Will there be PJs? Return to Finland

[Skyring]

My Qantas flight is a Finnair "wet lease", meaning it's Finnair equipment and crew but Qantas supplies including food, drink, amenity kits etc. The most talked-about feature of Finnair's product is the "no-recline" business seat.

Sounds odd but I think it works quite well. The seat itself is generously proportioned, at least in its sitting portion. There is a wide, curving backrest that doesn't move in any way, and a flat bed that is divided into two parts by two tilting panels. For normal sitting, these panels are rotated down for the passenger's feet to rest on the floor, and to lie flat, they swing up to form a continuous horizontal surface extending into a rather narrow footwell.

You want to lie down, just swing the panels up, move your bum forward, and lie down.

View attachment SYD-SIN Seat 02.jpg



View attachment SYD-SIN Seat 03.jpg
Looking at the thing, front to back, you get a tunnel for your legs. This is my main criticism of the seat, but it's not a huge one; the tunnel is a little cramped and rolling over from one side to the other could be a little difficult for side sleepers. The bulkhead seats have a more generous tunnel, so that's something to consider in seat selection.

For takeoff and landing, the bedding and spare pillows go in hear, quite out of the way because of course you are sitting up. For other times, if the seat is in the lie-flat configuration with the middle panels raised, best to spread out the bedding. The FA can do this.

For the Qantas wet-lease, mattress toppers are provided that fit the standard Qantas seat and not the Finnair seat. They are okay, just not optimum.

View attachment SYD-SIN Seat 04.jpg

Above the foot tunnel is a generously-sized flat touchscreen. This doesn't move but is fine for viewing either seated upright or lying flat. There is a controller provided for those with shorter arms but I found it a little fiddly and preferred, with my more simian arms, to touch the screen to select my preferred options.

The middle section of the seat has two panels that swing up and down to form the footwell for seated mode. The front panel is kind of skinny and is manually operated with a handle on the aisle side that needs to be pulled out and moved up or down as required. This can be a little awkward to reach and operate. For best results, get up and stand in the aisle.

Behind that is a powered panel that is operated by a button on the control strip that forms the side of the side armrest/work area,

Beside these two panels is a hinged lid for storage. Down, it forms part of the bed. Raised it reveals a good-sized storage department including a bin that will handle a full-sized laptop. Inflight magazines, safety cards, and menus go in here and there is heaps of room for other stuff. It becomes difficult but not impossible to reach under the bedding if you are in lie-flat mode.

There is also a circular well that holds a drink bottle.

Behind the footwell is the seat itself. This is where you put your bum when sitting and your head when lying. Probably best to ensure the bedding covers this region.

The backrest is tall and curved, providing a little privacy, especially when sleeping. All in all, this seat is extremely generous in its room and can be configured with pillows and cushions like a lounge. Small children can comfortably sit or lie down with their parents.

There is a side cushion topped by a blond wood (or wood-look) armrest that is large and flat and great for more storage. The top surface has a built-in charging panel with little rubber strips that hold your smartphone in place. There is a row of buttons to control lighting, footwell panel, and tray table.

Tray table is pushed out with a press of the button (and is spring-loaded when pushed back in) and can be unfolded to hold a meal tray, laptop, or whatever.

The footwell also has a universal AC outlet and USB port, along with lowlights to show where the bits are. This cannot be easily accessed with the seat in lie-flat mode, so best to plug your stuff in and ensure that nothing gets dislodged when raising the flap.

There are three seatbelts. A normal lap belt, a sash that attaches for takeoff and landing, and a sleep belt lower down.



As part of the backrest, another storage compartment is covered by a padded door. Open it up and you have headphone storage compartment and socket, a couple of USB ports, screen controller in its own little niche, and enough room for a couple of small items.

On the Finnair flights the entertainment system has a short film explaining how the seat works and another going into the design process. I found it to be an elegant, practical, and efficient design that is roomy where it counts. Because there is no need to accommodate motors and gears to move the seat up and down, nor room for these things to move, the passenger has access to all of that space.

The colour pallette is muted and restful.

I love it.

 

[Flyfrequently]

My Qantas flight is a Finnair "wet lease", meaning it's Finnair equipment and crew but Qantas supplies including food, drink, amenity kits etc. The most talked-about feature of Finnair's product is the "no-recline" business seat.

