News Archive

Finnair offers a completely new exclusive service concept at the terminal 1 of Singapore Changi Airport. The new Dnata Premium Check-in Lounge opened its doors on February 1, 2012. The lounge, intended to help busy passengers find some peace of mind, can be found behind check-in rows 5 and 6, and it features a private entrance to passport control. The service is for Finnair business class customers, Finnair Plus Platinum-, Gold- and Silver members as well as for oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members.

"We’re continuously developing our network, which means evaluating the profitability of each route individually and our network as a whole," says Gregory Kaldahl, SVP of Resource Management. "This decision has been made after a long and thorough assessment, and we’re of course sorry for all the inconvenience this causes to those customers who have been using our service to these cities. Nevertheless, during these challenging times we need to create better conditions for the remaining routes to be successful."

Says Petri Schaaf, VP of Global Sales: "These routes have been unprofitable already for quite a long time. Even with our new attractive pricing model, not enough customers have started to use our service. In Finland, many still choose to use their car instead of flying.

All ideas have been carefully investigated, and the first ones to be implemented at the airport are an art gallery and a book swap.

The art gallery will be opened on the airport early in 2012. The eco-friendly book swap where passengers can exchange their second-hand books will be introduced later in the spring.

Meat-free Mondays, a highly popular concept designed to decrease the carbon footprint of meal services, as well as several other submissions intended to develop in-flight and airport meal offerings, require further investigation before they can be realized.

All development ideas are open for the public to follow and comment on in the Quality Hunters community, courtesy of Finnair and Helsinki Airport. The community can be accessed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/qualityhunters. All ideas and the blogs by the Quality Hunters are available at www.qualityhunters2.com.

The excess baggage fee can also be paid on Finnair's website at Manage my booking. The fee is lower when paid in advance either online or through the travel agency than at the airport.

The fee for an extra bag varies depending on the length of the flight. When paid at a travel agency the one-way fee on a flight within Finland, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries is €20 (€30 at the airport), within the rest of Europe €30 (€40) and on intercontinental flights €60 (€80).

The same fees apply to golf of ski equipment with a maximum weight of 23 kg and maximum length of 2 metres.

The liquid goods must be packed by the seller in a sealed, plastic bag, which is fully intact and unopened, and the receipt must be visible inside the bag.

All liquids, including the 100 ml liquid containers packed in a separate, transparent, one-litre plastic bag, must be presented by the passenger for screening at the security control.

The concession makes it possible for passengers to transport tax-free liquids in their carry-on baggage. Passengers may buy liquid products at, for example, Bangkok Airport and take them through the security control to a connecting flight at Helsinki Airport. Passengers should, however, be aware that the screening of liquids might somewhat slow down the process at the security control.

All EU states or all airports may not introduce the new practices. The current rules will still apply, among all, in Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal and Estonia. This means, that the liquids carried by passengers who have to change flights at yet another airport after Helsinki, might still be confiscated.
The old regulations still apply to liquids purchased somewhere else than at the airport tax-free shops or onboard aircraft.

Monocle has a focus on international matters, culture and business. Its annual Travel Top 50 selects the best travel industry offerings from all over the world. These range from best airports, hotels and airlines to the most charming restaurants and cafes.

Monocle praises Helsinki Airport not only for its smooth connections, but also its "small footprint, shops full of excellent Finnish products and sensible use of materials."

Indeed, the magazine proclaims that Helsinki Airport offers the passenger every service they could possibly want. All that's missing is a couple of extra routes to North America, explains the magazine.

Monocle chose Helsinki Airport as the Best airport for connections in 2010 and the Best Airport in 2009.

The new uniforms, designed by Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen, take ergonomics and the special requirements of the crew’s working environment into account. The new design is fresh, light and modern, all the while paying homage to Finnair’s design heritage. The new uniforms are made of a high-quality wool-blend material that takes advantage of the latest innovations in nanotechnology, making the material spill- and stain resistant. The material stretches in two directions and the colours are midnight blue and pure white.

