Finnair's Airbus A350 has free Internet, ladies-only toilet
By David Flynn, October 7 2015
Finnair's Airbus A350s will include free inflight Internet plus a dedicated ladies-only lav.
The satellite-based WiFi service will be free to all passengers in business class, along with Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum frequent flyers and their Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald equivalents (which includes Qantas Gold and Platinum card-holders).
Everybody else will be asked to pay €5 per hour or a more-appealing rate of €15 for the entire flight.
Finnair Chief Commercial Office Juha Järvinen has faith that those travellers with free WiFi access won't abuse the privilege and hamper connection speeds for paying passengers.
"We will actively monitor that, but we are very confident there will be enough bandwidth for passenger capacity on the aircraft" Järvinen told Australian Business Traveller during a press briefing on the airline's new jet, held at the Airbus A350 facility in Toulouse, France.
"WiFi access is something that has been asked for a long time, and now with the A350 we will bring that to life" Järvinen said, adding that the same system would also be installed on the airline's Airbus A330 fleet "over the next two to three years."
Finnair will join Cathay Pacific in using the A350 as a launching pad for inflight Internet.
Read: Cathay Pacific to trial inflight Internet on Airbus A350
Järvinen also revealed that the business class cabin will include a toilet reserved for female passengers.
The women-only WC will be the same size as that available to travellers of both sexes, "but we will offer perfumes and other accessories that women will appreciate."
However, Järvinen added that the cabin crew would be 'flexible' in restricting useage of the toilet – implying that a male-heavy passenger count could see the loo temporarily deemed as unisex – "but we are a Nordic airline, a European airline, and so we have many women in business class."
Finnair's first Airbus A350 will begin long-range international flights from November 21 between Helsinki and Shanghai, with Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore to follow.
Also read: See Finnair Airbus A350's business class, economy seats
David Flynn visited Toulouse as a guest of Airbus and Finnair.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
07 Oct 2015
Total posts 1
well that's not good for gender equality isn't it?
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Woman's only lavatories....hmmmm
I recalled a documentary on telly that said that the Pentagon has many toilets because the building was built during segregation and had separate lavatories for white and black employees.
It's funny how uber progressive attitudes can appear somewhat backwards, not to mention patronising.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1560
Woman's only and no man's only? It is plain sexism!
From other hand $15 per whole flight BKK-HEL is fair price IMHO.
13 Sep 2013
Total posts 116
Nooooooo.
I'm starting to get so over wifi on planes! Last night on an EK flight, the woman next to me was constantly sending voice messages on her phone all night. Had to be one of the most irritating things I've ever had to sit next to.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Mar 2015
Total posts 231
At last. !!! Now on an aeroplane we have a toilet for the Ladies only and that will stop them whinging about us poor blokes always " leaving the seat up ".
Peace at last for the men on Finnair!!
Should be on every Airline and come to think of everywhere else.
27 May 2015
Total posts 23
Virgin Australia 777 business class has a women's only lavatory at the front of the cabin also. Suspect this may change with the installation of a new business cabin, though unsure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Dec 2014
Total posts 284
Well the ladies shan't use the mixed toilet anymore. No more whining!
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
19 Apr 2014
Total posts 50
What is the functional purpose for this all female toilet?
Assuming even an equal split of male-female J-class passengers, the males will have a lower selection of lavatories to choose from. Hence their whole experience will be somewhat hampered. Is this worth the extra benefit of having a few extra perfumes, considering amenity kits are already handed out? All it seems to be doing is turning heads for the wrong reasons.
Then again, there's a saying that "any publicity is good publicity"
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Mar 2014
Total posts 23
I wish Qantas would fleet upgrade to the A350 - awesome aircraft and I want it flying the Aussie skies!
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