Finnair operates out of Terminal 8 at JFK, which is the terminal primarily occupied by American. I'm starting the trip report here since my flights from Los Angeles to Dallas to New York were uneventful, and I also barely had time to use the lounge. Finnair business class passengers use the Admirals Club at JFK,…
Continue reading: Review: Finnair Business Class A350 New York To Helsinki
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
"I’m not sure if it’s just the distortion of the camera or if it’s because of the altitude at which we were flying, but you could see what looked like the curvature of the earth."
Take a look at your tailcam photos from departure and arrival and I think you'll find your answer 😉
Thanks for the new product review.
I like how the Finnair cabin looks icy and cold with all the blue tones. It aligns well with the climate of Finland although I suppose warmer cabin tones would do more to make the cabin more inviting and lush, but that's just my opinion.
Great to see a decent airshow and camera onboard! ✈️ Most airlines fail remarkably with the basics of their IFE
Wanted to hear your thoughts regarding the food. I understand that Finnair is the one responsible to source catering and they should do a good job in finding a better one however I always find food on flights leaving the US always underwhelming. Do you see the same on other airlines? Also, I never order beef on airplanes. They will never be the same as when you order in a restaurant.
Lucky - Great trip report. I almost feel like I was there. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the A350 vs. a B787.
Great and detailed report!
The left armrest (the one closer to window) seems a lot wider than on CX. Did you find that significantly better? And on CX the tray is fixed and sometimes feel too close. Did they fix this on this new seat?
Those colorful designs are by Marimekko, a popular Finnish designer that began in the 1950s. Their fabrics and accessories can be pricey, so for anyone flying Finnair, don't leave your Marimekko items behind. They're definitely not Ikea!
This tray with dinner looks more like in coach rather than in business class 🙂 Finnair seem to 'throw' all the plates at the same time. I guess they were not plastic, though 🙂
Anyway, would you know when A350 is going to be taken from their route to and from JFK? I am trying to fly to LHR at the end of February via HEL and all I can see is Finnair's A330 instead.
I think Finnair uses Marimekko, a world famous Finnish firm, to design their on board products.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marimekko
Hey,
Just a correction, Lufthansa is another airlines that uses the Bose headphones in buisness class! I had them on my flight from FRA-SIN. It was slowly phased in starting in 2014, and now all their planes have them. (:
I'm surprised to hear the flight attendants didn't have great English. In my experience, most northern Europeans are quiet fluent, especially in the Nordic countries.
Can WiFi be used on a phone nowadays or is it strictly for tablets and laptops?
Minor point, but it appears you took off Runway 4L at JFK, no? Otherwise there's no need to cross 31L/13R. My guess is you crossed 31L on K and then took the runway at intersection KA, as the K entrance at the end of the runway would not have shown 22R on the taxiway sign.
I have flown AY a million times as my former bf is Finnish working for Finnair. It's a nice plane though I have to travel in Y but FA excellent English and clean planes.
HEL airport is lovely and bus to downtown is easy. Great connections as well. Love it there in the summer and remember dark cold winter days made me use the Finnish sauna more.
Finnair business class seats had a massage feature, primitive but surprisingly comfortable, the two times I experienced it. Does the 350 have that as well?
I would love to try this product on my upcoming trip to HKG but it looks more and more like Finnair will not receive delivery of this plane on time. Plus the HEL-HKG flight is apparently the worst for being on-time in Finnair's system.
Too bad the food was such a let down. Everything else looks good (tight food space aside).
@Chris, yes definitely a 4L departure. You can tell because the majority of the airport lights in the takeoff shot are to the left of the aircraft (would be to the right on a 22R departure) and the shot from right after takeoff shows the plane flying over a populated area (if departing from 22R, you would be over the ocean when that photo was taken).
IKEA is Swedish, not Finnish. The iittala glassware and Marimekko branded amenities are, by a country mile, superior to the tat that IKEA produce.
I flew Finnair in business from Helsinki to JFK back in November, and catering ex-Finland was definitely superior (blog post coming to my blog airwaysandtravels.com soon). It even included reindeer!
Also, note that all amenities are Marimekko - quite high-class (and very Finnish!) if you ask me!
A couple things.
I too love the Ultima Thule glassware. My grandmother had full sets of this pattern when I was a kid. Even as an 8 year old, I felt very sophisticated drinking out of them.
@Arcanum -
I find Finns, in particular, struggle with some English sounds. It's not usually that they don't have a good command of English, it's just that their spoken English is unusually accented and enunciated, especially compared to Swedes', Norwegians' and Danes' spoken English. It shouldn't be that surprising, given that Finnish is a wholly separate language (more closely akin to Hungarian) than anything any of the other Scandinavian languages.
