Finnair Bangkok-Helsinki Review
Flight Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
Business Class
General Impression: 
And again: Absolutely amazing and comfortable seat with an absolutely terrible inflight service. Maybe you should change your inflight service product manager.
Before the Flight :
Check-in Process:
Security Control :
Lounge:
Information:
Boarding @ Gate:
Staff @ these points:
Boarding in Cabin:
Welcome Drinks:
Punctuality: , 2min early
, 2min early
During the Flight :
Food presentation: 
Food quality:
Drinks:
Service Procedure:
Amenity Kit:
Entertainment System:
Seat Quality:
Legroom:
Lavatories:
Cleanliness:
General Atmosphere:
Announcement Pilots:
Announcement Cabin:
Cabin Crew:
After the Flight :
De-Boarding:
Baggage Delivery:
—-
= bad, a lot of work needs to be done
= poor, you will be busy with corrections
= good & normal, nothing special
= high level, but the icing on the cake is missing
= topnotch, leave me here!
= Half a Point/sheep
—-
On the Ground:
We checked in on the mobile phone via the app the day before. Never the less, you have to see a check-in counter as self service check-in will not provide you with a boarding pass.
We had to see a counter anyhow as we had to drop our luggage at the airport.
The Finnair check-in is in Area N at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They have 3 counters for priority check-in. There was no queue at all in front of us. The agent was friendly and the check-in
process was done in no time.
It is funny to see, that the passenger handling for Finnair in Bangkok is done by Lufthansa.
There is a special priority security check point by entrance 3.
No queue at all and we could walk straight to the checkpoint. There is no logic at the security check in Bangkok. Whilst flying 1 week earlier to Chiang Rai, we did not have to remove the
shoes or belt. They even told passengers to keep them on.
Today everyone hat to remove their shoes, doesn't matter what type.
Agents were not the friendliest we have seen and had.
As we had to go through emigration there was no queue at all and also here we were able to simply walk through without queueing. Staff was super friendly.
Once through security and emigration we made our way to the Miracle Lounge, which is the contracted lounge of Finnair in Bangkok.
The lounge is located next to gate D5 and so right in the middle of the Terminal building.
The lounge is quite big. Unfortunately a huge amount of airlines use this lounge and they do also accept almost all available Lounge entry cards. This should tell already a lot about the
quality.
The Lounge itself was okay. Nothing of the extra ordinary.
They had different food and beverage stations. All hot food items were actually cold.
The staff was unfriendly and grumpy. Really really strange for Thailand. (maybe they were at the end of their nightshift?)
Boarding started 30 minutes prior departure.
There was an entire armada of gate agents at the gate and passengers were separated into different groups and waiting areas. Like this it was an easy task to board by zones.
Staff at the gate was okay and they their job.
At the aircraft door we were greeted by a very friendly senior cabin crew member.
The crew was very friendly and helpful whilst boarding.
The seats were already fully equipped with headphones, amenity kits, slippers, the menu as well as a bottle of water.
There were also 2 pillows, a blanket and a mattress on each seat.
Once everyone was on board, the crew passed with welcome drinks. You had the choice between champagne, orange and blueberry juice.
Inflight:
We had again the luck to get an Aircraft already equipped with the new Finnair business class seat. The seat is absolutely stunning and amazing.
Today's version of the Airbus A350 has a total of 42 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
The new seats are absolutely huge and you offer personal space which is never ending. The seat can not be reclined but you still have so many options. It is more or less like your couch at
home. Once you lay down you even have enough space for your shoulders.
After take off, the cabin crew first distributed hot towels and then they made a round of drinks with juices and smoothies.
Then the crew started with the first service which was breakfast.
There were no table clothes placed on the tray, just a full size tray was distributed with a small hot spinat quiche, fresh fruits, a joghurt and a mixed salad with salmon tartar.
The crew offered tea and coffee as well as other drinks alongside the breakfast. Once everyone had finished the tray, the crew came with bread rolls and Danish.
After one hour and 30 minutes into the flight, the service was finished.
In between the 2 services the crew was very active and passed very often with snacks and offered drinks.
