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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (External link) (External link)).
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 (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
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.
How to make a complaint
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.
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.
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. Contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). 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.
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 (External link)).
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.
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 kirjaamo@traficom.fi.
If your message contains personal information, you can send it as a secure message. Instructions for sending secure email to Traficom. (External link)
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.
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.
EU Regulation on air passenger rights
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