The skies have become a little more connected for frequent flyers as Finnair and Alaska Airlines announced a partnership designed to reward their loyal customers. This strategic alliance allows members of both Finnair Plus and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to earn and redeem miles across both networks, significantly expanding travel possibilities and benefits. As Finnair broadens its reach with new routes, particularly from San Francisco, this collaboration marks a significant enhancement to the travel experience for passengers in North America and Europe.
Finnair and Alaska Airlines Partnership Benefits Frequent Flyers
“We are delighted to join forces with Finnair, a highly respected European carrier,” stated Andrew Harrison, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Alaska Airlines. “This partnership is perfectly timed with Finnair’s expansion of its West Coast service from our San Francisco hub to Helsinki, commencing June 1st. Our Mileage Plan members now gain access to Finnair’s extensive European network, encompassing over 60 destinations reachable from San Francisco, Chicago, and New York’s JFK.”
This announcement arrives on the heels of Alaska Airlines’ own robust expansion in San Francisco. With the integration of Virgin America, Alaska Airlines now operates a substantial 83 daily departures from San Francisco to 35 destinations, solidifying its presence in this key West Coast hub.
Effective immediately, Alaska Mileage Plan members can start accumulating miles on Finnair flights. The ability to redeem miles for Finnair flights will be available later in the year. Finnair Plus members can also begin earning and redeeming points on Alaska Airlines flights from today, creating reciprocal benefits for travelers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair, commented, “This new frequent flyer partnership with Alaska Airlines is an exciting development. It offers our customers travelling to and from the U.S. significantly enhanced value through the combined network strengths of both airlines.”
Finnair, renowned for its contemporary Nordic service, acts as a vital bridge between Asia and Europe, connecting 18 Asian and 7 North American cities to over 60 European destinations via its Helsinki hub. The airline utilizes Airbus A330-300 aircraft on its routes to and from the U.S., ensuring a comfortable and modern flying experience.
About Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines, along with Virgin America and its regional partners, carries approximately 40 million passengers annually to 119 destinations. The airline averages 1,200 daily flights across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Through Alaska and its Alaska Global Partners, passengers can earn and redeem miles on flights to over 900 destinations globally. For ten consecutive years (2008-2017), Alaska Airlines has been recognized by J.D. Power as “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America“. Furthermore, Alaska Mileage Plan was awarded “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs” in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the preceding three years. Further details about Alaska’s award-winning service and reliability can be found at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, and Horizon Air are all subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
About Finnair: Finnair facilitates travel between Asia, Europe, and North America, emphasizing efficient connections through Helsinki and transporting over ten million passengers each year. In 2017, Finnair’s comprehensive network links 18 cities in Asia and 7 cities in North America with over 60 destinations in Europe. A pioneer in sustainable aviation, Finnair was the first European airline to operate the advanced, eco-efficient Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. It also holds the distinction of being the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the Carbon Disclosure Project worldwide. As the only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has consecutively won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years. Finnair is a member of oneworld, a global alliance of leading airlines dedicated to providing exceptional service and convenience to international frequent travelers.
SOURCE Alaska Airlines