In addition to the new uniforms, Finnair has already renewed its corporate logo, the aircraft livery and the look and feel of the cabin. By renewing its service culture, the company wishes to respond to the needs and expectations of customers, and to introduce open-minded, innovative solutions that provide customers with peace of mind – at all stages of their trip.

“Finnair has a significant role in the traffic between Europe and Asia, and we want to increase our attractiveness also in the Asian and central European markets. Our identity renewal plays a very important role in this strategy”, Jarkko Konttinen, Vice President at Finnair Global Marketing Communications, explains.

The chargeable seats on leisure flights (AY1000 series) may, however, be reserved normally.

The renewal of the pre-seating system does not affect the self-service check-in service. Customers may still check in on Finnair's website and at that point select a seat of their choice up to 36 hours before the departure of any Finnair flight.

We apologize for the inconvenience the renewal of the system may cause our customers.

For smoother departure, check-in can be completed in advance online, by text message or at the check-in kiosks. Baggage can also be brought to Helsinki Airport the evening before departure.

Normally the check-in for a next-day flight is open from 17:00 to 21:30. On Wednesday December 21 and Thursday December 22, the opening hours have been extended to 22:00. If check-in is completed in advance, the bags, skis and baby buggies may be handed in at the Baggage Drop desk. One family member, who will travel along, may check in the baggage for the whole family, provided that he or she can show all tickets and his or her own travel documents.

The excess-weight and special baggage fees are less expensive when paid online in advance

If the total baggage allowance is exceeded, a separate fee is charged, for example for each set of skiing equipment. When paid online the fee is 30 % lower than when paid at the airport. At the check-in desk the fee can be paid with credit cards; with other payment methods at the Service Desk in the departure hall.

A special service desk for families with children and others who need assistance

Families with children and other special passengers, who need assistance, may use their own Special Passengers service desk at Helsinki Airport. This desk may also be used by children travelling alone and their escort, and by others needing assistance, for example persons using wheelchairs. Families with children also have their own lane at the security control.

Transport of ski wax is forbidden

Many of the ski wax products and ski cleaners are inflammable and toxic, and therefore they are forbidden on the passenger and in the baggage. Further information is available on the website of the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority: civilaviationauthority.fi/security_inspections.

The programme places special emphasis on the importance of maintaining sanitation, hygiene and clean water. The target area in the north-east Indian state of Bihar is one of the country’s poorest and most densely populated areas.

With the project’s help, 224 schools have already received new water outlets and toilets. Teachers have been trained to teach children to learn about the importance of washing their hands. When the project started, only 3 per cent of children washed their hands before eating; that figure has now risen to 91 per cent.

Finnair and UNICEF are now working together with Change for Good for the sixteenth time. Change for Good is being carried out on almost all international Finnair flights over the six-week period from November 28. The idea is that coins and notes of any currency and denomination can be placed for collection in the envelopes provided in aircraft seat pockets, then handed to cabin crew for collection.

A new element of the campaign is the option of donating Finnair Plus Points, available as of December 1.

"We are adding new support to the campaign because there are fewer currencies with the widespread use of the euro," says Arja Suominen, responsible for corporate communications and corporate responsibility at Finnair. "We also want to offer our customers more ways to contribute to good causes, choosing the ones that are closest to themselves. As an international organization, UNICEF suits us well because our customer base is also international."

Change for Good has been the official charity for many members of the oneworld global alliance since 1999. The campaign has made efficient and concrete contributions to improving life in developing countries.

The period for this year’s campaign is November 28 to January 8, 2012.

The Almost@home Lounge is located in the transit hall, after passport control, next to the Transfer Service Desk 3.

The lounge has room for 73 guests and it may be used by all non-Schengen customers, who have lounge access. The lounge is open between 06.30 and 23:30.

Finnair customers may also use the multifunctional Finnair Lounge, with room for 250 guests, and the adjacent Finnair Spa & Saunas for 100 guests, both located between gates 36 and 37.

