Avios Transfers Between The British Airways Executive Club And Finnair Plus Go Live (2024)

Avios is now the shared currency of a number of oneworld loyalty programs. Finnair Plus - the loyalty program of Finnair - adopted Avios earlier in 2024. From then, all flights with Finnair and other partners earned Avios, and Avios could be spent on flight awards. Transfers between Finnair and other programs followed later - with transfers to and from British Airways Executive Club going live on May 22nd. This opens up benefits of the shared currency to members of several programs.

Avios transfers to or from Finnair

Finnair revamped its loyalty program and switched to Avios as a currency in March 2024. It joined other airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways, in using Avios. However, the important functionality of transferring Avios between Finnair Plus and other programs was not made available at the time.

Photo:Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock

This is now available, with Avios transfers between Finnair Plus and British Airways Executive Club going live on May 22nd. Avios exchange in both directions is at a simple 1:1 ratio, with no fees or loss of Avios.

This is the only transfer option, but from British Airways Executive Club Avios can then be transferred on to other programs. This may seem cumbersome, but it is possible at no loss with all transfers at 1:1.

Pekka Antila, Finnair Head of Loyalty, explained the new transfer options, saying:

“As we continue on our journey into a new era with Finnair Plus, we are excited to be joining forces with our friends at British Airways…

This move has been a long-time coming, and we know it will prove popular with customers in the UK, Finland, and across the world, who choose to fly with both Finnair and British Airways.”

Linking accounts and making transfers

To make Avios transfers, you need to be a member of both Finnair Plus and British Airways Executive Club. In the members areas of either program's webpage, you can link or combine accounts. It is important that the name matches exactly on both accounts and that two-factor authentication has been activated.

The benefits of transferring Avios

Shared Avios between programs is a major advantage with oneworld. It opens up the earning and spending options of all Avios-using programs to each other. Status earning, of course, will stay based on the initial earning program.

Photo:Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock

Following this update, Finnair Plus members can now take advantage of any additional earning and spending options. Just a few of these include:

• Distance-based earning with other programs. British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair now all award Avios based on the ticket price for their own flights. Crediting these to other programs will be awarded based on distance, which can be more lucrative for lower-priced tickets.
• The ability to use redemption charts and "sweet spots" of any of the programs.
• Additional earning options from other programs through shopping portals.

Read more about the perks and benefits of British Airways Executive Club

Likewise, members of other programs can transfer Avios into Finnair Plus, with new usage options including:

• Many additional options to earn or spend on Norway and Scandinavia-based hotels.
• Potential lower charges on certain awards, including Finnair-operated flights. Even if the Avios rates are the same, there can be big difference in taxes and charges between programs.

Will more transfer partners follow?

For now, the only option for transfer to or from Finnair Plus is with British Airways Executive Club. Once in Executive Club, Avios can then be transferred to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, and Aer Lingus AerClub. For now, it seems likely that Finnair will stick with just this one transfer option.

Simple Flying spoke to Thomas Vadakedath, SVP Loyalty at Qatar Airways, about this. He explained:

"[For] Finnair, I would say, is a bit premature. Iberia would be on a shorter timescale... The discussions with Finnair are just being initiated because they officially adopted the currency only a couple of months back."

Do you use Finnair Plus, or any of the other Avios-based loyalty programs? Do you find the ability to transfer Avios useful? How do you see yourself using it? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.