16 Best Ways To Earn Finnair Avios [2024]

Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland, is one of the most commanding airlines in Europe. Indeed, it dominates most of the domestic and international air travel that goes in and out of Finland.

It’s also one of the oldest airlines in the world, and it hasn’t had any fatal or hull-loss accidents since 1963, which is a truly impressive feat.

Finnair maintains its central hub in Helsinki (HEL), as well as a secondary hub in Stockholm (ARN). It connects around 100 destinations in 35 countries around the world to its 2 central hubs.

In 1999, the airline joined the Oneworld alliance, making it the first airline to be recruited into the new alliance. Today, it offers global connectivity to Northern Europe.

Finnair’s frequent flyer program is known as Finnair Plus. The points you earn from Finnair Plus can be used to book Finnair and Oneworld partner flights. Finnair Plus used to have its own loyalty currency, Finnair Plus Points, but the airline adopted Avios as its loyalty currency in March 2024. This has made the Finnair Plus program much more useful, since you can easily transfer between British Airways Avios and Finnair Avios.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to amass Finnair Avios as quickly as possible. There are plenty of non-travel ways you can rack up Finnair Avios, even as a non-Finnish resident!

Sign Up for a Finnair Plus Account

The first (and arguably most important) task you’ll want to accomplish is to sign up for a Finnair Plus account. Doing so will allow you to start earning Finnair Avios.

You can follow these steps to set up your Finnair Plus account:

1. Visit this sign-up page to join Finnair Plus.
2. Enter your name, date of birth, phone number, email address, and password.
3. Check off the box that says I have read and accept the rules of the Finnair Plus program.
4. Click Continue.
5. Select your notification preferences, and your Finnair Plus account will be successfully created!
6. Write down your Finnair Plus membership number and keep it handy for whenever you’re earning or redeeming Finnair Avios.

Finnair’s new website also offers the ability to sign up for Finnair Plus in the top right corner of each page on their website. Clicking on the “Join Finnair Plus” link will open a modal that will allow you to sign up without leaving your current page.

Hot Tip:

If you have issues creating an account from the Finnair website, we recommend downloading the Finnair Plus app and creating your account from there.

Earn Finnair Avios With Credit Cards

For U.S. residents, the easiest way to earn Finnair Avios is with credit cards.

That’s because you don’t need to fly anywhere or travel to earn points. You can earn points on your credit card purchases, whether it’s online merchandise, tickets to the movies, or dining out.

1. Capital One Miles Credit Cards

In the U.S., the only way to earn Finnair Avios with credit cards is to transfer Capital One miles to Finnair at a 1:1 ratio.

Transfers happen almost instantly. The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 Capital One miles, which will earn you 1,000 Finnair Avios.

Here are our favorite Capital One cards you can use to earn Finnair Avios:

Recommended Capital One Cards

TOP PICK

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Apply Now(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Apply Now(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.

Apply Now(at Capital One's secure site)

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.

Welcome Offer

Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel.

20,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$360

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.

But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• No annual fee (rates & fees)
• No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
• Ability to use transfer partners

Cons

• Weak earn rate at 1.25x miles per $1 spent on all purchases
• No luxury travel or elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
• Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

2. Non-U.S.-Based Credit Cards

If you’re based in Finland, there is another way to earn Finnair Avios with the Finnair Visa Credit issued by Aktia Bank Plc.

Members of American Express Finland can transfer Membership Rewards points at a 17:10 ratio to Finnair Plus. The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 Amex points, which earns 588 Finnair Avios.

Bottom Line:

In the U.S., transferring from Capital One miles-earning cards is the only credit card option for earning Finnair Avios. Abroad, you can pick from 1 co-branded credit card or transfer Amex Membership Rewards points from a qualifying Finnish Amex card at a 17:10 ratio. 

Earn Finnair Avios Through Travel

Possibly the most obvious way to earn Finnair Avios is to travel! If you book a ticket with cash on Finnair or any of its partners, you can earn Finnair Avios.

You don’t need to fly to or from Helsinki to earn, which is great news. Those based in the U.S. can earn Finnair Avios through Finnair-operated flights, Oneworld partner flights, and even its nonalliance partners.

We’ll also show you how to earn points on non-airfare travel bookings such as hotels and car rentals.

3. Booking Airfare With Finnair

Finnair has a revenue-based earning structure. When you book a qualifying paid flight with Finnair, the number of Avios earned depends on how much your ticket costs and your level of elite status within Finnair’s loyalty program. Finnair Plus members earn anywhere from 6 to 10 Avios per €1 spent, as follows:

• Finnair Plus basic members earn 6 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Silver members earn 7 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Gold members earn 8 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Platinum members earn 9 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo members earn 10 Avios per €1 spent

If you are a Finnair Plus Gold member and book a flight from New York (JFK) to Helsinki (HEL) that costs €800, you’ll earn 6,400 Avios for your flight (8 Avios per €1 spent).

The story is a bit different for codeshare flights marketed by Finnair, which still earn Avios based on the flown distance and the fare class of the flight.

