16-Nov-2009 9:04 AM

Finnair's pilots strike action disrupts traffic

Direct News Source

14-Nov-2009 Finnair and The Finnish Airline Pilots' Association have failed to reach agreement in employment agreement negotiations. Finnair pilots begin a strike on Monday 16 November.

Due to the strike Finnair is likely to cancel nearly all long-haul flights departing from Helsinki on Sunday as well as European flights departing on Sunday and returning on Monday. Finnair's scheduled flights on Monday are cancelled. Finnair aims to operate all of its leisure flights regardless of the strike.

Finnair recommends that customers postpone their journey if their flight is cancelled due to the strike. If postponement is not possible for the customer, Finnair will attempt to make special arrangements to enable the journey.

"If a customer's flight is among those cancelled, the options are postponement of the journey, rerouting or a refund of the unused part of the ticket. Finnair will be flexible in changing flight bookings, irrespective of the type of ticket," explains Finnair Senior Vice President Timo Riihimäki, who is responsible for customer service.

Finnair will continuously update information about the strike on the internet at www.finnair.com/info, where a list of cancelled flights, a refund form, and questions and answers can also be found. Customers whose flights are cancelled are urged first to contact the travel agent from which they booked their tickets. Finnair will provide telephone service to customers on +358 600 140 140.

"We will also serve customers using text messages, if the bookings include an up-to-date mobile phone number. We also recommend use of the internet to follow the situation, because telephone services are likely to be very busy," says Riihimäki.

Finnair operates approximately 200 flights per day. Finnair's codeshare partners will fly to and from Helsinki as normal despite the strike. If customers have a ticket with a Finnair flight number sold for another airline's aircraft, they can take this flight as normal.

Finnair's ground handling and sales personnel at airports abroad have been instructed to be present at the departure times of cancelled flights so customers can receive information as efficiently as possible in these exceptional circumstances.