Sounds odd but I think it works quite well. The seat itself is generously proportioned, at least in its sitting portion. There is a wide, curving backrest that doesn't move in any way, and a flat bed that is divided into two parts by two tilting panels. For normal sitting, these panels are rotated down for the passenger's feet to rest on the floor, and to lie flat, they swing up to form a continuous horizontal surface extending into a rather narrow footwell.

You want to lie down, just swing the panels up, move your bum forward, and lie down.

View attachment 380210



View attachment 380211
Looking at the thing, front to back, you get a tunnel for your legs. This is my main criticism of the seat, but it's not a huge one; the tunnel is a little cramped and rolling over from one side to the other could be a little difficult for side sleepers. The bulkhead seats have a more generous tunnel, so that's something to consider in seat selection.

For takeoff and landing, the bedding and spare pillows go in hear, quite out of the way because of course you are sitting up. For other times, if the seat is in the lie-flat configuration with the middle panels raised, best to spread out the bedding. The FA can do this.

For the Qantas wet-lease, mattress toppers are provided that fit the standard Qantas seat and not the Finnair seat. They are okay, just not optimum.

View attachment 380212

Above the foot tunnel is a generously-sized flat touchscreen. This doesn't move but is fine for viewing either seated upright or lying flat. There is a controller provided for those with shorter arms but I found it a little fiddly and preferred, with my more simian arms, to touch the screen to select my preferred options.

The middle section of the seat has two panels that swing up and down to form the footwell for seated mode. The front panel is kind of skinny and is manually operated with a handle on the aisle side that needs to be pulled out and moved up or down as required. This can be a little awkward to reach and operate. For best results, get up and stand in the aisle.

Behind that is a powered panel that is operated by a button on the control strip that forms the side of the side armrest/work area,

Beside these two panels is a hinged lid for storage. Down, it forms part of the bed. Raised it reveals a good-sized storage department including a bin that will handle a full-sized laptop. Inflight magazines, safety cards, and menus go in here and there is heaps of room for other stuff. It becomes difficult but not impossible to reach under the bedding if you are in lie-flat mode.

There is also a circular well that holds a drink bottle.

Behind the footwell is the seat itself. This is where you put your bum when sitting and your head when lying. Probably best to ensure the bedding covers this region.

The backrest is tall and curved, providing a little privacy, especially when sleeping. All in all, this seat is extremely generous in its room and can be configured with pillows and cushions like a lounge. Small children can comfortably sit or lie down with their parents.

There is a side cushion topped by a blond wood (or wood-look) armrest that is large and flat and great for more storage. The top surface has a built-in charging panel with little rubber strips that hold your smartphone in place. There is a row of buttons to control lighting, footwell panel, and tray table.

Tray table is pushed out with a press of the button (and is spring-loaded when pushed back in) and can be unfolded to hold a meal tray, laptop, or whatever.

The footwell also has a universal AC outlet and USB port, along with lowlights to show where the bits are. This cannot be easily accessed with the seat in lie-flat mode, so best to plug your stuff in and ensure that nothing gets dislodged when raising the flap.

There are three seatbelts. A normal lap belt, a sash that attaches for takeoff and landing, and a sleep belt lower down.

View attachment 380213

As part of the backrest, another storage compartment is covered by a padded door. Open it up and you have headphone storage compartment and socket, a couple of USB ports, screen controller in its own little niche, and enough room for a couple of small items.

On the Finnair flights the entertainment system has a short film explaining how the seat works and another going into the design process. I found it to be an elegant, practical, and efficient design that is roomy where it counts. Because there is no need to accommodate motors and gears to move the seat up and down, nor room for these things to move, the passenger has access to all of that space.

The colour pallette is muted and restful.

I love it.

Have you the heads up on a cabin swap with your friend in Y @Skyring ?

 

[Skyring]

Have you the heads up on a cabin swap with your friend in Y @Skyring ?

I have answers to both questions. All will be revealed but long story short, yes to both.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I have answers to both questions. All will be revealed but long story short, yes to both.

Whooo hoo, well done @Skyring

 

[Seat0B]

Love your aircraft photos!