Finnair and Finavia have chosen seven Quality Hunters from more than 2,000 applications that arrived from all over the world. The Quality Hunters will raise for public debate new proposals to improve flight travel. Every Quality Hunter will monitor a specific category selected for them and will evaluate and report their experiences and development ideas on the Quality Hunters 2  website: www.qualityhunters2.com. The Quality Hunters will travel to different parts of the world during the period October 20 – December 1.

The seven selected Quality Hunters are: Yuval Golan from Israel, Mette Frøkjær Hansen from Denmark, Tomas Spohn from Germany, Sanjoo Malhotra from Sweden, Francoise Lin from France, Asami Nagai from Japan and Mirva Lempiäinen from Finland, who currently lives in New York. The group will be further strengthened by one more member: The Quality Hunters will select one of the members of the public who participated in the discussion to join their ranks.

“Our goal is to develop our service continuously and to offer our customers peace of mind as well as care and attention at every stage of their journey. The Quality Hunters’ task is to identify development areas, but also to find solutions that can be implemented and thereby improve customers’ travel experience”, says Finnair’s Director of Global Marketing Antti Nieminen.

“In their travels, Quality Hunters will measure customer satisfaction in a sustainable and continuous way. We are eagerly awaiting what the Hunters will discover and we will take our discussion of quality forward, based on their findings,” says Finavia’s Customer Experience Manager Johanna Metsälä.

 

Flybe will operate flights with Finnair flight numbers in the AY3000 series on the routes between Helsinki and Joensuu, Kuopio, Tampere and Vaasa in Finland, as well as some flights on the routes between Helsinki and Hamburg, Geneva, Manchester, Riga, Stuttgart, Tallinn, Vilnius and Warsaw.

As a rule, Finnair service concepts apply on these flights. On domestic flights and on flights to/from Riga, which are oneclass flights without a separate Business Class, the Flybe onboard service, subject to charge, is offered. On the other flights Finnair's onboard service applies. Passengers may use normal self-service check-in services and lounge facilities.

Flybe will also operate flights with flight numbers in the BE5000 series. These flights are Finnair code-share flights with flight numbers in the AY8000 series as well. Code-share flights are operated by Flybe in Finland between Helsinki and Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Kemi, Kittilä, Kokkola/Pietarsaari, Kuusamo, Maariehamn, Pori, Savonlinna, Seinäjoki and Varkaus. International code-share routes include flights between Helsinki and Gdansk, Norrköping, Skellefteå (via Kokkola), Tartu, Trondheim, Stockholm Bromma airport and Umeå, as well as the routes Oulu–Tallinn, Seinäjoki–Kittilä, Tallinn–Stockholm (Bromma), Tampere–Kittilä, Tampere–Kuusamo, Tampere–Tallinn, Turku–Kittilä, Turku–Tallinn, Vaasa–Tallinn.

Reservations to AY8000 flights are made through Finnair's reservation channels, while BE5000 flights are booked through Flybe's reservation channels.

Flybe' onboard service, which is subject to charge, applies on these flights. Passengers with Finnair flight numbers (AY) do not have access to lounges. Check-in on Finnair's website and at the check-in kiosks will be possible at a later point.

Finnair baggage rules apply for tickets issued with AY flight numbers and Flybe baggage rules for BE flight numbers. Finnair Plus Platinum, Gold and Silver members as well as oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members may check in 1 extra bag also on AY8000 series code-share flights. Flybe excess-weight charges apply and are paid at check-in.

Flights are operated as follows:

AY961 Helsinki–Dubai 08:35–15:30 Tue, Fri, Sun (from October 30: 08:20–16:30)
AY962 Dubai–Helsinki 16:45–22:15 Tue, Fri, Sun (from October 30: 17:45–22:30)

Passengers may increase their travel comfort by reserving exit seats with more legroom in advance. The same service is available for Economy Class passengers on all intercontinental scheduled flights online at www.finnair.com/managemybooking. The fee for an exit seat is 60 euros one-way. Finnair Plus Platinum members can reserve exit row seats for free at the time of flight reservation. Passengers seated at the exit row have to confirm that they are at least 12 years old, speak and understand English or Finnish, are able-bodied and not pregnant, and are not travelling with an infant.

