AY122 Delhi 10:05 - Helsinki 14:15
Airbus A330-300
Business Class
The next morning I returned to DEL with a mild case of food poisoning, unfortunately, but determined to take the flight anyway.
As is standard procedure, I had to queue up to show my ticket and passport just to enter the airport. Once inside, check-in was a breeze. I was also able to use the fast-track immigration and security queues thanks to my business class ticket, which was very welcome as the regular queues were huge.
Finnair uses the Plaza Premium Lounge in Delhi. It wasn't the worst lounge I've ever been to, but the power kept cutting out intermittently. Since I was already sick, I decided not to trust any of the food and stuck to water until I boarded the flight.
I really liked the Finnair business class cabin. It felt airy and spacious, and I loved the colour scheme. I also really liked the Finnair boarding music! It set the scene well for what was a very nice flight.
On the A330, business class is in a staggered configuration which is similar to that of Malaysia Airlines. That is, odd-numbered rows have a 2-2-1 layout and even-numbered rows are 1-2-1. I was in 2A, which was effectively a "throne seat". You have lots of space as there are tables on both sides, and you also have exclusive window and aisle access. I was thrilled with this seat.
Almost immediately after I sat down, I was offered a welcome drink of champagne, water or Finnair's signature blueberry juice - I chose the latter, which was really nice.
Pillows, blankets, noise-cancelling headphones, slippers and an amenity kit were provided. The amenity kit was lightly stocked with only the bare essentials, but more items were available on request.
The entire cabin crew on this flight was based in India, and cabin service was conducted in English and Hindi. The service was fine. The pilots were Finnish, and made their announcements in English, Finnish and Swedish.
Shortly after our on on-time departure, I was offered another drink with some salted almonds.
Here is the menu for my Delhi-Helsinki flight:
There was also a comprehensive drinks menu with coughtails, wine, spirits, tea etc. The champagne was Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut.
For lunch, my preferred option of biryani wasn't available so I chose the Indian vegetarian option of paneer chilgoza. The main course was served on a single tray along with the starter and cheese plate.
This was followed afterwards by a choice of cheesecake or chocolate cake, which was nice.
The meal service was wrapped up just as quickly as it began, and I tried to get a few hours of sleep. The bed is fully lie-flat and comfortable, and was
just long enough for me, but I did find it a little narrow. Keep in mind that this is Finnair's older business class product - I believe the A350 business class is better.
I woke up as we were somewhere over Central Asia:
The in-flight entertainment was average. The system was showing its age a little, but it had an OK amount of content.
Another meal was served 2 hours prior to landing. Once again, I went for the Indian option which tasted good.
We landed slightly early in Helsinki, which was freezing cold! HEL is a super efficient airport and the arrival formalities were completed in no time.
Having just left India, it almost felt strange to leave the airport terminal and not be greeted by aggressive touts. It was so pleasant just to be able to stroll down to the airport train station, where the only noise was some pleasant music that was playing. Oh, and an announcement apologising for some non-existent construction noise. The flight from DEL to HEL is only 7 hours, but I felt like I'd arrived on another planet... almost like reverse culture shock.
