Finnair has begun installing more spacious and comfortable business class seats throughout its long-haul fleet.The Helsinki-based airline has already fitted the new lie-flat style seating to a couple of its seven-strong fleet of MD-11 tri-jets. The entire fleet is expected to acquire the new seating by early June.
Spacing between the seats will increase from the current 50 inches to 63 inches and passengers can stretch out even if they are six feet, seven inches tall. But although the French-made seats have a steep angle of recline they are not of the flat bed type featured by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand. To find the space for the new accommodation the seat count is being reduced from 42 to 36 seats.
Finnair says a further benefit is that the seat back doesn't tilt back into the next passenger's space. Instead it adjusts into positions for work and rest. There is storage space for a laptop (a power point is provided) and for magazines.
The airline says its MD-11s are used across its long-haul network so you can expect to find them on any route.Finnair's long distance network is biased towards Asia. New York is the sole US city it serves. Other destinations in the Far East served from Helsinki are: Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Bangkok and Singapore.
According to a Finnair spokesperson, "Passengers who are keen to try the new seats have to check one or two weeks ahead. That is when our planning department will have decided on which route(s) each MD-11 will be rostered."
UK passengers can depart Finnair from Heathrow, Manchester and (from next month) Edinburgh and make good connections in Helsinki. The Finnish capital lies on the "Great Circle" route to Asia and so overall flight timings are as good as, if not better than, other European hubs.
For more information go to www.finnair.com
Report by Alex McWhirter
