• I flew from London to Bangkok via Helsinki in Finnair's new business class AirLounge seat. 
• I paid $2,650 and enjoyed ample legroom and lots of privacy — and a seat that didn't recline.
• Instead, a leg rest pops out to create a flat bench to sleep. I was surprised I liked it so much.

This winter, I decided to escape cold London to soak up some sun in Thailand.

As a travel writer with a specialty in covering Thailand as a destination, I've made this flight many times.

Most often, I fly in economy class where the fare often costs around $1,100. Sometimes, I fly in business class when budget allows.

But recently, I was intrigued when I saw what I thought was a fair price for a business-class ticket with Finnair in their new business class seat, the AirLounge.

I took the plunge and booked myself a ticket for $2,650. My total flying time from London to Bangkok, Thailand, was just over 15 hours with a brief layover in Helsinki, Finland, where I changed planes.

The AirLounge seat doesn't recline at all. Instead, you can sit upright or cross-legged since it's so wide, or lie flat by making use of a function I'd never seen on a plane before.

Finnair's AirLounge seat began rolling out in 2022, and has a hard fixed shell around a seat that is more akin to a comfy sofa than a traditional premium cabin seat-turned-flat bed.

The seat is so wide, that I'd be able to sit cross-legged if I wished.

And while I initially hesitated upon hearing it could not recline, I was eased to know that I could still lie flat, just not in the traditional way I've come to expect in business class.

Instead, I would extend my feet across a raised footrest that becomes a bridge from the seat, creating a sleeping bench where I could lay fully flat.

While the flight leg from London to Helsinki was in Finnair's regular business-class seat, when I changed planes in Helsinki, I was able to test out the AirLounge for the longest part of my journey.

I was really impressed with the AirLounge seat, and felt it was worth the extra money. Here's what it was like, and why I'd gladly book it again.

My journey with Finnair and business class began at London's Heathrow Airport, where I checked in and went straight to the Cathay Pacific Lounge.

I arrived to Heathrow three hours before my flight and checked in straight away.

As a business class passenger, I was granted free access to the airport lounge. Finnair does not have their own lounge at Heathrow, so I was directed to check into the lovely and quiet Cathay Pacific Lounge. Cathay is a partner airline, and all Finnair business class customers may enjoy access to it within Heathrow before their flights.

The lounge had hot drinks and food, as well as snacks. I treated myself to a cooked English breakfast with egg and sausage, but also noticed international dishes such as noodles and soups, as well as a full bar.

Since I had ample time before my flight, I took advantage of the lounge's showers, which I found to be very comfortable with plenty of space, and stocked with fluffy towels and toiletries such as soaps, shampoos, and combs.

I thought it was a relaxing way to start my journey ahead of my 10:20 a.m. take off to Helsinki, Finland.

For my first leg of the trip to Helsinki, I flew in Finnair's regular business-class seat.

The flight from London to Helsinki was the shorter leg of the 15-hour total flight, at just three-hours long.

For this portion, I knew I'd be in the older, traditional business-class cabin as AirLounge is still being rolled out across the Finnair fleet.

These seats were the reclining lie-flat beds that I have experienced on other airlines. It reclined across two axes — one at neck height, one at the base of the back from the seated position — via electronic controls.

I found it to be comfortable, if a little dated, but for a short European flight, I certainly thought it was a very decent step up from coach.

I didn't need to sleep from London to Helsinki so I never fully reclined into flat-bed mode. But I find on those traditional seats that I can feel the ridges beneath me and it's not always the most comfortable sleep.

So, I was especially excited to give my AirLounge seat a shot.

Three hours later, we landed in Helsinki, about 45 minutes after our scheduled arrival.

Our late arrival meant a very quick turnover at Helsinki Airport, and I sadly did not get to experience the Finnair flagship lounge in the airline's home hub. Business Class passengers usually get access to the lounge for the entirety of their layover, and I was intrigued to see its clean Scandinavian design, but that will have to wait for a future trip.

I made my way instead directly to the gate for the connection to Bangkok, and arrived just in time for boarding.

As a business-class passenger, I was invited to board first.

I found my way to my pre-selected seat, 1A. It was positioned on its own by the window; the cabin had a one-two-one seat formation.

I booked my seat online using the Finnair app, and chose 1A

My first impressions of the non-reclining seat were positive. It is, to my knowledge, the only airline currently rolling out this type of seat.

I thought the fixed hard shell made for an impressive space that immediately felt more private to me than the business-class seat I had on the prior flight.

It also struck me as more similar to a well-designed sofa rather than a traditional airplane seat. I noticed it appeared to have extra padding, which I learned was crafted by Marimekko.

In my opinion, this gave both the cabin and the seats a spacious feel.

An amenity kit was waiting for me with toiletries.

My AirLounge experience came with a basic, unbranded amenity kit waiting for me on my seat.

It came with socks, an eye mask, earplugs, a toothbrush and toothpaste, lip balm, and moisturizing cream by designer Finnish brand Marimekko. I thought it was a welcome addition to the seat that made for an elevated experience from the start. 

The Air Lounge also had plenty of storage options.

I was impressed by the storage areas I had in the AirLounge pod and thought there was plenty of space with multiple options for storing my belongings.

I boarded with a small roll-on case I stowed in my own personal overhead locker. Meanwhile, I put my laptop and books away into various storage cupboards that were incorporated into each arm rest.