 

[Skyring]

Flight 2405
Tuesday 16 April 2024
QF 191 SYD-SIN
A333 OH-LTS (wet-lease from Finnair)
Scheduled: 1025
Boarding: 1000 (Seat 4L)
Pushback: 1038
Takeoff: 1050 to south
Landing: 1650 from west
Gate: 1653 (C18)

My Singapore flight is indeed the same plane that flew in from Singapore. It and the Bangkok flight at the next gate along must run a shuttle service to and from.

There’s way too much standing around as we wait for the word. I could have stayed in the lounge and worked my way through another thimble of coffee. Or maybe two.

Oh well. I watch the passengers around me grapple with the wait. There’s a toddler keen on finding freedom and his family members take it in turns to retrieve him from imminent disaster.

I've got a grandson just like that and my dear wife has him all to herself today. His 3YO sister normally completes the set but she's picked up gastro from Petri-Dish Daycare and is staying home under the care of her afflicted father, I’m informed via terse text.

Meanwhile, I’ve escaped and have a long day at the luxury end of airline transport ahead of me to endure. I hope my family is still in one piece, or at least on speaking terms, when I return.

Best stock up on some fancy foreign Finnish treats to distribute amongst the surviving members.

Boarding eventually commences. We all pick up our bags and toddlers, produce passports and boarding passes, and find our seats.

I have a problem. It involves a package of Ferrero Rocher which needs to be slipped to the cabin crew as a bribe for some advice on swapping seats with my friend on the next flight.

This is a delicate and subtle matter, and I’m not noted for either of those things.

I find my seat, fussing about as I pull out various cables and devices. The no-recline seat has some generous storage pockets, one big enough for a full-size laptop and a smaller square space beside just right for a pack of delicious chocolate treats.

One of the cabin crew - Effendy, as I later learn - spots the golden balls and asks, “Oh, are those for me?”

Problem solved. “Yes, they are,” I say, offering the box.

But he waves them away with a laugh and asks about my preference for pre-departure beverage.

Champagne, of course.



I pose Routebear for a photo and he attracts a little attention. Senior citizen with a toy bear. Dementia alert.


Not to mention someone with the possible ability to scoff a whole box of chocolates on an eight-hour flight.

Boarding is completed soon enough. I have the empty glass on my swing-out tray table, the box of Ferrero Rocher beside it.

As my glass is collected I hand over the chockies. “A gift for the crew,” I say.



This time it is accepted. By a different crew member. I've printed out a picture of AI's idea of what flight attendants might look like running a marathon in Helsinki, along with some words thanking the crew for being on their feet the whole flight, walking a marathon to the destination while I sit back and watch TV.



This pilot demurely taxis us to the northern end of the runway, puts his foot on the loud pedal, pushes the throttles to buster, and zooms us up into the morning.



Some great views of the coast before we head inland and the landscape changes.



Once we're properly airborne the crew bustles around. I invite Routebear to my bubbly and nuts party. Almonds perfectly roasted and salted.

Lunch is served after. Finnish crew presenting the Qantas fare.









Salad and pork belly skewers to begin. I’ve been reading the forum on Qantas tucker and the pork gets high marks.

Deservedly so. It is succulent, sweet, and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Devastatingly delicious. I choose a chardonnay to accompany it.



Snapper for the main. Beautifully balanced plate of textures, tastes, and colours. There's a sauvignon blanc to go with it. Yum.

The dessert is another big plus from the discussion board. Pat and Stick's Caramel Pecan ice cream sandwich. I'm trying to give big sweet buckets of sugar a miss on this trip - and in my life - but it's described in glowing terms, and I'm not made of stone.

It's worth it. I might have photos in the next segment; I'm limited to ten images per post here.

There are also some stunning views out of the window. Flying over Central Australia might be short on settlements but high on extraordinary landscapes.

While we are waiting for the next post, I make my seat into a bed with a couple of button pushes and a flick of the bedding. Kind of amusing to see the Qantas bedding - designed for a different seat entirely - pressed into service here. But I don't chuckle too long or loudly; it's been a while since I had a decent sleep and I zonk off for a bit, content in my comfy little bed in the sky.

