Earlier this year I found an incredible transatlantic business class fare with OneWorld carriers. The fare offered round trip flights from Munich to US gateways for just $1,500 USD. The best part of that fare is that it was valid on several OneWorld partner airlines. This meant that I could fly either American, British Airways, Finnair or Iberia for the transatlantic legs.
I ended up booking Finnair for the Westbound leg of my itinerary for a few reasons. For starters, it allowed me to route my trip through Helsinki to pick up a few extra miles. Additionally, it would finally give me a chance to fly business class with Finnair which is something I’ve wanted to do for some time now.
After waiting several months I finally arrived in Helsinki and was ready for my transatlantic business class flight with Finnair. Getting to Helsinki wasn’t exactly easy. In fact, the trip from Chicago to Charlotte to New York to London to Munich to Helsinki really took its toll on me. I actually live blogged about the experience here.
After all of that though I did end up making it to Helsinki. After a night in Helsinki and exploring the following morning, I was ready to head back to the airport to board my flight back to the US.
Arriving At Helsinki Airport
As I spent the night in Helsinki I first had to take the train from downtown Helsinki to the Helsinki airport. Although a cab is a few minutes quicker, the train is much less expensive (~€6.00) and takes just 30 minutes. Likewise, during the day trains to the airport depart every 10-20 minutes.
After spending 30 minutes on the comfortable train I arrived at the Helsinki airport stop. From the underground train station you then take a very long escalator up to the departures hall.
After a series of escalators you’ll eventually arriving at the departures hall. As you walk in you’ll first find the huge departures board which prominently highlights the airports IATA code (“HEL”).
After admiring the departure board for a few minutes I made my way over to one of the Finnair check-in counters. Don’t worry, they aren’t hard to find once inside the departures hall.
Finnair Business Class Check-In Helsinki
Inside the hall are literally dozens of Finnair check-in counters. However, premium cabin customers and OneWorld elites can use special designated check-in counters hidden under the Premium Cabin security checkpoint.
To access these Priority check-in counters simply follow the signage posted prominently throughout the departures hall.
From there you should find the below sign located next to the escalator which leads to the priority security checkpoint located upstairs.
Here you’ll find priority check in lanes for business class passengers, but specifically you’ll find the OneWorld Emerald check-in counters which didn’t have anyone one in line when I arrived.
After a very short check-in process I had the boarding pass to my flight in hand and proceeded upstairs.
Standard security checkpoints are located downstairs in the main departures hall whereas the priority checkpoint is located upstairs.
Finnair Premium Security At Helsinki Airport
To access the Premium security checkpoint head back to the main departures hall and take the escalator upstairs.
Once upstairs you’ll find a virtually deserted security checkpoint which moved much quicker than the lanes downstairs. After passing through the security checkpoint you’ll find a long hall (pictured below) which leads to the main terminal.
One nice feature of the Premium security checkpoint was the complimentary Starbucks coffee stand located toward the end of the above hallway.
I decided to grab a cup of coffee before heading into the main terminal and beginning the long walk to the international departure gates.
To access the international gates you must first walk through the entire Schengen area terminal (gates 1-30). The walk takes at least 10 minutes as there is currently no shortcut to get to the non-Schengen area. Once you reach the end of the Schengen area you must pass through the border patrol checkpoint. At this point a Finnish border patrol agent scanned my passport for about 2-3 minutes before letting me pass. He was especially concerned by the multiple visits to Vietnam and Qatar.
Finnair Premium Lounge Helsinki
After a fairly nerve-racking customs check I decided to stop in the Finnair Premium Lounge to relax for a few minutes. I have reviewed this lounge in detail before so I’ll simply provide a high level overview of the lounge now. If you’d like to read a more in-depth review you can find that here.
The Finnair Premium Lounge is reserved for only OneWorld Emerald customers. Those traveling in business class without OneWorld Emerald status may access the larger Finnair lounge located next door.
As access to this lounge is quite limited the lounge doesn’t get too crowded during the peak international departure rush.
Inside the entire space is quiet, spacious, and most importantly, bright. The bright white lighting is important considering it’s often quite dark in Finland during the winter months.
This lounge also features adequate food and drink options although I found the food options a bit limited.
Oh, and in traditional Finnish fashion, this lounge features a Sauna. Yep, that’s right, you can sweat it out in a sauna while waiting for your international flight.
I ended up spending about 30 minutes in the lounge before it was time to head to the gate to catch my flight back to Chicago.
Finnair Business Class Boarding Process
As I walked to the gate I caught a glimpse of the Finnair A330 that would be taking me home.
