Finnair has entered the battle for business class customers on the routes from Stockholm to Asia. Star Alliance carriers and Etihad are currently selling discounted tickets for flights in their premium cabin, now the Oneworld member from Scandinavia is catching up. Prices for a round trip start at only €1,222 to Beijing, Hong Kong and Xi’An.
There’s decent availability from now until March 2020, and you should even be able to find the occasional trip over the winter holidays.
All trips include a layover in Helsinki, Finnair’s hub. And here’s the most significant advantage of this deal over the ones from Qatar and Etihad: only one stop and the long-haul flight will be directly from Europe to Asia. Also, the carrier will operate an Airbus A350 on all intercontinental flights to Hong and Beijing. Great service and an excellent hard product are guaranteed. Check out this review to learn more:
Search & Book
Tickets for this deal will be sold until January 27, 2020, and the offer is valid for trips commencing between February 10 and November 30, 2020. A blockout applies from June 19 through August 23, 2020. There are minimum stay requirements of 5 days or one night from Saturday to Sunday. And you can spend up to 1 month at your destination.
If you care to visit a second city during your trip, then one stopover in Helsinki is free of charge. But you can’t just start your journey there. Although skipping the last segment on your way back is a possibility. Find out more in this article.
Use Google Flights (instructions) to have all discounted connections displayed. Choose from the multiple options and take those dates to our flight search to compare prices that OTAs offer. Or book via the carrier’s website. This might result in higher prices, but we recommend it.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Tickets for all flights should be issued in booking class I. This will get you an earning rate of around 125% on most Oneworld frequent flyer programs. Here’s an example of the miles you’ll be credit with for a trip to Hong Kong:
- 16,060 Avios + 360 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 15,304 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 13,382 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 13,132 Avios + 1,150 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 12,752 Avios + 94 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 12,752 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 12,752 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 10,202 AsiaMiles + 120 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 10,202 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 10,202 Points + 20 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 10,202 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 7,142 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 3,000 Points on Finnair Plus
Further, the trip is worth 360 tier points in British Airways Executive Club, granting instant Oneworld Ruby status and taking you half the way to Oneworld Sapphire, for which you need 600 tier points.
Information & Tips for China
China is the most populous and the third largest country in the world, so naturally, there is a lot to see. The most touristically important cities are the capital of China, Beijing and the financial and trade center Shanghai.
Best Time to Travel
Since the country is vast and extends over several climate zones, there is no best travel time for China. China is connected to Europe through numerous direct flights and the travel time is about 11-13 hours. Flights to China can be found for less than 400€ throughout the year, and there are also often excellent Business Class fares.
A general advice is that travel should be avoided during the Chinese national holidays, which span over the first two weeks of October. During these time tourist destinations are overcrowded with Chinese tourists on their domestic vacation.
Visa for China
Most European citizens will need a visa to enter China.
You can apply for a tourist visa at a Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in your country. There you’ll hand in your visa application personally and can pick it up again after a few days. There is no faster and cheaper way.
Alternatively, you can apply for a visa by mail. The processing time will be up to two weeks, and you’ll have to pay for extra for shipping.
There are also so-called Visa services available that sometimes offer a faster (and maybe even cheaper) way to get your Visa. Check local sites to find out more.
→ All Dealz for China
Information & Tips for Hong Kong
Hong Kong is an Asian city-state and a vital trading metropolis in the Pearl River Delta not far from the Chinese coast. The city has long been a center for trade and business. Hong Kong is one of the largest air traffic hubs in Asia and therefore offers excellent connections to the rest of the world, hence the good deals that various airlines often provide. Flights in economy class usually are between 400€ and 500€ sometimes for even less than 400€.
Best Time to Visit
Winters are mild and dry, whereas summers are hot with rainfall and high humidity. The best time to travel is from October to early December when the weather is sunny, cool and therefore very pleasant.
Entry & Visa
Entry is possible for most EU citizens without a visa, and only a passport is required. A permit for 90 days is issued upon entry. For further information, please visit the website of your countries Ministry of foreign affairs.
Currency
The local currency is the Hong Kong Dollar ($, HKD, HK$). One Euro is approximately HK$8. Many credit cards may charge a foreign currency fee (up to 2% for payment) in Hong Kong Dollars.
Getting from the airport to the city centre
The fastest and most convenient way into the city is by Airport Express. This train will take you to the city centre within 24 minutes and will cost you around €12 per trip. Alternatively, you can also get into a taxi and pay approximately €35.
→ All Dealz for Hong Kong
Source: YHBU – Thanks!