This business class seat doesn’t recline. But it’s not what you think

“Are you familiar with our seats?” a smiling flight attendant asked me before adding, “They don’t recline”. I’d just strolled on to the very front end of Finnair’s Airbus A350, so I’ll admit I was a little confused.

But all was not as it seemed, and it soon became clear I would still be in for a very comfortable journey. A non-negotiable really, as I strapped in for 23-plus hours of travel time.

I was on Finnair’s inaugural flight from Melbourne to Helsinki, via Bangkok, which is the airline’s first direct service between Australia and Europe.

Until now, Finnair only operated out of Sydney via code share. The new route now makes Melbourne the only Australian city to be served by an airline from the European Union.

Plus, it opens up a new gateway for Aussies to Thailand, Finland and, of course, Europe beyond.

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The detail that saved this economy flight from Sydney to LA

Boarding

Check in at Melbourne Airport (and again when re-boarding in Bangkok) was off to a slow start, but can be written off to teething issues as can be expected when dealing with a brand-new airline or route.

There was plenty of fanfare at the departure gate, including a special appearance from the Big Man himself, Santa.

It just so happens that Finnair is the official airline of Santa Claus, and he was on board the flight heading back to his home in the Arctic Circle.

Once on board we were greeted by a Thai crew for the Melbourne to Bangkok leg, before a mixed Thai and Finnish crew took over between Bangkok and Helsinki.

Welcome drinks in the iconic Iittala glassware, designed to mimic icicles, consisted of champagne, the famous Blueberry juice, or water.

The seat

This brought us back to the seat, where I was getting a 1:1 from a crew member about how to operate Finnair’s unique and award-winning AirLounge business class seat.

As previously mentioned, it doesn’t actually recline in the traditional sense, yet still transforms into a completely lie-flat bed.

Instead, the two parts of the leg rest lift up to create the bed, while the seat back remains in a static position.

The seat itself is comfortable. There is a handy side compartment with headphones, TV remote, and charging ports, plus another small stowage spot at the base of the table, which was good for a book and my own headphones.

The fold out tray table was on the smaller side, but not an issue with the extra shelf space to the side, which also conveniently included a wireless phone charging spot.

Another piece of design genius came in the form of a second seat belt that comes out waist height when lying down, so you can remain comfortably strapped in while sleeping and have no clucky buckles or anything digging into your back.

The main downside I found with the overall design was that you can’t adjust the recline itself while seated, which is not as upright as traditional seats. So if you want to work or eat and sit up a little straighter you’ll need to resort to using the multiple pillows on offer.

In-flight entertainment included a decent number of options, including a few major HBO shows, the Harry Potter series, and new releases like Devil Wears Prada 2.

The home screen also had a great indicator offering helpful information showing flight time, exactly how long until each meal/service will be delivered, plus when the lights would be turned off.

And you could order snacks and drinks straight to your seat.

I skipped the meal service on the second leg as I was ready for bed and the crew were extremely respectful and attentive to whatever I wanted to do.

Given how long the travel time is on this route though I’d love to see pyjamas added to the amenities for travellers. Otherwise, the kits included a toothbrush, toothpaste, ear plugs and a surprisingly plush eye mask.

The food

To celebrate the route’s destinations, the food onboard similarly heroes both Thai and Finnish fare.

After an entrée of two dishes – no need to choose – you then have the choice of three mains, I opted for the seared potato gnocchi with mushroom and lentil bolognese, roasted capsicum, parsley and cheese. It was a large serving, but there is always room for dessert.

The honey crunch cake was a relatively light sweet treat to finish. Couple with the Northern blush signature cocktail, made with Denmark gin, lingonberry and orange peel.

I also loved the mocktail option blueberry fizz, which is blueberry juice and sprite.

A second “light meal” service just before our stop in Bangkok was much more substantial than I expected. It also had two meal choices, I went for the Oriental chicken stir-fry with egg noodles, mesclun salad with semi dried tomatoes, artichoke and fresh fruit, which I couldn’t fault.

The Finnish are known for their bread, and the rolls and pastries throughout the journey were some of the freshest I’ve had in the sky.

Coming into Helsinki, a breakfast meal was served that was probably the lowlight of the food offerings. Warm scrambled eggs with cheese, and a soggy hash brown left much to be desired but the crispy croissant, cold cut meat and yoghurt got me through to landing.

The menu changes on the return flight to Australia, one highlight here was the chocolate and pistachio dome cake I had for dessert on the final leg before home.

Snacks also rolled by constantly, with chips, some Thai treats, and chocolates, fruit bowls, wraps, small sandwiches, plus a surprise packet of Haribo gummy bears.

Crew were friendly, offering service with a constant smile. On some long-haul flights it can often feel like the crew disappear for a while – almost like we’re left to fend for ourselves.

But not in this case. Indeed, my water glass was perpetually filled to name just one thing.

The lounge

Finnair operates two primary international (non-Schengen) lounges at Helsinki Airport, I visited the Business Lounge near gate 52.

On offer was some of the freshest food I’ve seen at a lounge, with salads and soft bread all punching well above their weight.

For dinner, I enjoyed meatballs in cranberry cream sauce, fluffy mash potato and salad.

The flight home from Helsinki didn’t leave until midnight so it was great to have a chance for a shower. You’ve got a 30-minute window to freshen up.

The verdict

I’ve only heard positive things about Finnair from fellow travellers and was not disappointed with my first experience of the European carrier.

The interiors of the plane felt new despite being redesigned back in 2022. The service was top, snacks were elite and having a literal lounge seat in the sky was a wonderful experience.

I definitely already had a smile on my face before we had even landed in what is considered the happiest country in the world.

Not only that, but as it is also the official home of Santa Claus, this felt like a magical new option to make your way to Europe.

The writer travelled as a guest of Finnair. All opinions are our own.