Finnair has one thing going for it in its intra-Europe business class: hot meals. A nice lunch is my main takeaway from the short flight from Berlin to Helsinki.
Berlin Tegel is such a mess. The airport is somewhat endearing for its nostalgic qualities, but a big mess when it comes to the A gate area.
We arrived early to the airport, but missed the lounge because no one mentioned it was before security. I should have known. The Lufthansa lounges are also before security, but I found that out after we went through…and after a 15 minutes line I was not going to return for a British Airways lounge…
Look at the gate area:
Berlin Brandenburg cannot come fast enough!
Boarding commenced only 30 minutes prior to departure. Our aircraft was parked on a remote stand so we were bussed to our aircraft.
AY 0912
Berlin (TXL) – Helsinki (HEL)
Thursday, June 30
Depart: 12:10PM
Arrive: 03:00PM
Duration: 1hr50min
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Seat: 5C (Business Class)
Onboard seating in business class was standard economy class seats with the middle seat blocked. Legroom was not any more generous, but was sufficient for the brief journey to Helsinki. Though flight time was blocked at 1hr,50min, we were in the air for less than 90 minutes.
A single lime green pillow and blanket were available in the middle seat of each row.
FAs offered water in plastic cups prior to takeoff.
Service began immediately after we hit 10,000 feet, with FAs serving hot meals by cart.
I dedicated a separate post to the meal, but will again remark at how much I enjoyed the schnitzel served in a creamy, spicy white sauce with green beans and mashed potatoes. Excellent dark rye bread as well.
> Read More: Hot Meal on Intra-Europe Finnair Flight in Business Class
Finnair offers a wide selection of complimentary beverages on all flights. I ordered tea while John ordered champagne. We each had water as well. Refills were offered three times during the flight.
After lunch, I briefly checked out the business class lavatory. It was small but clean.
CONCLUSION
There’s not too much to say about a quick intra-Europe flight, but I love how Finnair manages a tremendous meal service onboard a 697-mile flight. FAs were great and we landed in HEL ready for our connection to Beijing aboard the A350 in business class. Business class is by no means necessary on a flight of this length with business class seat of this type. Still, it’s nice to have the middle seat blocked and enjoy a tasty hot lunch.
Sorry you missed the lounge. At TXL I’d assume every lounge and toilet is pre-security!
Were you expected to share the pillow/blanket? LOL Really cool glassware!
Since only two or three gates share one security – you won’t find a lounge airside. That is so wrong.
The former AB ‘executive waiting areas’ are post security as far as I remember (at both the AB and C terminals).
The BA lounge is before security and isn’t anything to write home about, but still probably a nicer space to wait then the gate area (and you’re less likely to miss a flight given the short distance from security to the actual gate).
TXL is literally a 3rd World Airport in Germany. Seems to actually get worse (as traffic increases.) Oh, and they will do “secondary screening” if they are bored. You have to walk half a mile with the security person to get swabbed near the only machine at the airport.
The currywurst and fries from that little train thing aren’t bad…excellent for a leaving-Berlin-style hangover…
I actually don’t mind TXL. It was always designed to be a regional airport for Western Europe destinations given the extreme space constraints in cold-war Berlin, a role ideally it will take over again when (IF) they ever finish Brandenburg. Sure it’s way overcrowded these days but the check-in-to-gate times are stupendous. Just never show up more than an hour before your flight departure as it’s a given the lounges are tiny and overcrowded.