Reader Question: Is It Still Viable To Book Finnair Flights Amid Mass Cancellations?

Today, we have a Reader Question about the viability of booking Finnair flights as the airline keeps cancelling flights en masse as a result of labor disputes that lead to crew shortages.

Over the past year we have reported ad nauseam on the challenges that Finnair and its passengers face as a result of these various strikes and staffing shortages, having a severe effect on the airline’s reputation.

When you book flights, you want to be certain that the schedule is being kept and there aren’t elementary changes that throw your entire trip into limbo, but unfortunately, once an airline starts to get embroiled in a permanent dispute with various labor groups, that’s when things start to go pear-shaped.

There is not a week when John doesn’t cover the current cancellations of Finnair for “operational reasons” are really just a result of labor relations.

Our reader Julian sent me a message asking about the risks he takes when booking Finnair:

Hi Sebastian,

I’m presently living in Oslo, Norway, and the flight connections from here aren’t great. For the past few years (decade) I have used Finnair as they provided the most reliable and frequent service. Ex Oslo I have to connect either way and rather than going through London or Frankfurt the experience in Helsinki has always been great for a frequent traveler.

However, the last 6 months, these ongoing flight cancellations have made my life hell. I constantly get emails for cancellations that yank my travel schedule apart, and I’m honestly over it.

The EU rules about passenger assistance don’t help me much, I need to get out of here, and Finnair’s rebooking options are useless.

Is there a better solution or any relief in the near future?

This is an understandable problem. I also have started to question Finnair’s viability as a functioning carrier given the situation they are in. There is only so much patience regular customers have.

The current patchwork operations are untenable and I can’t blame even loyal customers for looking elsewhere. If you have frequent trips that are constantly being affected by changes and cancellations then you simply can’t rely on this carrier anymore.

On Thursday, Finnair announced yet another set of dates with mass cancellations:

Finnair Cancels Majority Flights June 17 & 19, 2025 + Spillover To Other Dates

There are also issues with the catering supplier, leading to a lack of onboard F&B which also outrages many passengers. Finnair has issues, and I don’t see any resolution for this in the near future.

Unfortunately for our reader, the only short-term solution would be to switch carriers, either via London, Frankfurt, or Amsterdam/Paris.

I would like to emphasize though that neither of these three options are totally smooth sailing either. London-Heathrow with BA is a hot mess, Germany has frequent random strikes by all sorts of labor groups, and France… well, it’s France – enough said. Is SAS such a bad option or are there not enough connections that the carrier offers?

If the destination is Asia, I would also explore the ME3 carriers via the middle east. The “Fast Northern Route” is no longer a thing since Finnair avoids Russian airspace, and now flights to Asia are painfully long. You could just as well take Emirates, Etihad or Qatar.

Conclusion

Our reader asked us about a solution concerning the constant irregular operations of Finnair, and after years of loyalty, he’s now looking for another airline.

His reaction is understandable. What Finnair does is simply untenable for a proper airline, and these constant waves of cancellations and changes are just embarrassing. At this point they can just as well shut down until things are resolved.

It boils down to the readers’ preferences in terms of route network and pricing. Lufthansa isn’t an airline I’d look forward to flying on the regular, either. With oneworld Emerald maybe London isn’t a bad solution after all. Of course that depends which direction the trip goes.

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