Finnair Charges Separately For Seats

[SantiSuk]

I just prepared then lost a 10 minute rant agaisnt Finnair, but then lost it! Da_mn.

Anyway the jist is watch out if you are booking a flight with Finnair other than through their own web-site. I have just found after the booking event that I will have to pay an extra 45 quid for the seats (no way am I going to fly in the middle of the middle so I am stuffed with the extra charges). Nasty insidious little scheduled national carrier - you expect it from Air Asia and can mentally adjust accordingly.

Its back to the Middle East carriers for me in future and no more booking through a consolidator like Opodo without going through the airline's own website with a fine toothcomb first.

[flightcrew1]

Some carriers are doing this now. Fiinair gives you the choice to pick your seat after entering your name and it clearly shows the price for picking your seats. I agree with you. There are better airlines out there who do not charge for your seats.

Example:

Seat 790 THB Front Row Seat 1575 THB Legspace Seat 2360 THB Exit Row Seat 1575 THB Cot/Bassinet Seat 1575 THB Selected Occupied E Emergency Exit W Wing L Lavatory D Door Row G Galley

Window

Please note that the seat number you have selected is a wish only (unless it is a paid seat). The seat will be confirmed at check-in.

[smokie36]

Biz class for me this week Santi....

We've signed three players too...did you see?

Anyway....sorry for your troubles...yeah I get the same on occasion with BA....annoying.

[smokie36]

Etihad are the best in Economy Santi...just don't tell anyone I said that...

[gamini]

Singapore airlines does the same. However my wife just flew to Stockholm and back on Finnair and said the seats had much more room than other airlines and the service and food superb. Coming ffrom her it is a real compliment. And she has flown all over the world. My next international flight will be Finnair for sure.

[msg362]

If you don't pay, do you have to stand the whole way?

( A joke, but many years go on a domestic UK Dan Air flight I could not find a seat and the plane had started to taxi. I saw an empty seat and said to the air hostess "I'll sit there" "no" she said, "it's reserved"! . I still don't know if she expected me to stand, I sat down and hoped the plane was capable of flying. Dan air folded shortly after.)

[SantiSuk]

Makes a mockery of these so-called comparison websites when you dont know whether you are comparing apples with oranges. Or, alternatively, what is the point of booking through a comparison website if you have to go to the airline's own website to check whether you are going to have to pay extra? Might as well book with the airline itself, except for those relatively rare occasions when the comparison website comes up with a cheaper price.

I'm shocked to hear that BA is doing it too 'sometimes'. How are you supposed to know when? Strikes me that the flight comparison web-sites USP is crumbling and the model is flawed.

Even more shocking that the people's former favourite, mighty Singapore Airlines, is up to those tricks. At this rate 50% of global air travel will be going through Doha, AbuD, Bahrain, Kuwait or Dubai by 2020.

Hey Smokie - I know my place (in economy with a few hundred quid saved in the back pocket). I look up to him but I look down on ... oh no, there's noone to look down on anymore . Joys of being a retiree - Concorde and Virgin's Heathrow club room are now but distant memories.

[

[smokie36]

Makes a mockery of these so-called comparison websites when you dont know whether you are comparing apples with oranges. Or, alternatively, what is the point of booking through a comparison website if you have to go to the airline's own website to check whether you are going to have to pay extra? Might as well book with the airline itself, except for those relatively rare occasions when the comparison website comes up with a cheaper price.

I'm shocked to hear that BA is doing it too 'sometimes'. How are you supposed to know when? Strikes me that the flight comparison web-sites USP is crumbling and the model is flawed.

Even more shocking that the people's former favourite, mighty Singapore Airlines, is up to those tricks. At this rate 50% of global air travel will be going through Doha, AbuD, Bahrain, Kuwait or Dubai by 2020.

Hey Smokie - I know my place (in economy with a few hundred quid saved in the back pocket). I look up to him but I look down on ... oh no, there's noone to look down on anymore . Joys of being a retiree - Concorde and Virgin's Heathrow club room are now but distant memories.

[

OK Santi....Concorde room....I admit defeat....

[SantiSuk]

The Goldman Sachs investment bankers I worked with (selling the family silver for Maggie T) used to go home to the Hamptons on "the rocket" every week like it was the 17:50 to Tunbridge Wells!

Days of excess, long-departed

[beano2274]

BA does the same as well, but you can wait until 24 hours before and it costs nothing. And do not worry the passengers will be sat next to each other. Happened to me last April

[beano2274]

I recently booked Aeroflot through an agent, the return journey I can choose my seats, however on the outbound leg I can only do at check-in.

[theoldgit]

The Goldman Sachs investment bankers I worked with (selling the family silver for Maggie T) used to go home to the Hamptons on "the rocket" every week like it was the 17:50 to Tunbridge Wells!

Days of excess, long-departed

I only flew Concorde to JFK once, my only disappointment was that there was nobody famous on board, unless I was sitting near you 'SantiSuk'.

