Around 30,000 passengers were affected every day by the SAS strike during the 15 days it lasted – which in total is almost half a million affected. Many of the victims are now seeking compensation for canceled and delayed flights.
SAS cannot yet comment on how many people are seeking compensation.
– It is far too early to say it now, says Karin Nymancommunications director at SAS to TT.
Unclear when to receive compensation
SAS also finds it difficult to comment on how long it will take to receive its compensation, says Nyman. It also depends on the type of compensation you can get; if you are entitled to a regular refund or to other financial compensation, for example.
– Everything that requires manual handling takes longer, while what happens automatically goes faster. For example, if you request a refund directly instead of rebooking, it is done automatically and then it goes very fast. But what is handled manually can be expected to take time, says Karin Nyman.
According to Henric Jonssona guide at the Swedish Consumer Agency, the consumer must first and foremost have the right to choose between rebooking the flight ticket and refunding.
– If you choose rebooking, it is a requirement that you arrive at your final destination with equivalent transport conditions. And in the case of a refund, you should simply get your money back. These requirements should be set directly to the company, to SAS in this case, and you should preferably formulate the requirement in writing, he explains.
Damages for extra costs
If the consumer incurs other costs as a result of the canceled flight, for example for accommodation or food, you can instead receive damages paid by the airline.
– These costs should of course be reasonable, you may not want to stay in a five-star hotel for example, says Henric Jonsson.
The consumer may also be entitled to a fourth compensation alternative: compensation in the form of a flat-rate amount.
– If you are entitled to this or not depends on a little more exactly what happened, were you rebooked or not? And if so, how late did you arrive at your destination if you were rebooked. How long did the flight take? Depending on it, you may be entitled to either 250, 400 or 600 euros per passenger, says Jonsson.