So no in-flight sauna?
Well, at least they have one in the non-Schengen lounge at HEL :D.
Nice report Lucky. The biz product is almost identical to AC's Int'l Biz Class on their Dreamliners, which I flew recently on trips to/fro Asia. They also use the latest reverse herringbone seats (B/E Aerospace Diamond executive pods).
There are some subtle differences based on the images here that make the AC product a bit more like-able, at least to me (such as the 18" hi-def screen on AC that does not have to be stowed so you can watch shows even on the ground) and the nicer finishes of the table in AC. However, in one crucial element, they are the same, which is that I don't find these reverse herringbones the best for deep sleep (they seem a little coffin-like).
The products from the two airlines can almost lead to a game of top-trumps where FA has a nicer amenity kit, but AC has better in-flight catering based on the descriptions (AC also serves espresso and cappuccino on board from Lavazza on the 787s :P). AC has better in-cabin ambiance and colors, but FA has a nicer lavatory. The service on AC was exceptional during my trip and the cabin crew were so excited to be on the dreamliner. I will be flying FA next month to visit some friends and hope to compare notes.
@Chris - I have flown on the A350 and the B787 since I have some contributions to the engineering of both. I personally prefer the 787 since I somehow feel happier (does that make sense?) after getting off of one in comparison to the A350 (the 787 definitely has a better in-cabin climate control system with the bleed-less technology). As for the sound, both airlines produce very little engine noise and most of the noise is attributed to wind shear at high altitude. This is where the A380 excels, although it is not due to clever engineering as such, but due to the shear number of noise absorbing materials within the aircraft (i.e. cushions, seats, people and the large gap that houses more insulation between the seats and windows). In that respect, I find the A350 and B787 to be almost identical - nothing that my Sony MDR10RNC noise cancelling headphones don't drown out completely.
As far as technology is considered, I do think that the 787 is a leap into the new and will define the future of MEA. The A350 is a wonderful aircraft and will surely sell well, but it's a gradual transition from the old towards the new with dependence on hydraulics whereas the 787 is the future and is the backbone of the 777X program and the 747-8 program.
At the end of the day, they are both wonderful aircrafts, at least if you are seated up front.
@Jared - Finnair uses the Zodiac Cirrus seat as seen on Cathay and American, not the B/E Aerospace Diamond used by Air Canada. The big difference between the two is the placement of the tray table, which comes out from the side console on the Cirrus but tucks under the screen on the Diamond. Personally, I prefer the Cirrus as the tray table restricts leg room on the Diamond.
Also, FA is the airline code for Safair Ltd. Finnair is AY.
@Arcanum - thanks for correcting me!
I was just using FA for FinnAir as an abbreviation (just happens to be that AC is the airline code for Air Canada).
I think I would love them - they sound right up my alley. I loved the colors, too. Food isn't that big of a deal for me on a flight as I prefer to eat lighter so I sleep better. I have wanted to go to Finland anyways, so now I have even more of an excuse/reason to go!
Nice review! Still not sure if I want to fly AY business class....
One remark: The pictures seem to be mixed up. Or is it just an issue on my iPad?
🙁
Catering ex-JFK is typically disappointing. The only exceptions I can think of are OS business class and JL first class. Those were exceptional. I'll never forget the difference between an AA economy meal that was loaded at JFK vs one loaded in BCN, the former was inedible, the latter, not too bad.
I LOVE the "cockpit view" feature of the airshow. It's basically a simplified version of the Garmin G1000 Primary Flight Display.
Is this a feature of the A350 or something specific to Finnair's IFE?
I find it cute that they tried to call their skewer a "Beef Yakitori" since yakitori means grilled chicken. Anybody beef flavored grilled chicken? lol.
Great review, thanks for sharing! Looks like a great product except for the meals. It seems that AY has lately been "enhancing" their business class catering to the lousy level where it's now.
Excellent review as always! I love the color and appearance of the cabin. The clean, cool appearance is a great representation of Finland itself.
One correction regarding Bose headphones in Business - Cathay Pacific also offers them and unlike American, they don't come by 30 minutes before landing to collect them and make sure you didn't steal them...
