Coincidentally or not, Finnair has launched a more economic business class offering just as the world’s collective bank account starts to dwindle: from March the 31st 2020 (yesterday) passengers can now choose a ‘basic’ fare when flying Finnair business.
By basic, we don’t mean an influencer who wears ugg boots and smokes menthols. It’s Finnair, the airline whose impeccable, understated ‘Finnish’ won over DMARGE founder Luc Wiesman last year. And this new iteration of business provides you with much the same (if not exactly the same) product, at a lower price point.
The main difference is baggage. As One Mile At A Time reports, “Finnair business class light fares will come with most of the same inclusions as other business class fares, including two carry-ons weighing 8kg, food, drinks, lounge access, and more.”
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What’s not included is checked baggage: “while other [Finnair] business class fares include two checked bags of 32kg each,” Finnair’s basic business fare includes carry-on only.
That said, “any baggage allowance from elite status would still be valid on business class light fares,” One Mile At A Time reports. So if you have status then you could “potentially still check a bag.”
Basic business class passengers will also earn 150% elite miles, “rather than the 200-250% elite miles offered by other fares” writes One Mile At A Time. They also won’t allow any changes or cancellations.
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More relevant info? This business class ‘light’ is available as from now, for flights within Europe, and for flights between Europe and Asia (but not on transatlantic journeys).
When DMARGE jumped on Finnair’s website, however, it appears yesterday’s new offering is yet to be reflected on the site (either that or we are complete Luddites), with the only options on the booking page, for a flight between London and Helsinki, being economy or business.
It then takes you to a page where you have the option of the longstanding ‘business flex’ or ‘business classic’. But – as far as we could tell, at the time of writing, there is no ‘basic’ business class offering to be seen on the booking page.
One imagines it (or we) will be corrected shortly. Anyway: back to the ‘basic’ ticket: DMARGE can only presume this is a move to corner the hedonists of Europe – those who pack light and spend big. The ballers on a whirlwind weekender, or the businessman or woman out of town for a good dose of work and pleasure.
Sophisticated, spartan and classy.
Though the timing may seem odd, given virtually no one is travelling right now, it could also be a move to help those who are still stuck abroad get home (in comfort), while bringing just the bare essentials with them.
In other words: to make more use of the plane’s existing infrastructure, while flights are (most likely) half empty (if they are running at all) at the moment.
In any case, when COVID 19 blows over we anticipate these tickets will be super sought after.