Likewise my Virgin Upper Class flights are but a distant memory, though I do think their Upper Class are a little tired. My last flight, using the last of my points, was Upper Class HKG-LHR and Economy back, talk about after the Lord Mayors Show, I now have to look for the offers.

[smokie36]

I was stuck on a plane to Amsterdam...in a long taxiing queue...near hour and a half we had been waiting....everyone getting restless when the captain announced concorde taking off right in front of us....we were right behind it....an awesome sight...and yeah....everyone forgot all about that delay....amazing!

beano...I now have silver status with BA which allows me to choose seats earlier but i never do....I hate that airline and its poxy beans on toast biz class lounge and its miserable crew. A necessary evil.

[howzat]

I just prepared then lost a 10 minute rant agaisnt Finnair, but then lost it! Da_mn.

Anyway the jist is watch out if you are booking a flight with Finnair other than through their own web-site. I have just found after the booking event that I will have to pay an extra 45 quid for the seats (no way am I going to fly in the middle of the middle so I am stuffed with the extra charges). Nasty insidious little scheduled national carrier - you expect it from Air Asia and can mentally adjust accordingly.

Its back to the Middle East carriers for me in future and no more booking through a consolidator like Opodo without going through the airline's own website with a fine toothcomb first.

[howzat]

Suppose it depends on the total price of the ticket with the add ons in order to make a comparison.

I like to fly business class on emirates to Europe but any recommendations for cheaper international airline appreciated.

[smokie36]

Suppose it depends on the total price of the ticket with the add ons in order to make a comparison.

I like to fly business class on emirates to Europe but any recommendations for cheaper international airline appreciated.

In that case I recommend Royal Jordanian for Economy travel. Perfectly acceptable...and cheap!

[Semper]

If you don't pay, do you have to stand the whole way?

Maybe one could hang around the flight attendants rest area.

[roamer]

Singapore airlines does the same. However my wife just flew to Stockholm and back on Finnair and said the seats had much more room than other airlines and the service and food superb. Coming ffrom her it is a real compliment. And she has flown all over the world. My next international flight will be Finnair for sure.

Your having a laugh ! I've known people threaten to quit companies if they have to fly Finnair again. I was killing some time at Swampy waiting for my flight last month watching the flight crews and cabin staff doing their crocodile walks to the gates. Etihad, Qatar, Nippon, all beautifully groomed. Then I saw some people straggle pass in horrible black and white trouser suits, hair all akimbo, totally dishevelled, for a moment I thought they were cleaners or maintainance crews but they were farangs, average age I would guess 40 something. Really wondered if they could be cabin crew despite the cases they were trailing behind them, in at least two cases they would have had difficulty moving down an aisle due to their size. I actually got up and followed them to the gate, sure enough it was Finnair.

Last did a Bangkok trip with them 10 years ago, NEVER again. No hot food. Curtained off area where the flight attendants vanish to for most of the flight and sleep. When they do get up some of them actually need to hold on to the trolleys like zimmer frames.

If it's changed it certainly wasn't the case just 2 years ago when my daughter flew them Helsinki- KL, it almost reduced her to tears.

Finnair is a state airline from a country where employment laws mean its virtually impossible to fire anyone. Enjoy your flight.

[ikotlin]

I flew FinnAir about a year ago, and could not complain.

Even though I chose cheap-ass economy the attendants came about every now and then with drinks, and their entertainment system kept me out of boredom.

The seats are not excellent but at least I didn't have pains half the way as I did with AF/KLM.

I probably won't hesitate to fly FinnAir again if the price admits.

[Darrel]

You aren't paying extra for a seat; you are paying extra for a particular seat. Big difference.

This is quite common procedure with many airlines and with Finnair it applies to all economy fares except Y or B class.

http://www.finnair.com/TH/GB/flights/service-fees/optional-travel-fees

So if you dont want to pay extra for a particular seat just buy Y or B class which, unsurprisingly, will probably cost more than a ticket in another economy class where seat choice is a pay option.

[SantiSuk]

You aren't paying extra for a seat; you are paying extra for a particular seat. Big difference.

This is quite common procedure with many airlines and with Finnair it applies to all economy fares except Y or B class.

http://www.finnair.com/TH/GB/flights/service-fees/optional-travel-fees

So if you dont want to pay extra for a particular seat just buy Y or B class which, unsurprisingly, will probably cost more than a ticket in another economy class where seat choice is a pay option.

Fair enough, but I suspect most people knew what I meant. The detail of my posting got lost at the first attempt. In 6 years of flying the UK to London route 5 times a year having to pay for a specified seat was a first for me (previously Qatar, Emirates, Etihad, Gulf, EVA, BA, Qantas, Thai, KLM, none of which at the time I flew charged to pre-book a specified seat). I recognise that some airlines are gong down the disaggregated price route so maybe sonme of these are by now charging.

Would appreciate listings from you/others of the airlines that have charged for specified seats when you flew (Air Asia I know about). I have no objection to airlines charging for extras (I love Air Asia) provided its easy to spot the extras coming. I just didnt expect a European national flag carrier to be into that.