Finnair Plus

What Finnair Plus is

The figures come from the program’s own pages. Finnair states amounts in euros, and we convert nothing into CHF. We give no value for an Avios in cents or rappen because we lack a basis for one.

Earning Finnair Plus Avios: how the frequent flyer program works

On Finnair’s own flights the amount you spend, in euros, is scaled by a multiplier that rises with your tier. At Basic the multiplier is 6, so you get 6 Avios and 6 tier points. Silver gets 7, Gold 8, Platinum 9 and Platinum Lumo 10. Nothing is credited for taxes, other fees, airport charges or service charges.

Partner flights within oneworld follow another logic. The cabin you sit in, the fare bucket you booked and how far you fly decide the credit. A ticket carrying an American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia code earns an uplift over the normal credit: 10% for Silver, 15% for Gold, and 25% for both Platinum and Platinum Lumo.

Avios can also come from outside flights. The country pages for Switzerland, Germany and Austria list hotel nights at partner hotels. Partner car rentals are listed as well, again on all three country pages. The Finnair Visa credit cards, which earn Avios and tier points, are available only in Finland. For readers in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, that route is closed. The program pages name no card for our three markets.

Redeeming Avios for award flights

Finnair award flights have fixed prices by route that do not depend on the travel date, and destinations are grouped into eight pricing zones. Prices are for one direction from or to Helsinki, and they double for round trips.

Two examples from the price table for Classic award flights: in the Central Europe zone, a flight costs 12,000 Avios in Economy and 18,000 Avios in Business per direction. In the Western and Southern Europe zone, it is 13,000 Avios in Economy and 20,000 Avios in Business. Booking through customer service adds 500 Avios per direction or 1,000 Avios for a round trip.

How award flights on partner airlines are priced is not documented here. We lack a statement that holds for all partners.

Avios do not settle the whole bill. Depending on the route you also pay a surcharge, taxes and passenger fees. In the Central Europe zone the surcharge is EUR 15 per direction, in Economy and in Business alike. Avios cannot be used for it. Airport taxes, passenger charges, service fees and similar levies are the member’s own cost.

Small fees also exist outside flights. A call to the Finnair Plus Service Center costs EUR 1.70 per answered call plus the local network charge. Avios transfers carry a service fee unless stated otherwise. The program page we used does not give the amount.

Avios expiry

The clock on Avios is 18 months, counted from the most recent time you earned or spent them. When that window passes with no activity, the remaining Avios are canceled automatically. Finnair owes members no separate warning before this happens. If you fly rarely, note the date of your last activity yourself.

The top tiers are an exception. During a Platinum membership, Avios do not expire, and the same holds for Platinum Lumo.

Reaching status: a frequent flyer program built on tier points

Status is earned with tier points that you collect within a tracking period. Each period runs for 12 months, then the balance returns to zero and the next period starts. Once you reach a tier, you keep it until the current period ends and for 12 further months.

The thresholds per period are 15,000 tier points for Silver, 45,000 for Gold and 80,000 for Platinum. Platinum Lumo asks for 300,000, and 250,000 of them must come from Finnair flights.

Shortly before a period closes, a gap can be filled by swapping Avios for tier points. Those Avios are then gone for award flights.

There are also two Lifetime tiers. Lifetime Gold takes 2,000,000 Lifetime tier points, Lifetime Platinum 3,300,000. A Lifetime tier is never downgraded. The tier page does not say which benefits come with them.

The tiers are tied to oneworld: Silver equals Ruby, and Gold equals Sapphire. Platinum and Platinum Lumo both equal Emerald.

Tier benefits

Basic mainly brings the base rate on Finnair flights. We could not confirm further benefits for this tier.

Silver

Silver takes 50% off the first checked bag of up to 23 kg if you buy it ahead. It also brings priority check-in on Finnair flights. Entry to the Finnair Lounges in Helsinki is sold at a reduced rate of EUR 30 or 4,800 Avios per person. Further purchase conditions for lounge entry are on the tier page. Seat reservations are half price, apart from Comfort seats and extra legroom seats. The tier page lists no upgrade benefits for Silver.

Gold

Gold opens the Finnair Business Lounges at Helsinki, on the Schengen and the non-Schengen side, on Finnair flights. One guest and children under 18 may come along if they fly with Finnair or another oneworld airline. One extra bag up to 23 kg is allowed, with further conditions on the tier page. Priority check-in is open as well. Four one-way upgrade benefits come on top. A seat can be reserved for yourself and companions on the same booking free of charge.

Platinum

Platinum adds the Finnair Platinum Wing and the Finnair Platinum Corner to the lounge use at Helsinki. One guest and children under 18 are included, as with Gold. The extra bag up to 23 kg and priority check-in are part of it as well. On upgrades, Platinum has 12 one-way benefits, well above the four of Gold. The free seat reservation also covers Comfort seats and seats with extra legroom.

Platinum Lumo

Platinum Lumo has access to the Finnair Lounges on Finnair flights. You can bring 4 guests and children under 18 if they fly with Finnair or another oneworld airline. The extra bag up to 23 kg and priority check-in stay. There are 24 one-way upgrade benefits and free seat reservation for yourself and companions on the same booking.

Lifetime Gold and Lifetime Platinum

For Lifetime Gold and Lifetime Platinum, the tier page lists neither its own benefits nor a oneworld equivalent. We state nothing on this.

Frequent flyer program for Switzerland, Germany and Austria: airports

In its price table for award flights from and to Helsinki, Finnair places Zurich (ZRH) in Zone 2 and Geneva (GVA) in Zone 3. For Germany, Berlin (BER), Düsseldorf (DUS), Frankfurt (FRA), Hamburg (HAM) and Munich (MUC) are in Zone 2. For Austria, Vienna (VIE), Innsbruck (INN) and Salzburg (SZG) are in Zone 2 as well.

Who Finnair Plus is not for

Miles & More alternatives and comparing frequent flyer programs

Which miles program is best depends on which airline you fly. Finnair Plus fits if you often travel via Helsinki and want spend to count rather than distance. For comparison, look at Miles & More, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. More programs are in the program archive.