Finnair will start flying to Chicago next summer, from 13 June to 17 October 2015. Flights will be operated three times a week with Airbus A330 aircraft. Departures from Helsinki and Chicago are on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 17:25 and arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 18:40 local time. Return flights to Helsinki depart at 22:00 and arrive the following day at 14:50.
Finnair’s Chicago service is included in the joint business on transatlantic traffic with fellow oneworld alliance partners British Airways, Iberia, American Airlines and American’s merger partner US Airways. Chicago is a hub for American, which allows Finnair’s customers quick codeshare connections to destinations throughout the United States, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The joint business between the cooperating airlines also gives customers the possibility to mix and match flights on different carriers for the best pricing and scheduling. For example, an itinerary could include a nonstop flight to Chicago in one direction, but a return flight connecting through another transatlantic hub if the timing is more convenient.
"Chicago is a great addition to our summer destinations, and is in demand with leisure travelers from Northern Europe,” says Petri Vuori, Finnair's VP Global Sales. “Finnair’s timetable allows for easy connections to Chicago from throughout our extensive network in Europe and even Asia. Chicago, as a hub of our oneworld partner American Airlines, also offers excellent onward connections in America."
Located on the southern shores of Lake Michigan with a population of 2.7 million within the city limits and more than 9 million in the wider metro area, Chicago is the largest city in the American Midwest and a global hub for business, leisure and the arts. Famous for its skyline and iconic architecture – Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper – the city boasts world-class cultural institutions, professional sports teams, public art, restaurants and shopping.
Due to opening the Chicago route, Finnair's seasonal summer service to Hanoi will be discontinued. Finnair's previously announced new summer destinations in 2015 include Athens, Dublin, Malta and Split.