Flight time is about 6 hours. Finnair has previously operated charter and leisure flight to Dubai and Finnish Tour operators still have a quota of seats on the scheduled flights.

“Finnair's position in traffic between Asia and Europe is strengthening continually. Our goal is to double the number of Asian flights to 140 flights per week by 2020. To passengers departing from Asia Finnair offers very fast onward connections to a comprehensive European route network, which Dubrovnik will complement,” says Ville Iho, Finnair’s Senior Vice President, Operations.

Dubrovnik is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. This beautiful city is surrounded by verdant nature and a magnificent shoreline. Part of the old city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A quota of seats on the scheduled flight will be reserved for Aurinkomatkat-Suntours.

The route will be flown three times per week in the summer season April 2 – October 10, 2012.

“Kudos to Finnair for showing the biggest improvement of any airline in the Top 20,” writes the magazine in its October issue. “Vaulting from last year’s position at No. 28, it ratcheted up both its in-flight service and customer service.”

”We’re excited to make such a leap in the rankings,” says Anssi Komulainen, Finnair’s Vice President, Customer Service. “We’re working very hard to become the most desired option in Asia-Europe traffic, and our unified, design-focused approach to bringing customers peace of mind is starting to bear fruit.”

Travel + Leisure magazine, based in New York City, has a circulation of about 970,000. The reader survey took place for the 16th time.

Finnair and Helsinki Airport have commenced a search for seven Quality Hunters, to be given the task of travelling between Europe, Asia and the United States. The aim, with the help of these experts drawn from the public, will be to make Helsinki’s award-winning airport and flight connections even smoother and more convenient.

Last year, Finnair hired 4 Quality Hunters to investigate the theme of quality in travel. This was an unparalleled success, and continues with a much-expanded follow-up for 2011, with Helsinki Airport now also committed to the relentless strive for quality.The Quality Hunters, following an intensive recruitment process, will observe, evaluate, report on, and develop the flight and transfer experience as offered by Finnair and Helsinki Airport. This will lead to development ideas and concepts to be developed in the near future, bolstering an already exemplary travel experience.

The seven successful applicants will fulfil their role over seven weeks, observing seven categories of service quality. Each will publish a blog describing their various activities, and all material will be posted on the www.qualityhunters2.com web site. Visitors to the site will be encouraged to set tasks for the Quality Hunters, make comments and share their opinions. Participants on the site will also have the chance to win intercontinental VIP Finnair flights via Helsinki.

Jarkko Konttinen, Finnair’s Vice President, Global Brand & Marketing Communications, commented that “As a part of renewing our entire service identity, we want to go even further on charting the black spots of travel and finding creative solutions to resolve them. We expect this initiative to result in more convenient travelling concepts and to support Finnair’s constant aim of offering passengers peace of mind.”

“We want to be able to offer passengers something more than just a transfer. It is in our interests to hear from them how to make their time at the airport enjoyable,” added Johanna Metsälä, Helsinki Airport’s Customer Experience Manager.

Those interested may read more and apply at www.qualityhunters2.com – the application period closes on October 5, 2011.

The Angry Birds are currently preparing for their longest flight. Finnair will fly the world-famous Angry Birds, developed by the Finnish company Rovio, to Singapore on September 20. During the flight, fans of the mobile device game will compete in the Angry Birds Asian Challenge at an altitude of 10 kilometres.

“This avian alliance is one example of Finnair’s creative, fresh way of operating. Finnair is a significant player in traffic between Asia and Europe, and our goal is to double the number of Asian flights to 140 flights per week by 2020. It’s great to be involved in bringing Finnish innovation to Asia,” says Jarkko Konttinen, Vice President, Global Brand & Marketing Communications, Finnair.

“Although the Angry Birds have already flown almost everywhere in the world, the trip to Singapore will be the birds’ longest continuous flight to date. The Angry Birds game has been downloaded to various platforms over 350 million times, and we are delighted to be able to bring new Angry Birds games and experiences to a growing fan base,” says Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio’s Mighty Eagle and Marketing Director.

