Finnair adds Frequencies to Bangkok, Miami and Lapland - New Flights to Åre, and from Tampere to Kittilä

Winter may be coming, but the sun will not set on Finnair's network as the change to the winter timetable schedule takes place on Sunday, October 31. Responding to high demand, Finnair will be adding to its Bangkok and Miami frequencies by almost a half. Non-stop leisure flights will also be inaugurated to Östersund, serving the favourite Swedish ski resort of Åre. The popular Finnish Lapland resort of Kittilä will be served at the height of the winter season by as many as 32 flights a week. Some of these will be operated using wide-bodied 300-seat Boeing MD11 aircraft. Following the success of a similar service last winter, flights will bring as many as 10,000 winter tourists directly from European departure points to Lapland. Non-stop flights from Tampere to Kittilä are also set to start.

Flights to Bangkok will depart twice a day, three days a week, with a total of ten weekly flights during the peak Christmas and New Year seasons and between the Finnish winter holidays and Easter (December 11, 2004 until January 7, 2005, and February 9 until April 2, 2005). The extra frequencies depart from Helsinki on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 16.55, arriving at Bangkok at 7.45 the next morning. Return flights depart from Bangkok on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9.30, arriving at Helsinki at 15.25.

Normal daily departures at 23.50 will continue, with onward flights to Singapore and Hong Kong. Finnair's Asian traffic has tripled in four years, and in the coming winter season will offer over 30 flights to Asia a week to seven destinations, the other four being Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing and Shanghai. The passenger total for Asia flights has already passed the half-million mark this year.

Lure of the Florida sunshine

Flights to Miami in Florida are also due for a boost, with a third weekly flight on Mondays, adding to those on Thursdays and Saturdays, from December 11, 2004 until April 2, 2005. The departure from Helsinki is at 12.10, arriving at Miami at 15.35. Same-day returns from Miami set off at 18.05, returning to Helsinki at 10.20 the following morning.

The favourable exchange rates for the euro against the dollar makes this an excellent time to visit the USA, and Florida is full of attractions for visitors of all ages - as well as boasting a fabulous climate. Finnair's Miami service in the winter of 2003-04 was extremely successful, and about half of the seats on this winter's flights are already sold.

Miami is also well-placed for connecting flights with Finnair's oneworld alliance partner, American Airlines, to other parts of the US, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.

Ski holidays in Sweden and Kittilä 

Finnair adds to the winter sports holiday alternatives with the resort of Åre made accessible by flights to Östersund in Sweden. The Finnish travel service company, Holiday Club, is opening a spa hotel and activity centre at the resort to coincide with Finnair's flight launch. Flights depart on Thursdays and Sundays, operated using Boeing MD-80 aircraft, with the first flight on November 24. The Matka-Vekka travel agency arranges packages to Åre.

In addition to Finnair's other busy winter season traffic from Helsinki to Kittilä, Rovaniemi and Ivalo, a new service from Tampere in central Finland to Kittilä will be launched twice a week on February 10 using 68-seat ATR aircraft. There will also be non-stop flights from Amsterdam to Kuusamo, from Milan to Rovaniemi, from Zurich to Kittilä, and from Paris to Ivalo, Kittilä and Rovaniemi.

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