Air passenger rights | Traficom
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Transport and Communications Agency

Air passenger rights

Business travellers (non-consumers): If your flight is delayed or cancelled or you were denied boarding, you may have a right to care and standard compensation. If you were downgraded , you may be reimbursed for part of the ticket price. Traficom is responsible only for supervising the rights of business travellers. If you travelled as a consumer (i.e., you paid for your flight ticket yourself), please contact European Consumer Centre in your own country of residence or consumer advisory services.

In case of problems, always contact the airline first

You must always first make your complaint directly to the airline. Make your complaint as soon as possible. Please note that a complaint must often be made on the company's website. 

File the complaint in writing. The complaint must clearly show who is filing the complaint, with whom, concerning which flight and why. Also explain what your demands are and what they are based on.

You can use an EU complaint form for filing the complaint with an airline. 

Wait for airline's response 

You should give airline reasonable time to give their answer to your complaint; recommendation is eight (8) weeks.

CONTACT THE CORRECT AUTHORITY

If the airline's response is unsatisfactory, you can contact the authority overseeing air passenger rights. Make sure you contact the right authority.

Business traveller: address your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place.

The relevant authority may also be located in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland (contact information: ).

If your flight arrived from outside the EU and it was operated by an EU airline, you should contact the competent supervisory authority of the country of destination.

Complaints to authorities in other countries should be written in English or the language of the country in question.

Authorities in Finland

In Finland, the relevant authority depends on whether you were travelling as a consumer or as a business traveller. 

Consumer

You are considered a consumer if you travel for leisure and pay for your own flights. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service. Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.

In cross border cases, consumers who live in EU, could also first contact European Consumer Centre in their own country of residence or UK International Consumer Centre in the UK if they live in the UK. 

Business traveller

You are considered a business traveller if you travel for work and your employer pays your flights. Business travellers may contact Traficom. Please note, however, that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

Learn about your rights in different situations

Air passenger rights apply to all domestic and international flights within and departing from the EU and to international flights arriving in the EU if they are operated by an EU airline. The rules also apply to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland and airlines based in these countries.

If your flight is delayed, the airline must offer you care and assistance, depending on the distance of the flight and the duration of the delay:

  • meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time
  • two telephone calls or e-mails free of charge
  • hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
  • transport between the airport and hotel.

Delays of more than 5 hours: you can cancel your flight

If the delay is at least 5 hours, you have the right to cancel the flight and be reimbursed for the full cost of the ticket.

If you cancel your flight, the airline must refund the cost of your ticket within 7 pays. The airline must reimburse the ticket cost for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to your original travel plan.

If you have to cancel your flight during a stopover, you have the right to a free return flight to the point of departure on your ticket. You are also entitled to care and assistance while you wait for the return flight.

Standard compensation

If your flight is delayed and you arrive at your final destination for 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, you may also be entitled to standard compensation. The potential amount of compensation depends on the distance of the flight and the duration of the delay.

DistanceDelay at destinationCompensation
1500 km or lessat least 3 hrs250 €
Flight within the EU of more than 1500 km or flight to a destination outside the EU of 1500–3500 kmat least 3 hrs400 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 km3–4 hrs300 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 kmmore than 4 hrs600 €

The airline can pay the compensation in cash, by bank transfer or check or, with your signed agreement, in travel vouchers or other services.

Extraordinary circumstances: no right to standard compensation

If the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances, you are not entitled to standard compensation.

Extraordinary circumstances refer to situations that the airline could not have avoided even if it had taken all reasonable measures. Such circumstances may include bad weather, a collision between an aircraft and a bird, security risks or the air traffic control’s decision to suspend flight operations at the airport.

If the airline refuses to pay standard compensation because of extraordinary circumstances, it must justify its decision to you. The airline must be able to prove that the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. It must also explain the measures it took to avoid the situation.

If your flight is cancelled, you can choose between re-routing and reimbursement of the ticket price. 

If you choose re-routing, the airline must offer you a new flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity. If seats are available, you can also choose an alternative flight at a later date at your convenience.

