If you’ve ever wanted to redeem points and miles to fly with Finnair, there’s never been a better time.
Following the example of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, Finnair now guarantees that a minimum number of award seats will be available for bookings with Finnair Plus points or partner points, such as American Airlines AAdvantage miles or British Airways Avios.
Finnair guarantees a minimum number of award seats for flights
According to Finnair’s website, the airline will offer at least eight award seats on long-haul flights between Europe and Asia, North America and Dubai. Finnair offers the following award seats on these long-haul flights:
- Two business class seats
- Two seats in premium economy
- Four seats in economy
On short-haul flights within Europe – when there is no premium economy cabin – four economy and two business class seats are the new minimum guarantee. If you want to book Finnair with points, the increased number of award seats are currently available for booking on flights departing on or after February 1, 2024.
Also keep in mind that award seats will not always be available on every flight. This change in 2024 will exclude flights where Finnair partners have reserved the majority of seats, flights to and from Doha, Qatar, and flights that do not depart or arrive at Helsinki Airport (HEL).
Related: Long distances without sitting back: a review of Finnair’s new business class on the A350-900 from Helsinki to Singapore
While transatlantic award availability with Finnair has never been as easy as with Oneworld partner British Airways (with its frustrating surcharges), you’ll find there’s a lot more award space with Finnair than before, especially if you want 11 to 12 months books. in advance when award seats may still be available.
Previously, the airline did not provide minimum guarantees, making it more difficult to find award seats if you wanted to book Finnair with points.
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Finnair flies to Helsinki Airport from the following US airports:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Related: Comparing the Finnair premium economy flight experience on the A330 versus the A350
Finnair’s excellent hub in Helsinki connects you to a range of European destinations including Scandinavia, the UK, Spain, France and Asia.
American Airlines charges the following AAdvantage miles per person for Finnair-operated services from the US to anywhere in Europe:
- 30,000 miles one way in economy
- 40,000 miles one way in premium economy
- 57,500 miles one way in Business Class
Depending on the distance, British Airways charges the following Avios per person for transatlantic flights with Finnair:
- 25,750 to 31,000 Avios each way in economy
- 62,000 to 77,250 Avios each way in premium economy
- 92,750 to 103,000 Avios each way in business class
British Airways is also imposing huge surcharges on Finnair refunds from the US
So if you have transferable points and want to sit in a premium cabin, using AAdvantage miles to book Finnair flights is a better deal.
Finnair Plus will adopt Avios as its points-earning currency by the end of January 2024.