JFK-HEL FINNAIR Business class report
Sep 5, 2003, 7:57 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Agoura Hills, CA USA
Posts: 2,662
JFK-HEL FINNAIR Business class report
As part of my AONE5 of which I have three, I wanted to travel on a Finnair intercontinental flight. Although I have first class RTW theere was no first class offered on this segment. Business and coach were all that were offered.
ARRIVAL
JFK was packed. Finnair shares a terminal with AA . I checked in two hours before the flight. The AY business class line was short. I was greeted by a very friendly agent, who gave me seat 4C . I was then told that I can use the Admirals Club . I took the elevator to the club and was able to grab an internet terminal, take a shower and have a couple of diet cokes before our flight . The flight was scheduled to depart at 5:55PM with a boarding time of 5PM. On this Saturday afternoon, the lines to get through security were very short. I went to gate 23 which was next to the Iberia flight to Madrid. Since both the HEL and MAD flights took of within 15 minutes of each other, the boarding area was extremely busy. However, I found a seat next to a couple going to Moscow through Helsinki.
BOARDING
All Business Class passengers boarded through a separate door. We entered the MD-11 and took an immediate left. C class was a 2 by 2 by 2 seating. The seats were blue cloth. The interior of the plane was immaculate. The seats themselves were very similar to the QF dreamtime seats. As I sat down I noticed that although coach was packed, C class was empty. I had two seats to myself. Immediately, I was offered water, OJ, or champagne, in the most beautiful crystal I have ever drank out of. Each seat had a personal TV with airshow and a selection of movies which was NO AVOD, but on a cycle. I had brought my own laptop and watched my own DVDs on it. Flight time was only 7 hours, due to strong tail winds.
MENU
DINNER
Tapas Style Platter
This was a platter with wonderful hard cheese, half a tomato with shrimp, prosciutto, artichokes, and excellent rolls with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Pepper Crusted Salmon with grilled vegetables
OR
Grilled breast of chicken with Tuscany style vegatables
I had the salmon. It without a doubt was the best salmon I have had in years. It was grilled with black pepper on the surface. It came with a saffron rice side dish as well as grilled vegetables. The food was sensational.
FRESH FRUIT
SELECTION OF CHEESES
or
CHEESECAKE WITH BERRY COULIS
I was too full to have the last course but it looked delicious.
After dinner, duvets were passed out as well as individual water bottles. I was quite tired, but unlike the flat beds in first class on other airlines, these AY business class seats, did not go flat. I was able to catch a bit of sleep, but just as I was dreaming of my next RTW trip, lights were turned on and breakfast was served.
BREAKFAST
Fresh orange and grapefruit juice
Fresh fruit salad
Cereals
Rolled ham filled with scrambled eggs.
Breakfast came with the most wonderful assortment of rolls I have seen in flight. There was warm croissants, warm scones, warm rolls, flatbread, various muffins and pastries. Great meal.
About 30 minutes after breakfast we were to land in HEL. I was actually very sad to see the flight end. But I do wish that AY had a first class . I could just imagine what the service and experience would be like. UNTIL NEXT FLIGHT...
ARRIVAL
JFK was packed. Finnair shares a terminal with AA . I checked in two hours before the flight. The AY business class line was short. I was greeted by a very friendly agent, who gave me seat 4C . I was then told that I can use the Admirals Club . I took the elevator to the club and was able to grab an internet terminal, take a shower and have a couple of diet cokes before our flight . The flight was scheduled to depart at 5:55PM with a boarding time of 5PM. On this Saturday afternoon, the lines to get through security were very short. I went to gate 23 which was next to the Iberia flight to Madrid. Since both the HEL and MAD flights took of within 15 minutes of each other, the boarding area was extremely busy. However, I found a seat next to a couple going to Moscow through Helsinki.
BOARDING
All Business Class passengers boarded through a separate door. We entered the MD-11 and took an immediate left. C class was a 2 by 2 by 2 seating. The seats were blue cloth. The interior of the plane was immaculate. The seats themselves were very similar to the QF dreamtime seats. As I sat down I noticed that although coach was packed, C class was empty. I had two seats to myself. Immediately, I was offered water, OJ, or champagne, in the most beautiful crystal I have ever drank out of. Each seat had a personal TV with airshow and a selection of movies which was NO AVOD, but on a cycle. I had brought my own laptop and watched my own DVDs on it. Flight time was only 7 hours, due to strong tail winds.
