Disclosure: I was invited by Finnair for my flight from Osaka to Frankfurt.
At the beginning of March, I made an absolute dream finally come true and flew to Japan with Finnair. Japan has been on my bucket list for a long time and now seemed the right time to go.
Finnair, based in Helsinki, flies to many destinations in Asia including Tokyo and Osaka. To make my Japan trip on the ground a bit easier I flew from Helsinki to Tokyo Haneda and departed from Osaka Kansai after my trip. On my flight home, I got to review the new Finnair Premium Economy Class. And today I get to tell you how my flight went and whether paying extra for Premium Economy is worth it.
WHAT IS PREMIUM ECONOMY CLASS?
It was the Taiwanese airline EVA Air that introduced this clever product in 1991 under the name Evergreen Class. It was later changed to Premium Economy and marked the beginning of an airline class hovering somewhere between Business and Economy – both in terms of comfort and amenities as well as price.
With flights getting longer and longer and a growing want to travel comfortably, Business Class is not just for business people anymore. More leisure travelers than ever want to travel in style. And while there are certain things you can do to get cozy in Economy, space is continually getting smaller across most airlines and aircrafts. This is where Premium Economy comes into play and satisfies the demand for space and comfort for holiday travelers without having to fork out Business Class prices.
According to Conde Nast Traveler, 17 airlines offer a Premium Economy Class in 2024 with Finnair being the latest to join ranks.
WHAT Does PREMIUM ECONOMY FINNAIR offer?
THE PRICE DIFFERENCE – ECONOMY VS PREMIUM ECONOMY FINNAIR
Let’s talk about money first. Finnair offers 3 different tariffs in each of their cabin classes. You can choose between light, classic, and flex in the Premium Economy. The price difference between the three is pretty minimal.
While the light tariff only offers hand luggage (1 small bag and 1 carry-on bag) both others offer 2 checked bags with 23 kg each. Depending on which tariff you get you can collect more points and change or refund your ticket.
A great advantage I have not seen with other airlines – when you book on the Finnair website you can mix and match your cabins. This way you could choose Premium Economy when flying to your destination and want to arrive well rested, but opt for Economy on the way home. Or vice versa! The best thing: you are still taking advantage of the roundtrip pricing for each class and not the more expensive one-way prices.
So how much is Premium Economy Finnair? It all depends on the route of course. You will roughly pay double to regular Economy Class but only a third of what Business Class would cost you.
Flight delayed, cancelled, or denied boarding? In many cases, you can claim compensation from the airline, in addition to a measly airport meal or a seat that you already paid for.
Read all about AirHelp and how they can help you get compensation, and check below if you have a valid claim – absolutely free, of course!
Finnair Premium Economy seats
More space is probably the number one reason why people choose Premium Economy. Finnair’s seats are a prime example. The cabin has a 2-4-2 configuration with a total of only 26 seats and each seat has 50% more legroom. You also have a so-called waterfall legrest and an 8” recline. In addition, proper armrests that stow your tray table, charging stations, and an individual reading light on each seat.
Here is my tip: while you have more space in any Premium Economy seat try to get a bulkhead seat. The recline is awesome but even with more space in between rows, it can still feel a bit cramped when the person in front of you reclines. This is not a Finnair problem but seems to happen in all Premium Economies.
They also offer a cozy Marimekko blanket and instead of a normal pillow a neckroll, something I thought was a thoughtful touch.
Note that these are the seats for Finnair Premium Economy A350 on a long-distance flight, in my case from Osaka to Frankfurt. For short distances within Europe to/ from Helskini Premium Economy ticket holders sit in the regular Economy cabin.
Food in Finnair Premium Economy
I am one of these weird people who have always (or mostly) enjoyed airline food. There is something exciting about dishes on little trays for me. But I learned to appreciate Finnair’s food even more when I was invited on a trip to China a few years back and our foodie journey already started in the air.
Flying with Finnair now to and from Japan was another great example of their incredibly good food. On your screen you can see the meal times so you know when you are getting what. When flying Finnair Premium Economy you will already find a bottle of water at your seat and shortly after take-off, it was time for dinner. We started with a hot wet towel. We didn’t get menus and while I usually love browsing menus I didn’t mind – who needs a menu to decide between chicken and fish?
