Airline Review: Finnair
For anyone who knows us or who has read the blog recently, you’ll know how in love we are with Finland and why we think it truly is Europe’s best kept secret - so who said coming and going can’t be just as fun?
Rarely we do have very positive experiences with an airline, and I mean rarely. Thats not to say that every flight we take is a nightmare, but the vast majority of flights do their job in moving us from point A to point B in one piece, or worse case, there is a delay, luggage issue or some other unforeseen problem. Flying from Helsinki to Prague earlier this year we headed to the Helsinki Airport early one morning anticipating an average flight experience, however from the second we entered the airport we knew something about Finnair was different.
FYI: Finnair operates daily shuttles from right outside the Helsinki Central Railway Station that will drop you off right at your terminal. For only a few euros it was a perfect option for us and easier than we imagined.
To start off everyone was exceedingly friendly, and not in a forced way and not overly polite, just downright friendly, and this lasted from the moment we checked in, to the counter staff, Finnair lounge staff, flight crew and stewards, everyone was nothing but helpful, bright and a joy to be around – quite unseen in aviation today.
We ended up arriving to the airport early enough to justify visiting the Finnair lounge for a couple hours before our flight, which ended up being an excellent choice. Complete with free, fast wifi, a complete and impressive breakfast spread, chairs, couches and tables of every size, and most importantly peace and quiet. The lounge is topped off with its own flight schedule with up to the minute flight details, which kept our stress level down and allowed us to relax in the lounge until right before we walked onto the plane.
“…they have truly found a loyal customer for life and we will always look for Finnair as our first option, we just hope it means we are flying back to Finland.”
Walking down the walkway to enter the plane we were honestly not expecting much, as we were simply on a short haul flight from Helsinki to Prague. We were lucky enough to have been kindly moved from economy seating to business class, which was totally unnecessary, but again, the kindness of the staff was everywhere. We were close to the first ones on the plane and thrilled with the seemingly extra leg room and comfortable chairs. The business class wasn’t over the top like on some airlines, after all it was a small plane, but to say we were uncomfortable would be a complete lie, it was actually the most comfortable and roomy I had ever been on a flight.
Our flight was on time leaving, arrived early and it was without a doubt the smoothest flight experience we have ever had. No luggage issues, we carried on our bags no issue, no delays, hiccups or anything else to speak of.
Ironically, a few weeks later we needed to fly again and after such a wonderful experience on Finnair the first time we chose it again. This time we did not sit in first class and were shocked to find the economy seats JUST as spacious and comfortable as those in first. I have never been on a flight on any airline (and we’ve flown on 27 already in 2014!) that had as comfortable an economy seating as Finnair did, they have truly found a loyal customer for life and we will always look for Finnair as our first option, and we can only hope we are flying back to Finland – the kindness and hospitality are truly endless.
But don’t take our work for it! Check out this awesome video that Finnair short recently when they launched their new route from Helsinki to China, I think it helps to illustrate how exactly they go the extra mile in their service and their smiles. With all the stress of travel, when you board an airplane it really is all the little things that make the difference in your flying experience, and step after step Finnair seemed to be right there, with an easy, friendly or fun way to make our journey a little brighter.
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Photo provided via Flickr by takoyaki 77