After admiring the aircraft for a few seconds minutes, days, who knows, I lined up at our departure gate. Our gate had two check-in counters. One counter was reserved for Priority passengers while the other was reserved for economy customers.
At just around the scheduled boarding time (1 hour before departure) the Finnair gate representatives began the boarding process. On Finnair, that means having your boarding card scanned before entering the secure gate area. Once inside you must patiently wait for the jet-bridge door to slide open.
As I wanted to be the first on the aircraft I was the first to enter the boarding area and stood directly next to the sliding door. I waited there for about 30 minutes before the door finally slid open without any fanfare or announcement. It’s a unique boarding process that actually works pretty well. However, once the door opens there is a mad dash for the jet-bridge as many customers were also waiting for the full 30 minutes.
Finnair Airbus A330 Business Class Cabin
Once onboard I finally saw the Finnair A330 Business Class cabin that I had been waiting months to fly. The business class cabin is mostly dully and adorned in several shades of grey. However, the striking green Marimekko pillows and blankets help brighten up the cabin.
Business class on the Finnair A330 is arranged in a rather unique 1-2-2 or 1-2-1 configuration. Along the left side of the aircraft rows alternate between 1 and 2 business class seats. This creates a unique “throne” seat sought after by many traveling in business class.
Most of the seats in the business class cabin are plenty comfortable, but unless you are traveling with another person I would not recommend sitting in a window seat in a row of two. In one of those window seats you’ll have to climb over your seat-mate when trying to use the lavatory or retrieving items from the overhead bin.
Finnair Business Class A330
If traveling with another person I’d definitely recommend sitting in one of the above configured seats. If traveling alone though you’ll want to try to select one of the single “throne” seats.
Finnair A330 Business Class “Throne” Seat
After booking this flight I really wanted to make sure that I had one of the coveted “throne” seats. Luckily, because I maintain OneWorld Emerald status I am able to select seats on OneWorld parters for free at the time of booking. This flight was no exception, however, I couldn’t seem to actually select a seat online. Instead, I opted to reach out to Finnair customer service to select the seat months in advance. I had no issues reserving the seat at that time.
After I boarded the flight I quickly located my seat (2A) within the Finnair A330 Business Class cabin.
Since the seat is a single seat behind two other seats you end up with a fairly unique view in front of you . when you sit down.
The seat itself though is absolutely huge. On each side of the seat are two large tables that you can use throughout the flight. There are also two small indents which ended up being the perfect place to rest a cell phone.
On the left side of my seat were the seat controls, the tray table button, and the in-flight entertainment remote.
The seat controls were very straightforward and easy to use. You could manipulate various areas of the seat individually or you could use the memory buttons to move the seat from upright to reclined and down to bed mode.
Under the large cover was the in-flight entertainment remote.
The remote could be removed from the storage area and featured a fully QWERTY keyboard on the reverse side.
Above the left side table was an adjustable reading lamp which was actually quite bright.
Under the light was another storage area which also housed the in-seat power outlet, USB ports, and headphone jack.
Under each of the two seats in front of me were small cubbies for you to place your shoes.
Above the shoe storage area was the magazine rack complete with safety card.
On the aisle side of the seat was another storage area which is where the amenity kit was place prior to my arrival on board.
Finally, above the seat were two dedicated reading lamps and air nozzles. Air vents might not seem like a big deal, but the move I fly the more I appreciate them. I tend to have a hard time sleeping in a hot cabin, so it’s nice to have personal air flow if the cabin temperature it too warm otherwise.
Departing Helsinki In Finnair Business Class
After exploring the seat for a few minutes I settled in and buckled up for the 10 hour flight back to Chicago. Prior to departure the IFE screen featured various ads about Finnair and its loyalty program.
Around that same time, as economy passengers continued to board, the flight attendant stopped by to introduce themselves and offered up a glass of pre-departure Champagne.
After all passengers were securely in their seats the crew closed the cabin door and began a welcome video which welcomed all passengers to the flight.
As we pushed back from the gate ground crews were loading another Finnair A330 heading to New York with cargo.
After the welcome and safety videos passengers could begin using the IFE at their discretion. It was at that time that I switched my screen to the forward camera.
Before long we entered the runway and began lining up for takeoff.
As you can see from the screen below, we departed from runway 22R.
After a fairly long takeoff roll the pilots raised the nose and we were quickly in the skies above Helsinki.
The views during the climb out weren’t necessarily spectacular, but it was a very nice day in Helsinki.
A short while later we climbed through some high level clouds and began our cruise to Chicago.
Finnair Business Class Wine Menu
At this point in the flight I began browsing both the in-flight food and drink menus. I of course began with the drink menu because at this point I had been on the move for about 36 hours and was in need of a drink.