As far as I know, we got the same meals as the Economy Class. For me, that was a delightful Butterfish with Japanese veggies and rice as well as smoked duck to start. And yes, it was also served with chopsticks so I could pretend to be in Japan a little longer. I once read that one shouldn’t order fish on planes but I had fish on both of my flights and it was delicious each time.
Since I was also still recovering after heading to the wrong Osaka airport first (don’t ask!) I also got plenty of wine with my meal. My one little complaint: while food was served on proper plates we didn’t get drinks in the beautiful Iittala they use in Business Class but plastic and paper cups.
For breakfast, we got eggs and potatoes which were served in a box with bamboo cutlery. While I didn’t mind the presentation I was missing something more substantial considering we were on a 13-hour flight. Nuts and cookies where available in the galley though but I definitely think they could up the food options for these long flights. That said, both meals were really good. Don’t forget to order their signature blueberry juice instead of OJ for breakfast!
Read more:
How to plan a stopover in Helsinki with Finnair
Finnair Premium Economy AMENITIES
In-flight Entertainment: In Finnair Premium Economy you get at least a 13” touchscreen and an entertainment program with over 200 movies and TV series, music channels, and games. You also get very cozy noise-cancelling headphones. Since I was just returning from Hiroshima it seemed the perfect time to finally watch Oppenheimer which was one of the latest movies shown.
You can also use wifi however, in Premium Economy you will have to pay for it. Rates start at €7.95 for 1 hour and you cannot stream.
Travel kit: Seriously, who actually needs a travel kit these days? I think they are much more a want than a need and in my eyes a big waste of ‘stuff’. Finnair seems to agree with me. So while you do get a small amenity kit in Premium Economy it is filled with recycled products.
The bag itself is made from washable kraft paper and of course, printed with a special Marimekko design. Inside you find an eye mask, ear plugs, and a dental kit. Perfect, because really, who needs more, and the pouch itself is sturdy enough to be reused on many more flights to come.
Airport Check-In: There is no priority check-in if you are flying Finnair Premium Economy. Depending on which airport you leave from this may or may not mean a longer wait. If you are checking in at Helskini airport, Finnair’s hub, this won’t be an issue since there are so many check-in counters. I left from Osaka Kansai and they also have plenty of counters so there was no wait.
Bathrooms: The Finnair Premium Economy A350 was pretty small with only 26 seats. That said, we got to share a bathroom with the Business Class in front of us. While there was only one toilet it was so much nicer than having to walk back to the plane.
The bathrooms on Finnair planes are outfitted with vegan SEES hand soap and lotion, smelling almost like my beloved Aesop.
Finnair Premium Economy lounge access
This might come as a bummer to some but unfortunately, you don’t get lounge access with your Finnair Premium Economy ticket. This especially is a pity since the Finnair lounge in Helsinki is a stunner. Mind you, they are not the only airline not offering lounge access for their Premium Economy customers. I wonder if it is because lounges are often crowded these days thanks to an increasing number of frequent fliers using airline status to get yourself a pass for lounge access before you even arrive.
That said, if you are flying from any other airport you can only use a partner lounge as Helsinki is the sole airport with Finnair lounges. If extras like lounge access are important to you, you will need to fork out for a Business Class ticket. Alternatively, you can pay for a lounge pass. While you won’t be able to go into the Finnair lounge as a member, there are plenty of other lounges that you can use.
Get your Priority Pass membership here!
IS FINNAIR PREMIUM ECONOMY WORTH IT & WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?
Yes, I would! Admittedly I was invited by Finnair this time around so I didn’t spend my own money. But I have paid for Premium Economy myself a few times and that was with an airline not nearly as nice as Finnair. Considering that they have many direct routes from Helsinki to destinations in Asia I often frequent (or would like to return to in the future, looking at you Japan!), I would definitely consider booking Finnair Premium Economy next time. They offer daily flights to Tokyo Haneda, 6 flights per week to Tokyo Narita, 5 flights per week to Osaka, and biweekly flights to Nagoya.
While you can book regular Economy Class and get 2 pieces of luggage, the space you get in Premium Economy is truly incredible and well worth it if you are tall like me and have a flight ahead of you for over 10 hours. Together with the yummy food (let’s just work on the portion sizes) and the oh-so-friendly service, the extra money is well spent for the Finnair Premium Economy.
Want to upgrade your flight experience? Check out Finnair’s Business Class or see what they offer in Economy so you have more money to spend in Japan!
