Finnair Airbus A350-900 Business Class Review [LAX to HEL]

^{The author flew as an invited guest of Finnair. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither the flight crew nor Finnair management had input in any part of this review.}

Airline: Finnair (AY)
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Flight #: AY2
Route: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL)
Date: May 12, 2025
Duration: 10 hours, 35 minutes
Cabin and Layout: 2 separate business cabins; 43 total seats in a 1-2-1 seating arrangement
Seat: 2L
Cost: $6,157 or 57,500 miles plus $5.60 per person (one-way)

“A business class seat that doesn’t recline? No interest in flying that.” I remember thinking that very clearly when Finnair announced its custom-designed Collins Aerospace AirLounge seats in early 2022.

I’m here today to admit that I was wrong about just how comfortable this seat can be during a flight.

Instead of offering a recline button that moved the seat in 1 direction, the seat felt like lounging around on my couch at home. Couple that with great food and excellent service, and you’ll get a fantastic flight experience across the ocean.

This was my first time flying these seats and my second time ever flying with Finnair, and I definitely hope it’s not the last.

Here’s a look at my flight experience.

Booking Finnair Business Class

Finnair is the only airline operating nonstop flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Helsinki (HEL). The lack of competition means it can charge a premium on these flights.

When I confirmed my flight roughly 2 weeks before departure, Finnair was selling one-way business class tickets for $6,157.

Luckily, there are booking options using points and miles. The Finnair Plus program was charging 62,500 Avios per person in business class.

Alternatively, American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan have awards on rare dates for 57,500 and 70,000 miles per person, respectively. Qantas Frequent Flyer has better availability but worse pricing at 90,000 points per person.

Paying 57,500 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 is the best bet when there’s award availability. Saving $6,157 by using 57,500 AA miles equates to a redemption value of 10.7 cents per mile — far above our average valuation of AA miles at 1.4 cents apiece.

Earning AA miles for a redemption is easy, given the number of credit cards that earn AA miles. It’s also possible to earn miles through AAdvantage eShopping, the AAdvantage Dining program, SimplyMiles, Shell’s Fuel Rewards program, and flying on Oneworld partner airlines. You also can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines at a 3:1 ratio or Citi ThankYou points at a 1:1 ratio (1:0.7 for non-premium cardholders)

Hot Tip:

If you’re paying for a Finnair flight, be sure to use a credit card with bonus rewards on airfare purchases. The Platinum Card^® from American Express is a great example, earning 5 points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com — up to $500,000 of these purchases annually, then 1 point per $1 spent.

Los Angeles International Airport

Checking In

Finnair uses the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. I was able to check in online 24 hours in advance, but neither Finnair’s website nor its app had an option to add my Known Traveler Number for TSA PreCheck.

I found a sprawling line when I approached the Finnair area in aisle C. Luckily, that was for another flight. Even better, there was a priority lane for business class and elites, and there was no one in this line.

A friendly agent called me forward and confirmed that I was heading to Helsinki. He checked my passport and happily added my TSA PreCheck number to the ticket before tagging my luggage. In just a few moments, I had a printed boarding pass and instructions on how to find the Oneworld Lounge.

Oneworld Lounge

Passengers in Finnair business class have access to the Oneworld Lounge on the fifth floor after security, near the P.F. Chang’s restaurant.

There was no sign that clearly said “Oneworld” at the entrance, but signs for Qantas and British Airways gave it away. I confirmed I was in the right place with an agent who scanned my boarding pass and welcomed me in … though no smiling was involved.

The lounge had multiple seating areas and circled around an open space with views all the way to the lowest level of the airport. Seats were also near the windows overlooking the security and check-in areas, but there weren’t views of any planes here.

Along with nooks, benches, and tables with chairs, the lounge had several long desks, which were ideal for getting work done. These desks also had outlets, including USB-A and USB-C ports.

The most interesting seating area was past the bar (to your right from the entrance). A ring of leather booth-style seats circled around a false firepit.

If you wanted the most comfortable seats, though, turning left from the entrance led to a drink station and some cubicles with a printer. Past that, these recliners looked great — though they were popular, and I never found one available to test out.

The lounge had complimentary Wi-Fi (no password needed), bathrooms, showers, and departure boards for guests’ convenience.

