As part of our Chasing the Northern Lights trip to Iceland and Norway, we flew Finnair flight AY100 from Hong Kong to Helsinki. This was the second segment on our award booking via Asia Miles.

Before the flight

We checked out multiple oneworld lounges at Hong Kong including several Cathay Pacific and Qantas lounges, which I’ll cover separately. Boarding was smooth and quick, with priority given to oneworld Emeralds, Business Class, and oneworld Sapphire members as usual.

The seats

Finnair’s new AirLounge business class seats are unique in that they do not recline. Designed with a clean Nordic aesthetic, these seats resemble classic Nordic furniture more than traditional aircraft seats. Instead of reclining, you adjust your position using two pillows provided at your seat, and additional pillows can be requested though we didn’t do so. While this non-reclining concept isn’t for everyone, I found it very comfortable still, to each their own I guess.

For this trip, we were seated in 10D and 10H, the bulkhead middle seats. The cabin features a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout, so if you’re in the middle seats, you’ll be facing your travel companion.

Given 10D and 10H are middle seats, they felt very private even without doors, mainly due to the size and design of the AirLounge seats. The seat came with two pillows, a blanket, and a duvet. An amenity kit designed by Marimekko was already waiting at the seat.

Here’s a look of the forward cabin from a previous Finnair flight.

Most European airlines these days do not provide extra amenities unless you specifically ask for them, as part of their sustainability efforts. So if you need it, you can always request lip balm from SEES as well.

Storage space is generous, though the footwell felt a bit narrow but still manageable for me. After takeoff, I loved the cabin lights that mimicked the dance of the Aurora Borealis. It was such a nice touch!

In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi

The Nordic Sky in-flight entertainment system is very modern, with great content selection. You can check out the in-flight entertainment content prior to your flight.

Business class passengers and Finnair Gold members also get one hour of free Wi-Fi, while Finnair Platinum members enjoy free Wi-Fi for the whole flight. We used the Wi-Fi, it was mostly reliable except for some spotty coverage over certain regions like China.

Food and drinks

Pre-departure drinks offered included a choice of Finnair’s blueberry juice or champagne. I chose the blueberry juice, which was really nice.

Menus can be pre-booked about a month in advance. On this flight, I had the sole fish with roast potatoes. The Northern Blush cocktail, inspired by the Northern Lights and made with Finnish lingonberries, gin, and orange peel, was also a good choice.

Service on Finnair is generally a one-tray offering to my observations after a few long-haul flights, so all your food comes on one plate rather than serving appetizer first, then main course. I personally think for a long-haul flight, it’s fine, since I would prefer to rest as soon as I can.

If you’re hungry, there are snack baskets with chocolates, gummies, chips, and self-service drinks available in both galleys. Not pictured is that the front galley also stocks additional amenities such as toothbrushes, SEES lip balms, and mouthwash.

Breakfast was served the next morning, and I chose the sausage with omelette.

Final thoughts

This was a solid experience and one I’ve repeated several times, including a similar trip last year from Bangkok to Helsinki chasing the northern lights. The AirLounge non-recline seat is definitely a unique concept. While it won’t suit everyone, I found it comfortable and enjoyable.

If you prefer traditional fully flat beds, this might not be your ideal seat, but for its pricing and award availability on this route, the product is an extremely reasonable option. Overall, it delivers a relaxing and distinctive business class experience that fits well with the Nordic theme and the route itself. I would definitely fly Finnair on this product again.