Discover the expansive new Schengen Lounge by Finnair, now open and featuring enhanced capacity along with special access for Oneworld elite members.

Finnair has unveiled images of its newly opened Schengen Lounge at Helsinki Airport (HEL), which started welcoming guests on July 9. This lounge primarily caters to travelers on short-haul flights within Europe, as well as those connecting from the U.S. to destinations in Finland's Lapland and across the Nordic and Baltic regions.

With the ability to host up to 440 guests, the new lounge marks a significant upgrade from the previous facilities located in the Schengen Area of the airport.

The design of the new lounge draws inspiration from Finnair's Nordic aesthetic, aiming to provide customers with unmatched comfort and convenience.

The airline, headquartered near Helsinki, announced that the design was crafted by Studio Joanna Laajisto, showcasing elements of Nordic design such as wooden textures, soft curves, and inviting colors. The furnishings are provided by renowned Nordic designers including Artek, Nikari, and Gubi.

The lounge is divided into two distinct areas. The larger section caters to business-class travelers and those holding Oneworld Sapphire status (such as American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum members and above). The smaller area, known as the Platinum Corner, is reserved for Finnair's elite members and Oneworld Emerald members (including AAdvantage Platinum Pro and higher). Additionally, Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members can access this area.

Finnair offers access to the Platinum Corner for a fee of 30 euros ($32) or 4,800 Avios.

Named after Europe's Schengen Area, the new lounge serves countries primarily within the European Union, excluding Cyprus and Ireland. It also includes non-EU countries like Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, meaning that flights to these destinations won't require border checks.

Frequent visitors to Finnair's lounges at Helsinki Airport will find the new Schengen Lounge to be quite familiar.

Travelers flying directly between the U.S. and Finland can still enjoy access to Finnair's Platinum Wing Lounge (exclusively for top-tier members) or its Business Lounge, both located in the non-Schengen section of the airport, which first opened in 2019.

Finnair will operate a total of three lounges at Helsinki Airport:

• Business Lounge
• Platinum Wing Lounge
• Schengen Lounge (with Platinum Corner)

Finnair has successfully launched its new long-haul business class service.

The airline also announced that it has finished upgrading its entire long-haul fleet.

The upgrade features a completely new business-class area with fresh seating, a revamped premium economy cabin, and an enhanced economy section. Finnair was the first airline to introduce the new AirLounge seat, designed by Collins Aerospace.

The new cabin designs were launched in 2022 and are now available across all of the airline's long-haul Airbus A350 and A330 fleets. All these aircraft now also feature premium economy seating.