Avios – Finnair question

[Jipster]

Hi All

Apologies if in wrong forum.

I’m trying to book a Finnair flight LHR to Tallinn which includes a connection in Helsinki both ways

22nd November LHR 10.20 arrives Helsinki 15.15,then onwards at 16.25 to Tallinn landing at 17.00.

Return 26th November, TLN to HSY 14.40 to 15.20 then HSY to LHR 16.00 to 17.00

If I try to book via avios I can only get the LHR to HSY, it won’t let me book the HSY to TLN and back as part of the same trip.

Question is, if I ring BA, will they be able to book this over the phone (I’d prefer to use avios here)?

If not, and I book the LHR to HSY via BA and then book the other flight direct with Finnair, will they keep the plane on the tarmac (so to speak) if the first leg runs late?

Hand baggage only.

Thanks in advance!

[AJA]

I think the problem is that the HEL to TLL leg is operated by Norra Nordic Regional Airlines which is a partner of Finnair. I am not sure if they are part of oneworld.

I would try calling BAEC. If it is possible to book then you would have the phone charge waived as it is not possible to book online

[AJA]

If you search via Google flights for that particular route it comes up with the message “separate tickets booked together” so I guess it may be possible to book the LHR to HEL ticket via BA and the HEL to TLL ticket on Finnair. It is available for sale but I have no idea what would happen if you missed the connection at HEL. I assume as they are separate tickets you would be stuck for the HEL to TLL flights.

[Jipster]

Thank you so much for the quick responses!

[John]

AJA wrote:

If you search via Google flights for that particular route it comes up with the message “separate tickets booked together” so I guess it may be possible to book the LHR to HEL ticket via BA and the HEL to TLL ticket on Finnair. It is available for sale but I have no idea what would happen if you missed the connection at HEL. I assume as they are separate tickets you would be stuck for the HEL to TLL flights.

That’s odd because in or around 2017 doing this several times was a cheap way to get to BA Gold and it certainly wasn’t separate tickets.

200 TPs return for £230, including flat bed on the AY A350 if the times worked. I read about someone who nested 3 of these tickets and passed through HEL 6 times in one day.

The TLL leg was still on Norra so I guess that is the problem with redeeming avios.