Finnair Strike Compensation

One of the most common factors behind flight interruptions is flight strikes, which can be initiated by the personnel, an airport itself, or an airline. As a passenger, you should be aware of EU Regulation 261, under which you could be qualified for compensation of up to 600 Euros.

Learn more to find out how to obtain compensation and in which situations.

Your Passenger Rights

The good news is that any passenger is protected by EU Regulation 261. The EU 261/2004 is a European Union regulation that sets the rules for compensation and assistance to passengers in cases of flight delays and cancellations. Now, let’s take a closer look at air passenger rights, under EU 261:

• The airline is required to provide travelers with information about their rights.
• In the event of flight cancellation, a passenger has the right to choose one of the following options: either a ticket refund or rerouting to the final destination under similar conditions;
• Passengers can expect to receive meals and drinks; they are also entitled to have two free phone calls, e-mails, or faxes.
• If you decide to reroute, and it involves an overnight stay, the airline is required to provide hotel accommodation, as well as transportation between the airport and the hotel.
• Compensation between 250 to 600 euros per passenger

When You Are Entitled to Finnair Strike Compensation

Often, Finnair strikes involve their workers. These could be engineers, pilots, flight attendants, or other essential staff. As you’re now aware, you may be eligible for airline strike compensation, if your trip was disrupted. The compensation will then cover the inconvenience you experienced due to the strike.

It is also important to understand what “extraordinary circumstances” are. These are events outside of the airline’s control. If a strike is considered one of these circumstances, the airline is not required to provide compensation. Importantly, if a staff strike happens, the airline could have potentially foreseen and managed such incidents, therefore such cases are within the airline’s control. That is when flight disruptions are made by the airline’s own employees, they are not cases of extraordinary circumstances. As a result, passengers have a right to claim flight compensation.

However, you should understand that each incident is individual, meaning that every flight disruption caused by a strike must be carefully analyzed to determine whether the airline will pay compensation.

Finnair Strike Compensation

Before seeking compensation for an airline strike, you need to know about the conditions and the amount of compensation you might receive.

Finnair Strike Flight Delay Compensation

The longer a flight is delayed, the more trouble it causes travelers. When airline workers go on strike, it can disrupt passengers’ plans and make them arrive at their final destination much later than expected. It is crucial to understand that if your flight is delayed for more than 3 hours because of a strike, you are eligible for compensation from the airline for the inconvenience caused.

In assessing the potential sum of compensation, passengers should take two critical facts into account: the flight’s distance and the duration of the delay. It is important to understand these details, as only that is how you can be calm regarding the fair flight delay compensation you are entitled to. In the following, you can see a table with the amounts of compensation you could get.

Less than 3 hours	Between 3-4 hours	Over 4 hours	Distance
€0	€250	€250	All flights up to 1500 km
€0	€400	€400	All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
€0	€400	€400	All intra-EU flights over 3500 km
€0	€300	€600	All non-EU flights over 3500 km

Finnair Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes cause flight cancellation. According to EU Regulation 261, you are eligible for compensation of up to 600 Euros. Keep in mind that the regulation also states that you are entitled to compensation in the case when the airline notified you about the cancellation less than 14 days before your travel.

Nevertheless, there are always some exceptions to the rules, and here is the case. The airline is entitled to avoid paying compensation if it provides the passenger an alternative flight. This flight must meet the conditions enumerated below:

Advance Notice	Re-routing Requirements
14 Days	None
7 – 13 Days	Alternative flight departing no more than 2 hours before and arriving less than 4 hours after the original flight
Less than 7 Days	Alternative flight departing no more than 1 hour before and arriving less than 2 hours after the original flight

Importantly, if you used an alternative flight but your final arrival time at the destination point was still delayed, you have a right to claim compensation.

The amount of the compensation is based on the flight distance and the time of delay in arriving at the final destination. Take a look at the table below for more details:

Under 2 hours	2-3 hours	3-4 hours	Over 4 hours	Never arrived	Distance
€125	€250	€250	€250	€250	All flights 1,500 km or less
€200	€200	€400	€400	€400	Internal EU flights over 1,500 km
€200	€200	€400	€400	€400	Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km
€300	€300	€300	€600	€600	Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km

Which Finnair Flights Are Covered by EU261?

Regulation EU261 covers every flight departing from EU airports, regardless of the airline, as well as flights arriving in the EU from outside the EU if they are operated by airlines based in the EU. The regulation also covers flights to and from Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.

The following table shows which Finnair flights are protected by EU 261/2004:

Itinerary	Covered by EU 261
Flights departing the EU airports	✅ Covered
Flights arriving at the EU airports	✅ Covered

How to Claim Finnair Strike Compensation

If you’ve encountered flight delays or cancellations at least once, you understand how annoying it can be.

Travelers who experience any of these issues on Finnair flights are entitled to claim compensation, according to the EU regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:

1. Fill in our form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and what went wrong.
2. Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will manage the process. We know the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to obtain your rightful compensation. You only pay us if we win your case.

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