Happened on a Sunday evening at HEL: I was travelling with my wife and some Spanish friends, our flight arrived around 9 p.m. with our connecting flight departing shortly before midnight. A good occasion to have a good dinner?

But the HEL realty: all the non-Shengen and Shengen restaurants had closed at 8 or at 9 p.m.! No food available in the entire terminal. Stupidly, I suggested that we could have at least a drink. No chance! All the bars and the Irish pub closed.

A drink in the lounge? Silver Wings and Golden Gate were closed, as well as the former domestic lounge. The GTW did have, as known, some beer and wine... and pasta. That was all.

Now, is this supposed to be one of the best airports in the world? Offering only sandwiches when it's dinner time for many PAX, especially for those from Southern Europe.

The worst part of the story was that I had made quite a lot of publicity for HEL and how nice it is as a hub...