The Sweet Spot: Finnair's Premium Economy to Helsinki

DALLAS – Welcome to Dallas, TX. After a great flight onboard Finnair’s (AY) AirLounge seat, it is time to head back home on board AY’s new premium economy cabin. Finnair flies its flagship A350-900XWB to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and has recently intensified its frequencies to Texas.

The inbound flight from a few days ago was rather particular. Due to strikes in Finland, we stopped in Stockholm to refuel. You can read more about the experience here. The same happened to today’s inbound aircraft, causing a delay of almost three hours.

Dallas Fort Worth is arguably the most important global hub for the oneworld alliance. Not only does it host American Airlines (AA) headquarters, but it also welcomes daily flights from most oneworld partners, including Qatar Airways (QR), British Airways (BA), Japan Airlines (JL), and even Qantas (QF).

Today, I am back on board AY's A350-900XWB, flying in the premium economy after over ten years since my last Alitalia flight to Abu Dhabi in the same cabin. Let’s check out how it compares with its other two cabins.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport

Finnair uses DFW’s terminal D, which has its check-in located in the south part of the terminal. I arrived at the airport well before my flight and soon received a notification informing me of an almost three-hour delay due to a late aircraft arrival.

Similarly to our previous flight, the inbound A350-900 stopped in Sweden for refueling, adding nearly two hours to the overall travel time. This was not an issue, as I was in for a long layover in Helsinki before flying home to Amsterdam.

Finnair’s check-in area is relatively small, but there were no queues. I checked my suitcase and headed to security immediately. It was my first time in Texas, and I was positively impressed with the facilities at DFW.

Despite the large number of widebodies operating out of terminal D, there were almost no queues at security. The area behind security is well-equipped with lounges, restaurants, and shops. The seating area offers excellent views on the west parallel runways, with some seats with power outlets.

Since I arrived so early, and no lounge access is included with the premium economy fare, I considered taking the Skylink, DFW’s free transfer train, to explore other terminals and enjoy the elevated view of the apron.

Unfortunately, the weather had to be some of the worst I had ever seen at an airport, with rainfalls and thunders intense enough to shake the terminal’s windows, so I patiently waited for my flight to Helsinki.

Boarding, Seat

My aircraft today is OH-LWI, a 6.8-year-old Airbus A350-900XWB. This is my 6th-ever flight on the A350, and the first one on an aircraft that does not wear unique stickers or livery! The aircraft landed on the east side of the airport and taxied in front of Terminal D, parking between other oneworld Alliance giants. The south part of DFW’s terminal D is dedicated to airlines such as QR, QF, BA, AY, and AA.

We boarded with a considerable delay of almost three hours from gate D8. Here, business class passengers and status holders boarded first, followed by everyone else.

Interestingly, the ground staff could not accept digital boarding passes, so many passengers had to request a printed boarding pass to board the aircraft. After scanning our document, my identity was confirmed with a facial scan, and I was soon on board OH-LWI.

After boarding from door 2L, I went right to my seat, 22A, the second row of premium economy. The cabin is arranged in a 2-4-2 layout on the A350 and a 2-3-2 layout on the A330.

The front-row seats offer a slightly larger IFE screen, and you must store your belongings in the overhead bins for taxiing, take-off, and landing. AY refers to it as the ‘Preferred Seat,’ while the remaining rows are ‘Standard Seats.’

Waiting for me at my seat, a Marimekko amenity kit containing the same items as in business class: a blanket, a bottle of water, and, to my surprise, the same noise-canceling headphones that I found in business class. AY also includes a neck-supporting pillow to firm up your sleeping position.

The seat offers some increased storage over the economy class cabin. Under the touchscreen IFE, a small tray can be opened to store small items such as wallets, phones, and passports. This also hides the USB A charger.

A larger storage compartment underneath can hold water bottles, tablets, and laptops. Each seat has a universal power outlet, two reading lights, and a footrest that lifts when reclined. The headrest features multiple adjustments and is one of the most comfortable I have ever tried on an aircraft.

Finally, the most essential part is seat dimensions. The seat pitch is more extended by 7” compared to economy class, for 38”. Each seat is divided by a hard armrest and a small cocktail table. Due to the storage compartment in the back of the seat in front, the tray table is placed in the armrest.

