| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Helsinki (HEL) | A321-100 | Economy Class | 24/10/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Helsinki (HEL) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321-200 | Economy Class | 02/11/2023 | Current review |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt (FRA) → Helsinki (HEL) | A321-100 | Economy Class | 24/10/2023 | |
| Lufthansa | Helsinki (HEL) → Frankfurt (FRA) | A321-200 | Economy Class | 02/11/2023 | Current review |
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new Flight review.
Today, I'm taking you on board a Lufthansa A321 bound for Frankfurt from Helsinki in Finland.
Let's not waste any more time and meet up at the train station in Finland's capital: Helsinki.
Indeed, the easiest, cheapest and, I think, fastest way to get to the airport from the city is to take the suburban train from Helsinki station.
We bought the tickets directly from the ticket booths at the station. The fare is €4.10 for adults over 17 and €2 for children aged between 4 and 17. Children under 4 ride free.
A train connects downtown Helsinki to the airport in around 25 minutes, every 7 minutes during the day and every 10 minutes before 8 am.
The trains here are all on time. You can't expect it to leave 30 seconds later because we left right on time.
On board, the train was very clean. Each row of seats had a waste garbage can and a European-style electrical socket. Announcements were made in Finnish, Swedish (the country's two national languages) and English.
Unfortunately, one thing missing from the train is space for luggage.
After a half-hour's journey, our train arrives at Lentoaseman/ Flygplatsens, the Helsinki-Vantaa airport station.
We get off the train and I head for Terminal 1, where my flight to Frankfurt leaves in just over two hours.
The route from the station to the terminal couldn't be easier: up, up, and up. In fact, the station is buried 45m beneath the airport.
After a few escalators, we finally arrive on terra firma and in the terminal.
Unlike on my outbound flight, the terminal is not at all empty without being overcrowded. Even in the middle of the afternoon, the airport has a very cozy atmosphere.
Personally, I'm in awe of the ceiling in the airport's main concourse. The staircase of wood adds to the soothing atmosphere. What's more, the large bay window at the terminal entrance and the glass dome in the middle of the ceiling makes the terminal very bright.
Now it's time to check-in. In Helsinki, all procedures are carried out at individual kiosks, except for passengers in higher classes, those with reduced mobility, and children traveling alone with Finnair or one of its Oneworld partners.
Even so, there are plenty of agents on hand to help you.
As I mentioned earlier, there aren't many people here this afternoon. I didn't wait at all during the check-in.
Once my luggage had been checked in, it was time to head for the security checkpoints.
Once again, there was hardly anyone there.
Like Frankfurt Airport, Helsinki Airport is equipped with new scanners, so you don't have to take all your belongings out of your bag, including electronics and liquids.
As at check-in, there was no waiting at security checkpoints. A very good point for the airport.
Once the checks have been completed, I reach the boarding hall. Unlike many airports, we're not assaulted by Duty-Free stores as soon as we exit security. In fact, the stores are located in the terminal itself, so we can only go there if we want to. I think this is great.
Like the check-in hall, large bay windows provide plenty of light in the terminal (and, incidentally, a great view of the aircraft). Wood is also very present in this part of the airport, adding to the warm atmosphere.
Our flight today departs from gate 32. As I arrive at the gate, a Lufthansa A320 in Star Alliance livery is waiting for passengers departing for Munich. Our flight is next.
In the meantime, I decide to visit the terminal.
There really aren't that many people here today, so it could be an exceptional day.
I also take the opportunity to photograph a few aircraft I'm not used to seeing, such as a Finnair ATR-72 or A350 and an Icelandair Boeing 737-8 MAX.
I also discovered that Finnish airline Finnair is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, they put on an exhibition of its uniforms from the airline's inception. I thought it was very nice, especially as the staff in charge of the animation were very friendly and even offered me a sweet ^^.
Ten minutes later, I was back at my gate where my plane just landed from Frankfurt. The boarding is about to begin.
A small crowd has gathered in front of the counter: our flight is full today.
