My home is in Italy and I was born in Finland.
This means that I live like I had one foot in two shoes.
I need to take a flight back home several times in a year and I try of course save some money too. Not that easy, because Finland apparently charge too high airport taxes to attract low cost airline companies. What the following airline companies actually did some years ago, was to apply the same methods as low cost airlines, only rising their prices. It is probably best for the airline company, but in the eyes of the final customer it looks like they are cheating. If I had a flight one of the following companies some years ago, it included 20 kg luggage, 7 or 8 kg carry on bag and some food and beverage during my flight. Today none of those, unless I pay more, more, more and more again.
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photo www.fft.it
Finnair is the airline of my nation, and yet I have difficulties to rate it. It is punctual and clean. With higly educated airline personal. But it leaves me cold. I know I should be proud of it, since it is rated one of the 10 best airline companies world wide. I don't like the new low cost airline politics thought, since they apparently copied it from SAS. If I payed earlier 250€ to my flight from Milan to Helsinki earning full ponts, with the new marketing politics I pay the same, get low cost service and 25% of the points. They serve some coffee, tea, water and blueberry juice for free. Sometimes food is finished for the middle roads unless I pre order it in advance. Finnair used to be generous many years ago. I have won award flights on lotteries. Finnair's programme is called Finnair Plus and it is with oneworld group just like British Airways, Iberia and so on. https://www.finnair.com
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Lufthansa is defenitely on my TOP 10 chart. Until recently they allowed l 23 kg luggage, a small carry on bag and gave food and beverage during the flight. Now their policy is closer to low cost airline. I trouble out with including a luggage. I never know wether there is food and beverage.
My last flight to Finland was a bit bumpy due to the heavy snow storm over the alps, and yet pilots and flight attendants made me feel comfortable. Lufthansa has add some fruit and yoghurt to their food selection that I appreciate.
And I appreciate the professionally of the hostesses, and stuarts not pretty young girls or boys, but mature people with experience and responsibility. I think airline companies shouldn't push too much for model look alike. I want good quality, not Milan fashion week.I live in Milan and we have plenty of model look alike walking in the streets.
Just to give you the idea of how excellent Lufthansa is, is the luggage they lost. My luggage did't arrive on time, and the handling company in the end destination messed up with it, and since I had no receipts of things that got broken or food that went bad, Lufthansa gave me a teapot and a cup I truly appreciate. Lufthansa is with Star Alliance group among with Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and so on, and Lufthansa award member group is named Miles&More.
http://www.lufthansa.com
SAS the Scandinavian Airline company. I flew several times through different cities. From Milan mostly and towards Helsinki, from where I originally come from.
SAS has turned totally to low cost airline just like Lufthansa and Finnair. They're marketing politics is to sell old normal price flights for more delivering less points and services. I understand that by doing so it gives some freedom to customers to choose their meal, and beverage. But most families rather drink and eat nothing, if it has an extra cost of nearly 100€, comparing few years ago, when it was all inclusive. Nowadays SAS serves, coffee, tea, water and blueberry juice for free. Everything else is to be bought on flight or pre-ordered in advance. I keep on getting newsletters from SAS that publish cheap flights, but each time I need to take of, my flight turns out as expensive as a flight around the world with Qantas.
I once won an award flight with SAS on a lottery: When they had more generous company policy. SAS is with Star Alliance group among with Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and so on.http://www.flysas.com
What are your experiences with these airline companies? Please feel free to comment.
Air Baltic I once took from Milan to Helsinki wasn't that bad at all. Nowadays their price to Helsinki are higher than what Finnair for example suggest. Each stop over makes you spend nearly 20€ more for food and beverage. Why not include it to the trip from the very beginning and figure out that the most expensive flight turns out to be the cheapest one. This company is not cheap, although their newsletter promises flights starting from 15€. Nor are their flights are combined. Flights are also too close with landing and departure time and so that you really need to add an insurance (read: more extra fee) or it could also happen that some connecting flights departure day after, witch requires night in a hotel 
