Finnair launches Chicago – a new Avios redemption option – and buys more A350’s

Finnair, a fellow oneworld alliance member alongside British Airways, has announced a new Summer service to Chicago.

Flights will operate from 13th June to 17th October 2015.

Services will operate three days per week (Monday, Thursday, Saturday in both directions) using an Airbus A330.

As well as being a tourist destination in its own right, Chicago is a major American Airlines hub which will allow for a wide range of connections.  As a trade-off for launching this route, Summer services to Hanoi are being dropped.

If you are struggling to find Avios reward seats with British Airways or American Airlines to Chicago next year, this opens up a new option.

Flying to Finland is a bit of a detour, of course!  On the other hand, Helsinki is a lovely city to visit in the Summer months and you could create an interesting two-city holiday with a couple of days in Finland first.  Talinn in Estonia is also easily accessible via ferry.

More Airbus A350’s on the way too

Finnair has also confirmed in recent days that it is extending its order for Airbus A350 aircraft.  The very first Airbus A350 is due to be delivered to Qatar Airways any day now although the timetable has slipped slightly.

Finnair is the European launch customer with 11 aircraft on order, the first of which is due next Autumn.  The additional order will increase the fleet to 19 and allow it to run a consistent – and new – long-haul fleet.

---

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.