapid antigen testing as a travel document. Our aim is to make this available also in other locations in Finland”, says Kaarlo Karvonen, Finnair’s Head of Security.

The rapid antigen test is valid in most EU and Schengen countries and you get the result quickly, making it easier to plan travel. The entry requirements of different countries can be checked on the travel restrictions map on Finnair’s website or the websites of the authorities of the countries. Some countries only accept PCR testing for pre-testing, which Finnair does not yet offer. The PCR test result can be obtained, for example, from Finnair’s partner Terveystalo or another health care provider.

Finnair introduces nonstop long-haul flights from Stockholm Arlanda

Finnair to complete with SAS at ARN:

Finnair opens nonstop flight routes from Arlanda Airport, Stockholm in Sweden to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand and Miami in the United States for the winter season 2021/2022.

All three routes will be operated with an Airbus A350-900 aircraft offering a smooth and modern travel experience.

As of October 22, 2021 Finnair flies from Arlanda to Bangkok five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. From November 28, 2021 the weekly frequencies will be increased to seven and flights are operated from Monday through Sunday until April 22, 2022.

Flights from Arlanda to Phuket will be operated on Sundays as of October 24, 2021. An additional frequency will be added Thursday as of November 4, 2021 and for Tuesdays as of November 30, 2021. Flights to Phuket will be operated until April 21, 2022.

Flights from Arlanda to Miami will start with two weekly frequencies, on Wednesdays and Saturdays as of October 23, 2021. From November 29, 2021 flights will be operated also on Monday and Friday until April 22, 2022.

Finnair flies to Bangkok, Phuket and Miami also from its home base Helsinki Airport.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A350-941 OH-LWM (msn 264) LHR (SPA). Image: 945935.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Finnair reports a 54.5% jump in traffic in June over May

In June, Finnair carried 127,900 passengers, which was 131.5% more than in June 2020. The COVID-19 impact was already clearly visible then as Finnair only operated a minimum network due to strict and extensive travel restrictions. The number of passengers in June 2021 was 54.5% more than in May 2021 (month-on-month figures are not fully comparable as there is one fewer day in June).

The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures. The overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) increased in June by 359.2% year-on-year and by 44.6% month-on-month. Finnair operated 78 daily flights (cargo-only included) on average, which was 59.2% more than in June 2020 and 20.0% more than in May 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to June 2020 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair’s traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 263.6% year-on-year and by 73.0% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) decreased by 9.1% points to 34.7% year-on-year but increased by 5.7% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 100.0% year-on-year as there were no comparable passenger flights in June 2020. In North Atlantic traffic, the ASKs increased by 5,243.3%: there was only a single passenger flight in June 2020, and the Chicago and Los Angeles routes were re-opened in June 2021, complementing the New York route, which was re-opened in March 2021. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 85.7%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 116.3%.

RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 100.0% year-on-year, in North Atlantic traffic by 16,780.5%, in European traffic by 156.8% and in domestic traffic by 135.7%.

The PLF was 14.4% in Asian traffic but it was supported by the strong cargo operations and a high cargo load factor. The PLF was 25.5% in North Atlantic traffic, 57.9% in European traffic and 73.1% in domestic traffic.

Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 100.0% year-on-year, in North Atlantic traffic by 15,154.2%, in European traffic by 118.4% and in domestic traffic by 110.9%.

In June, available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 3,014.5% year-on-year (increased by 38.9% month-on-month) and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres increased by 4,342.9% (increased by 36.6% month-on-month), both due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scheduled flights especially in Asian and North Atlantic traffic in June 2020. However, cargo related available tonne kilometres increased only by 64.4% year-on-year (decreased by 5.5% month-on-month) and revenue tonne kilometres increased by 64.8% (decreased by 6.7% month-on-month) as they both also include the cargo-only flights operated mainly between Europe and Asia as well as Europe and North America. Cargo-only tonnes were down by 28.6% year-on-year and by 34.6% month-on-month. The total cargo tonnes increased by 52.2% year-on-year but decreased by 8.1% month-on-month. Demand for the cargo capacity remained strong especially in Asian traffic. As a result, the cargo load factor remained high.

In June, 87.9% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (96.6%).

Traffic statistics for July 2021 will be published on Thursday 5 August 2021.

