I recently had the opportunity to get away for a fun trip. Looking back, not sure the exceedingly fast pace and lack down time was all that much fun. But no doubt, it was great to check out a nice new business class product. Planning to have a full review at some point in the future, but for now, this is a quick summary of my first time on Finnair. Note that Sriram also flew the Finnair A350 in business class back in 2022.
I ended up booking this as an add on to another trip, which meant it was very brief. I look at it as a bit of a Loyalty Point run, since my primary airline loyalty is with American Airlines, and a fun way to try something new. I’ve heard good things about this product, and I was excited to try it out for myself
Finnair A350 Business Class seat
Wait, a new business class seat that doesn’t recline? Finnair uses the Airlounge seat from Collins Aerospace. It has a fixed shell, and the only motorized part is the foot rest. Sounds strange, but it really works. The surface is wide, and with 2 pillows, pretty customizable. I’m 6’3″, and had plenty of room to stretch out. If my feet touched the bottom of the seat, my head did not, so it was great for sleeping. Both long and wide. Here is a description from seat maker Collins:
The seat’s innovative fixed contoured shell with no recline enables a wide variety of sitting and sleeping positions: passengers can sit at different angles, rest their feet on the ottoman or use infill panels to create a large flat surface. A mattress and duvet turn the space into a comfortable bed, and cushy pillows can be used to relax in a variety of sitting positions. The high cocoon like shell of the seat provides privacy, while the divider between central seats can be lowered when travelling with a companion.
Finnair provides a mattress pad, a duvet, and 2 pillows. Very comfortable whether fully reclined or not. Here are some photos from Finnair:
Finnair A350 Business Class in flight service
Service begins with pre departure beverages of offer, including water, champagne or the signature drink, blueberry juice, all served in glassware from Finnish maker Ittala.
Meals were solid, with one larger meal and a smaller one, depending on departure time of flight. 3 main choices plus 2 appetizers, and cheese plus dessert. More on that in my full review.
The seat finishes are modern, definite Nordic feel, with dark fabric and light “wood” grain on surfaces. There is wireless charging on the side table, as well as both USB-C and USB-A charging as well as a universal power port. The tray table is small, but plenty large enough for dining or working on a laptop, and it folds in half and slides under the side armrest. There is a fair amount of storage, including closeable bins behind/next to the seat, and next to the wall, along the legrest.
Finnair A350 Business Class bottom line
Finnair business class is a solid product. No regrets about taking it, whatsoever. The seat is quite comfortable, and service is strong. Award space can be difficult to find, but there are some deals to be had for paid tickets, which is how I got to experience it. A great way to fly long haul, and happy to earn a bunch of loyalty points towards my AA status.