Boarding begins. Boarding takes place in groups from 1 to 5, with groups 1 and 2 reserved for priority passengers (with infants, reduced mobility, various statuses and Business Class passengers), group 3 for window-side passengers, group 4 for middle passengers and group 5 for aisle-side passengers. Please note that passenger groups are not divided. If you belong to the same reservation, you will board at the same time (as was the case with my family).
I'm in group 3, so I board the plane fairly quickly.
Today, our aircraft is an A321-231 with the registration D-AIST. It's 14 and a half years old, and the airline has named it Erbach/Odenwald, a town south of Frankfurt.
Two hostesses greet us with a smile. We first pass through the Business Class cabin, with its classic European Business Class configuration. The cabin is the old Lufthansa cabin. Its age is becoming increasingly apparent.
My seat is 23F, on the window side.
Each seat is equipped with an adjustable tray table and coat rack. The seat pocket contains the Worldshop in-flight magazine, the Onboard Delight menu, and the safety card.
The legroom of the seat was quite correct even if it could be a bit bigger for taller people.
I also noticed that on each seat, a QR code allows us to connect to the Wi-Fi and take advantage of the online platform's services free of charge.
As for on-board Wi-Fi, as on the outbound flight, we have several "passes" to choose from:
It's a good thing we introduced the 30-minute pass, even though many other European airlines offer the message pass free of charge for the entire flight.
On the connection platform, it's possible to follow the flight live on a map, along with a host of additional information that's very useful as an avgeek. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of this page.
Now that all the passengers are on board, it's time to set off for Germany.
We push off to the northeast, heading for runway 22R, north of the airport.
The weather in Helsinki today is magnificent, as is the light, which is simply sublime.
It's under this magnificent sky and light that we take off for Frankfurt.
The view over Finland is magnificent.
Shortly after takeoff, the crew handed out a bottle of fresh water, which I drank immediately.
During the flight, no other service is offered apart from a Lufthansa-branded chocolate. A bit of a shame. So, I looked out of the window for most of the flight. I should point out that the on-board Wi-Fi also works very well. Even with the Messages pass, it's possible to send photos, and even publish your BeReal. on time!
We're now flying over cloud-covered Eastern Europe. Surprise for us, an A400M of the Deutsche Luftwaffe passed us over Poland.
We are now over Germany, flying over a very grey Berlin.
A few moments before we started our descent, the crew gave us the now traditional Lufthansa Chocolate
We begin our descent shortly afterward.
We pass through several layers of clouds before the ground appears.
It's very windy today over Bundesland Hesse. During our approach, we were buffeted quite a bit and our A321 flapped its wings in front of Frankfurt's financial district, commonly known as Mainhatten.
After 2 hours and 20 minutes of flight, the wheels of our plane touched down on German soil.
"Hertzlich willkommen in Frankfurt meine liebe Gäste", Lufthansa's main home with Munich.
We now start taxiing to our gate. Due to the busy airport, we had to wait a few minutes for our gate to become available.
Once we arrive at our gate, disembarkation goes smoothly, and I leave the plane.
I cross the long corridor I left a few days ago and head for the baggage carousels.
As is often the case in Frankfurt, the luggage took almost an hour and a half to arrive. I found this distressing, especially for an intra-European flight.
So, it was about 2 hours after our arrival that we collected our luggage and headed out of the airport.
So, there you have it, this review of a flight from Helsinki to Frankfurt aboard a Lufthansa A321.
Until the next flight, I wish you all happy flying!
See you soon,
Léo
As for the outward journey, I was very pleased with my stay in Helsinki. The terminal is magnificent, with the wood adding a warm touch. The staff is very pleasant and the controls are very smooth. What's more, the airport's layout is very well thought out. The stands celebrating Finnair's 100th anniversary are also a pleasant attraction. In short, for my first visit to Helsinki airport, I'm very satisfied!
As usual, the flight with Lufthansa was very pleasant. Despite the lack of service, the addition of free Wi-Fi for 30 minutes is much appreciated, although it would be even more welcome if the Message option were free for the entire flight.
On this return trip, I was somewhat disappointed by Frankfurt airport. The baggage waiting time for an intra-Schengen flight was far too long. Despite this, the airport is still very clean, bright, and fluid.
