Sep 23, 2016, 8:27 am
Last edit by: Purjelentaja
Finnair offers only limited catering on some of their longhaul flights.
"BusinessLight" or "Midnight Menu" or limited catering means that the main meal consists of one tray only and no appetizer. Typically, the service includes a small green salad, a hot main course and cheeses. Additionally, ice cream will be offered along with coffee and tea.
This service concept applies to the following flights: (PLEASE ADD MORE FLIGHTS TO THE LIST!)
AY6 JFK-HEL (Note: hot midflight snack available on request; only cold breakfast available)
AY8 MIA-HEL
AY10 ORD-HEL
AY27 HEL-SGN
AY28 SGN-HEL
AY69 HEL-HKG (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY81 HEL-SIN (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY82 SIN-HEL (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY121 HEL-DEL
On other AY longhaul flights, the main meal service is more substantial and consists of an appetizer and/or soup, main meal, cheese and dessert.
"BusinessLight" or "Midnight Menu" or limited catering means that the main meal consists of one tray only and no appetizer. Typically, the service includes a small green salad, a hot main course and cheeses. Additionally, ice cream will be offered along with coffee and tea.
This service concept applies to the following flights: (PLEASE ADD MORE FLIGHTS TO THE LIST!)
AY6 JFK-HEL (Note: hot midflight snack available on request; only cold breakfast available)
AY8 MIA-HEL
AY10 ORD-HEL
AY27 HEL-SGN
AY28 SGN-HEL
AY69 HEL-HKG (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY81 HEL-SIN (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY82 SIN-HEL (not actual BusinessLight, but Midnight menu-concept)
AY121 HEL-DEL
On other AY longhaul flights, the main meal service is more substantial and consists of an appetizer and/or soup, main meal, cheese and dessert.
Reduced Business Class Service on certain longhauls
Feb 23, 2016, 8:10 am
#32
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,111
AY has three different long haul J concepts – the regular one, the midnight menu one for late night departures (after 11 pm) and the ”lomanoloisen reittilennon bisnesluokka”, which could be translated as leisure-oriented scheduled flight business class (yes, this concept does have a name, although AY only uses it internally).
Who decides which are the holiday destinations and which aren't? Many goes to New York for holiday – why JFK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento? Or BKK? I think it has more leisure than business travelers. However, AY has decided that BKK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento but HKT is. Can't see the logic behind this.
And another thing: why on earth the preorder menu isn't available on flights to some lomanoloinen destinations (HKT, SGN, KBV) but it's available to only one lomanoloinen destination (MIA)? I don't get it.
Feb 23, 2016, 8:17 am
#33
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,111
One funny thing is also that you can actually see the preorder options on manage my booking site and you can even select one of them – it's just that the they don't deliver it. I learned this on my SGN flight. AY told me they are somehow unable to take those preorder meal options away from MMB site.
Feb 23, 2016, 9:03 am
#34
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
...
Who decides which are the holiday destinations and which aren't? Many goes to New York for holiday – why JFK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento? Or BKK? I think it has more leisure than business travelers. However, AY has decided that BKK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento but HKT is. Can't see the logic behind this.
...
Who decides which are the holiday destinations and which aren't? Many goes to New York for holiday – why JFK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento? Or BKK? I think it has more leisure than business travelers. However, AY has decided that BKK isn't lomanoloinen reittilento but HKT is. Can't see the logic behind this.
...
This is what you get when you allow your business development to be governed by technical aspects. Ie - you let operations run the asylum.
Having the deputy CEO in charge of operations is a good sign of what is considered important within Finnair.
Now, Ville Iho will soon stop running operations, but don't expect the technical attitudes change any time soon. He will be replaced by Jaakko Schildt, currently director of Thomas Cook group maintenance organisation.
And yes - 'Business inferior class' is so very stupid. But we are all just "the pax" in an organisation where everything is about metal.
Feb 25, 2016, 7:58 am
#35
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 212
I must say I really wonder what you J class guys are complaining about.
I had a perfectly nice business class flight HEL-MIA about a year ago. Nice breakfast in the non-schengen normal lounge, champagne on the plane , a good reindeer meal, nice whisky, good wines, good sleep, nice flying weather and nice views over Greenland, something to eat before landing (well THAT was not very good) and quick passport control in MIA. I did NOT get the nice personal greeting with all 15 fresh newspapers from the flight attendant, NO soup and ONLY nuts, but did not complain and did NOT get the 600 euro voucher as compensation from Finnair. Life is hard.
