Air Finland return flight from Bangkok delayed by record-breaking 55 hours

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The repercussions of the Air Finland pilots’ one-day strike continued to complicate things for travellers even after the industrial action itself ended on Thursday.
     
The greatest difficulties were experienced by the 219 clients of the travel agency Finnmatkat stranded in Thailand, who ended up waiting for their return flight from Tuesday afternoon until late on Thursday. In its class, their 55-hour delay is now the unofficial Finnish record.
      "Sure, it’s a long time to wait, especially when you’re only equipped with your carry-on luggage. We were not allowed our suitcases back at any stage. But then again, I had plenty of time to purchase new silk clothes instead", explained passenger Leena Kanerva from Bangkok when interviewed on the telephone on Thursday.
     
On Tuesday, Kanerva and her fellow passengers simply visited the airport to check in their luggage. After that they were taken to an adjacent day-hotel, for the return flight was originally expected to be delayed only by about five hours.
      "From there we were transferred to a spanking new airport hotel, which was so new it was not even completely finished yet. Even the upstairs restaurant opened for the first time just for us", Kanerva continued.
      "After that we were notified at regular intervals on when possible new information might arrive. Of course we were able to go shopping and even on a river cruise. Some people made even longer day trips. But of course one had to stay on constant alert in case new information might arrive on the departure time."
      Most of the passengers spent the extra time going shopping, and when finally the "Go to Gate" and "Boarding" signs lit up, everybody had multiple shopping bags of excess hand luggage. “Fortunately no-one paid attention to them”, reported Kanerva.
      She also noted that after the widely-publicised delays to long-haul flights last autumn, she had prepared herself for a possible unscheduled extension to her stay, and had made sure she had no urgent meetings this week.
     
The Finnmatkat travellers were finally flown back to Helsinki by a Portuguese Lux Air plane.
      An Air Finland aircraft also stood idly at the Bangkok International Airport, but its pilots, who are currently on a so-called “list strike”, refused to fly it.
      Because of the ongoing industrial action, Air Finland pilots refuse to fly any unscheduled shifts that have not been notified - in accordance with the collective labour agreement - seven days beforehand.
     
The work-to-rule arrangements are likely to continue to complicate Air Finland flights in the future as well, until a consensus has been reached in the collective bargaining negotiations between the pilots and the employer.
      The date of the next round of negotiations has not yet been agreed.
      At this stage, the Air Finland pilots look set to hold their next one-day strikes on the 19th and 26th of March.
     
The Finnmatkat travel agency has promised to pay compensation to its passengers for the inconvenience caused. According to the Finnmatkat product manager Peik Martin, the paid compensation will be higher than the ten per cent of the price of the trip recommended by the Consumer Disputes Board.
      Neither Finnmatkat nor travel insurance companies, however, will offer recompense for the loss of income caused by the extra days off work.
      "Most travel insurance policies compensate for the additional waiting time, EUR 34 per every six hours”, explains damage expert Ilkka Valanne from the Eurooppalainen travel insurer. “But as far as I know, no insurance company pays out for the loss of income caused by a strike or industrial action."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  More than 200 Finnish tourists stranded in Abu Dhabi for over 24 hours (12.3.2008)
  More woes for holidaymakers as flights delayed (2.1.2008)
  One in five flights is delayed at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport (18.12.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat