Finnair's new Business Class between Helsinki and Bangkok

I landed at Helsinki's Vantaa airport at 22.30 following a connecting flight from Gothenburg. Once inside the terminal it was easy to follow the signs to the so-called "Asian Terminal", a separate terminal building that is connected to the regular terminal via a bridge. The Asian terminal is used only for long-haul flights and particularly Asian flights, a market that Finnair take very seriously. In the terminal there are several shops, as well as a Finnair lounge specifically designed for long-haul flights. Next to the lounge you find Finnair's spa.

I was warmly welcomed at the entrance to the lounge and informed that boarding would begin in about 20 minutes. I had a transfer time of only one hour in Helsinki but due to a premature landing and a quick walk through the terminal there was time for a visit to the lounge. The lounge, in the Asian terminal, is relatively large, has a warm and modern decor and is divided into several sections. Along the window, facing the apron, are some comfortable recliners, and in the main part of the lounge there are several different seating sections. During the evening there is a light buffet in the lounge starting at 21.00. The idea behind this is that passengers will be able to have a decent meal in the lounge and then be able to go directly to bed once on board the aircraft. Most flights to Asia depart from Helsinki around midnight. The lounge also has a staffed bar with a wide selection of drinks available for purchase, including fine champagnes, cognac and whisky. I do not really know how I feel about this. Sure, it is nice to have the opportunity to buy a glass of good champagne in the lounge, to get in the mood before departure, but it feels strange to buy a business class ticket and still have to pay to have a liqueur along with your coffee. Beer and wine is available for self-service in the lounge as well as coffee, tea and a good selection of non-alcoholic beverages.

After a few minutes in the lounge, the screen changed to "Estimated departure 00:40". The scheduled departure was 23:40, so this meant a delay of one hour. I went to the front desk and got the delay confirmed by a very helpful young woman who had just spoken with the gate manager for the flight. She promised to keep us updated as soon as she got any further information. The delay came at a fairly bad time when I was under some time pressure but there was not much else I could do but sit back and sip a glass of wine. The lounge also offered free WiFi and a nice selection of cakes and light snacks.

At 00:15 the screen flashed that it was time to head towards exit 33 where boarding had already begun. There was a separate exit for passengers with business class tickets or gold card holders where there were no queues.

Only one passenger bridge was used, to the second door, so I had a left turn to get to the business class cabin and my seat, 05L, which would be my home for the next ten hours. I had managed to book one of the most popular window seats, on the right side of the cabin, next to both the window and the aisle, and, of coarse, with no passenger beside me. This seat is available in two versions, either the seat itself is next the aisle with a small table between the seat and the window, or the seat is directly next to the window with the table between the seat and the aisle. The latter option is the best as it provides the most privacy when it is time to sleep. I managed to book such a seat on the return flight, 06L, resulting in almost total seclusion from the aisle and other travellers, but for now I had to settle for second best. There were seven rows in business class, with a total of 32 seats that were either in a 1-2-1 configuration or a 2-2-1 configuration. The cabin gave a very good first impression with light colours and a pleasant bright blue to match Finnair’s company profile as well as the colour of the air hostesses' uniforms. The load factor on the flight to Bangkok was around 70%, so there was plenty of room in the cabin. The crew was a mix of Finnish and Thai staff. There were two Thai stewards in the business class cabin.

The crew took care of jackets and coats, and we were then offered champagne, orange juice or water. It had to be a glass of bubbly for me. I liked the sleek design of the glasses used on board.

Newspapers were also offered in the cabin.

Helsinki-Bangkok, flight AY 095 with Finnair Departure: 23:40 Arrival: 13:45 Aircraft: Airbus A330 Class: Business Class Seat: 05L It was nice to finally get going and I was looking forward to some sleep after a long day. After the safety video was shown on the screens we took off at 00:55 from runway 04R. Once at 10,000 feet the seatbelt signs went off and service in the cabin could start. Hot towels were then handed out followed by the menu and drink list. The menu was described in four languages​​; English, Thai, Finnish and Swedish.

