1: First contact the carrier
In the event of a problem, first contact the carrier operating the service. Lodge a complaint on the company website.
You must complain within two months of the delay or cancellation.
Business traveller: make a complaint about a delayed or cancelled ship journey
If your journey is delayed or cancelled, you may have a right to care and compensation. These pages include advice on how to make a complaint and send it to the relevant authority.
REMINDER REGARDING YOUR RIGHT TO REIMBURSEMENT WHEN A CARRIER CANCELS YOUR TRIP
When a carrier cancels your trip, you are entitled to reimbursement of the ticket price or re-routing in accordance with EU passenger rights regulations.
If you choose reimbursement, you are entitled to a cash refund. The carrier may alternatively offer you a voucher, but you have the right to refuse it.
Learn more about your right to reimbursement and other passenger rights on these Traficom webpages and the website of the European Commission, which contains a wealth of information on passenger rights during the coronavirus pandemic. For the European Commission's interpretative guidelines on passenger rights in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, see the following link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020XC0318(04)&from=FI (External link).
CONTACT THE CORRECT AUTHORITY
In Finland, passenger complaints are handled by two authorities. The relevant authority depends on whether you were travelling as a consumer or as a business traveller.
You are considered a consumer if you travel for leisure and pay for your own journey. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
You are considered a business traveller if you travel for work and your employer pays for your journey. In this case, please contact Traficom.
First contact the carrier directly
In the event of a problem, complain to the carrier operating the service within 2 months. You can submit your complaint on the company website.
Before making a complaint, learn about your rights in different situations
Ship passengers’ rights apply to ships:
- departing from a port in an EU country
- arriving from outside the EU to a port in an EU country when the service is operated by a company established in the EU.
Certain rights do not apply to cruises exceeding two overnight stays on board. In this case, passenger rights are based on the contract conditions applicable to the journey.
Passenger rights also do not apply to:
- ships certified to carry up to 12 passengers
- ships which have a crew composed of no more than 3 persons or where the distance of the overall service is less than 500 metres, one way
- ships on excursion and sightseeing tours
- ships not propelled by mechanical means (e.g. historical ships).
How to make a complaint
2: Wait for the carrier’s response
Within one month of receiving your complaint, the carrier must inform you of whether your complaint has been substantiated, rejected or is still being considered.
The carrier must give you a final reply within two months of receiving your complaint.
3: Choose the correct authority
If you are not satisfied with the response you get to your complaint, you can contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. Make sure you complain to the right authority.
In Finland, there are two authorities handling passenger right complaints. 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 for leisure and paid for the journey yourself. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
If you were travelling in another EU country, send your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. Contact information of competent authorities (External link) (National Enforcement Bodies for maritime transport).
4: Traficom handles complaints from business travellers
Business travellers can send their complaints to Traficom by e-mail.
Attach to the complaint your correspondence with the carrier, a copy of your ticket and any other documents you consider relevant.
Send your complaint to kirjaamo@traficom.fi
If your complaint 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 complaint documents by e-mail, you can send them to Traficom by post: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, PO Box 320, 00059 TRAFICOM, Finland
5: Traficom may issue recommendations
Traficom has competence to issue recommendations concerning complaints by business travellers.