Its such a waste to use miles/cash these days on almost any transatlantic business flight with the exception of EK, SQ or TK. The flights are too short, catering out of the US is almost always awful (speaks about the quality of food in the states vs. abroad) and you can't even get a decent night sleep. The smart thing always to do coach going to EU (using meds to sleep) to conserve miles and fly business class on the longer, better catered, and enjoy the service daytime flights. Its such a no brainer. Can't believe people waste money/points on the short trips across the pond especially from the East coast with very few products being worth it to begin with.
Shoe bags are provided in premium cabins by some asian airlines. E.g. CZ, KE, OZ.
"There were no ads before starting shows or movies"
What? Is that a thing that airlines do? I don't fly even remotely as much as you do; but neither of my recent trans-pacific flights on United and Asiana had ads for their TV shows and movies. Not even in economy.
A small correction to note regarding the in-flight moving map service mentioned... it is actually called FlightPath3D from Betria Interactive. The 'airshow' term used is actually a brand name for a very old product that looks nothing like this highly interactive and state of the art technology. Congratulations to Finnair for delivering an incredible, world class in-flight experience!
Another airline whose flight attendants wore gloves during boarding was Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional).
This is one of the worst business-class meals I have seen, outside of Hawaiian's meal from Pago Pago to Hawaii. Plus, it's really not a red-eye flight -- unless the definition of a red-eye flight has changed -- as the departure time was before 10 p.m. New York time. I could see this pathetic meal offering, if it left J.F.K. at 10 p.m. like Delta's seasonal flights to the Nordic countries. But this is much, much earlier. Plus, with a flight time of under 8 hours and a departure before 6 p.m., who is really sleeping? I'd have to get pretty drunk to get 5 hours of sleep on this flight.
Excellent review, thanks. Would love to hear your thoughts about the lounge in Helsinki.
Here's a blogpost by the guys who helped develop the IFE. Explains why you liked it.
http://reaktor.com/blog/aircraft-customer-experience-on-a-new-level/
I got Bose headphones on LH in biz about 9 months ago...on the 747-8 if it makes a difference.
Great review! I flew the AY 350 back in October from Helsinki to Oslo in business. I really liked the hard product. Didn't have the time to proper explore much of the aircraft, but the meal service was great, and I do love the Marimekko amenities! The glassware is also absolutely gorgeous.
One fun fact: Finnair has actually developed the inflight entertainment software themselves! So this IFE is truly unique in that sense-
How far out did you book this flight? I can't seem to find any TATL space on AY or AB anywhere, just phantom space for AY on AA. Where do you search for these flights?
@ Michael -- I booked it in mid-December, when I first wrote about the limited time flight:
https://onemileatatime.com/finnair-a350-business-class-review/
I'd recommend using BA's search tool to find Finnair space. American shows a lot of phantom space on Finnair which isn't actually bookable. BA's site typically shows accurate availability.
I heard about an only-women lavatory on Finnair's A350. What about it? Did you realize its existence?
Great job!
Just having a look at this flight on BA myself. 75k avios plus £319 - taxes a bit pricey!
AY actually does have a Cappuccino machine onboard their A350 - I wonder why you didn't get one. 🙁
Great review as always! Nice to see they offer free wifi to business class passengers. Unless I need to get work done I rarely bother purchasing it since I don't find it worth the money so this is a nice perk.
I wonder what the reasoning is behind serving the entire meal on a single tray. Before this review I've only read about this being done on reviews of AA flights. I actually experienced this myself on an American Airlines trip from London to Buenos Aires last week. On the LHR-JFK flight the meal was served per course, while on the other flights (JFK-EZE, EZE-JFK and JFK back to LHR) the meals were served on a single tray. Since the JFK-EZE route is almost 11hrs it doesn't seem to be just related to the duration of the flight. (The single-tray meals were all on 777-200 planes though, while the LHR-JFK flight was on a 777-300ER).
Its the camera lense, not the curvature of the earth. I think you have to get up over 50-55,000ft to see it, which was always visible on Concorde, especially towards the end of the flight when it was floating up near its ceiling.
Finnair have a tighter angle for their seat layout, so with that there is less room. You fly so much, you sensed it correctly!
As bizarre as it may be, you have become the way I end my evenings (and I have no reason to believe that it's anything naughty either).
Several years ago, when I was gainfully employed in the travel industry, international travel (particularly on foreign [i.e., non-US] carriers and collecting the menus to be had in their business and/or First) classes of service, was my greatest passion. Now, having suffered physical and financial setbacks, I have found myself traveling through the stories of others. Fortunately, you and I seem to share many of those same passions.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being able to enjoy -- albeit vicariously -- through you.
Any ideas on discounted business class flights from San Diego or Lax or SFO to Venice for the Summer?