There was also a buffet at the rear of the lounge. There were multiple types of salads available, as well as snacks like pretzels and chips and salsa.

There were a handful of hot dishes available, and there weren’t signs next to them. Thus, guests just opened the serving trays as they moved along the buffet to see what was inside.

Instead, there was a single sign on top of the glass over the salads. This was only visible on 1 side of the buffet, and it wasn’t obvious to most people moving through the buffet at the same time as me.

The buffet also featured desserts like carrot cake and brownies. Alternatively, jars of sweets, including licorice, M&Ms, cookies, and more, were available on the back side of the bar. Bowls of olives and potato chips were also nearby.

Speaking of the bar, various liquors, wines, beers, and mixed drinks were available. When I asked what mocktails the bartender could make, he said he didn’t think he had “the ingredients to make that one.” I was stumped and just got juice instead.

Service in the lounge was good overall, as employees circled through the lounge regularly to clean tables and clear away empty dishes. However, I was surprised to notice a concierge desk at the lounge that didn’t have any employees and also didn’t have a sign directing passengers where to go if they had questions.

Boarding

I left the lounge 15 minutes before boarding was supposed to start. Unfortunately, that gave me more time to kill than I wanted.

We departed from gate 152. Boarding started roughly 20 minutes late, though we only departed 10 minutes late. That was a miracle, considering how disorganized boarding was.

First, only half of the electronic gates were working, but the gate crew insisted we line up at them anyway. Once other passengers in my group (group 1) had finished moving through the gates, then my line moved over to a working gate to get in — when we could’ve only lined up at working gates to start with instead.

Additionally, boarding started before the cabin crew was ready for us, so we stood around for several minutes in the jet bridge.

We boarded through the middle door of the plane. Once we reached the boarding door, the cabin crew greeted passengers with smiles and offered assistance with finding our seats. Though I didn’t see any flight attendants assisting passengers with putting their luggage into the overhead bins, they were present to answer questions and point out seat locations.

On Board Finnair’s A350

Cabin and Seat

The first thing I noticed was how tall the shells around the seats were, and I loved the navy blue color inside each seat.

Finnair has 2 versions of its A350 aircraft. The version I flew has the same 30 seats in a front cabin and then a smaller rear cabin with 13 seats for a total of 43. The other version of this plane has 30 business class seats in a single cabin.

There weren’t overhead bins in the middle section of the plane, making the cabin feel taller and more spacious.

The cabin was a stark contrast from my previous experience flying Finnair — also on an A350 but with the old cabin interiors. That was just a few months before Finnair announced the new cabins in early 2022.

I had seat 2L — the front seat along the starboard window.

On my seat, I found 2 pillows. The larger pillow was softer, while the smaller pillow was firmer. Having different firmnesses to choose from was a great touch.

Despite being a window seat, the seat wasn’t truly up against the window. Instead, there was a triangular armrest and storage between my seat and the window, with everything at an angle toward the window and away from the aisle.

I loved the wooden surface of the armrest. Here, I found Phitek noise-canceling headphones and the amenity kit.

When I moved these items, I was surprised to find a wireless charging point. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen one of these on a plane and had to test it to ensure it really worked (it did).

Buttons under the armrest controlled the lights in the footwell, the lamp near my shoulder, and a latch that released the tray table. There was also a button to lift the legrest and another to turn on the “do not disturb” sign, which turned my seat number red on the outside of the seat’s shell — noticeable in the aisle for cabin crew.

The tray table slid out from under the armrest on an arm. Pulling it moved the table to the end of the arm.

The table came out folded, and a small notch at the front made it easy to get a grip for unfolding it. The tray table had a wooden look that matched the armrest, and it had rounded corners for a unique look.

Before taking off, I was determined to learn how to lie down in the seat, given that there was no recline button. In front of me, I noticed this piece folded under the footwell and assumed I needed that.

Pulling a metal latch at the side allowed me to lift this piece up. It combined with the leg rest, which I could control using a button.

Looking into the footwell, I found a mattress pad, a striped blanket, and slippers.

I also appreciated the recessed lighting around the footwell, controlled with a button on the armrest.

Near my shoulder and along the window, there was a cubby. Inside, there was a USB-A and USB-C charging port, a headphone jack, and the remote for the entertainment system. The cubby’s shape and lack of depth meant it couldn’t hold much in the way of storage. Luckily, storage was available near the footwell, with a divider creating a slot for a laptop and another general storage bin.

