Finnair Plus is the loyalty program of Oneworld member Finnair, which is based at Helsinki Airport (HEL). The airline has a substantial route network across Europe, North America and Asia.
In 2024, Finnair adopted Avios as its loyalty currency, making it the fifth major program to use Avios, along with:
This means you can earn and redeem Avios when flying Finnair and its Oneworld partners, as well as transfer Avios between each of the five programs that have adopted it as its currency at a 1:1 rate in any direction.
This opens up all sorts of opportunities for travelers to maximize their award redemptions, even if they’re not visiting northern Europe.
Here is everything you need to know about Finnair Plus.
An overview of the Finnair Plus program
Finnair Plus is free to join online. You can add your Finnair Plus member number to earn Avios and tier points for elite status qualification. Once you reach elite status, you can use your benefits on these airlines and reciprocal benefits on other partner airlines.
Assuming there’s award availability, you can earn and redeem Finnair Plus Avios for flights on any Oneworld airline:
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- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Fiji Airways (a Oneworld Connect partner)
- Iberia, including Iberia Express and Air Nostrum
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas, including QantasLink and Jetconnect
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Jordanian
- Royal Air Maroc
- S7 Airlines (currently suspended)
- SriLankan Airlines
Additionally, Finnair partners with the following nonalliance airlines:
- Braathens Regional Airlines
- Juneyao Airlines
- LATAM
Note that there may be restrictions regarding the flights that allow you to earn or redeem miles within these partnerships. Review the airline’s partner page on the Finnair Plus website before you plan your travels so you know what to expect.
Related: Comparing the Finnair premium economy flight experience on the A330 versus the A350
How to qualify for Finnair Plus elite status
The Finnair Plus loyalty program has five status tiers. All members begin as basic members, and you can progress to elite status tiers by earning the following number of tier points in 12 months (status follows the date you joined the program, not the calendar year):
- Silver: 15,000 tier points
- Gold: 45,000 tier points
- Platinum: 80,000 tier points
- Platinum Lumo: 300,000 tier points (of which 250,000 are earned flying with Finnair)
The program also has two Finnair Plus Lifetime tiers: Lifetime Gold (which requires 2,000,000 tier points) and Lifetime Platinum (which requires 3,300,000 tier points).
Tier points are earned through flying Finnair starting at a rate of 6 tier points (for basic members) per euro (about $1.12) spent on base fares, excluding taxes and fees, or partner airlines based on travel class, booking class and miles flown. You can also earn tier points by making purchases with the Finnair Visa Credit card (only available in Finland). You will usually earn the same tier points as Avios for a flight.
Additional milestone rewards are earned between tier levels; for example, you’ll earn one when you reach 55,000 tier points, which is more than is required for Gold status but not enough for Platinum status. Milestone rewards include bonus Avios, lounge passes and upgrade certificates.
Related: Oneworld alliance guide: Learn about airlines, lounges and elite status
Finnair Plus elite status tiers
Elite status in the Finnair Plus program offers the following perks for each status level:
Finnair Plus Silver (Oneworld Ruby)
- One cabin bag on Superlight tickets on Finnair short-haul flights
- A 50% discount on checked baggage fees
- Priority check-in
- Priority security at select airports
- Discounted lounge access
- A 50% discount on seat selection fees (excluding Comfort seats and seats with extra legroom)
Finnair Plus Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)
- All the benefits of Finnair Plus Silver
- One extra checked bag on all Finnair and Oneworld flights
- Finnair and Oneworld business-class lounge access with one guest
- Priority boarding
- Complimentary seat selection
- Four one-way upgrade vouchers (you will need more than one voucher for long-haul flights)
- Dedicated phone support
Finnair Plus Platinum (Oneworld Emerald)
- All the benefits of Finnair Plus Gold
- Free sports equipment on Oneworld flights
- Finnair and Oneworld first-class lounge access
- Complimentary drink for you and a guest on economy flights
- Digital newspapers
- Confirmed seat in business class for short-haul flights
- Confirmed seat in economy class for long-haul or short-haul flights
- Twelve one-way upgrades (you will need more than one voucher for long-haul flights)
- Travel class upgrades for family members
- Avios don’t expire as long as you maintain your status
- One Gold status to give to a friend or family member
Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo (Oneworld Emerald)
- All the benefits of Finnair Plus Gold
- Finnair lounge access with four guests
- Free streaming Wi-Fi within Europe for the entire flight on Airbus flights
- A complimentary drink and snacks for you and a guest on board short-haul Finnair flights
- Twenty-four one-way upgrades (you will need more than one voucher for long-haul flights)
Related: Why I booked a Finnair flight to help me reach American Airlines elite status
Earning Avios with Finnair Plus
Finnair Plus moved to a spend-based earning rate for flights operated by Finnair Plus in March 2024. This applies to both Avios and tier points. Earning rates start at 6 Avios (and tier points) per euro (about $1.12) spent, with multipliers for elite status members, meaning a Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo member would earn 10 Avios (and tier points) per euro spent.
