Fri 04 Oct
AY994
KEF-HEL
18:02-00:15, dur 3h 13m
A319, Seat 4C
The flight to Helsinki was delayed slightly due to the aircraft’s late arrival. However, boarding was smooth and I again had plenty of space in the overhead lockers for my baggage. There were 5 rows of Euro-business, but only 6 pax in the cabin, so there were a lot of empty seats. Whilst the setup is similar to BA, Finnair doesn’t have a table to block the middle seats.
Service on board was efficient if slightly cold in comparison to BA or QF. The AY uniform is somewhat intimidating and I got some real *ahem* ‘WWII vibes’ from the black uniforms with silver facings that the flight attendants wore. After an initial drinks service and pretzels, the CSM went through the cabin with the main meal option – of which there was only one, and it was chicken. The side dish of what I assume to be herring? Or mackerel? With carrot and mayonnaise was a bold choice – it was tasty but if you don’t like fish you were in for a bad time. The chicken was essentially a schnitzel and wasn’t bad, the potatoes that came with it had heaps of flavour with a lemony tang throughout that really elevated the dish. The lone caper was an interesting addition. I paired this with an unknown white wine which was ok.
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Afterwards, dessert was served which consisted of a large cinnamon pretzel, which I had with a coffee. I later ordered the signature AY blueberry coughtail “Nordic Blush” which came in a can and was decent, definitely drinkable. Besides the meal service it was a very quiet flight. The A319 has slightly more leg space than the A320neo I flew over on, so I was quite comfortable.
Platform aside, I personally think the BA service was better both in terms of service and food. BA’s provision of a menu is nice, and you also get more than one meal option. The service also felt warmer and the cabin crew regularly patrolled the cabin checking if passengers wanted anything. On this flight, I only saw the FA once or twice after the meal service and I was tempted to press the call button. I also like the table that BA provides at is a little extra storage space. However, there was nothing bad about the AY flight, and I definitely would have no issue with flying them again on a similar short haul route.
We landed slightly later as a result of the delay, just after midnight local time. Interestingly we were one of the last flights of the night with one or two departures shortly after and then nothing until 0530. There are a number of surprisingly comfortable looking benches at the gate, and I was surprised to see a few passengers racked out on them, with eyemasks and pillows presumably waiting for their morning flight. Rather than discouraging people from sleeping at the airport overnight, Helsinki seems to encourage them, with lots of longer sofas and benches without arm rests on them.
Having flown from Iceland there was no requirement to clear immigration, and with no baggage to pickup I was out of the airport in about 10 minutes and into a waiting bolt. I could’ve attempted to catch a train but my hotel was near the port and would’ve required another connection and taken about 1.5hrs all up. A rideshare got me there in 25 minutes and for 22 Euros, it wasn’t too bad.
I’m staying at the UNITY Helsinki, a series of small apartments designed for anything from short to long term stays. There isn’t much in the area but I picked it because tomorrow I’m going to Estonia via the ferry and it is close to the terminal, as well as public transport. The room isn’t massive and the top floor is quite close to the ceiling – I’m not tall and I almost brush my head against the roof when I stand up. If you’re closer to 180cms you’d probably have to duck climbing the stairs when going to bed.
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Today’s plan is to check out the military museum on a nearby island and wander around town a bit before a dinner at the 1 Michelin star Palace Restaurant. The skies are clear and it's a few degrees warmer than Iceland but still quite brisk so it should be a good day to explore - once my phone has charged!