Here’s the accrual chart for codeshare flights with a ticket type, which are based on the actual distance flown:

** On selected routes. 

Here’s the accrual chart for codeshare flights without a ticket type, which are based on the actual distance flown:

* First class is only available on selected flights.

For example, if you book a codeshare Finnair flight operated by Japan Airlines from Helsinki (HEL) to Tokyo (HND) in K class, you’ll accumulate 2,437 Finnair Avios in each direction. This is calculated as a 50% multiplier on the 4,874 mile flight.

4. Crediting Partner Airlines to Finnair Plus

Oneworld

Finnair is a member of the Oneworld alliance, which means you can earn points when you fly on partner airlines around the world.

As with Finnair codeshare flights, the amount of Avios you’ll earn is based on the airline, distance flown (in miles), your booking class, and your travel class.

Every partner has a different earning chart that Finnair Plus follows, so you’ll need to reference the correct partner airline when calculating your points accrual. While each airline having a slightly different earning chart is mildly annoying, the good news is that you can earn Finnair Avios when you fly to London, Hong Kong, Qatar, Morocco, and so much more.

As a general rule, you’ll earn more Avios on longer routes and more premium cabins. Let’s go through some itinerary examples to calculate how many Avios you’d earn:

• Suppose you’re flying on a one-way Qatar Airways ticket on a discounted business class ticket booked into the P fare class from Boston (BOS) to Cape Town (CPT) via Doha (DOH). The total flight distance is 11,133 miles at a 75% multiplier, which means you would earn 8,349 Finnair Avios.
• Now, suppose you’re flying on a round-trip American Airlines ticket in economy on an M-class ticket from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Honolulu (HNL). The total flight distance is 7,569 miles at a 50% mileage multiplier, so you would earn 3,784 Finnair Avios on the round-trip itinerary.

To reference the Oneworld accrual list on Finnair’s official website, click here, scroll down to the Avios from oneworld flights section and expand the selection for the airline you’re flying.

Nonalliance Partners

Finnair maintains 3 non-Oneworld airline partners:

• BRA
• Juneyao Air
• LATAM Airlines

You’ll earn Finnair Avios based on the airline, travel class, booking class, and distance.

Here’s the chart for nonalliance partners:

For example, if you book a one-way LATAM business class flight in D class from Santiago (SCL) to Buenos Aires (EZE), you’ll travel a distance of 709 miles, enabling you to earn 886 Finnair Avios based on a 125% multiplier.

Similarly, if you book a one-way BRA flight economy flight in Q class from Stockholm-Bromma (BMA) to Gothenburg (GOT), you’ll travel a distance of 236 miles, enabling you to earn 118 Finnair Avios based on a 50% multiplier.

To see Finnair’s official details on accruals via nonalliance partners, visit this link and scroll down to the section that says Avios from other partner airlines’ flights.

5. Use Elite Status To Earn More Points

Having Finnair Plus elite status helps you earn additional bonus Avios for Finnair flights with its AY airline code, including codeshares:

• Finnair Plus basic members earn 6 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Silver members earn 7 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Gold members earn 8 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Platinum members earn 9 Avios per €1 spent
• Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo members earn 10 Avios per €1 spent

This applies only to Finnair flights and excludes Oneworld and other partner airline flights.

6. Transfer Avios From Other Programs

Perhaps the biggest benefit of Finnair updating its Finnair Plus loyalty program to use Avios as its loyalty currency is the ability to transfer Avios to and from other programs that also use Avios. Currently, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Qatar Airways and Aer Lingus all use Avios, and you can transfer your Finnair Avios to each of these other loyalty programs. At the current moment, it is only possible to make a direct transfer between Finnair and British Airways, by using either the Finnair or British Airways website. You will want to make sure that your British Airways Executive Club and Finnair Plus profile have the exact same name and identifying information.

You can not currently transfer your Finnair Avios directly to the other programs that use Avios (Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways and Vueling). However, you can transfer to/from these programs to Finnair through British Airways. For example, if you have Qatar Airways Avios that you want to transfer to Finnair, you can transfer your Avios from Qatar to British Airways, and then to Finnair Avios. You can also use this same process in reverse. If you have Finnair Avios that you want to transfer to Iberia, first transfer from Finnair to British Airways. Then, once the Avios are in your British Airways Executive Club account, you can then transfer them to your Iberia Plus account.

7. Hotel Partners

After flights, hotels are another major travel expense that can earn you Finnair Avios. Whether you prefer to stay at boutique hotels or large hotel chains, you can probably find a suitable partner hotel that earns Finnair Avios.

Here are the current Finnair Plus partner hotels:

Most of these hotels allow you to earn Finnair Avios as well as redeem Avios for hotel stays or discounts. Check each hotel partner page for details, but generally speaking, redeeming Avios for hotel stays will not give you a great value for your points.

8. Hotel Booking Portals

In addition to booking through hotel chains to earn Finnair Avios, you can go through a hotel booking portal. These may be better deals than booking directly with the hotel based on the value of the extra points you’d earn.

