Finnair Is Finally Flying Itself to Australia, With a Bangkok Detour

Finnair begins flying to Melbourne on October 25, its first Australia service operated with its own aircraft. Until now, the airline’s jets reached Sydney only on Qantas wet-lease flights sold under QF flight numbers. The new route is daily and runs Helsinki to Melbourne via Bangkok on an Airbus A350-900.

The Bangkok stop is built into the product. Each direction includes a transit of about 105 minutes, and passengers can book the whole journey or just one leg, either Melbourne to Bangkok or Bangkok to Helsinki. Multi-city trips with stopovers are also possible.

The outbound flight, AY145, leaves Helsinki just after midnight, reaches Bangkok in mid-afternoon and lands in Melbourne at 6:15 a.m. local time. The return, AY146, departs Melbourne in the afternoon, arrives in Bangkok in the evening and reaches Helsinki early the next morning.

Onboard, business class uses an AirLounge shell seat that does not recline but makes a flat bed when the leg rest is raised. Premium economy is laid out 2-4-2 and economy 3-3-3. Because Finnair belongs to Oneworld, points can be earned and spent on the flights, and Oneworld Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald perks apply.

Sources: Business Traveller, Aviation Week