Finnair's New Melbourne Route: 62,500 Avios for Business Class to Australia

In what could be one of the most significant Avios pricing errors we've seen, Finnair has announced its first Australian route – and appears to have priced it in the same zone as Bangkok. Yes, you read that correctly. Business class to Melbourne for the same 62,500 Avios as a flight that's nine hours shorter. Link here.

The new daily service from Helsinki to Melbourne via Bangkok launches on 26th October 2026, making Finnair only the second European airline (and first Western European carrier) to serve Melbourne after Turkish Airlines. But the real headline here isn't the new route – it's the apparent pricing mistake that could save you tens of thousands of Avios.

Finnair uses a zone-based award chart for its own flights. Currently, Bangkok sits in Zone 6, which prices at 62,500 Avios for business class, 43,500 for premium economy, and 30,000 for economy (one-way from Helsinki).

Here's where it gets interesting: Melbourne flights are currently showing in the same Zone 6 pricing. That means despite the additional nine-hour flight from Bangkok to Melbourne, you're paying the same number of Avios. As Head for Points aptly put it, this is "slightly bonkers."

For context, British Airways charges around 170,000+ Avios for peak business class to Sydney on its own metal. Even at off-peak rates, you're looking at significantly more than what Finnair is currently asking for Melbourne.

One-way from Helsinki to Melbourne in Zone 6 pricing:

Add a connecting flight from London to Helsinki (Zone 2) and you're looking at roughly 75,000 Avios total for business class from London to Melbourne. That's genuinely exceptional value if it sticks.

The new service operates daily on Finnair's flagship A350 aircraft:

Outbound (AY145): Helsinki departs 00:10, arriving Bangkok 16:30, then continuing to Melbourne arriving 07:15 the following day.

Return (AY146): Melbourne departs 15:40, arriving Bangkok 20:50, then continuing to Helsinki arriving 06:05 the following day.

The routing via Bangkok is actually quite clever – it revives the historic 'kangaroo route' that British Airways and Qantas used until 2012 before consolidating operations through Singapore. For UK travellers, Finnair offers four daily connections from London Heathrow to Helsinki, making this a viable option for Australia-bound trips.

Finnair's A350 business class features their unique AirLounge seat – a non-reclining, cocooning design that sounds counterintuitive but has received strong reviews. The lack of moving parts means you get a genuinely flat sleeping surface, and many find it surprisingly comfortable for long-haul travel. It's worth checking out our Flight Seatmap tool to see the configuration and live availability.

The aircraft also offers 24 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration – a step up from economy with extra legroom and upgraded service.

You have two main options:

If you need to top up your Avios balance, check out our Avios Balance Boost Calculator to find the best value option between buying from BA, Qatar, or Finnair directly.

One advantage of booking Finnair awards is their guaranteed minimum availability. On long-haul flights, Finnair guarantees at least 4 economy seats, 2 premium economy seats, and 2 business class seats per flight. This makes planning ahead much more reliable than trying to find BA award space to Australia.

With plenty of daily London Heathrow to Helsinki flights, timing your connection shouldn't be difficult. One of these services operates with the A350, meaning you get a lie-flat business class seat even on the short-haul segment – a nice bonus for starting your journey to Australia.

If you're flying from other UK airports, use our Award Travel Finder to search for positioning options.

This feels like a genuine pricing oversight rather than intentional positioning. Finnair is a well-run airline, but loading a brand new destination into their award system is exactly when these errors occur. The question isn't whether it's a mistake – it almost certainly is – but whether they'll honour bookings made at this price.

My suggestion? If you have Australia travel plans for late 2026, I'd seriously consider booking now while this pricing exists. At worst, you'll get refunded if they cancel mispriced bookings. At best, you've locked in one of the best Avios redemptions to Australia we've ever seen.

For comparison, a return business class redemption at current (likely error) pricing would cost around 125,000 Avios plus approximately £180 in taxes from Helsinki. Add the London-Helsinki legs and you're looking at roughly 150,000 Avios return for business class to Australia. That's genuinely remarkable value.

Finding award space to Australia has always been challenging – as anyone who's tried to book BA to Sydney in peak season will confirm. This Finnair route opens up a genuine alternative, and if the pricing sticks (or is honoured for early bookers), it could become one of the best Avios sweet spots available.

Have you spotted any availability for Melbourne? I'd love to hear your booking experiences – drop me a line on Instagram.

Safe travels,

Jack