Hi everyone,

I usually fly BA/Virgin/Iberia, but I have noticed Finnair has some keen prices for flights to the Far East via Helsinki.

I am aware the business class product with Finnair would not be as good as BA. This seems to be the case regarding Finnair's long haul business class seat. I have flown Finnair short haul and found them very good, except for their seating...

Has anyone got any experiences with Finnair business class long haul ? I was thinking of visiting Shanghai again, and I wonder whether it would be reasonable to try Finnair.

Thanks !

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Done it once each way. Everything went smoothly. Flying via Helsinki is a short route so you lose less time than you might think changing. But you do get to spend quite a long time on a short-haul flight with short-haul seating. You might consider taking a picnic with you.

Try LH ex-UK towards Asia for some keen pricing in business class.

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Hi FlyingDoc,

I've made several posts on this site about how good Finnair's longhaul product is (in terms of value for money) and how it is improving with the installation of lie-flat beds.

It is not the greatest product in the world, but for what you pay it is more than acceptable. I would just try to avoid the MD-11s if possible.

MichelAngelo is right about the short-haul sector from LHR, but it's not quite picnic standard though!

The new Via Lounge and Spa at HEL is excellent, as is the new longhaul terminal extension, all of which makes HEL a very easy and pleasant airport to transit.

If you have a look at Finnair under the Airlines category on this Forum, you'll see other threads on which I've posted.

Simon

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I use it quite regulary. The Ski slope seats onthe A330/A340s are not very comfortable - not a patch on BA's Club beds. I understand that one or two aircraft have fully flat beds in an interesting "offset" layout but have not been on them yet. The new lounge at Helsinki Vantaa is rather odd, with limited free food and drinks for business class passengers, and a strange range of things that require payment. Finnair onboard wines are reasonably good, dinner is OK, but the breakfast rather strange for UK tastes! Prices have recently risen - perhaps due to the fall of the Pound. One pice of advice with Finnair. NEVER try to baord if you have had a glass or two too many. They always have a very "Solid" female cabin crew membe rwho checks everyone boarding and will deny boarding to anyone in a bad way - quite rightly, considering many Finns fondness of the vodka.

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...and one more note. Yuo often can get very short transfer times with Finnair thru' Vantaa - it is not a huge terminal. However it only takes a small delay at LHR for you to miss the connection and spend an interesting night in a very "practical" hotel room at Vantaa courtesy of Finnair. Suggest you try a slightly longer connecing time if you can.

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We have reviewed the flights editorially

http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/finnair

and also have a few reviews from readers

http://www.seatplans.com/airlines/Finnair/user-reviews

the forum link is here

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/forum/Finnair

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this is an interesting one because i suffered an unfortunate experience with Finnair. I was flying to the Far East via Helsinki in December. I knew it would be cold outside but imagined an airbridge and an hours stay inside the warm terminal. I had a sweater above a T shirt and that was it (on top).

No airbridge, down the stairs into minus 14 - over the tarmac into a bus and into the terminal.

When i arrived in the far east i noticed my hands were very rough and i was getting small cuts very easily. By the 2nd day, my collegue took me to his office Dr., who immediately said "you have come off the Finnair flight" - it was a very mild form of frostbite from about 45 seconds exposed to the elements in Helsinki. So, as a lesson, i now take gloves just in case.

As for the Finnair service, no problem at all. It was good. But it is impossible to fairly compare an angled busienss class seat to a flat busienss class seat.

6 years ago, we would have all promnised to wear a suit and tie for just an angled busienss class seat. Now the product is more like first class. I wonder where we will be in another 6 years.

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Hi FlyingDoc! I've done my first ever Finnair long haul flight from LHR to HKG in January. I found it absolutely Brilliant! As a regular BA flyer, all the AY staff are superb, very friendly and approachable, eager to please, far superior to their British counterpart. The food was great and the champagne was delightful, all properly served in beautiful Ittala chinaware and glasses. Everything was in a high quality, compared to the cost cutting exercises at BA (just look at their amenity kit, and plastic dish for main course). In terms of the seat, I agree that the seat is not fully flat, but it's far better than some ski slope seats like LH and LX. The only quibble from me was the Via lounge, which was not well stocked with food or alcohol. The power shower there was great though. Personally I would fly with AY anyday to Asia especially when the fare is much cheaper. Enjoy!

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All Finnair long-hauls are now A330 or A340, last flight with MD11 was made a few weeks ago and no more operate on passenger routes.

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Hi Martyn,

Sorry to hear about the bussing experience at HEL. I presume that this was off the LHR flight?

Bussing was very common because of the lack of contact gates in the non-Schemgen area at HEL. The new terminal extension became fully operative by the end of December, with many more airbridges. Although bussing from the LHR flight can still happen, the chances should now be much lower.