Plus, going through a booking portal affords you greater flexibility to stay at a smaller hotel that might not be part of a major hotel chain.

Here’s the list of available hotel booking portals you can use to earn Finnair Avios on your next reservation:

9. Tour Operator and Cruise Partners

Currently, Finnair Plus has 5 tour package and cruise partners:

This is a great way to earn Finnair Avios if you’re planning on booking a travel package or a cruise.

10. Car Rental, Transportation and Logistics Partners

If you’re planning on renting a car, booking a helicopter transfer, or reserving a private parking spot at the Helsinki Airport, you can earn Finnair Avios.

Often, you’ll also get discounts for being a Finnair Plus member, too.

Here’s the partner chart:

Earn Finnair Avios Through Shopping and Dining

Finnair Plus makes it easy to earn Avios from shopping. In this section, we’ll show you how you can earn points on your shopping and dining purchases. However, keep in mind that almost all of these are limited to purchases in Europe.

11. Finnair Shopping Partners

Finnair Plus offers the ability to purchase goods and/or services to earn Finnair Avios. Here are the major shopping partners you can leverage:

Unfortunately, this list isn’t as comprehensive as other frequent flyer programs.

At Belizia, you will earn 0.7 Finnair Avios per €1 spent on Samsonite and American Tourister products. All you need to do is show your Finnair Plus membership card and you’ll receive your points in 6 to 8 weeks.

You can also earn Avios when shopping at Decanter stores in Helsinki and Espoo. Decanter offers one of the best earning rates of 3 Avios per €1 spent on purchases. One thing to keep in mind is that you will only earn Avios for in-person purchases and not when shopping at the Decanter online store.

When you’re shopping at Lindroos stores at Helsinki Airport (HEL), you earn 0.7 Avios per €1 spent. Specifically, the 2 locations are both at Terminal 2, gate 27 (Schengen) and gate 33 (non-Schengen). Just show your Finnair Plus card when you purchase and your points will be deposited shortly. If you don’t receive your points, you can email airport@osk-lindroos.fi to inquire.

12. Finnair Dining Partners

Currently, Finnair has 2 restaurant partners that let you earn Avios. The first is TableOnline, Finland’s equivalent to OpenTable. When you book a restaurant table with TableOnline, you will earn 35 Finnair Avios per seat. Just enter your Finnair Plus number into your profile, and you’ll see your points add up quickly.

You can also earn Avios at the Kyrö Distillery Company. You’ll get 100 Avios for a distillery tour and 300 Avios for a distillery tour tasting.

Specialty Earnings for Finnair

Now that we’ve wrapped up all of the travel- or credit card-related ways you can earn Finnair Avios, let’s quickly touch on some interesting and unique ways to earn these points!

13. Purchase Life Insurance From Fennia

Fennia offers a life insurance policy that you can purchase to cover yourself in case the worst happens.

You can earn 5,000 Avios for the first insurance period and 2,500 Avios for the second insurance period when you purchase a life insurance policy that covers at least €20,000 through Henki-Fennia’s online service.

14. Exchange Currency at Change Group

When you’re traveling in Finland and need to exchange currency, visit a Change Group branch to earn up to 3,000 Avios.

15. Get Inspiring Wine and Food Content by Subscribing to Viinilehti

Viinilehti is a magazine published bimonthly. Each issue offers a comprehensive reading package of inspiring wine and food content, experiential travel stories, engaging interviews, and multi-level wine knowledge. You’ll get 1,000 Avios for making a standing order of Viinilehti magazine through Viinilehti.fi page or Finnairshop.com.

16. Buy Finnair Avios

The last way to earn Finnair points we will discuss is to simply purchase them.

You can buy up to 200,000 Finnair Avios per year, and your points will be deposited into your Finnair Plus account within 1 to 3 business days after the purchase. Points generally cost around 2.1 cents (in EUR) each, though Finnair does occasionally run promotions where you can buy Avios at a discount or get bonus Avios when buying them.

We don’t recommend proactively buying points, but if you’re short some points and are in a pinch, buying a few thousand points could help you reach a redemption you’re planning on booking.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to earn Finnair Avios. You can do so through credit card spending (transfers from Capital One miles from the U.S.), a co-branded credit card option in Europe, and transfers from Amex Finland.

Additionally, since Finnair is a Oneworld partner, you can easily rack up Finnair Avios when flying on Oneworld carriers such as American Airlines and British Airways. You can even earn points on nonalliance partner flights aboard LATAM, Juneyao, and BRA.

Plenty of ways exist to earn Finnair points on other travel purchases, like hotels and cruises, in addition to a few niche shopping partners.

Lastly, there are a handful of specialized ways to earn more Finnair Avios, like buying insurance policies, magazines, exchanging currency, and more.

Now that you have the complete guide to earning Finnair Avios quickly, check out our companion guide on the best ways to redeem Finnair Avios for maximum value!