It is my second time on Finnair’s non-reclining business class seat. My first experience was when I flew from Dallas to Helsinki.
My experience with Finnair’s new business class AirLounge seat has always been positive, and this particular flight from Seattle to Helsinki again made a smooth and enjoyable 9-hour journey between the United States and Europe.
Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) to Helsinki (HEL)
- DEP 5:40 PM ARR 12:55 PM
- Duration: 9hr 15m
- Seat number: 9L
- Aircraft: Airbus A350
- Miles Redeemed: 77,250 Iberia Avios + USD 160.70 (This is before the Amex transfer bonus to Avios and the only program that had two award seats at the time for the date that I wanted)
Finnair Seattle Check-In
The check-in at Finnair in Seattle International Airport was okay. Business class passengers use the Priority lane. The check-in process took place at the ticketing central terminal at SeaTac airport.
Please note that while Finnair departs from S gate South Satellite terminal, there is no check-in counter there. So you must go to the central terminal for ticketing and getting your boarding pass. Moreover, Finnair also participates in the TSA PreCheck, so if your boarding pass does not have the TSA PreCheck, you can ask the staff to add your number.
Finnair Business Class Lounge Access in Seattle
Finnair Business Class passengers can access the British Airways Terraces Lounge by the Gate S10 South Satelite at Seattle International Airport (SEA).
Finnair departs from South Satellite. However, I was not impressed with the British Airways lounge. It’s small, and the food offerings are quite limited and underwhelming. Therefore, if you have more time in Seattle airport, I recommend going to the new Alaska Airlines lounge at North Satellite or the Amex Centurion Lounge with an American Express Platinum Card instead.
Review British Airways Lounge Seattle Airport (SEA) For Finnair Business Class
Boarding
Finnair Business Class passengers are in Group 1 boarding group. Finnair at Seatac Airport uses facial recognition and boarding pass scanning technologies.
Finnair Business Class Cabins
Finnair has two business class cabins on this Airbus 350 aircraft: front and back. I chose the back cabin because it is smaller, and my favorite seat is 9L, which I’ll discuss more below. I’m generally concerned with the back business class cabin for slow services, but the service was as good and fast as I had hoped for.
Finnair Business Class Non-Reclining Seats
I specifically selected seat 9L on the Airbus 350 because it is in the back business class cabin. I like that I did not have any neighbors around me. Look at the photo below to see what I meant. The only downside is that the flight attendants used the top overhead bin compartment to store the aircraft amenities, so it can be a bit bothersome and lack storage for your carry-on. Luckily, I could use the middle overhead bin because that seat was empty. Moreover, I did not feel bothersome by the galley activities at all during the flight.
Finnair business class seat on the A350 wasn’t new to me. In fact, I have flown this product before from Dallas to Helsinki. Finnair was bold when it introduced the new non-reclining business class seats, also known as the AirLounge. But let me tell you, I love Finnair’s AirLounge, from the Nordic-style design to how large the seat space is. There are also quite a few compartments to store things, including a laptop.
Suppose you are new to Finnair’s new non-reclining seats. In that case, I recommend you check out the seat info on the entertainment screen under Flight Info to learn more about them and make good use of your experience while seated in one of those spacious AirLounge seats.
Lie-Flat Seat
Finnair’s business class seats are not reclining, so it can be a bit confusing to turn them into the lie-flat position. It is different from the typical reclining seats, which can turn into a lie-flat position with a press of a button. If in doubt, you can always ask the flight attendant for assistance. Moreover, check out the seat information on the entertainment screen under Flight Info.
I appreciate that Finnair provides bedding amenities such as a cover, a blanket, and two pillows. I also got another pillow from the overhead bin since I was sitting at seat 9L!
Finnair Business Class Menu
Finnair offers a menu with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I got to try the Finnair signature drink, the Northern Blush, which was okay with me.
In addition, Finnair serves two meals on this leg: dinner and breakfast.
Flight attendants serve dinner on one tray with cold and warm plates. Everyone gets the same cold plate starters and chooses one of the three main courses. I decided to go with the Salmon and pair it with the French red wine Chateau Corbin 2019. It’s also worth noting that you can pre-select meals with Finnair if you want to.
For breakfast, everyone also got the same items on one tray as well.
Crew Service
I like the crew service on my flight. The girl was always smiley and friendly during her service.
Amenity Kit
Finnair’s amenity kit is a bit less desired than I thought. There are no socks, but there are slippers.
WiFi
WiFi on Finnair is one hour complimentary for business class passengers. You connect to Nordic Sky, then go to WiFifinnair.com to claim the complimentary business-class Internet.
Miles Booking
I used Iberia Avios to book two Finnair Business Class seats because, for whatever reason, Iberia had two available business class award seats instead of one like other programs. While the award rate of 77,250 Avios one-way is not as good as other programs, Amex’s 40% transfer bonus to Avios at the time lowered the mileage redemption to about 55,000 Amex points per person. The taxes and fees were around $160 per person.
However, it is very important to note that using Iberia Avios to book any airline partner airlines, such as Finnair, is a non-refundable ticket for both miles and fees.
Finnair Business Class Verdict
- Pros: Spacious AirLounge seats, good bedding amenities, 1-hour free WiFi, and friendly crew service.
- Cons: Mediocre food, limited amenity kit, middle overhead bin in the back of business class cabins being too high for me.
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