What happened
The Finnish Consumer Ombudsman has taken Finnair to the Market Court for unlawfully long delays in issuing refunds for cancelled flights under EU regulation EC 261/2004, which mandates refunds within 7 days. While the previous case regarding passenger rights violations is pending, Finnair has agreed to amend its unlawful gift voucher practices. Previously, Finnair issued standard compensation and reimbursed 'right to care' costs (meals/lodging) via gift vouchers without consumer consent. Under the new agreement, gift vouchers are no longer the primary method of compensation and require explicit consumer agreement. This follows high volumes of consumer inquiries regarding refund delays and customer service issues in 2025