The cubby had the same fabric as the rest of the seat on the outside, creating a uniform look when it was closed. It opened with a latch. I’ll note that the cubby door couldn’t close when I had the headphone cord coming out of it while I used the headset.

Above the cubby, there was a sophisticated lamp — much nicer than the small, button-shaped lights that pop out on most airline seats. This was controlled by the button panel under the armrest.

Overhead, I didn’t have air nozzles. I had a pair of reading lights (controlled individually) near the speaker and digital safety indicators.

There was a universal outlet near my feet — next to the life vest compartment.

When I lifted the leg rest and released the latch to fold up the moving part of the footrest, this created a lie-flat bed. Since it wasn’t a traditional business class seat with a button to recline and eventually put the seat down, that meant I needed to shuffle myself down into the footwell so I could lie down. That felt weird at first — as did getting out of the bed when I went to the bathroom during the night — but this was more comfortable than I expected.

There was generous space in most of the footwell, until you got to the end, which was quite narrow. If you’re really tall, this could feel cramped, but my feet didn’t go that far.

Near the storage bin, there was a safety strap that I could put over my waist while sleeping — basically a separate seatbelt in case of turbulence.

I loved several things about this unique seat. First, the walls around the seat were really high, creating a very private feeling. It was taller than my head when sitting up. Even without a closing door, everything felt very isolated from the rest of the plane.

I also loved how spacious the area around me felt in the seat. I could sit in multiple positions — or change positions — laterally, lounge like it was a sofa, scoot down into the footwell a bit, lean against the wall, etc. The space and layout let me get comfortable however I wanted.

Choosing the Best Seat

If you book Finnair’s cheaper tickets or redeem miles, choosing a seat in advance isn’t free — not unless you have elite status. In that case, picking a standard seat (the purple seats on the seating map) costs $119. Choosing a preferred seat before departure costs $180. Preferred seats include all of the solo seats at the windows.

As the seats are uniform, the window seats are all the same, and all middle seats are the same. Sitting in an odd or even row doesn’t make a difference. Passengers traveling together should request middle seats (D and H) because the divider between them can be lowered, creating a better travel experience.

Those traveling alone should aim for window seats (A and L) for privacy.

Amenities

Inflight Entertainment

Each passenger had an 18-inch touchscreen monitor. I found it quite sensitive, and movies I wasn’t trying to watch started playing more than once.

The entertainment system provided an overview of our flight, including when the lights would dim and what time meals would be served.

There were multiple movies, TV series, games, and music choices, as well as information about Finland and the Helsinki airport.

There also was a video for learning about the seat’s features. Too bad I didn’t find that earlier!

The system also had a feature for connecting flights, and choosing an onward flight (I randomly selected Istanbul) provided info about the onward flight’s departure time, gate location, and even a pop-up message later in the flight saying my next flight was delayed.

The remote was only partially useful, as the home button didn’t take me back to the main screen when I decided I didn’t like a movie and wanted to see something else. However, it worked well when I was playing games.

Amenity Kits

Amenity kits were already at our seats when we boarded. These came from Marimekko and had a gray and navy palette.

These small pouches didn’t contain much. Contents included an eye mask (matching the pattern on the pouch), earplugs, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. A note said that hand lotion was available in the lavatories, rather than distributing items that would be thrown away by many guests.

Lavatories

Business class passengers had access to 3 lavatories: 2 at the front of the plane, near the cockpit, and another between the 2 business cabins, near row 9. The lavatories weren’t large and didn’t have any special features beyond a standard bathroom.

There was a window in each of the front lavatories.

Pump bottles of soap and lotion were available for guests.

Internet

Finnair offers Wi-Fi service on all long-haul flights and on short-haul flights using Airbus aircraft. The Nordic Sky portal, as it’s called, provides free access to Finnair.com and Finnair travel information.

Some passengers, including business class passengers with a Flex or Classic ticket and those with Finnair Plus Gold status, get 1 free hour of internet service. For Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members, the service is free for the length of the flight.

For everyone else, using the internet costs money for most passengers. It was possible to pay for the service on board or add it to my booking in advance, ranging from $9 for an hour to $28.10 for the full flight.