A nook near my feet was where my blanket and pillows were stored. 

The AirLounge came with good-quality headphones, and a compartment to store them.

I found the AirLounge's audio-visual controls in a small, open-and-closable compartment.

It included USB charging points, the remote control for the video screen, as well as a headphones jack, and a place to tuck away headphones when not in use.

I thought these features really helped keep the seat free of clutter. 

I thought the video screen was great for in-flight entertainment and information.

With this leg of the flight lasting 11.5-hours, I knew I'd have plenty of time to kill, and was hoping that the entertainment options would be up to scratch.

The video library had a lengthy menu of classic and new movies, as well as TV shows. I thought the options had an international feel, with lots of European and Asian cinema as well as American films and TV shows.

For in-flight information, I could flick between the flight path, or even live video footage from cameras on top of and at the front of the plane.

I also really liked the mini itinerary that was available on-screen that showed when meal service would be, which is something I've usually just guessed on prior flights. 

Wi-Fi was available, but for an added fee of $26 (€24.95) for the entire flight, and I didn't feel the need to use it.

I also had a table for working and eating.

I was also hoping to do some work on the 11.5-hour flight, and so the retractable table, which folded under the window-side armrest, was a real boon for me.

It easily swung out from beneath the unit next to the window, and was big enough for my laptop. I also thought it came in handy for the drink and meal services, and just as easily folded away again when I didn't need it. 

A control panel was discreet and easy to use.

On other business-class flights I've taken, I've usually used a large control panel to manage multiple aspects of a reclining seat.

But without the need to recline, all the AirLounge needed was a few buttons.

One released the table, one controlled the general lighting, and one was for the reading light. There was also a button to extend the foot rest, and a call bell for the flight attendants.

All of these controls were located neatly under a small shelf.

A full dinner menu was given to me when I boarded.

In addition to being offered welcome drinks such as juice, water, or champagne when I sat down, I was also handed a menu to place my order for dinner service to take place later during the flight.

Options included fish and beef dishes, a vegetarian option, and Finnish delicacies such as gravlax, alongside a full drinks menu.

I learned we'd also receive a light breakfast in the morning before we landed in Bangkok. 

I thought the food quality was excellent.

For dinner, I chose the fish, which was pan-fried Jon Dory with green beans and potato. It was served at what naturally felt like dinner time, just under two hours or so after taking off.

I liked the presentation with actual silverware instead of plastic, and real crockery instead of plastic plates or boxes.

I wasn't drinking on this flight, and opted for water and blueberry juice, another Finnish specialty that I liked a lot.

For dessert, I ordered a refreshing strawberry mousse, although a selection of cheeses were on offer, too.

I felt like I ate very well and finished everything that was put in front of me.

After dinner, it was time to sleep and see how the AirLounge compared to more traditional seats.

After dinner and my movie finished, I was feeling tired enough to sleep.

In other business class seats I've experienced, this is usually when I get up and use one or two controls to make up the flat bed.

In the AirLounge seat, the seat became a bed simply by raising the foot rest and stretching out.

The foot rest formed a bridge between my seat and the nook where my feet went. I wrapped myself in the provided blanket and felt like I was encased in a cozy cocoon. 

Even without a reclining function, it was a relief to find myself sleeping soundly.

I've tried a number of flat-bed business class products and I have to say that I was very impressed with the AirLounge even though it did not recline.

I thought the pillows and comforter were both good quality and I slept well and easily. I really value privacy when traveling, and with the hard shell curving around the head of the bed, I felt relatively cut off from the rest of the cabin. This shell also shielded me from some of the ambient noise.

As there were no reclining mechanisms to navigate, there were no uncomfy ridges or seams that I had to lie across, either. Those are most often one of my main problems with a lot of so-called flat beds.

I surprisingly slept incredibly well and felt I had space to spread out and roll over. I didn't feel cramped either, since the thoughtful storage options meant my belongings were all neatly stowed away.

I woke up with just a couple of hours until our final destination.

With around two hours to go until we arrived in Bangkok, I woke up naturally. I felt incredibly rested, and honestly, it was one of the better night's sleep I'd had on any plane.

I used the amenity kit to freshen up in the bathroom and sat back for the breakfast service. Finnair served what I thought was a veritable feast.

As well as yogurt, muesli, fresh fruit, and cold cuts, there was a cooked meal of sausage, egg, and hash browns as well as pastries, hot drinks, and juice. I ate most of it as I was hungry after a long sleep and thought it was a great start to the day ahead of my arrival in Bangkok.

I arrived feeling well-rested, well-fed, and like I would recommend the AirLounge to anyone traveling on a route where it's available.

In my opinion, it's a risk for any airline to roll out a completely new business-class product, and many airlines play it safe and go with tried-and-tested flatbed technology. So, I give Finnair kudos for trying a new approach.

Regular travelers might not take to a non-reclining seat, and I know it does sound counter-intuitive, but any reservations I had disappeared almost immediately once I tried it.

I think the AirLounge seat is a superior product to many business-class lie-flat beds, both in terms of privacy and comfort. By removing the points where a seat would recline and fold, the airline has done away with the uncomfortable ridges, and the hard shell provided a very impressive buffer of privacy.

I also thought the seat's comfort levels were heightened by the ability to spread out and sit cross-legged, and the luxurious Marimekko finish was tactile and cozy.

I was very happy with my choice, and felt it was easily worth the money. I hope to experience it again soon.

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