Finnair is an airline unlike any other, and one of the things I love about it is the way it embraces its Finnish-Nordic origins. From its cozy blue business class pods and aurora-inspired mood lighting to its Moomin-adorned aircraft and its signature blueberry juice, the entire experience feels special. That’s why it’s one of my favorite European airlines.
Why should you consider Finnair?
With Finnair there’s a good chance you’ll end up on its super-modern and quiet A350, which features a lower cabin altitude plus higher humidity so you’ll arrive feeling better. There’s also a calming, competent atmosphere onboard thanks to its new seat and cabin designs and efficient crew.
The Helsinki airport remains one of the best in Europe for connections thanks to a thoughtful layout and compact size. And did I mention the blueberry juice?
Destinations
In the US Finnair serves New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and Seattle – and can offer connections to just about anywhere in Europe, Dubai or even onward to east Asia if you’re so inclined.
Previously one of Finnair’s main selling points was its quick connections between Europe and Asia thanks to Helsinki’s positioning along the great circle route and very short minimum connection times at Vantaa Airport. Nowadays the Asian network isn’t as extensive because certain services are no longer economical.
However Finnair tends to offer really good fares (especially in premium cabins) if you find yourself headed from Europe to Asia. And with less Asia flying to do it has pivoted to offering more North America service, and has started working with alliance partner Qatar Airways to operate a number of flights between the Nordic capitals and Doha.
The Finnair fleet
Most Finnair long-haul flights (and the occasional short- or medium-haul to places like London or Dubai) are operated by the A350. The rest are onboard the A330 which isn’t quite as modern but is nevertheless quiet and pleasant. The good news is both have nearly identical new cabin products onboard so you don’t need to stress too much about which one you’ll get.
On short haul it’s mostly the A320 family, alongside some Embraer regional jets and ATR turboprops. All of these are similarly outfitted but the Embraer and ATR have the distinction of not having any middle seats – which for me is a great reason to fly them. Still you can’t really go wrong.
What it’s like onboard
Finnair recently refreshed its economy, revolutionized its business class and introduced a premium economy as well on long-haul flights (A350 and A330). It’s also been investing in its food & drink, amenities and more. That means it now offers a fresh and highly competitive product throughout the aircraft that’s much improved from ten years ago.
Long-haul economy class
Finnair’s new economy is a nice evolution from its older product with memory foam cushioned seats that are 18 inches wide with 31 inches of pitch. It’s quite comfortable. You’ll also find USB ports for charging and personal entertainment screens.
Tip: try to get a seat in Economy Comfort, which is in the front rows of economy and offers more legroom. For a small additional charge, you get a little added space which can make all the difference.
Long-haul premium economy class
The newest addition to Finnair’s offering, premium economy is a fairly standard offering comparable to many competitors. The seat is 18.7 inches wide with 38 inches of pitch and a nice 8 inches of recline.
What’s special here is that meals are plated on real china and offer a significant upgrade from economy. Complimentary alcoholic beverages are served although in an unusual twist if you want sparkling wine you’ll have to pay for it. That feels a bit cheap but otherwise I can recommend this product for the extra space.
Long-haul business class
Business class is where things get interesting: the latest seat has no recline function. But not to worry, it is great for sleeping. The seat pod is made to feel like a little living space, a cocoon to settle into. Memory foam pillows are provided for getting comfy in a lounging position. And when it’s time to sleep you simply pop up a little section of seat to complete the flat bed. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am a big fan. If you have any kind of back issues though, you may want to book elsewhere.
When it comes to food and drink, the menus are always interesting, with fresh Nordic-inspired meals and often something from the destination region too. The drinks list is fantastic with unique cocktails, again often Nordic inspired – and plenty of delicious alcohol-free options too. Wireless charging and a lovely light wood grained countertop make this a very nice place to work, sleep, or just hang out
Regional business class
Sadly most short-haul, intra-European flights feature a typical “Euro biz” class meaning you’ll get an economy seat with the middle blocked and better food and drinks. That’s fine on a quick hop but you’ll find this offering even on some longer legs around Europe too, for example to the Canary Islands or Madeira, which can be 5+ hours.
The blocked middle seat does make a difference though, and then there are the other perks like priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and lounge access. If the fare isn’t too much higher than economy, I find it well worth the upgrade.
Seat selection charges
Finnair has followed the unfortunate trend among European airlines of charging for seat assignments even on some business class tickets. Generally if you’re on a discounted ticket (anything other than Flex) and you don’t have oneworld elite status you can expect to pay, and sometimes a significant amount. So make sure to factor that in before booking if seat selection is important to you.
Duty Free that’s a cut above
I usually don’t bother with duty free shopping on flights but Finnair has an especially appealing selection of items and I’m often tempted into buying some. Whether it’s special edition airplane-imprinted Happy Socks, the Iittala glasses they use in business class, Moomin-themed tableware or Marimekko merchandise, they make for great gifts. Definitely have a look.
Wi-Fi
Finnair offers inflight Wi-Fi on almost all its aircraft (excepting the Embraers and ATRs that mostly fly the shortest sectors). That means on long-haul you’ll be able to stay connected and at reasonably good speeds. On most tickets in long-haul business class Finnair will give you one hour of free access, while within Europe that’s 30 minutes. Beyond that, there are reasonably priced Internet packages you can buy.
Loyalty program
Finnair Plus is a reasonably good loyalty program and it’s gotten even more useful recently with the adoption of a common points currency, Avios, shared with IAG airlines British Airways and Iberia, as well as Qatar Airways. However as Finnair is a oneworld alliance member most US travelers will likely find it better to credit miles to American Airlines or Alaska Airlines own programs – where you’ll earn miles towards awards tickets and elite status.
Tip: You can transfer points from a number of US credit card programs to Avios, and once you have Avios with any of the airlines that use it, you can transfer between other Avios accounts, for instance from British Airways to Finnair. This can be useful to know especially if you want to try and use points for an upgrade – once you have those Avios in your Finnair account, it’s then straightforward to use them towards an upgrade (subject to availability).
Helsinki transfer & lounges
One of the best things about a connecting itinerary on Finnair is the ease of transfer at Helsinki-Vantaa, its efficient, airy and relatively compact hub. Connections can be as short as 40 minutes but it’s not a terrible thing if you find yourself with a little time to kill – assuming you have access to the Finnair lounges (flying in business or as oneworld Sapphire or higher). Both the international and intra-Schengen (Europe flights) lounges have been recently renovated and they’re beautiful spaces with good fresh food and tasty drinks (don’t miss the lingonberry cocktail if you get the chance).
Sauna at the airport
Which brings us to Finnair’s Platinum Wing, which may be the only airline lounge in the world to feature a sauna. This lounge is only for top-tier elites (oneworld Emerald); a business class ticket won’t cut it. But if you’re one of the lucky few it’s a lovely experience. Ask to use the sauna and the team there will prepare a bucket of cold drinks and show you to the locker rooms. Note that it’s mixed gender – something quite normal in the Nordics but which may come as a surprise to others. The good news is it’s usually empty, so you’ll likely have it to yourself.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
