Toronto-based passengers may have one other choice to get to Europe subsequent 12 months, as Finnair is about to renew its Helsinki–Toronto service after an 11-year hiatus.
When you’ll have to attend till 2026 to benefit from this route, it marks one other oneworld provider servicing a key Canadian hub, and opens up choices for award journey to Europe and past.
Finnair Launches Helsinki–Toronto Flights
Helsinki-based Finnair is about to renew service to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) subsequent 12 months, in what is going to turn into the provider’s seventh North American vacation spot and sole Canadian route.
Finnair final operated this route in October 2015, in keeping with knowledge from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.
The Helsinki–Toronto route is about to renew on Could 4, 2026, and can run thrice-weekly by to August 29, 2026.
In both route, the flight is scheduled to function on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday, with the next flight occasions:
- AY031, departing Helsinki (HEL) at 4:50pm and arriving at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) at 6:35pm
- AY032 , departing Toronto Pearson (YYZ) at 11:40pm and arriving in Helsinki at 2:45pm the subsequent day
Westbound from Helsinki, the flight is about to run eight hours 45 minutes, and eastbound from Toronto, it’s set to run eight hours 5 minutes.
Finnair will function a three-cabin Airbus A330-300 on this route, that includes economic system, premium economic system, and enterprise class cabins.
The enterprise class cabin characteristic Finnair’s one-of-a-kind enterprise class seats, which don’t recline however fairly morph right into a lie-flat seat by transferring a cushion.
The flights are loaded into Finnair’s schedule, and could be booked with money and (hopefully quickly) factors.
Reserving Finnair’s Helsinki–Toronto Route
If you happen to’re headed to Finland or past, you’ll definitely need to hold a watch out for award availability on this route.
As a reminder, Finnair is one among a handful of airways that makes use of Avios as its factors foreign money. When you can’t instantly entry Finnair Plus from any Canadian transferable factors currencies, you can entry The British Airways Membership (which additionally makes use of Avios as its factors foreign money), after which convert your British Airways Avios into Finnair Avios from throughout the Avios ecosystem.
On the time of writing, there weren’t any award seats out there on this route, which in all probability means they haven’t been added to the stock simply but.
Nonetheless, we are able to count on pricing to be just like that on Finnair’s Chicago route (with anticipated variations in taxes and costs), with pricing in varied courses of service as follows:
- Economic system: 30,000 Avios + ~$100 (CAD) taxes and costs
- Premium economic system: 43,500 Avios + ~$150 (CAD) taxes and costs
- Enterprise class: 62,500 Avios + ~$200 (CAD) taxes and costs
When you may additionally e-book the identical flight with British Airways Avios for a similar price in factors, you’ll must fork out considerably extra in taxes and costs (almost $1,500 (CAD) for enterprise class), which erodes a whole lot of the worth out of your redemption. Subsequently, make sure you take the simple further step of changing your British Airways Avios into Finnair Avios to avoid wasting a tidy sum of money.
Avios are simple to come back by in Canada, since you may convert RBC Avion factors and American Specific Membership Rewards factors at a 1:1 ratio, or you may earn them instantly on the RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite†.
Credit score Playing cards for Incomes Avios
| Credit score Card | Greatest Supply | Worth | |
|---|---|---|---|
130,000 MR factors $799 annual charge |
130,000 MR factors | $1,794 |
Apply Now |
70,000 MR factors $250 annual charge |
70,000 MR factors | $1,676 |
Apply Now |
100,000 MR factors $799 annual charge |
100,000 MR factors | $1,141 |
Apply Now |
55,000 RBC Avion factors† $120 annual charge |
55,000 RBC Avion factors† | $1,080 |
Apply Now |
55,000 RBC Avion factors† $120 annual charge |
55,000 RBC Avion factors† | $1,080 |
Apply Now |
60,000 Avios† $165 annual charge |
60,000 Avios† | $899 |
Apply Now |
40,000 MR factors $199 annual charge |
40,000 MR factors | $846 |
Apply Now |
As much as 70,000 RBC Avion factors† $399 annual charge |
As much as 70,000 RBC Avion factors† | $826 |
Apply Now |
35,000 RBC Avion factors $175 annual charge |
35,000 RBC Avion factors | $700 |
Apply Now |
35,000 RBC Avion factors $120 annual charge |
35,000 RBC Avion factors | $580 |
Apply Now |
15,000 MR factors $156 annual charge |
15,000 MR factors | $372 |
Apply Now |
10,000 MR factors $0 annual charge |
10,000 MR factors | $242 |
Apply Now |
Understand that there’s a 30% switch bonus from RBC Avion to The British Airways Membership by to July 11, 2025. If you will discover award availability on this route, then you might leverage the switch bonus to successfully cut back the price in factors by 30%, which is a superb deal.
A fast seek for money fares on the Finnair web site reveals the next pattern round-trip costs (originating from Toronto):
- Economic system: ~$1,700 (CAD)
- Premium economic system: ~$4,966 (CAD)
- Enterprise class: ~$4,000 (CAD)
It’s at all times nice when enterprise class is cheaper than decrease courses of service.
Conclusion
After an 11-year hiatus, Finnair is making a return to Toronto. As of Could 4, 2026, the Helsinki-based provider will function thrice-weekly flights to Toronto, marking its sole Canadian route.
Toronto has been lucky to obtain new routes from a wide range of carriers in the previous few years, and hopefully this development continues.
If you happen to’ve obtained your eye on Finland or past, make sure you hold a watch out for award availability within the close to future after which safe a snug flight throughout the Atlantic with Finnair.
