Being founded in 1923 Finnair is the worlds 6th oldest airline still in operation and with no on board fatalities or airframe loss incidents since 1963 its also considered one of the safest airlines.
Flew from Helsinki to Miami with Finnair on the same A350 but in Economy Extra. I was very impressed with the leg room and the service was very accommodating.
I've always liked Finnair. My best memory was when I was on one of my first trips to Europe and returning to Helsinki from Münich. We had a connecting flight leaving from Charles de Gaulle and our flight was not only late but we had to through a very rude and slow security check there. We were running really late, actually running to the gate, panting and sweating. Then the Finnair flight attendant welcomed us young, lost and exhausted lads with the warmest of smiles and said "you don't have to hurry anymore, we'll take you home". Those were just the right words and just awesome customer service.
I prefer the longer flights from Europe to the west coast, more relaxing. I used to work in Helsinki and took several domestic flights on Finnair and was always impressed. By the way, those littala glasses are iconic in Finland .
Great to catch up with your travels once more, Jeb! Finnair is an excellent carrier. On a leg between Australia & Sweden I flew Finnair between HKG & HEL (just between you & me, I ‘’borrowed” a short Ittala glass - love it!). Yes, give me a carrier like Finnair for long haul flying anyday, in partnership with Qantas, of course. Excellent review! 👍
Jeb, I'm sorry I'm just seeing this video now. I can not agree with you more. I flew Finnair for the first time last summer in business, HEL-LAX on the A350. Absolute best flying experience I ever had. Myself and several other pax arrived very delayed into HEL from FRA and the gate agents could not have been more pleasant, accommodating, and calming after many of us ran 20 minutes through the airport. They were waiting for us and weren't going to leave without us. The onboard experience was just as fantastic. I agree their drinking glasses are amazing, but I'm disappointed it doesn't seem you had their signature blueberry juice. It was delicious. That's all I drank the whole flight and I wanted to buy some to take home. Finnair is most definitely my new favorite and preferred airline for travel to Europe. Unfortunately, their schedule didn't work with mine this summer. I really hope their financial situation improves so I can fly with them again in the future.
Hi Jeb, welcome to the AY Club. I've flown them probably half-a-dozen times and, as an avid one-world supporter, they are one of my favourite LH airlines. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1. Their Business Class fares are usually quite reasonable - from Australia they tend to have decent RTW J prices towards Oct-Nov of each year 2. Their connections at HEL are great - usually can be as short as 55mins - and even if longer their Platinum-status Lounge in the non-Schengen transit zone is excellent. Also, their food offerings - while not quite as "exotic" as the days when they would serve reindeer - remain quite nordic. Given the general Finnish love of seafood - and the representation of that onboard - you may have to look for a new favourite long-haul for your shellfish issue!! Just joking, but I think you struck a little unlucky in that you were flying to Helsinki. AY seem to offer greater food choices ex HEL and they currently only appear to offer the ability to pre-book a J meal ex-HEL although you always have the special diet options available. Lastly, I was surprised at your description of the crew. I found them to be a little cool to start off with but are great at being able to size their customers and generally will thaw as the flight progresses. Again, welcome to one of the best-kept secrets: AY Long Haul Business Class!
I live in New Mexico, but my daughter and her family live near L.A. I always choose flights to Europe out of LAX and fly business class (often on points, once in a while on a good paid fare) on Turkish Airlines. As you probably know, Turkish cannot be beat on business class catering and the Star Alliance lounge in the TBIT is very good. I get great inflight food and service, watch a movie or two, have a full night of comfortable sleep, and really enjoy the wonderful lounge at IST between flights. Your review of Finnair is interesting, the only thing you left out was a comment about the Marimekko bedding and amenity kit bag. I also love the unusual Finnish glassware and would definitely buy them onboard! Thanks for another great review.
I get so excited when I see a new video from you! I know I’m in for a treat. I love living vicariously through your videos and your narration is just fantastic. Keep up the good work!
You know I was in Los Angeles 2 weeks ago and saw a number of Finnair A350s land. I never knew who amazing there airline was, they seem quite nice. The seat is spacious and clean and the food is great! Definitely need to try Finnair. Thanks for the video Jeb and cya in the sky!🙂👍🛫
I’m SO disappointed for you that they didn’t have the updated cabin on your flight. I was looking forward to your review of the new product. Based on Finnair’s oficial videos, it looks beautiful! I took this same flight, after a short hop down from San Francisco, back in November of 2019. Back before we knew what Covid was. Even with a full flight, like you mentioned, the flight attendants were awesome! I couldn’t get enough of their blueberry juice! The international terminal at LAX is hugely different from the domestic ones. It’s so not good.
I love Finnair. It is comfortable, they are attentive, the food is ok, not great but ok, the plane is clean and roomy, the blueberry juice is to die for, the coffee is probably the worst coffee imaginable, but everything else is awesome.
