Trip Reports - Helsinki-Beijing-Helsinki with Finnair




Jetboy
Dec 14, 01, 3:45 am
AY 051 HEL - PEK
28/11/2001 dep. 17.25 arr. 06.10
MD-11
seat 22 C

I got to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport with my mother one hour before our departure to Beijing, quickly checked-in and met our travel companions before heading off to passport control. I had a few beers before boarding and was in a quite happy mood when boarding started.

Our MD-11 was still in the old colours, but had the new economy seat in the mid-section. I had seat 22C which probably is one of the best seat in economy as it doesnt have a seat in front. It is the second row of economy and the configuration on the first row is 2-4-2 and on row 22 it start going 3-4-2. It was extremly spacious and no one was sitting next to me so I was very happy and snagged the water bottle from that seat aswell. Boarding was kinda slow, but we still took off ontime. After take-off we were handed our "Flight Program", explaining the service on the flight and the menu.

After we got our Flight Program, the purser brought me and my mother champagne as we knew her http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) the FA´s started the drinks service soon afterwards, i got my normal gin&tonic and white wine(choice of french and spanish). The meal itself was okay and consisted of a salad of somesort, sweet and sour chicken with rice, bread and a piece of chocolate cake. The suprisin part was that they actually managed to make the chicken taste like chicken, instead of the usual tastless rubber they tend to call chicken.

During the meal one of the movies started. I have no idea what it was...the 2nd movie was charlies angels. As we ate, the FA´s constantly walked the aisles with red and white wine and water, so the was definatly no lack of drinks. Thats what i like about Finnair, they really keep the drinks flowing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
As everyone was finished with dinner, trays were collected and at the same time cognac was offered with coffee...or well...tea. They did a few more coffee/tea /cognac runs before they rolled out the tax free cart and soon after yet another drink cart. The cabin Lights were dimmed as most of the people were sleeping. During the flight, a "movie Snack" was offered in the rear galley. it was set up in buffet style offering soup, fruit, chocolate bars, drinks and i think finger sandwiches...or atleast i heard rumours that there were sandwiches at somepoint, i personally never saw them. The drinks part consisted of Icetea, water and juices - other beverages were available from the FA´s. During the flight the FA´s didnt came around with drinks as often as the used to mayby because the individual water bottles at every seat and the "legendary" movie snack.

As morning greeted us, our "morning coffee with a roll" was served mayby 45 minutes before landing to Beijing. It consisted of orange juice, coffee or tea and a...roll. one small roll with ham and pickles. it was good though, but hardly a breakfast. well no one ever said it was breakfast. silly me. After about 7.5 hours of flight we landed at sunny Beijing.

Immigration in Beijing was a breeze and our bags were almost the first the come. After having to show the taxi how to drive to the hotel (we drove past it 3 times and he just didnt get it that that was it), we finally got there, 25 minutes after our tarvel companions...


AY 052 PEK - HEL
04/12/2001 dep. 12.20 arr.15.05
MD-11
seat 41 C

After an exhausting shopping trip and 40 kilos of more luggage, we got our selves to Capital airport an hour before departure. I got seat 41C with 41A (woohoo, an extra water bottle for me!) open, again one of the best seats in economy, unlimited legroom as it is an exit row. The only downside, the old seats. My mother and the rest were on row 32.

Boarding was perfomed at a very leisurly pace, no hurries at all...we were greeted yet again, by an FA we knew, and as she was sitting opposite of me during take off we passed the time talking about hotels and shopping in Beijing. oh joy. No but honestly she was very nice, and got me champagne from busines class http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

After take off the "Flight Program" was handed out, and it followed the same formula as the flight to Beijing. Actually the whole flight followed the same schedule...

Anyway, drinks were served, followed up by dinner ; somesort of a salad again, chinese style chicken (delicious) with noodles, and some cake again. Again there was no shortage of wine or drinks during the meal service. Afterwards the tax free cart, and then another round of drinks. Two totally unintresting movies were shown, so i just read my magazines almost the entire flight of circa 8 hours.

At one point I visited the buffet in the rear gally, but again the sadwiches were nowhere to be seen. Lucky for me the FA i knew got me some from business class. woohoo! Before landing we were served, yet another roll with drinks and tea and coffee. I asked for a mimosa and did get one.(from business class.oh joy)

Landing was well as usual, the plane well...landed. Passport control was a breeze, customs though. was not. they decided to search through everything...mayby since we had so much stuff. Well they didnt find anythng and we were free to leave after 10 minutes of searching.

All in all two very pleasant flights with Finnair


cheers,

Jetboy


celbrian
Dec 14, 01, 4:15 am
Excellent trip report. Keep them coming, we need more on that carrier. Finnair looks like a pretty good alternative to BA for the Asian routes too.

Mats
Dec 14, 01, 11:14 am
Thanks for your trip report. I trust that you had a pleasant time in China.

I'm not fond of Finnair's catering in Economy Class, but everything else about them is great. They always seem so well organized, they're invariably polite, and Vantaa Airport is amazing.

I've recommended Finnair many times and I'm sure I'll fly on them again sometime soon.


airoli
Dec 14, 01, 11:39 am
I've only experienced Finnair on Intra-European flights so far and was very pleased. Thanks to your report I'll definitely consider them when planning my next flight to Asia. (I'm a Finnair Plus member after all.)

crankyusi
Dec 14, 01, 6:39 pm
Jetboy,

Your zest for enjoying a drink and in Y was plenty entertaining. I too had plenty of extremely good service in Y flying the BKK-SIN and SIN-BKK route many, many times in 1999 during a OneWorld promo.

matahari
Dec 14, 01, 9:38 pm
How were the loads on the AY flight to Beijing? I flew AY in 1972 to Amsterdam from New York on a DC-8. Not too bad except for the REINDEER MEAT which I really did not like too much!I personally keep away from MD-11s due to SR crash which we still do not know the reasons it crashed!

Jetboy
Dec 15, 01, 2:18 am
Hi,

the loads on both flights were quite ok, mayby 30 seats open, actually the return flight was overbooked by 50 the day before but it all sorted out after air china released its quota. The asian servces Finnair is offering are quite popular nowdays, especially Helsinki-Bangkok.

cheers ,

Jetboy



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