The never-ending saga of the error fare Finnair: now I will go (maybe) for 1€ + taxes in business to Singapore
Almost two years after the first article and 3 years since I bought the ticket, I [...]
Almost two years after the first article and 3 years since I bought the ticket, I have changed for the umpteenth time the travel date and for the second time the destination to my two Finnair tickets.
In this article:
Previous episodes
In October 2019 I was in Japan, I had flown into the Rising Sun nation using a handful of Alitalia Millemiglia points., along with my family. When I had received the notification of a possible error make by the carrier Finnair. One could fly at a cost of 1€ + taxes from Bologna to China to Guanzou.
Some bargains cannot be passed up, and I had immediately booked to travel in April 2020. Of course, I had not reckoned with Covid-19 and the restrictions of China, whose borders are still closed today and there is no idea when they will reopen.
From April 2020 to now, I have changed the travel like this, first moving the departure from Bologna to Malpensa, always to China. Then, as China's borders were continuously closed, taking advantage of yet another flight cancellation, I had moved the destination to Hong Kong.
Each time I received the cancellation I moved the date of the trip forward 6 to 8 months. Last time the trip was scheduled for Easter 2022. I was ready to lose my ticket when, fortunately for me, Finnair cancelled the flight again, thus opening up my option to request a new move (or alternatively a refund).
Mid-March I thus contacted Finnair support for the umpteenth time, always splendid in all my requests and never disputing the fact that I was trying to move a flight paid 1 €+taxes.
Noting that even Hong Kong's borders are yet to see the day of reopening, I tried to ask again to move the destination Of my flight, this time by (almost) sure shot from Hong Kong to Singapore and for the second time the attendant issued me tickets with the new destination. The city-state is open without restrictions and I have also been there recently thanks to the VTL protocol.
Here I am now with two tickets booked to fly In Finnair's revolutionary new business class. Next October, I am going to celebrate my birthday, and I will take the opportunity to Visit the newly opened Hilton.
In conclusion
The most incredible thing about this story is that this had been one of the error make most popular world "pre-pandemic", with so many compulsive travelers who had immediately jumped aboard Finnair planes. I do not know to this day how many tickets will still be standing as a result of this fare, what I do know is that since the outbreak of the pandemic Finnair has always honored the ticket, despite knowing that a €1 fare had been paid and allowing me to change the departure city once (from Bologna to Milan) and the destination three times (from Guanzou to Hong Kong and then to Singapore).
We had two tickets to go to China on business, and today, two years later, we have Two tickets to go to Singapore, always in business class, always without ever having to pay anything more than 1€ + tax.