GUIDE: How to Earn and Spend Finnair Avios (Part 2)

After an overhaul in 2024, the Finnair Plus loyalty programme now uses Avios as its currency, alongside airlines such as British Airways and Qatar Airways. There are plenty of ways to earn Finnair Avios, from transferring credit card points to booking with partners and, of course, flying. You can spend Finnair Avios on redemption flights, cabin upgrades and more.

This is part 2 of our ultimate guide to the Finnair loyalty programme. You can read part 1 here.

An Avios Earning Airline

Avios can be transferred from the Finnair Plus loyalty programme to other Avios-earning airlines, like British Airways, if you choose. This way, there’s even more you can spend your Avios on. 

Exceptions do apply. For example, you can’t transfer directly from Finnair to Qatar. However, you can transfer Avios from Finnair to British Airways, and then onward to Qatar Privilege Club, since BA and Qatar allow direct Avios transfers between their accounts.

If you plan to move Avios from Finnair Plus to British Airways or vice versa, you can easily transfer your Avios between accounts at a 1:1 ratio. You can link your accounts here.

Earning Avios with Finnair

The number of Avios you earn with Finnair is now based on the amount you spend and additional travel purchases, such as seats and baggage. This rewards those travelling in premium cabins and a higher status than the previous model.

Here are the main ways to earn Avios with Finnair:

Earning Avios Flying

Within Finnair Plus, not all earnings are treated the same. Earnings depend on whether you are flying on Finnair or with a partner. There are different earning charts for each.

The number of Avios you earn also depends on your Finnair Plus status and the cabin class in which you are travelling.

Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum Lumo members earn Avios on top of base rates. If you’re flying in Business or Premium Economy and paying higher fares, you’ll earn significantly more Avios than under a distance-based system. 

Here’s how many Avios you’ll earn flying with Finnair:

Codeshare Flights

Finnair codeshare flights became spend-based on 3rd June 2025, meaning you’ll collect Avios on money spent on the ticket (excluding taxes and fees) rather than ticket type, booking class and distance flown. This applies to Finnair-marketed flights, even if operated by another airline. There are no changes for flights booked before 3rd June.

Here’s the new earning table:

Finnair Non-Alliance Partners

• Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA): Operates routes like Helsinki to Stockholm. You can earn Avios and Tier Points on these flights, although earning rules depend on whether the flight is Finnair-marketed.
• LATAM Airlines: Finnair partners with LATAM Chile (70 destinations in 20 countries) and LATAM Brazil (60 destinations in 16 countries). You can spend Finnair Avios on LATAM flights starting at 6,500 Avios for Flights within Peru, going up to 90,000 Avios for Business Class flights from South America to Europe. 

Oneworld Flights

The Finnair sweet spots are centred around flying with other Oneworld airlines and crediting them to Finnair. These flights earn Avios and Tier Points based on the distance flown and fare class, and not the amount spent.  You can earn significantly more Avios and tier points by booking long, great-value flights in premium cabins. A great example of this is the pricing for US flights compared to BA!

Finnair has a set Tier Point and Avios earning chart for each of its partner airlines. Some are MUCH better than others. You can view the earnings charts for each airline here.

Here’s an example of what you would earn flying with British Airways

So, if you’re considering moving over to Finnair, you can still fly British Airways with all the major benefits (as British Airways is an Oneworld airline) while crediting Avios and tier points to Finnair and earning status more easily. It would cost much less to reach Platinum status with Finnair than it would to reach Gold (equivalent status) with British Airways.

What you would earn flying with Qatar Airways:

Holiday Packages

Finnair awards a set number of Avios for holiday packages booked through a third party, which include a Finnair charter flight. The number of Avios is based on where you fly and your class of travel:

• Continental Europe and the Mediterranean – 300 Economy – 1,000 Business
• Canary Islands and Africa – 330 Economy – 1,000 Business
• North and South America, Asia and the Middle East – 1,330 Economy – 4,000 Business

Seat Selection, Baggage and More

Baggage

If your carry-on baggage exceeds your ticket’s allowance, you need to pay for the extra baggage. You can purchase an extra carry-on bag only when your ticket type is Economy Superlight and does not include a carry-on bag. This ranges from 1,400 Avios with more than 6 days’ notice for Finland and Northern Europe flights to 3,800 Avios for journeys in the rest of Europe up to 20 minutes before check-in closes.

