The Ultimate Finnair Business Class Seat Guide

Based in Helsinki, Finnair offers four different types of Business Class seats on its all-Airbus jet fleet.

Finnair’s narrow-body Airbus A319s, A320s and A321s are commonly found on routes within Europe, as well as to Tel Aviv. The Airbus A330s and A350s are used on long-haul routes including to North America, the Middle East and Asia.

From late October 2023, Qantas will also wet lease two Airbus A330-300s from Finnair to use on its Sydney-Singapore and Sydney-Bangkok routes.

Finnair is widely regarded to offer very good Business Class service with a Nordic flair. The airline’s new AirLounge seats found on some long-haul aircraft are particularly highly rated.

Many Australians use Finnair to get from Asia to Europe, due to the good value airfares offered. As Finnair is a member of the Oneworld alliance, you can also earn and redeem Qantas points (and earn status credits) for Finnair flights.

So, what can you expect from each of the four different Business Class seats offered by Finnair? Our guide explains which are the best seats, and which planes you’ll find them on.

Finnair Airbus A320 family Business Class

On Finnair’s Airbus A319, A320 and A321 fleets, the Business Class cabin is in the “Euro-Business” style. That is, the Business Class seats are simply Economy seats with a blocked middle seat.

Wi-Fi is available on these aircraft.

Finnair provides a full meal service, as well as amenities like pillows and blankets, in Business Class on short-haul flights.

The legroom at the front of the plane, where Finnair seats Business Class passengers, is quite good. But the actual seats are no different to the slimline Economy seats.

Row 1 is at a bulkhead so has some more knee room, but you can stretch your legs out further (under the seat in front) in row 2 or beyond.

You can read a full review of Finnair A321 Business Class here.

Finnair Airbus A330-300 Business Class seats

Finnair has two different Airbus A330-300 configurations. On both layouts, Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment via personal TV screens is available.

Older Finnair A330 Business Class seating

In the older configuration, the Business Class seats have a staggered layout of 2-2-1 in every second row, or 1-2-1 in every other row. All seats recline to become fully lie-flat beds.

For solo travellers, the “throne seats” of 2A, 4A or 6A offer the most space. Alternatively, the window seats 2L, 4L and 6L are directly beside a window, offer reasonable privacy and have direct aisle access.

Unless you’re travelling as a couple, avoid seats 1A, 3A, 5A and 7A as there is no direct aisle access. The seats in row 10 are also missing a window.

Finnair’s new AirLounge Business Class seat

Finnair is gradually retrofitting its newer “AirLounge” Business Class seats onto its Airbus A330 fleet. These lounge seats are configured in a 1-2-1 layout, with direct aisle access available to every passenger. This is the better of the two Airbus A330 Business Class products.

The AirLounge seats do not recline. Instead, you can sit in different positions and simply lie down if you want to have a nap. The seat can be used as a comfortable, fully lie-flat bed.

All of the AirLounge seats are good. Solo travellers may prefer a window seat, and couples a pair of seats in the middle section.

You can tell whether or not you’re on this version of Finnair’s A330 by checking the seating layout. You could also check whether Premium Economy is available on your aircraft, as Finnair only offers Premium Economy on aircraft that are also fitted with the new AirLounge Business Class seats.

Finnair Airbus A350-900 Business Class seats

Finnair also has two versions of A350 Business Class seating. On both aircraft types, Wi-Fi and personal TV screens are available.

Finnair’s older A350 Business Class

Finnair’s older Airbus A350-900 Business Class product offers lie-flat beds in a reverse herringbone configuration, with direct aisle access for every passenger. It’s a modern and comfortable product, and there aren’t really any bad seats.

Finnair’s new A350 Business Class

The same popular AirLounge seats found on refurbished A330s are also installed on Finnair’s refurbished A350s.

Although both A350 Business Class seating configurations have a 1-2-1 seating layout, you can check whether your aircraft has the new AirLounge seating by checking if there’s a Premium Economy cabin on the plane. As with Finnair’s A330 fleet, all Finnair Airbus A350s with Premium Economy will have AirLounge seats in Business Class.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.