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Finnair has launched a new sale which provides the opportunity to buy Avios for as low as 1.14 cents per point (cpp). Avios is the shared rewards currency of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair and Qatar, so this could be a good deal for folks that have a high-value redemption in mind with any of those programs.
Finnair airplane (image courtesy of Finnair)
The Deal
- Get up to a 50% bonus when buying Finnair Avios:
- Buy 5,000-19,000 Avios & get a 35% discount
- Buy 20,000-49,000 Avios & get a 40% discount
- Buy 50,000-74,000 Avios & get a 45% discount
- Buy 75,000-200,000 Avios & get a 50% discount
Key Terms
- Expires November 20, 2024
- Points will be added to your account 1–3 days after the purchase.
Quick Thoughts
The best rate here is when buying 75,000-200,000 Avios, as it means you’re buying them for 1.14cpp. Since Avios allows you to get Transatlantic business class for as low as 34K each way (off-peak with Iberia), this sale could theoretically give you the opportunity to buy a ticket for less than $800 roundtrip…which would be a great deal.
Remember that Capital One is currently offering a 20% bonus for transfers to Avios and we’ll no doubt see regular bonuses from other transferable currencies to in the future. That might be a better option if you have points stashes and don’t need the Avios right away.
As with most airline and hotel loyalty programs, Points.com processes payment for these points purchases. Unfortunately, that means it won’t code as a travel purchase, but you should be able to earn a little bit of extra cashback by clicking through from a shopping portal – here are the current rates. Note that transactions are charged in Euros, so it’d be best to pay for a purchase with a card that charges no foreign transaction fees.
Best Uses for Avios
- Business class to Europe from 34K one-way via Iberia. This is probably my favorite Avios redemption and have one booked this year already. Iberia charges as few as 34K miles off-peak for one-way in business class on its own flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC to Madrid during off-peak season. The fuel surcharges are quite reasonable and they also run seasonal promotions (usually during the Winter) where the prices drop down even further.
- Business class South America from 22K one-way via British Airways. I've used this once and availability can be tricky to find. But when you can find it, BA has excellent pricing for shorter distance non-stop American Airlines award flights.
- Long Haul Business Class on Qatar Airways. After Qatar's addition to Avios, BA lowered many of their award prices on Qatar. It's now possible to travel between the United States and Doha in business for only 70,000 Avios with minimal surcharges.
Things to Know
- Avios Purchases are processed by Points.com and DO NOT count as airfare.
- Avios can be easily transferred between Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar and British Airways
- Avios expire after 36 months of no activity
- British Airways has near-extortionate fuel surcharges when flying on BA metal. It's best to keep Avios for use with partners or the Iberia Plus
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