Domestic Finland itineraries to be removed from EDIFACT distribution in phases, EDIFACT surcharge increased to 15€ in September

**UPDATE 01SEP** Reminder that the EDIFACT surcharge is now 15€ per bound globally as of 1st of September, the new surcharge applies to all unticketed bookings which need to be repriced


The journey towards enhanced retailing continues and we are introducing the next steps towards a more dynamic, customer-centric selling through modern distribution channels.  

In January 2023 we announced that we will be removing Finnish domestic itineraries (flights both starting and ending in Finland) from EDIFACT distribution starting 1st of May 2023. In order to smoothen the technology transformation for our corporate customers, we will carry out the planned initiative in phases instead of removing all the fare types at once.  

From 1st of May 2023 onwards customers purchasing Finland domestic flights either on Finnair’s own channels or via NDC enabled travel agents will continue to have all itineraries and all fare types available. At the same time Light (available for contracted corporates) and Classic fare types for domestic itineraries will be removed from EDIFACT distribution. Corporate travellers with an agreement with Finnair will continue having Classic fare type as Corporate Classic via EDIFACT distribution until October 2023. Starting 1st of October Corporate Classic will remain available only via Finnair’s own channels and via NDC distribution. Flex fare type will remain in all channels until 1st of February 2024, after which domestic itineraries are fully sold through modern distribution channels. Please see below table for a summary for domestic itineraries phased approach: 

In September 2023 we will also adjust our EDIFACT surcharge globally from current 12€ per bound to 15€ per bound. This adjustment reflects changes in the overall cost structure. EDIFACT surcharge is currently applicable to itineraries commencing in Europe as well as several markets in Asia (travel starting in India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and offline markets) and Middle East (travel starting in Israel, Qatar and United Arab Emirates). 

Travel agents can utilize Finnair NDC distribution via any of the possible channels: Finnair Agency Sales Tool – FAST, certified Finnair NDC Aggregators and NDC Direct Connect API. We encourage travel agents to get familiar with NDC and ways to get connected to offer competitive products and services going forward. 

Having invested in direct channels and NDC (New Distribution Capability) for years, we aspire to transition to modern digital distribution enabling customers to choose relevant services for their travel according to their needs and preferences. More information can be found on Easy’s NDC section.  

Please see below for the Frequently Asked Questions we have collected on the topic.

What are the routes affected by removal of Finnair domestic travel content from Edifact distribution?

• All AY coded and operated itineraries that both start and end within Finland. For instance, HEL-OUL, TKU-HEL-RVN, KTT-HEL-TMP are all included in scope. For instance, OUL-HEL-BER, SHA-HEL-RVN are out of scope, since they either start or end outside of Finland.

What are the markets affected by removal of Finnair domestic travel content from Edifact distribution starting 1^st of May 2023?

• Point of sale market is not relevant, all agents selling above mentioned domestic routes are impacted.

Will all the fares be removed from Edifact?

• All published and private fares are in scope and will be removed from Edifact by 1.2.2024. Please see the table above for the specific timelines for different fare types.

Can ancillaries be still sold via Edifact?

• Ancillary products will remain in Edifact distribution and they can be added to existing bookings also after 1^st of May 2023.

Are group bookings impacted?

• Finnair group bookings in booking class G are out of scope of this change.

How can customers get access to Finnair domestic traffic content after 1^st May 2023?

• All Finnair domestic traffic content will be available on Finnair own channels and through travel agents enabled by any of the NDC enabled sales outlets (NDC Direct connect, Finnair Agency Tool FAST, certified Finnair NDC aggregators) and Finnair Group Booking Tool (for group bookings in booking class G). Flex ticket type will also remain in EDIFACT until 1.2.2024.

What happens to Finnair domestic traffic bookings that have been ticketed via Edifact prior to 1^st May 2023?

• They continue to exist and are valid for travel, regardless of travel date. Such bookings remain available and travel agents will be able to retrieve them in the chosen GDS. Cancellation and exchanges are possible but automatic repricing is not available. Therefore, additional changes need to be made via Finnair Agent Help Desk.

What happens to unticketed flight bookings that have been created in Edifact?

• If not ticketed on the same day, the itinerary should be repriced and ticketing should be completed latest 30^th April 2023.

How can existing ticketed bookings made via Edifact be exchanged after 1^st of May 2023?

• Changes to existing bookings after 1st May 2023 will be possible by contacting Finnair Agent Help Desk.

How to process cancellations and refunds after 1^st of May 2023 on those itineraries that have been created in Edifact?

• Cancellation and refund of the bookings remains possible in Edifact. In case refund via GDS Edifact cannot be done, BSP Travel Agents can send refund requests via BSPlink Refund Application (RA). Refunds are paid to original form of payment, the same which is used when flight document was issued originally.
   

• In the US market, in case refund via GDS Edifact cannot be done, ARC Travel Agents can apply for refund via Refund Web-form on Finnair internet site. The WEB-form refund request must include additional information “ARC Agent, GDS refund not possible”. Refunds are paid to original form of payment: 1) When flight document is originally paid with credit card, refund will be processed to same credit card, 2) When flight document is originally paid with Cash (ARC settlement), refund will be processed as Credit Memo (ACM) for the agent.   

Flight disruptions

• In the disruption situations (flight cancelled or changed) such statuses (HX, UC, UN) will be reflected in existing bookings. If there’s a passenger contact in the booking (SSR CTCM or SSR CTCE), the passenger will also be notified of the disruption via SMS/e-mail. Please make sure that customers’ contact information on bookings are up to date. Finnair will automatically update the new flight details to the reservation and update the ticket. If the customer does not accept the change, an additional involuntary change is available in the GDS when no repricing is required.