Emirates now flies daily to Helsinki on the A350, its first route to Finland

Emirates now flies to Finland. Its first flight from Dubai to Helsinki, EK167, landed at 13:30 local time, the airline said in an Oct. 2 release. It had left Dubai on Oct. 1 with what Emirates called nearly full passenger and cargo loads, according to the departure release.

The route runs daily, all year, on the Airbus A350. Emirates says it is the only year-round direct link between Finland and the UAE.

The schedule

All times are local.

• EK167: leaves Dubai at 08:15, arrives Helsinki at 14:30
• EK168: leaves Helsinki at 16:20, arrives Dubai at 00:20 the next day

Emirates says the times are set up for onward connections in Dubai. It names East and Southeast Asia, West Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia. The first flight carried travelers from more than 20 cities on the Emirates network, including Mumbai, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates' deputy president and chief commercial officer, led the airline's group on the first flight. "Helsinki is an exciting addition to our global network, connecting Finland with Dubai and our extensive network beyond," he said.

Finavia, which runs Helsinki Airport, met the flight. "Strong air connectivity is essential for Finnish businesses, international trade, tourism and investment," said Petri Vuori, its senior vice president of route development.

On board

The A350 seats 298 people in three cabins: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The release doesn't break that down. When Emirates announced the same 298-seat A350 for Orlando, it listed 32 Business, 28 Premium Economy and 238 Economy seats; see our Orlando story.

Business has a 1-2-1 layout with lie-flat seats, so every seat has aisle access. Emirates also points to a personal minibar and a snack area. Premium Economy has leather recliners and in-seat charging. Economy gets a 13.3-inch 4K screen.

The menus lean north. Business passengers get juniper-marinated salmon and seared venison. Premium Economy gets salmon trout with a pink peppercorn crust, and Economy pan-fried salmon. Lingonberries show up in desserts in every cabin. The seat-back system carries more than 6,500 channels, including Finnish films and music.

Each flight can also carry up to 16 metric tons of cargo in the hold, Emirates says.

Lounges in Helsinki

Neither release mentions a lounge, and Lounge Frog does not list an Emirates lounge at Helsinki Airport. Emirates hasn't said which lounge, if any, its Business passengers will use there.

Dubai is outside the Schengen area, so EK168 leaves from Helsinki's non-Schengen area, after passport control. Our directory lists four lounges there:

• Plaza Premium Lounge Aurora opened this year on the mezzanine near gate 40. It rates 3.9 and has a full bar. Entry costs from EUR 59 for two hours, and Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders get in. Priority Pass and DragonPass don't work here. It opens 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., which covers the 4:20 p.m. departure.
• Plaza Premium Lounge Lumi is its open-access twin, in the same spot. It rates 3.2 and takes Priority Pass, DragonPass and paid walk-ins from EUR 59. It has work pods and a children's play area.
• Finnair Platinum Wing, rated 4.3 with a sauna, and the Finnair Business Lounge, rated 3.6, are for oneworld travelers. Emirates is not in oneworld, so an Emirates ticket alone won't get you in.

For most Emirates travelers with a lounge card, Lumi is the realistic choice. Aurora is quieter and better rated, if you have Amex Platinum or don't mind paying.

Lounges in Dubai

At Dubai International, Emirates runs Business Class lounges in all three Terminal 3 concourses. Each takes Business passengers and Skywards Gold and Platinum members:

• Concourse A: rated 4.6, open 24 hours, with 20 showers. It fills a whole floor, and you can board straight from the lounge at many A gates.
• Concourse B: rated 4.6, with 30 showers.
• Concourse C: rated 4.7, with 12 showers.

The A350 has no First cabin, so the First Class lounges in A and B are only for Skywards Platinum members on this route.

Premium Economy does not include lounge entry in our records, and the release doesn't say otherwise. Our Concourse A listing shows paid entry at USD 175, or 150 for Skywards members. Priority Pass holders can use the Marhaba lounges in Concourse A, rated 4.6, and Concourse B, rated 4.7.

Coming home, EK168 lands in Dubai at 00:20. If you are connecting onward in the small hours, the 24-hour Concourse A lounge and its showers are worth knowing about.

What we don't know

Emirates hasn't said which Dubai concourse the Helsinki flight uses, or whether it has a lounge deal in Helsinki. For Emirates' newest lounge design, see our story on its Manchester lounge.