k_marie

I am trying lto purchase my air tickets online from aa.com.

We are planning to go on a tour which begins in Copenhagen and ends in Helsinki. I’d like to arrive in Europe a few days early to acclimate to the time change.

I would like to schedule PHL-ZRH-Copenhagen (staying a few days in Zurich), then HEL-ZRH-PHL. Direct flights to Copenhagen and from HEL are available on Finnair, an American partner.

aa.com just won’t allow me to do this! Although their partner Finnair offers the direct flights of a few hours duration, they keep suggesting routings with transfers at other airports like LHR. Ugh!

Purchasing rt PHL-ZRH, and separate tickets with Finnair is an option, of course, but I think I would like the security of having all on one ticket. Must I phone American? Do you think they will do what I want? And will they charge me for the privilege of doing business this way?

Thanks for your ideas!

RoamsAround

You should try calling AA to see if they can book the itinerary you you want. Often their agents can access partner flights that their online system doesn’t show. AA waived all booking service fees during Covid and that waiver is still in effect.

balthy

You could try to book on aa.com PHLZRH then HELZRHPHL using multi city option and on either SAS or Swiss website, a one way flight ZRHCPH. Finnair do not fly the route ZRHCPH direct. You could also choose All Airlines under options as search criteria to try and get results on all airlines,

k_marie

Thanks to both of you!

balthy, of course, you are correct. Looking once again, I see several non-stops on Swiss and Scandinavian airlines. One of those will certainly work.

I’ll try the booking option you suggest one more time before opting for the phone call.

Christina

I don't quite understand what you want to do but I didn't think Finnair flew ZRH-CPH either.

If you are trying to get one ticket for that first segment but you want to stay in ZRH two days, I don't think that is possible. That is two flights, not one. Two days is not a connection time, it's a different flight.

I do not understand why you must go through ZRH on your return flight if you don't plan to stay somewhere en route. Finnair doesn't fly to PHL either. You will have to change in London or Paris or DFW if you want to fly AA from HEL to PHL. LHR is the shortest time though.

mrwunrfl

sounds like you need an open-jaw roundtrip ticket and a one-way ticket

oj PHL->ZRH, HEL->PHL and one-way ZRH->CPH
or
oj PHL->ZRH, CPH->PHL and one-way HEL->CPH

I see AA has a nonstop PHL-ZRH, so maybe that is why you are wanting HEL->ZRH->PHL on the return. That could be on an open-jaw or a simple rountrip to ZRH with a one-way from HEL to ZRH (problem being the cost of that Finnair nonstop to ZRH which would make either ticketing option cost more than a return connection elsewhere)

J62

EWR may give you more options than PHL.