Day 2 Frankfurt - Helsinki or: where are the suitcases???

23.3.2023

day 2

Today we finally want to travel to Finland, one day late. Our booked LH flight leaves at 1:20 p.m., and since the holidays are starting in Hesse, we want to be at the airport early enough and order the taxi for 10:45 a.m. (Luckily, we only live 15 minutes from Frankfurt Airport).

After yesterday's cancelled flight, I'm not really relaxed. Things don't get any better when the taxi company calls at 10:30 and says the car has broken down and needs to go to the garage, and they'll send us a replacement car at around 11. Ahhhhhh....

At least that works. At 11am we get in a taxi and go to the airport. Contrary to expectations, there is nothing going on at the LH counter. It seems we have already checked in, perfect! So we drop off our luggage, get our boarding pass and that's it. As our luggage tag says RVN for Rovaniemi (our final destination TOMORROW), we ask again whether our luggage will really NOT be checked through, as we have an overnight stay in Helsinki and now have neither a toothbrush nor anything else for the night in our hand luggage.

But the lady assures us that we can pick up our luggage at the baggage carousel in Helsinki.

Security is also empty - crazy - we are through in 5 minutes. Unfortunately I lose my neck pillow somewhere along the way. OK, there is always some loss 🫣

In the duty free area we treat ourselves to a whisky tasting. Now I'm chilled 🤣🥃

On to Gate A36!

Shortly before departure we noticed that our gate had been changed. Really??? So we went back to A28 and after a short while we got on the plane.

3-3 seating, older A320. No matter, only 2h30 flight. It's fine. I get to sit by the window, my men (husband and 15 year old son) take the middle and aisle seats.

So far everything is going well.

Shortly before landing, my son suddenly gets a severe nosebleed, followed by earache 🙈🙈🙈

Oh no....

The landing turns into a horror trip for him, pressure equalization apparently doesn't work, the crisis is inevitable.

How relaxing... I'm ready for a vacation.

After landing, the pain is gone. I'm still worried, though, because tomorrow morning flight number 2 is to Rovaniemi...

After we had to cancel our booked hotel stay at the Pilot Airport Hotel yesterday because of the flight cancellation, Finnair is paying for today's (unplanned) overnight stay in an airport hotel. I'm speculating on a Scandic Hotel, but of course that won't be the case. We're getting 2 rooms at the Holiday Inn. At least dinner and breakfast tomorrow are included. Well, it's only for one night.

After we have the hotel voucher, we go to the baggage carousel and wait...and wait.

At some point there is only one woman left with us at the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt stops. No!!!! Where are our suitcases?????

I have a bad feeling. At the counter it is confirmed that the suitcases have been checked through. Grrrrrr

The lady is super nice and makes a few phone calls, then tells us that the suitcases are in the "suitcase hotel" and will be picked out for us. We should wait about 20 minutes at baggage carousel number 2.

It works and we get our suitcases. Yay.

A shuttle bus takes you to the Holiday Inn, which is about 3 km away. Well, the rooms are pretty old and run down with a "youth hostel charm", but it's OK for one night.

At least my son is getting his own room. He's happy about it 😜. He won't have any more space for himself in the next 2 weeks 😅

We can have the included dinner buffet style. There is a small selection of salad (iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, olives and feta cheese), rolls with a strange hummus-like dip and main course, a selection of pasta, rice, vegetables and chicken. That's OK for us - it's "for free". Since my son and I don't eat meat, we can only believe my husband that it is extremely delicious.

While we were eating, two buses arrived with around 100 Spanish students, all of whom stormed the reception with a "voucher" like the one we had. Oh dear!!! We later found out that the flight to Madrid was "delayed" and would not take off until tomorrow morning... at 7 a.m.!

That's right, our flight to Rovaniemi leaves at 7 a.m. and we have to take the shuttle at 5:20 a.m. to be at the airport on time.

The same thing is now being said to the more than 100 students 🫣

The shuttle bus is maybe big enough for 30 people. How is that supposed to work??? And it runs every 20 minutes 😵‍💫

OK, the plan to have breakfast at 5am is now cancelled. We will aim for the shuttle at 4:40am as we also have to check in our bags.

This will be a short night....

We also have a one hour time difference 🙈

So then: good night or "Hyvää yötä", as the Finns say 😴😴😴

Key data:

Flight: LH850 (Lufthansa: Frankfurt - Helsinki, 13:25-16:55)

Accommodation: (sponsored by Finnair) Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki Airport , 2 rooms B&B