PUCCI GALORE

Boys and Girls - I have just got back from ARN. I suspect that Oneworld have been left in the grotiest terminal at Arlanda. Poky is an understatement. Of course there is no BA presence, and everything is left in the hands of Finnair. I was utterly underwhelmed by the two ice maidens at the Sales desk. I suspect that smiling would have left a crack in their make-up. We had checked in on line and - unless I am not looking in the right place - I had no idea where the lounge was. Clearly neither had a lot of the other passengers. When we boarded I was staggered at the numbers who I had not seen in what had to be one of the daftest lounges that I have ever seen.

On this Forum I read thread after fascinating thread about people who have battled Lounge Dragons for admittance. Here I would have thought that less than half the pax had actually used it. Was it a subtle ploy not to tell people and let them find it? I have to say the entrance direction is well out of sight and thus not have to have them all in the lounge. Or do people just not bother. I could understand that as the lounge was nothing to write home about. The whole thing looked like it had been designed on the East side of the Berlin wall before the whole thing collapsed.There were no drinks other than soft drinks and a sort of tap for the most horrid Chardonnay that we have ever drunk and a couple of beer taps. There were three computer screens - but they all had Out Of Order on them. There were some twiglets and hot drinks. That was it.

If it had been a work day I would have concluded that a lot of people arrived at the last minute but that was not the case. Can anyone tell me if this is a regular occurance?

I was on the 767 (which I had not been on in a while) and the crew were delightful. Blue top abounded, and HI caught up on his Jack and Ginger (down VC10boy!).

I have to say the difference between these Oneworld lounges and what they offer never ceases to amaze me. On the strength of the Stockholm syndrome I shall not bother with them again. Do you do any better in Helsinki or is the bar semi-dry there as well?

db7

Don't know about the general lounge but the emerald lounge has a good selection of drinks - if HI is gold you should have been given the code by the Lounge Dragon.

As to Hel many lounges some better than others

G-BOAC

I am quite surprised, PUCCI. I've always found the lounge at ARN very nice (as db7 says, the Emerald bit through the door with the keypad which the lounge ladies can give you the code for is nicer). I also had a nice success rate at OpUps ex-ARN as a Silver! When I was last there with 2 colleagues the ladies couldn't do enough for us, even trying to move us to earlier flights on inflexible tickets due to delays (in the end, finally advising we'd be better off on our original as the delayed earlier flight was going to be even more delayed...they were right)!

As for finding it, well, last time I was there I recall it was fairly well sign posted, with one of those roll-down 'branding' things outside to clearly mark it before you have to go upstairs. I've never had any trouble...but then I'm rather anal about seeking out lounges if I don't know where they are - vital in order to keep on track with my aim to have a G&T in every airport lounge I'm entitled to

HEL is better (but I'd expect that as AY's home airport) in the International section. The Domestic lounge is not much cop (no booze, it's quite small) and the (several) other lounges in the Schengen area are OK. I'm sure I've mentioned before that if one has a lot of time there after a meeting ends early on an inflexible ticket, lounge hopping can keep things interesting

HIDDY

Oh, the wife and I are off to ARN next week but flying SAS so thankfully won't be visiting the lounge on the way back.
Maybe you set too high a standard PUCCI?

braefoot

I have nothing to add except I'm glad to see PUCCI back.
Margaret

BAGoldBoy

There are two lounges you can use in HEL and I have to say neither of them are very good. The selection of food is poor as is the wine and other booze. The lounges also get very crowded and the smoking section is is not enclosed so not very pleasant at all

db7

There are six lounges in HEL for international flights:

For elite card holders:

Golden Gate Lounge
Transit hall, second floor, opposite gates 28 and 29.


Silver Wings Lounge
Second floor, above gates 26 and 26A.

Finnair Long Haul Lounge
Non-Schengen terminal, transit hall, next to gate 33.


For Elite and business travellers with no status

Gateway Tower Lounge
Second floor, gate 25.

Gateway Lounge
Transit hall, opposite to gates 28 and 29, 2nd floor.

Gateway Fresh Lounge
Non-Schengen terminal, transit hall, next to gate 33.


I nearly alway use the Silver Wing lounge first and only go thorugh passport control to the AY Long Haul Lounge near boarding time.

The Silver Wings Lounge is the most pleasent has snacks and is manned by AY staff who can deal with most ticketing/BP problems

G-BOAC

Why would you use the left-hand section (where the smoking room is) as a Gold? The right is nicer. I find it can get crowded at times, but generally not for very long as people head out. It all seems rather efficient.

