How to book Finnair’s new Melbourne-Helsinki flights with points

Finnair’s upcoming flights to Australia, between Melbourne and Helsinki via Bangkok, are one of the latest new routes that you can book with points. It’s a significant development for travellers heading to Europe, opening up a new one-stop pathway to dozens of destinations via Finnair’s Nordic hub.

The route is particularly appealing for Australians travelling to Northern and Eastern Europe, with short onward connections from Helsinki to cities such as Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin and beyond. As a oneworld airline, Finnair also makes its flights bookable with points through several frequent flyer programs commonly used in Australia.

Booking Finnair’s new flight with Qantas Points

Qantas Frequent Flyer members can redeem Qantas Points for Finnair flights as Classic Flight Rewards. These redemptions are priced using Qantas’ partner airline award table. You can book Finnair seats solely between Melbourne and Bangkok or between Bangkok and Helsinki, or all the way from Melbourne to Helsinki.

As you can see in the table, it’s far better value to fly straight through from Melbourne to Helsinki than booking two separate legs, both in points and taxes. Finnair doesn’t levy any carrier charges via Qantas, so your out-of-pocket cash cost can be under $100 despite flying all the way to Europe!

We found that the Qantas website often fails to display the full journey from Melbourne to Helsinki, even when there is availability on both flights. To get around this, consider using the multi-city booking tool, which lets you mix and match available flights from Melbourne to Bangkok and Bangkok to Helsinki.

Once you combine the sectors, the total price will show. As long as your transit in Bangkok is under 24 hours, you’ll still get the better ‘all the way through’ price.

Qantas American Express Ultimate

Find Out More & Apply

Read the guide

Sign-up Bonus:

Up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Points¹

Rewards Earn Rate:

1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Annual Fee:

$450 p.a.

Offer expires

5 May 2026

Earn 70,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus an additional 30,000 Qantas Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 5 May 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) This card includes an annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit, two Qantas lounge passes, complimentary international travel insurance, and Qantas Wine Premium Membership (valued at $99). Earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 on everyday spend, 2.25 on Qantas purchases, and 0.5 on government payments. The annual fee is $450.

Booking Finnair’s new flight with Asia Miles

Cathay’s Asia Miles is potentially a good program to book Finnair’s new Melbourne flights with. The Business Class rate from Melbourne to Helsinki is only 115,000 Asia Miles plus fees and taxes. That’s 10,000 fewer points than Finnair charges through its own program (more on that later).

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Asia Miles at a 3:1 rate.

Booking Finnair’s new flight with Avios

For many points-savvy travellers, Avios may offer even better value on Finnair’s new Melbourne route.

You can earn Avios in Australia by transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Qatar Airways or British Airways, then to Finnair. Alternatively, you can also buy Avios directly from Finnair, especially when it’s on sale.

Finnair uses a region-based Avios award chart. The Melbourne-Bangkok and Bangkok-Helsinki legs are priced the same, while flying all the way is simply the sum of the two individual legs. This means you can add a ‘free’ stopover in Bangkok if you prefer, as you’ll pay the same number of Avios either way – but you will pay more in combined fees.

Australian travellers can generate Avios by transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards to The British Airways Club at a 3:1 rate. From there, you can book directly with BA or transfer your Avios onward to Finnair Plus at a 1:1 rate.

Note that when you book through Finnair, additional carrier charges of €45 to €150 applies, per passenger and per flight. But if you book through British Airways, no carrier charges apply, and the Avios amount remains the same. It’s worth checking availability via British Airways first before looking at Finnair.

Summing up

Ultimately, the choice depends on your points balance and travel goals. Qantas Points may be the easier choice for those already invested in the Qantas ecosystem or booking complex itineraries, while Avios can unlock lower pricing and greater flexibility for travellers willing to move points from Amex or buy Avios directly from Finnair.

Interestingly, fees and charges are lower when booking through Qantas Frequent Flyer, as no additional carrier charges apply. The same goes for British Airways using Avios. However, those booking with Finnair Avios must pay additional surcharges of up to €150 (this is reflected in the quoted prices above).

Finnair guarantees a minimum of two Business Class, two Premium Economy, and four Economy reward seats per flight for its members, which could be another reason to consider Finnair Plus. That said, availability through Qantas Frequent Flyer and British Airways isn’t too bad either, especially when searching in advance.