There are still a fair amount of LAX > LHR award flights on AA metal this summer. We just managed to get 2 seats each way on the flight in April/May. Also my alerts keep going off on PHL/LHR and JFK/LHR on AA metal in June/July. Isn't there still a buy miles promotion on AA going on if you don't have the miles?
The male FA in Finnair's landing video looks like a model for the Hitler Youth League.
I flew the Finnair A350 last Easter from Helsinki to Bangkok and I was equally impressed. It was my first experience of Finnair. I went with a companion and we sat in the middle seats of the first row of business class. A couple of comments on the report: the "Ikea" comment about the cabin is a little unfair, since the cabin is full of classic Scandinavian design: the bedding and amenity kits are Marimekko and the glasses that Lucky liked are Iittala (actually I recently saw them at an Iittala outlet in Sweden retailing at around $50 a glass I think) -- so all very stylish and high quality stuff. Also the cabin crew on my flights spoke excellent English and German. I, too, found them incredibly friendly and reassuringly competent. They cannot do enough for you, and they do it in a very nice and natural way. You felt that you could rely on them if there was a problem, which is not what I feel when I fly some of the newer airlines with multi-national imported crews. I sort of get the comment on the food -- but I think they do this because some people (I am one of them) find long drawn out meal services a bit of a pain. The qualify of the food was good, nothing exceptional; but overall this was one of the best long haul experiences I have had in a long time and a really pleasant surprise. I should also add that I flew the day after the Brussels attacks -- I was flying in from the Middle East on Qatar Airways to connect via Brussels (this bit had to be changed, obviously -- I ended up going through Frankfurt) and then Helsinki, and I thought Finnair handled all the chaos that this caused very well, despite being a very small airline. And their lounge at Helsinki airport is fantastic. What a great airline. In these days when so much of travel is an ordeal, it is very nice to be able actually to enjoy the experience. It was good reading this report, because it reassured me that my experience was consistent with what other passengers have also experienced.
Thank you for this, Lucky. We are about to travel Bangkok-Dublin, via Helsinki, using Finnair for the first time. They will be flying the Airbus 350-900. My wife has had back, knee and ankle surgery, so we travel business class so that she gets a genuine full flat bed seat; one which will allow her to stretch out fully, when sleeping. I've read (Seat Guru) the same comment as yours about the window seating (A3 and A4). Is there any chance that you had an opportunity to compare the middle seating with the window seat, fully reclined? If the middle seating has the same problem as you had, my wife would be unable to stand the pain for 12 hours. We will be booking our tickets in the next few days. Any advice would be genuinely welcomed. Regardless, really enjoyed your review, truly honest and professional. Thanks for that.
I just flew Finn Air business from Rome to Helsinki and onto Rome. My thoughts are pretty much with you in relation to jfk/hels. The staff were helpful enough with minimal English and amusing for the number of trays with full drinks that were dropped, even before we took off. Loved the marimekko fabrics and the itallia glassware, very retro but both making a big global comeback. I found the seating constriction v difficult to sleep and our cabin was so hot I thought I'd expire. I also had a weird single seat on the A configuration which made me feel like I was wedged in a wall whereas the singles on the other side of the plane were not like that. Food was ordinary but always love Nicholas Feuillate champagne so that helped.
Many hours in the standard lounge and finally boarded for Rome on a 320. Seriously. It's bad even for economy but to masquerade economy seats as business and pass off a spare seat as the payoff, Finnair has got to be kidding. The food was inedible. For those in row 1 on left and 2 on right, they are bulkhead with no legroom and immovable arm rests, dreadful.
My mistake, I didn't realise it was going to be such a "long way round" and sadly Finnair don't seem to understand that long haul passengers require a bit more service than they are currently providing! I'm just dreading that I have to do the whole thing in reverse.
Thank you for the review.
Having travelled on Finnair several times 4 years ago I was extremely disappointed with the food, old plane and service in Business Class I am pleased that all has improved ( except food - mine was a 14 hour flight).
I am tempted to try Finnair again once more after your experience.
Same seat as SriLinkan.
I'll be going to Seoul in a few weeks and will try Finnair - it's a shame they don't appear to be operating A350s on the HEL-ICN route. The times are much more amenable than the BA direct LHR-ICN, which is a total killer jetlag-wise.
I read this prior to booking the flight to Australia via Tokyo
The worst business class cabin by far. Very bright, looks great etc, but the foot area when laid flat is appalling. It is 13 inches! No ability to sleep comfortably
Such a shame, but only 2 out of 10