Review: Finnair Premium Lounge Helsinki Airport

Ben Schlappig
January 27, 2016
29

Finnair Premium Lounge Helsinki Airport bottom line

Helsinki Airport in general is an absolute pleasure to travel through, and the Finnair Lounge is no exception. The Premium Lounge is certainly nice, though I’m not sure it’s that much nicer than the standard lounge. The sauna in the Finnair Lounge is one of the cooler features out there, and I’d love to use it the next time I’m passing through the airport. It’s definitely a unique amenity compared to some of the best airline lounges in the world.

Would you ever consider using a sauna in an airline lounge?

Conversations (29)

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Nicholas S. Guest
March 19, 2017, 5:07 pm

I have a question for anyone who has recently been there? Have the pool and other sauna rooms been removed to make way for the premium lounge? Do they exist anymore. I wanted to take a swim to cool down (Finnish saunas are notoriously hot) and then jump back into the sauna to sweat. Thanks.

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Markku Guest
February 10, 2017, 3:46 pm

I am a Finn and I think the sauna is strange. This is a Premium Lounge for all and they put a common household sauna in? And just one coed? Even I don't know what should I do - take a towel with me or not? But it would not matter too much, the two showers are just opposite the glass door to the sauna so everyone sitting would be giving you points for your...
I am a Finn and I think the sauna is strange. This is a Premium Lounge for all and they put a common household sauna in? And just one coed? Even I don't know what should I do - take a towel with me or not? But it would not matter too much, the two showers are just opposite the glass door to the sauna so everyone sitting would be giving you points for your showering style. The architech must have been drunk drawing this. Of course you can rush back to the private shower cabinet but anyway this kind of layout is very odd. They should have had two of these small saunas, one for the ladies and one for the gents as every spa/water park has.

Has anyone had to use the private shower cabinet toilets sitting? How did you reach the toilet paper ON THE OPPOSITE WALL almost two meters from you...? Not sure when the designers started drinking, before the sauna or the cabinets...

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Yog Guest
November 26, 2016, 10:54 am

Apparently its open for finnair platinum or gold, but only for one word emerald.
writing this review from the finnair lounge, as a one world sapphire, i was not given access to premium lounge.However the regular lounge and sauna was accessible.

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Jane blogs Member
September 27, 2016, 1:54 pm

Well I have to report I have just used the sauna and it was divine! I had stored up the sauna info in my brain after reading this review. It is avail for both premium and business lounge customers. having an 8 hour layover here I am Not just exhausted but bored witless waiting for my flight to Hong Kong, still 3 hours away!

After the big hit of European flight passengers departed both...
Well I have to report I have just used the sauna and it was divine! I had stored up the sauna info in my brain after reading this review. It is avail for both premium and business lounge customers. having an 8 hour layover here I am Not just exhausted but bored witless waiting for my flight to Hong Kong, still 3 hours away!

After the big hit of European flight passengers departed both lounges at around 6 it has been virtually empty here which is apparently the way it is most evenings.

So I checked the sauna out, noted happily that no one was using it and away I went. It seems that about 4 people could fit in although a squeeze. I Confess I might be uncomfortable if even one had turned up! There is a lockable cupboard in the change room and there are also locker lockers behind the reception area.

I feel refreshed and relaxed and it was a great thing to try! Only in Helsinki hey!

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Shashank Atreya Guest
August 10, 2016, 1:00 pm

Lucky, what you could have probably done on this trip was take the Finair direct Helsinki-Delhi, and then taken your connect back to LA from Delhi on the new Air India 787 route. You could have skipped the Heathrow stop over, which I think you've reviewed many times.

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Babs Daigle New Member
May 3, 2016, 8:31 am

Are there any true flights to Helsinki on Finnair booking with AA miles ... I get this message whenever I try to book ..."The flight you selected is no longer available. Please modify your request."

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Monogo Guest
April 13, 2016, 7:32 am

Hahahaha. Americans (well, I guess it's an Anglo thing) are so funny about this naked = sexytime thing. Surely the main point is that saunaing is a lot more comfortable without wearing clothes!

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TheRealBabushka Guest
January 29, 2016, 9:34 pm

Do you need to get butt naked in the sauna, the way it is expected in Finland?

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Owen Guest
January 29, 2016, 11:52 am

What are you supposed to do with your bags when you're in the sauna? They're going to be out of your control. I didn't see any lockers.

