Originally Posted by
amnicoll
Thanks. Not flown on A350 before - and to be honest I got a bit put off going through the Finnair 350 sticky thread with 900+ contributions to try and find info
yes I was aware of the downside of the hop from Manchester and this is a problem with most (if not all) European short haul business classes and a far cry from the excellent shorthaul business class you get for similar flights and aircraft in the Far East
Not sure if I will have lost gold status by the time I fly and be back on silver but given transfer times are short unlikely to have time to use Sauna unless miss connection!
A350 is a great plane to fly with, quiet and very good air quality. Finnair has selected to have somewhat denser seat configuration in business class than some other carriers, but after flown quite a few times, I'd say the seats are quite comfortable after all (as I'm not very tall), the more I have flown with those, the more I have learned to like them, especially if I'm travelling alone.
Service on Finnair can be a hit or miss, with the better ones it can be outstanding, and lately I haven't run into any of the not-so-good ones. It is Scandinavian, efficient but friendly, definately not the fuzz one has used to with some Far Eastern or Gulf carriers. If that fuzz and pampering is what you are after, then Finnair prob will not be your choice. Catering has improved quite alot during last years and lately their signature menus have been very good.
Transfers should be quite painless. When arriving from MAN, there will be no additional security check or passport control so when you get to the terminal, you'll be entering the departure hall directly. Transfer times shouldn't be any kind of an issue.
One big advantage is that long haul is uninterrupted 9-10h flight, allowing sleeping, whereas with Gulf carriers it will be two shorter flights and perhaps some sleep in two parts, which definately is not my cup of tea.
After all, it is a question what you value when travelling. If you are not totally put off by the connecting flight MAN-HEL on an Embraer, and pampering onboard is not essential for you, perhaps you can try Finnair, as they do offer quite good connections and comfortable journey on the long haul flight.