If you choose reimbursement, the airline must refund your money within 7 days. The airline must reimburse the ticket cost for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to your original travel plan. 

If you have to cancel your flight during a stopover, you have the right to a free return flight to the point of departure on your ticket. You are also entitled to care and assistance while you wait for the return flight.  

Airline must offer care and assistance

If your flight is cancelled and you have to wait for an alternative flight, the airline must offer you care during the waiting time: 

  • meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time
  • two telephone calls or e-mails free of charge
  • hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
  • transport between the airport and hotel.

Standard compensation

You may also be entitled to standard compensation. The amount of compensation depends on the distance of the flight and the delay caused by re-routing.

DistanceDelay at destinationCompensation
1500 km or less0–2 hrs125 €
1500 km or lessmore than 2 hrs250 €
Flight within the EU of more than 1500 km or flight to a destination outside the EU of 1500–3500 km0–3 hrs200 €
Flight within the EU of more than 1500 km or flight to a destination outside the EU of 1500–3500 kmmore than 3 hrs400 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 km0-4 hrs300 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 kmmore than 4 hrs600 €

The airline can pay the compensation in cash, by bank transfer or check or, with your signed agreement, in travel vouchers or other services.

Cancellation notified sufficiently early or caused by extraordinary circumstances: no right to standard compensation

If you have been informed of the cancellation of your flight sufficiently early, you are not entitled to standard compensation. In this case, sufficiently early means that you are informed of the cancellation:

  • at least 2 weeks before the scheduled time of departure
  • between 2 weeks and 7 days  before the scheduled time of departure and you are offered alternative transport departing no more than 2 hours before the original time of departure and arriving at the destination less than 4 hours after the original time of arrival
  • less than 7 days before the scheduled time of departure and you are offered alternative transport departing no more than 1 hour before the original time of departure and arriving at the destination less than 2 hours after the original time of arrival.

You are also not entitled to standard compensation if your flight was cancelled because of extraordinary circumstances. Extraordinary circumstances refer to situations that the airline could not have avoided even if it had taken all reasonable measures. Such circumstances may include bad weather, a collision between an aircraft and a bird, security risks or the air traffic control’s decision to suspend flight operations at the airport.

If the airline refuses to pay standard compensation because of extraordinary circumstances, it must justify its decision to you. The airline must be able to prove that the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. It must also explain the measures it took to avoid the situation.

Denied boarding means a situation where you are “bumped” from you flight: the airline refuses to carry you on a flight although you have a valid ticket and have presented yourself on time for check-in.

A term often used in this connection is overbooking. It refers to a situation where the flight does not have seats for all the passengers who have acquired a ticket.

Voluntary surrender of reservation

If there are not enough seats on a flight for all passenger with a reservation, the airline must first call for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for benefits. You can negotiate and agree on the benefits with the airline.

If you volunteer to give up your seat, you are also entitled to choose between re-routing and reimbursement for the price of the ticket.

Denied boarding against your will

If you are denied boarding against your will and without reasonable grounds, the airline must pay you standard compensation.  

The amount of standard compensation depends on the distance of the flight and the duration of the delay caused by potential re-routing.

DistanceDelay at destinationCompensation
1500 km or less0–2 hrs125 €
1500 km or lessmore than 2 hrs250 €
Flight within the EU of more than 1500 km or flight to a destination outside the EU of 1500–3500 km0–3 hrs200 €
Flight within the EU of more than 1500 km or flight to a destination outside the EU of 1500–3500 kmmore than 3 hrs400 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 km0-4 hrs300 €
Flight to or from a destination outside the EU of more than 3500 kmmore than 4 hrs600 €

The airline can pay the compensation in cash, by bank transfer or check or, with your signed agreement, in travel vouchers or other services.

In addition to standard compensation, you are also entitled to choose between re-routing and reimbursement for the price of the ticket. 

Re-routing and reimbursement

If you choose re-routing, the airline must offer you a new flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity. If seats are available, you can also choose an alternative flight at a later date at your convenience.