The Avios you will earn by crediting flights operated by partner airlines to Finnair Plus differs from airline to airline, is not spend-based and will depend on the booking class and distance flown. Check each airline’s individual earning rate here.
As an example, here are the Avios (and tier point) earning rates for flights operated by American Airlines:
You can also earn Avios from nonairline partners.
- Hotels: There are 25 accommodation providers, loyalty programs and booking platforms, including IHG One Rewards, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Booking.com and RocketMiles. Note that you will normally forgo earning points or elite nights with the hotel program if you book through Finnair Plus, and you usually cannot enjoy your hotel status benefits when booking through third parties, so consider if this is the best way to book rather than directly with the hotel.
- Car rentals: Options include Hertz, Sixt, Avis and Europcar, plus airport transfers and car rental comparison sites.
- Tour operators: Silversea Cruises, Helsinki Citycopter and other Finnish-specific operators are among the tour operator options.
- Online shopping: Partners for online purchases include Samsonite, Decanter, Belizia and GoGift, among others.
An easy way to earn Finnair Avios without flying is by applying for a Capital One credit card, as Capital One miles can be directly transferred to Finnair Plus.
Here’s a list of some of the best available consumer cards that earn transferable Capital One miles:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card has a $395 annual fee (see rates and fees).
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card has a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per dollar spent on other purchases. Plus, you can earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card has a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).
If you’re looking for a business card, here are some options that earn Capital One miles:
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar spent on other purchases. Plus, you can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 after (see rates and fees).
- Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business: Earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on purchases. Plus, you can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. The card has a $0 annual fee.
The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Remember that you can also transfer Avios from British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub and Qatar Airways Privilege Club at a 1:1 rate and that these programs partner with other transferable credit card currencies.
Related: The best Avios-earning credit cards: Which is the one for you?
Redeeming Avios with Finnair Plus
Finnair Plus uses zone based award charts for redeeming flights on Finnair and partner airlines. Flights on Finnair start from just 6,500 Avios in economy class within Finland and northern Europe; they’ll require up to 62,500 Avios for travel between Helsinki and Asia and North America in business class.
Finnair does not offer a first-class cabin.
One-way flights operated by Finnair from the U.S. to Helsinki are priced as follows:
- 30,000 Avios in economy
- 43,500 Avios in premium economy
- 62,500 Avios in business class
Related: 8 cool design elements in Finnair’s AirLounge business class (and 3 things I didn’t like)
These are the same redemption rates that British Airways Executive Club charges. However, since British Airways adds surcharges, it will be cheaper to book Finnair-operated flights across the Atlantic through Finnair Plus.
You can also use your Avios to upgrade on Finnair Plus flights as follows:
Note that a connecting flight on Finnair beyond Helsinki will be charged separately unless it is a domestic flight in Finland.
Finnair Plus Avios redemptions for partner-operated flights have a different award chart per partner, which you can view here.
Some of the best ways to redeem Avios through the Finnair Plus program include:
- Domestic American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights: Domestic flights anywhere within the continental U.S. (and Canada) cost just 11,000 Finnair Plus Avios each way in economy class. You can even connect within the region for the same price if you wish; for example, you can fly from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to San Diego International Airport (SAN) via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) if nonstop flights are not available. British Airways would charge per leg, making connecting domestic itineraries through British Airways Executive Club more expensive than booking via Finnair Plus. You will need to fly the same carrier on both legs as, unfortunately, you cannot combine carriers (like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines) on a single award (unless Finnair is one of the carriers).
- Flights from the East Coast to Hawaii: With British Airways now charging 20,000 Avios from the West Coast alone, you’re better off using Avios through Finnair Plus. With its region-based award chart, Finnair Plus charges a single price for all flights from the continental U.S. to Hawaii, though the price differs depending on which airline you choose to fly. You will need only 13,500 Avios on Alaska Airlines itineraries, while American Airlines flights cost 15,000 each way.
- Cathay Pacific business class to Asia: Although award availability in premium cabins is hard to find, British Airways Executive Club charges a steep 108,250 Avios plus 118.50 British pounds (about $151) for the long-haul journey in Cathay Pacific’s business class from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). You can book the same flight through Finnair Plus for just 75,000 Avios plus the same minimal fees, taxes and surcharges — saving you more than 30,000 Avios.
You can also redeem Avios through nonairline partners for extras such as luggage, lounge access or charitable donations; however, this is not how we usually recommend redeeming Avios for the best value.
Related: 5 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
Bottom line
While Finnair Plus may have previously flown under the radar, adopting Avios as its loyalty currency in 2024 suddenly made it a much more important loyalty program. While valuable Oneworld elite status may be easier to earn in the British Airways Executive Club program, the difference in benefits between Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo is minimal, considering the massive extra number of tier points required.
While Finnair Plus only partners with one transferable credit card currency (Capital One miles), other credit card rewards partner with other Avios programs. You can transfer these Avios between programs and then to Finnair Plus, allowing for great redemption options, such as using 11,000 Avios to book domestic redemptions across the U.S.
