[Deleted User]

Latest from Asia is that I have been told to turn up at the airport 3 hours before departure – it looks like FInnair is still flying.

At least with BA, passengers have 7 days notice of a strike.

[SimonRowberry]

Hi Charles,

This today from Finnair:

“Dear corporate client,

I sincerely apologise for the problems caused by the Finnish Cabin Crew Union (SLSY) strike, starting on 30 November 2010. Negotiations with the Union continue, but I regret to inform you that we do not have any further information regarding the duration of the strike.

Passengers on our scheduled flights will be affected the most. We will, however, make every attempt to fly our leisure flights as usual, partly with the help of our partner airlines.

If your flight is cancelled, we will be in contact with you via text message. For this reason, it is extremely important that you have provided us, with your booking information, a correct and up-to-date mobile phone number. To enter your phone number now, or to check that you have entered your contact information correctly, please follow the directions set out on our information page.

We will provide up-to-date information and guidance to our customers on our information page, at http://www.finnair.fi/info. We will also be sending updates to all our customers via email.

We endeavour to take the best possible care of our customers, even under these unforeseen circumstances, and will do our utmost to ensure that the problems you face due to the situation are minimal.

Again, please accept my sincere apologies for the worry and trouble caused by the strike, and I hope that we will continue to serve you increasingly well in the future.

With kind regards,
Petri Schaaf,
Global Sales Director / Global Sales”

Regards,

Simon

[Deleted User]

The latest:

As I was in the car from the hotel to the airport, text from Finnair, flight cancelled, moved to the BA flight. Flight full was put downstairs. Smiled nicely and a miracle happened, i was “upgraded” to upstairs.

So now direct back to LHR and I dont have to fight access rights with the BA T5 lounge staff.

All in all, sad to leave Asia, but pleased I have a direct flight back to London.

Best of all, “like the hangmans drop” – this was all quick and painless. Well done Finnair and BA.

[Deleted User]

…..and a PS – many thanks Simon for highlighting this strike, which I knew nothing about until your post.

Charles

[SimonRowberry]

My pleasure, Charles, that’s what we’re here in the Forum for – to help each other, share advice and to pass information on.

I’m so glad it all worked out for you.

Regards and wishing you a good flight,

Simon

[FlyingChinaman]

Hi CMBurchardt and SimonRowberry

Greetings from Hong Kong to you two!

It is refreshing to see that there is such a cordial atmosphere between contributors and sharing of international inputs for travel related issues in this forum which benefits the members. A far cry from reading all the personal attacks often posted in this forum.

Wishing you all happier future travels!

[Deleted User]

Just to finish off this posting – imagine my suprise when sitting in the BA lounge and hearing a boarding call for the the Finnair flight to Helsinki. This obviously casued me to ask the question and the answer – long haul Finnair flights were still flying (early hours of the 1st Dec) but I was auto transfered becasue I had a connecting AY flight from Helsinki to London. All in all, I was treated exceptionally well and managed 8 hours sleep in 64B.

Now happily sitting in T5 arrivals lounge – waiting to be collected and wondering whether this sector will count towards the extra benefits for the current BA promotion.

Seperate post re the T5 lounge to follow.

Thanks again Forum, I concur with the comments regarding the cordiality of effectiveness of this forum.

[SimonRowberry]

Today’s missive from Finnair:

“Dear corporate client,

The Finnish cabin crew union strike is still affecting Finnair’s flight traffic. At the moment, we do not have any further information regarding the duration of the strike.

If your flight is cancelled, we will contact you personally via text message to provide you with additional information and instructions. For this reason, it is extremely important that you have provided us with a correct and up-to-date mobile phone number. To enter a phone number now, or to check that the phone number you have entered is correct, please follow the directions set out on our information page (www.finnair.fi/info).

Postponing your trip, refund, rerouting

If your trip begins on 6 December 2010 or earlier,

You may postpone your trip, returning latest on 31 March 2011.
You may apply for refund for an unused Finnair flight ticket: Application for refund if your flight is cancelled. If your ticket was issued by a travel agency or their internet service, another airline, please contact the issuing office for a refund.
We will also try to reroute passengers from cancelled flights.

Finnair flight information

During the strike, Finnair’s flight timetables may be changed; some flights may even depart earlier than scheduled. Please check this link for preliminary flight schedules: on 4 December 2010, 5 December 2010 and 6 December 2010.

We kindly ask customers also to check the up-to-date flight departure times and cancellations before your departure at this link: Finnair flights.

We endeavour to take the best possible care of our customers, even under these unforeseen circumstances, and will do our utmost to ensure that the problems you face due to the situation are minimal.

With kind regards,
Petri Schaaf,
Global Sales Director / Global Sales”

I hope this info might help someone somewhere.

It makes me extremely sad to see the staff of one of my favourite airlines committing commercial suicide. “Mita vittua?” as they’d say in Finland (too rude to translate here, but think of “WTF?”).

Regards and safe, strike- and snow-free travels to all,

Simon

[SimonRowberry]

Latest in today’s Helsingin Sanomat:

“Striking Finnair cabin crew getting support from other unions
Airline sends flight attendants e-mail instructions on breaking strike

print this

Striking cabin crew of the Finnish airline Finnair have been getting pledges of support from other unions.

Timo Räty, President of the Finnish Transport Workers Union (AKT) said in a newspaper interview that the union is considering a ban on fuel service to Finnair planes at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Meanwhile, the Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU has threatened to stop the handling of foreign mail at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, unless a settlement is reached in the dispute between Finnair and the Finnish Cabin Crew Union SLSY.

The Finnish Aviation Union IAU is supporting the striking cabin crew by starting a ban on overtime work at all companies offering airport ground services.

Finnair has come under attack from organised labour for efforts to persuade striking flight attendants to cross picket lines.