Having lived on the west coast just about all my life, I like going to Europe from there as long as it is direct. You leave late and arrive in the mid to late afternoon which allows me to keep the body clock rhythm a little better.
I prefer what you just did -- last november I flew from ABQ-LAX-MIA-MCO; 4 days later I flew back from MCO-MIA-LAX-LHR-BUD; and from BUD, back to LHR, then PHX and back to ABQ, all within a span of 3 weeks. well worth it, made lots of memories...(this was with AA/BA not finnair)
Thank you for your video! As a Finn, I am very proud of our national airline, even more so as everything else Finland seems to be going to HEL ;) I really hope I will someday have to chance to try the new non-reclining seat.
Jeb, your videos keep getting better and better with some real professional presentation and commentary. You might like to consider including a brief interview with (say) the purser to give them a chance to highlight the airlines features and to answer any questions you may have about the service/food/seat etc.
Finnair Business Class is definitely our choice every time we fly from Singapore to anywhere in Europe. Great value, great service and like the minimalist interior. Don’t mind the stop over at Helsinki either.
I have been to Europe over 60 times, almost all from Seattle. I love the longer flight, especially in Business class. I can stretch out and enjoy seven or eight hours of sleep. Flying to Europe I am not there for the food or the service, I am there to sleep. The longer trip is not a major factor but is one factor of why I live in Seattle. Flying Business Class from the east coast, especially Boston or NYC, seems like a waste. Now, if I am flying Economy I would just like the agony to be over as quickly as possible. Finnair is starting service from Seattle to Helsinki this summer, so I am looking forward to that.
Jeb, didn't see it in the video, but did you try the famous Finnair blueberry juice?I love Finnair! Flew JFK > HEL > ARN. Really enjoyed the experience though the dinner food was just ok, breakfast was better. Connecting in Helsinki was easy and not as stressful or crazy as larger European airports. Plus for an avgeek, the A350 cameras on the IFE are amazing!
Glass name is Ultima Thule. It was created by Finnish designer, Tapio Wirkkala in 1968. I use these every day - one next to me atm.. Finnair started to use Ultima Thule in 1969.
The lounge you should have reviewed was the Finnair lounge at Helsinki Airport. I think Finnair does everything on point. A first class product for sure.
Somehow I managed to not see this one until now. Very interesting as always - the seat did look a bit tight, but you said it's still comfy. Well, great that you had six hours deep sleep there. I'm just a very bad sleeper on planes, even on the biggest Business of First Class bed (partly because even after after way over 1000 flights I always think I miss something 😅) - thank you for your dedicated trip reports!
Those glasses are gorgeous, I'm glad they sell them and I'm even more glad that you picked up a set for yourself. I'll definitely be looking for Finnair flights in the future.
Since I live in Los Angeles, I’m always flying from the West Coast over to Europe. I’ve never actually flown from the East Coast to Europe. I enjoy the 10 1/2 hour flight. Still waiting to get on a A350. Was hoping to book one for my upcoming summer trip. No luck.. Flying the A340-600 instead (Lufthansa) Glad you had a nice experience on that 350 👍🏼
I do not know which day you flew out, but LA Flights is a fantastic streaming channel that films departures and arrivals out of 24R/L, and 5 days ago they did stream Finnair departure at 650! Would be cool if that is the plane you were on, watching it depart from a different perspective! I have been feverishly obsessed with your content for like 9 months now. Everything you post is pure gold. So much so that I am about to launch my own YT travel channel inspired by your content. Thanks for doing what you do and for being so damn cool and fun!
I am Swedish-American, and in my experience, in any of the five Scandinavian countries the largest (and longest) meal of the day is most often Breakfast. And it is usually set out as a Smorgasbord, even in my families home. Lunch is the second largest meal, then "Feeka" (afternoon coffee, similar to English 'High Tea'), making dinner or supper the smallest meal (unless one is going out). The first time my cousin served us a couple of thin pancakes for supper I was a little shocked, as well as starving until morning. But not as shocked as my cousin was when she visited us in the US and we took her out to her first dinner here. She couldn't eat much of it, and after that she ate very little lunch so she could more easily stomach a bigger dinner so as not to embarrass herself (very important to Swedes).
@eric forsberg What you have described is actually really good for maintaining a healthy weight. From a dietary perspective should be the smallest meal, breakfast the largest.
I really wish Fika would become a cultural phenomenon in the US, but the drip coffee we most commonly drink here is absolute swill. I also wish that Swedish baked goods would take hold, especially the cardamom flavoring. Even in NYC, it’s impossible to find semlor.
I think its a good airline because they are "favoring" for SAS by making a hub in stockholm. Good job Jeb, you know your runway numbers! in the intro. I like your vids!