You, too, could be on the flight to Singapore; simply tell us by September 12, at the www.finnair.com/angrybirds, why you are one of the Angry Birds’ most dedicated fans. The five most popular fans and 2-3 favourites selected by a jury will be awarded flight tickets to Singapore. During the flight, the Angry Birds fans and other flight passengers will be able to participate in a competition on games consoles distributed to passengers and specially programmed for this event. The winner of the competition, to be played at an altitude of ten kilometres, will become the proud holder of the very first Angry Birds Asian Challenge title.

A real live Angry Bird will also be present on the flight.

Tweets detailing the swish of wings and the demise of pigs during the competition will be sent from the flight. It will be possible to follow the events in real time at the address www.finnair.com/angrybirds.

Finnair is participating in Pink Ribbon work to promote breast cancer research and improve the provision of advice and information for patients and their relatives. The objective is to collect funds for the Pink Ribbon Fund and to increase awareness of breast cancer. Finnair’s customers will also be able to participate in this work.

“Cancer touches nearly all of us in some way or other. Research is essential so that we can find better care methods and help patients by offering comprehensive information and advice. We want to support the Finnish Cancer Foundation’s important work, and through our own contribution increase Pink Ribbon efforts to promote the visibility and awareness of breast cancer,” says Finnair’s Senior Vice President, Communications and Corporate Responsibility Arja Suominen.

“The Cancer Foundation’s Pink Ribbon campaign is being held for the ninth time. Approximately 55,000 women in Finland have experienced breast cancer. Last year 4,600 women were diagnosed with the disease. The campaign collects funds for breast cancer research in Finland and for the development of advice and information services. We are delighted to welcome Finnair as a partner,” says Harri Vertio, Secretary General of the Finnish Cancer Foundation.

The Pink Ribbon will be particularly visible on Finnair flights and at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport during October 2011. Finnair Plus customers will have the opportunity to participate in the project by donating their points or by acquiring Finnair Plus Pink products sold during October.

“Finnair employees have already demonstrated on many occasions their munificent attitude and desire to help. Now, too, enthusiastic volunteers have come forward from among our personnel to participate in the Pink Ribbon Run as well as other plans and activities,” adds Suominen.

Flybe has today announced the route plans of the recently founded Flybe Nordic airline, jointly owned by Flybe and Finnair.

Flybe Nordic, which uses the Flybe brand and is managed operationally by Flybe, will fly routes formerly operated by Finncomm as well as many new routes, thereby strengthening its position in the Nordic countries and the Baltic area. The new routes will also complement feeder traffic to Finnair’s international connections.

The new routes, which will also be included in Finnair’s flight schedules, will be flown as code-share flights. Finnair Plus customers can accumulate frequent-flyer points on the Flybe Nordic flights. For more information on routes and Finnair Plus point accrual, click here.

The deal by which Flybe Nordic acquired Finnish Commuter Airlines was finalised earlier in August. Flybe owns 60% of Flybe Nordic and Finnair 40%.

Finnair and Belavia, the national airline company of Belarus, have signed a codeshare agreement. The co-operation covers the flights between Helsinki and Minsk as of August 15.

Belavia, established in 1996, is based in Minsk and it operates a modern fleet consisting of 10 Boeing 737 and 4 Canadair aircrafts. The company started operating to Helsinki in June this year.

The route is flown three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, with a Canadair CRJ200 jet aircraft.
The flight arrives in Helsinki at 15.45 and departs back to Minsk at 16.45. The flight timings offer a good connectivity with Finnair's operations to Europe and Asia.

"This new agreement adds an interesting new destination to our route map and gives our guests from Asia and Europe a convenient way to reach Minsk by using Helsinki as a connect point", states Hannu Sundberg, Vice President Commercial Airline Partnerships at Finnair.

"Co-operation with Finnair is very beneficial for passengers. Both companies offer a service of good quality and passengers get the shortest possible way from Belarus to Scandinavia and South-East Asia", Igor Tcherginets, Deputy Director General, Marketing and International at Belavia says.

The popular Airlinetrends.com website, which analyses consumer trends in the airline industry, has selected the world's 11 most innovative airlines. Finnair is ranked in the top five.

