I'm thinking of flying Finnair from JFK to Riga Latvia, via Helsinki.

Has anyone got experience on flying Finnair over the Atlantic? and if you've researched flying to Riga, is that the best way to go? Are there better options? Not necessarily the cheapest, but comfortable flight is what I'm looking for, in May 2008. Thanks for any help.

Wish I had personal experience with Finnair, but I don't. I do know they fly the MD-11 on this route, which is an older plane and does not (I think) have any sort of in-seat entertainment.

But, with regards to the second question about best way to go, I would also look at SAS, via CPH. They fly from EWR so, depending upon where you live, it may be as easy as JFK. The connecting flight will be on Air Baltic, but they are owned by SAS, and the transfer should be seemless. You might also be able to connect with SAS, via Stockholm. Most of the other options don't seem that great.

I haven't flown with Finnair over the Atlantic.

I've flown on Finnair between HEL and various European cities. Those flights were always clean and comfortable. The staff was always helpful and polite.

My experience was many years ago. 1983. JFK to ARN via Helsinki. All of the flights went very smoothly. I remember sending Finnair a letter saying how much we enjoyed flying wih them afterwards. Something I've never done before or since. I also liked the Helsinki airport for a short stopover.

I flew Finnair many years ago via Helsinki to Russia. Flight was decent and I loved coming back through Helsinki and staying.Another suggestion is to try Delta nonstop to Copenhagen from ATL (or possibly JFK?) and change planes there to Riga?

<i>&quot;Another suggestion is to try Delta nonstop to Copenhagen from ATL (or possibly JFK?) and change planes there to Riga?&quot;</i>

The Delta flight to CPH is from ATL only. From the New York area, you can fly either SAS or Continental. I would suspect that a through-ticket on SAS or Finnair would be the cheaper options, but you make a good point that it is worthwhile to try pricing out a flight to CPH and then a separate flight onto Riga.

From a comfort perspective, I would still say that SAS is likely your best option.

Thanks to all the repliers. definitely some good ideas and I'll look into all of them

What I've found so far, is that Finnair has the better price ($933.32 pp) but SAS apparently has the better plane (but price is $1276.24)

I flew them a few years ago from Helsinki to London and thought they were &quot;Fintastic!&quot;

We flew Finnair several years ago from JFK-HEL and return. They were perfectly acceptable and we would fly them again.

taconic, please do us a favour - go on Finnair and post a trip report - we will be very interested.

Twice we decided to go on Icelandair across the pond when their fares were a lot lower than BA, and we found them to be very pleasant and would use them again.

Finnair is excellent, but like you said that plane is not the newest one.

I've always had great flights (been on them 30+ times) and the Pilots know how to land in very inclement weather (like heavy snow) and very smoothly in general.

You may also consider Lufthansa via Frankfurt then to Riga !

One of the guys who was wanted as a participant in the Great Train Robbery several years ago apparently got a job there and just vanished into Finnair.

Rizzuto: OUCH

Flew Finnair between JFK-HEL-JFK a few years back. Fine flight. Nothing extraordinary except for dessert in the coach cabin they served prune whip.....

Thank you, taconictraveler.

Hey, NoFlyZone: I LOVE prune whip, haven't even thought about it in YEARS!!

I love it, too, but not after most of a 747 enjoys it!

DH is booked to fly Finnair AY006 from JFK to Helsinki in early April - so I could give you a report by proxy, taconic.

It's an 8 hour flight departing JFK at 17:45 and arriving next morning at 08:50.

Jackie