You can also use Avios for pre-paid baggage up to 23kg:

An additional chart for bags up to 32kg is also available.

Pets

Avios can be used for transport charges, ranging from 15,800 Avios for an 8kg pet carrier to 79,800 Avios for a 75kg pet carrier. More info is here.

Hotels

Plenty of hotel brands allow you to collect Avios via Finnair. The most notable for UK-based members are Shangri-La, Hotels.com, Kaligo, IHG and Accor. The portal also has many hotels and chains based in Finland, such as the Ruka Ski Resort and Design Hotel Levi.

You can also opt to transfer your hotel loyalty points to Finnair Avios, although this is not a good value unless there’s a really good offer on.

Finnair has a dedicated hotel booking website powered by Hotels.com, where you can collect Avios. Your Finnair Plus membership number must be included in your booking to collect Avios.

The Value: As with using Avios.com (BA), there are plenty of ways to earn Avios outside of flying. However, if you switch to the Finnair Plus loyalty programme, you can still use Avios.com as it has more options than transferring Avios to Finnair.

Car Hire

Like most airline loyalty programmes, you can earn Avios via car hire:

You must include your Finnair Plus number when making your booking. This also means you won’t earn rewards in the car hire company’s own rewards programme.

Tour Operators

A selection of cruise lines and tour operators is also available:

Online Shopping

The Finnair shop is an easy way to add to your Avios balance. You will earn a fixed number of Avios per euro spent, depending on your Finnair Plus status.

Milestone Rewards

Earning Tier Points with Finnair will give you bonus rewards at set thresholds. When you reach 12,000 tier points at Basic Level, you will receive 3,000 bonus Avios.

Credit Cards

There is no Finnair-specific credit card available in the UK, like there is for British Airways and the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, but there are plenty of ways around this. Some UK credit cards allow you to transfer points into Finnair Avios, or you can pick an Avios-earning card and transfer your points.

Top cards for Finnair Avios include:

There’s also a Finnair Visa credit card, but it’s not available in the UK. You can earn Avios on purchases and earn 300 tier points when you spend at least 1,500 euros per month.

Spending Finnair Avios

Here’s how to get the most out of your Finnair Avios:

Redemption Flights with Finnair

While there have been some devaluations in recent years, flight redemptions remain the best use of Finnair Avios. 

Finnair’s fixed-rate pricing for Finland and Northern Europe, combined with a segment-based model for other routes, can lead to some great redemption options, especially for short-haul flights. You can also add segments within Northern Europe at no additional Avios cost!

The lack of high surcharges compared to British Airways often makes Finnair redemptions better value!

Here’s the pricing for a one-way flight:

There are also additional surcharges of €10-€120 for spending where you’re travelling. View surcharges here.

Redemption Flights with Finnair Partners

Finnair Plus partner redemptions can be a bit complicated to book, but they are absolutely worth the effort. Only some airlines can be booked via Finnair’s booking engine. For others, you’ll need to call.

Redemptions like 62,500 Avios for Business Class from Helsinki to Los Angeles or Singapore (with low surcharges, too) with Finnair are exceptional value!

Qatar Airways redemptions are another great value redemption if booked via Finnair. You’ll find award availability across much of their network, and again, the surcharges are modest.

If the partner airline’s pricing through Finnair Plus is high, consider transferring your Avios to another programme where redemptions may be cheaper. 

You can also book redemption flights with Finnair’s partner airlines. Each airline has its own reward chart for Finnair Plus members, which you can view here. Booking redemptions with partner airlines is often great value!

Here’s an example for one way Qatar Airways redemptions:

Remember to check the redemption cost of each airline with other Avios earning airlines. If an airline is better value, you can transfer your Avios over to that programme to book your redemption.

Cancellations

Finnair Plus lets you change or cancel an award up to 24 hours before departure for a fee of €50 per ticket. Your Avios will be refunded (provided they haven’t expired), although taxes and surcharges may not be reimbursed. 

Cabin Upgrades

You can use Finnair Avios to upgrade to the next travel class on Finnair-operated flights. If there are no seats available, you can be added to the upgrade waiting list. Upgrades typically clear between 30 days and 48 hours before the flight. If your request isn’t confirmed, your Avios will be automatically refunded. Using Avios for full redemptions is generally better value, but cabin upgrades are still a great option!

