Page Contents<\/p>
- The Best Finnair Sweet Spots You Can Book With Avios<\/a>
- Take long-haul Finnair flights from Helsinki<\/a><\/li>
- Fly American Airlines and Alaska Airlines on transcontinental U.S. routes<\/a><\/li>
- Long-haul Cathay Pacific business class from the U.S. to Hong Kong<\/a><\/li>
- Fly across Europe in Finnair business class on the cheap<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How to Earn Finnair Avios<\/a>
- Fly Finnair and its partners<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer miles from Capital One<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer from other Avios programs<\/a><\/li>
- Buy Finnair Avios<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
The Best Finnair Sweet Spots You Can Book With Avios<\/span><\/h2>\n
Finnair uses the Avios currency alongside British Airways, Qatar Airways, Iberia, 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 exact same flight through another program. On top of that, Finnair often levies far more reasonable fees than British Airways 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
![\"Award](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Finnair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Finnair also publishes separate award charts for each of its partner airlines. Each one is unique, and you can view all of them 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
Take long-haul Finnair flights from Helsinki<\/span><\/h3>\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
- \n
- Economy:<\/strong> 30,000 Avios<\/li>\n
- Premium Economy:<\/strong> 43,500 Avios<\/li>\n
- Business Class:<\/strong> 62,500 Avios<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Better yet, the taxes and fees on these awards are modest. Take this Dallas to Helsinki business class award, for example; you'll pay just $141 out of pocket.<\/p>\n
Credit: Finnair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\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
Credit: Finnair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n By comparison, other programs, such as British Airways Club, charge the same number of Avios, but it\u2019s not uncommon to see exponentially higher surcharges on the exact same flights. While we always advertise shopping around to ensure you get the best rates, you're almost always better off booking these awards through Finnair.<\/p>\n
Credit: Tyler Glatt\/AwardWallet<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Fly American Airlines and Alaska Airlines on transcontinental U.S. routes<\/span><\/h3>\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 just 11,000 Avios in economy and 40,000 Avios in first class, 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 Mileage Plan don\u2019t have better pricing on a given day, booking through Finnair can be a great alternative \u2014 if you can find partner award space<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nOutside of transcontinental routes, Finnair\u2019s fixed-rate pricing can still offer solid value, but more so for economy awards on domestic flights. If you can\u2019t find better rates through AAdvantage or Mileage Plan, it\u2019s worth checking Finnair\u2019s chart before you book.<\/p>\n
However, the big caveat here is that these awards aren\u2019t available to book online. You\u2019ll need to call 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
Long-haul Cathay Pacific business class from the U.S. to Hong Kong<\/span><\/h3>\n
Finnair Plus also offers a solid partner sweet spot for long-haul travel to Asia: you can book Cathay Pacific business class from anywhere in North America for 85,000 Avios plus around $150 in taxes and fees.<\/p>\n
Credit: Finnair Plus<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n British Airways Club charges 108,250 Avios for the same flight \u2014 and that\u2019s before adding surcharges. 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
Credit: Finnair Plus<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n But for a flight that long, I think I'll stick to the reasonably priced awards for business class.<\/p>\n
Cathay Pacific Business Class Credit: Cathay Pacific<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Fly across Europe in Finnair business class on the cheap<\/span><\/h3>\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 for less than 20,000 Avios in business class, which makes it at least worth considering.<\/p>\n
On connecting itineraries \u2014 especially those 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 say no to a little extra space.<\/p>\n
Credit: Finnair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n But best of all, business class availability is excellent, and the premium over economy is minimal.<\/p>\n
How to Earn Finnair Avios<\/span><\/h2>\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
Fly Finnair and its partners<\/span><\/h3>\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 the fare price and your Finnair Plus status. Here's the current earning structure:<\/p>\n\n
- Premium Economy:<\/strong> 43,500 Avios<\/li>\n
- Transfer miles from Capital One<\/a><\/li>
- Fly American Airlines and Alaska Airlines on transcontinental U.S. routes<\/a><\/li>
- Take long-haul Finnair flights from Helsinki<\/a><\/li>
![\"Award](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Finnair-Award-Chart.png\")
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