Helsinki-Vantaa traffic jams|Passengers at the overcrowded Helsinki-Vantaa airport have wondered why they are being told to arrive at the airport several hours earlier, even though it does not necessarily benefit anything. With many airlines, you can hand over your bags to the hold only two hours before the departure of the flight.
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The congestion at Helsinki-Vantaa airport has caused flight delays.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport several hours before the flight.
Finnair and Norwegian recommend arriving 2-3 hours before the flight departure.
The reason for the congestion is the strict liquid restrictions that were introduced in September.
How should you get to the airport early before your flight departs?
Many passengers have been late for their flight to Helsinki-Vantaa airport due to traffic jams. Passengers are advised to come to the airport well in advance, as they may have to wait in line for up to a couple of hours for the security check.
For some airlines, however, you can leave your checked bag only two hours before the flight departs. Flight tickets may state that bags must be handed in at check-in no later than 45 minutes before departure.
Many passengers have wondered why they are advised to come to the airport several hours earlier, when even that is not necessarily beneficial.
The general basic rule is that you should be at the field two or three hours before departure.
We asked the two airlines and Finavia about it.
Finnair instructs passengers flying to Europe to arrive at the airport two hours before and those flying outside Europe three hours before the departure of the flight.
The congestion seems to have eased a bit since the beginning of last week. The worst day was Wednesday, when, for example, a few dozen Finnair customers did not make it to their flights. After Thursday, Finnair’s customers have no longer been late due to traffic jams, says the company’s director of communications Days Tallqvist.
“Let’s hope this is now a permanent condition.”
The reason for the congestion is the strict liquid restrictions that were re-introduced at European airports at the beginning of September, according to which you can carry a maximum of 100 milliliter liquid containers in hand luggage.
According to Tallqvist, customers have been informed about this by e-mail and in the mobile application. Customers flying in the busiest time of the morning or afternoon have been sent messages reminding them of the new restrictions and asking them to come to the airport on time.
In the case of all airlines, arriving at the airport several hours earlier does not necessarily help, but with Finnair you can hand over checked bags well in advance at the self-service point. Those leaving for a morning flight can also leave their luggage the night before.
“The customer is responsible for being on the plane on time,” says Tallqvist.
Tallqvist says that Finnair has rerouted flights whenever possible for an additional fee if the customer is late for the trip due to exceptional traffic jams.
with Norwegian passengers are advised to come to the airport in the same way as with Finnair: two hours before for flights within Europe and three hours before for flights outside Europe.
You can do the check-out in advance in the application. Of course, you can come to the airport as early as possible with hand luggage.
The company reminds passengers to arrive as early as possible, but checked bags can only be handed in two hours before the flight’s departure. Not every day has been able to get through the security check at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in two hours.
What can a passenger do in this situation?
“That’s a good question,” says Norwegian’s director of communications and public relations in Finland Mira Linnamaa.
However, the matter in itself does not concern the company, because according to Linnaama, their customers have not been late for their flights. He thinks it’s due to the fact that instead of business travelers, mostly vacationers travel on Norwegian, who come to the airport in good time anyway.
Like Finnair, it is also possible for Norwegian to hand over your bags the day before if the flight leaves in the morning before 11 o’clock. Of course, this is not possible if you are not in town the day before. The passenger must check the opening hours of the baggage drop-off point himself.
“Unfortunately, it is the customer’s responsibility to arrive at the gate on time. If the delay is due to queuing at the security check, we will not compensate for the delay, but the customer can apply for compensation from the travel insurance,” says Linnamaa.
Finavia urges passengers who are late for their flight to contact their airline directly.
According to Finavia, liability for compensation is assessed on a case-by-case basis within the framework set by legislation. The evaluation takes into account, among other things, the reasons for the congestion at the security check and Finavia’s measures to prepare for the fluid change.
“The passenger’s own actions, such as arriving at the airport in sufficient time, are also important in the evaluation, as both Finavia and the airlines have widely communicated about fluid changes and arriving at the airport in good time,” says Finavia.
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