Finnair has announced a range of route and service enhancements for 2018, including increased frequencies on several European routes and a refreshed business-class offering.
Beginning in June, Finnair will increase flights to Lisbon (LIS), operating daily services throughout the summer. Barcelona (BCN) will see up to 18 weekly frequencies during the high season. Additional summer frequency increases will affect Budapest (BUD), Krakow (KRK) and Geneva (GVA). The airline also plans to resume seasonal service to Astana (TSE) in July and August.
For the coming winter season, Finnair will add capacity on routes to Reykjavik (RKV), Ivalo (IVL), Rovaniemi (RVN), Kittilä (KTT) and Kuusamo (KAO). Responding to demand from Asian travelers, the carrier expects to operate more than 230 additional flights to Finnish Lapland during the season, providing a total of about 482,000 seats — roughly 15 percent more than the previous year.
“Finnair is undergoing the fastest growth period of its history, offering more choice and more possibilities for Europe–Asia travel than ever before,” said Juha Järvinen, chief commercial officer at Finnair.
Alongside the network expansion, Finnair will introduce a new business-class concept next year designed to offer greater flexibility and a more refined onboard experience. The concept emphasizes a broader selection of dining and wine options, more on-demand service and Nordic-inspired cabin design.
“More than ever, our business-class customers enjoy the opportunity to customize their travel and dining experience,” said Piia Karhu, senior vice president of customer experience at Finnair. “Our objective is to create an unspoken bond with our guests every time they fly. We have dedicated cabin crew personnel for business-class passengers, providing a more individual service, with the aim of setting new standards for comfort and overall well-being onboard Finnair flights.”
The updated business-class menus were developed in collaboration with Swedish chef Tommy Myllymäki and highlight Nordic ingredients and flavors. Sample dishes include Jerusalem artichokes with mushrooms and pear, and braised ox with celeriac and kale. These menus will be served on all long-haul flights departing Helsinki (HEL) starting February 7.
“We want to showcase the best of Finnish cuisine to the world, and created a menu that celebrates Finnish traditions and specialties, so that everyone traveling between Europe and Asia with Finnair gets a taste of modern Finnish cuisine,” said Eero Vottonen, Finnair’s 2017 signature menu chef.
Additional business-class elements will also launch on February 7 on flights to Seoul (ICN), Tokyo (HND) and Shanghai (PVG), with rollout to other long-haul routes planned through the following spring and summer.