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Petri Guest
January 29, 2016, 12:53 am

You got quite a quiet moment there. They actually do serve the champagne as well, there's often a lady behind the counter (the first buffer photo) serving customers. But as you probably know, Finns are very self-service oriented so having the bottle available for customers to self-service and someone filling the glass for you is considered "pretty much the same".

I don't know what kind of meal schedules they run but usually it looks more...
You got quite a quiet moment there. They actually do serve the champagne as well, there's often a lady behind the counter (the first buffer photo) serving customers. But as you probably know, Finns are very self-service oriented so having the bottle available for customers to self-service and someone filling the glass for you is considered "pretty much the same".

I don't know what kind of meal schedules they run but usually it looks more appealing than in these photos. Or perhaps it's just a breakfast vs. lunch/dinner thing.

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Horny Twink Guest
January 28, 2016, 6:14 pm

@Arto: That's probably because most of the hetreosexual brothels and homosexual sex clubs in America masquerade as spas or saunas.

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H. Mutschler Guest
January 28, 2016, 11:59 am

I would go into the sauna, if I had time, but remember, in Finnland you go naked into the sauna and it is mixed gender..... Thats comon in Europe.

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YYZgayguy Diamond
January 28, 2016, 7:59 am

@Arto: some Americans see the world as a sexual crime scene.

I love the idea that 4 strangers in a small room is so rife with danger than it will lead to "accusations". The accusations would occur in Finland, where sensible people would likely shut down the drama before it escalated. Sensible people are good at deescalation.

@Lucky: the Finnair sauna is possibly the most appealing "hard product" feature of any lounge you have reviewed....
@Arto: some Americans see the world as a sexual crime scene.

I love the idea that 4 strangers in a small room is so rife with danger than it will lead to "accusations". The accusations would occur in Finland, where sensible people would likely shut down the drama before it escalated. Sensible people are good at deescalation.

@Lucky: the Finnair sauna is possibly the most appealing "hard product" feature of any lounge you have reviewed. I would strip naked, grab a towel and enjoy this feature in a heartbeat.

I was "born again" in a sauna ;-)

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Lisa Guest
January 27, 2016, 11:33 pm

My dad is from Finland and was also born in a sauna! When he moved to California he had a sauna installed in our home. Agree with Arto that the sauna is a big part of Finnish culture. Can't wait for the rest of the Finnair review!

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Wesley Guest
January 27, 2016, 11:18 pm

The sauna's absolutely amazing - used it last year when transiting through HEL. The business class lounge has some off-peak hours promotion for travelers who wish to pay for access which isn't much

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Susan B. Guest
January 27, 2016, 10:44 pm

The premium lounge looks much improved since my last visit ca. 2 years ago. The food and beverages especially look much more generous and appealing. But oh, the spa they used to have--four different sauna/steam rooms (the dry heat with scented pine branches was especially nice). Between each bout of heat you could wade in a cold-water trough paved with smooth pebbles for a nice foot massage, or soak in a pool--hot? Cool? Who remembers,...
The premium lounge looks much improved since my last visit ca. 2 years ago. The food and beverages especially look much more generous and appealing. But oh, the spa they used to have--four different sauna/steam rooms (the dry heat with scented pine branches was especially nice). Between each bout of heat you could wade in a cold-water trough paved with smooth pebbles for a nice foot massage, or soak in a pool--hot? Cool? Who remembers, between jet lag and spa-brain? And that was just the free facilities--there was an extensive menu of paid treatments available. It was fabulous--more than once I flew to Paris via Helsinki just for the excursion (and the lower fare). Helsinki is also a city worth visiting.

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Arto Guest
January 27, 2016, 8:55 pm

You might be surprised to know that there is an average of one sauna per household in Finland. This is a place for physical and mental rejuvenation and a necessary part of daily life. I was born in a sauna, which is less common today but was very common in the past. It's interesting that Finns see the sauna as an important part of our culture and, reading some of the comments here, Americans see it as a sexual crime scene.

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Claus Guest
January 27, 2016, 8:51 pm

Wow, I really like the cool, understated design of the lounge. The food seems to be a bit limited and all on the heavy side, though.

The plumbing in the shower room looks creative. Was there a separate shower head next to the toilet, to be used as a bidet of sorts?

