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Finnair (AY) Guide

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Flights from Helsinki across Europe, to Asia and North America, fleet and cabins, baggage, check-in and how to find cheaper Finnair fares. Ask a question
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In short

Finnair is the flag carrier of Finland, based at Helsinki Airport and flying across Europe, Asia and North America. Helsinki's position makes it a short route between Europe and Asia. Finnair belongs to oneworld and runs Finnair Plus. Long-haul cabins are Business, Premium Economy and Economy, and cabin baggage allowance depends on the fare.

Finnair is Finland’s flag carrier and one of the oldest airlines still flying. Most of its network connects through Helsinki.

Please note: bookingMentor is an independent travel service and is not affiliated with Finnair. Routes, schedules and baggage rules change, so always confirm the details of your booking with the airline.

What to expect

Finnair (IATA AY) is the flag carrier of Finland, flying from its hub at Helsinki Airport to Finnish cities, more than 60 European destinations and long-haul points in Asia, the Middle East and North America. It suits travellers who want a short, simple transfer between Europe and Asia, and anyone visiting Lapland in winter.

A century of flying

Finnair was founded on 1 November 1923 as Aero O/Y, which makes it one of the oldest airlines in continuous operation. Its first flight, on 20 March 1924, was a Junkers F.13 floatplane from Helsinki to Tallinn. The company began calling itself Finnair in 1953, took Finnair Oy as its legal name in 1968 and opened its first transatlantic route, to New York, in May 1969 with a Douglas DC-8. The airline has several long-haul firsts to its name. In 1983 it flew the first non-stop service between Europe and Japan, routing over the North Pole, and in 1988 it became the first Western European carrier to fly non-stop to China. It was also the launch customer for the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in 1990.

The Finnish state is the largest shareholder, with about 55.7 per cent of the shares as of March 2026, and the rest trade on the Helsinki stock exchange. The head office stands in the Aviapolis business district beside the airport in Vantaa. Finnair also runs a cargo business and sells package holidays under the Aurinkomatkat brand.

Helsinki hub and network

Helsinki Airport (HEL) is the only hub, and Finnair's company site describes it as built for transfers. Finnair serves more than 100 destinations from there. The short great-circle distance between northern Europe and East Asia once made Helsinki the quickest connection between the two. Since Russian airspace closed to European airlines in 2022, flights to Japan, South Korea and China take longer routes, and Finnair has trimmed and reshaped its Asian network. The destination list on finnair.com, which includes cities reached with partner airlines, covers Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Fukuoka in Japan, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Delhi, Mumbai and Colombo in Asia, and Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver in North America.

Inside Finland the list runs to 15 airports beyond Helsinki, among them Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, Kuopio, Mariehamn in the Aland Islands and the Lapland airports at Rovaniemi, Kittila, Ivalo and Kuusamo, which are busiest in the winter aurora and Christmas season.

Partners and alliance

Finnair joined oneworld in 1999, alongside partners such as British Airways, American Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways. It sells joint fares for travel to Japan, and a codeshare with Qatar Airways started in August 2025. Through these deals a Finnair ticket can connect to hundreds of cities on partner flights with bags checked through.

Transferring in Helsinki

Helsinki is Finnair's only hub, so almost every international itinerary on the airline changes planes there. The main thing to watch is passport control. Flights within the Schengen area and flights to Asia or North America leave from different parts of the terminal, and non-Schengen connections need a passport check. Check the minimum connection time when you book, and allow more time on busy winter mornings.

Travel tip: for a Lapland trip in December, book early. Flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and Kittila fill up for the Christmas period, and the cheapest fares go first. Check your fare's baggage allowance on the Finnair website, because what is included depends on the fare type you buy.

Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change

Checked against trusted sources:
Finnair

See all 3 sources
  1. Finnair: About us
  2. Finnair: Destinations
  3. Finnair: Finnair Plus and Avios
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Good to know

  • Founded1923
  • Online check-inYes

Everything you should know

Airline codes

AY · FIN

IATA · ICAO · callsign “FINNAIR”

Every Finnair flight number begins with AY. Flight-tracking sites and air traffic control use the ICAO code FIN, and the radio callsign is FINNAIR.

Key facts

Main hub

Helsinki (HEL)

Helsinki Airport

Network

3 continents

Europe · Asia · North America

Finnair uses Helsinki as a transfer hub between Europe and Asia, and flies to the US, the Nordics and Lapland in winter.

Destinations

Cabin classes

Economy

and Premium Economy, Business

Business, Premium Economy and Economy on long-haul aircraft; Business is offered on the whole Airbus fleet. Finnair offers three cabins on long-haul flights. Business Class on the A350 and A330 has seats that turn into flat beds, and every Airbus in the fleet has a Business cabin. Premium Economy arrived in February 2022 on the long-haul aircraft and sits in its own small cabin with wider seats and more legroom. Economy is available on every flight. Finnair also has a long-running design partnership with the Finnish brand Marimekko, whose bold prints show up on board.

Compare cabins

Good to know

Since Russian airspace closed in 2022, Finnair’s flights to Asia take longer routes, and the airline has shifted capacity to Europe and North America. The airline’s site, finnair.com, handles bookings and check-in.

Frequent flyer

Finnair Plus

Member of oneworld

Finnair is a oneworld member; its programme Finnair Plus uses Avios.

How it works

Start a new search

Before you book Finnair, run the same dates through bookingMentor: rival airlines on routes from HEL appear in one set of results.

Enjoy your Finnair flight!

Select dates

At a glance

Finnair (IATA: AY, ICAO: FIN) is the flag carrier of Finland, founded in 1923 and based at Helsinki Airport. A member of oneworld, it flies Airbus A350, A330 and A320-family jets, plus regional aircraft operated by Nordic Regional Airlines, to destinations across Europe, Asia and North America, with Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins.

