More good news for those of you struggling to secure award space on designated VTL flights from Europe to Singapore over the peak holiday season, with Finnair announcing that it will operate all four of its weekly Helsinki to Changi services under the scheme from late November, with generous award space loaded.
As a oneworld airline, this gives you redemption options using Asia Miles, Avios points or Alaska Miles among others, and since Finnair removed fuel surcharges on its long-haul flights in June 2020 there are minimal taxes to pay of only S$24 in most cases.
Finland VTL
Finnair will be the only airline operating non-stop flights from Helsinki to Singapore under the VTL programme (unless SIA pulls something out of the hat).
The airline has now confirmed that all of its AY131 Helsinki – Singapore services will be designated VTL flights from 29th November 2021.
Update 17th November: Finnair later removed their statement regarding designated VTL services, but has since re-confirmed that all its flights will be part of the VTL scheme.
The VTL schedule
Here’s how Finnair’s VTL flight schedule looks, with three services in the first week quickly ramping up to four from early December.
29th November 2021 – 5th December 2021
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
AY131 A350-900 |
||||||||
| HEL 23:55 |
SIN 17:15* |
||||||||
* Next day
6th December 2021 – 26th March 2022
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
AY131 A350-900 |
||||||||
| HEL 23:55 |
SIN 17:15* |
||||||||
* Next day
Award space
We found the following Business Class award availability on the Helsinki – Singapore route during the peak December 2021 and January 2022 period.
Business Class award availability
HEL-SIN
December 2021
- 2 Dec: 5
- 3 Dec: 1
- 6 Dec: 5
- 9 Dec: 4
- 10 Dec: 2
- 12 Dec: 3
- 13 Dec: 3
- 16 Dec: 3
- 20 Dec: 3
- 23 Dec: 3
January 2022
- 17 Jan: 3
- 20 Jan: 5
- 21 Jan: 5
- 23 Jan: 4
- 24 Jan: 4
- 27 Jan: 2
- 28 Jan: 3
Award space on the VTL flights does dry up over the immediate Christmas and New Year period, but it’s back again by mid-January.
There is similar Business Class award space on Finnair flights in the Singapore – Helsinki direction too, where VTL designation is not required.
There are also Economy award seats available on even more popular days immediately around the holiday period.
On board Finnair’s A350s you’ll find the popular Cirrus Business Class seat (also used by Cathay Pacific) in a 1-2-1 configuration, with direct aisle access for all passengers.
Finnair serves a ‘midnight menu’ followed by breakfast on its AY131 Helsinki – Singapore flights and is serving Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut Champagne – not the best but for what it’s worth they were pouring this in the Qantas Singapore First Lounge before it closed!
Award rates
Finnair is a oneworld member, so you can use frequent flyer miles accrued in any oneworld programme to redeem its Economy Class or Business Class seats.
Remember that with no fuel surcharges, Finnair long-haul redemptions come with minimal airport taxes, unless you’re redeeming from high tax origin points like London.
We looked at three one-way routes to Singapore, the first being simply non-stop on the VTL flight from Helsinki.
After that we checked pricing including a connecting flight from London and Frankfurt, also utilising to the VTL service to Singapore, for those not actually visiting Finland.
| Finnair Business Class redemption to Singapore |
|||
| FFP | Helsinki (non-stop) |
Frankfurt (via HEL) |
London (via HEL) |
 |
60k +S$41 |
60k +S$175 |
60k +S$407 |
 |
70k +S$24 |
70k +S$158 |
|