After visiting the Almost@Home Lounge, I headed to the Finnair Lounge at around 5:55AM, given that it opened at 6AM.
The Finnair Lounge Helsinki Airport is located between gates 36 and 37. So coming from the Almost@Home Lounge I had to walk through a long corridor leading to gates 32-40.
Terminal 2 Helsinki Airport
Terminal 2 Helsinki Airport walkway
After a roughly five minute walk I found myself between gates 36 and 37, where the lounge is located.
Terminal 2 Helsinki Airport non-Schengen gates
Terminal 2 Helsinki Airport non-Schengen gates
The doors to the lounge opened right as I walked up.
Finnair Lounge Helsinki Airport
The friendly associate at the reception desk scanned my boarding pass and pointed me left towards the Finnair Premium Lounge. I reviewed the regular Finnair Lounge back in 2013 and found it to be very nice, so was curious what the premium lounge was like. For what it’s worth, the premium lounge is for oneworld Sapphire & Emerald members, while the other lounge is for business class passengers.
The Finnair Premium Lounge opened in mid-2014, and is perhaps best known for the fact that it has a sauna. More on that later.
Finnair Lounge reception Helsinki Airport
The entrance to the Finnair Premium Lounge was located to the left of the reception desk.
Finnair Premium Lounge entrance Helsinki Airport
The decor was modern and fresh, in a very Northern European way, which I really loved. All the finishes were subtle colors, but came together nicely. The mood lighting in the lounge also added a nice touch.
Right by the entrance was the buffet, and then behind that was a large seating area.
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
There were drapes between sections for added privacy, so on the other side of the drapes was more seating, with a slightly different design.
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge seating Helsinki Airport
This section had a small drink station with a coffee machine and soft drinks (there’s a better coffee machine at the buffet, so I wouldn’t recommend using this one).
Finnair Premium Lounge coffee & drink station Helsinki Airport
Between those two sections was a small business center with four iMacs.
Finnair Premium Lounge business center Helsinki Airport
Then in the back left corner of the lounge was a section with dining tables, which was partitioned off from the rest of the lounge by some plants.
Finnair Premium Lounge dining area Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge dining area Helsinki Airport
Up a set of stairs in the back of the lounge was some more relaxing seating, along with some day beds. The chairs faced the tarmac, not that there was much to see in the pitch dark. I also liked that there were drapes between every two seats for added privacy.
Finnair Premium Lounge relaxation area Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge relaxation area Helsinki Airport
On the upper level there was also a station with juice and soft drinks.
Finnair Premium Lounge drink station Helsinki Airport
The main buffet was located near the entrance, and was staffed. In other words, liquor, espresso, soft drinks, juice, etc., were offered by the server. Interestingly the server didn’t actually seem to bring things to people, but rather just handed things to guests over the bar counter.
Finnair Premium Lounge buffet Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge buffet Helsinki Airport
There was also an extensive liquor selection available.
Finnair Premium Lounge drink selection Helsinki Airport
There was, however, self serve champagne on offer.
Finnair Premium Lounge champagne Helsinki Airport
The mugs and napkins at the buffet were quirky, similar to what Finnair offers onboard.
Finnair Premium Lounge buffet Helsinki Airport
The buffet consisted of a hot spread, including scrambled eggs, hash browns, and blueberry crepes.
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
The cold spread consisted of cheese, cold cuts, and a limited number of veggies.
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
Then there were a few types of cereal, as well as bread and pastries.
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
Lastly, there was some sort of berry compote as well as fruit salad with yogurt.
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast spread Helsinki Airport
The crepe was delicious, for what it’s worth.
Finnair Premium Lounge breakfast Helsinki Airport
The most interesting feature of the lounge is the sauna, which is located outside the door to the premium lounge and to the right.
Finnair Premium Lounge sauna & showers Helsinki Airport
The shower & sauna area is quite nice, and feels like an upscale locker room, or perhaps even spa.
Finnair Premium Lounge sauna & showers Helsinki Airport
There’s a single sauna, which I imagine is quite nice to use, given the temperatures in Helsinki for much of the year.
Finnair Lounge sauna Helsinki Airport
There were also shower rooms, which were functional though not especially luxurious. They each featured a sink, toilet, and shower, and were well stocked with quite a few amenities.
Finnair Lounge shower room Helsinki Airport
Finnair Lounge shower room Helsinki Airport
Finnair Lounge shower room toiletries Helsinki Airport
My flight was scheduled to depart from gate 32 at 8AM, with boarding scheduled for 7:20AM. So I left the lounge at 7:10AM, and a few minutes later found myself at the gate. Finnair had pretty clear signage in terms of premium boarding.
Finnair departure gate Helsinki Airport
The gate area was surprisingly empty for an Airbus A340, though it quickly began to fill up at around 7:20AM.
Finnair departure gate Helsinki Airport
Boarding was delayed a few minutes, and shortly after 7:25AM business class boarding was finally called.
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?
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