This is the International lounge after passport control.

Before passport control there are a couple upstairs - just by the 'main' security checkpoint if you've passed through from the AY desks. There's also one just before passport control opposite the shops/above a restaurant.

Further down in the Domestic terminal is the smaller Domestic lounge.

http://www.helsinki-vantaa.fi/files/...ice_FinEng.pdf

and

http://www.finnair.com/finnaircom/wp.../#target_19181

I am quite fond of the snacks they put out in the International lounge - and the Cava to be honest

Worthing Scottish

Have to agree here. As a non-gold, I'm kept in the barren wastelands of the front room. At least on my one previous experience, one of the PCs was working, even if the dragon didn't know if it was free to use (it was). We were on the late Sunday flight, and with my wife driving and myself up early on Monday for work, we were non-alcholic anyway. I'm back there in 2 weeks as well...

PUCCI GALORE

No one gave us the number to the lounges - there was no Dragon, we got the Lounge Lizard. To be quite fair - it did and compared with Bologna it was even agreeable given that even an empty space is more agreeable than a converted broom cupboard. The place had all the welcoming feel of a NHS hospital.

No one has actually given me any imput as to why so many people were not in the lounge. This is not the first time that I have noted this. LIS is another case in point.

The other comment I wish to add is to welcome BAGoldBoy back when I thought you had done a Phil the Flier and were here today and gone tomorrow. As far as that is concerned I am Keeper of Secrets as far as two members of Fliertalk are concerned. One is Highly Respected, the other is nearly ran. One writes to me, the other taunts me. Names I cannot divulge due to the Data Protection Act - but you know who you are! All I have for both of you is XXX.

Cargo Cult

Some might have been in the Emerald area that you shockingly weren't given the code for (I have been in this and rather liked it - great view, reasonable nibbles and booze and not generally very full). For the others, I think a number of people don't use lounges even when entitled, particularly at outstations where there is not a big obvious Terraces presence.

Partly it might be ignorance (not understanding that the Finnair lounge is there for BA pax too), partly that they just don't see much value in lounges (particularly applicable to those not interested in free food and drink - weird but true ) and will happily just wander around for a bit and go sit by the gate, and partly that some CE pax will be arriving relatively late and not feel that they have time to bother with the lounge. The last of these has certainly applied to me in the past, but I don't understand the previous two positions - maybe these are the same people who don't select seats

helahela

Nothing personal against any of you fine people, but it never stops to amaze me how to criticize a different taste in design.

So I might as well critcize it back. People (predominantly English), that put carpets into bathrooms and think that wall to wall carpets are the next best thing after sliced bread and nonworking replicas of fireplaces in the livingroom add extra value to the house don't qualify as a reliable source in interior design.

HEL/ARL lounges are very very nice and I will prefer them to Terraces any given time.

Cargo Cult

I wouldn't imagine that someone as well travelled and sophisticated as PUCCI would be one of the chintz brigade that you seem to imply... As I said, I quite liked the lounge at ARN (although I spent little time in the main part of it), but wooden floors and metal fittings do not necessarily automatically make a good design. PUCCI described it as looking like it has "been designed on the East side of the Berlin wall before the whole thing collapsed" - this says nothing about any preference for carpets and chintz, and much of her criticism was specifically angled at the poor provision of food, drink and facilities in that part of the lounge.

I've seen my share of stylish lounges with terrible food and drink provision (BCN springs to mind), so can understand this. Always nice to appreciate a good bit of design in a lounge, but I'd rather not go thirsty and hungry to do so...

adrianjc32

Hmmm, personally I think that laminate is the new faux par to make, but thats just me. I think the carpet thing dates back to pre central heating and this is a fairly cold country, anyway all a bit o/t. I don't see what is wrong with people forming opinions about a product that they have paid for just because they are not in their own country. It is not an assault on the Scandanavians, simply an observation about a lounge (with a poor reputation in the industry). If a BA passenger does not like it that is fair enough, if people find it dull and uninspiring that is their personal opinion and no less valid based on nationality. Anyway, I rather suspect that PUCCI does not have flock wallpaper and a carpeted bathroom, but even if she does she is still allowed an opinion on what is supposed to be an international product.

BAGoldBoy

PUCCI - you know how it is - there's this pesky thing called work that keeps getting in the way and there's also the new west wing construction work that is still ongoing due to your stringent requirements