Hotels

You can also opt to spend your Finnair Avios on hotels by purchasing a Reward Voucher. These usually have 6 6-month validity and can be used against a one-night stay. One notable option is 500 Avios + €74 for a night at most Scandic hotels, including breakfast.

Finnair also allows you to convert Avios into IHG One Rewards points, but the conversion rate is poor and rarely offers good value.

Donate to Charity

Donations start at 500 Avios. Current options include:

View the charity donation page here >>>

Tier Points

You can convert Avios into tier points at a fixed rate of 3 Avios per tier point. There’s a minimum threshold of 500 tier points required to make an exchange, and limits vary depending on your current elite status.

• Blue and Silver: up to 7,500 tier points

• Gold: up to 22,500 tier points

• Platinum and Platinum Lumo: up to 40,000 tier points (tier points from exchange are not considered tier points earned from Finnair flights, which is required for Platinum Lumo status).

Do note there’s a handling fee – €10 if you make the swap online, or €20 if you go through customer service.

This is a great option if you’re just short of the tier points needed to move up a tier, and saves you booking a last-minute flight!

Other Ways to Spend Finnair Avios

Similar to hotels, you can also convert your Avios into tour operator vouchers.

• Lounge Passes: If you’re a Finnair Plus Silver member or above, you can redeem Avios for access to Finnair’s lounges at Helsinki Airport, including the Finnair Business Lounge and the Platinum Wing (available to top-tier members or for purchase). Access starts at 4,000 Avios, and your pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
• Dining: Finnair allows Avios to be used for restaurant vouchers, mainly at Helsinki Airport or within Finland. These vouchers range from 1,000 to 10,000 Avios, depending on the dining location. You can purchase these in the ‘restaurants’ section of the Finnair Shop.
• Sports vouchers and events: Occasionally, Finnair Plus offers the option to redeem Avios for sports tickets, concerts, and other experiences, most often in Finland. These are released periodically via the Finnair Shop.
• The Finnair Gift Shop: redeem Avios for products ranging from Finnish design items to electronics and luggage. Prices are generally poor value.

View the Finnair Shop here >>>

Spending British Airways Avios on Finnair Flights

Finnair and British Airways are both part of the Oneworld alliance and share Avios as a currency. You can book Finnair flights using BA Avios directly with BA.

When Finnair joined Avios, BA adopted the same award chart for Finnair flights. This means redemptions start from 4,750 Avios off-peak for flights under 650 miles, including routes within Northern Europe. BA can also be a good option for booking short-haul Finnair flights. BA zone-based pricing applies rather than Finnair’s higher regional-based pricing.

However, connecting flights are priced segment-by-segment, which can drive up the Avios cost if there isn’t a direct flight route to your destination.. That said, Finnair flights booked with BA Avios usually have lower surcharges than equivalent British Airways itineraries, especially for long-haul routes departing from Helsinki.

Miles Purchases

You can buy up to 200,000 Avios per year. They will not count towards your tier point balance, but this is a bad value.

There’s also the option to buy Avios for another Finnair Plus member. You can also gift Avios from your balance for a €10-€20 service charge.

Avios Subscription

Finnair offers monthly Avios subscription options from 2,000 to 20,000 Avios. These aren’t usually good value unless discounted. Only consider this if you need a small Avios top-up for a great value redemption.

Final Words

Now that Finnair uses Avios, the loyalty programme is much more appealing, especially if you’re looking for additional ways to earn and spend Avios, even if you’re crediting flights to BA.

There are now more ways to earn and spend Avios than ever before, from flights to cabin upgrades, luggage, hotels and even pets. The ability to transfer Avios between Finnair Plus and BA adds another layer of flexibility. 

Elite status is often cheaper to earn than via BA, and you’ll end up earning additional Avios every time you fly based on your status, even more if you’re travelling in Premium Economy or Business.

On the spending side, Finnair keeps things simple. Clear award charts, low surcharges, and decent partner redemptions (when you can find them), which hold up well when compared to some of the other Oneworld airlines.

If you’re looking for another Oneworld airline loyalty program that also uses Avios, Finnair Plus is well worth considering.

Just remember to compare reward pricing across Avios programmes as they all price differently. A bit of research and flexibility can lead to some fantastic redemptions!

Make sure you read our other airline loyalty programme guides:

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Cathay Pacific
• Qatar Privilege Club
• Club Iberia Plus
• Air France/KLM – Flying Blue