Just as I close my eyes, a flight attendant delivers a set of grey Qantas pyjamas. Oh man, great timing!

 

[Flyfrequently]

Flight 2405
Tuesday 16 April 2024
QF 191 SYD-SIN
A333 OH-LTS (wet-lease from Finnair)
Scheduled: 1025
Boarding: 1000 (Seat 4L)
Pushback: 1038
Takeoff: 1050 to south
Landing: 1650 from west
Gate: 1653 (C18)

My Singapore flight is indeed the same plane that flew in from Singapore. It and the Bangkok flight at the next gate along must run a shuttle service to and from.

There’s way too much standing around as we wait for the word. I could have stayed in the lounge and worked my way through another thimble of coffee. Or maybe two.

Oh well. I watch the passengers around me grapple with the wait. There’s a toddler keen on finding freedom and his family members take it in turns to retrieve him from imminent disaster.

I've got a grandson just like that and my dear wife has him all to herself today. His 3YO sister normally completes the set but she's picked up gastro from Petri-Dish Daycare and is staying home under the care of her afflicted father, I’m informed via terse text.

Meanwhile, I’ve escaped and have a long day at the luxury end of airline transport ahead of me to endure. I hope my family is still in one piece, or at least on speaking terms, when I return.

Best stock up on some fancy foreign Finnish treats to distribute amongst the surviving members.

Boarding eventually commences. We all pick up our bags and toddlers, produce passports and boarding passes, and find our seats.

I have a problem. It involves a package of Ferrero Rocher which needs to be slipped to the cabin crew as a bribe for some advice on swapping seats with my friend on the next flight.

This is a delicate and subtle matter, and I’m not noted for either of those things.

I find my seat, fussing about as I pull out various cables and devices. The no-recline seat has some generous storage pockets, one big enough for a full-size laptop and a smaller square space beside just right for a pack of delicious chocolate treats.

One of the cabin crew - Effendy, as I later learn - spots the golden balls and asks, “Oh, are those for me?”

Problem solved. “Yes, they are,” I say, offering the box.

But he waves them away with a laugh and asks about my preference for pre-departure beverage.

Champagne, of course.

View attachment 380474

I pose Routebear for a photo and he attracts a little attention. Senior citizen with a toy bear. Dementia alert.


Not to mention someone with the possible ability to scoff a whole box of chocolates on an eight-hour flight.

Boarding is completed soon enough. I have the empty glass on my swing-out tray table, the box of Ferrero Rocher beside it.

As my glass is collected I hand over the chockies. “A gift for the crew,” I say.

View attachment 380473

This time it is accepted. By a different crew member. I've printed out a picture of AI's idea of what flight attendants might look like running a marathon in Helsinki, along with some words thanking the crew for being on their feet the whole flight, walking a marathon to the destination while I sit back and watch TV.

View attachment 380475

This pilot demurely taxis us to the northern end of the runway, puts his foot on the loud pedal, pushes the throttles to buster, and zooms us up into the morning.

View attachment 380479

Some great views of the coast before we head inland and the landscape changes.

View attachment 380471

Once we're properly airborne the crew bustles around. I invite Routebear to my bubbly and nuts party. Almonds perfectly roasted and salted.

Lunch is served after. Finnish crew presenting the Qantas fare.

View attachment 380476

View attachment 380477

View attachment 380478

View attachment 380480

Salad and pork belly skewers to begin. I’ve been reading the forum on Qantas tucker and the pork gets high marks.

Deservedly so. It is succulent, sweet, and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Devastatingly delicious. I choose a chardonnay to accompany it.

View attachment 380481

Snapper for the main. Beautifully balanced plate of textures, tastes, and colours.

I skip the dessert and make my seat into a bed with a couple of button pushes and a flick of the bedding. Kind of amusing to see the Qantas bedding - designed for a different seat entirely - pressed into service here. But I don't chuckle too long or loudly; it's been a while since I had a decent sleep and I zonk off for a bit, content in my comfy little bed in the sky.

Just as I close my eyes, a flight attendant delivers a set of grey Qantas pyjamas. Oh man, great timing!

