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Flight Review: Helsinki to Bangkok in Finnair’s New Business Class (Part 2)

June 6, 2013 at 4:20 PM | by | Comments (0)

Having talked you through the basics of our time in Finnair’s latest business class, we’re finishing up today with more on the airport experience, seat comfort, and in-flight service during our two, 11-hour runs between Helsinki-Vantaa and Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi airports.

Airport experience

Helsinki’s Vantaa airport must be one of the easiest in Europe for passengers rushing to a connecting flight, with a minimum time required between flights of about 30-40 minutes. The business class lounge, however, is not one with which we're super impressed, owing to the fact it's one large open space that's often so crowded you can barely find a seat. If you do magically have your choice of seats, head for the recliners facing the windows. There are at least shower facilities if you want to freshen up before catching your next flight.

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Flight Review: Helsinki to Bangkok in Finnair’s New Business Class (Part 1)

June 4, 2013 at 2:06 PM | by | Comments (0)

We recently showed you some pictures of the business class product Finnair is rolling out across its entire fleet of long-haul Airbus planes, and now we can tell you what it’s like to fly it, having spent nearly 24 hours in the cabin on a recent trip to Thailand.

As it happens, one leg was an overnight and one leg was a day flight, giving us plenty of time to put the product to the test for both sleeping and lounging/working. Flight AY89 left Helsinki Vantaa (HEL) at 5.10pm, arriving at Bangkok Survanabhumi (BKK) at 7.15am the next morning. Flight AY90 left BKK at 8.55am, arriving at HEL at 3.20pm the same day. Naturally, in the name of proper research, we also picked two different seats on opposite sides of the cabin in our quest to find the best seat of all.

We’ll break down our experience for you in parts, starting with how we ended up on Finnair, the cabin & first impressions, and which seat you should choose.

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Say HEL-lo to Helsinki: Inside Finland's Deserted Aviation Museum

September 14, 2012 at 12:37 PM | by | Comments (0)

HEL-lo Helsinki! Hilarious puns on the city's airport code (HEL) aside, our man about the world John "Yes, That John" Walton has been spending some down time in Helsinki this year, and has some great recommendations all this week for things to do in the world's most northerly capital!

Who can turn down an afternoon poking around a completely empty aviation museum, with old planes just waiting for you to clamber around them?

Not us! Ee spotted the Suomen Ilmailumuseo while taking the hotel bus to a Helsinki Airport hotel earlier in the summer, so on our return to HEL, with a carefully crafted morning free, we made sure to stop off.

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How You Can Help Helsinki Airport...via Pinterest

May 22, 2012 at 9:19 AM | by | Comments (0)

So Helsinki Airport is going to open a library or, rather, a "book swap." Typically we wouldn't hear about this until the book swap officially opens to the public, but the advance warning comes courtesy of Helsinki AIrport's surprise obsession with social sharing network Pinterest.

HERE is Helsinki Airport's book swap board, where they are "pinning" actual decisions for their book swap, as well soliciting comments and additional inspiration to polish out the program. From whom? From you, if you're on Pinterest and at all intrigued by the idea of helping shape a space where travelers can come for their literary fix. Want to review the floor plan? It's there. Their possible QR-coded book plates? It's there. Lots of other library porn? Oh yeah—it's there.

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Angry Birds in an Airplane! Kinda Sorta.

February 9, 2012 at 11:40 AM | by | Comments (0)

We're not going to lie, but Angry Birds might still be our favorite game to play on a plane. It can be played when in airplane mode (ahem, Alec Baldwin) and is the only game that makes us occasionally laugh aloud, all while flinging birds towards mean little pigs. Well, the creators of the game have already announced opening up theme parks designed around the game, but there's more (of course).

If you're huge fan and you've already got Angry Birds flip flops, hoodies, keychains and all those little tchotchkes, our recommendation for your next layover in Helskini is to stop pulling the slingshot and hit the new shop for your favorite characters. The Finnish masterminds behind the game have opened up a little plane-shaped Angry Birds kiosk-shop in the middle of Helsinki International Airport.

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There's Something About Finland

March 25, 2009 at 10:56 AM | by | Comment (1)

The last time we were in Helsinki, we honestly believed it was enchanted. Stumbling off a flight from New York, we entered a well-scrubbed terminal with bright yellow trays at a clean cafe and cheery flight attendants zipping from one end of the terminal to another on scooters.

Had we tried to boot up while we were savoring our coffee and plotting to become Finnair frequent flyers, we would have found another delight: As of November 2008, wireless Internet is free in the terminals at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport thanks to Finava, the national civil aviation administration. Now your fingers can fly with as little resistance as you do!

Had a fantastic experience in an airport recently? Tell us about it.

Related Stories:
· Free WiFi at the airport in Helsinki - Finally [Life2Go.net]
· Live Your Prisonbreak Fantasy in Finland [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Map [Jaunted]

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