My initial plan was to fly from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Tokyo with China Eastern Airlines. I found a fare of around 630 EUR on Google Flights, but when I attempted to book directly through the airline’s website, the ticket repeatedly appeared as unavailable, with instructions to select different dates. Interestingly, the same fare continued to appear on search engines over several days, despite being marked as sold out on the airline’s side. Tickets for other departure times were approximately 100 EUR more expensive. In addition, the final payment stage revealed extra taxes, bringing the total closer to 830 EUR. While it was technically possible to book the lower fare through a third-party agency for about 600 EUR, I preferred to avoid potential complications on such a long-haul itinerary.
I then expanded my search to nearby airports, including Ljubljana and Zagreb, where I found a competitive Finnair option departing from Ljubljana to Nagoya. Since I planned to travel around Japan and visit Ghibli Park and Nagashima Spa Land in Nagoya, this routing was not an issue for me. I booked the ticket in mid-November 2025 for 780 EUR, which included two checked bags. A lighter fare without checked luggage was available for 720 EUR. The itinerary included a 12-hour layover in Helsinki on the outbound journey, which I used as an opportunity to explore the city for the first time. The return connection featured a short layover of 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Flight Ljubljana (LJU) – Helsinki (HEL):
Flight number: AY 1202 (operated by Jettime)
Flight date: 16 April 2026
Aircraft type: Boeing 737
Aircraft registration: OY-JZO
Departure time (scheduled/actual): 09:30 / 9:49
Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 13:05 / 13:30
Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 2h 35m / 2h 21m
Load factor: 90 – 95 %
To reach Ljubljana Airport, I took a public bus from the city centre. The ticket cost 4 EUR and can now be purchased as a PDF with a QR code via the Arriva website, which makes the process more convenient than before, when tickets had to be bought in cash at the bus station or loaded onto an IJPP card.
I arrived at the airport 1 hour and 45 minutes before departure. Check-in and baggage drop for the Finnair flight were very quick, as there was no queue at the desk, and security screening took around five minutes.
Although the flight was marketed as a Finnair service, it was operated by Jettime, as initially scheduled when I purchased the ticket. The operating carrier changed several times, with passengers receiving email updates along the way. Interestingly, the final notification indicated that Finnair would operate the flight itself, but in the end Jettime still performed the service.
The flight departed with a 20-minute delay. The Jettime crew was very professional, polite, and attentive, and overall service quality felt higher than on a Finnair-operated flight I took later on the trip. The aircraft was also in good condition. Onboard, complimentary water or blueberry juice was offered, while around 10–20% of passengers purchased additional items such as tea, coffee, or snacks. This was noticeably higher than on most flights I have taken previously. Payments were card-only, and Avios were not accepted. Most passengers on the flight appeared to be Finns.
The flight arrived in Helsinki on time. I had nearly 12 hours for a layover, which I used to explore the city, as it was my first visit. The most convenient way to travel from Helsinki Airport to the city is by train, which costs 4.80 EUR. Tickets can be purchased via an app or website (slightly cheaper), from ticket machines, or simply by tapping a payment card on the onboard validator.
Departure hall at Ljubljana Airport, where I arrived 1 hour and 45 minutes before the flight. There were no queues at check-in, allowing for immediate baggage drop-off. The airport now has 3-4 self-check-in kiosks and four self-service baggage drop-off belts, located toward the far end of the terminal
Jettime Boeing 737 operating the Ljubljana–Helsinki service, parked at Ljubljana Airport
View from a Jettime Boeing 737 at Ljubljana Airport. In the background, a Turkish Airlines aircraft bound for Istanbul, an Air Serbia flight to Belgrade, and a parked Trade Air aircraft are seen
Flight path from Ljubljana to Helsinki. Source: Flightradar24
Flight path immediately after departure from Ljubljana Airport. Source: Flightradar24
View of Ljubljana shortly after take-off, with Hipodrom Stožice, Stožice Sports Park (stadium and arena), and Bežigrad visible. The city centre and Ljubljana Castle hill appear in the middle of the frame, with the Ljubljana Marshes in the background
Flight path during approach and landing at Helsinki Airport. Source: Flightradar24
Flight Helsinki (HEL) – Nagoya (NGO):
Flight number: AY 0079
Flight date: 17 April 2026
Aircraft type: Airbus A350-941
Aircraft registration: OH-LWD
Departure time (scheduled/actual): 00:45 / 2:16
Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 19:35 / 20:46
Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 12h 50m / 12h 30m
Load factor: ≈100%
After exploring the city, I returned to the airport by train. At the airport, I noticed that the flight had been delayed by one hour and 15 minutes; however, no information about the delay had been sent via email or through the app notifications. Later, I learned that the aircraft originally scheduled to operate the flight had experienced mechanical issues and needed to be replaced. The replacement aircraft had a different cabin configuration, with more seats in business class, but fewer seats in economy. Consequently, passengers were offered the possibility to upgrade their cabin class, although I do not know the cost of the upgrade.
