Finnair Faces Market Court Lawsuit Over Unlawful Refund Delays and Gift Voucher Practices

Finland’s Consumer Ombudsman has filed a second lawsuit against Finnair in the Market Court, targeting the airline's unlawful practices regarding refunds and compensation under EU regulation EC 261/2004. **Refund Delays:** The primary complaint is that Finnair fails to issue cash refunds within the mandatory 7-day period after a flight cancellation, often taking weeks or months. The Ombudsman is seeking a court injunction to prohibit this conduct, with the threat of a €300,000 fine if Finnair does not comply. **Gift Voucher Practices:** The lawsuit also addresses Finnair's practice of issuing standard compensation and reimbursing "right to care" costs (meals/lodging) via gift vouchers without consumer consent. Under EU rules, vouchers can only be used if the consumer agrees. Finnair has agreed to amend these practices so vouchers are no longer the primary method and require consent. **Context:** This follows a previous, unruled case on passenger rights violations. In 2025, Finnair generated the highest volume of consumer inquiries to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. The Ombudsman is also investigating "right to care" arrangements and the rejection of compensation claims as "late" without valid grounds