To Finland

To Helsinki for the EPA AGM and POLIS conference.   Once again I went club class on BA because, on what is quite a long flight, it really makes a difference.   This time I went out on a Finnair flight and back on BA (last year it was vice versa) and it was interesting to compare the two flights and see if I came to the same conclusion.   It’s the same aircraft in each case, so that makes it easier.

One difference was apparent immediately in that I could not get a Finnair boarding card on my phone.   This may seem trivial, but it is so much easier without having to bother with pieces of paper.

My travel time was convenient so there was no queue at all at security, which made it very simple indeed.   Not an airline responsibility so no comparison there.   The lounge, too, was a BA lounge and of a generally good quality.   The BA lounges at Heathrow have improved and a really quite good now.   In particular the range of food has extended so that there was a choice of both hot food (largely curries or pasta) and salads.   What did surprise me was that though there were three white wines available they were all chardonnay.   I had to ask for a sauvignon blanc.   Could do better here.

While the lounge in terminal 3 is perhaps not as good as in terminal 5, it’s still fairly generous with windows in most areas and a range of different types of seats.   It wasn’t crowded either, which does help.

Boarding was straightforward and, not being BA at terminal 3, was direct via an airbridge and not via a bus.   Seats and ambience pretty similar between Finnair and BA but no little drinks trays on the arm rests which really are very convenient.

Food, once again, was a pretty similar standard but I have to say that the meal I had was very tasty with particularly nice vegetables, so Finnair edges ahead here.   On the other hand the wine was not too good.

Overall, therefore, pretty much of a muchness, but I think BA edges it.

Because of the 2 hour time change, it was late when I landed at Helsinki, but therefore, quick to get through the airport and into a taxi.   It’s a long walk from the gate to the exit, though.

I did try to use the automatic passport gates but couldn’t get it to work, which is a shame.

Coming home was gave the other side of the comparison.   I was cross that I could not use the fast track security channel because this was open only to Finnair travellers using business class and the clerk would not accept me even though my flight was a Finnair code share.   Pretty poor marks here, as the queue to go through the main security was long.   As in terminal 3 at Heathrow, the exit of security goes straight into a shop.   I dislike this intensely although I suppose you could say that it is, at least honest in demonstrating that shopping is now the main purpose of airports.

The Finnair lounge is not as nice as BA lounges at Heathrow.   While the choice of drinks is pretty similar, the choice of food is very limited and though it was a big lounge it was crowded.   Not many internet desks either.   They did have wireless phone charging, though, which I haven’t seen before.

Boarding is increasingly straightforward the more I fly (especially in business class) but I was interested to notice that the cabin service director came personally to greet the skinheads (genuinely, braces, part bleached denims, 18 hole DMs) behind me because one of them was a gold card holder.

Better wine and an OK choice of meals and the plane was on time at Heathrow.

This being BA it was a bus connection into terminal 3 but a dedicated bus for club class so it was quite quick.   Once in the terminal I realised that if I was prompt I could just make a Heathrow Express, so, after customs I ran and just got on the train before it left.   This would mean no rushing at Paddington.   And so I didn’t rush and just missed a Circle line – the doors closed in front of my face.   What shocked me was to find there was a 15 minute wait for the next train (and it was only 8pm) so I dashed down to the Bakerloo line and went to St Pancras via Oxford Circus.   I caught the South Eastern train without too much rush at that point, but I’m glad I caught the earlier Heathrow Express.

The existential question now standing at platform 2...

"The next station is...[slight pause]...why?"   Perhaps it's a good thing I'm not in Hertfordshire where the next station might be ...[slight pause]...where?

Is it only in English that we can get this?   Are there other places that could add to the range of existential quests beyond Wye and Ware?

How many seats did you pay for?

Twice in the past week I have found myself asking people to move their coats and bags from seats.   This is not the simple case of having put their coat or bag on the seat beside them, but sitting in an aisle seat with a bag and a coat on the seats opposite and an empty window sat beside them.

This might just about be acceptable on a lightly loaded off peak train, but in each case this has been a train leaving London about 5pm.   That is, just about the height of the evening rush hour.

Well, OK, some people will try anything on, but if you're going to do that you have to be prepared to retreat with good grace.   And, to be fair, on one of these occasions, the person did indeed move bags and baggage immediately on request.   But not the other one who first, argued that there was nowhere else to put anything as she wouldn't put anything on the rack in case she forgot it.   Then, when she did finally get the point that the train was full and standing, she only moved her belongings with extreme bad grace and continued muttering to herself all the way to Tonbridge, where she got off.