Finnair introduced its new AirLounge business class seat in 2022 and completed the full A350 cabin retrofit in 2024. The new seat has been widely discussed, and although most feedback is positive, one major controversy is that the seat cannot be reclined at all.
The A350 mostly serves long-haul routes, but there’s a nice perk for European travellers: Finnair operates a daily A350 between London and Helsinki. This time, I was returning from a long weekend in Lithuania and booked Vilnius – Helsinki – London for 18,000 Avios + €32, a great deal.
Vilnius Airport has only one lounge, Narbutas, shared by premium passengers and Priority Pass holders.
The layout is clean and compact with a refined colour palette.
Hot food options included local pastries (delicious) and soup, plus a good selection of boxed sandwiches and salads.
There was even a variety of ice creams.
Overall, the Narbutas lounge was decent. As for the Helsinki lounge, I didn’t have time to visit at all: my layover was only 50 minutes! Honestly, I was a bit nervous when booking, but I trusted Finnair’s experience is handling the connection.
The first flight ended up delayed by about 15 minutes, and then we had to take a bus to the terminal. I sprinted through the airport – since it was a Schengen to non-Schengen transfer, I had to go through passport control, and the line looked terrifying.
Luckily, there was a special lane for tight connections. The officer spent ages flipping through my passport for an entry stamp while I anxiously watched my watch.
Finally, I dashed to the gate to find boarding still in progress. Turns out there was no need to rush: the aircraft was ready but departure was delayed by half an hour to wait for connecting passengers and luggage. Finnair clearly has plenty of experience managing tight transfers.
The A350 I boarded featured the special Santa Claus livery.
The business cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, primarily in white and dark blue, creating a sleek and fluid look.
Pairs can choose the middle seats with a retractable divider, while solo travellers will obviously want a window seat.
The first impression is how spacious the seat is, which feels almost as wide as Singapore Airlines’ old business class. The seat design is unique – not a conventional reclining shell, but a smooth, hard casing.
It looks a bit strange, but actually feels quite normal and comfortable once you sit down.
Since this was a short-haul flight, service was scaled down significantly: no amenity kit, and only simple disposable headphones.
There’s wireless and USB charging, and a universal power socket.
A small recessed storage bin sits by the side.
The monitor is fixed directly in front, so it’s not affected during take-off and landing. It’s large, responsive, and supports multiple languages.
The entertainment selection is modern and diverse, with some nostalgic titles like Friends. I watched Caddo Lake, which was surprisingly good.
You can also switch to the live camera view to enjoy the scenery.
Meal service was simplified and you don’t get to choose.
The starter was marinated fish, followed by chicken breast as the main. I’m usually not fan of either dish, but they were surprisingly tasty. The cinnamon bun for dessert was excellent too.
Now back to the hardware, and let’s talk lie-flat mode. As mentioned earlier, the AirLounge seat cannot be adjusted in any direction. To lie flat, you lift a panel from under the seat cushion, forming a continuous bed surface.
Ignore the small gap in the middle, which was just my silly user error.
The space is generous in both length and width. Even though it’s not fully enclosed (no door), privacy is adequate. Personally, I found it comfortable, but the feedback I’ve collected from longer flights is not as good. Also, since the backrest doesn’t recline, you can’t lounge in a “half-lying” position.
A fun detail: from the lavatory, you can enjoy sky views while using the toilet.
The three-hour flight flew by quickly. Despite the short duration, I managed to explore almost every aspect. Overall, I was impressed: the hardware, catering, and entertainment all exceeded expectations. Finnair’s business class is solid and reliable, and given how good its redemption rates are for flights between Europe and Asia, I’ll likely fly them again.
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