Finnair debuts elite Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo frequent flyer tier

Finnair's top frequent flyers can now aim for the lofty heights of 'Platinum Lumo', the new, above-Platinum tier of the Finnair Plus loyalty program, which plays on the Finnish word "Lumo", aptly meaning an object with a magic power.

Comparable to Platinum One in the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme, Platinum Lumo requires a traveller to earn 450,000 tier points during their usual membership period – three times as many as required for the standard Platinum level – with at least 350,000 of those tier points earned from Finnair flights alone.

Alternatively, members can take 150 flights during the same period, with at least 100 of those flights being with Finnair. The remaining 50 flights can be taken on airlines such as Qantas, British Airways and Cathay Pacific, given Finnair’s membership in the Oneworld alliance.

So, what do you get in return for reaching Platinum three times over in a single membership period?

The perks begin with four complimentary business class upgrades on long-haul routes, such as between Helsinki and Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok – one upgrade per one-way flight – and eight one-way business class upgrades on shorter European routes which offer two-class service.

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Finnair’s lounges in Helsinki, including the Schengen Finnair Lounge, the non-Schengen Finnair Lounge and the Finnair Premium Lounge, also now welcome Platinum Lumo cardholders with up to four guests in tow, even if flying with a rival or non-Oneworld airline.

The priority channel at Helsinki Airport also rolls out the red carpet for Platinum Lumo members, again with up to four additional guests, while Platinum Lumo cardholders can grant two complimentary Finnair Plus Gold memberships to recipients of their choosing.

Finnair Plus Gold lines up Oneworld Sapphire, providing business class lounge access, priority check-in and boarding across the Oneworld alliance, including with Qantas, being roughly on-par with Qantas Gold.

As for Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo, it aligns with the Oneworld Emerald tier – as does Finnair Plus Platinum – offering perks like first class lounge access across the Oneworld alliance.

Australian Business Traveller first revealed Finnair’s plans for an above-Platinum tier in June 2016, when Finnair’s Senior Vice President Strategy and Resource Management, Ville Iho, shared the airline’s goals behind the new tier:

“We are very much thinking about how to, in a better way, recognise the top, top-tier customers on our flights at every touchpoint,” Iho said.

Read: Finnair considers Platinum Plus frequent flyer tier

While Finnair doesn't fly its own aircraft to Australia, it remains a popular choice for Aussie business travellers jetting to Europe, with codeshare flights between Australia and Asia aboard Qantas, British Airways and Cathay Pacific connecting travellers onwards to Finnair's Helsinki-bound flights.

For more information about the new Platinum Lumo tier, head to the Finnair website.

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.