Summary
- Finnair Plus loyalty program switched to Avios in 2024 with fixed-price awards.
- Avios can be used for Finnair flights, partner airline flights, upgrades, & more.
- Avios transfers may be available in late 2024 and could offer better value partner awards.
Finnair Plus is the loyalty program of oneworld member airline Finnair. In March 2024, it switched to Avios as a mileage currency – shared with other airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. Note that transfers between other programs and Finnair will not be available until late 2024.
There are many ways to use Avios. Spending on award tickets with Finnair or other oneworld partners is the most popular choice (although Avios rates can be higher than with other Avios programs). However, there are other options including using Avios for cabin upgrades, and for travel or dining spend.
Using Avios for Finnair flights
As with most loyalty programs, using Avios for flights is the most popular – and probably best value – choice.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The program was significantly revamped along with the switch to Avios in early 2024. The award pricing was changed for all tickets, which generally went higher and offered less value. It remains on a fixed price system – awards are not dynamically or variably priced as they are with some loyalty programs these days.
As with other fixed-price systems, award tickets are either available or unavailable. Capacity is controlled by the airlines, and Finnair guarantees the following minimum availability on each flight:
- For flights within Europe: At least four economy seats and two business class seats.
- For other flights: At least four economy seats, two premium economy seats, and two business class seats.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Awards are priced by zone, and each flight is priced as a separate award. This makes pricing generally higher than it was before the 2024 changes. However, thinking positively, it does mean it will cost no extra Avios to add a stopover to the routing.
The only exception to this is within the Finland and North Europe zone (zone 1), where transfers with Finnair are priced as one award. All other connecting flights (for example, a flight from London to Hong Kong via Helsinki) will require two awards.
The zone pricing is as follows:
|
Zone |
Economy class Avios |
Premium economy Avios |
Business class Avios |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Finland and North Europe zone |
6,500 |
– |
10,000 |
|
Central Europe |
12,000 |
– |
18,000 |
|
Western and Southern Europe |
13,000 |
– |
20,000 |
|
Canary Islands, Madeira, Eilat and Tel Aviv |
15,000 |
– |
25,000 |
|
Doha, Dubai, and India |
28,000 |
42,000 |
55,000 |
|
Most of Asia and North America |
30,000 |
43,500 |
62.500 |
|
Japan, Singapore, and Los Angeles |
30,000 |
43,500 |
62,500 |
There are also additional surcharges to pay for each award ticket, as well as government taxes and fees. These surcharges range from 10 Euros for Finland and North Europe zone 1 flights (in any cabin) up to 45 Euros for the longest economy class flights and up to 120 Euros for business class flights.
Related
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Looking at some of the ways to earn with Finnair’s new loyalty model.
Using Avios for partner airline flights
As Finnair is a member of the oneworld Alliance, Avios can also be used for award flights on all oneworld partner airlines. These are:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
In addition, Finnair Plus allows Avios to be used for flights on the following non-alliance airlines:
- Juneyao Air
- BRA (Braathens Regional Airlines)
- LATAM Airlines
Photo: Tobias Arhelger | Shutterstock
Partner award flights are priced based on the origin and destination zone. Depending on the airline and the zones offered, this may include connecting flights.
There are separate zone charts and pricing for each partner airline. These are published on the Finnair Plus website. The two examples below are for American Airlines and Japan Airlines.
Image: Finnair
Image: Finnair
Note the following about partner award tickets:
- Flights with the following airlines can be booked online – British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Qatar Airways. Other flights must be booked through Finnair Plus customer services.
- Pricing for British Airways flights follows the same rates as when booking with British Airways.
- Stopovers are not permitted on one-way zone-based tickets (if connections are included, these must be for the next flight). Adding a stopover will require two awards.
- Finnair flights can be combined with partners (following the partner pricing).
- Two or more other airlines cannot be combined in the same ticket.
Photo: Faiz Zaki | Shutterstock
The situation for spending Avios will change when Avios transfers become possible (likely in late 2024). Although the transfer rules and pricing have not yet been announced, all other Avios partners offer a 1:1 transfer between programs. This would mean that Avios collected in Finnair Plus can be transferred elsewhere for potentially better value partner awards.
Paying cash fares with Avios
Finnair Plus allows any Finnair cash fare to be purchased using Avios and money combinations. This has the advantage of allowing any available flight to be purchased using Avios. This is a useful option if you have Avios that you cannot use elsewhere, but you will normally get better value when using Avios for award tickets directly.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Use Avios for cabin upgrades
Avios can also be used to upgrade cabins on paid Finnair tickets. These are subject to the same availability as standard Avios award tickets and are only available on Finnair-operated flights.
Photo: Finnair
Upgrades are charged by sector, based on the origin and destination as follows:
|
Zone |
Economy class to premium economy class Avios |
Premium economy class to business class Avios |
Economy class to business class Avios |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Finland and North Europe zone |
– |
– |
6,500 |
|
Central Europe |
– |
– |
9,000 |
|
Western and Southern Europe |
– |
– |
10,000 |
|
Canary Islands, Madeira, Eilat and Tel Aviv |
– |
– |
11,000 |
|
Doha, Dubai, and India |
15,000 |
20,000 |
35,000 |
|
Most of Asia and North America |
17,000 |
23,000 |
40,000 |
|
Japan, Singapore, and Los Angeles |
17,000 |
23,000 |
40,000 |
Note that cabin upgrades are also possible using the upgrade benefits received as an elite member with Finnair Plus.
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Use Avios for travel, dining, or retail
You will normally get the best value when using Avios for fights, but there are some other options available.
For hotel bookings, there are no options to use Avios directly, but Avios can be transferred into a few global hotel loyalty schemes – including ALL Accor Live Limitless and IHG Rewards Club. Avios can also be used with several Nordic hotels and smaller chains.
Photo: Finnair
There are several options to use Avios for restaurant credit or gift cards – mostly at restaurants in Finland. These mostly work by using a combination of money and Avios to purchase restaurant credit. A typical offer is 4.4 Euros plus 1,000 Avios for 10 Euros credit.
Image: Finnair
Are you a member of Finnair Plus? How do you spend Avios, and where do you find the best value? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.
-
Finnair Plus
- Participating Airlines:
- Finnair
- Owner:
- Finnair
- Region:
- Europe
- Countries:
- Finland
-
Finnair
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AY/FIN
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Helsinki Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1923
- Alliance:
- oneworld
- CEO:
- Topi Manner
- Country:
- Finland
