Dissatisfied with the performance of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS)? You may be seeking SAS flight delay compensation. In that case, you’ve come to the right place.
While their marketing team may have had some slip ups, when it comes to flights, the airline generally does pretty well.
The Star Alliance airline scores an impressive 7.3 out of 10 in our airline ratings. With an OTP of 85.13% in 2019, their punctuality is great as statistically among the best airlines in the world.
That being said, even the best airlines in the world are not exempt from mistakes. And, when SAS blunders, delaying, cancelling or overbooking your flight, WE will make sure they don’t get away with it.
YOU can rely on our expertise to secure the flight delay compensation that is rightfully yours.
Here at ClaimCompass, we have years of experience at holding airlines to account. So, you can be sure your compensation claims will get the attention and results they deserve.
And, even better, we operate on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, so if we don’t succeed in collecting your compensation, you don’t need to pay us a penny!
Using this guide, you will:
- Find out how to claim compensation from SAS
- Learn how to submit a claim
- Gain insight into your own passenger rights
- Discover how much money you are eligible to receive
How to Claim Compensation for a Delayed or Cancelled Flight with SAS?
When first approaching a claim for SAS flight delay compensation, it can seem like a bit of a minefield.
Complicated legal jargon, loopholes and small print will leave you frustrated. You may be asking yourself, ‘Will I ever receive my compensation!?’
Choosing ClaimCompass removes all that stress and hassle! Simply type your flight details into our free flight compensation calculator, and in under 3 minutes you’ll know if you’re entitled to compensation!
However, this is just the beginning of the journey, and taking on the flag carrier of Sweden, Norway and Denmark is no small feat.
This is because those who take on the task alone may be told porkies by the airline!
Never fear, ClaimCompass knows the tricks of the trade that SAS may use to get out of their responsibility.
Our excellent success rate is testament to our tenacity and our refusal to give in until you have received what you're owed.
Easy, fast and effective, ClaimCompass will take on the giants while you sit back and unwind.
Check your flight in 3 minutes
You might be entitled to up to 600€ from the airline!
SAS Flight Delay Compensation
When can I claim an EC621 flight delay compensation from SAS?
In 2004, the EU Regulation 261 (EC261) was brought in to safeguard air passenger rights when airlines disrupt traveller’s journeys.
Be it a flight delay, cancellation or an overbooked flight, EC261 has got it covered.
Accordingly, passengers are entitled to SAS flight delay compensation if:
- Their flight departed or arrived in the European Union
- Their flight arrived at least 3 hours late at their final destination
- Their flight delay was not due to extraordinary circumstances (EC)
EU regulation explains extraordinary circumstances as events the airline had no control over. These include:
- Airspace restrictions or airport closure
- Bad weather conditions
- Strikes by workers/unions
- Bird strikes
- Political unrest
- Medical emergencies
And, don’t be fooled, some airlines may list technical problems as extraordinary circumstances. However technical faults with the plane and mechanical issues do NOT fall under this bracket.
Therefore if your flight has been delayed due to damage to the airplane's fan blades, you are still entitled to compensation!
How much is the flight delay compensation amount?
If you meet the eligibility requirements, according to the EC261, you can get up to 600€, which works out as around £500 or $655.
This is calculated by distance, so the compensation amount for flight delays works out as:
- 250€ for flights less than 1,500km
- 400€ for flights exceeding 1,500km within the EU and flights ranging from 1,500km and 3,500km elsewhere
- 600€ for all other flights not falling under the two categories above
However, make sure not to be caught out by the additional clauses! If your flight has been delayed by 3-4 hours and is longer than 3,500km, you will receive 50% less!
The same applies if the airline is able to find you an alternative flight meaning your arrival time doesn’t surpass the intended arrival time by:
- 2 hours for journeys up to 1,500km
- 3 hours for journeys within the EU under 1,500km, and between 1,500km and 3,500km for journeys outside the EU
- 4 hours for flights that do not fall under the two categories above
SAS have offered me a SAS Voucher: should I accept?
As well as monetary compensation, SAS also offers passengers the option of a non-refundable SAS flight voucher.
This is one way that airlines try to get out of paying customers compensation under EC261.
SAS even makes this option more attractive by offering more in vouchers than you would receive in cash or by bank transfer.
This non-refundable SAS travel voucher must be used with SAS and can NOT be exchanged for money.
In our experience it’s always best NOT to opt for vouchers to avoid any further disappointment with the airline.
SAS Cancelled Flight Compensation
What to do when SAS Scandinavian Airlines cancelled my flight?
