Finnair launches new business and premium-economy long-haul cabins

Finnish airline Finnair recently made a double announcement: the renewal of its long-haul business class and the introduction of a premium-economy class hitherto absent from its aircraft. All this for a total investment of 200 million euros.

Experience the redesigned cabin onboard Finnair long-haul flights

Since the video suggests a lot without going into too much detail, let’s take a look at the contents of this announcement.

Finnair’s premium economy

It will have a maximum of 26 seats, depending on the aircraft, in a 2-3-2 configuration, and will offer 50% more space than Economy.

As you can see in this photo, there’s a slight staggering between the window seats and the center seats, to avoid a feeling of overcrowding and reinforce a certain intimacy.

The seat, a Vector Premium from HAECO, is a “recliner”, in line with market standards, whereas Lufthansa and Swiss have just made the more controversial choice of a fixed-shell seat.

The seat is of course equipped with power sockets and USB-A ports, and the screen is a 13″.

Finnair’s business class

But the highlight of the announcement is the new business class. For its flagship cabin (there is no First at Finnair), the Finnish airline has chosen Collins Aerospace and its AirLounge seat, for which it is the launch company.

We really appreciate its design, which hints at discreetly integrated storage units, a directional spotlight…and all in all, a very “Scandinavian” impression in terms of tones, materials (with the use of light faux wood) and design.

The seat looks very wide…as you can see from the video at the end of this article.

Of course, this is a 1-2-1 cabin configuration, and a retractable divider ensures a high level of privacy even for seats in the center of the cabin. Note that, unlike other airlines, Finnair has opted for total separation.

This is, of course, a 180° reclining lie-flat seat. The seat is not reverse-herringbone like its predecessor, but the passenger’s seating position is. Hence, certainly, its width, so that you can sit parallel to the direction of travel or lie at an angle without shoulder discomfort.

Note the width of both the side table (above) and the retractable table (below), allowing passengers to easily install computers, trays and glasses in a variety of configurations.

All in all, this seat is designed for maximum comfort in a wide range of situations and positions, depending on the phase of flight and the passenger’s activity.