Finnair Traffic Performance June 2021
	Month	% Change	YTD	% Change
Total traffic
Passengers 1,000	127.9	131.5	550.8	-80.0
Available seat kilometres mill	594.1	359.2	2,619.7	-73.8
Revenue passenger kilometres mill	206.0	263.6	740.8	-89.6
Passenger load factor %	34.7	-9.1p	28.3	-43.0p
Cargo tonnes total	6,216.0	52.2	40,315.3	-0.5
Available tonne kilometres mill	141.5	40.9	857.1	-49.3
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	64.7	95.2	363.3	-59.6

Asia
Passengers 1,000 Asia	4.8	100.0	20.8	-95.5
Available seat kilometres mill Asia	248.5	100.0	1,360.8	-71.0
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Asia	35.8	100.0	155.6	-95.7
Passenger load factor % Asia	14.4	N/A	11.4	-64.9p

Europe
Passengers 1,000 Europe	88.0	118.4	304.9	-80.8
Available seat kilometres mill Europe	213.7	85.7	854.1	-78.0
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Europe	123.9	156.8	402.1	-84.2
Passenger load factor % Europe	57.9	16.0p	47.1	-18.7p

North Atlantic
Passengers 1,000 North Atlantic	3.7	15,154.2	4.7	-94.3
Available seat kilometres mill North Atlantic	105.2	5,243.3	159.9	-81.2
Revenue passenger kilometres mill North Atlantic	26.8	16,780.5	33.6	-94.8
Passenger load factor % North Atlantic	25.5	17.4p	21.0	-55.2p

Domestic
Passengers 1,000 Domestic	31.4	110.9	220.4	-64.2
Available seat kilometres mill Domestic	26.7	116.3	244.9	-59.7
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Domestic	19.5	135.7	149.5	-59.2
Passenger load factor % Domestic	73.1	6.0p	61.1	0.8p

Cargo Traffic
Europe tonnes	169.4	-21.9	1,041.2	-85.7
North Atlantic tonnes	688.0	2,272.1	1,148.4	-54.8
Asia tonnes	2,609.4	100.0	14,151.8	-31.7
Domestic tonnes	25.5	18.8	161.6	-2.2
Cargo scheduled traffic total tonnes	3,492.3	1,206.2	16,503.0	-46.3
Cargo flights tonnes**	2,723.7	-28.6	23,812.3	142.7
Cargo Traffic tonnes total	6,216.0	52.2	40,315.3	-0.5
Available tonne kilometres* mill	56.8	64.4	363.9	-20.3
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	46.3	64.8	297.6	14.1
Available sched. cargo tonne kms* mill	31.3	3,014.5	143.1	-60.8
Revenue sched. cargo tonne kms mill	25.2	4,342.9	117.7	-38.2
Cargo load factor* %	81.5	0.2p	81.8	24.7p
– North-Atlantic cargo load factor* %	75.5	-24.5p	77.5	11.2p
– Asia cargo load factor* %	86.2	N/A	86.0	30.2p
Scheduled traffic Cargo load factor* %	80.5	24.1p	82.3	30.1p

* Based on average operational cargo capacity

** Including purchased traffic

Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points).
Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available. multiplied by the number of kilometres flown.
Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available ton kilometres.

In other news, Finnair announced changes for travel to Finland:

Finland’s new entry model opens up Finland for leisure travelers: travelers from EU and Schengen countries can enter Finland freely as of 12 July without any additional health safety measures when

they are fully vaccinated, or
have had a covid-19 infection before, or
are born in 2006 or later, or
arrive from a country with low virus incidence.

Those with one vaccination only are instructed to take a covid-19 test earliest 72 hours after arrival to Finland, and those without any vaccinations are required in addition to have a negative test result before departure to Finland or a test on arrival.

In line with this new model, Finnair will as of July 12, 2021 discontinue its requirement for customers to present covid certificates before boarding flights to Finland.

“With the new legislation, the requirements for entry are checked on arrival, so our customers do not need to show their certificates to Finnair customer service agent at the check-in, when their destination is Finland”, says Jaakko Schildt, Finnair Chief Operating Officer. “We continue to check the documents for those transiting to an international flight at Helsinki, per authority requirements.”

“The health and safety of our customers is a key priority for us, and we continue to have comprehensive measures in place on our flights to ensure safe travel. These include, among others, the obligation to wear a mask for the duration of the flight”, Schildt says.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommended earlier this year that all airlines with flights to Finland require their customers to show either a negative test result, a certificate of recovery, or a vaccination certificate, and Finnair has been the only airline flying to Finland who has adhered to this recommendation. With the discontinuation of this practice, Finnair does not have any requirements of its own regarding covid certificates.

During the interim period of 12-25 July 2021 Finnair will however check that customers traveling to Finland meet the Finnish entry requirements, when they depart from a country that is outside the group of normalized border traffic, as internal border control continues and leisure traffic is not yet allowed from all EU and Schengen countries during the interim period.

More details on entry to Finland are available at https://www.finnair.com/fi-en/flight-information/travel-updates/travelling-to-finland-2166364

Many countries are open for travel, but continue to require covid certificates from travelers, so customers are advised to always check the requirements of their destination country from the local authorities’ website or from Finnair’s travel map at https://www.finnair.com/fi-en/travel-requirements-map.