MENU
DINNER
Tapas Style Platter
This was a platter with wonderful hard cheese, half a tomato with shrimp, prosciutto, artichokes, and excellent rolls with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Pepper Crusted Salmon with grilled vegetables
OR
Grilled breast of chicken with Tuscany style vegatables
I had the salmon. It without a doubt was the best salmon I have had in years. It was grilled with black pepper on the surface. It came with a saffron rice side dish as well as grilled vegetables. The food was sensational.
FRESH FRUIT
SELECTION OF CHEESES
or
CHEESECAKE WITH BERRY COULIS
I was too full to have the last course but it looked delicious.
After dinner, duvets were passed out as well as individual water bottles. I was quite tired, but unlike the flat beds in first class on other airlines, these AY business class seats, did not go flat. I was able to catch a bit of sleep, but just as I was dreaming of my next RTW trip, lights were turned on and breakfast was served.
BREAKFAST
Fresh orange and grapefruit juice
Fresh fruit salad
Cereals
Rolled ham filled with scrambled eggs.
Breakfast came with the most wonderful assortment of rolls I have seen in flight. There was warm croissants, warm scones, warm rolls, flatbread, various muffins and pastries. Great meal.
About 30 minutes after breakfast we were to land in HEL. I was actually very sad to see the flight end. But I do wish that AY had a first class . I could just imagine what the service and experience would be like. UNTIL NEXT FLIGHT...
Sep 5, 2003, 9:11 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: PDX
Programs: On a collision course with Kettledom
Posts: 25,550
I flew AY HEL-SFO quite a few times (back when that flight existed); I always had seat 4A, for reasons unknown.
4B was always open, and 3A and 3B were always open.
I like Finnair.
4B was always open, and 3A and 3B were always open.
I like Finnair.
Sep 8, 2003, 2:40 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
Thanks for the wonderful Finnair report! I have yet to fly a long haul AY J flight. I originally scheduled one for the past summer, but due to SARS, AY slashed back its Asian flights and I had to reroute my flight through HKG. I will definitely keep your flight in my mind... I may give AY a try next time...the only thing that is not too pleasant is the situation at JFK -- really bad terminal... T8 is not too plesant when it comes to traveling.
Carfield
Carfield
Dec 1, 2010, 11:28 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Northeast USA
Programs: SQ-KF, AY-Plus, KE-SkyPass, DL-SkyMiles
Posts: 11
My Two Cents re AY Business
Nov 2010 Flew AY6 JFK-HEL (A330) and AY89 HEL-BKK (A340-300). Both flights had the old business class configuration. My return to JFK in mid-December is the A330-300, with the new configuration (so I'm told) -- subject of course to the pending strike! The old business class configuration consists of a 10-15 degree lie flat seat. Seats looked/felt dated, but worked nonetheless. IFE needs some help ... altogether, I believe there were 20 movies, some of which date back to the 80s and 90s. New releases were fewer than 5. Food was excellent (and on par with any European carrier flying a long haul route), as was service. I strongly recommend selecting rows 6 through 9 or 10. These rows are located in a mini-cabin between economy and the very front of the plane, where most business passengers select their seats. we were the ONLY ones seated in the mini-cabin, which is much more private.
Dec 1, 2010, 1:56 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Great report and Thank-You!
About the glasses - if you really like them, you can purchase them.
They are designed to look like ice, and I believe are from the 1960s.
It is a line called "Ultima Thule", made by a Finnish company called "Iittala" which has been around for a very long time! We have had this style at home for quite a while.
Just look it up on the internet.
About the glasses - if you really like them, you can purchase them.
They are designed to look like ice, and I believe are from the 1960s.
It is a line called "Ultima Thule", made by a Finnish company called "Iittala" which has been around for a very long time! We have had this style at home for quite a while.
Just look it up on the internet.