There were no queues at either the security check or passport control at Helsinki Airport.
Due to the technical issues, the flight departed approximately one and a half hours late. On board, blankets and headphones were provided. The flight itself was uneventful. Shortly after take-off, the first meal (pasta) was served, followed by breakfast approximately 2–3 hours before landing. In general, the portions were very small, and the food lacked flavor, with the exception of the sweet tomato sauce. Additionally, although I am not a vegetarian, I missed having more vegetables included in the meals. Furthermore, no salt, pepper, or sugar for tea was provided.
Both meal services included tea or coffee, as well as a choice of either a non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage. Apart from that, water and blueberry juice were available throughout the flight. These were distributed around the cabin twice; otherwise, passengers could obtain them from the rear galley.
During most of the flight, except for the last three hours when it was already dark outside, the cabin crew requested that passengers keep their window blinds closed.
As mentioned earlier, the flight arrived one hour and 15 minutes late due to the technical issues, causing approximately 20 passengers to miss their connecting flights.
Before landing, immigration and customs forms were redistributed to passengers who had not completed them online. At the airport, the immigration and customs process were quick for passengers who had completed the forms electronically, with virtually no waiting time, while there were short queues for those using paper forms. On the other hand, baggage delivery was relatively slow due to the large amount of luggage and the short baggage carousel being used.
After collecting my baggage and clearing customs, I took the train from the airport to Nagoya. Online, there are very detailed instructions on how to find the station, purchase train tickets, and identify the correct gates for different ticket classes. However, in Nagoya, the system was very intuitive, and such detailed instructions were not really necessary.
Flight path from Helsinki to Nagoya, using a southern routing to avoid Russian airspace. Source: Flightradar24
Finnair Airbus A350-900 operating the Helsinki – Nagoya service
Meal served shortly after take-off: whole grain penne pasta with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
The main meal consisted of a mango and passion fruit mousse, a herb omelette with potato and vegetable mix and tomato concassée, and a milk chocolate bar
Nagoya at night
At the airport, staff carefully handle each piece of luggage, ensuring it does not hit the edge of the baggage belt at full speed. They also orient every bag so that the wheels face downward toward the edge of the belt
The most convenient way to travel from the airport to Nagoya city (and generally around Japan) is by train. The airport railway station is easy to find, and tickets can be purchased from machines or at a counter, with payment available by cash, card, or QR code methods. In Japan, many places still accept cash only. Although airport exchange rates are usually less favourable, there was a currency exchange machine in the shop opposite the train station offering rates comparable to those in the city
Flight Nagoya (NGO) – Helsinki (HEL)
Flight number: AY 0080
Flight date: 3 May 2026
Aircraft type: Airbus A350-941
Aircraft registration: OH-LWL
Departure time (scheduled/actual): 22:50 / 23:01
Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 5:55 / 5:15
Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 13h 05m / 12h 14m
Load factor: ≈100%
On my return journey, I again took the train from Nagoya to Chubu Centrair International Airport. Check-in, security screening, and immigration took only 10–15 minutes in total.
The flight departed on time. On this route, the aircraft followed a northern trajectory over the North Pole in order to avoid Russian airspace. Shortly after take-off, the main meal was served, followed by breakfast before landing.
During the flight, I purchased one additional Fazer raspberry milk chocolate bar, which cost 600 Avios (approximately 3 EUR). Otherwise, the flight was uneventful.
The aircraft landed in Helsinki 40 minutes ahead of schedule, giving passengers additional transfer time, as most had connecting flights with layovers of only 1 to 2 hours.