Key facts about Finnair
HeadquartersAviapolis, Vantaa, Finland
Fleet typesAirbus A350-900, A330-300, A321, A320, A319, ATR 72, Embraer E190
Frequent flyerFinnair Plus
Official websitefinnair.com

Flight routes

Destinations and routes

Direct routes
These are the cities on Finnair’s published route map. Timetables change through the year, so check the Finnair schedule before you plan around a route. Search flights

Finland

Helsinki (HEL) departures4 destinations

Check all

Fleet and aircraft

Finnair flies around 80 aircraft, almost all of them Airbus. In July 2026 the mainline fleet counted 53 jets. Long-haul routes use 18 A350-900s in two layouts (278 or 321 seats) and six A330-300s with 279 seats. European flights use five A319s, ten A320s and 14 A321s, the largest of which seat 209. Domestic and some short European routes are flown for Finnair by Nordic Regional Airlines, in which Finnair holds a 40 per cent stake, using 12 ATR 72-500 turboprops and 12 Embraer E190 jets, with 18 Embraer E195-E2s on order. The airline carried about 11.9 million passengers in 2025.

  • Airbus A350-900 Wide-body · 10 (mainline) Long-haul routes to Asia and North America
  • Airbus A330-300 Wide-body · 6 Long-haul and busy leisure routes
  • Airbus A321 Narrow-body European routes
  • Airbus A320 Narrow-body European routes
  • Airbus A319 Narrow-body European routes
  • Embraer E190 Regional jet · 12 (Norra) Thinner European and Nordic routes
  • ATR 72-500 Turboprop · 12 (Norra) Domestic and short Nordic routes

Cabin classes

Three cabins on long-haul flights, two on European flights.

Economy All flights

Nordic design and simple service

Economy on long-haul flights includes meals and entertainment; on European flights food is mostly for purchase.

Meals on long-haulSeat selectionSeatback entertainment on long-haul

Premium Economy Long-haul

Introduced in 2022

A separate cabin with wider seats and more legroom, added to Finnair’s long-haul aircraft from 2022.

More legroomFixed-shell seatExtra baggageUpgraded meals

Business All Airbus aircraft

Lie-flat seats on long-haul

Long-haul Business has flat-bed seats; on European flights Business offers a blocked middle seat, lounge access and meals.

Lounge accessPriority servicesExtra baggageFine dining

Finnair Plus

Finnair’s own frequent flyer programme, free to join, with Avios as its currency.

Members collect Avios and status points on Finnair and oneworld flights and can spend Avios on award flights and upgrades. Because Finnair Plus uses Avios, points can also be moved to and from other Avios programmes such as British Airways and Iberia.

Finnair Plus is the loyalty programme. On 9 March 2024 it switched its currency to Avios, the same points used by British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Airways. Members now collect Avios and tier points on Finnair flights and can earn on oneworld partners too.

Baggage allowance

Finnair does not give every passenger the same allowance: the route, the cabin and the fare you buy each change it. Your AY e-ticket shows what you have.

Checked baggage
On your e-ticket
Cabin baggage
Depends on fare
Extra bags
Cheaper before you fly
Power banks
Cabin bag only

Finnair sells Light, Classic and Flex fares. Light fares in Economy may not include a checked bag, while Classic and Flex include one, and Business and Premium Economy include more.

Pro tip: flying to Lapland in winter with skis? Check Finnair’s sports-equipment rules and book the item before you travel.
Travel day

Online Check-in

Getting through check-in for Finnair is simpler in this order. Start online and finish at bag drop.

  • Online check-in available
  1. Step 1

    Check in online

    Use finnair.com or app to check in for eligible flights. Have your Finnair booking reference or e-ticket number and your surname ready.

    Booking ref + surname
  2. Step 2

    Prepare your documents

    Before leaving for the airport, check that your passport is valid and that you hold any visa or entry document needed at the other end of your Finnair flight. Domestic AY passengers should bring a photo ID the airline accepts.

    Passport · visa · ID
  3. Step 3

    Arrive early

    Each airport has its own Finnair check-in and bag-drop deadline, listed in your booking. Allow extra time for busy terminals and international AY departures.

    Well before departure
  4. Step 4

    Drop your bags

    Finnair desks and bag-drop points take your hold luggage. Keep the bag-tag receipt with your boarding pass until the bags come off at the end of your AY trip.

    Finnair counter
Ready to check in? Check in and manage your booking on the official Finnair website.
Check in with Finnair
Save money

Cheap tickets

A few booking habits that tend to cut the cost of flying Finnair.

  1. 01

    Be flexible with your Finnair dates

    If your dates can move, look at AY flights across the whole week. Midweek seats are often cheaper than weekend ones.

    Midweek flights
  2. 02

    Avoid peak seasons

    December flights to Rovaniemi and other Lapland airports are in high demand. Book early or travel in January to March.

    Christmas in Lapland
  3. 03

    Compare Finnair fare types

    A Finnair fare that includes a checked bag, seat choice or cheaper changes can cost less overall than adding those extras later.

    Baggage & changes
  4. 04

    Book a stopover

    Long trips between Europe and Asia connect in Helsinki, and a stopover can be added to see the city.

    Helsinki

  5. Ready to compare fares?

    Search Finnair alongside every other airline on your route, with flexible dates.

    Search Finnair flights

Reviews and questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything travellers ask before flying Finnair.
Answers checked against Finnair’s official sources and public aviation references, and reviewed each season.

General

Yes. Membership means you can earn and spend points on other oneworld airlines such as British Airways, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and American Airlines, and combine their flights with Finnair on a single ticket.