Finnair Is Selling Avios at 1.45 Cents Until October 5. Here Is When That Is Worth Paying.
Finnair Plus is selling Avios with a bonus of up to 50% through October 5, 2026. That prices Avios at roughly 1.45 cents each in U.S. dollars, and closer to 1.41 cents if you pay in Japanese yen. The sale is open only to members who joined before September 18, 2026 and hold at least 50 Avios.
The short version
The sale runs from September 21 to October 5, 2026, closing at 23:59:59 UTC+3.
The top bonus is 50%, pricing Avios near 1.45 cents each in USD.
Paying in Japanese yen drops the price to about 1.41 cents per Avios.
You must have joined Finnair Plus before September 18, 2026 and hold a minimum of 50 Avios.
The annual purchase cap is 200,000 Avios, and bonus Avios do not count toward it.
Why buy Avios through Finnair rather than British Airways?
Avios is a shared currency. British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair and Qatar Airways all use it, and you can move Avios between those programs at 1:1 through the Avios.com hub. Buying from whichever program is running the best sale is the whole trick.
Finnair Plus sells Avios at a lower baseline than British Airways does, and a 50% bonus on a lower base beats a bigger-sounding bonus on a higher one. Once the Avios land in your Finnair account, you can move them to British Airways or Iberia and book from there.
Finnair states the combined limit plainly on its buy and transfer Avios page: a member can buy or receive a maximum of 200,000 Avios per calendar year, and bonus Avios from this campaign sit outside that cap.
Is 1.45 cents a good price for Avios?
Avios are worth roughly 1.3 to 1.5 cents each for most redemptions, which puts a 1.45-cent purchase price right at the line. Buying speculatively at that number makes no sense. Buying against a specific booking can.
The math that works looks like this. Find an award you want. Price it in cash and in Avios. If the cash fare divided by the Avios required lands meaningfully above 1.45 cents, buying the shortfall saves money. If it lands below, pay cash and keep your money.
Iberia short-haul awards and Aer Lingus transatlantic economy tend to clear the bar. British Airways longhaul business class often does not, because the surcharges eat the gain. We laid out the full framework in our guide to what points and miles are worth in 2026.
Who is locked out of this Finnair sale?
Finnair Plus restricted this promotion to members who joined the program before September 18, 2026. Signing up today does not qualify you. You also need a balance of at least 50 Avios in the account, which rules out brand-new empty accounts even for older members.
That is a deliberate anti-abuse rule, and it is the single most common reason people find the offer page and then cannot complete a purchase. Check your join date before you plan around this. If you are locked out this round, join now anyway. The same restriction on the next sale will work in your favor.
Should you buy Avios or transfer points instead?
Several U.S. cards transfer to Avios at 1:1, including the Chase British Airways card family and American Express Membership Rewards. If you hold transferable points, moving them costs nothing and is almost always the better move.
Buying makes sense in exactly one situation: you are short of a specific award and you have no transferable points to close the gap. Topping up 12,000 Avios to reach a booking is a reasonable $174. Buying 100,000 Avios because the price looks fine is how people end up with a balance they never spend.
Amex has also run 30% transfer bonuses to Avios partners in the past year, which effectively prices Membership Rewards points below this sale. If a transfer bonus is live, use it first. Our beginner guide to transfer bonuses covers how to tell a real one from a distraction.
What this means for you
Do not buy without a booking in mind. At 1.45 cents, this sale has no margin for a change of plan.
Do check your Finnair Plus join date first, since the September 18 cutoff decides the whole question. And run the cash comparison on the exact flight before you spend anything. Five minutes of arithmetic is the difference between a deal and a purchase you regret.
FAQ
When does the Finnair Avios sale end?
The Finnair Plus buy Avios promotion runs through October 5, 2026, closing at 23:59:59 UTC+3. Purchases must complete inside that window to earn the bonus.
How much do Avios cost in this Finnair sale?
With the full 50% bonus, Finnair Plus Avios come to roughly 1.45 cents each when paying in U.S. dollars, and about 1.41 cents when paying in Japanese yen.
Who is eligible for the Finnair Plus Avios bonus?
Finnair Plus limits the promotion to members who joined the program before September 18, 2026 and who hold a minimum balance of 50 Avios in their account.
Can I transfer Finnair Avios to British Airways?
Yes. Avios move at 1:1 between Finnair Plus, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar Airways through the Avios.com combine function, so you can buy from Finnair and redeem elsewhere.
How many Avios can I buy in a year?
Finnair caps purchased and gifted Avios at 200,000 per calendar year per member. Bonus Avios awarded through this campaign are excluded from that limit.
Is buying Avios ever a good idea?
Buying Avios works when you are short of a specific award and the cash fare prices above 1.45 cents per Avios. Speculative buying at this price leaves no margin.
The Bottom Line
This is a fair price, not a great one. Finnair has sold Avios cheaper, and it will again. Buy the gap on a booking you have already found, and leave the rest.
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