Finnair Plus - It sucks moving from BA Executive Club to Finnair Plus

I know most of you other regulars are moving from Finnair Plus to BA Executive Club, but I decided to go exactly the other way.

After having BA Gold for years and years, I decided I want to get Finnair Platinum. Which I've never had. I've typically first collected by BA and SAS Gold cards, then collected the overflow points to AY which typically got me a Gold. But never platinum.

So since my year renewed in February, I've been crediting to AY, trying to reach the 150,000 limit for Platinum. I'll be able to do it, but I'm only now realising just how little points Finnair Plus gives you for premium cabins on partner One World airlines.

For example: I did HEL-SIN-HEL with Finnair in J with an AY ticket. Got 42670 Finnair Plus points out of it. Not bad. Then a month later, I did HEL-SYD-HEL with Finnair and Qantas in J, with a QF ticket. This trip in included the very same HEL-SIN-HEL legs on a Finnair plane. But since it was a QF ticket, the whole trip rewarded me with 38880 Finnair Plus points.

Not happy.

I'll probably collect my Finnair Platinum this one time and go back to BA.

Yeah, that was a big :td: when they revamped their earning table on OW partners last (?) year.

Flying AY coded C class as AY Gold is still a good deal (225%) but anything else just sucks (125%)

Exactly why I moved over to BA after being long time Plat with AY..Sorry to hear you had to learn this the hard way..

On the other hand, had you done the HEL-SYD-HEL on a AY ticket and used the AY metal + codeshare on SIN-SYD (AY5003 on QF006) it would have netted you close to 72000 points as a gold (close to 78000 as a plat). ie you would earn almost gold status in one trip.

It is rather like this that AY has really good earnings in C on own metal and codeshares. BA does not come close to earnings like this, right?

I've done one Cathay First return trip from Europe to Asia and one British Airways Club World return trip from Helsinki to San Francisco plus several european trips with Finnair with economy ticket this year. This will only secure me to the Silver level with Finnair. Earnings from other oneworld airlines are indeed miserable:td: I have not even counted what would I have earned with BA card this year.

The problem is that as I travel for leisure, I never seem to know what airlines I'll be using next year. That's why I have stucked with Finnair. Plus I want be able to use the european upgrade with points option.

On the other hand, had you done the HEL-SYD-HEL on a AY ticket and used the AY metal + codeshare on SIN-SYD (AY5003 on QF006) it would have netted you close to 72000 points as a gold (close to 78000 as a plat). ie you would earn almost gold status in one trip.

It is rather like this that AY has really good earnings in C on own metal and codeshares. BA does not come close to earnings like this, right?

LHR-SYD-LHR as BA Gold on BA flight# is 52816 Avios and 480 TP.
LHR-SIN-SYD-SIN-LHR (to closely match the example) is 47388 Avios and 600 TP if SIN-SYD is flown on QF. If on BA flight number, it's 53296 Avios and the same 600TP

I'd value 53k Avios higher than 78k AY+

I'd value 53k Avios higher than 78k AY+


+1 - and by a mile!

I did some really thorough calculations before jumping the AY ship and nothing has changed since (only for the worse for AY, if something).

The key is that even tough AY can take you to most of Europe and Asia BA can take you almost anywhere in the world.

BA also has got 100% bonus from AA flights today (+IB which I don't really need..) which significantly adds to flights from which you get the status bonus.

Like I have said many, many times AY Plus/Minus is only good/best FFP today for people who fly mostly/only with AY and in J (with AY ticket). For Finnish/Europe based people who travel in J Europe<->Asia AY works but throw in Africa, South/North America etc. and AY just cannot come even close as a Oneworld FFP.

LHR-SYD-LHR as BA Gold on BA flight# is 52816 Avios and 480 TP.
LHR-SIN-SYD-SIN-LHR (to closely match the example) is 47388 Avios and 600 TP if SIN-SYD is flown on QF. If on BA flight number, it's 53296 Avios and the same 600TP

I'd value 53k Avios higher than 78k AY+

OK, BA gold tier bonus kicks in pretty nicely with the award-miles, I'll admit that! ^ Once you are BA gold, the tier bonus equals out the measly 1,2 COS-multiplier for J tix on BA.
And 53k avios is better value than 78k AYpoints. As long as we are talking award points that is, since BA does not apply tier bonuses to TPs. For tier chasing, you will need 3 r/t on BA on this itin for a renewal of gold, while AY plat is reached after 2 r/t.

My point is that AY is one of the few that awards 200% on J-tix (and actually 250% if you are plat). Most other programs award 125% (120-150%) on J-tix, so it is a bit unfair to expect AY+ to earn 200% on a QF flight, when even a QF-member don't earn more than 150% on that flight.