Finnair flies to approximately 60 destinations during the summer season, with more destinations being added for the winter season.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A330-302 OH-LTT (msn 1088) LHR (SPA). Image: 948136.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Finnair and Juneyao Air enter into a joint business partnership on the Helsinki-Shanghai route and beyond

Finnair and Shanghai-based Juneyao Air will enter to a joint business partnership on July 1, 2021, where the two carriers will cooperate commercially on flights between Helsinki and Shanghai as well points beyond in China and Europe.

Finnair and Juneyao Air started a codeshare cooperation in July 2019, when Juneyao Air launched its Shanghai-Helsinki route. The joint business further deepens the partnership, providing corporate and leisure customers with more flexible routing options, attractive fares and enhanced benefits for frequent flyer members. Finnair’s and Juneyao’s customers will benefit from more consistent customer policies for example with baggage allowances, integrated customer care and enhanced frequent flyer award point accrual across the two airlines.

Finnair and Juneyao Air currently operate 2 flights per week between Helsinki and Shanghai and look forward to increasing frequencies as soon as the pandemic situation allows. In 2019, Finnair and Juneyao Air both operated daily flights between Helsinki and Shanghai.

Juneyao Air launched its route from Shanghai to Helsinki in July 2019, and since then both Finnair and Juneyao have been codesharing on each other’s Helsinki-Shanghai services and on selected connecting flights from Helsinki to Europe and from Shanghai to other destinations in China. A reciprocal agreement for Finnair Plus and Juneyao Air Club frequent flyer members was also implemented in August 2019, allowing customers to earn and redeem miles and points throughout each partner’s entire network.

Finnair to fly to 70 destinations this coming winter

Finnair has made this announcement:

Many countries are opening travel as vaccination coverage increases. Finnair has now updated its offering for September-October and for the winter season 2021/2022 (November – March) to meet the needs of its travel-hungry customers. Destinations for autumn and winter include Canary Islands, with flights starting already in September as well as Miami and Thailand in the winter season. Altogether, Finnair flies to some 70 destinations during winter 2021/2022.

“The travel restrictions continue to impact air travel, but many countries are opening for tourism”, says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair. “When planning our offering, we have taken into account the favorite destinations and holiday seasons of our customers – for example, we will reopen flights to Miami and offer great connections to Thailand, Southern Europe as well as to Scandinavia.”

The Finnish Lapland continues to attract travelers, and in September Finnair offers frequent flights to Kittilä and Ivalo in northern Finland – great destinations to experience the wonderful autumn colors of Lapland. Frequencies to Scandinavia are increased in October when Finnair flies to Oslo and Copenhagen three times per day, making one day business trips smoother.

During the winter season Finnair will fly daily to New York and three times a week to Miami and Los Angeles. Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi will be in the offering for Thailand. Altogether 70 destinations will be operated in the winter season, and Finnair flies to for example Alicante, Malaga and Nice throughout the winter.

As the offering for the late autumn and winter season is updated, adjustments also will occur. Finnair will contact those customers affected directly. Customers can either opt for a full refund or to be rerouted if possible.

“Compared to a normal situation, our traffic program evolves as the travel guidance and restrictions continue to change impacting the demand for our flights”, says Ole Orvér. “We try to provide our customers with the most reliable view of winter travel opportunities, but changes to flights are still possible”.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair (Nordic Regional Airlines-Norra) Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OH-LKG (msn 19000079) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 951393.

Finnair introduces a Business Light ticket

Finnair will introduce a totally new Business Light ticket and renew its other ticket types on June 15, 2021, addressing the increasing trend for personalization of the travel experience.

Customers can choose a ticket for their needs from three ticket types – Light, Classic and Flex – that are available for both Business and Economy Class for all short-haul and most intercontinental journeys. When booking a ticket, customers select the travel class experience they prefer and the level of flexibility for making reservation changes – along with some additional services included in the ticket. The rest of the experience can be tailored with a wide selection of travel extras.

Business Light is a totally new ticket type designed especially for leisure travelers who want to travel light and affordably while enjoying Business Class comfort. Business Light includes carry-on baggage only. Reservation changes, refunds, airport priority services, lounge access and onboard internet are not included in the ticket price. Customers can always elevate their experience by choosing the travel extras that matter most for them.

The Classic ticket is the most popular option allowing ticket date changes and including one piece of checked baggage. With a Classic ticket bought on June 15 or later, customers can make travel date changes flexibly, paying only the possible fare difference between the original and new tickets. A refund is not possible in the case of a customer cancelling their reservation.

The Flex ticket is a fully flexible and refundable ticket option serving those whose plans can change. When changing travel dates with a Flex ticket, customers only pay the possible fare difference between the original and new tickets. In case a customer wants to cancel their trip, the ticket will be refunded. Flex tickets include checked baggage and advance seat reservation. A Flex ticket bought after June 15 doesn’t include airport priority services.