Finnair Business Class any recent experiences?

[drron]

Welcome to AFF misterlangdon and thanks for that report.Does seem excellent service.I have to wait until August for my AY J travel.

 

[flychrisfly]

Flew AY from HEL to NRT last August in J. Clean and efficient service. I enjoyed the food too. The lounge in HEL was okay - but became a bit crowded as there were a few long hauls were all around the same time in the evening.

Also flew LHR to HEL with AY in J. Clean and efficient but average seats and food, which is no biggie since the flights are short anyway. Only becomes a problem if this is, say, the next sector after a sleepless long haul flight.

HEL is an easy transit but most of the shops, etc are in the Schengen part of the terminal which means you need to flash your passport. The J lounge I used was in the non-Schengen part.

 

[pauly7]

Flew AY from HEL to NRT last August in J. Clean and efficient service. I enjoyed the food too. The lounge in HEL was okay - but became a bit crowded as there were a few long hauls were all around the same time in the evening.

Also flew LHR to HEL with AY in J. Clean and efficient but average seats and food, which is no biggie since the flights are short anyway. Only becomes a problem if this is, say, the next sector after a sleepless long haul flight.

HEL is an easy transit but most of the shops, etc are in the Schengen part of the terminal which means you need to flash your passport. The J lounge I used was in the non-Schengen part.

Did you snare the new fully flat A330? Or just the old product?

Looking for a review from anyone who has flown the new A330 config (45 J seats but fully lie flat now).....

 

[Mal]

The lounges in HEL are disappointing (compared to other "home" OW lounges). There is some free food+booze (but very limited), they want to push you towards paying for spirits/champagnes etc.

It really is a grab towards getting cash from you.

There is also a spa, but it's IIRC, only their OWE equivalent members get free access - everyone else pays.

No printers in the lounge either, and only a couple of pc's.

I last visited about 6 months ago, so things may have changed ...

 

[Bubbles]

Did you snare the new fully flat A330? Or just the old product?

Looking for a review from anyone who has flown the new A330 config (45 J seats but fully lie flat now).....

Pauly, I'm taking the new A330 J config next Monday, will post a review.

 

[flychrisfly]

Did you snare the new fully flat A330? Or just the old product?

Pretty sure it was the new product as I had a good sleep (sleeping on an incline doesn't really do it for me :-|) plus the cabin was all new and shiny with little wear.

It was a clean and simple service without opulence or luxury but still very good.

Cheers

 

[pauly7]

Pauly, I'm taking the new A330 J config next Monday, will post a review.

Awesome thanks! Look forward. Which route are you flying it on?

 

[tuapekastar]

The lounges in HEL are disappointing (compared to other "home" OW lounges). There is some free food+booze (but very limited), they want to push you towards paying for spirits/champagnes etc.

It really is a grab towards getting cash from you.

There is also a spa, but it's IIRC, only their OWE equivalent members get free access - everyone else pays.

No printers in the lounge either, and only a couple of pc's.

I last visited about 6 months ago, so things may have changed ...

They haven't.

Last week I got dropped at the 'domestic' end of T2 and found 2 lounges quite near each other, the 'Silverwings' for OWE and OWS, and the 'Finnair Business Lounge' for AY J class and a bunch of other airlines. In the Silverwings lounge I was redirected to another lounge closer to the gate (37) I was departing from (and past passprort control...don't know what I was thinking ). T2 at Vantaa is a bit like the TARDIS, much bigger inside than it looks from the outside.

The Gate 36 lounge was called the 'Via' lounge and was as Mal describes. I was taken aback to see price lists, but they were only for 'premium' drink offerings, and wine/beer was available for nix.

 

[BensAdventures]

I'm flying Finnair in J in September, HKG-HEL & HEL-BKK. How can I tell if the plane is the new configuration or not? I'm flying the first leg on the 12th September (AY068) and then back on 20th (AY095).

