Finnair Plus has made a notable change to how members earn tier points on Japan Airlines flights, and the impact depends heavily on your Finnair Plus status level. From 1 May 2026, tier points on Japan Airlines are no longer tied to travel class or booking class in the same way as before. Instead, Finnair Plus now awards tier points based on two things: your Finnair Plus tier and the distance flown.
That means the same Japan Airlines flight can now earn dramatically different tier points depending on whether you are Silver, Gold, Platinum or Platinum Lumo. It also means that flying Business Class or First Class no longer gives you more tier points than flying Economy Class.
For some members, especially Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo travellers, this is a major improvement. For others, it is a clear devaluation.
What Changed With Japan Airlines Tier Point Earning?
Previously, Finnair Plus tier points on Japan Airlines flights were awarded based on the distance flown and the travel class or booking class. In simple terms, the more premium your cabin and fare bucket, the more tier points you could earn.
The old earning structure looked roughly like this:
| Cabin | Previous tier point earning |
|---|---|
| Economy Class | 30–100% of distance flown |
| Premium Economy | 50–100% of distance flown |
| Business Class | 70–100% of distance flown |
| First Class | 125–150% of distance flown |
The new system is much simpler, but not necessarily better for everyone.
Under the new structure, tier points are based on Finnair Plus status and distance only:
| Finnair Plus tier | New tier point earning on JAL flights |
|---|---|
| Basic | 0% |
| Silver | 25% of distance flown |
| Gold | 50% of distance flown |
| Platinum | 100% of distance flown |
| Platinum Lumo | 100% of distance flown |
The key change is that all travel classes now earn the same tier points for the same member tier. A Finnair Plus Platinum member in discount Economy earns the same 100% tier-point multiplier as a Platinum member in Business Class or First Class.
The Big Winner: Finnair Plus Platinum Members
This is a big win for Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members who fly Japan Airlines, especially in cheaper Economy booking classes.
Under the old system, the lowest Economy fares on Japan Airlines could earn only 30% of the distance flown as tier points. Under the new system, Platinum and Platinum Lumo members earn 100% of the distance flown, regardless of whether they are in the cheapest Economy fare or a premium cabin.
That is a huge improvement for status runners and frequent travellers who care more about tier points than the onboard experience. A discounted long-haul Economy ticket on Japan Airlines can now be much more attractive for maintaining or requalifying for Finnair Plus Platinum status.
For example, a Finnair Plus Platinum member flying a cheap Japan Airlines Economy fare from Europe to Japan may now earn more than three times the tier points they would have earned under the previous lowest Economy earning rate.
The Losers: Basic, Silver, Gold and Premium Cabin Travellers
While Platinum members come out ahead, the change is much less exciting for everyone else.
Finnair Plus Basic members now earn no tier points on Japan Airlines flights under the new status-based tier-point table. That makes Japan Airlines a poor choice for anyone hoping to build Finnair Plus status from scratch through JAL flights.
Silver members earn 25% of distance flown, which is worse than many previous Economy earning rates and far below what premium cabins could earn before.
Gold members earn 50% of distance flown. That may be acceptable on cheaper Economy tickets, but it is a major downgrade for many Business Class and First Class fares that previously earned more.
The biggest philosophical shift is this: paying for Business Class or First Class on Japan Airlines no longer helps you earn more Finnair Plus tier points than flying Economy. You may still earn more Avios depending on booking class, but for tier points, cabin choice no longer matters.
Avios and Tier Points Are Now Treated Differently
One important detail is that this change mainly affects tier points. Avios earning on Japan Airlines flights still depends on travel class and booking class.
That creates an unusual split. A Business Class passenger may earn significantly more Avios than an Economy passenger, but if both travellers hold the same Finnair Plus status, they can earn the same number of tier points for the same distance.
This makes the programme more status-driven and less fare-driven when it comes to Japan Airlines tier-point earning.
For travellers who mainly care about redeemable Avios, premium cabins can still make sense. For travellers chasing Finnair Plus status, the best value may now be found in cheaper Japan Airlines Economy fares, but only if they already hold Platinum or Platinum Lumo status.
Is This Connected to a New Finnair and Japan Airlines Joint Venture?
There does not appear to be a new Finnair–Japan Airlines joint venture starting now. Finnair and Japan Airlines already cooperate through the Siberian Joint Business, alongside British Airways and Iberia. That joint business covers travel between Europe and Japan and is designed to provide broader networks, better connections, coordinated options and mileage benefits across the participating airlines.
However, the timing of the earning change is still interesting. Japan Airlines has also highlighted expanded mileage-related benefits for Finnair flights from 1 May 2026, which suggests the airlines are continuing to tighten reciprocal frequent-flyer alignment within their existing partnership framework.
So this is better understood as a loyalty-programme adjustment inside an existing joint-business relationship, not the launch of a brand-new joint venture.
Why Would Finnair Make This Change?
Finnair may be trying to simplify partner earning and reward its own elite members more directly. Instead of giving premium-cabin passengers the biggest tier-point rewards, the new structure favours members who have already reached higher Finnair Plus tiers.
That is a very different loyalty logic.
The old model rewarded expensive cabins. The new model rewards existing loyalty status.
For Finnair, this may help protect elite recognition and make Platinum status more valuable. For members, it changes the calculation completely: your Finnair Plus tier now matters more than your Japan Airlines cabin when earning tier points.
Example: Cheap Economy Becomes More Interesting for Platinum Members
The most striking example is discounted Economy.
Previously, a cheap Japan Airlines Economy booking class could earn as little as 30% of the distance flown. Now, a Finnair Plus Platinum member earns 100% of the distance flown.
That turns cheap Economy into a potentially powerful tier-point tool.
A Platinum member no longer needs to book Premium Economy, Business Class or First Class to earn full-distance tier points on Japan Airlines. They can book the cheapest eligible Economy fare and still earn the same tier-point multiplier as someone in a premium cabin.
That is why this change is a genuine victory for Platinum and Platinum Lumo members.
But Business and First Class Lose Their Tier-Point Premium
The flip side is obvious. Business Class and First Class no longer receive higher tier-point earning simply because they are premium cabins.
That makes Japan Airlines premium-cabin flights less attractive for Finnair Plus members who are choosing where to credit flights based on tier-point return.
A Business Class ticket still offers a better seat, better service and higher Avios earning. But from a Finnair Plus tier-point perspective, it no longer beats Economy for the same member tier.
For Gold, Silver and Basic members, that can feel especially harsh. A Gold member in JAL First Class earning 50% tier points while a Platinum member in cheap Economy earns 100% is a clear sign of the new status-first logic.
Bottom Line: A Status-Based Shake-Up for JAL Flights
Finnair Plus has made Japan Airlines tier-point earning simpler, but also more polarising.
For Finnair Plus Platinum and Platinum Lumo members, this is a strong improvement. Cheap Economy fares on Japan Airlines can now earn 100% of distance flown as tier points, making them far more attractive than before.
For Basic, Silver and Gold members, the picture is much less positive. Basic members earn no tier points, Silver members earn only 25%, and Gold members earn 50%, regardless of whether they fly Economy, Premium Economy, Business Class or First Class.
The biggest takeaway is simple: on Japan Airlines flights, Finnair Plus tier-point earning is now about your status, not your cabin.
That is great if you are already near the top of the Finnair Plus ladder. It is far less generous if you are trying to climb it.
