You Can Now Transfer Credit Card Points to Radisson, but Should You?

Radisson Rewards isn’t a direct transfer partner of any major U.S. credit card rewards program, making its points harder to earn than many other hotel loyalty currencies.

That has now changed, thanks to a new partnership between Finnair Plus and Radisson Rewards. You can transfer credit card rewards to Finnair Plus and then convert those Avios into Radisson points.

But should you transfer your credit card points to Radisson this way? Let’s take a look.

Transfer Credit Card Points to Radisson Through Finnair

Finnair Plus and Radisson Rewards now allow members to move rewards between the 2 programs.

Here are the transfer rates:

• 4 Finnair Plus Avios = 5 Radisson Rewards points
• 10 Radisson Rewards points = 1 Finnair Plus Avios

Since Capital One miles transfer to Finnair Plus at a 1:1 ratio, eligible Capital One cardholders can now convert miles into Radisson Rewards. For example, you could transfer 1,000 Capital One miles to Finnair Plus and receive 1,000 Avios. Those Avios could then be converted into 1,250 Radisson Rewards points.

To get started, you’ll need to link your Finnair Plus and Radisson Rewards accounts through the Finnair Shop. The names on both accounts must match, and you must convert at least 1,000 Avios per transaction.

And note that the same concept applies with moving credit card points to other airlines that use Avios, like British Airways and Qatar Airways, since you can freely move Avios between other airlines and Finnair. Then, you could transfer to Radisson Rewards.

Should You Transfer Credit Card Points to Radisson This Way?

In most cases, no, you shouldn’t.

We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents each, meaning 1,000 miles are worth about $18. Meanwhile, we value Radisson Rewards points at just 0.25 cents each, making the 1,250 points you’d receive worth a little more than $3.

That’s a pretty big drop in value, especially since Capital One miles can be transferred to several airline and hotel partners that offer much better redemption opportunities. Turning $18 into $3 doesn’t make sense.

The only time I’d consider this route is if you’re slightly short of the points needed for a specific Radisson stay. Even then, check the cash price and the exact award rate before transferring anything.

Finnair Elites Can Also Receive Radisson Status

The partnership also includes a status match for eligible Finnair Plus members.

Finnair Plus Silver and Gold members can match to Radisson Rewards Premium, while Platinum and Platinum Lumo members can receive VIP status. Matched status is generally valid for 2 years.

Keep in mind that Radisson hotels in the Americas participate in Choice Privileges — rather than Radisson Rewards — so these benefits are most relevant for stays overseas.

Final Thoughts

It’s always nice to have another option for moving transferable credit card rewards, especially into a program that doesn’t have any direct partnerships with other card issuer programs.

Still, transferring your credit card points through Finnair Plus to Radisson Rewards comes with a significant loss in value. It could still be a decent option if you need to top off your balance for a particular stay, but you’re better off not transferring Capital One miles or Finnair Avios this way.