Hello reader, it’s that time again! (I already hear your
groaning) It’s time for Dan’s Japan travel blog, also known as “the comedy of
errors, with poor spelling and grammar).
Firstly, we have a little difference with this trip. Having
saved up for longer than usual and with the price being lower than I was
expecting, I was introduced to the wonders of “business class” travel. So be
warned, as well as the usual travel writing, this blog now includes various
“nyah, nyah! I’m travelling business class!” type coverage. The trip was booked
with Finnair, an airline I’ve already used a few times and the most efficient
I’ve encountered.
During past trips I aimed to arrive at the airport with
plenty of time to spare, in case security takes longer than anticipated. As
expected, there was something I forgot to factor in this time. I completely
forgot that priority security was available at Manchester Airport (their “fast
track” lane). Priority security turned out to be a great time saver and negated
the need to queue for 20 or 30 minutes. Fortunately, my ticket also included an
invitation to the Aspire Lounge or the Escape Lounge (as Finnair do not operate
their own lounge at Manchester). It was a struggle to decide which lounge would
be the better option, after much deliberation I opted for Aspire. Truth be
told, the deciding factor was “runway views” listed in their available
facilities (total aviation nerd!).
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| View from the lounge |
With an unlimited supply of coffee
available, it became abundantly clear that I would be boarding my flight fully
caffeinated! (not to mention a full bladder)
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| Bacon sandwich and a cup of tea |
The first leg of the business class trip was quite pleasant.
Finnair use Embraer’s between Manchester and Helsinki. The business class seats
are the same as the economy class, except that the legroom is improved. With
priority boarding and complimentary food, the trip definitely got off to a good
start. I was fond of the (Marimekko designed) glasses that the drinks were
served in (by glasses, I mean glasses – not the plastic cups of economy class).
In accordance with my new policy on “trying to be less antisocial”, I got
chatting to my seatmate. My seatmate was an older lady who was travelling to
Finland to visit her son and daughter in law who had settled in Finland a
number of years ago.
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| In flight catering, MAN-HEL |
Arrival and transfer was as efficient as I’ve come to expect
from Finnair and Helsinki Airport. After landing at one of the more remote
areas of the airport, we were bussed to the terminal and were able to go
straight to departures. This provided me with well over hour to sample the
hospitality of Finnair’s lounge. They had free coffee, they had free beer – Dan
was very happy!
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| Snacks in Helsinki |
When getting ready to board, I noticed a slight change in
aircraft, for this flight the A340 had been replaced by the A330. It seems
Finnair only have 4 A340-300’s left in their fleet, with 19 A350’s on order
it’s not hard to see why the old A340 is on the way out. When I boarded the
flight to Tokyo, I entered “antisocial mode” again. I’d previously selected one
of the seats that eliminate the “seat mate”, simply put; it’s an aisle seat and
a window seat.
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| The fortress of solitude |
Let me tell you, compared to economy, the seating arrangement is
palatial! I’ve got:
·
Lots of legroom
·
A seat that turns in to a bed
·
Two massive “armrests”
The “armrests” would be better described as “tables” and
with one on each side (2A, 4A etc. are the ones to choose for this!), I could
easily leave my trusty laptop on the side (in fact, during dinner service, I
did a little typing this way). While I was a little disappointed that I didn’t
get to fly on the new A350, my chosen seat appears to provide more space so
it’s a trade-off I’m happy with.
We weren’t in the air all that long before it was time for
dinner service. The flight attendants went around asking passengers for their
menu choices, which were then brought over. It was different from what I was
used to, having only flown economy class; I was used to selecting an option
from the tray as it was going around. Business class felt more like being in a
restaurant at 10,000ft.
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| Glass of champagne when boarding - I'm a fan of the Marimekko glasses |
I’ve flown long haul with a few airlines: Lufthansa, ANA,
Finnair, JAL and Virgin Atlantic. This has always been in economy class (I’m
not made of money!). Finnair’s business class catering blows them all away! I
think this may be, in part, due to the signature menu created by renowned
Finnish chef Sasu Laukkonen.
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| Signature menu |
Airline food has come a long way in the past 20
years. Thinking back, my lowest point for an airline meal was what I can only
describe as an “inedible” lasagne courtesy of American Airlines (when I was a
child and we were visiting some family in the states). It was probably merciful
that the low air pressure was preventing my taste buds from working properly,
eating that with a full sense of taste would probably have violated the Geneva
Convention! In the last few years I’ve
found the standard of catering to be “ok” in economy class. Business class is a
whole other ball game.
Firstly, we had table cloths (how civilized!). Secondly, the
different courses came at different times (a starter, a main course and a
desert). Thirdly, the quality of the food was much better than I’ve experienced
before. My starter was smoked turkey with a wild mushroom salad (and side of
salad). The main was a nice piece of char. For me, the starter was the
highlight of the meal. I have to say, the experience was a definite first, I actually
enjoyed an on board meal!
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| Starters |
The rest of the slight was spent resting. I wasn’t really
able to get much sleep but being able to lie down was much more comfortable so
I felt much more rested at the end of it than with other flights.
I have to admit, I chose Finnair because they were cheap
(well… cheaper than other business class options). They don’t have the glitz
and glamour of airlines like Emirates but I had the money, I think I’d still
pick Finnair. The cabin has a nice, relaxing, understated décor (none of the
gaudy wood and gold you get with certain airlines), the seats are comfy and the
service is good. I don’t think I need anything more than that.
In a way, flying business class was a bad thing – a very bad
thing. I don’t think I can go back to economy after this!
Anyway, time to enjoy Japan!
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