Finnair will renew its meal service on flights as of June 1, 2010. At the same time, the selection of in-flight sales products will be expanded. From the beginning of June, pre-seating will also be available on domestic flights. "We have listened to our customers' wishes and, as a consequence, we have developed our onboard service. On intercontinental flights, for example, our meals will be upgraded. On shorter flights, on the other hand, customers have the possibility to purchase sweet or salty delicacies from a wide selection of snacks onboard with a drink of their choice," explains Finnair's new Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Anssi Komulainen. Meal services renewal brings new tastes and deli products onboard On flights to Asia and the United States, the Economy Class meal service will be improved and the main meal will be more abundant than before. On longer flights in European Economy Class, passengers will be offered a substantial deli-type filled bread or salad with coffee, tea or a soft drink. In Finnair's short-haul traffic within Finland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic area as well as on flights to Poland and St. Petersburg, coffee, tea and juice will be served. This service will be supplemented with a diverse range of snacks for sale. Finnair's Business Class will focus on providing fresh, innovative and delicious meals based on quality Nordic cuisine. The nature of the Nordic countries and its pure bounty will be presented as stories on the menu cards. On intercontinental flights the meals include a local touch of the different Asian cultures. "Our recently presented success factors, quality, freshness and creativity, can be seen in the renewal. We want to stand out from our competitors and offer our customers the best of the Nordic cuisine," says Komulainen. The wide selection of snacks that passengers can purchase will be included on all routes where the flight time permits sales onboard. Pre-assigned seats in domestic traffic From the beginning of June, domestic flights will also have pre-seating. On domestic flights operated by Finnair, passengers can reserve a seat of their choice in advance on Finnair's internet service, at travel agencies or at Finnair offices. A specific seat can also be selected in connection with check-in. Check-in can be completed by text message, on the internet, at a self-service check-in kiosk or at a check-in desk. Passengers travelling only with carry-on baggage will still be able to check in for domestic flights at the departure gate. A specific seat cannot, however, be selected at the departure gate; remaining available seats will be assigned to passengers at boarding. The new service will improve the travel comfort for example, to families with children, groups and passengers with special needs. Finnair Plc Communications 10.5.2010 Further information: In-flight service: Heidi Niemenlehto-Järvinen, tel. +358 9 818 8587 Pre-seating: Matti Alanne, tel. +358 9 818 8824 Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 media.desk(a)finnair.com Finnair blogs: http://blogs.finnair.com Photobank: www.finnair.com/gallery Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com