Northern route taken from Nagoya to Helsinki, passing close to the North Pole. Source: FlightRadar24
Flight path immediately after departure from Nagoya. Source: FlightRadar24
Chubu Centrair International Airport is a medium-sized airport, handling approximately 11 million passengers per year
The most frequent international destinations include Taipei, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Singapore
Check-in and baggage drop are handled via self-service kiosks, where all Economy Class passengers are required to check in, print their baggage tags, and attach them to their luggage. However, several staff members are available to assist and, in practice, they often complete most of the process on behalf of passengers. Given the number of staff involved, the traditional check-in method may actually be more efficient
The flight was operated by a Finnair Airbus A350-900 in the special Marimekko “Kivet” livery
The main meal was served shortly after take-off. It consisted of buckwheat soba noodles with soba sauce, green onion, and wasabi; simmered beef with radish, ponzu sauce, steamed rice, carrots, and leek; and a chocolate bar
Ice formations in the Arctic, with sea ice stretching across the frozen landscape
Breakfast served on the flight: a vegetable quiche with a fried egg, potatoes, and seasonal vegetables, accompanied by a cup of green tea
At one point, the display stopped functioning properly, with the live camera feed from the tail section remaining visible in the background across different menu pages. Until then, the system had been very responsive, and the selection and quality of available movies were satisfactory
Display showing information about the flight’s connection and the location of connecting gates
Aircraft parked at the apron at Helsinki Airport
Electronic display at Helsinki Airport showing the current local time, helping passengers keep track of departure times and avoid missing their flights
Flight Helsinki (HEL) – Ljubljana (LJU):
Flight number: AY 1201
Flight date: 4 May 2026
Aircraft type: Airbus A321-231
Aircraft registration: OH-LZO
Departure time (scheduled/actual): 07:05 / 7:17
Arrival time (scheduled/actual): 8:45 / 8:43
Flight duration (scheduled/actual): 2h 40m / 2h 26m
Load factor: ≈100%
The transfer at Helsinki Airport was very efficient, as the time required from disembarking the aircraft to reaching the gate for the flight to Ljubljana was only about 10 minutes. There were no queues at the security checkpoint; furthermore, the airport provides a fast-track lane for passengers with short connections. The same applied to passport control.
Passport control for passengers from Schengen Area countries is performed through automated passport control gates. There are plenty of gates available, and there was no waiting time. The entire passport control process took only 10–20 seconds.
There has been considerable discussion regarding the new Entry/Exit System (EES), including concerns about long queues and missed flights. Although I did not use passport control for non-Schengen passengers, I did not observe any significant queues. However, it should be noted that our flight was among the first arrivals that morning.
The flight to Ljubljana was operated by an Airbus A321 of Finnair, although it had initially been scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737-800 from Jettime. The flight was completely full.
The aircraft departed with a delay of a few minutes but landed on time in Ljubljana. The flight itself was uneventful. Passengers were informed that onboard Wi-Fi messaging would be available on this flight; however, although I was able to connect to the network, I was unable to use it. Disembarkation in Ljubljana was carried out via both the front and rear stairs.
Baggage delivery in Ljubljana was relatively slow, as I received my luggage only about half an hour after landing. Based on my travel experience, baggage handling in Ljubljana tends to be slow when flights carry a large amount of checked luggage.
I traveled from the airport to Ljubljana city center using the regular bus service. The bus fare was 4 EUR. There is now a ticket machine at the airport for purchasing tickets. However, passengers must first purchase an IJPP card plastic card, onto which tickets are then loaded. On the day I traveled, the machine had run out of plastic cards, which caused noticeable dissatisfaction among several passengers arriving from Finland. Approximately 40 passengers traveled from the airport to the city by bus. Tickets can now also be purchased directly on the bus using a credit card. However, because many passengers purchased tickets after boarding, the bus departed with a delay of approximately 15 minutes.
Flight path from Helsinki to Ljubljana. Source: Flightradar24
Finnair awards Avios points after each flight segment, which can be used to purchase onboard services. On the Helsinki – Ljubljana leg, I redeemed Avios for a meal from the buy-on-board menu. I chose the Nordic option, which included a rye sandwich with cold-smoked salmon, a berry smoothie, a chocolate bar, and a cup of coffee or tea. The image also shows a complimentary cup of blueberry juice served with the meal. The menu price is 12.90 EUR or 1.500 Avios. On this flight, approximately 20-30 passengers had preordered meals
Finnair Airbus A321 operating the Helsinki – Ljubljana route, parked at Ljubljana Airport after arrival
Main apron undergoing extensive renovation works at Ljubljana Airport, with construction activities in progress
New bicycle repair stand installed in the baggage claim hall at Ljubljana Airport, likely introduced as part of a promotional or marketing initiative.
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