A Guide to Helsinki Airport Lounges
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There are six airport lounges in Helsinki Airport. Three are in the Schengen zone, and the others are in the non-Schengen side. Read our informative guide to the Helsinki Airport lounges and learn how to access them.
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Helsinki Airport
Helsinki Airport, also known as Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is the main gateway to Finland. The airport is just outside the capital and handles millions of passengers annually. Originally built for the 1952 Summer Olympics, the airport has transformed into a major international hub, connecting to over 140 destinations worldwide. The airport is an entry point to Finland but is also preferred by passengers making connecting flights.
In this article, we introduce Helsinki Airport lounges and the best ways to access them.
Lounges at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport houses six exclusive airport lounges:
- Finnair Business Lounge, Schengen
- Finnair Business Lounge, non-Schengen
- Finnair Platinum Wing, non-Schengen
- Aspire Lounge by Gate 13, Schengen (see our review)
- Aspire Lounge by Gate 27, Schengen (see our review)
- Plaza Premium Lounge, non-Schengen (see our review)
Access to these lounges is available beyond the security checkpoint, requiring guests to possess a valid boarding pass. Passport control is needed only if you cross the Schengen border. For example, you are arriving from a non-Schengen country and continuing your journey within the Schengen area or vice versa.
Aspire Lounges in the Schengen Zone
Helsinki Airport houses two Aspire Lounges, both under the management of Swissport.
The other Aspire Lounges is post-security in the Schengen zone, located on the 3rd floor by Gate 27. Directional signage after the security check is clear, guiding you effortlessly to the lounge. Aspire Lounge by Gate 27 is our top choice since it welcomes all guests – whether you pay an entrance fee or have a lounge membership.
Additionally, there's another Aspire Lounge situated by Gate 13, on the departure gates level. This is the sole lounge at the terminal's southern end.
Operated by Swissport, both Aspire Lounges grant access to holders of Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey memberships. Discount is available for Eurocard holders, and entry can also be purchased at the reception. Passengers might receive an invitation to the Aspire Lounge if travelling in business or first class. Occasional flyers have the option to pre-purchase Lounge Passes to access the Aspire Lounges.
While the Aspire Lounge by Gate 27 can become quite busy, its counterpart by Gate 13 offers a more tranquil atmosphere. The lounge by Gate 27 boasts an excellent view of the airfield, a decorative fireplace, and chic decor. Conversely, the Aspire Lounge by Gate 13 provides serenity and is conveniently located for those departing from Gates 10 to 20. It does not have a view of the tarmac.
Aspire Lounges serve a modest yet warm buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, complemented by an assortment of bread, salads, and desserts. Warm meal usually means soup or porridge. The beverage selection is commendable, featuring both non-alcoholic and alcoholic choices. Read our Aspire Lounge by Gate 27 and the Aspire Lounge by Gate 13 reviews to know how we have experienced these lounges.
We visit Aspire Lounges multiple times in a year.
Finnair Business Lounge in the Schengen Zone
Finnair Business Lounge in the Schengen Zone is conveniently located by Gate 21. It takes only 5 minutes to walk to the lounge after the security check, and any Schengen gate can be reached in 10 minutes after visiting the lounge. The lounge is situated upstairs, on the 3rd floor. The signage is clear, so it is difficult to miss the lounge.
Finnair Business Lounge is designed for business and first-class passengers of Finnair and its oneworld partners. An invitation from your airline is required to access this lounge. If you are flying with Finnair, you can purchase access to Finnair Business Lounge even if you are flying in economy class. Passengers with Finnair Plus Gold or oneworld Sapphire status can access Finnair Business Lounge regardless of their travel class.
Finnair Business Lounge offers an excellent view of the tarmac. Unfortunately, the lounge is small and can get easily crowded. It offers a warm buffet and a good drink selection, but the lounge is not as good as Finnair's Business Lounge in the non-Schengen zone.
Since Finnair Business Lounge does not accept lounge memberships, we prefer other lounges in Helsinki Airport. However, we have enjoyed Finnair Business Lounge's services a few times and liked the lounge a lot.
Finnair Lounges are exclusively for Finnair and oneworld customers.
Finnair Lounges in the non-Schengen Zone
Finnair Business Lounge and the attached Platinum Wing can easily be located after the passport control near Gates 50(a,b,c...). After the passport control, walk straight and turn to the left to the wing where Gates 50 (a,b,c...) are. The lounge is on the right side of the wing. The location is very central and practical.