Striking cabin crew have received e-mail giving detailed instructions on how to come to work while the strike is in effect.

Matti Tukiainen, organisational director of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), sharply denounced the recruitment of strikebreakers. He said that such moves by Finnair harm an already difficult atmosphere in the negotiations.

Tukiainen says that the management side is showing the same kind of arrogance that was seen during a strike by stevedores last winter.
“Our response is to solidify our ranks”, Tukiainen said.

Soon after the strike began on Tuesday, Finnair warned that it could move some of its operations abroad.

Matti Tukiainen said that it is difficult to evaluate how realistic such a threat might be.

“In this kind of a labour market situation there is a tendency to shoot mosquitoes with a cannon.”

He added that he does not know of any other support measures for the strike, but he feels that it would be logical if the next ones would come from the transport sector – from rail or shipping.

Cabin Crew Union President Thelma Åkers says that she hopes that there will be a settlement to the strike soon.

She feels that the key issue is how a flight attendant can cope with working for 40 years in spite of the burden of plenty of nighttime work and jet lag.

“With millions and millions of people [in Asia], burnout is not so serious there. But in Finland employers are thinking of ways to get people to work longer careers. So we are on the same side here”, she says.

National Conciliator Esa Lonka had not made an official proposal to the two sides for further negotiations as of Friday morning.

Eeva-Liisa Inkeroinen, head of labour market issues at the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK), said on Thursday evening that she was hoping for as quick a settlement as possible in the strike.

Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party), who is also the minister responsible for state corporate ownership, said during Parliament’s Question Time on Thursday that the state has nothing to bring to the negotiating table in the strike at the partly state-owned Finnair. He simply appealed to all sides in the dispute to try to reach a settlement. “

Hope that keeps folks up to speed.

Simon

[ajishjohn]

Hi
I have my round trip copenhagen-delhi booked for 11 th dec. Ever since the strike began, have been waiting with crossed fingers but I am really disappointed with the latest news that the unions rejected the settlement today. Strikes seem to be a hobby with finnair as I see from past history which I was unaware of until now. I had such a good impression on them that I used to pay little extra for a finnair ticket compared to other cheaper airlines. My plans of celebrating christmas with my family is ruined I guess.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the update Simon. Finnair are still selling tickets this week at their normal price. Do you know whats happening, are all pax being transfered. It seems strange that tickets are still being sold, unles of course the benefit is that you get to go via BA for AY prices!

[SimonRowberry]

The latest from today’s Helsingin Sanomat. I’m not sure this dispute is going anywhere soon (a bit like AY’s planes, alas):

“Negotiations resume in Finnair cabin crew labour dispute
About 60 per cent of flights cancelled

The strike by Finnair flight attendants is continuing, negotiations aimed at ending the stoppage resumed on Thursday morning. The Finnish Cabin Crew Union SLSY voiced cautious optimism that the dispute might be resolved. Finnair was more doubtful.

About 60 per cent of Finnair flights are being cancelled. Almost all of Finnair’s holiday charter services are being flown, mostly using planes of other carriers.

On Thursday one leisure flight was cancelled to the Thai resort of Phuket. During the weekend, Finnair had to cancel one flight to Phuket and another to Cancún in Mexico.

Nearly all scheduled long-haul services have been cancelled, with the exception of one flight to Bangkok.

Finnair is still flying to its busiest European destinations, such as London, Brussels, and Paris. On domestic routes, Finnair is flying from Helsinki to Oulu and Rovaniemi, as well as to important holiday destinations such as Kittilä and Ivalo in Finnish Lapland.
On Wednesday Finnair flew about 35 per cent of its flights, and managed to serve nearly half of its passengers.

A number of other labour unions have lent support to the strike by the Finnish Cabin Crew Union SLSY.
On Tuesday the Finnish Aviation Union declared a support strike affecting about ten ground service companies dealing with arrival and departure services, luggage handling, catering, ice removal, and maintenance.

The Union of Salaried Employees (TU) has instructed its members not to do work affected by the strike, and the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) has stopped fuel deliveries to Finnair planes. The Postal Workers’ Union has stopped handling mail on Finnair flights.
Finnair says that the impact of the support action has remained slight, causing mainly some flight delays.

The Finnair strike has filled up the planes of other airlines, such as Blue 1, Lufthansa, and KLM. Telephone customer services have also been busy. “

Ho hum. Simon

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the update Simon. On the basis that pre strike, Finnair tickets were in abundance, I am hoping that this remains post strike when ever that may be.

Has anyone with an AY ticket out of LHR been transfered to BA for the longhaul section or have you just been given a refund and told to rebook.

[SimonRowberry]

Latest missive today from Finnair:

Dear corporate client,

The Finnish Cabin Crew Union and Finnair have accepted the National Conciliator’s proposal, and the strike has now ended.

I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by the strike, and I would like to thank you for your patience.

We aim to return to our normal flight schedule as soon as possible. For up-to-date flight information, please visit http://www.finnair.fi/info.

If you rebooked your flight due to the strike, the new booking is valid. You can check the details of your booking by using the Manage my booking service. If your flight was cancelled, you may apply for a refund by filling in the Application for a refund form.

Our corporate customers are very important to us, and I hope that this unfortunate chain of events hasn’t diminished your trust in us. In the future, we will strive to serve you even better.

With kind regards,
Petri Schaaf
Vice President, Global Sales”

That seems like it then. For the time being. This seems to be becoming a tiresome habit for AY and one wonders how much longer term damage this has done, just as the airline had appeared to turn the corner and posted a quarterly profit.

Simon

[Deleted User]

Good news indeed. Here is one happy chappy – who will return to Finnair. Pity other airlines cant follow suit and resolve disputes in a similar and timely manner.

[Author]

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