FINNAIR - ABOVE AND BEYOND

My round trip flights to and from Helsinki on FINNAIR are worth sharing. Business Class service in both directions was relaxing, low key and totally stress free, thanks to the highly attentive team of in-flight attendants who enjoyed lavishing passengers with excellent service and better- than- I -expected food; menus were inviting with a wide choice of starters and entrees, and all the courses were served hot and attractively plated. The hot borsch with dollops of fresh sour cream was delicious, and tasted homemade. The seats recline to a comfortable pitch, and once we reached our cruising altitude of 37,000 feet, both the 7 ½ hours outbound and 8 hour return flights literally flew by.

Finnair flight

Flight attendants, who ranged in age from their 20’s to their 60’s, were friendly, professional, and very accommodating.  Shortly after take-off, when I took off my boots, one of the attendants came by, picked them up from the floor, and to my surprise, placed each one in a cloth boot bag and then in the overhead compartment. I was so overwhelmed by this courtesy (for me it was a first) that I wondered if one of Santa’s helpers was in the overhead compartment, waiting to shine them. My mint glazed lamb, served with baby roasted potatoes and crisp vegetables, was very tender, tasty and succulent. The wine list of white and red selections was equally impressive, and I must admit I sampled all of them, drinking out of etched crystal glasses with three little legs. On my tray there’s even a tiny navy snap envelope filled with a dozen toothpicks.

In-flight food service

Tuula Virta, the purser on my return flight has been flying with FINNAIR for 40 years. She tells me “my job is not just working; it is a lifestyle I love. I also like New York very much; it was our first long haul city in 1969”.

Our flight path takes us across the Denmark Strait; we fly over Trevkjavik south of Greenland and across the Atlantic. Service is with a soft smile and a caring touch. “Can I bring you anything“was repeated over and over again during the flight, a much appreciated attitude.

Finnair flight attendant

Captain Jirki Kantelinen, a veteran of 20 years of takeoffs and landings, brings the plane down with smooth effortless ease, almost like the landing of a graceful bird. When I commended him on the landing, he told me that in-fact it was quite gusty up there, which goes to prove experience is the key to a smooth flight, in spite of the weather conditions the pilot has to deal with, often unknown to passengers. I found flying FINNAIR a wonderful way to cross the Atlantic.

For more info and reservations: www.finnair.fi