AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
This Finnair buy Avios promotion has ended. However, you can still buy Finnair Avios here.
Finnair is back with a targeted promotion, offering Finnair Plus members the chance to buy Avios with up to a 30% bonus. Maximizing this deal will drop the value down to as cheap as 1.6154 euro cents apiece. At the current exchange rate (1€ = $1.0457), this equates to as cheap as 1.69 U.S. cents per point.
This promotion lets most members grab Avios with up to a 30% bonus until March 5, 2025 — with lucky members targeted for a 40% bonus.
But are Avios purchased through the Finnair Plus program even worth the cost? Let's take a closer look at this promotion to see if it makes sense for you and your situation. Just keep in mind that Finnair recently updated its loyalty program, so we've factored in the adjusted rates.
Please note: Finnair Plus deals in Euros, so all of the pricing you see in this post will be converted into USD — unless otherwise stated in Euros. (Just remember that the current exchange as of today is 1€ = $1.0457).
Page Contents
Buy Finnair Avios Promotion Details
This promotion from Finnair offers a 30% bonus on Avios purchases through the Plus program. You might be targeted for a 40% bonus, but this seems rare. Since the 30% bonus promotion is what a majority of the AwardWallet team is seeing, we will focus on that promotional level for this post.
Finnair lets you buy up to 200,000 Avios in a calendar year, so if you are targeted and eligible for the 30% bonus, you can grab 260,000 Avios (200,000 base miles + 60,000 bonus miles) for 4,200€ ($4,392 USD) — or 1.69 U.S. cents apiece.
You'll also need to purchase larger amounts of Avios in order to get a better rate. Here's how the tiers break down for members eligible for the 30% bonus:
- 1,000-5,000 Avios: No bonus (2.7 euro cents = 2.82¢ USD)
- 6,000-10,000 Avios: 20% bonus (1.96 euro cents = 2.05¢ USD)
- 11,000 – 99,000 Avios: 25% bonus (1.76 euro cents = 1.84¢ USD)
- 100,000-200,000 Avios: 30% bonus (1.62 euro cents = 1.69¢ USD)
You will be able to see the bonus when you proceed to buy Avios in the Finnair Shop.
If you buy the maximum 260,000 Avios, which includes the 30% bonus miles, your total out-of-pocket cost will be 4,200€ — or roughly $4,392. That comes out to 1.69¢ apiece.
Key terms
- This promotion to buy Avios through the Finnair Plus program will expire on March 5, 2025.
- You can buy Finnair Avios with up to a 30% bonus.
- When you maximize this bonus promotion, you will pay as little as 1.69 U.S. cents per Avios.
- Members can purchase a maximum of 200,000 Avios per year (before the bonus).
- This offer is only available to Finnair Plus members who have joined the program before February 5, 2025.
- You can only purchase Avios during this promotion if your Finnair Plus account has a balance of at least 500 Avios. However, you can get this by transferring Avios from British Airways to Finnair.
- Avios purchases do not count toward tier point earning.
- Purchased Avios will be added to your account within three business days.
Per the terms and conditions, points will be deposited within 72 hours of purchase. However, data points from AwardWallet users show that Avios purchases are processed immediately.
Related: Current Promotions for Buying Airline Miles and Hotel Points
Is It Worth Buying Finnair Avios?
Ultimately, whether or not it makes sense to buy Avios depends on what redemptions you'll make with them. To get an idea of what you can do with them, here is the Finnair redemption chart:
When buying Finnair Avios at 1.69¢ each, you can expect to pay:
- 13,000 Avios (costing you ~$220) + €33.60 (~$35.14) in fees one-way for economy anywhere within Europe
- 20,000 Avios (costing you ~$338) + €33.60 (~$35.14) in fees one-way for business class anywhere within Europe
Or pay the following for the following routes from Helsinki to North America (Chicago, New York, etc.):
- 30,000 Avios (costing you ~$507) + €101.64 (~$106.29) in fees one-way for economy to Chicago
- 43,500 Avios (costing you ~$735) + €121.64 (~$127.20) in fees one-way for premium economy to Chicago
- 62,500 Avios (costing you ~$1,056) + €156.64 (~$163.80) in fees one-way for business to Chicago
How does this sound? 62,500 Avios (costing you ~$1,056) + ₩175,900 (~$122.31) in fees one-way for business class between Europe and Asia.