Around 6 hours into the flight the crew did a service with sandwiches and a full beverage service from the trolley.
Around 3 hours prior to landing, the crew started with the main service.
First they offered an aperitif with mixed nuts, followed by a hot towel service before they startet the real service.
They placed tablecloths on the tray tables and then (also this time) simply distributed a full size tray with everything on it. The tray included a small Asian salad with tuna and a very
small starter (grilled chicken) and the hot meal.
The dessert and/or cheese is offered later and comes with tea and coffee.
This service does not represent at all a current business class service offered on a 12hours+ flight.
The presentation of the food was okay and so was the quality. The food was not wowww but it wasn't the worst either. A mediocre meal.
I know Finnair is currently finding a new normal for them but with such a service they will not be able to win new customers.
They definitely need a new inflight product manager wo does a competitors analysis. Selling premium economy for business will not work!
Finnair is having such an amazing new business cabin with the new seat but the inflight service is exactly what other carriers (also European and North American Airlines) are offering in premium economy.
Simply based on the inflight experience of my last two Finnair long-haul flights I would not choose Finnair because of their inflight service, as other carriers are way ahead of them.
Their service seems to be still in covid mode and/or under massive cost cuttings and way not able to compete.
The cabin crew on this flight was much much better than the crew ro Bangkok. Today's crew was really great. The crew was interacting with all customers, took the time (which we had plenty) for a chat and offered help where needed. They were so much more engaging.
Bathrooms were checked throughout the flight and were always clean and restocked.
The amenity kit is ok and offers the regular content. (toothbrush, eye mask and some lipbalm and cream as well as some earplugs).
The inflight entertainment is good and the screens worked fine. Each seat has a huge screen and the resolution is perfect. The screens are touch screens but you can also choose the handheld
devices to navigate.
Finnair has a wide variety of movies, films and series.
The aircraft would have been equipped with WiFi. The prices would have been moderate but we did choose to relax. WiFi for the full flight would have cost 24.90US$.
As business class customers you have one hour free WiFi. We used the free hour and had to find out that the internet is super slow.
Finnair has in my eyes one of the best apps for an airline. You get all the necessary information within the app and the most important information is pushed.
You couldn't hear any of the announcements on this flight as they were way way to silent.
It was impossible to understand the pilots announcements nor the announcements of the cabin crew.
Baggage delivery in Helsinki worked very well. First bags were delivered on the belt 17 minutes after arrival and priority bags were first bags on the belt.
Unfortunately one of our bags was broken. So I had to see Finnair's baggage service team at Helsinki airport. What a disaster for a home carrier airline in customer service. They aren't able
to exchange the bag here and filled out a report. As we are living in Switzerland, there is no luggage dealer they are working together. So either I have to send the broken suitcase by
post!!! To Germany. I just checked, this costs me around 75€ for the size of my suitcase. The dealer will check if it can fix the suitcase or if he will replace it and send it back to me.
Otherwise I could try to figure it out with customer relations? Seriously Finnair? Do you think it makes sense to pay 150€ postage rate for a suitcase which did cost around 119€???
Our summary:
The ground product in Bangkok was okay. Nothing out of the ordinary.
The new business cabin with the new business seat is simply amazing. Lots and lots of space to sleep. I am 1.80cm tall and no problems to lay down on the back, belly and side and still having
massive amount of space available.
The crew was much better on this flight and very nice and engaging. They showed more passion and enthusiasm for what they do.
The inflight service again was a disaster and not worth to be called a business class in flight service on a long haul flight and especially not to Asia.
Other carriers serve this in premium economy on the Northatlantic. Very very disappointing inflight service.
Based on the experiences of the last two flights, I don't know if I would reconsider booking Finnair.
The seat is awesome but a very poor inflight service.
With such an inflight service, they can only win over the price. That is currently dangerous given the situation they are in.
There are other and better choices on the market.
Notes:
- Paul the Sheep does not get any benefits from the Hotels/Airlines etc.
- Paul will always pay for the services in order to be able to rate freely and truly about the experiences.
-If you are interested in more details, please send me a private message and I will be happy to share