Pilot strike at Finnair: Your rights

Pilot strike at Finnair: Your rights

The pilot strike at Finnair on December 9 and 13 will lead to considerable restrictions in air traffic: around 300 flights, including connections between Helsinki and Vienna, will be canceled. Around 33,000 passengers will be affected. The airline is offering refunds and alternative transport, but advises all travelers to check their flight status on the Finnair website.

Rights in the event of flight cancellation
Those affected have several options under Regulation (EC) 261/2004:

• Refund of the ticket price: This can be requested if no satisfactory alternative is offered.
• Rebooking: Passengers may request alternative transportation to the final destination under comparable conditions - either at the earliest possible date or at a later date of their choice, subject to availability.
• Support services: In the event of waiting times for an alternative flight, meals, accommodation (if necessary) and transfers between the hotel and airport are entitled. Receipts for independently organized expenses should be kept carefully.
• Entitlement to compensation: The amount depends on the flight route. For the Vienna-Helsinki route, the compensation payment is 250 euros - regardless of the price of the flight ticket.

There is no entitlement to compensation if the airline has informed you of the cancellation in good time (at least 14 days before departure) or if an alternative with a minimum time difference was offered.

What to do:
Travelers should first contact Finnair before booking replacement flights or accommodation on their own. If necessary, it helps to keep all receipts and keep costs down. In the event of a dispute, sample letters can help to formulate claims clearly.