On board with you and your Bear @Skyring - lovely words penned to the crew, I like your style.
Now, to find some prose for Mrs Skyring after a day with the toddler

 

[Skyring]

At this point in a long day and a half, I care naught for pyjamas. I’m dressed in reasonably dishevelled fashion - rumpled polyester trousers and a cotton shirt that has lost any freshly-ironed sharpness it may have had twelve hours, two cities, and a bus ride back - and my brain is shutting down.

I tick off the pyjama box, push them to one side, and continue the shutdown process.

As an aside, I’m currently wearing these fabled garments, somewhere high over Kabul on my return trip, with enough time, alertness and sobriety to take up the tale once more. It’s been a busy few days. Bear with me.

Oh yeah. I'm jumping about a bit but here are the icecream sandwich shots.



I'm going to have to hunt these things down for real life. So good!

View attachment SYD-SIN Pat and Sticks unwrapped.jpg

View attachment SYD-SIN Sakt lake.jpg

I wake after a couple of hours. Lie-flat bed it may be but there is enough light, noise and movement in the cabin that I’m roused to consciousness now and then - rather like my elderly cat at home trying to find a comfortable space in front of my nose - and eventually I’m awake for good.

Not to worry. I’ve had my kip, and I have work to do.

I poke my head into the galley, find Effendy doing flight attendant stuff - there’s a selection of snacks and drinks I would once have regarded with interest - and ask him if he can help me with a problem.

I outline the sharing seats situation for my next flight and he indicates that something may be arranged so long as I let the cabin crew know what I want on boarding.

At this point the CSM - Florence - arrives with a bag of goodies that blows me away.

It’s not the Qantas cap, playing cards, key ring and a few other things. It’s the card thanking me in multiple languages, signed by the entire crew.



Including the flight crew.

This is thoughtfulness far in excess of me buying a few chocolates in the supermarket.

I am touched by this kindness.

Florence, once she understands my request, smilingly indicates that she may be able to arrange things with the next crew, but otherwise Effendy’s advice is good.

I’m on top of the world for the remainder of the flight. And, well, well into the next day or so.

Not that the remainder of the flight is without interest in its own way.

View attachment SYD-SIN Arrival meal.jpg

We have another meal about mid-afternoon Singapore time that could be breakfast or supper. Whatever it is, it’s delicious with some fabulous prawns and a careful balance of spice.



Outside, as we approach Singapore, is an ever changing view of islands, ships, and ultimately airport.







In theory, as we taxi to the gate, I’ve got about five hours here, with two or three before the Qantas flight from Melbourne arrives with my friend aboard.

There’s a shower with my name on it somewhere in one of the lounges. And a shave etc.

I ask Effendy for his name as I leave. I have it in mind to say some nice things about him and his CSM to both Qantas and Finnair.

He obliges with a postit note containing both names in biock letters. No flies on Effendy!

And it is such people, clever, thoughtful, perceptive, diligent, who can make a flight a delight.

As it has been for me.

 

[Seat0B]

Just as I close my eyes, a flight attendant delivers a set of grey Qantas pyjamas.

So yes, there will be pyjamas!!!! Success.

 

[Skyring]

From research in this forum, I find that the Qatar lounge consistently rates high out of those available to oneWorld members, at least those at my OWS level.

I found the place without difficulty - up the first set of escalators, turn left - and when I ask about the showers a series of smiling staff wave me through.



My, but that's pretty!
View attachment SIN QR Orchid.jpg

Somehow I had mislaid the little ziploc bag with my fluids. Toothpaste, shaving oil, etc. I'd put it in a safe place for convenience and then forgotten the place. It seems that they don't bother with that nonsense any more but still, here was I needing to shave and brush my teeth after the shower.

So I swiped a couple of the freebie packs. Quite a good Schick razor, I noticed, but I had my own so I left the razor in my AirBnB a bit later on, a cut above the disposable Bics the host had supplied.

Later on, I found that I'd put the ziploc bag in a side pocket in my backpack, but hey, more little tubes of stuff to carry around!

Feeling vastly more human with one of the last spritzes of my ZZegna aftershave wafting out, I looked into the dining room. In theory I had over two hours until the Melbourne plane carrying my friend Megan arrived and it was time for a decent dinner.

