Review: the Finnair Airbus A350 XWB – Part 3 (in which I eat reindeer)

This is the final part of my review of the new Finnair A350 aircraft which I flew recently on a test flight from Heathrow to Helsinki and back.

Yesterday was the ‘proper’ review of what you will find if you take the Finnair A350 on a long-haul flight to Asia.  The food they served on my short hop was their standard European business class food – but I know you will still want to see it.

The menu for the outbound was a one tray meal consisting of:

Smoked salmon with terrine of artichoke and goat cheese

Ravioli filled with cheese, grilled zuccini and tomato fennel sauce

Traditional Finnish dessert with bluberry and raspberry

It wasn’t the best in-flight meal I have ever had, but more than satisfactory by the standards of European business class.

Champagne was Nicholas Feuillatte:

For the return I was offered my first ever bit of reindeer:

Smoked reindeer mousse with lingonberry coulis

Warm smoked artic char, potato terrine with leek and sour cream sauce

Blueberry and raspberry cake with vanilla cream

I found this preferable – the fish tasted better than the ravioli and the tray simply looked better.

Finally, it is worth noting that, simply because they could, Finnair has designed a series of light shows for the A350 cabin to show off the LED system.

The first two parts of my Finnair A350 series can be found here and here if you missed them.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

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Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.