I find Finnair to be a cute airline, and also love connecting at Helsinki Airport, which is one of the most pleasant airports in Europe to transit. Finnair’s A350 business class product is great, I just wish they regularly flew it to the US (they primarily fly their A350s to Asia).
Finnair’s A350 business class
Finnair’s A350 business class
For anyone taking a flight on Finnair anytime soon, the airline has announced some updates to their business class experience, including their cabin finishes and service.
Finnair is refreshing their A350 business class seats
While Finnair isn’t changing the bones of their excellent reverse herringbone A350 business class seats, they are making some updates to the finishes throughout 2018. They’ll be introducing new cabin textiles and amenities, including new “simple and stylish” seat colors, pillows, blankets, and chinaware with prints from Finnish design house Marimekko. Since we’re talking about Nordic design here, the new seats are… minimalist.
Here are some pictures of the new cabin finishes:
Here’s how Finnair’s head of Cabin Interior Development describes the changes:
“With Nordic-inspired design throughout the entire cabin, our aim is for our guests to be treated to a travel experience that sooths the senses and clears the mind. Our new seat textiles and comfort amenities have a fresh and modern aesthetic that is inspired by Nordic homes and landscapes.”
Finnair is introducing dine on demand in business class, and more
In 2018, Finnair will be rolling out dine on demand in longhaul business class. This new service will be available as of February 7, 2018, on flights to Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Narita, and Shanghai, and it will be gradually expanded beyond that during the spring and summer. Here’s what Finnair’s SVP of Customer Experience has to say about this new service:
“More than ever, our Business Class customers enjoy the opportunity to customize their travel and dining experience. Our objective is to create an unspoken bond with our guests, every time they fly. We have dedicated cabin crew personnel for business class passengers, providing a more individual service, with the aim of setting new standards for comfort and overall well-being onboard Finnair flights.”
Dine on demand is a great concept and I’m happy to see this added. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was most excited about this:
As part of its new concept, Finnair is also introducing the classic Finnish tradition “Kahvikutsut” – a coffee serving with seven different treats – for long-haul flights departing Asia in the morning. This exclusive coffee service allows customers to spend quality time enjoying traditional Finnish treats like Carelian pies, cinnamon buns, coffee cake and traditional Finnish chocolates between the two meal services.
Coffee and SEVEN treats between two meals on a plane while sitting for 12 hours?!?!? Sign me up!!
Bottom line
Finnair already offers a great business class experience, and the introduction of dine on demand and being able to order like seven sweets between the meals sounds pretty awesome to me. As far as the changes in cabin finishes go, I can’t say I prefer the new ones. I liked that the old ones had a splash of color, while the new ones just seem… generic.
What do you make of Finnair’s new cabin finishes?
Lucky, sorry to disturb.. is it wise to use JAL miles to redeem finnair business? i have some 28k JAL miles and was thinking to transfer SPG to JAL and get some finnair business from HKG-HEL-- some west europe destinations.
is there any huge Fuel Charge as a trap in JAL redeeming AY?
Currently sat in row 6 on a BKK to HEL flight and we were not only last to be served at every service, but also our menu choices had run out by the time they got to us. Why the service couldn’t have alternated I do not know. Hopefully dine on demand will solve that problem.
@ lucky....I’ve been wanting to try them for a long time, but award space for business class NYC-HEL simply doesn’t exist, so my husband and I will get a taste of it when we do LHR-HEL in March. I really want to see the glasses that everyone pilfers!
I have mixed feelings about "dine on demand," especially in Business Class with more seats than in First Class. Even if your ear plugs mask the sound of silverware on china the entire flight, the smell of food can be annoying and the general busy-ness in the cabin is noticeable when you are trying to rest and maybe sleep a bit.
*CX or QF lounges
Just to echo numerous comments: my transfer at HEL was the same as reported: massive overcrowding. The hub and spoke model caused all of the flights to land around the same time and the airport lounges are too small to handle it. Getting to use CX or the new QF from T3 when flying CX europe to asia already seems to make the price premium worth it again ..
We have been flying Finnair business class to Hong Kong since Oct 2016 , twice a year , great service . Did you know all the cabin crew are experienced and well trained Hong Kong Chinese . Very good service standards
Anyone commenting about AY vs CX for flights to/from HKG needs to remember AY use outsourced HKG-based crew, so an experience with this crew is not a true reflection of AY. I flew BKK-HEL-HKG (in J) and the Finnish crew on the BKK leg were amazing - warm but unobtrusive. There was also a Thai crew member, also wonderful. The HKG-based crew on the HKG flight were awful - one was well-meaning, but one in...