On the inside cover of the drink menu was a brief message which welcomed passengers to Finnair’s wine cellar.
On the first page was a listing of signature Finnair cocktails and the in-flight Champagne.
The next page included two selections of white wine.
The next page concluded the whites with a Reisling and began the red wine section.
The centerfold included two more red wines.
Next, came the dessert wines which included a 20-year-old port.
Finally, the drink menu concluded with a page of non-alcoholic options.
Perhaps my favorite part of the menu was the listing of accolades toward the back of the menu.
I loved this portion of the menu because it included not only best in class rankings, but also runner-up and beyond. One thing I love about Finland and Finnish culture is the “that will do” attitude and that shined through in the menu’s accolades section.
Finnair Business Class A330 Food Menu
After placing my first drink order it was time to browse the in-flight dining menu before ordering my lunch.
Again, the in-flight dining menu began with a note welcoming passengers to the menu and giving a brief overview of what to expect.
Since our flight was a daytime flight, the dining menu featured options for lunch and a light meal.
There was also a selection of snack and desserts offered on the menu. Toward the rear of the menu the options in their entirety could be found in Finnish.
What I loved most is that all of the options seemed relatively healthy by in-flight dining standards. Everything on the menu seemed simple and most importantly fresh.
Finnair Business Class A330 Lunch
After a few moments with the menus the flight attendant stopped by to take my lunch order. A short while later he returned with an amuse bouche which consisted of a wafer, fish eggs, and a cream sauce.
A few minutes later the flight attendant returned to retrieve the amuse bouche and deliver the lunch course. On our flight the first course consisted of a bread roll, a fresh salad, an appetizer. The appetizer included rillettes of pork covered by two slices of yellow root.
Next, for the main course, the flight attendant took the larger serving tray and returned with a single plate of food. For my lunch I selected the chicken ballotine which included a pea purée and various vegetables.
I ended up eating the entire meal, not because it was delicious, but rather because I was incredibly hungry. The lunch was about what you could expect from in-flight dining. If I ever fly Finnair business class again I will opt to eat a heavier meal in the lounge before departure.
After finishing my meal I ordered the cheese plate, a cappuccino, and dessert. The cheese plate was again fine, but the blue cheese was among the most smelly cheeses I’ve ever consumed.
The cappuccino and the desserts on the other hand were both very tasty and proved the highlight of the meal service.
Finnair A330 Business Class “Throne” Bed
After the lackluster meal service it was time for a quick nap. At that time I converted my throne seat to a throne bed.
One thing I especially like about the Finnair cabin are the loud colored included in the Marimekko bedding items.
When fully reclined the throne bed is extremely private as you’re shielded by the large table which separates you from the aisle. The double seat back in front of you also helps shield you from other passengers and cabin crew as they walk throughout the cabin.
In the reclined position there are additional seat controls for the lights, seat massage function, and seat position.
I ended up sleeping for about three hours straight in the seat before waking up. The bed was comfortable, but I’m not sure that I would enjoy the seat for much more than a few hours. The lack of padding and narrow seat design could become an issue on longer or overnight flights. However, if you goal is to sleep, I would definitely try to pick a throne seat over any other options on board.
Finnair A330 Business Class WiFi
After my brief nap I decided to test out the aircraft’s WiFi. Business class passengers receive “complimentary access” to the in-flight WiFi, but that access is limited. To connect to the WiFi you must first select the WiFi network and visit the Nordic-Sky website.
Next, as a business class passengers you have to select the “complimentary access” option.
On the next page you then enter your last name and seat number to connect.
As you can see above, business class passengers receive free WiFi for an hour.
The connection was established quickly and before long I was online.
Connection and WiFi speeds were adequate to access websites and read emails, but it you’d be hard pressed to do much else.
Finnair A330 Business Class Lavatory
Ah, what would a flight review be without pictures of the lavatory! Lavatories were located toward the front and rear of the business class cabin. I was rather disappointed that the lavatory wasn’t much different from a standard economy class lavatory on similar aircraft. The only indications that you were in a “premium cabin” lavatory were the cloth towelettes and hand lotion.
Finnair Business Class A330 Lavatory
Even so, the hand cream and towelettes weren’t exactly “premium.”
The highlight of the lavatory however was the window. I personally love when aircraft lavatories have windows to the outside world. When a lavatory has a window it just seems larger and is always well-lit during daytime flights.
After visiting the lavatory I caught a view of the business class cabin in-flight. One thing I noticed was that the cabin is extremely bright and airy.
If you expect to sleep at all on a Finnair daytime flight I would make sure to bring an eye mask or use the one provided in the business class amenity kit.
