Today, November 1, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland. I have flown Finnair many times over the years and will celebrate this special day by recounting 10 things I love about Finnair.
10 Things I Love About Finnair As It Celebrates 100th Anniversary
Finnair, originally known as Aero, turns 100 today. If you ever wonder why the code for Finnair is AY it is because A stands for Aero (the official company name until 1968) and Y is an abbreviation for “company” in Finland.
Finnair debuted in 1923 with a Junkers F 13 seaplane with skis, taking off and landing on water before real airports were built in Finland.
Here is my list, in no particular order:
1. Platinum Wing – Helsinki
This is one of my favorite lounges in the world, with a wonderful selection of food and drink and best of all, a sauna! It is only available to flyers with oneworld Emerald status.
2. Ultima Thule Glassware
The iconic glassware is closely associated with Finnair business class. I liked it so much, I bought a set of glasses for home.
3. Marimekko For Finnair
From aircraft livery to menus to slippers to amenity kits to cups, Marimekko and Finnair have teamed up to bring a fresh design.
4. Innovative New Business Class Seats
A business class seat that does not recline? Finnair’s new business class is novel and actually quite comfortable.
5. The Ease Of Connectivity In Helsinki
Connecting in Helsinki is very easy, providing another compelling reason to choose Finnair.
6. Blueberry Juice
No Finnair flight would be complete without a glass of blueberry juice, (actaully called bilberries and made from wild blueberries).
7. Great Service Onboard
In my many flights on Finnair, I have always experienced great service onboard. Flight attendants, whether senior or junior, have been professional and kind.
8. A Focus On Asia
Helsinki is ideally situated for Asian connections and the carrier, at least before the Russian airspace closure, distinguished itself from its competitors by a focus on Asia. Hopefully that robust route network to East Asia will return.
9. Flight Attendant Hats
I love iconic uniforms and I particularly like flight attendant uniforms with hats. The Finnair hats, which remind me a bit of my headgear in the USAF, are iconic.
10. Great Food Onboard
The cuisine onboard is excellent with Finnish-inspired dishes that make meal service an enjoyment.
CONCLUSION
Happy birthday Finnair! I look forward to my next flight…and especially a visit to the Platinum Wing.
Half my family live in Finland (Mothers side) so it’s great to hear someone from the outside speak so warmly of Finnair and Finland. And although I may be biased, I also think it’s one of the best airlines. My favourite part of Finnair? The quiet onboard!
Warm your heart and more: the former Finnish Prime Minister was considered quite the hottie by a lot of guys.
Do you or any of your readers in Finland know what is happening in the week of June 15 in Finland? For months now during that 7 days period there is not a single award seat available between HEL and BUD. All other days for months are wide open. I managed to get 3 business award tickets on AY from the US to HEL, but no HEL-BUD has opened up. Thanks
Yesterday the schedule fully opened up for that week but of course now you cannot add a segment to an already ticketed reservation.
Finnair seems to have gone extra cheap on air sickness bags on short-haul flights — as in way too often they don’t even have any in the seatbacks. They have also gone extra cheap by cutting pillows in economy class on long-haul flights. Other than that and their cabin baggage allowance limits, they seem pretty comparable in economy class to most other airlines flying US-Europe.
They’re pretty solid and although they went through cost cutting measures, it was good to hear their honesty about it. The changes weren’t as bad as they had outlined and if I flew OW more, I wouldn’t mind connecting through HEL with them.
Finnair bought quite a bit of ad space on the major newspaper (Helsingin Sanomat) today and filled the paper with ads from various centuries. A nice touch.
Finnair are currently operating a number of short haul services from LHR for BA. BA always ask if you mind the flight being operated by Finnair and would you like to change to a BA one. Most people I know are delighted to fly with Finnair instead.