How to Book the New Finnair Flight to Melbourne with Avios in 2026

Finnair has officially announced its first-ever service to Australia. Starting October 25, 2026, the airline will fly daily between Helsinki (HEL) and Melbourne (MEL). The flight includes a short stop in Bangkok (BKK).

This is a major win for travelers. Finnair is one of a small number of European airlines operating Australia service with its own aircraft. For those with Avios, this route offers a fresh way to reach the Southern Hemisphere using points instead of expensive cash fares.

Here is what you need to know about the new route and how to improve your chances of booking it with points.

Finnair Helsinki–Melbourne Route at a Glance (2026)

• Route: Helsinki (HEL) – Bangkok (BKK) – Melbourne (MEL)
• Start date: October 25, 2026
• Frequency: Daily
• Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
• Total travel time: ~24–26 hours (season-dependent, incl. stop in Bangkok)
• Operated by: Finnair (same aircraft on both segments)

1. The Route: Helsinki to Melbourne via Bangkok

The new service will operate every day using the Airbus A350-900. This is Finnair’s first scheduled service to Australia and one of the airline’s most ambitious long-haul launches in years. Because of current airspace restrictions, the flight avoids Russian and Ukrainian skies, making the journey to Bangkok slightly longer.

The Schedule:

• Helsinki to Melbourne: Flights depart Helsinki shortly after midnight. They stop in Bangkok in the afternoon and land in Melbourne the next morning.
• Melbourne to Helsinki: Flights depart Melbourne in the afternoon, stop in Bangkok in the evening, and arrive in Helsinki early the next morning.

This timing is designed to connect with Finnair’s morning flights across Europe. If you are starting in Northern Europe, you can often include your connection to Helsinki for no extra Avios. You can read more about these specific routing rules in our Finnair Plus Guide.

Flight Duration

The total travel time from Helsinki to Melbourne is approximately 24 to 26 hours, including the stop in Bangkok. The exact duration varies by season and prevailing winds.

2. Award Availability: What We Know (Updated)

As of early 2026, award seats on the new Finnair HEL–MEL route are now available on Finnair Plus, including the BKK–MEL segment. This section reflects real-world award availability observed in 2026 searches on Finnair Plus.

Availability is currently visible across many dates, but capped per flight:

• 2 seats in Economy
• 1 seat in Premium Economy
• 1 seat in Business Class

Cash fares on new long-haul routes like HEL–MEL are often expensive (especially in premium cabins), which is why redeeming Avios here can offer outsized value. This limited release pattern is typical for Finnair long-haul routes, especially during the early phase of a new destination launch.

You can also find award space when searching the route segment by segment, particularly BKK–MEL, which currently shows the same capped but reliable inventory.

A practical limitation still applies: award inventory is typically searchable about 330–365 days ahead depending on the airline and program. This means availability beyond late 2026 will only become visible gradually.

3. How to Move Avios to Finnair Plus

Since Finnair adopted Avios as its currency, booking is easier. You can transfer Avios at a 1:1 ratio between Finnair Plus, British Airways Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and Iberia Plus.

Why transfer?
Even though partner programs may show some availability, Finnair often releases the most consistent inventory to its own members. Moving your Avios to Finnair Plus can give you access to seats you may not see elsewhere.

How to transfer:

1. Link Accounts: Go to the Finnair website and link your Finnair Plus account to your British Airways Executive Club account.
2. Verify Details: Your name and birthdate must match exactly on both accounts.
3. Bridge the Gap: There is no direct link between Qatar or Iberia and Finnair. You must move points from Qatar/Iberia to British Airways first, then move them from British Airways to Finnair.
4. Transfer: Once linked, transfers are instant and free.

4. How to Find Seats with AwardFares

Now that award space exists, but is tightly capped per flight, alerts are less about if seats appear and more about catching them before someone else does.

For this route, a Live Alert is the right tool because you already know the exact route and date(s).

Step 1: Set a Live Alert

1. Log in to AwardFares.
2. Go to the Alerts tab.
3. Set the Origin to HEL (or BKK) and Destination to MEL.
4. Choose Finnair Plus (recommended for best availability).
5. Select your dates in late 2026.

AwardFares will email you the moment a seat becomes available.

Step 2: Use the Timeline View

If you have flexibility, the Timeline View makes it easy to spot patterns and clusters of availability across October and November 2026.

Step 3: Search Smart

Because this is technically a through service with a stop:

• Search HEL–MEL via BKK
• Also try HEL–BKK and BKK–MEL separately
• Be flexible with cabins if traveling as a pair

5. Is it Worth It? The Finnair Experience

Finnair uses a unique Business Class seat called the AirLounge. Instead of reclining, the seat is a wide, padded shell that converts into a flat bed using a mattress pad. It feels more like a sofa than a traditional airline seat.

Estimated Award Pricing

Based on Finnair’s current long-haul award chart, expected one-way pricing is:

Pricing may vary by segment and origin.

Final Thoughts

This route has quickly become one of the most interesting new long-haul Avios redemptions in the oneworld alliance. While award space is now available, the limited per-flight inventory means preparation matters.

• Step 1: Link your Avios accounts now
• Step 2: Set alerts for October–November 2026
• Step 3: Be ready to book the moment your alert fires