My point is that AY is one of the few that awards 200% on J-tix (and actually 250% if you are plat). Most other programs award 125% (120-150%) on J-tix, so it is a bit unfair to expect AY+ to earn 200% on a QF flight, when even a QF-member don't earn more than 150% on that flight.

I think there is an agreement here - for people flying mainly on (l/h) AY in C, AY+ is a rather good option.

But - were it not for BAEC, I would still put all my longhauls and most of my shorthauls to SKEB or M&M on *A metal. This year, with BAEC Gold within reach, I actually fly AY :) Last year I had no problems flying e.g HEL-ZRH-GVA-BUD-MUC-WAW-HEL just to squeeze those last miles to SEN, this year I just fly AY direct.

I think there is an agreement here -
...


Oh yeah, there is. I was merely commenting on OP. While I feel his pain, it is pretty standard around OW to credit 125% for J, even on own metal.


But - were it not for BAEC, I would still put all my longhauls and most of my shorthauls to SKEB or M&M on *A metal. This year, with BAEC Gold within reach, I actually fly AY :) Last year I had no problems flying e.g HEL-ZRH-GVA-BUD-MUC-WAW-HEL just to squeeze those last miles to SEN, this year I just fly AY direct.

Hehe, that is a nice zig-zag pattern! M&M certainly have some difficult thresholds...

A word of caution though... when the redemption time comes, Avios may prove less than useful. There simply is no availability for any of the flights you would need. Upgrading is the safest bet and possible only if the original flight was booked from badotcom.

A word of caution though... when the redemption time comes, Avios may prove less than useful. There simply is no availability for any of the flights you would need. Upgrading is the safest bet and possible only if the original flight was booked from badotcom.

This is very true but naturally you can use Avios for all OW flights, not only BA, and then the availability let's say for a Finnair flight is exactly the same as through AY Plus.

This is very true but naturally you can use Avios for all OW flights, not only BA, and then the availability let's say for a Finnair flight is exactly the same as through AY Plus.

I thought there was a difference for BA Gold card holders since their redemptions book into a different booking class than the regular card holders. I've certainly had no problem with redemptions HEL-LHR.

For me (a brit living in Finland) BAEC is fantastic. 15k miles for a return ticket to London and only 27e to pay in fees. And I can cancel/change the ticket free of charge after booking.

The main downside is that when flying on corporate (travel agency) tickets you cannot use avios for upgrades - which is a shame.

I thought there was a difference for BA Gold card holders since their redemptions book into a different booking class than the regular card holders. I've certainly had no problem with redemptions HEL-LHR.

For me (a brit living in Finland) BAEC is fantastic. 15k miles for a return ticket to London and only 27e to pay in fees. And I can cancel/change the ticket free of charge after booking.

The main downside is that when flying on corporate (travel agency) tickets you cannot use avios for upgrades - which is a shame.

I think BAEC redemptions are tight in the more popular l/h routes in premium cabins - think LON->NYC/LAX/SIN/BKK/HKG etc. European shorthaul (especially ex-HEL) should be easy.

And yes, HEL-LHR is cheap on AVIOS (and expensive on AY+) and easier to earn. 27£ vs 144€ in cash and 15k Avios vs 45k AY+

My latest HND-LHR-HEL bagged me over 18k Avios one way, more than enough for a redemtpion to LHR. On AY+ NRT-HEL one way would have been max 20k, half a redemption only.

I thought there was a difference for BA Gold card holders since their redemptions book into a different booking class than the regular card holders. I've certainly had no problem with redemptions HEL-LHR.


Yes, AFAIK BA do release/offer additional (coach) award seats for Golds.

Yes, AFAIK BA do release/offer additional (coach) award seats for Golds.

Indeed they do but there seems no rhyme or reason as to how it is applied.

GGL (3000 TP+ over 2 years or 5000 TP over 1) can also play a "Joker" releasing up to 5 seats per flight, 2 Jokers per annum.

Indeed they do but there seems no rhyme or reason as to how it is applied.

GGL (3000 TP+ over 2 years or 5000 TP over 1) can also play a "Joker" releasing up to 5 seats per flight, 2 Jokers per annum.

The Joker can be used for any class, correct?

The standard Gold benefit is more like a Joke..who would like to redeem for coach in the first place...beyond my understading..with fuel surcharges etc. is extremely poor usage of Avios..

The Joker can be used for any class, correct?

The standard Gold benefit is more like a Joke..who would like to redeem for coach in the first place...beyond my understading..with fuel surcharges etc. is extremely poor usage of Avios..

Correct, there is also a benefit called GUF2 (gold upgrade for 2) for hitting 2500 and 3500 TP's in a year that you can play at the same time.

The accepted wisdom is that the best use of Avios is to use for upgrading, it can depend I suppose how miles rich / cash poor someone is.