Finnair Business Lounge is targeted for business and first-class passengers of Finnair and its oneworld partners. You require an invitation from your airline to access this lounge. If you are flying with Finnair, you can purchase access to Finnair Business Lounge even if you are flying in economy class. Passengers with Finnair Plus Gold or oneworld Sapphire status can access Finnair Business Lounge regardless of their travel class.
Finnair Business Lounge in the non-Schengen zone offers a nice view of the tarmac. The spacious lounge offers a warm buffet and a good drink selection. The lounge even has a complimentary sauna.
Finnair Platinum Wing is attached to the Finnair Business Lounge and is meant only for people holding Finnair Plus Platinum, Platinum Lumo or oneworld Emerald status. Compared to the Finnair Business Lounge, it offers an upgraded experience with more spacious seating, tranquil zones for relaxation, and potentially even a la carte dining. Food and beverages are also elevated, featuring a wider variety of high-quality options and potentially premium drinks. You might also enjoy priority services and access to meeting facilities. Overall, the Platinum Wing provides a more personalized and luxurious pre-flight experience.
Plaza Premium Lounge in the non-Schengen Zone
Plaza Premium Lounge is in the non-Schengen zone of Helsinki Airport by Gate 40 upstairs, 3rd floor. Passengers flying on any airline and in any class can enter the lounge by paying a fee or purchasing a lounge pass. The lounge also extends a warm welcome to Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey members.
Inside the lounge, you can enjoy various amenities that elevate the pre-flight experience. These include comfortable seating, complimentary Wi-Fi, and charging stations to keep devices powered up. The lounge also provides food and beverages. Shower facilities are available. For families with young children, there's a dedicated playroom to keep them entertained. Plaza Premium Lounge aims to offer a serene and convenient space for passengers to await their flights.
American Express Lounges at Helsinki-Vantaa
Helsinki Airport does not feature American Express lounges. American Express cards often have complimentary Priority Pass membership. Priority Pass members can access Aspire Lounges in the Schengen zone and Plaza Premium Lounge in the non-Schengen zone.
Ways Access Helsinki Airport Lounges
Finnair's lounges are mainly meant for Finnair's own and its partners' customers. Third-party lounges can be accessed more easily.
Finnair Platinum Wing is exclusively for passengers travelling to a non-Schengen destination and having Finnair Plus Platinum, Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo, or oneworld Emerald status. The flight must be marketed and operated by any oneworld airline. Other Finnair Lounges are designed for Finnair's business class customers but can also be accessed by any Finnair passenger for a fee. Aspire Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounge can be accessed without a loyalty card or high-class ticket.
Premium Ticket
The simplest but not the cheapest way to access Helsinki Airport lounges is to buy a business class ticket. Business tickets from Finnair and oneworld airlines give access to Finnair Lounges. Other airlines have usually outsourced lounge services to Aspire or Plaza Premium Lounges.
Credit Card Perk
For frequent travellers, buying an expensive business class ticket to enjoy lounges is unreasonable. Business class tickets are usually costly and not easily affordable for all holidaymakers. However, not purchasing business class tickets does not mean locking the doors of every lounge.
The easiest and cheapest way to get in is to have the right credit cards. Some credit card companies offer free or reduced prices for airport lounge visits. For example, American Express gives its premium cardholders a Priority Pass perk that grants free lounge visits.
Lounge Membership
Priority Pass is perhaps the most well-known lounge membership program. As a member, regardless of the level, you are entitled to lounge access, which is valid in all major airports. The Priority Pass membership comes often free of charge along with many credit cards, including the American Express Card as mentioned above.
Priority Pass membership can be bought separately too. The cards are multi-level, and the memberships with basic credit cards usually include four free lounge visits, with additional visits costing about 30 euros. Better cards come with unlimited visits. You can also purchase a Priority Pass membership with unlimited lounge access, which is 459 euros. The exact price varies between regions.
At Helsinki Airport, Aspire and Plaza Premium Lounges accept Priority Pass. DragonPass and LoungeKey are lounge programs similar to those of Priority Pass. LoungeKey membership cannot be bought with pure money; it always comes with a credit card. At Helsinki Airport, DragonPass and LoungeKey have the same lounge selection as Priority Pass.
Having a lounge membership does not guarantee that a lounge visit is free of charge. With premium cards, a visit is always free, but on lower membership levels, you must pay about 25-35 euros for every visit after you have spent limited complimentary visits.
