In the middle of my Mileage Run From HEL I found myself in the Munich Airport after two very nice Lufthansa First and Business class flights. I was in Munich because earlier in the year Finnair publishes some very attractive business class fares from Munich back to the United States.
When booking long-haul premium cabin mileage runs I try to earn 2 Elite Qualifying Dollars per $1 I spend. When I saw this fare I jumped on it quickly because it surpassed that particular threshold. I also loved the fare because it gave me a chance to fly in Business Class with Finnair. For one reason or another I’ve long admired Finnair and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fly with them.
The only downside of this particular Mileage Run was that I had an insanely long layover in Munich before heading to Helsinki. Given the flights I booked I ended up with a 5+ hour layover in Munich. 5 hours proved too long to remain sane, but not long enough to leave the airport and visit the city. This layover tested my patience for Mileage Running, but in the end I survived.
Boarding Finnair A320 Business Class
After an impossibly long layover in Munich it was finally time to board my business class flight from Munich to Helsinki. I left the Priority Pass lounge where I waited for 5 hours and began the confusing walk to the gate. When trying to find the gate I’m not sure if it was the jet-lag or utterly terrible layout of the airport, but I coudln’t seem to locate the correct gate. I ran back and forth through the terminal for about 5 minutes before finding the correct gate. Eventually, with some luck, I found the Finnair A320 and walked toward it.
At the gate I checked into the flight and was handed a boarding pass. I was among the last passengers to board the aircraft, but when I boarded the business class cabin was completely empty.
Once inside the aircraft I took my seat for the flight and waited for the other business class passengers to arrive.
While I waited I began looking around the somewhat boring Finnair business class cabin.
Finnair A320 Business Class Cabin
As is typical with Intra-Europe Business Class cabins, the cabin on the Finnair A320 was simply an economy class cabin with the middle seat blocked.
When I arrived at my row the middle seat was occupied with a pillow and blanket from Finnair partner Marimekko.
After looking around the cabin I noticed only every other row offered a pillow and blanked. Other rows simply sat empty as shown below.
The “business class” seats were nothing more than economy class seats and lacked seat-back entertainment of any kind.
Above the seat was the typical offering of overhead reading lights and air vents. However, you’ll notice on the right of the below picture there is something unique about the cabin.
That mount allows the cabin crew to move the aft “bulkhead” divider forward or back to expand or shrink the business class cabin as necessary. Clearly there is nothing special about the seat or cabin.
While the seats in intra-Europe Business Class aren’t any different than economy, the service offered is much different.
Departing Munich
After a short wait at my seat the boarding door closed and we pushed back from the gate. It was at this moment that I realized I was the ONLY passenger in the business class cabin. With that observation the flight attendant stopped by to introduce herself and welcomed me to the flight.
After that short exchange we taxied toward the runway where I did a little plane spotting. The first aircraft I saw was a Qatar Airways private jet.
Next I saw the magnificent Lufthansa Airbus A340-600. It isn’t until you’re along side the A340 that you realize just how long it is!
Next, we lined up on the runway and began our takeoff roll. Before long we were entering the skies over Munich. As it was a warm early summer day the views of the Munich countryside were fantastic.
Green fields surround much of the airport.
However, as we flew a bit farther from the airport we past over a few quaint German towns.
Of all the flights I’ve taken this year, I can’t remember one with better views immediately following takeoff.
Finnair A320 Business Class In-Flight Catering
At that point in the flight I settled into my seat and began browsing the in-flight menu. The menu could be found in the seat-back magazine rack.
Inside the menu was a list of beverages and snacks offered on the flight.
As I unfolded the menu further I found a complete selection of sandwiches, salads, and wraps available on the flight.
On the other end of the menu was a selection of deserts and additional snacks.
On the reverse side of the menu was an informational panel which highlighted a pre-order meal service. Apparently on Finnair you can pre-order hot meals in economy for an additional charge.
As this was my first time flying Finnair Business I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of in-flight catering, but I assumed I would get complementary beverages and a snack from the in-flight menu. Thankfully, I was very wrong with that assumption.
Finnair A320 Business Class Meal Service
Shortly after reaching our cruising altitude the flight attendant stopped by my seat and dropped off a hot towel. At that point she also asked me what I would like to eat. I had a selection of meatballs with pasta or a chicken dish on my flight. I of course opted for the meatballs. With the hot towel the flight attendant also took my drink order.
A few moments later the flight attendant returned with a bag of sour cream pretzels which seem to be a standard offering on OneWorld European carriers.
After polishing off the pretzels the flight attendant returned with a glass of sparkling water and the Champagne I ordered.
Both beverages were served in signature Finnair glassware. Shortly after dropping off the beverages she returned once more with my in-flight meal.
The meal came complete with branded Finnair flatware.
Overall the meal was well above average for an airplane meal. In fact, with the exception of Qatar Airways, this may be my favorite business class meal to date. Everything tasted great and there was a ton of flavor. Additionally everything was cooked to perfection.
Empty Finnair A320 Business Class Cabin
After finishing my meal I just had to get up and walk around the completely empty business class cabin. It was such a cool feeling being the only passenger in an entire aircraft cabin. As I walked around I checked with the flight attendant to make sure it was ok to take photos to which she laughed at the request. She seemed equally amused by the situation.
Toward the rear of the cabin was the movable curtain that separated the business class cabin from the economy cabin. While at the front of the cabin was a Finnair branded bulkhead and an overhead monitor which displayed the moving map.
While the cabin isn’t glamorous by any means, it was incredibly tidy. Everything appeared clean and in it’s place.
Landing In Helsinki
The flight was just over two hours and before long we were in the skies above Helsinki. We were scheduled to land in Helsinki around 10:30PM and as we landed there was still plenty of sunlight.
As we landed the sun was just over the horizon which cast a beautiful orange light on the airport.
After a short taxi to the gate I disembarked the aircraft and made my way to the train which takes travelers into downtown Helsinki. To get to the train you must take an impossibly long escalator to a train station beneth the airport.
At the bottom of the escalator is a beautiful underground trains station.
The train arrived a few minutes later and after about half an hour I was at the Helsinki train station.
From there I made my way outside and began the short walk to my hotel for the evening.
As you can tell, even at 11PM there was still a ton of natural sunlight which illuminated the city.
Final Thoughts
Overall Finnair Business class was an enjoyable experience. The flight crew was friendly throughout the flight and the service provided was fantastic. However, as is the case with all intra-European fights, the business class cabin was nothing to write home a blog about.
If trying to get from one city to another in Europe I could never recommend anyone spend the additional money to fly in intra-Europe business class. That being said, if you are connecting as part of a larger premium cabin itinerary you won’t be disappointed when flying Finnair intra-Europe business class.
