Finnair Plus Loyalty Program Review

Finnair Plus is the loyalty program of Finnair, Finland’s flag carrier and a member of the Oneworld alliance. In March 2024, Finnair adopted Avios as its loyalty currency, aligning itself with several other Oneworld programs from Europe.

Finnair Avios can be earned in a variety of ways, and they don’t all require traveling. Whether you’re flying, shopping, or using the right credit card, accumulating Finnair Avios for an award flight is relatively easy. And when it’s time to redeem those Avios, you have some great options with both Finnair and its partners.

Finnair Plus Program Overview

Joining Finnair Plus

Signing up for Finnair Plus is free, and you can create an account here. Alternatively, from the Finnair Home page, click on Join Finnair Plus in the top right corner.

You’ll complete a short registration form with your basic personal information. Once enrolled, you’ll receive a Finnair Plus membership number, which you can use immediately to start earning Avios and tier points (toward elite status) on future activities.

How To Sign in to Your Finnair Plus Account

From Finnair’s home page, click on Login in the top right corner. This will pop up a window asking for your email address or Finnair Plus number, which you received during registration. You’ll provide either of these, along with your password, and then click the Log in button.

Viewing Your Account Activity

After logging in, click on your name in the top right corner. From the drop-down menu, click on Balance and transactions to view not just your Finnair Plus Avios balance but also recent activity in your account. Full details will be available on the page that opens after you click on this.

Points Expiration

Finnair Plus Avios expire after 18 months of inactivity. Any earning or redemption activity resets the expiration clock, including earning Avios from flights, credit card transfers, partner activity, or redeeming Avios for awards.

Importantly, Finnair Plus elite members are exempt from Avios expiration. If you hold any elite tier above Basic, the introductory tier, your Avios will not expire as long as you maintain elite status.

Finnair Plus Elite Status

Finnair Plus has 5 status tiers, each offering progressively better benefits: Basic, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Platinum Lumo.

Finnair Plus Elite Status Tiers

Finnair Plus Silver

At the Silver tier, you’ll enjoy these perks:

• Oneworld Ruby status
• Priority check-in on Finnair flights
• Extra checked baggage allowance on Finnair flights
• Preferred seating
• Priority standby
• 50% discount on advance seat reservations (excluding comfort and extra legroom seats)
• Complimentary internet on short-haul flights in Europe
• Earn 7x Avios and tier points on flights (applies to the base fare only), rather than the 6x for Basic members

Finnair Plus Gold

The Gold tier offers everything Silver members get, plus:

• Oneworld Sapphire status
• Business class lounge access for the member and 1 guest
• Priority security and boarding
• Additional baggage allowance
• Complimentary seat selection, including preferred seats
• Complimentary 1 hour of internet access on long-haul flights
• Complimentary Stream package for 30 minutes and Message package for the whole flight within Europe
• 4 one-way upgrade awards
• Earn 8x Avios and tier points on flights (applies to the base fare only)

Finnair Plus Platinum

Platinum members get the previous perks plus:

• Oneworld Emerald status
• First and business class lounge access
• Fast Track security, where available
• Highest priority services across the Finnair journey
• Complimentary upgrades on select flights, when available
• Earn 9x Avios and tier points on flights (applies to the base fare only)
• Complimentary full-flight internet on long-haul flights
• Complimentary drink for you and your companions when traveling in economy
• 12 one-way upgrade awards
• Complimentary digital newspapers during flight
• Use your Avios to upgrade up to 3 family members into business class if you booked directly into business
• Access to the Platinum Wing airport lounge for non-Schengen departures

Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo

Members with top-tier Platinum Lumo status get the preceding perks and:

• Invitation-only top tier
• Highest upgrade and service priority
• Dedicated customer service
• Earn 10x Avios and tier points on flights (applies to the base fare only)
• Complimentary internet on up to 6 devices on long-haul flights and flights in Europe
• Complimentary drink and snack for you and your travel companion, even in economy
• 24 one-way upgrade awards
• Additional recognition benefits, which may vary year to year

Value of Finnair Plus Elite Status

Finnair Plus elite status can be worthwhile for travelers who regularly fly Finnair or connect through Helsinki. Lounge access, priority services, and baggage benefits can help offset significant costs for frequent travelers, especially those flying long-haul economy or premium economy flights.

That said, Finnair’s route network is relatively small compared to other Oneworld carriers. If you rarely fly Finnair or don’t route through Helsinki, it may be more practical to pursue elite status with a different oneworld program that better aligns with your travel patterns.

Earning Finnair Plus Elite Status

Elite status is earned through tier points, which are based on:

• Distance flown
• Cabin class
• Fare type

Tier points are earned primarily on Finnair-operated flights, with limited earning on select partners.

To qualify for Finnair Plus status, you’ll need the following number of tier points:

• Silver: 15,000 tier points
• Gold: 45,000 tier points
• Platinum: 80,000 tier points
• Platinum Lumo: Invitation only

For example, a round-trip business-class flight between Helsinki and New York City (JFK) earns approximately 18,000 tier points, indicating that a few long-haul premium flights can significantly contribute to elite status.