Travel Class Upgrade
A great and affordable way to increase your journey's quality is a travel class upgrade by airlines' miles. Regarding intra-European flights by Finnair, paying for the upgrade with Finnair Avios is a good option. For example, Finnair occasionally offers low-priced bids to get yourself upgraded. In return, the travel class upgrade also includes lounge access, so this is often a cost-effective way to access airport lounges.
Lounge Pass with Money
If you do not own a suitable lounge membership or want to try a Helsinki Airport lounge once, a single lounge visit can be availed at a reduced rate on Lounge Pass. This website sells inexpensive lounge passes to airport lounges worldwide, including Aspire Lounges at Helsinki Airport. LoungeBuddy is another similar service, but it accepts only American Express card payments. If you intend to visit lounges several times a year, a lounge membership becomes cheaper.
Lounge Pass does not sell visits to Plaza Premium Lounges, but they can be bought directly from the website of Plaza Premium.
| Lounge | For Whom |
|---|---|
| Finnair Lounges | Finnair and oneworld customers |
| Aspire Lounges | Members of lounge programs Premium customers of certain airliners Customers paying with money |
| Plaza Premium Lounge | Members of lounge programs Premium customers of certain airliners Customers paying with money |
Our Helsinki Airport Lounge Recommendations
While you are not flying in business class and do not own a good enough loyalty card, it's better to forget airlines' lounges. You might be able to pay for lounge access during off-peak times, but it's costly.
For Frequent Travellers
We recommend a lounge membership for frequent travellers. With a membership, it does not matter which airline to board. The easiest way to acquire a lounge membership is to own the right credit card and to get a lounge membership free of extra charges.
If you can't get a lounge membership with a credit card, you may also buy one with pure money, for example, from Priority Pass.
Concentrating all your journeys on a single airline makes it possible to climb to a high enough level of the airline's miles program. That gives you complimentary access to airlines' lounges. In Helsinki, that means access to Finnair lounges. It would be best if you flew a lot to achieve this status, so the solution is mainly suitable for business travellers. For leisure travellers, the cheapest way to fly is always to buy an affordable flight ticket no matter which airline and to purchase lounge access separately.
For Infrequent Travellers
For infrequent travellers, a lounge membership does not give much value. Travellers to the Schengen zone are recommended to book lounge pass Aspire Lounge while the non-Schengen travellers may wish to try Plaza Premium Lounge.
Which Helsinki Airport Lounge Is the Best?
Lounges at Helsinki Airport have separate target groups, so it is challenging to select the best one. Finnair lounges are of high quality, but getting in is difficult.
From third-party lounges, Plaza Premium Lounge is known for its superb quality. You should visit Plaza Premium Lounges even though they are not the cheapest.
Aspire Lounges are the only publicly available lounges in the Schengen zone. They are affordable but still have good services.
Common Questions
- Which lounges at Helsinki Airport accept Priority Pass membership?
- Aspire Lounges in the Schengen zone and Plaza Premium Lounge in the non-Schengen zone accept Priority Pass.
- Which lounges at Helsinki Airport accept LoungeKey membership?
- Aspire Lounges in the Schengen zone and Plaza Premium Lounge in the non-Schengen zone accept LoungeKey membership.
- Who can visit Finnair Lounges?
- Business and first-class travellers and Finnair Plus members (min. Gold status) can get in free of charge, or those who have received an invitation from the airline. In certain scenarios, you can also buy access with pure money.
- How much does a visit to Aspire Lounge cost without a membership?
- A pre-booked lounge pass costs about 32 euros.
- Where can I book a visit to Aspire Lounge?
- Head to Lounge Pass and buy a voucher.
- Who can visit Plaza Premium Lounges?
- Anyone with money. Plaza Premium Lounges also welcome passengers with an invitation or being a Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey members.
- Where can I purchase a Priority Pass Membership?
- Head to the official Priority Pass website to purchase a membership.
Bottom Line
You can consider six Helsinki Airport lounges as substitutes for expensive food in restaurants. It is essential to find out the best way to access lounges. This decision is often influenced by how frequently you travel and also which credit cards you have. It is also significant to remember that your chosen method of accessing lounges determines which lounges will be available to you.
For infrequent travellers, we recommend booking lounge access before a journey. The price will be cheaper.
Even though you may walk into many lounges in Helsinki Airport and pay at the counter, we do not recommend doing it. Pre-bookings give you better prices and secure your entry even during busy hours.
Which Helsinki Airport lounge is your favourite? Comment below!
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