I agree with the comments about the lack of a wide range of food and drink in the Via Lounge. This is, however, typical of most of the lounges at Nordic Airports. It's partly to do with the alcohol issue that Ardmarnoch mentioned. The Via Lounge is better than most at HEL actually - the SAS Lounge, for example, has no spirits, which is common with most SK Lounges across the Nordic lands (only the Scandinavian SK Lounges as opposed to the SK Business Lounges serve liquor, so you can only get it if you are Star Alliance Gold!). The Via Lounge is therefore a bit of an exception.

I agree about getting on board having had a few. NOT a good idea. However, they don't seem to mind if you LEAVE the plane having had a few - they are very regular with the drinks service on board!!

FlyingPenguin - glad you liked it. I agree with all you have said.

It's also worth looking at their J-Class fares in the summer months. I flew myself, my wife and my son to BKK via HEL in Business last summer, and booked around this time of year. If I'd waited until June, I would've saved something like 60% of the total fare that I paid.

I should point out that unlike some people on this Forum, I have no connection with Finnair or any other airline or operator - I just think that they are great in terms of what you get for what you pay!!

Happy travelling,

Simon

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Hi Simon,

you are right about the sale period last june. If we could only know for sure when the prices go down or not. I certainly consider AY fares to Asia. Especially when the new international C seats are installed through out the fleet and improve European C class seatings and food service. And to top all it -- you get more tier points than flying directly from LHR.

AY is a competition to BA --- at the moment still small und insignificant -but let us wait and see next year -- it is one reasonable alternative to BA.

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Hi all

Thanks so much for all your comments. I think I will be trying Finnair after all, I have flown with them short haul and they have always been very good. I must admit the prices are certainly a big incentive too. I agree the lounge at Helsinki is always crowded and a bit basic, but its latest upgrade sounds good. Furthermore, I shall still be getting BA Executve Club miles and points, and treat my other half to a stop-over in Helsinki, which we both like.

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Finnair's ski-slope wedgy bed is no comparison to the fully flat Business Class seats on www.newclubworld.com

Although you do indeed earn BA Miles and TPs on Finnair, if you are a Silver or Gold card holder you do not get any tier bonus, and on such a lengthy journey, that's a fair slew of miles on which you are missing out.

I am not sure how less expensive Finnair is (and if you are saving £500 plus it's probably worth sticking with Finnair IMHO), but do be aware that in terms of hard product (seat), miles earned (if you have elite status) and the hassle of an additional shorthaul connection (especially annoying on the return leg) these products are not directly comparable.

From those i have spoken to, Finnair has a generally good reputation.

They did some very good ads recently, which I enjoyed.

Here is the BA exLondon low fare finder, but Club to Shanghai is coming out at £2700:

www.britishairways.com/travel/low-price-finder/public/en_gb

I can also see fares on BA in May ex Milan Linate LIN returning via LHR to AMS for £1715 in Club World; I think that would be the price for Finnair to beat.

Most of the Finnair exLHR fares seems to be fares seem to hover around the £2800 mark, so no less than BA exLON, and quite a bit more than BA exEUR.

Qatar Airways might be a good compromise; from London via Doha to PVG for around £1500 rtn.

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Did you go with Finnair in the end?

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Thanks VintageKrug

So far the runner up is Finnair at just over £1600 return, although it seems for another £600 we could do Emirates 1st Class... This might well alter the final choice !

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So in J it's:

Qatar at £1500 (connect in DOH)

Finnair £1600 (connect in HEL, wedgy bed)

British Airways £1750 exMilan (direct from London to PVG, fully flat)

In F it's:

Emirates £2200

Not a bad range of options!

Note you can take a stopover of up to 30 days (sometimes more) with BA, which although triggers the APD tax, does mean a pleasant weekend in Milan if you choose to take it, and no wedgy bed, and a direct flight, which will be especially appreciated on the return. And the exEU fares are often flexible, too.

Do make sure you get the F cabin product you are expecting on Emirates as it can be variable, depending on aircraft.

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I'll recommend, if the price of 2200 GBP is right to take the F in EK. It is a good price. If you stick with your route to PVG than you have to be aware that EK still use A 340-300 with old F seats. So you have to be aware which aircraft on which day is going to be used. I checked and you would probably use the B777-300 ER which normally has the F suite from DXB to PVG.

AY might use in some days the new A330-300 with the new full flat seat to PVG - better check with the airline. Both airlines are from the price -- a good alternative to BA -- why fly to Milan ? -- just to get the 1750 GBP fare but have to pay extra in order to get to Milan -- savings ?

Stick with EK in F for that price and pamper yourself with great food and service !

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I usually take advantage of an extended layover in London on the BA exEUR fare, allowing an almost free European city break weekend.

You just need to pay for a flight out there which will cost about £75, enjoy an acceptable lunch and a spot of sightseeing and hey presto! a pleasant weekend away, and a cheaper start to a journey you wanted to make anyway, but can now go direct from London to your eventual destination without an hassles of changing planes

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VK,

Quick question... If you buy a BA ticket exAMS or exLIN/MXP as suggested, do you bail at LHR on the return or do you fly the route all the way? If you step off, ever had any issues?