Thanks for any help!

 

[Bubbles]

Awesome thanks! Look forward. Which route are you flying it on?

I'm on the AY096 from BKK to HEL next Tues. Long time traveller with AY but this will be my first trip on the A330 new config.

Hope its not too good! I have another trip in September through Hong Kong on the A340!

 

[Bubbles]

I'm flying Finnair in J in September, HKG-HEL & HEL-BKK. How can I tell if the plane is the new configuration or not? I'm flying the first leg on the 12th September (AY068) and then back on 20th (AY095).

Thanks for any help!

BensAdventures, have you looked at your itinerary (either as provided by your travel booker or in any on-line FF profile you might have)?

If you look up your flights on the Finnair website you should also be able to see the aircraft type for your flights.

Pretty sure that almost all flight out of HK (including the AY068) are A340s so not the 'new' J config - the seats are not fully lie-flat but still comfortable enough.

I am on an AY95 in August and my itinerary is also showing an A340 - but check you itinerary as the aircraft type might change from flight to flight.

Let us know!

 

[pauly7]

I'm flying Finnair in J in September, HKG-HEL & HEL-BKK. How can I tell if the plane is the new configuration or not? I'm flying the first leg on the 12th September (AY068) and then back on 20th (AY095).

Thanks for any help!

The new configuration is only in selected A330 services so far. You can tell if you are in a new configuration A330 if there are 45 J seats (compared to 42) plus the seat map layout is very different with alot of 'singles' by the window in J.

 

[BensAdventures]

Thanks for the feedback. I had already checked my itinerary on the qantas site and it said A340's for both, but on the AY site, it didn't specify when I looked at the timetable. Look's like the A340 it is, but hey it'll be much better than being in Y, so I can't complain!

 

[drron]

Well just hopped off AY BKK-HEL.Was always listed as an A340 but ended up on the A330 with new J.Impressive.At 183cm was able to fully stretch out on a true lie flat bed.Will post some pics when downloaded.

 

[drron]

So pics from their brochure(I dont like taking pics of full seats).

And the QF009 patented foot shot-

 

[pauly7]

So pics from their brochure(I dont like taking pics of full seats).

Thanks drron. Any further comments, evaluations, comparisons?

 

[drron]

Thanks drron. Any further comments, evaluations, comparisons?

I was impressed.Very good physically.Service was good.Not really impressed with food-but I wouldn't say worse than QF.I certainly would say it is better than QF J.
However I have now just done a regional J-HEL-OSL.The hard product not as good as DJ or JQ Y.

 

[drron]

Just read this-though nothing about Ipads on the Finnair site.
Finnair offers iPads to passengers | ABTN

In a bid to encourage more passengers to transit via Helsinki airport to Asia, Finnair is introducing free iPads for them to use at its Via Lounge.
Passengers flying business class with Finnair, and senior members of the airline’s frequent flyer programme can access the lounge.
The iPads, which will also be on a number of flights to Hong Kong in November, have been loaded with content from newspapers and magazines, as well as films, television series and games.

 

[Postcode]

Have been flying AY to and from Europe for some years now and the more I do the more I am impressed with the quality of their customer service and the quality of the overall product for the fare.

They are certainly chasing the longhaul J and Y passengers with improved aircraft, service, food, connections, lounges where applicable and all for a reasonable cost compared to other airlines.

Like in OZ, lounge conditions depend on the time you are there but in general they are new and inviting.

Only letdown is the inter-Europe flights which are Y seats with similar pitch and hopefully a spare seat beside depending on aircraft type. I've checked and have been bumped from a confirmed 1A booked months ago, to 2A on an E170.

Will be flying home via HEL to HKG with AY at the end of the month and while not looking forward to leaving will at least be happy to be flying AY.

An ipad in the lounge is a bonus.

 

[pauly7]

Wish they'd hurry up the rollout of the fully flat J seats on the A330 fleet!