It probably hasn’t escaped your attention over the last year or so that Finnair has a brand new Business Class product on its wide-body Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft, which has been making headlines for its unique non-reclining padded ‘seat shell’ design.
Singapore was the carrier’s launch long-haul route for the new seats, which debuted on ‘Vaccinated Travel Lane’ flights (remember those?) four times a week last year, and have since become daily restriction-free services, thanks to border easing.
Bangkok and Phuket were both added to the roster of AirLounge routes during the current winter season, and now with more aircraft refitted there’s further news of additional routes for summer 2023.
More Asian cities get the AirLounge seats
The oneworld airline has now confirmed that following a roll-out to Singapore and Bangkok last year, all flights to and from Delhi, Doha, Hong Kong and Tokyo (Haneda) will be picking up the new seats during the summer 2023 season, from 26th March 2023.
That will open up more low-tax redemption opportunities to and from Europe in this well-rated cabin, from just 61,000 Asia Miles + S$40 one-way, since these routes fall within a lower award band for Asia Miles partner redemptions compared to Singapore.
That makes them a useful option if you can’t find award space on the Singapore route, not to mention a 9,000 miles saving each way from Bangkok, Delhi, Hong Kong and Tokyo, due to the shorter zone combination.
From Doha to Helsinki, the award rate is highly competitive at 30,000 Asia Miles + S$70, for a 7-hour flight in the new Business Class product.
You can even score 18 hours in this new seat (if you really want to put it to the test!) between Delhi and New York via Helsinki for 75,000 Asia Miles + S$109.
Award space on the Singapore – Helsinki route is almost non-existent these days, but thankfully that’s not the case at the time of writing to and from Bangkok, Delhi, Doha, Hong Kong and Tokyo Haneda.
Hong Kong has now reopened to travellers with minimal restrictions and no testing, especially if you’re simply making a connection there, so this could be a good way to redeem the AirLounge from Singapore to Europe this summer with a DIY transit or stopover in the city.
Finnair’s Phuket flights flights are currently also receiving the AirLounge Business Class seats, however this is a seasonal (winter) route for the airline, and will not be operating between April and October 2023.
The schedule
Here’s how Finnair’s AirLounge Business Class flight schedule to and from the Middle East and Asia looks for the summer 2023 season.
Bangkok
26th March – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
AY142 A350-900 AirLounge |
||||||||
| BKK 07:15 |
HEL 15:35 |
||||||||
|
AY141 A350-900 AirLounge |
||||||||
| HEL 13:45 |
BKK 05:25* |
||||||||
* Next day
Delhi
26th March – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
AY122 A330-300 AirLounge |
||||||||
| DEL 07:40 |
HEL 14:35 |
||||||||
|
AY121 A330-300 AirLounge |
||||||||
| HEL 18:10 |
DEL 05:20* |
||||||||
* Next day
Doha
26th March – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
AY1982 A330-300 AirLounge |
||||||||
| DOH 08:10 |
HEL 15:15 |
||||||||
|
AY1981 A330-300 AirLounge |
||||||||
| HEL 17:10 |
DOH 23:55 |
||||||||
Hong Kong
26th March – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
|
AY100 A350-900 AirLounge |
||||||||
| HKG 20:45 |
HEL 05:55* |
||||||||
|
AY99 A350-900 AirLounge |
||||||||
| HEL 00:45 |
HKG 17:55 |
||||||||
* Next day
Singapore
26th March – 28th October 2023
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | ||||||||