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Personally, I adhere to the fares rules to the letter, and always take the final sector.

This is easy to do, you have already paid the APD and so it's a totally free flight on the return; you can similarly take a long layover in London on the return, and either enjoy another long weekend city break in the same European city, or open jaw on to another European destination in the same zone one region, possibly to begin another exEUR trip later in the year.

It's really no hassle and a good way of seeing Europe in some comfort for free while still saving on your already planned longhaul trips and also reducing the amount of nasty APD you pay to the rotten government.

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I once had such an arrangement with Lufthansa: OSL - MUC - SFO - MUC- OSL

On the return, I would ditch the flight to Oslo, but lo and behold, they refused to let me have my luggage off in MUC. If I were so inclined, I had to buy a one way economy ticket to MUC from SFO.

Since then I have never liked Lufthansa.

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I have just booked for my wife and I to travel to DXB in January returning from HKG in February in Club World fare ex-LHR £6426. I first looked at from AMS and there was a fare of €4730, but it would have meant that we would have to go directly to AMS because of the 355 days in advance booking.

Left it a week and a bit and in the meantime the fare rose to €7920. I checked from BRU and the fare was €5259, but with shareholders discount this came down only to €5133.70. Even so a considerable saving over the fare ex-LHR and two seperate weekends in BRU.

VK is right about adhering to the fare rules, some years ago Eurotunnel were offering cheap day returns after 1300 at a third of the price of a standard single. A friend of our took one of these and drove down the coast returning via ferry to Portsmouth, but a few days later had his credit card debited for the difference in fare, quite legal, its in the rules.

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Hi - I used to use a travel agent in Munich where i bought DUS-LHR-BKK-LHR-DUS using BA/QF. I never had a problem of offloading my bag at Heathrow and would always use the 4th sector as the start of my following journey (i.e. LHR-BKK). The problems started when under pressure from BA, the travel agent in Munich refused to sell me any more tickets on the basis that I was not a German Resident. So much for free trade in Europe!

Accessing the German BA website to buy fares used not to work as it would recognise a UK address via the number of the credit card. However, now there is a workround which works and enables me to buy direct from the BA website.

I tend to use Dusseldorf for my ex-Europe flights on the basis that you can just walk up the jetty and turn straight back round rather than having to go for a mile long walk through the arrivals section and then turn round and be processed through the departure section. Naturally i only have hand bagage and manage to check my bag in for the longhaul BEFORE the shorthaul sector.

I believe in adhering to the fare rules, but i also beleive in free trade and feel it is very wrong for there to be such big discrepancies

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Do please be careful what is posted here; setting out "workarounds" can often lead to them being discovered and stopped.

It is perfectly legal to purchase an air ticket in any country, as long as you adhere to the fare rules (eg by using the final sector).

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Hi VK - i purposely didnt publish the workround. If you woul dprefer that the post is removed, please let me know and i will delete.

Your comment re it being legal to buy airtickets in any country as long as rules are adhered to, may be true - but is it legal for BA to refuse to sell you tickets or pressure travel agents not to sell tickets to UK residents??

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You can buy most exEUR tickets online these days, so I think the issue is moot.

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A very legal workaround, which BA would be hard to stop unless they consolidate all their Europe flights to LHR, is to book leg four ex-LGW. Arrive into LHR, and with an LGW departure you have to collect & clear.

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i agree VK about being able to buy ex Eurpoe on line, but how easy is it to pay using a UK credit card?

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Martyn - its easy, well on BA it is, if you see my post above, I booked it through the BAShareholders web site, but even through the Exec website it gives the counrty of issue for card holder. The good thing is that there is no credit card supplement!

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Hi,

I fly to Hong Kong a couple of times a year and have used BA and Qantas in the past to fly direct.

I have just booked to fly with Finnair via Helsinki. The Business Class return fair from London to Hong Kong was £1700. BA wanted £3015.

It won't be as good as BA (but its only £200 off being half the price) and it seems to be the same product as Qantas, expect Finnair only have 2 seats in the middle, and Qantas have 3. Which means on Qantas you will always been climbed over, or have to do the climbing no matter where you sit, on Finnair, the seat i have reserved means none of that.

The fact it's one world is even better for air miles.

Looking forward to it and if it's good, will use them for all my Asia trips from now on

Chris

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You may be suprised Chris

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Finnair-Unfair

I would be interested to hear whether the slow food service and "bright lights at night" have been addressed.

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Chris, You have obviously never flown on QF A380

As good as BA Club (unless you have 62 A/K upstairs)

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Im in OZ --I can buy a long haul J class to London for a smidgen under $8000 //I can buy the same ticket in London on the same carrier and the same plane for $5000 ??? yes i can buy over the internet but I can't use the ticket the wrong way around!!! GGGGGRRRR!

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