Anyone commenting about AY vs CX for flights to/from HKG needs to remember AY use outsourced HKG-based crew, so an experience with this crew is not a true reflection of AY. I flew BKK-HEL-HKG (in J) and the Finnish crew on the BKK leg were amazing - warm but unobtrusive. There was also a Thai crew member, also wonderful. The HKG-based crew on the HKG flight were awful - one was well-meaning, but one in particular had the impatience and cold demeanour of a gruff, harried waitress at a HK-style cafe (cha chaan teng). Not HK Express standard, let alone CX. I'm based in HKG and visit Finland at least anually, but I flew QR to HEL last time, based on the awful flight to HKG with AY. Finland is one of my favourite places on earth and I really love Finnair, but I won't fly them to/from HKG until they reinstate Finnish crew and get rid of the amateur HKG-based outsourced crew.
@Michael Ha!
They are introducing the changes a bit too quickly for that.
Despite my flight on the maiden Finnair A350 from LHR being a disaster service-wise as they forgot they needed a special child belt because of those stupid padded seatbelts they have in J and totally mishandled the consequences, the business class hard product is solid but one of the only memorable things was the splashes of colour on the bedding and the...
@Michael Ha!
They are introducing the changes a bit too quickly for that.
Despite my flight on the maiden Finnair A350 from LHR being a disaster service-wise as they forgot they needed a special child belt because of those stupid padded seatbelts they have in J and totally mishandled the consequences, the business class hard product is solid but one of the only memorable things was the splashes of colour on the bedding and the nice glassware. With this they lose one if not both of those things.
I agree with all the comments about Helsinki Airport. Connecting from Manchester, Helsinki is still a better option than the nightmare of CDG, or the utter incompetence of T5 at LHR. Frankfurt is too big to be doable.
The lounges are small, but if you can use the premium section, the food and drinks options are great, and Ivecalways found the staff to be polite, rather than gushing. After a haul from China, that...
I agree with all the comments about Helsinki Airport. Connecting from Manchester, Helsinki is still a better option than the nightmare of CDG, or the utter incompetence of T5 at LHR. Frankfurt is too big to be doable.
The lounges are small, but if you can use the premium section, the food and drinks options are great, and Ivecalways found the staff to be polite, rather than gushing. After a haul from China, that works for me.
On balance I’d say Finnair are a little spartan onboard, compared with some others, but they are making efforts. Compared to a recent trip on Delta from the US, Finnair are just fine.
The new cabin fin she’s are
A E S T H E T I C
@Lucky. I used to be able to book AA Saver Award business seats on Finnair, but in the past several months, all the shown "availabilities" on AA.com are phantom spaces. Do you know when if ever it will be fixed by AA? Thank you.
Finnair is a lot cheaper than CX for a good reason -- meal service is slow and amateurish While Cathay is slick and polished.. there is no way to dim the lights which means you don't get quality sleep. Once you travel on Finnair, you really appreciate the way CX serves meals in the dark on redeye flights so passengers who don't eat can sleep properly. And I don't appreciate the glaring harsh white cabin decor.. not relaxing at all
Finnair is one of my favorite carriers for flights within Europe, but I agree with others who have commented on the ground experience at Helsinki Airport. It's great if you go there during non rush hour periods. However its unbearable during times when the arriving and departing Asia flights are on the ground. The lounges are way too small for the hordes of people trying to use them, and the gate experience leaves something to...
Finnair is one of my favorite carriers for flights within Europe, but I agree with others who have commented on the ground experience at Helsinki Airport. It's great if you go there during non rush hour periods. However its unbearable during times when the arriving and departing Asia flights are on the ground. The lounges are way too small for the hordes of people trying to use them, and the gate experience leaves something to be desired.
All in all Finnair is a great airline, but they have work to do on the ground at Helsinki. They need more space, and they need staff to at least try to manage the boarding process and perhaps crack a smile once in a while. (I know, that last request can be hard for a Finn though I must admit they are getting better at it!)
I already love Finnair's style in their lounges but this new Biz cabin is a nice update! It feels much warmer and less sterile.
My Finnair experience echoes the others. I was on a CX HKG to LHR but my inbound was delayed so I was put on the Finnair A350 to HEL. I found the crew amateurish. The cheese grater vent in the tight footwell was very uncomfortable after a couple of hours on feet with only socks on. I wish they would have skipped the cute little Marimekko glass and just gave me a full bottle of...
My Finnair experience echoes the others. I was on a CX HKG to LHR but my inbound was delayed so I was put on the Finnair A350 to HEL. I found the crew amateurish. The cheese grater vent in the tight footwell was very uncomfortable after a couple of hours on feet with only socks on. I wish they would have skipped the cute little Marimekko glass and just gave me a full bottle of water. HEL was as described. Crowded place to transfer. Long lines to go non Schengen to Schengen (and vice versa). Schengen lounge was ridiculously crowded (there was a line to use the men's room). Gate area was a hallway with no seating. I was unimpressed.