Take-off and Dinner

We pushed back and waited a few minutes for a Turkish Airlines Dreamliner to taxi in front of us. Then, our A350 headed towards its designated runway for a northbound departure.

The weather was still poor, and my window was flushed with copious water during take-off. Due to our route, we barely made any after-take-off heading corrections, heading toward Canada and getting ready to cross the Atlantic.

The cabin lights were soon turned on, and the dinner service started. The most significant difference between economy and premium economy in terms of service is that the former cabin allows passengers to order almost any drink (champagne aside) free of charge. In the economy, you would need to pay for most of them.

A hot towel was handed out, and the aperitif service started soon. A few months ago, Finnair introduced its celebratory signature wines, and I tried the red version for the first time, which positively surprised me. Dinner was served with another drink option, so I went for the Northern Blush cocktail, which is also one of my favorites.

Premium economy passengers could choose between beef and salmon, and I regret not choosing salmon as my meal was a bit underwhelming. The DFW catering does not match the excellent options out of Helsinki, and my beef and polenta were not the tastiest aircraft food I’ve had. On the other hand, the cabin crew was always friendly and professional, making the service efficient and checking on the cabin multiple times.

The IFE features hundreds of movies, TV shows, games, an extensive in-flight map, and cameras. The main interface shows the flight phase, when food services will start, and all the essential travel information. The touchscreen was very responsive, and I found the system intuitive.

Now, to the Wi-Fi. As expected on such a new aircraft, a Wi-Fi connection was available. To my surprise, Finnair offers a limitless complimentary messaging service on its Airbus A321s in Europe (as long as you are part of AY’s fidelity program). However, such an option is unavailable on the A350, which is a shame. Wi-Fi plans are reasonably priced, although few people connected on this night flight. I decided not to connect and enjoy my much-needed sleep.

Goodnight and Good Morning

As we flew above Chicago (IL), it was time to recline my seat and sleep for as much as possible to readjust to the European time zone. Here, I noticed that the IFE box is placed precisely where your left foot would be, which limited the overall comfort. It was not a big deal as I fell asleep briefly.

After over six hours of good sleep, I woke up as we approached the Norwegian coast. A hot towel was served again, and salty breakfast service started soon. All premium economy passengers are served a cheese omelet, potatoes, spinach, and tomato.

I had a glass of AY's blueberry juice, which I abused on my flight to Dallas. This breakfast was significantly better than the dinner options, which I did not expect.

Seat 22A offers two large windows to look at the A350’s winglet and engine. For as long as the sky was clear, this replaced the touchscreen 13” IFE screen.

As we approached Helsinki, I checked the lavatories in economy class, which aren’t dissimilar from the business class ones, except for the window. Due to the 2-4-2 configuration, I asked my neighbor to stand up so that I could leave my seat.

A bar with water and blueberry juice was available at the back of the cabin; premium economy passengers could purchase snacks, as no complimentary options were available.

I returned to my seat and rushed to watch Lord of the Rings, which I watched around 30% off. I appreciated Finnair, including this trilogy and almost every movie by Christopher Nolan.

Back to Finland, Final Thoughts

After a 9-hour flight, we approached the snowy Finnish capital. Our A350 landed smoothly on runway 04L and taxied to gate 48. I then deboarded and prepared for another long layover, waiting for my A321 to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS).

All in all, Finnair’s premium economy features significant upgrades in terms of comfort. As much as the dinner quality was not the best, I am sure this problem affected all travel classes flying out of Dallas. The open bar may also attract customers who enjoy wines and drinks in the skies. The seat itself is a significant upgrade from the economy class cabin, and the higher storage, legroom, and reclining may be worth the extra cost on long flights to Asia, for instance.

The main issue is within the definition of premium economy itself. People may expect a business-like experience with all the comfort and amenities. While some, like IFE, headphones, amenity kit, and dining service, are closer to business class, sometimes even more than my expectations, the 2-4-2 cabin will always be nearer to any economy product. This is not necessarily bad if traveling in groups, but for single travelers, it could irrationally boost your expectations.

Finnair’s premium economy is a great example of cabin, service, and amenities for this traveling class. I was not expecting to find the same noise-canceling headphones in business class and the same amenity kit, for instance. The legroom has allowed me to always keep my large backpack with me to take pictures and film without asking my neighbor to stand up. Overall, the experience was a great bridge between economy and business class in a spotless, refreshed cabin.