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Danny Guest
January 27, 2016, 8:14 pm

Ah Benny, you do the best reviews. Thanks!

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Kevin Gold
January 27, 2016, 7:50 pm

Not only did I giggle at Randy's comment about Steamworks (I know where Keith's mind is, too!), I giggled at the prudish comments about the coed sauna .... and moreover at the thought of Lucky, who is known to get squeamish in a hotel room knowing that strangers have slept in the bed and even had sex in the bed, using a sauna wrapped in a towel or bathrobe while other naked men and women and children are having casual or even anonymous conversation!

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Finnish Twink Guest
January 27, 2016, 6:57 pm

Sauna sound nice way to clean myself of stress. LOVE FINNAIR! WOO HOO!

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Roberto Guest
January 27, 2016, 6:45 pm

I did use the sauna, and it put me just in the right mood for my flight. Reviewing that soon on www.airwaysandtravels.com soon!

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FNT Delta Diamond Guest
January 27, 2016, 6:00 pm

I suspect most Americans, Brits and probably Asians would wear swimming attire in the sauna. Europeans, particularly Finns, would show it all off. I'm guessing it's more of a novelty than anything else as I suspect few people--outside of Finns--use the sauna. It's just too awkward, if you ask me. I also see considerable liability, at least in the U.S. context with a same-sex sauna and no apparent age limit. A minor child could easily...
I suspect most Americans, Brits and probably Asians would wear swimming attire in the sauna. Europeans, particularly Finns, would show it all off. I'm guessing it's more of a novelty than anything else as I suspect few people--outside of Finns--use the sauna. It's just too awkward, if you ask me. I also see considerable liability, at least in the U.S. context with a same-sex sauna and no apparent age limit. A minor child could easily claim an adult fondled himself or herself or engaged in otherwise lewd behavior.

Overall, I'm surprised by how new and lean the lounge looks two years after its opening.

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Victor Guest
January 27, 2016, 5:37 pm

I found this lounge to be the busiest lounge I've ever been to.
Guests typically do a swarm of locusts impersonation towards the food area, and seating is hard to find.

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Randy Guest
January 27, 2016, 5:36 pm

Am I the only one that blurted out laughing at Keith's 'Steamworks' comment?

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Erik Guest
January 27, 2016, 5:24 pm

It's a mixed-sex sauna located between the premium and regular lounge, open to use by guests of either lounge. Wearing or sitting on a towel seems to be the way to go, I wouldn't recommend wearing any clothing.

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ORD Flyer Guest
January 27, 2016, 4:49 pm

Is it a co-ed sauna? Or where is it located exactly? What are you expected to wear while in it?

Seems kind of odd to only have one since typically people don't wear anything other than a towel in a sauna.

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Leo Guest
January 27, 2016, 4:49 pm

When you are on good form your lounge/flight reviews are just the best out there. Excellent review.

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keith Gold
January 27, 2016, 4:07 pm

i hear the sauna's pretty empty often. They should consider partnering with Steamworks.

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Nicholas S. Guest

March 19, 2017, 5:07 pm

I have a question for anyone who has recently been there? Have the pool and other sauna rooms been removed to make way for the premium lounge? Do they exist anymore. I wanted to take a swim to cool down (Finnish saunas are notoriously hot) and then jump back into the sauna to sweat. Thanks.

Markku Guest

February 10, 2017, 3:46 pm

I am a Finn and I think the sauna is strange. This is a Premium Lounge for all and they put a common household sauna in? And just one coed? Even I don't know what should I do - take a towel with me or not? But it would not matter too much, the two showers are just opposite the glass door to the sauna so everyone sitting would be giving you points for your showering style. The architech must have been drunk drawing this. Of course you can rush back to the private shower cabinet but anyway this kind of layout is very odd. They should have had two of these small saunas, one for the ladies and one for the gents as every spa/water park has. Has anyone had to use the private shower cabinet toilets sitting? How did you reach the toilet paper ON THE OPPOSITE WALL almost two meters from you...? Not sure when the designers started drinking, before the sauna or the cabinets...

Yog Guest

November 26, 2016, 10:54 am

Apparently its open for finnair platinum or gold, but only for one word emerald. writing this review from the finnair lounge, as a one world sapphire, i was not given access to premium lounge.However the regular lounge and sauna was accessible.