Finnair A330 Business Class Amenities
Speaking of in-flight amenities, when I boarded the flight I received a pair of slippers and a cloth amenity kit.
All of the inflight amenities were provided by Merrimekko and again featured loud patterns and colors.
Inside the amenity kit was a Finnair eye mask, ear plugs, a dental kit, and L’occitane products.
The amenity kit itself was made of a canvas cloth and seems exceptionally durable. This bag could absolutely be repurposed for other things after the flight.
Finally, all business class passengers also received a pair of Phitek headphones for the flight. I personally did not use the headphones as I brought my own set of Bose QuiteComfort 35 headphones along for the ride.
Finnair A330 Business Class In-Flight Entertainment
About halfway into the flight I finally got around to browsing the in-flight entertainment options.
The IFE included many major motion pictures released in the past year, but the catalog of films seemed limited. I actually had a hard time finding anything that interested me within the flight’s IFE selection.
Instead of watching anything I opted to load the moving map while I got some work done. The moving map included a cool information screen which featured several gauges that displayed flight information.
Finnair A330 Business Class Cruise
With about 4 hours left in the flight the flight attendants circulated the cabin offering passengers a small fruit plate.
The fruit tasted fresh and paired nicely with another glass of Champagne.
One of the things that really stood out about this flight was the glassware. I personally really liked the Ultima Thule design offered on Finnair flights. While I appreciated the design of the glassware, I found every glass a bit smaller than I would have liked. Because of the small serving sizes I found my glass empty for the majority of the flight.
On top of the small glassware, I found that the cabin crew didn’t come around the cabin all that often. When they did circulate the cabin they rarely noticed my empty drink glass or offered to refill it. Overall I found the on-board service adequate at best. The crew was warm, friendly, and welcoming, but not nearly as attentive as you can expect on other OneWorld partner airlines.
Finnair Business Class Light Meal
With about two hours left in the flight the cabin crew circulated the cabin to distribute the light meal offered on the flight. Our light meal consisted on a green salad, roasted chicken with risotto, fresh fruit, and a beverage service.
The light meal was actually much tastier than the lunch served earlier in the flight. After finishing the light meal the cabin crew collected all of the service items and we began our decent into rainy Chicago.
Impressions Of Finnair A330 Business Class
Well, I’m very conflicted when it comes to Finnair’s international business class. I’m not sure if it’s because I had high expectations of the flight or have spent too much time looking at Finnair beautiful A350 business class cabin, but this flight left me disappointed.
For starters, the cabin looks nice on the surface, but as you look closely at the seats you’ll notice a significant amount of wear and tear. The business class cabin is only a few years old, but it looks like it’s ready for a facelift. The throne seat was comfortable thanks to the two large tables on either side, but in bed mode those tables made the seat feel a bit cramped. Lastly, the IFE screen is extremely small by today’s business class standards. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much prefer to sit in business class over economy, but I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way to choose business class on the A330 again.
On top of the aged cabin I found the cabin crew equally disappointing. The crew was friendly and welcoming which was great, but the service left much to be desired. Put simply, the flight attendants weren’t proactive. They obliged to every request I had, but I had to make each request known. Again, the service was adequate, but definitely not up to the standards you can expect from other OneWorld partner airlines.
Finally, the food offered on-board was again disappointing. As with everything else the food was fine, but not great. Everything I had was edible and I finished everything I was served, but if I ever fly Finnair again I will try not to go in hungry. I’d much rather eat the exceptional food in the Finnair lounge and pass on the in-flight catering.
Final Thoughts
Well, if you couldn’t tell by now, I was disappointed by Finnair business class. That’s not to say that the flight wasn’t enjoyable, just that I went in with too high of expectations. The problem is that business class on other OneWorld partners has become so competitive. Today, the lie-flat seats offered on American’s 787 and 777 aircraft are far nicer than the business class seats found on Finnair’s A330. The service offered by Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific far outshines the service offered on my Finnair flight.
All of that coupled with the fact that you often have to pay a premium to book Finnair over many other airlines I simply find it hard to justify paying more to fly Finnair over other competitors. I could easily justify paying more to fly Qatar or Cathay, but not Finnair on the A330.
Ultimately though, I booked this flight thanks to an extremely discounted OneWorld business class fare. If I’m able to find such a cheap fare again in the future I will gladly book Finnair thanks to the favorable AAdvantage EQD and EQM accrual offered. However, I won’t be going out of my way to book a transatlantic flight on Finnair again. That being said, I would like to try Finnair’s A350 between Helsinki and China sometime soon. I just hope I better manage my expectations for that flight.