I have to say that the Qatar lounge looks the business. Qantas is a bit basic, at least the standard lounge, but Qatar is snug and elegant.

The menu can be accessed online by a - heh - QR code: https://www.qatarairways.com/content/dam/hia/pdf/qr-singapore-lounge-en.pdf

Easy choice for me:

View attachment SIN QR Salmon.jpg
Smoked salmon with capers.

View attachment SIN QR Rose.jpg
Rose Champagne

View attachment SIN QR Lamb.jpg
and lamb rack.

Divine, all three, presented with impeccable service to a bloke in rumpled clothes with a toy bear poking out of his backpack.

I could have taken a few more hits of the Rose and maybe a spot of dessert but on checking with Singapore arrivals it looked like Megan from Melbourne was arriving on QF 35 a lot earlier than I'd calculated, like about five minutes from now.

I picked up my lamb chops in both hands, gnawed the meat off, drained the pink bubbles in a gulp, wiped my lips with the tablecloth and hurried out, waving at the staff in passing.

View attachment SIN QF A333.jpg

She was just pulling in as I hurried up to the gate and then it was a bit of a wait until she emerged from the back of the bus. Still, there's no point in taking a chance of missing her, and I'd be able to guest her into the lounge after we'd seen a bit of the airport. Finish off the bubbly, maybe get a dessert or two …

You know the airport scenes in Love, Actually? Friends and family overjoyed to see each other. Genuine emotion on public display.

When you get down to it, what we have are memories. The body changes with the years, skills and interests and opinions decay or grow or develop, but what really makes us the person we are are memories.

I see Megan walking toward me with a smile on her face - mirroring the one on my own, I know - and I'm thinking of all the adventures we have shared around the world, all the magical moments, the glasses of wine, the books, the sights, the friends.

So many shared memories of good times.

Later on, I make Megan cry, but we'll get to that.

For now, I grab her carry-on bag and we head off into the magical tourist resort of Changi.

She wants to show me the Butterfly Garden and I reckon that's another bit of magic I could add to the total.

It's an AirTrain and a few questions away but we know when we get there. The air and the vegetation are tropical, and there are butterflies fluttering around, gorging themselves on pineapple slices, and people pointing phones everywhere.



Not a great variety but they are certainly pretty good to look at.

After we've had our fill of flutterers we make our way back to the Qatar Lounge. Our boarding passes are scrutinised carefully. "You may come in, sir," the gate guy says, "but your friend is travelling Economy and this lounge is for Business Class passengers."

I feel I've been scammed again but after some careful reading of the access policy I find that he's right.

Oh well, Qantas is available as a nearby backup, and we sit down, recharge our devices, chat, and enjoy a latte or two until it's time to board the Finnair flight to Helsinki and find out if my careful preparation and yummy chocolate gifting has paid off.

 

[Skyring]

Flight 2406
Tuesday 16 April 2024
AY 132 SIN-HEL
A359 OH-LWO
Scheduled: 2150
Boarding: 2115 (Seat 2L/62C)
Pushback: 2203 (Delay while awaiting luggage transfer from another terminal)
Takeoff: 2206
Landing: 0628
Gate: 0631

My plan had been to approach one of the crew in the gate lounge but I see that it is manned entirely by Singapore Airport staff. So scratch that. At least I hustled Megan through the priority lane for security. "She's with me," I said to the guy checking BPs, and it worked.

View attachment SINHEL A350.jpg

Plan B. We'd do the reverse for boarding. Wait until general boarding was called and then front up at the Business entrance, explain the situation to whoever was manning the door, and see what happened. Megan's boarding pass had not elicited any sort of cheerful beep at the lounge entrance, so I guessed one of us would be making the walk to the back of the bus.

Right at the back. She was in 62C, a fair hike from my 2L seat, which as far as I'm concerned is the best on the plane. A window seat, so it has a view. A bulkhead seat, so it has a more generous foot tunnel than those behind. And it was a "seat-left" configuration so the foot tunnel bent in the optimum direction for my preferred right-side sleep position.

I had to steer Megan left for the forward entrance, where I knew the greeter would have already welcomed most of the Business passengers and might have time for a chat.

