Finnair, Japan Airlines and British Airways to Launch Joint Business in April

Here's some good news for frequent travelers: Starting April 1, Finnair, in conjunction with fellow oneworld alliance members Japan Airlines and British Airways, will start their planned joint business between Europe and Japan.

This means that the three airlines will share revenue and cooperate on scheduling and pricing between Japan and Europe. The new options will offer more flexible routing options and an attractive range of fares.

In October, Japanese regulators gave approval to the airlines’ plans to include Finnair in the joint business established in 2012 by British Airways and Japan Airlines. In February, the three airlines began selling joint fares on select routes for travel after April 1.

The joint business opens up all three airlines’ networks between Japan and Europe and allows the airline partners to cooperate on expanding their presence in the growing market. The agreement also boosts the oneworld alliance and enables it to compete more effectively around the world with other global alliances.

Customer benefits of the joint business will include:

  • The ability to mix and match flights on all three carriers for the most convenient scheduling and best pricing;
  • Online booking capability and check-in with any of the three airlines, regardless of which is being flown;
  • Integrated customer support across the three airlines;
  • Greater connectivity on all three airlines in case of disruption.

Currently, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki to Tokyo and daily in the summer (five times per week in the winter) to Osaka and Nagoya, connecting Japan to more than 50 Finnair destinations in Europe. Japan Airlines also operates daily from Tokyo to Helsinki, Frankfurt, Paris and London, while British Airways operates daily flights (from April 9) from London to both Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo.