Finnair to end in-flight retail service due to changing customer shopping habits
Finnair has announced it is ending its in-flight retail service in response to changing customer shopping habits. The move will also help the airline become more sustainable as the removal of the retail products will reduce weight on board, resulting in fuel savings.
Finnair says its customer purchasing patterns are changing and more passengers are choosing to buy products through Finnair’s online shop. Finnair has launched a final discount campaign to mark the end of the in-flight service, and savings of up to 40% on products such as cosmetics, accessories and gifts either bought on board or pre-ordered can be achieved.
The service is coming to an end on 28 February with pre-ordered products delivered for flights until 18 April. However, customers can still continue to pre-order meals and buy onboard snacks and beverages. Finnair Plus members can also continue to buy Finnair Plus awards and products as well as home delivery products from Finnair Shop as before.
Valtteri Helve, Finnair Head of Product Offering, said: “Onboard and pre-order shopping has become a less important service among our customers. In spring 2020, we announced that we were discontinuing in-flight sales on our flights within the EU as part of our goal to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft, and now it is time to take the next step and discontinue them worldwide.
“Food and beverage sales on flights will of course continue, and we will continue to develop our service.”
Finnair says its Finnair Plus members can also continue to buy Finnair Plus awards and products as well as home delivery products from Finnair Shop as before. In-flight shopping is currently still available on Finnair’s long-haul flights and services from the UK and to the Canary Islands, Dubai, Egypt, Iceland, Israel, Switzerland, Turkey. In-flight retail is not available on Finnair services to Doha.
Customers can pre-order products for all flights with a duration of over two hours.