Finnair Plus partner airline limitations
It's worth noting that you can't combine more than one partner in an award booking — similar to limitations with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Thus, you could book an award for a Finnair flight connecting to a partner, but you can't book an award that has both Alaska and American Airlines flights.
Transferring Avios between programs
Similar to when Qatar Privilege Club joined the Avios program, Finnair travelers should be able to transfer Avios between Finnair Plus and British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 transfer ratio.
British Airways Avios already transfer to Iberia, Qatar, and Aer Lingus, meaning you'll be able to move Avios between the following programs at a 1:1 transfer ratio:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Executive Club
- Finnair Plus
- Iberia Plus
- Qatar Privilege Club
Finnair Avios expiration policy
It's important to note that Finnair Avios expire after 18 months of inactivity. Be sure to keep this in mind if you don't plan to use your newly purchased Avios immediately.
Buy Finnair Plus Points & Avios History
We have compiled a list of former Finnair promotions for buying points and Avios. Keep in mind that Finnair used to have Finnair Plus points and only recently adopted Avios as its currency. So, while the Plus points used to cost much less than Avios, they are worth a lot more now that they can be transferred to Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Qatar.
This current 30% bonus promotion provides the second worst value (1.69¢ each) we've seen from Finnair since they pivoted to Avios. So, while now might not be the best time to grab some Avios, it all depends on your situation and whether or not you have a specific redemption in mind that you're super close to getting. If not, it is probably wise to hold off (if you can) until a better rate rolls around.
Just be aware that the first promotion to buy Avios began on April 17, 2024:
| Promotion Ended | Max Bonus/Discount | Min Cents per Point/Avios | Max Purchase Amount (w/ Bonus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 20% Discount or Bonus | 1.78 | 200,000 |
| 2024-11-20 | 50% Discount | 1.13 | 200,000 |
| 2024-09-18 | 50% Bonus | 1.55 | 300,000 |
| 2024-06-16 | 40% Discount | 1.36 | 200,000 |
| 2024-04-17 | 70% Bonus | 1.34 | 300,000 |
| 2023-09-18 | 100% Bonus | 0.69 | 400,000 |
| 2022-12-22 | 100% Bonus | 0.68 | 300,000 |
| 2021-12-27 | 100% Bonus | 0.7 | 400,000 |
| 2021-12-23 | 100% Bonus | 0.7 | 400,000 |
Maximize Your Purchase
Like many other loyalty programs, Finnair partners with Points.com to sell Avios. Thus, your purchase won't code as a travel or airfare purchase, so use one of these cards to maximize your earnings:
- A credit card with which you're working on a sign-up bonus. These are the best welcome offers available right now.
- A credit card that has perks you can unlock from spending, such as hotel free night awards, hotel elite status, or airline elite status.
- Your best credit card for everyday purchases, such as the Citi Double Cash® Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use to Buy Points and Miles?
Get Finnair Avios Without Buying Them
Instead of buying Finnair Avios, you could transfer your Capital One miles to Finnair at a 1:1 ratio (with a minimum transfer of 1,000 miles). Most transfers process immediately.
Alternatively, you could transfer points to other Avios-utilizing airlines, such as British Airways, and then make a separate transfer to Finnair. It requires multiple steps, but British Airways partners with more transferable rewards programs than Finnair does:
Our Take
This 30% bonus promotion provides the second weakest rate we've seen from Finnair since it started selling Avios through its Plus program. Members can still grab up to 260,000 Avios with the 30% bonus, dropping the purchase rate to just 1.69¢ per point. Thus, it might be worth holding off on grabbing Avios via Finnair Plus for now and wait until a better promotion comes around.
And remember, you have the option of playing the field as well because other Avios partners such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar could run promotions in the meantime as well. And if you're lucky, there's always a chance that their promotion will be running for a better rate! Having said all of that, buying points for 1.69¢ apiece is still an improvement on the base rate Finnair sells its Avios (typically 2.82¢ each). So, this promotion can make sense if you need Avios now and don't have a better source.
But again, it all depends on your situation. Now might be the right time to buy some if you're close to a sweet redemption you had in mind for the upcoming year. But if you do want to grab some Avios from Finnair, you better act quickly – as this promotion expires on March 5, 2025.
Are you planning to buy Avios via the Finnair Plus program for as little as 1.69¢ apiece during this 30% bonus promotion?
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