While flight delays suck, flight cancellations are even worse! However if your SAS flight is cancelled and you’re eligible, under EC261 you will either:
- Receive a refund of your cancelled ticket within 7 days
- Be allocated another flight
Don’t forget, if the new travel plan offered to you by SAS doesn’t suit you for whatever reason, you can request a refund of the ticket.
If you choose the first option, you will not be entitled to a re-routing of your original flight.
How is SAS flight cancellation compensation calculated?
Calculating the amount of the flight cancellation compensation you are entitled to is dependent on a few factors in line with EC261.
The factors include the distance of the flight and how long in advance you were told of the cancellation.
If the airline manages to reroute you, they will also look into how long you have been delayed by when you arrived at your final destination.
Typically you can expect the compensation amount for flight cancellations to vary anywhere between 125€ (£105) and 600€ (£500).
But, believe us, working this all out is a big headache!
Cut out the confusing stuff and use our free calculator to get the answers quickly and painlessly!
What are my air passenger rights when SAS cancelled my flight?
To qualify for SAS flight cancellation compensation, you must fulfill two requirements under EC261:
- The airline didn’t inform you of the flight cancellation or you were informed of the cancellation less than 14 days in advance, or
- The airline arranged for you to travel on a different flight, and you arrived at your final destination 2 or more hours later than you expected
However, you will NOT be entitled to SAS flight cancellation compensation if:
- You cancelled the flight yourself or,
- SAS told you of the cancellation 14 or more days in advance
Further to this, if you are required to stay at the airport for more than 2 hours, you are entitled the following without incurring any cost:
- Refreshments and meal/s
- Communication in the form of 2 phone calls, emails or fax
- A night in a hotel, if overnight stay is required
- Transport from said hotel to the airport
SAS Overbooking Compensation
It can be incredibly frustrating when you find out your SAS flight has been overbooked. Don’t panic though, EC261 will make sure you are reimbursed for your wasted time.
You are entitled to SAS overbooking compensation if:
- You have been denied boarding due to SAS overbooking the flight
- You arrived on time for check-in with the correct travel documents
- You did not offer up your seat voluntarily or accept alternative compensation from SAS
However, you will NOT be entitled to overbooking compensation if you are denied boarding due to:
- Safety concerns
- Health risks
- Your inability to present the correct travel documents, or
- If you volunteer to surrender your seat
If you are eligible for compensation SAS will present you with two options, either:
- Re-routing, either as soon as possible or a later rerouting that suits you better, depending on seat availability
- A full reimbursement of your ticket, to be paid by electronic bank transfer, cash or cheque
The airline must also reimburse you for parts of the journey you were prevented from making, and parts of the journey already completed.
If required, the airline will also pay for your return journey back to your point of original departure.
Just as with flight cancellations, SAS must also provide airport assistance. This comes in the form of food, shelter and communication if you need to stay at the airport for 2 or more hours.
Have you ever had a delayed flight with Scandinavian Airlines in the past 5 years? Check out if you’re eligible to compensation!
The airline may owe you up to 600€: it takes less than 3 minutes to find out!
SAS Customer Service
Does SAS respond to complaints?
In accordance with EU regulations, airlines must respond to complaints within a 6 week period. SAS’s complaints policy does better than this, and outlines that it will respond to complaints within 10 working days.
SAS is also very efficient at solving claims, taking on average 25 days.
If you want to make a complaint about the airline, you can either:
- Contact the SAS customer contact centre directly by phone, or
- Complete an online complaint form with CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT)
How to contact SAS customer service?
Contacting SAS customer service is simple and straightforward with phone numbers specific to your place of residence:
- UK: local +44 871 226 7760
- Ireland: +353 1 844 5440
- International +44 207 660 6876
- Belgium & Luxembourg: +32 2 643 6900
- Austria: +43 820 988 530
- Estonia: +372 880 18 19
- Finland: +358 981710 062
- France: local +33 0825 325 335
- International +33 1851 48203
- Germany: +49 1806 117 002
- Iceland: +354 800 7624
- Italy: +39 0699 748 015
- Latvia: +371 67 852 191
- Lithuania: +370 52 051 109
- Netherlands: +31 900 74 66 3727
- Poland: +48 22 8500 500
- Russia: +7 49 57 829 353
- Spain: +34 93 00 39916
- Switzerland: +41 84 811 7100
- All other countries: +46 8797 3010
IATA code:
SK
ICAO code:
SAS
Did you know that SAS is the largest Scandinavian airline? Despite this, Norwegian Air now transports more passengers each year.
That being said, the airline made an average of 789 daily departures in 2019. SAS also delivers around 28.5 million people to 128 international destinations and 5 domestic destinations each year.