I flew from LA to Frankfurt non stop. Got good sleep (overnite) it took 11.5 hours left at 8PM arrived at 2pm. Coming back was strange we left Frankfurt at 2 pm and arrived back in LA at 5PM. It was daylight the whole way back and I stood in the back of the plane with cocktails and conversation with US and German travelers.
The one thing I find about airports is that they're not coeliac friendly. Buffets are a cross contamination hazard, if there are any normally safe options in it, and restaurants generally don't have the space to cook coeliac safe gluten free foods separately so don't even try. That was my experience the last time I flew anywhere anyway. I had to basically get packaged gluten free snacks in a shop if I wanted to eat anything while waiting for my flight. Further edit: I'm in Ireland so mainland Europe is a short haul on a narrow body for me. Longest flight I was on was 10hrs LHR to LUN (Lusaka, Zambia). I remember returning to Heathrow, we were 8th in a queue of 10 for landing so I got great views of London when we had to circle it several times. It probably added another hour to the flight. That was back in 2007. British Airways don't do that route anymore.
Hi Jeb, you’re the first host I’ve heard also with a fish allergy. Sometimes dining is really disappointing because I can’t eat most of it. I Iived in W-S 25 years so cheers from Buenos Aires. And it’s 10 hours from the USA, so I understand how kong your flight was!
I live in LA so Lax to Europe is my usual experience. I always looked forward traveling on the A380, it was the most comfortable way to fly to Europe for me.
And flying above my lovely island Greenland - Its been years since ive been trying Finnair long haul BIZ - It was on their old but beautifull MD11´s from Helsinki to bangkok, banck in 2003 i beleive. And again, great vid mate.
@@GreenerGrass a pro of flying European Economy! They only operated a simple drinks service on my flight between LHR and HEL where I think the only options were water or blueberry juice!
Grumpier Old Men, lol. I do have to say that Daryl Hannah was not hard to look at in either the original or the sequel! It's funny what old movies you stumble across in the libraries of some airline IFE systems these days!
My favorite part of Jeb's videos is the little wristwatch shot Easter egg in each video. This trip it was the Batman. I noticed you got a VC Overseas Everest in your last Amtrak video. Banger watches and aviation content? Love your videos, man!
I'm west coast based. So I really work hard to make sure I get business class to to Europe because I need a good night sleep to be able to function once I arrive.
Ace flight report Jeb from an excellent airline, was due to fly Finnair Business Class from Edinburgh via Helsinki, then on to Seoul this week to visit family I have not see in 4 years. Sadly, due to the actions a some guy in Russia, my flight got cancelled, was so looking forward to seeing my family again after so many years. Rebooked to go in October, fingers crossed covid and Putin are no longer an issue. Excellent video Jeb.
Great review as always! The food on Finnair is the best there is, I think you were unlucky this time. The chicken that you were served is not Finnair style. I flew with them a few years ago, business class from Helsinki to Bangkok and was served lobster tail, Thai chicken and ice cream to die for! Great set of wines and the first single malt from Finland!
Not surprising considering Finnair has its own catering company in Helsinki. Food quality is largely depending on airports and level of catering available.
Flying to Europe from the West coast is worth the upgrade to Business Class. The very short night flights from the northeastern US to Europe , on the other hand, force a decision whether to eat or sleep but you can't do both well.
I am planning to fly Finnair from Oslo to Bangkok later this year. I am a bit worried because of the war and they are not allowed to cross Russian airspace and the flight will be longer than usual. I might take Qatar which is an option. I prefer Finnair though. Very good service and good price.
The glasses are from Iittala's Ultima Thule collection, designed by Tapio Wirkkala. The Finlandia vodka bottle used to have the same design, but sadly they modernized it.
Jeb, for thanks for this video. "Nonstop Dan" also recently put out a video about Finnair's Biz Class on the A350 and agrees with you about how good it is. And that makes me so excited -- because, later this year, my DH and I will be flying in seats 4A and 5A nonstop from MIA to ARN (Stockholm).
I did Sydney to Prague on Finnair economy. The flight to Helsinki from Singapore was on an older A340 and the seating and interior were old, but the service was great and meals nice. From Helsinki to Hong Kong, a new A340, great seating. I do prefer the 2-4-2 over 3-3-3. Couldn't fault any legs of the flight.
Regarding the dinner on the flight, you probably do not know that we in the Nordics eat hearty breakfasts, they are the most important goal during the day, then lunch is important. While dinner is not as important so we northerners eat less for dinner. So the amount of food you got for dinner is normal for us and not at all a little like you thought.
Most of my flights to Europe and Eurasia are from the west coast. I enjoy the longer flights from Vancouver, Seattle, PDX, SFO, and LAX, or even Las Vegas.
One more lovely and enjoyable video. Great job Jeb. I wish I could follow you in one of your exacting flights. We're waiting you for vacation on Greece 😁