Here is the dinner menu on the flight to Bangkok: Dinner Fresh salad Creamy Chanterelle soup *** Roasted salmon with crayfish sauce, asparagus puree and spinach Arugula ravioli in goat cheese with plum tomato sauce Fillet of Finnish pork with choron sauce, potato gratin *** Cheeses Aura blue cheese, aged Emmentaler cheese *** Heart of berries Fresh fruits *** Coffee, liqueurs

The whole meal was served simultaneously, with soup (optional) and three choices of main course. This meant it was a pretty fast and efficient meal, which was appreciated given that it was already after midnight. For the starter, salad and a nice chanterelle soup was served. For my main course I chose the fillet with potato gratin, which tasted very good. Warm bread was served by the cabin crew along with both butter and olive oil. There was a good range of drinks available on board and the wines were stored in a rack on the side of the serving cart so one could see which varieties they had (they were, of course, also described in the drink list). I chose a very nice Italian Chianti wine and was later offered a refill.

For dessert a fruit mousse in the shape of a heart was served along with fresh fruit from a basket. The crew also offered coffee, tea and liqueur. It was a nice meal and both the food and drink tasted great. The fact that everything was served on a tray meant ​​the meal proceeded quickly, serving probably took no more than 45 minutes.

Finnair’s entertainment system is AVOD (Audio Video On Demand), and offered several films, television shows, a variety of music and information about Finnair’s flights. The choices were a little different to many other entertainment systems I have tested, especially noticeable was that Finnair had tried to adjust the choice of entertainment to the destinations that were being served and to the passengers travelling with Finnair. There was a wide selection of Asian movies and music as well as a number of Scandinavian options. The sound was very satisfactory from the noise-cancelling headphones which were distributed. To navigate through the menus you could either use the remote control that was located in a small gap in the side of the seat, or by tapping the screen.

After departure a toiletry bag was handed out, containing an eye mask, socks, and various toiletries. One interesting thing I noted when I got another toiletry bag on the return trip was that they were two different versions.

It was close to 02:00 Finnish time when the meal was over and it was finally time for some sleep. I always have a change of clothes with me when I fly long distance, a comfortable pair of pyjama pants that I got when I flew with All Nippon Airways and an extra t-shirt. It feels slightly uncomfortable to sleep in anything other than your usual night clothes and you feel fresher when you do. Finnair's new business class seat becomes completely flat when reclined and was very comfortable and spacious to sleep in. A pillow was located next to the seat during the boarding process, and on the rear shelf, above the seat, was a warm, soft blanket.

I slept very well on the plane. I got slightly more than seven hours of sleep on board and I felt surprisingly refreshed when I got off in Bangkok.

At 13.00 Thailand time, just over 90 minutes before landing, the lights in the cabin lit up and hot towels were distributed by the crew.

White tablecloths were laid on the tables and breakfast was then served. This is what was on the breakfast menu: Breakfast Omelette with mozzarella filling, tomato salsa and roast potatoes Fresh berries and fruits Breakfast Muesli, yoghurt

The breakfast tasted good. I had fresh fruit, yoghurt, a warm omelette and hash browns. Bread and croissants were offered as well as juice, coffee and tea. There was, at times, heavy turbulence on board and twice the cabin staff were forced to discontinue serving. Above all, the hot drinks can cause problems during turbulence. Getting a flask of scalding hot coffee over you is probably not a particularly pleasant experience.

I freshened up in the bathroom and changed back into my regular clothes. At around 14:10, Thailand time, we began our approach towards Bangkok. The approach offered a nice view of downtown Bangkok and the old Don Muang Airport, which is now only used for a limited number of domestic flights.

At 14:40 we landed at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, on runway 19R, with an hour's delay. At the gate, fast track cards were given out to business class passengers, which meant we could use the fast channel to pass through passport control. Afternoons, about 14.00-15.00, are peak hours in Bangkok as many flights from Europe are landing, so the fast track card was very useful and there was only one person ahead of me in the queue. The first piece of baggage came the moment I arrived in the baggage hall and my priority-tagged bag was the second to come off the band.

Overall, good business class product for travel to and from Asia. It is noticeable that Finnair have tried to cater to some things that many business travellers desire: short travel times, short transfer times, friendly but efficient service, and as much sleep as possible on board. The new business class seat was very comfortable, pleasant to sleep in, and provided good privacy. Well above the norm of what is on the market today. If I were to mention something negative it would be that the serving was quite compressed and consequently somewhat unremarkable. Of course, it is a strategic decision that Finnair has taken to reduce serving hours and allow more time for sleep on board, but people travel for pleasure and want to enjoy their food and drink. It would have been nice with a slightly more comprehensive service. Otherwise an absolutely acceptable experience. For my part, this was a work trip and I can definitely understand why Finnair has become a popular option among business travellers for trips to Asia.