Although the airline’s headquarters is based in Frösundavik, Sweden, it also has hubs in Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen (CPH).
Scandinvian Airlines was one of the founding members of the the largest airline alliance in the world, namely Star Alliance.
It has a fleet size of 160, mainly consisting of A320s and Boeing 737s, and welcomed its first Airbus 350 in January 2020.
The airline’s frequent flier program is called EuroBonus and was launched back in 1992. It has five membership levels, Member, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Pandion.
Membership levels are based on the number of points acquired through taking flights with SAS, Star Alliance or Wideroe. Extra points can be gained through the airline’s partner network of hotels, credit cards and rental cars.
EuroBonus points can then be used to upgrade flights, book bonus trips and purchase goods in the EuroBonus shop, amongst other things.
As part of their luggage allowance, SAS let passengers bring aboard carry-on luggage as long as it complies with its size and weight limits. Cabin luggage is limited to 10 kg and must be 55cm x 40cm x 23cm.
Travellers can also bring with them a personal item, whether that be a purse or laptop bag however it must fit the dimensions 40cm x 30cm x 15cm.
SAS Ratings
The tab below provides specific data regarding the airline's on-time performance. It includes the amount of flights operated by the airline each month, which portion of these flight arrived on time (i.e with less than 15 minutes delay), which portion consists of delayed flights, and the average delay of their flights in minutes. Source: Flightstats.com
Number of flights
On-time (<15 min delay)
Delayed (15+ min late)
Average delay (in min)
Average
24805.46
78.72%
21.28%
37.02
Sep 2019
27671
80.33%
19.67%
36.80
Aug 2019
24464
81.18%
18.82%
34.00
Jul 2019
22726
70.50%
29.50%
37.20
Jun 2019
25333
75.29%
24.71%
37.10
May 2019
27004
85.43%
14.57%
33.20
Apr 2019
24830
85.13%
14.87%
34.90
Mar 2019
26667
76.81%
23.19%
37.70
Feb 2019
21829
77.90%
22.10%
43.20
Jan 2019
21036
73.39%
26.61%
39.90
Dec 2018
20252
72.45%
27.55%
39.00
Nov 2018
25845
84.30%
15.70%
37.10
Oct 2018
27855
81.13%
18.87%
35.30
Sep 2018
26959
79.56%
20.44%
35.90
Less than 24% of Scandinavian Airlines’ flights arrive late (at least 15 minutes after the scheduled time of arrival) - a performance slightly better than the industry average. The average delay of their delayed flights is less than 40 minutes, a good performance for the industry.
The Scandinavian airline’s first quarter was their worst and was followed by a good on-time performance between April and June. Unfortunately, this didn’t last, and the third quarter registered a higher proportion of delayed flights, although still lower than during the first quarter. The airline was at its most punctual during the last quarter of the year.
The average delay followed the exact same trend.
Overall, Scandinavian Airlines ranks among airlines slightly above average when it comes to on-flight performance, with a rating of 5.7.
At ClaimCompass, we have experience dealing with the airline. Many passengers have already asked us to help them get their flight compensation from Scandinavian Airlines.
As you can see below, SAS is quite cooperative when it comes to processing compensation claims. It’s actually one of the best airlines when it comes down to processing claims under the EU Regulation:
Average number of days for the airline to reply once the claim is submitted
10.3
Average number of days to solve the claim
24.5
Average number of days to pay the compensation after the case was sent to court
Scandinavian Airlines is quick to reply to submissions of compensation claims. Passengers can expect a reply in about 10 days only.
Better than this: it only takes Scandinavian Airlines 25 days to solve a claim. This means that passengers who are owed compensation can expect to receive their money from the airline in 3 weeks and a half.
With such efficiency, Scandinavia Airlines ranks among the fastest airlines to process compensation claims: if you have to run into flight delays and cancellations, you want it to be with this airline!
FAQ
Can I get a refund for my delayed Scandinavian Airlines flight?
If your SAS flight is delayed for more than 3 hours and you choose not to fly with the airline, you are entitled to a full refund of your unused ticket.
When am I NOT eligible for a cancelled or delayed flight compensation?
There are some circumstances where you are NOT eligible for SAS cancelled or delayed flight compensation. These circumstances are:
- The delay/cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances outside of the airline’s control
- You arrived at your destination less than 3 hours late
- SAS notify you about the cancellation 14 days or more in advance
- You cancelled the ticket yourself
What if I miss my connecting flight due to a delay with SAS?
If you miss your connecting flight due to SAS delaying your flight, you are eligible for missed connection compensation.
However, in order to qualify for this compensation, both flights MUST be under the same booking number (PNR). If they were booked separately, you will NOT qualify.