I avoided a 4 hour layover in LHR with this change, but would have enjoyed the CX flight so much more. They can change the finishes, but they need to fix HEL.
refresh? from green pillow to blue. the seat's still the same ugly non-private seat as before
Have kept putting off flying Finnair over CX between OSL and HKG (even though Finnair is coming out cheaper). This finally tips the balance (have flown Finnair A350 and it was 'nice' but just too white and sterile)
We had almost the exact same experience at Helsinki Airport as @Philip. The airport just felt tiny, was unrelievedly crowded as were the lounges. Getting on our connecting flight was unreal, with grown men pushing each other out of the way in their rush to get on the plane. Service onboard was great, though, no complaints there.
I flew Finnair this year between Madrid and Hong Kong (via Helsinki). I was very excited to try them out for the first time and I really wanted to love the airline and the experience. It was okay.
I have to agree with John Hickey, the hard product on the A350 felt cheap and almost plastic sadly. The crew between Madrid and Helsinki was Spanish while the HKG crew were all Asian. Efficient but impersonal...
I flew Finnair this year between Madrid and Hong Kong (via Helsinki). I was very excited to try them out for the first time and I really wanted to love the airline and the experience. It was okay.
I have to agree with John Hickey, the hard product on the A350 felt cheap and almost plastic sadly. The crew between Madrid and Helsinki was Spanish while the HKG crew were all Asian. Efficient but impersonal service throughout! I really didn’t feel that I got to feel anything Finnish about my experience whatsoever. Nobody seemed to even speak Finnish.
I was also very disappointed by Helsinki Airport. It was extremely overcrowded, all Finnair Lounges were heaving with people. Nowhere to sit, not even on bar stools. And the A350 flight departed from a remote stand with serious chaos at the gate and no clear priority for business class passengers. There were some half hearted lanes but nothing enforced!
I would try them again, as I don’t want to base it on just one experience. All airlines have their ups and downs, but overall, it was disappointing!
@Lucky so only flights to Asia and nothing from Asia back to Helsinki?
The seat manufacturer that designs this product needs to improve the AVOD. I suspect its the same TV model they had when they first released the non reverse herringbone product on DL's 777s.
If you compare the B/E reverse herringbone TVs (AA) with this one, the picture quality and screen size is night and day.
Yeah for Marimekko!
I do enjoy your ideas and comments,thanks.
I worked in the airline business for 37 great years,we now travel from AUS to Europe every year for extended holidays.
This year we gave Finnair a try,business class fr9m SIN via Helsinki to Paris and return a few months later.The A350 business class is good,althought both the interior fitout is of poor quality,rattles and shakes along the runway and yes its very noticeable.The cabin crew...
I do enjoy your ideas and comments,thanks.
I worked in the airline business for 37 great years,we now travel from AUS to Europe every year for extended holidays.
This year we gave Finnair a try,business class fr9m SIN via Helsinki to Paris and return a few months later.The A350 business class is good,althought both the interior fitout is of poor quality,rattles and shakes along the runway and yes its very noticeable.The cabin crew SIN/HEL are actually Singaporeans(as are the pilots) so far all good.We had a 24 hour delay in HEL on the way home and the ground service,staff and complete lack ofany information whatso every rates this airline as the worst I have everflown.
The staff are unhelpful at best and just plain rude,the food in the businessclass lounge was uneatable,nothing in the way of updated supper was offered to the 30odd Business passengers in the lounge for 3.30 hours delay before the flight was cancelled,it goes on and on.
I wrote to Finnair after returning home in August 17 still no reply,donot waste your money.Iif they get a 5 Star rating its a joke!!
Skytrax 5-Star status should be announced in the coming days.
The new finishes are much more elegant. A splash of coulour is nice but the old colours and patterns hurt my eyes
The lounges at Helsinki are nice enough but their flights to/from Astana were pure amateur hour ... U.S. discount airlines offer better service than what I experienced ... sat one row behind business and was astounded at the meager offerings but I guess that's "short haul" service to Asia ...
@Lucky - I think you are supposed to CHOOSE from 7 treats, not have ALL of them at once ;)
You're right. It does look like a stock photo.
The new color scheme is much more inviting. Kudos!
The new Finnair finishes are very Finnish, but on first glance I prefer the current design. The lime green added at least some whimsy. Finnair is on my fly list, but a combination of phantom award space and use of aircraft to the US make less of an actual option and more fantasy.