THE FLIGHT: Flight AY832 from London Heathrow to Helsinki-Vantaa, operated by Airbus A321, and departing at 10.20.
THE CHECK-IN: Arriving at the airport a little later than planned due to delays on the Piccadilly underground line, I found only one check-in desk open and a small queue. Once at the desk, however, my electronic ticket was processed quickly. Finnair has since installed self-service kiosks to speed-up proceedings before the frustrating slow-down at security.
THE LOUNGE: Finnair shares Cathay Pacific’s elegant business class lounge, modelled on its award-winning flagship lounge in Hong Kong. A quick tour revealed a work area with email and internet access, a range of drinks and snacks, a hot and cold buffet, and shower suites.
THE SEAT: Seating – cheerfully upholstered in blue with red dots – is the same throughout the Airbus A321 used on Finnair short-haul routes. Seats in both the economy and business class cabins have a 32-inch pitch and are configured 3x3. The concession for the executive passenger is that the middle seat in each row is left unoccupied, giving more elbow room.
THE SERVICE: The attentive cabin crew, whose uniform has been voted the fifth most stylish in the air by France’s Bon Voyage magazine, served drinks soon after take-off. This was followed by lunch half way through the flight, an enticing offering of salad with salami, salmon steak with peppers and spaghetti, and a chocolate pudding. The meal was accompanied by French red or white wines and tea or coffee. Entertainment comprised six overhead screens showing TV programmes – lip-reading required, no headsets, no sound – and a moving map showing the progress of the flight.
THE ARRIVAL: Touchdown was on time and immigration clearance swift, with my luggage on the carousel within minutes of reaching the baggage hall.
THE VERDICT: A comfortable flight with good service and meals in a relaxing environment. Just a pity premium fare passengers don’t qualify for more leg room.
THE DETAILS: Finnair flies four times a day from Heathrow to Helsinki, from where it offers a range of fast services to Asia, using a fleet of new Airbus A330s. Return fares from London to Helsinki are from £1,008 in business class, £136 economy, both excluding taxes. For more information, tel: 0870 241 4411; or see www.finnair.com Colin Ellson
