Hullut Päivät

[Rosamunda]

Stockmann's Crazy Days next week.

http://www.hullutpaivat.com

Starts 2nd April until 5th April

Flights:

Wednesday : Delhi, Rome, Vienna, Warsaw
Thursday : Seoul, Milan, Hamburg, Geneva
Friday : Nagoya, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bucharest
Saturday : Canton, Venice, London (235€), Göteborg

Plus all the other stuff.

[Hank W.]

Thanks for the warning. I'll remember not to even get close... though Akateeminen might be... tempting...

[Rosamunda]

Yes, that's always the dilemma. That and the food; there are usually some good deals on the meat/fish counter but you need to be seriously motivated to fight through the for a few steaks and a slice of salmon. Best time to avoid the crowds is around 10 am. The stores open at 8am during Hullut Päivät so some people go in before work, but they are gone by 10 am and the lunchtime shoppers don't get there until 11ish. Of course the Töölö ladies are free to shop any time, so no avoiding them.

[simon]

Do they have a limited amount of flights to sell?

Does it help if you are a stockman card holder, meaning any benefits?

[Amandine.K]

No Paris this time Oh well...

But they do have a very good deal on the stroller we were planning on getting for our baby due in the summer. I wasn't planning on buying it before a few weeks but saving 150€ means I won't wait :p

I think we'll go early on Wednesday morning to avoid the crowd (or hoping to avoid the crowd)...

Thanks for the tip anyway Peneloppe I wouldn't have known otherwise.

[sinikala]

Do they have a limited amount of flights to sell?

Does it help if you are a Stockmann card holder, meaning any benefits?

Not sure about the flights, never bought one myself through HP.

Main benefit is that the HP catalogue should have dropped through your door last week. If you spend above a certain limit per year €2k? then you get the "exclusive" customer card, which used to give some small benefits over a standard Stockmann card. Used to have one, but as there is no Stockmann here we spend more in Sokos nowadays.

Do you have a Stockmann card? If you haven't then it's worth getting ... at times when there are no sales, they occasionally send out tokens usually €10 off when spending over €50 ... which are quite useful. But I don't remember getting any other benefit at Hullutpäivät due to the card (unlike say Plussa promotions).

[otyikondo]

The card itself has benefits basically just like the Plussa discounts (though without quite the same sort of acquistion of points), as listed in the monthly booklet that drops through the letterbox with your invoice. And the Exclusive Card has a couple of days every year where you can go in and swank around and get 10-15% off EVERYTHING.

And the Exclusive Card - maybe the bog-standard card, too, I don't know - also entitles you (depending on how much you squandered in the place in the last twelve months) to buy Stockmann stock options if that is your bag.

Not EVERYTHING in Stockums is more expensive than everywhere else. Just most things.

Best of all, the Stockmann card is good to go in Alko and as far as I recall for Silja and Finnair, too. Oh, and Veho, if you are buying a car - or bits to go on a car, or simply getting it serviced. The Akateeminen card was the first thing I got when I arrived here - I'm well and truly indoctrinated by now. I think the Stockmann buyers and marketing people probably know more about me than any of my family does, but then THAT's alright... it's only the GOV'NMINT who mustn't keep tabs on us, innit? (some irony here)

[Rosamunda]

I bought flight tickets last year from Stockmann HP and got a good deal. Direct scheduled flight at Christmas from HEL to LHR and the price was all inclusive (no hidden extras like Ryanair who charge excess for each buttock you place on the seat etc) and I clocked up airmiles and the kids got a discount and I could chose my seats when I made the reservation. All in all it worked out cheaper than Ryanir and we didn't have the hassle and expense of driving to Tampere and then circumnavigating London the other end. You have to queue up but it is very well organised (queue numbers and free coffee etc) and kind of convivial. I'm not sure if the tickets are limited... certainly when I booked there were plenty of seats to chose from (depends on size of plane) maybe the airlines hold a few back. Good idea to get there early though to avoid disappointment.... I would guess the queues build up quite quickly from 6.30am onwards. I got there just after 7am and I had my tickets and was home by 9.15.

Several people have posted tips on how to buy HP plane tickets on here (including myself), so check out the old posts if you decide to go for it.

[simon]

Cant remember if there is a travel ticket outlet at the Stockman in Jumbo?

Otherwise I guess its downtown for me. Downtown its the top floor right?

Anyone?

[Rosamunda]

Flight tickets are available from:

Helsinki Argoshalli on the 5th floor
Tapiola Sampokuja 2nd floor (queue in the passage way between Stockmann food and Stockmann household stuff)
Itäkeskus Stockmann/Anttila 2nd floor
Jumbo Palvelupiste 2nd floor
Tampere Palvelupiste 2nd floor
Turku Palvelupiste 3rd floor
Oulu 4th floor

There are some restrictions eg: if travelling Sunday to Thursday minimum stay is 3 nights
The tickets are unchangeable.

You can either queue for a face-to-face reservation or for an on-line DIY reservation. I did the DIY queue because it seemed to be moving quicker (screen prompts were in English, or Finnish or Swedish and there are people there to help you). Don't forget your credit card (or Stockmann card) and your ID.

[sinikettu]

. Don't forget your credit card (or Stockmann card) and your ID.

And if you have one..Finnair Plus Card.

[Rosamunda]

Yes you can use your Finnair card to get airmiles when you make the reservation but this does slow down the process. I find it quicker to use the card when I check in at the airport. But it really makes no difference.

[MTB]

"Tavarataloissa myös nettivarausmahdollisuus."

My finnish is close to none, but doesn't this mean that you can reserve online by internet also?
Do you know if, instead of Helsinki-Berlin-Helsinki you can take Berlin-Helsinki-Berlin?
Thank you.

[Rosamunda]

You can reserve on-line IN THE STORES. Not from home/office. (Stockmann is not a charity.... note in Helsinki the ticket reservations are ON THE FIFTH FLOOR, so you'd have to walk through one helluva load of bargains before you get to the travel counter and I'm sure they will be blasting your eardrums with advertisements and special offers while you line up!!!)

It does make queuing quicker though.

[sotka_]

I just love hullut päivät, love it, love it, love it! No need to take the thing seriously, it's fun to see Stockmann change to Tokmanni + torikauppias twice a year.