Finnair uses the Avios currency alongside British Airways, Qatar Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Loganair, and Aer Lingus. However, the Finnair Plus<\/a> program stands out in how it prices awards. Unlike most other Avios programs, which use distance-based pricing, Finnair Plus uses region-based award charts.<\/p>\n That key difference can unlock some excellent sweet spots \u2014 where booking through Finnair costs fewer Avios than booking the same flight through another program. On top of that, Finnair often levies far more reasonable fees than The British Airways Club or other Avios programs, which can help you save on the cash portion of your award ticket, too.<\/p>\n For reference, here's a look at the Finnair Plus award chart for Finnair-operated flights<\/a>:<\/p>\n Finnair also publishes separate award charts for each of its partner airlines. Each is unique, and you can view them all here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Without further ado, let's dive into some of the best Finnair award sweet spots.<\/p>\n Related: How To Avoid Paying High Fuel Surcharges When Booking Flights With Avios<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n One of the best Finnair Plus sweet spots for travelers departing from or heading to the U.S. is booking Finnair-operated flights to Helsinki. Whether you\u2019re flying from New York (JFK), Dallas\u2013Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), Chicago (ORD), Seattle (SEA), or Los Angeles (LAX), Finnair charges a fixed number of Avios for nonstop flights to Finland:<\/p>\n Better yet, the taxes and fees on these awards can be quite modest. On a premium economy award I booked from Dallas to Helsinki, I paid just 43,500 Avios + $107.70 per person.<\/p>\n Finnair also charges the same number of Avios for flights from Helsinki to\/from places like Tokyo, Seoul, Phuket, and Bangkok. These flights are often pretty long, which makes the business class rate look ultra-appealing. And, if you're lucky, your flight path might take you over the North Pole \u2014 which is a pretty cool achievement if you're an aviation enthusiast.<\/p>\n By comparison, booking the same Finnair flight through The British Airways Club will often require the same number of Avios but come with dramatically higher surcharges.\u00a0 While we always advise shopping around to ensure you get the best rates, you're almost always better off booking these awards through Finnair.<\/p>\n Finnair Plus has fixed-rate award charts for flights operated by both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines \u2014 and they can offer solid value, especially on longer domestic routes.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to take advantage of this sweet spot is on transcontinental flights. Alaska Airlines awards start at 17,500 Avios in economy and 37,500 Avios in first class within the continental U.S. and Canada, while American Airlines awards require 16,500 Avios in economy and 40,000 Avios in first.<\/p>\n These rates can be particularly appealing on routes like New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX), where American flies aircraft equipped with lie-flat seats in first class<\/a>. If AAdvantage or Atmos Rewards don\u2019t have better pricing on a given day, booking through Finnair can be a great alternative if you can find partner award space<\/a>.<\/p>\n And even when the rates are similar, Avios are generally much easier to accumulate than AAdvantage miles or Atmos Rewards points, thanks to the large number of transferable-points programs that feed into the Avios ecosystem.<\/p>\n However, the big caveat is that you can\u2019t book these awards online. You\u2019ll need to call or chat online with Finnair to both confirm award space exists (before you transfer points) and make the reservation.<\/p>\n Related: The Best Ways To Book American Airlines Awards Using Partner Miles<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Finnair Plus also offers a solid partner sweet spot for long-haul travel to Asia: you can book Cathay Pacific business class from North America for 85,000 Avios plus around $200 in taxes and fees.<\/p>\n British Airways Club charges 119,500 Avios for the same flight. In other words, this is a fantastic deal.<\/p>\n If you don't mind the long flight in the back of the plane, you can make the trip in economy for as little as 35,000 Avios. However, notice the increased fees for the connection through Hong Kong en route to Taipei.<\/p>\n But for a flight that long, I think I'll stick to the reasonably priced awards for business class.<\/p>\n Intra-European business class is a bit of a hot topic \u2014 some travelers love it, others think it\u2019s not worth the splurge. After all, it\u2019s essentially economy with a blocked middle seat. But with Finnair Plus, you can fly to most places in Europe in business class for 20,000 Avios or less, which makes it worth considering.<\/p>\n On connecting itineraries \u2014 especially when one segment will have you in the air for a while \u2014 these rates can make a lot of sense. For example, flying from Copenhagen (CPH) to Madrid (MAD) via Helsinki (HEL) will cost you just 20,000 Avios in business class. You\u2019ll get two meals on this itinerary, and honestly, it\u2019s hard to pass up a little extra space.<\/p>\n But best of all, business class availability is excellent, and the premium over economy is minimal.<\/p>\n To take advantage of these sweet spots, you\u2019ll need a stash of Finnair Plus Avios. Fortunately, there are several ways to earn them.<\/p>\n The most straightforward way to earn Finnair Avios is by flying Finnair or its partner airlines. On Finnair-operated flights, the number of Avios you earn is based on your eligible spend and your Finnair Plus status. Here's the current earning structure:<\/p>\n\n![\"Finnair](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-10-21-at-19.49.15.png\")
Take long-haul Finnair flights from Helsinki<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DFW-to-Helsinki-confirmation.png\")
![\"Finnair](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-10-21-at-19.58.24.png\")
![\"Finnair](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Finnair-Business-Class-Featured.png\")
Fly American Airlines and Alaska Airlines on transcontinental U.S. routes<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"American](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/american-airlines-787-9p-business-class-featured.png\")
Long-haul Cathay Pacific business class from the U.S. to Hong Kong<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lax-to-hkg-cathay.png\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lax-to-TPE-via-finnair.png\")
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cathay-pacific-business-class-e1717460460230.png\")
Fly across Europe in Finnair business class on the cheap<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Finnair](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-10-21-at-20.05.31.png\")
How To Earn Finnair Avios<\/span><\/h2>\n
Fly Finnair and its partners<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Capital](\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/dfed8cb4-d376-4c8b-aed4-1997afa3d66a.png\")
<\/div><\/div>![\"Capital](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CardArt-CapitalOneVentureXRewardsCreditCard.png\")
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