There was also information about using the Wi-Fi on the entertainment screen, including a notification when it became available.

When joining the Wi-Fi network, my browser kept warning me that the connection wasn’t secure. After I accepted the warning and proceeded, entering my last name and seat number was all it took to claim a free hour of internet access.

Hot Tip:

Passengers who receive complimentary internet time should note that they’ll get a shorter allotment — just 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi — on short-haul Finnair flights within Europe and the Middle East.

Food and Beverages

You could prepurchase meals in the “Manage my booking” section of Finnair’s website. Mains included herb-roasted chicken, grilled salmon, and plant-based meatballs.

Upon boarding, I found a menu and drink menu on the armrest at my seat. Main dishes were the same I’d seen online for preselection. Choices for starters included a tomato and mozzarella dish and a crab plate. Desserts were a cheese plate, blueberry cheesecake, and chocolate mousse.

There were multiple cocktails and mocktails, as well as coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola products.

There was also a wine list, including Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut NV Champagne.

After we reached cruising altitude, we received a bowl of warm nuts and drink service while the crew prepared meals and took orders.

My flight attendant asked if I wanted to have dinner immediately or wait a while, which I liked. I had requested a vegan meal in advance, and Finnair delivered well in this area.

My dinner was roasted cauliflower in a spicy tomato sauce, served with saffron rice, veggie sticks with mint and beet hummus, a salad, and a roll. There was also a hot bread basket — something I always enjoy.

Typically, airlines offer a boring fruit cup as the dessert with my vegan meals. Last time I flew Finnair, I got vegan cupcakes. This time, I had a chocolate tart with fresh raspberries on top. I wish Finnair could teach U.S. airlines how to make vegan desserts.

About 90 minutes before landing, we had breakfast. This was a frittata with bacon, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, and fruits for most passengers. My special meal came with steamed veggies, fresh fruits, and a hot dish with beans, potatoes, and steamed greens, which were quite soggy. I also had a warm roll, apple juice, and a breakfast bar, which wasn’t vegan.

This was much more than I typically eat for breakfast, and I didn’t finish all of it.

There was also a snack bar for business passengers. Items available in the galley between the business cabins included pretzels, milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and mints. The crew also passed through the cabin offering snacks twice during the flight.

Service

Service was great during my flight. Multiple flight attendants were at the door during boarding with smiles and friendly greetings.

After I got settled, a flight attendant offered welcome drinks: water, Champagne, or blueberry juice — a Finnish staple. It was delicious. I had 4 glasses throughout the flight.

When I was playing with the seat features, a crew member noticed and came by to ask if I had questions about my seat. I got the impression they were aware this seat was different from those on most airlines and genuinely wanted to help.

Another aspect of the service that I liked was the respect for privacy. The cabin crew didn’t lean over the dividers at the seats. They always approached at the entrance to the seat and greeting me before offering drinks, saying it was meal time, etc.

The passenger behind me woke me up several times, and I got up to stretch my legs at one point. A flight attendant noticed me moving around and quickly appeared to ask if I needed anything. She was happy to bring a coffee to my seat and added chocolates on the side — noting that she’d seen on the passenger list that I’m vegan and assuring me the chocolates she gave me didn’t have dairy. The attention to detail from an employee I hadn’t even seen until that point was really fantastic.

Arrival at Helsinki-Vantaa

We received only the necessary announcements from the pilot as we approached Helsinki, landed, and taxied to our gate. He didn’t ramble, nor did the flight attendant who provided announcements about border control procedures, baggage claim, and onward flights.

Once we arrived at the gate, we deplaned through the middle door — the same one we’d entered through in Los Angeles. As my seat was in the front row, I was one of the last passengers from business class to leave the plane. At the door, I found flight attendants smiling and saying goodbye.

We exited into the non-Schengen part of the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, and I followed signs for baggage claim, though it was possible to just remain in this area for a connecting flight if I were heading to Asia, for example. There weren’t any employees at the gate providing instructions, but the signs were self-explanatory.

Final Thoughts

I was wrong about Finnair’s Collins Aerospace AirLounge seats on the A350 plane. While they don’t recline like typical airplane seats, I found the space available and options for getting comfortable in whatever way I wanted even better than a typical seat.

Plus, the food on the flight was excellent, and the crew members were friendly. I would absolutely fly this product again.