If you choose reimbursement, the airline must refund your money within 7 days. The airline must reimburse the ticket cost for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to your original travel plan. 

If you have to cancel your flight during a stopover, you have the right to a free return flight to the point of departure on your ticket. You are also entitled to care and assistance while you wait for the return flight.

Airline must offer care and assistance

If you are denied boarding and you have to wait for an alternative flight, the airline must offer you care during the waiting time: 

  • meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time
  • two telephone calls or e-mails free of charge
  • hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
  • transport between the airport and hotel.

Boarding may be denied for reasonable grounds

If the airline has reasonable grounds to deny you boarding, you do not have the rights listed above.

Reasonable grounds for denying boarding include the following: 

  • neglecting to follow instructions given by the airline
  • reasons of health, safety or security
  • being late for check-in
  • inadequate travel documents
  • threatening behaviour.

If you are downgraded, you are entitled to reimbursement.

If you have to travel in a lower class than your ticket would entitle you, the airline must reimburse you for a part of the price of your ticket within 7 days.

The amount of reimbursement depends on the flight distance as follows:

  • 30% of the ticket price if the flight is 1,500 km or less
  • 50% of the ticket price if the flight is within the EU and the distance is more than 1,500 km or if the destination is outside the EU and the distance is between 1,500 km and 3,500 km
  • 75% of the ticket price if the destination is outside the EU and the distance is more than 3,500 km, including flights between the EU and overseas territories under the control of EU countries, such as the Canary Islands or French Polynesia.

If you are upgraded to a higher class than your ticket would entitle you, the airline cannot claim any additional payment.

How to make a complaint

  • Step 1

    First contact the airline

    In the event of a problem, always first contact the airline operating the flight in question. Lodge a complaint at the earliest opportunity. 

    Airlines must ensure that passenger rights are respected.

  • Step 2

    Await the airline’s response

    The airline must be given a reasonable period of time to reply to your complaint.

    The recommendation is 8 weeks. 

    The airline must give you a sufficient account of the events. If the airline refuses to pay you standard compensation, it must justify its decision. Standard compensation may only be denied in certain situations. 

  • Step 3

    Choose the correct authority

    If the airline's response is unsatisfactory, you can contact the authority overseeing air passenger rights. Make sure you contact the right authority.

    Complaints are lodged with the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. 

  • Step 4

    The incident occurred in Finland

    The relevant authority depends on whether you are a consumer or a business traveller. 

    According to law, you are a consumer if you were travelling in your leisure time and paid for the trip yourself. . Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.  

    Business travellers travel for work, and their flights are usually paid by their employers. Business passengers may contact Traficom. Please note that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

  • Step 5

    The incident occurred outside Finland

    Address your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place.

    The relevant authority may also be located in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland (contact information: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/national-enforcement-bodies-neb_en).

    If your flight arrived from outside the EU and it was operated by an EU airline, you should contact the competent supervisory authority of the country of destination.

    Complaints to authorities in other countries should be written in English or the language of the country in question.

  • Step 6

    Business travellers may contact Traficom

    Business travellers can contact Traficom. Fill in the EU complaint form below. If you are unable to use the form, please describe in your own words what happened and specify your claims to the airline. 

    Include your correspondence with the airline, a copy of your ticket, your boarding pass and any other relevant documents. You may also include receipts, if you had to pay for meals or accommodation while waiting for re-routing or a return flight.

    Please note that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

    Send information of the incident to

    If your message contains personal information, you can send it as a secure message. Instructions for sending secure email to Traficom.

    If you cannot send the documents by e-mail, you can send them to Traficom by post: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, PO Box  320, 00059 TRAFICOM.

    Link to the privacy statement concerning the processing of matters related to EU passenger rights
  • Step 7

    Traficom can give you advice

    Traficom enforces air passengers' rights in general level and may give you advice. 

    Please note that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

    With enforcement measures, Traficom ensures that your rights are fulfilled and that the airlines comply with their obligations.

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