I’ve become mildly obsessed with trying to be one of the first to review the new Finnair business class seat, which looks beautiful to me, though I’m not convinced is a better seat than the current generation model, at least on the A350-900. As it turns out, the new seat is already installed on at least four aircraft.
Finnair New Business Class Seat
Earlier this month, Finnair unveiled a new business class seat as well as a brand new premium economy product. The business class seat, officially the Collins Aerospace AirLounge, is being called a “sofa in the sky” and “an exclusive space that you can make your own.” The new business class seat will feature:
- Fixed contoured shells with no recline, enabling “a wide variety of sitting and sleeping positions: you can sit at different angles, rest your feet on the ottoman or use infill panels to create a large flat surface”
- High cocoon-like shells to provide privacy, while the divider between central seats can be lowered when traveling with a companion
- Lighting options in the seat allow tailoring the ambiance of every customer’s own “nest”
- New cabin mood lighting designed in partnership with Jetlite to combat the effects of jetlag, including a simulation of the northern lights as the cabin is dimmed for sleep
- Various storage options within the seat include spaces for personal items, laptop, and all pillows and blankets; all certified for taxi, take-off, and landing, so passengers can settle in right away and have their essential items conveniently at hand right from the start of the journey
- Each seat includes connectivity for USB A, USB C, PC power, and wireless mobile charging
- 18-inch inflight entertainment screen with a new interface
The plan is to gradually retrofit the entire Airbus A330 and A350 longhaul fleet. While the A330 seat is desperately outdated, the traditional reverse herringbone seat on the A350 is quite comfortable, which leads me to question why these relatively new seats are being ripped out.
The entire retrofit will take until the end of 2023.
The addition of premium economy will result in a slight loss of business class seats. Aircraft will be configured in the following manner:
- A330
- 28 business class seats
- 21 premium economy class seats
- 230 economy class seats
- A350 (version 1)
- 43-seat business class seats
- 24 premium economy class seats
- 211 economy class seats
- A350 (version 2)
- 30-seat business class seats
- 26 premium economy seats
- 265 economy seats
Tip: Use ExeprtFlyer to pull up seat maps, which will show you if the new cabin is scheduled on your route.
Which Routes Can You Find The New Finnair Business Class Seat Flying On?
Finnair has announced its new business class seat will officially launch on May 11, 2022 with service to Singapore.
The new Finnair long-haul experience will be first available on our Singapore route for the summer season from 11 May. You can now find the flights on https://t.co/WWKAxOEyod. We fly to Singapore avoiding Russian airspace which lengthens the travel time. https://t.co/azubqOuzLr pic.twitter.com/piR0rgEiJ3
— Finnair (@Finnair) March 1, 2022
But there are already four aircraft, two A350-900s and two A330-200s, with the new business class:
You can track these aircraft via the links above. In terms of longhaul service, no one route has been the exclusive recipient of the new cabin. Today, one reconfigured A350 is returning from Singapore and will fly to London on Thursday. One A350 does not appear in use today, but flew to Chicago twice last week. A reconfigured A330 also appears to be standard on the London Heathrow route AY1331/1332.
It also appears a reconfigured A350 will operate between Helsinki and Amsterdam next month, AY1305/1306.
I’m really excited to try this new seat and the beautiful new soft product onboard, which will feature a six-course meal on new chinaware from Finnish design house Iittala on longhaul routes (and of course the Marimekko and Ultima Thule will remain). I look back with fond memories of my Finnair A350 flight to Beijing in 2017.
CONCLUSION
Finnair has recently unveiled a new business class seat and it is already in the skies. While you cannot be sure you will get to experience the new business class seat until you step onboard, you stand a great chance of receiving it if traveling to London or starting next month, Amsterdam.
I like the minimalist concept of nordic countries. Like japan. Keeping life less complicated.
Assume there’s a small typo above and it’s 38 biz seats on refurbished A330s, not 8?
28. Hahah.
Oops!
I really wonder about these seats – my initial thought is that the fact that they do not recline is a bad idea.
I just flown one of the already configured A330 from LHR-HEL and back, and I can tell you this seat is the most comfortable seat I have been in. You turn it into a fully flat bed without having to move the seat at all, and it gives you a comfortable seat when no used as a bed with a lot of space to even do a yoga pose 🙂
On this short haul flight there was no duvet or mattress but I can see that making this even more comfortable. I like the idea and concept.
Hoping I beat you to it lol. Booked LHR-HEL for this Sunday. Hope it doesn’t get swapped looks like up until then the A330 with the new seats was doing this route.
I won’t beat a dead horse about the seat, but I’m as concerned about the lack of recline as anyone else. For years, I’ve considered Finnair business class to be the best value in the air. I can still recall a trip from JFK to HKG that was one of the best I’ve ever had. Sure, the a330 on the first leg was a little tired. But the HEL-HKG leg on an a350 was spectacular – great seat, wonderful food, and a world class flight attendant. So I’m hoping the first item in that list hasn’t just been downgraded.
Every story I’ve seen covering this new seat has omitted the length of the seat + footwell. I’m 100% sure it is not long enough to lay flat in, and that’s why even in the press picture they have a woman sleeping in a fetal position, can’t see how it’s going to be comfortable for taller people and non side-sleepers. I know Matthew sleeps in a fetal position (from previous reviews) so it may suit him.
I unfortunately cannot find the article I’m referencing, but the reviewer was 6,2 and said he was able to lie completely flat with room to spare.
Found it!
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/03/08/new-finnair-business-class-seat/
I am traveling to Seoul on 10th of April. Please push all you thumbs, that one of those 350s is getting me there!
Hoping you get the new config (though the more I think about it, the more I prefer the reverse herringbone on the A350)!
Will the list with Planes that already flying with the new Business Class be updated? Or where can I see, which planes are done already?
What do X, P and dark blue mean on your seat maps? We are booking from Singapore to Helsinki and don’t know which seat to choose.
New but horrid…. they are ! FINNAIR got a zero rating in the survey they sent after my flight. Why?? entry and exit from these new angled to the aisle seats is terrible! because of the angle they are positioned. The seat has a large screen in the way for starters (look at the pic above) Try clambering out in the middle of the night on a long haul leg. Too hard (!) …plus the way these seats are angled means when you lie down for sleep you are forced into an S shape ( plus the foot tunnel CURVES!) Just way bad….