His name was Faizal and he had a couple of rank bars on his jacket. I began to explain but he said that Florence (from my previous flight) had been in touch and all was fine. He showed us to my seat, where I stowed my carry on bag in the rack (because I would be returning to my seat halfway through, and wouldn't need anything from it during the economy part of my flight) wished Megan a good sleep, and headed back, clutching her BP. On the way through the galley I handed my second box of Ferrero Rocher to a flight attendant.



The cabin wasn't completely full, I noticed as I made my way back. In fact, I had a row of three to myself. Boarding not yet complete, though, so my lie-flat Economy bed might evaporate.

I was beginning to hope when a young lady stopped at Row 63 and indicated that she had the window seat. Oh well. I unplugged my charging cables and my hopes, stood up for her, and smiled.

A few minutes later the "boarding complete" announcement came and she turned to me, pumping her fist in the air. We had a vacant middle seat. I liked this woman. Obviously an experienced traveller, she knew what was going on and had prepared her carry-on gear for a long flight in the window seat. Later on, after meal service, she did the middle seat tray-table shuffle to help out the flight attendant collecting the trays. Pretty much a female version of myself, I thought, because I would have chosen more or less the same extreme rear window seat on this plane. If I can't sit ahead of the wings, I like to sit a reasonable distance behind so that I get a clear view. And on the port side too, so that the rising sun would be on the other side of the plane.

Based on something Florence had said on the previous flight, I suspected that the empty middle seat was our doing, blocked off for my comfort. Whatever, I'll take the win. We both piled the empty seat high with our pillows and blankets and grinned at each other.

View attachment SINHEL Flightcam 01.jpg
No window, so I turned on the flight camera, giving a handy close-up view of Changi's runways until they dropped away and things got rather black and boring outside.




While Megan, she later assured me, was tucking into smoked salmon and champagne, dinner was served to Economy. No meal choices unless you wanted vegan or halal or whatever. Everybody gets the same meal. Spicy noodles with edamame beans, and Tom Yam rice, whatever that is. Both were yummy. I - along with my seatmate, I noticed - declined the roll. The Kitkat I stowed in the seatback pocket for Megan to discover later, along with her boarding pass.

I settled back to enjoy the entertainment. Finnair still maintains a healthy audio selection though it seemed to me that the movie offerings hadn't changed much since last time I flew with them in June. Still, I dialled up Bridges of Madison County, a movie I love, but only got about halfway
through before sleep beckoned.

I turned off the movie and tried to drift off. Tried in vain. An economy chair is just not something that fits my frame for sideways sleep. Another few hours of this and I'd be desperate.

Four and a bit hours into the flight - quite a lot earlier than I estimated - Faizal appeared out of the darkness and told me that the swap was on. I grabbed my things and followed him into the land of luxury and lie-flat seats. Megan was grateful for the meal and the comfy chair - my pleasure, I told her - and Faizal led her off into the gloom.

For me, I was horizontal as fast as I could get there. Goodnight!

===

After a few hours, I woke, resumed my movie, and awaited breakfast.


Here we see the route that flights from Asia have to take to avoid Russia and Ukraine in the north and Iran in the south. From further north, places like Osaka and Tokyo, where Finnair was positioning itself as a quicker way to get to Europe via Helsinki, avoiding Russia and potential diversion airfields is all but impossible.


Breakfast arrived, along with a glorious savoury aroma from the quiche. I devoured every morsel of this huge offering, sparing an occasional thought for Megan, who was doubtless being served a bowl of gruel somewhere in the distant seats. With a Kit Kat. And a puzzled seat companion.



Sunrise somewhere over Poland, and in due course we were gliding down to Helsinki.


View attachment SINHEL Helsinki gate.jpg

I lingered on the way out. Only one airbridge door in egalitarian Finland, and I knew that Megan would be some time in the Economy scrum. I hunted up Faizal and asked his name so I could report him to Finnair HQ. As I had done with Florence and Effendy from the previous flight.

He looked alarmed, "Uh, good or bad?"

I bust out laughing. "What do you think?"

I thanked him again for his efforts and his kindness. The thing had gone better than I'd hoped, especially with a personal guide to help clear the way.

Broad smile and hearty thank you as I went out of the door to wait in the airbridge access for Megan.

And that, as they say in the movies, was …

Fin