Airlinetrends.com, based in the Netherlands, is an independent aviation and consumer trends research agency, which analyses the global airline industry and publishes its research results on the company’s website http://www.airlinetrends.com/. The agency identifies new commercial consumer ideas generated by changes in consumer behaviour and aviation.

This year, Airlinetrends.com ranked the 11 most innovative airlines, whose campaigns and services have also been an inspiration to others. The objective was to select airlines whose recent innovations are inspiring, interesting and challenging to a rapidly changing industry.

Airlines.com describes Finnair as an airline that has found itself a niche in transfer traffic between Europe and Asia – a strategy that has proved to be successful.

"Finnair's innovativeness stems from its desire to serve customers even better in a way that’s tailored to their needs. Finnair and Helsinki Airport were one of the first to introduce Mandarin-speaking staff at terminals to greet and guide passengers arriving from Asian destinations. Our goal is to make travelling as easy and as pleasant as possible for passengers and to offer them tranquil moments to counterbalance the constant hustle and bustle," says Finnair’s SVP Communications and Corporate Responsibility Arja Suominen.

The research also commended the modern wellness services of the Finnair Spa & Saunas as well as the stylish Finnair Lounge located in Helsinki Airport, the full-flat seats in Business Class of Finnair’s A330 aircraft, cabin staff who speak the language of the destination country, and the culturally-tailored business class menus and entertainment.

In addition, favourable mention was given to Finnair’s recently revamped visual identity, the free iPad trial conducted on Hong Kong flights, and the Rethink Quality campaign, for which Finnair chose from 5,200 applicants four expert Quality Hunters, who toured Finnair destinations around the world and assessed quality on flights, at airports and at the locations themselves.

Among the latest innovations mentioned were the donation of materials withdrawn from Finnair aircraft to charity and their ‘upcycling’ into new products. Finnair’s biofuels were also a focus of attention. Last week, Finnair flew the world's longest commercial flight to date using biofuel. In the next few weeks, Finnair will fly a series of four flights altogether using biofuel in both engines of its aircraft.

The 11 most innovative airlines, according to Airlines.com, are Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, Delta Air Lines, Finnair, Southwest Airlines, KLM, Virgin America, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Asiana.

Finnair is able to offer a good new connection to Skellefteå in northern Sweden, as its partner Finncomm Airlines will begin direct flights between Kokkola-Pietarsaari in Finland and Skellefteå in Sweden on August 1, 2011. It's been nine years since flights were last operated from Kokkola-Pietarsaari to Sweden.

The route will be operated three times a week in August, and for times per week from the beginning of September. Flight days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday in August, and from the beginning of September Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

FC281/AY8282 HEL–KOK–SFT 09:00–10:45/11:05–10:40
FC284/AY8284 SFT–KOK-HEL 12:25–14:00/14:20–15:30

The route will be operated with ATR aircraft, which takes 48 passengers. The flight time between Helsinki and Skellefteå is only 2 hours.

The new route is the fastest connections from Helsinkivia Kokkola-Pietarsaari to Skellefteå. It also opens up the smoothest worldwide connections from the Skellefteå area via Helsinki Airport. The cooperation offers great connections for example with Finnair's Asian routes.

The Finnish Border Guard has decided to ease their interpretation of the EU visa regulation concerning a Schengen visa in an expired or cancelled passport.

According to the EU visa regulation, the valid visa shall in principle be included in the valid passport. If, however, the passenger is unable to obtain a replacement visa in the new passport before travel, he or she may still be accepted on the flight, on the following conditions:

Passengers, who are required to have a visa for their travel to the Schengen area, are now accepted to enter the Schengen area also via Finland with a visa included in an expired, cancelled or fully stamped passport, provided that the visa is still valid, the permitted time of stay has not been exceeded and a valid passport, where entry and departure notes can be registered, is presented at the same time. The new valid passport has to be issued in the same name and by the same country as the passport in which the visa is included.

The new practice is now in line with how other Schengen countries have interpreted the EU regulation.