In the context of a mileage run from LHR to HEL and back, I was fortunate today in flying back from HEL to LHR on a brand new Finnair A350-900. These are destined for long haul routes, but as they are completely new, Finnair is trialling them on short routes first. I noticed the aircraft type when I made the reservation, but was sure that my bad luck would win out and they would change the aircraft back to an A320 before I traveled.

But NO! This afternoon I found myself in seat 11A on this amazing aircraft.

So what do I think about it? Well, the ambience is bright and relaxing. The aircraft is super-quiet. The toilets are very smart. The business class seating is in a herringbone shape, 1-2-1. All seats have direct aisle access. The IFE is just amazing. The touch screens react much faster than the ones I am familiar with on BA CW and can be scrolled with a finger (and the moving map can even be stretched and pinched like an iPhone/iPad). There is far more space to put bits and pieces than in CW. Up until this point I was thinking that here is a product which will blow CW away.

But ... the seats are significantly less comfortable than those in CW. Specifically, I found that the seat was just not deep enough, and no amount of fine tuning could cure that. The footrest is fixed, unlike the adjustable footrest in CW. The seat goes fully flat for sleping, but the end (where your legs go) is very narrow (a little like the long haul ex BMI A321s BA use for some flights to TLV). I for one would not be so happy with it for a long night's sleep.

My conclusion: Finnair has put a good deal of thought into this product. However, my personal feeling is that they have gone for looks rather than actual seating/sleeping comfort. I would definitely choose BA's CW over it if I had a choice.