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Finnair to adopt Avios as its loyalty currency and switch to revenue-based earning

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Finnair will adopt Avios as its Finnair Plus loyalty currency next year, replacing the existing Finnair Plus points.

Avios is the same loyalty currency used by British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Qatar Airways (which joined the program last year).

While an official date for the program update has yet to be revealed, Finnair said they expect to make the move in “early 2024.”

Finnair operates from a handful of Oneworld hubs in the United States, including New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to its Nordic hub at Helsinki Airport (HEL) and onwards to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Once Avios has been fully adopted by the airline, Finnair Plus award points will be converted to Avios with a 3:2 ratio. Avios prices will be updated with the same 3:2 ratio, and the value of current Finnair Plus points will not change.

As with the other programs that use Avios, Finnair Avios can be transferred to any other Avios program at a rate of 1:1, making this valuable currency valuable easy to use.

Following the changeover, a current Finnair Plus points haul of 120,000, for example, would now be worth 80,000 Avios. TPG currently values Avios at 1.5 cents each.

Related: A review of Finnair’s new business class on the A350-900 from Helsinki to Singapore

CEO of IAG Loyalty, Adam Daniels, said: “Finnair’s adoption of Avios is a recognition of the global significance of the currency and the incredible value it has for members worldwide.

“We are excited to play a central role in Finnair’s new era for their loyalty program and for their members.”

Finnair isn’t just changing its loyalty currency; the overhaul will also see the Finnair Plus program shift to a revenue-based earning platform.

This means Finnair will award Avios and elite status based on the amount spent rather than distance flown — echoing similar moves from both British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus.

Many Finnair frequent flyers may not welcome this spend-based shift, but overall, the Avios adoption will hopefully open up much better redemption opportunities across partner airlines.

Related: When to use Avios with Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Iberia and British Airways

Coinciding with the overhaul, Finnair will also increase the number of award seats available on flights, guaranteeing at least four award seats on flights within Europe. Finnair’s long-haul flights will see at least eight award seats — good news for those looking for more redemption opportunities.

Finnair Plus members will now receive complimentary internet access on short-haul European flights. (Finnair)

In addition, Finnair Plus members will be eligible to receive extra rewards, such as upgrade benefits, upon reaching specific point limits, depending on their elite status. However, the details from Finnair here are vague, and exactly how this will look is unclear.

Finally, Finnair Plus members will now receive complimentary internet access for messaging on short-haul European flights operated by the airline’s narrow-body Airbus fleet. This perk will be available regardless of elite status.

Further down the line, in 2024, the airline will create a new Finnair lounge premise with a dedicated space for top-tier members on the Schengen side of Helsinki Airport. The current Schengen lounge will remain in operation until the new lounge opens.

Commenting on the changes, Ole Orvér, Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “2024 marks the start of a new era with our loyalty program, with new benefits and improved options for our members to use their earned Avios — both within Finnair and IAG Loyalty’s partner network.

The Finnair Plus loyalty program currently has over four million members worldwide. Further information regarding the exact date of the changes is expected to be shared by Finnair later this year.

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