I had a perfectly nice business class flight HEL-MIA about a year ago. Nice breakfast in the non-schengen normal lounge, champagne on the plane , a good reindeer meal, nice whisky, good wines, good sleep, nice flying weather and nice views over Greenland, something to eat before landing (well THAT was not very good) and quick passport control in MIA. I did NOT get the nice personal greeting with all 15 fresh newspapers from the flight attendant, NO soup and ONLY nuts, but did not complain and did NOT get the 600 euro voucher as compensation from Finnair. Life is hard.
Feb 25, 2016, 10:06 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: EB, AY+
Posts: 78
I remember just few years back when AY did fly charter flights to similar holiday destinations with both 757´s and Airbus fleet. Those days J-seats were sold as comfort etc. with the same Y-meal on porcelain plate.
Today TA (aurinkomatkat) is offering J upgrades to SNG/KBV/MIA etc... for 300-450€ per person per flight. I saw a last minute deal to MIA for 465€, add 300 for upgrade and its still not too bad.
Today TA (aurinkomatkat) is offering J upgrades to SNG/KBV/MIA etc... for 300-450€ per person per flight. I saw a last minute deal to MIA for 465€, add 300 for upgrade and its still not too bad.
Feb 25, 2016, 3:29 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 239
What service AY 8 MIA-HEL?
I have an award flight booked ATL-MIA-HEL this July in J on the A330. It's a late departure (22:40), so is this one of the "Business Light" flights? Will any meal be served before lights out or should we eat at the airport? Better to find a fly out of ORD or JFK?
Feb 25, 2016, 4:54 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,749
AY's winter schedule to MIA is different and there are currently no late departures. This is also the first summer season AY will serve MIA. So the answer at this time is that there is no answer. My best educated guess, however, would be that you will be offered a one-tray meal service, quality of which is still open. Not being offered any meal after take-off is out of the question, so don't worry.
Feb 25, 2016, 11:16 pm
#41
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: AY Platinum
Posts: 287
HEL-SGN
Verdict: Sometimes Finnair serves outstanding dishes in business class. I even remember an amazing vegetarian curry (or something) from a few years ago despite usually ordering meat. The food on these holiday routes clearly does not meet that standard. The flight seemed to be 99% Aurinkomatkat customers, though, so I'll simply repeat what I said earlier: this is just so much better than a 757. Taking that into account, 8/10.
- Champagne after boarding.
- Nuts with the first drink I ordered (without needing to ask)
- Dinner was ok, but nothing special. This is the weakest part, but it's not terrible. Two choices.
- Got some snacks later. They were nice enough. Chose chips and some kind of pastry.
- Breakfast was ok as well.
- Before going to sleep, I asked a stewardess why the menu didn't say anything about waking people up. She said the flight's a "lomanoloisen..." (exact words), but she promised they'd wake me up.
- Lights were turned on 2 hours before arrival (or at least that's when I woke up)
Verdict: Sometimes Finnair serves outstanding dishes in business class. I even remember an amazing vegetarian curry (or something) from a few years ago despite usually ordering meat. The food on these holiday routes clearly does not meet that standard. The flight seemed to be 99% Aurinkomatkat customers, though, so I'll simply repeat what I said earlier: this is just so much better than a 757. Taking that into account, 8/10.
Last edited by heatsink; Feb 25, 2016 at 11:30 pm
Feb 26, 2016, 1:04 am
#42
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
Since this clearly is a concept (as it is well known amongst staff), perhaps someone could approach Finnair and get an official response what the concept is and on what routes it is to be expected?
Feb 26, 2016, 2:43 am
#43
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,174
For instance, SGN will be A350 from W16. Are we supposed to expect the "An exquisite new A350 signature menu featuring Nordic delicacies and carefully selected wines" promised on the A350 theme site or are we supposed to expect Aurinkomatkat charter service?
Feb 29, 2016, 4:30 am
#45
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,111
That main meal tray is almost identical to what intuition received on CPH-HEL flight, just something extra added – and SGN is one of the longest AY destination. Just ridiculous IMO. By the way, what was the another choice for main course?