How To Earn Finnair Plus Avios

Finnair Avios can be earned through both travel and nontravel activities. Common ways to earn Finnair Avios include:

• Flying with Finnair
• Flying with partner airlines
• Credit card transfers
• Hotel stays and car rentals
• Shopping and lifestyle partners
• Moving Avios from other Avios-based programs

Earning Avios Through Flying

When flying Finnair, Avios are earned based on distance flown, cabin class, and fare type. Premium cabin tickets earn significantly more Avios than discounted economy fares. Flights credited from Oneworld partners follow Finnair’s partner earning charts, which vary by airline and fare class.

Earning Avios With Airline Partners

Finnair is part of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can earn with airlines like Alaska Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Japan Airlines, and more. Each partner has its own earning rates, and discounted fares may earn fewer Avios or none at all.

For example, flying in first class with American Airlines or British Airways offers a multiplier of up to 300%, whereas flying first class with Cathay Pacific, Qantas, or Qatar Airways yields a multiplier of only 150%.

Earning Avios Through Hotel and Car Rental Partners

Finnair Plus partners with major hotel chains and car rental companies, including Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Hertz, and Avis, among others. While these partnerships can help top off your balance, earning rates are generally modest.

Buying Finnair Avios

You can buy Finnair Avios, typically costing around 2.4 to 2.5 cents per Avios. However, regular sales can improve that price through discounts or bonus Avios added to your purchase.

Subscribe to Avios

Through Finnair’s subscription service, you can get a monthly allotment of Avios in your Finnair Plus account. At best, you’ll pay around 1.3 cents per Avios. Since we value Avios at 1.25 cents each, this price isn’t ideal. However, if you’re able to redeem Avios at a value above what you paid for them, it can change the math.

Even still, there are other ways to earn Avios that don’t involve paying outright.

Earning Avios With Credit Cards

U.S.-based travelers can earn Finnair Avios indirectly through transfers from Capital One Miles and Rove Miles, both of which transfer to Finnair at a 1:1 ratio.

Earn Finnair Avios via Other Programs

Finnair Avios can be freely and instantly moved between your accounts at Aer Lingus AerClub, The British Airways Club, Club Iberia Plus, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Vueling Club. That means earning Avios in these other programs can help you earn Finnair Avios.

Finnair also partners with several hotel programs for point transfers, but these transfers usually provide poor value and are generally not recommended.

Hot Tip:

After Finnair adopted Avios as its rewards currency, it became possible to instantly and freely move Avios between your Finnair Plus account and these other programs. This not only helps you earn Avios but also allows you to move them into the program offering the best redemption value when it’s time to use your them.

Branded and Partnered Credit Cards

Finnair Plus does not offer a U.S.-issued credit card. However, U.S. travelers still have multiple ways to earn Avios through transferable points and Avios-branded cards.

Avios-Earning Credit Cards

Chase issues several Avios-earning credit cards in the U.S., including the Aer Lingus Visa Signature^® Card, British Airways Visa Signature^® Card, and Iberia Visa Signature^® Card.

These cards earn Avios directly in their respective programs and often feature strong welcome bonus offers — sometimes 85,000 or even 100,000 Avios. While benefits differ slightly, Avios earned from any of these cards can be moved instantly into Finnair Plus.

Capital One Credit Cards

Capital One miles transfer to Finnair Plus at a 1:1 ratio. Popular options for cards that earn Capital One miles include the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, and the $0-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

It’s also possible to earn Capital One miles with small business cards, including the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and Capital One Venture X Business Card.

How To Redeem Finnair Plus Avios

Unlike many programs, Finnair Plus still uses a published award chart, which makes pricing more predictable when you want to redeem Finnair Avios.

Finnair Flights

Using the Classic award chart, one-way awards on Finnair cost:

• Europe to North America: 30,000 Avios in economy, 62,500 in business class
• Europe to Asia: 37,500 Avios in economy, 80,000 in business class
• Domestic and short-haul Europe flights start at 6,500 Avios

Taxes and fees are typically reasonable compared to other European carriers.

Oneworld and Partner Flights

Partner awards are also priced using distance- and region-based charts. Given that pricing varies by partner, some provide much better value than others. Moreover, a 2024 devaluation significantly increased how many Avios you need for American Airlines flights when booked through your Finnair account.

Each partner has its own chart, which can feel overwhelming. Some common redemptions include the following options:

• Alaska Airlines flights in the continental U.S. and Canada: 11,000 Avios one-way in economy or 40,000 in first class
• American Airlines flights in the continental U.S. and Canada: 16,500 Avios one-way in economy or 40,000 in first class
• American Airlines flights from North America to Europe: 23,000 Avios one-way in economy, 65,000 in business, or 85,000 in first class
• Japan Airlines (JAL) domestic flights: 8,500 Avios in economy or 14,500 in business
• Japan Airlines (JAL) flights from Japan to the U.S.: 33,500 Avios in economy, 94,250 in business, and 125,000 in first class
• LATAM: Domestic flights in Brazil for 6,000 Avios, domestic in Peru for 6,500 Avios, and domestic in Chile for 11,000 Avios
• LATAM from Brazil to North America: 28,500 in economy or 74,500 in business
• Qatar Airways from the U.S. to Qatar: 50,500 Avios in economy, 130,000 in business, or 170,000 in first class

Booking Online

You must be logged in to your Finnair Plus account to view award availability and pricing. Some users report limited partner availability online, requiring phone assistance for certain bookings.

If you encounter issues booking online, Finnair’s U.S. customer service number for award bookings is 877-757-7143.