Finnair AirLounge Review A350 Business Class

The Finnair AirLounge (part of their A350 fleet) is quickly becoming a favourite for round the world Business Class travellers, hence why we were very excited to experience this product for ourselves. There is however a slight divide surrounding the Finnair AirLounge, with the seat itself not being able to recline… Not to fear, it does still convert into a fully flat bed. Our view: It’s an exceptional experience! To find out why travellers (and us!) are loving the innovative concept of the Finnair AirLounge, especially for round the world fares from New Zealand, keep reading.

We recently had Jim, one of our airfare consultants, travel to Finland for a conference with Finnair in Rovaniemi. Flying on the Finnair AirLounge A350 from Helsinki to Singapore, his 13-hour journey allowed him plenty of time to take in the Business Class experience onboard.

Finnair AirLounge Business Class Cabin Layout

The first thing we noticed when boarding Finnair AirLounge A350 Business Class cabin is that it’s arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, ensuring every passenger has direct aisle access. A big tick with Business Class these days. The high curved walls of the seats create an intimate and private space, perfect for both relaxation and work. With each seat offering a hard fixed shell-around seat, it does provide more of a lounge experience over your classic Business Class seat.

Our quick tip: Seats 1D and 1H are close to the front galley and bathroom which may be a drawback for some passengers due to increased foot traffic. This is worth mentioning to your round the world airfare specialist during seat selection preferences.

The seats are wide and designed without electronic controls, transforming into fully flat beds with a simple lever mechanism. This design is user-friendly and less prone to malfunction – a big bonus on those long-haul flights. The bed is spacious and comfortable, providing ample room for a restful sleep, especially for a 6 foot individual.

Finnair AirLounge Review Business Class Storage & Amenities

Storage in the Finnair AirLounge A350 is well thought out. Each seat offers various storage options, including a deep chest for larger items like laptops and books, a small compartment for personal items such as phones and headphones, and space under the TV/footwell for shoes. However, managing cables for headphones and chargers was slightly difficult due to the layout of the storage unit behind the seat.

The entertainment screen was large and offered a good selection of movies, TV shows and different series/programs. The touch screen was also responsive, making it easy to navigate on our Business Class flight.

We loved the innovative wireless charging part of our seat as it made it very simple and convenient when it came to charging devices. Rather than fussing about with cords, we could simply place our phone or laptop ontop of the charging section. An incredibly easy and excellent design idea to enhance the Business Class experience, especially if you have connecting flights on your round the world trip. After all, it’s the small things that make the difference.

Seat Controls Finnair AirLounge A350The amenity kit, provided in the Marimekko designed pouch were an eye mask, ear plugs, as well as the option to request socks, comb & shaving kit if required. We found these to have all the basic essentials needed for a long-haul Business Class flight when travelling round the world, but we would love to see some more products here such as moisturiser or hand cream.

Finnair AirLounge Business Class In-Flight Dining

Our dining experience aboard the Finnair AirLounge A350 started off being a little rushed due to the short taxi time. From gate to runway, the cabin crew tried squeezing in a departure drink, warmed towel as well as trying to get our meal choices for the flight ahead. Usually this isn’t a problem, so we put this down to just having a quick turn around time!

One recommendation when it comes time to select your pre-depatrure drink: Opt for the Finnair Blueberry Juice which is served in an elegant Littala glass. It’s a delicious and refreshing way to begin your journey round the world onboard Finnair Business Class.

Once we were in the air the cabin crew continued taking orders. Unfortunately, our preferred option wasn’t available, so had to opt for our second choice. We opted for the spinach and ricotta cheese filled tortellini with creamy pesto, cashew nuts, pine nuts and parmesan cheese for our take off meal. This food was very tasty and also very fresh, something that can be hard to come by with airplane food.

For the main meal service, we picked the Finnish air-dried ham, brie cheese, walnut & grapes salad. It was refreshing and decently sized. The main meal was the traditional Finnish meat pie served with pepper sausage, roasted vegetables and gratinated cauliflower. This was our favourite meal on board! It was a nice to see Finnair embrace a Finnish-inspired menu onboard, carrying their Finnish roots not only through the cabin aesthetics but also through to the dining.

Dessert options were pretty simple – only a selection of cheese or fruit. We opted for the fruit as more of a palate cleanser. A refreshing way to finish off a good meal service.

Our Final Thoughts: 

Overall, our journey from Helsinki to Singapore was comfortable, spacious and offered a unique Business Class experience. Highlights of the Finnair AirLounge A350 seat were the flexibility of being able to sit however you please, making us feel right at home, almost like being on our own couch!

We personally found it better for sleeping when converted to a fully flat bed and more comfortable than the ANA Room Suite, which is known for its ‘double pillow’ space.

While there are areas for improvement, such as managing electronic cables, the innovative seat design gets the tick of approval from us.

Overall, the journey between Helsinki and Singapore with Finnair was both a comfortable and efficient Business Class flight on our round the world airfare.

To book your next Business Class round the world trip with Finnair from New Zealand, visit our latest deals page for RTW fares or Business Class flights, or get in touch with an airfare specialist today!