Now open: Finnair's huge new Schengen Lounge with expanded capacity and space for Oneworld elite members
Editor's Note
Finnair is showing off photos of its new Schengen Lounge that opened at Helsinki Airport (HEL) on July 9. The lounge primarily serves customers traveling on short-haul flights within Europe and passengers connecting in Helsinki from the U.S. and traveling onward to Finland's Lapland and the wider Nordic and Baltic regions.
The new lounge can accommodate up to 440 passengers, an upgrade from the existing lounge in the Schengen Area part of the airport.
The Finnish airline says the lounge was inspired by Finnair's Nordic design and is "designed to bring unparalleled comfort and convenience to customers."
The carrier, based near Helsinki, said the design was led by Studio Joanna Laajisto and features Nordic design details, such as wooden textures, soft forms and warm colors. The furniture is sourced from Nordic designers like Artek, Nikari and Gubi.
The lounge features two areas. The larger part is for business-class passengers and those with Oneworld Sapphire status (American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum-level status and higher). The second area will be the Platinum Corner for Finnair's top-tier status holders and Oneworld Emerald members (those with AAdvantage Platinum Pro-level status and higher). Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members are also eligible.
Finnair is selling access to the Platinum Corner for 30 euros ($32) or 4,800 Avios as well.
Related: 5 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
The new lounge is named for Europe's Schengen Area, which includes most European Union countries, with the exception of Cyprus and Ireland. Non-EU countries — including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein — are also part of the Schengen Area. That means flights to these countries will not need border checks.
The new Schengen Lounge will look familiar to people who've used Finnair's other lounges at Helsinki Airport.
Customers flying directly to and from the U.S. can continue to access Finnair's Platinum Wing Lounge (for top-tier elite members) or its Business Lounge (both in the non-Schengen Area part of the airport), first unveiled in 2019.
Finnair will have a total of three lounges at Helsinki Airport:
- Business Lounge
- Platinum Wing Lounge
- Schengen Lounge (including Platinum Corner)
Related: Here are the best-rated Priority Pass lounges in 2024
Finnair just completed the rollout of its new long-haul business class
Finnair also announced it completed the refurbishment of its entire long-haul fleet.
The refresh includes an entirely new business-class section with new seats, a new premium economy cabin and an updated economy cabin. Finnair was the launch customer for the new AirLounge seat designed by seat manufacturer Collins Aerospace.
The new cabins debuted in 2022 and are now on all of the airline's long-haul fleet of Airbus A350s and A330s. You'll find premium economy on all these jets now, too.
Related reading:
- The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
- Best airline credit cards
- Oneworld alliance guide: Learn about airlines, lounges and elite status
- Long-haul with no recline: A review of Finnair's new business class on the A350-900 from Helsinki to Singapore
- How to get to Helsinki on points and miles
- The best websites for searching Oneworld award availability
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