Special assistance at the airport and services on board

Do you need assistance moving around the airport or boarding the aircraft? Please let us know about your needs before your journey, and we'll arrange assistance for you. 

Read more about airport assistance services, how to book them and the services available during your flight below.

Before your travel

Please inform us about your need for assistance at least 48 hours before your flight departure so we can confirm the service for you. You can request assistance after purchasing your ticket through our special assistance form. If you have any questions, you can contact us through the same form.

EU Disability Card 

The EU Disability Card allows you to communicate any special needs you may have during your journey. It helps us easily identify what kind of assistance you require. However, having an EU Disability Card is not a prerequisite for receiving assistance services.

At the airport

Airports within the EU and at our other destinations offer assistance for moving around the airport. You can find more information also on the airports' own websites. Learn more about Helsinki Airport's assistance services.

Arrival at the airport and check-in

• You'll meet your pre-booked assistant at the airport either at a designated meeting point, at check-in, or at the departure gate, depending on your needs. Practices vary slightly between airports, but at most airports, you can contact airport assistants already from the parking areas.
• At Helsinki Airport, Finnair’s Special Assistance check-in desk is at your service.
• If you wish for assistance before check-in, please arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight departure. At Helsinki Airport, there are several meeting points. Check the meeting points.
• If you need assistance only from the check-in onwards, we ask you to be there at least one hour before the check-in for your flight closes. See the check-in times.
• If you use a wheelchair or other mobility aid, such as a walker, you can use your own device up to the departure gate at most airports. Alternatively, you can check in your own mobility aid and use an airport wheelchair for moving around the airport. Read more about travelling with mobility aids.

Security control and boarding

• After check-in, the assistant will help you through security control, to your departure gate and to your seat on the aircraft.
• To ensure enough time for boarding, please arrive at the gate well in advance of boarding time and contact the gate staff.
• If you travel with a wheelchair and need assistance boarding the aircraft, please arrive at the departure gate 45 minutes before the departure time at the latest when travelling within Europe and 50 minutes before the departure time at the latest when travelling to or from an intercontinental destination.
• You can board the aircraft among the first passengers, if you wish. This allows us to offer you a hassle-free start to your journey.
• When you arrive at the aircraft, our cabin crew can help you locate your seat and familiarise you with the surrounding area and the in-flight service.
• The airport assistant or our cabin crew will help you stow your hand luggage if needed.
• If you have a vision or hearing loss, please inform our cabin crew so they can serve you in the best way possible.

During the flight

Assistance during the flight

• Our cabin crew can assist you with opening your meal packages and provide information about the different dishes and their ingredients.
• Our cabin crew can guide you from your seat to the toilet and back if needed. Please note that the cabin crew is not permitted to lift you or otherwise provide physical assistance with your mobility. You must be able to use the toilet independently or with the help of your own assistant.

Seats

• All our aircraft have seats with movable armrests to help you easily transfer to your seat. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer you assistive devices, such as seat-raising cushions. Read more about seat dimensions and aircraft features.
• Most seats in Economy Class on our European flights have the same amount of legroom. On some European flights and on all our intercontinental flights, you can purchase a Comfort seat with more legroom.
• If you have special seating-related needs due to your disability, you can let us know about it via the special assistance form. Seating accommodations are made based on the nature of the need, where applicable, while always taking safety into account.
• If you are travelling with your own assistant and need help during the flight, please indicate this on the special assistance form. We will reserve adjacent seats for you and your assistant, or seats as close to each other as possible.
• If you desire extra legroom for yourself and your assistant, you can purchase extra legroom seats when purchasing your ticket or later through Manage Booking.
• Please note that for safety reasons customers with disabilities or reduced mobility cannot sit in the exit row. Passengers in these seats must be able to assist the cabin crew if needed, for example, in opening the aircraft door.
• Due to safety reasons, passengers with reduced mobility using an aisle wheelchair to board the aircraft will be seated by the window.
• You must be able to sit in your seat with your seatbelt fastened whenever the seatbelt sign is on. Please note that the seatbelt sign may be on for the entire flight. If needed, you can use your own support harnesses or special seat during the flight. Read more about seating aids.
• All our Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft are equipped with an ableSling lifting chair to assist with transferring to Business Class seats. During the flight, our cabin crew will provide the ableSling with instructions upon request, but you'll need your own assistants to use it.

Onboard wheelchair

• All our Airbus A330 and A350 aircraft have a wheelchair for toilet visits, and an onboard wheelchair is available upon advance request for our European flights operated by Finnair Airbus A321, A320, and A319 aircraft. Read more about requesting an onboard wheelchair.
• Our cabin crew will bring the onboard wheelchair to you and, if needed, escort you to the toilet door. However, you must be able to transfer yourself to and from the wheelchair independently or with the help of your own assistant.

After the flight

After your flight, an airport assistant will come to meet you at your seat or at the aircraft door. Other passengers will disembark first so you can leave the aircraft at your own pace. The assistant will escort you through the arrivals hall to your next mode of transportation. 

If you have a connecting flight, the assistant will escort you to your next flight's departure gate. 

Read more if you are travelling with a wheelchair or other mobility aid.

Bus connections from Tampere and Turku

Accessibility of bus connections 

Finnair's bus connections to Turku and Tampere are primarily operated with high-floor buses, which unfortunately cannot accommodate customers using wheelchairs. 

If you use a wheelchair, please inform us at least 48 hours before the departure time, so we can request the bus company to operate the service with a bus equipped with a wheelchair lift and space. The maximum load capacity of the wheelchair lift is 250 kg. The bus driver will assist in safely securing the wheelchair and the passenger in the bus. 

Assistance dogs, such as hearing or guide dogs, are welcome on the bus with you at no extra charge.

Special needs claims on USA flights

Read more about the rights of air travellers with disabilities on flights to or from the USA.

American Airlines

British Airways

Iberia

Japan Airlines

Qatar Airways