Finnair has a separate award chart for each partner airline. You can mix one partner airline with a Finnair-operated flight on an Avios award ticket. However, you cannot book that award-type ticket online; you must contact Finnair to do so. Moreover, getting a competent Finnair agent to do this is another challenge.
Mixing Finnair and a Partner Airline Rule
First, you must understand that to book an award ticket that has a Finnair flight plus a partner airline, there are two requirements:
- The partner airline must have the saver award availability for Finnair to book.
- You can include only one partner airline.
Furthermore, the Avios amount will be based on Finnair’s award chart for partner airlines, not the Finnair award chart.
How To Mix Finnair and a Partner Airline Using Avios?
Currently, it is not possible to book a ticket with Finnair and a partner airline using Avios online. You must contact Finnair to do so. Another tricky part of booking such an award ticket is being patient and persistent with the agent because not all agents know how to process such requests.
The rule of thumb is “Don’t take no for an answer.” Some agents may immediately tell you that it is impossible before doing any research on their end. In that case, keep pushing it as long as your award ticket and routing are valid and meet the rules, as previously mentioned.
While trying to convince the agent to do it correctly can be frustrating and time-consuming, in my experience, Finnair agents are actually willing to help and stay online with you, especially when using the chat feature.
- First, chat in and wait for a live agent to get online.
- Provide the agent with the flight itinerary that you want to book.
- It also helps to give them the flight number/time that you have in mind. In one instance, the agent told me there was no availability, but when he searched by the flight time, he saw the availability. So keep that in mind.
- The agent needs to book the flights by segment based on the airline. For example, if the flight is HEL-DFW on Finnair, then add the segment DFW to SEA on American Airlines.
- The Avios amount is based on the Finnair’s partner airline award chart, not the Finnair award chart.
- Please have the Avios ready. If you transfer Avios from British Airlines, you must link the accounts first, and the transfer time is instant.
Mixing Finnair and a Partner Airline Change and Cancellation Policy
The change and cancellation policy for mixing a Finnair flight and a partner flight award is the same as the policy you were to book a Finnair flight award alone.
If the change is made after tickets have already been issued, a change fee of €50 per ticket or the equivalent sum in another currency will be charged. In addition, the taxes and passenger fees incurred due to the change will be charged in full.
After departure, a Finnair Plus award flight ticket may be changed at the latest one day before the original return flight with a change fee of €50.
If the flight is cancelled over 24 hours before departure, points will be returned to the member’s account. Paid taxes, other passenger fees and expired points will not be returned. Partly unused flight tickets will not be refunded.
Reference: Finnair Conditions for Avios Booking
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