Delayed SAS flight compensation
Oct 12, 2016, 10:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: NY
Posts: 733
Delayed SAS flight compensation
Looking to get some help with this one.
We were traveling SAS ARN-LHR to connect to UA LHR-EWR on Sep 5, on an award flight booked through Aeroplan.
SAS ARN-LHR was delayed causing us to miss the connection to EWR.
The next available flight was the following morning, so instead of arriving Monday night, we arrived Tuesday afternoon, causing us to miss work and school.
I filled out the claim form on the SAS website, but so far my communications with them have been unpromising. The response to the form was will get back to you at some point in the distant future (8 weeks).
Trying to send them new emails- they get bounced back due to "incorrect format", even though I follow it to the T.
Should I follow it up with Aeroplan since it was their ticket?
Has anyone used online delay compensation sites that take 25% cut but promise 98% success?
We were traveling SAS ARN-LHR to connect to UA LHR-EWR on Sep 5, on an award flight booked through Aeroplan.
SAS ARN-LHR was delayed causing us to miss the connection to EWR.
The next available flight was the following morning, so instead of arriving Monday night, we arrived Tuesday afternoon, causing us to miss work and school.
I filled out the claim form on the SAS website, but so far my communications with them have been unpromising. The response to the form was will get back to you at some point in the distant future (8 weeks).
Trying to send them new emails- they get bounced back due to "incorrect format", even though I follow it to the T.
Should I follow it up with Aeroplan since it was their ticket?
Has anyone used online delay compensation sites that take 25% cut but promise 98% success?
Oct 12, 2016, 11:04 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
First question: Was the journey bought on one ticket. If not, you have no ground to ask for compensation. If it was one journey -> question #2
Second question: What was the origin of the delay? Weather, technical, etc...
Second question: What was the origin of the delay? Weather, technical, etc...
Oct 12, 2016, 11:54 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: NY
Posts: 733
The delay was technical, not a cloud in sight.
Oct 12, 2016, 12:17 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
To my experience SK is one of the very few airlines which regularly pays out compensation for flight delays without much problems. Claimed doZens of times for delays with SK flights and always got the money, no questions asked.
8 weeks waiting time is kind of normal, they seems to have quite a backlog there. But as long as you got a message that the claim was received they will get back to you in time.
Only Elites (Gold and Diamond FFP members) get a bit more attention, for Diamonds usually in a few days.
8 weeks waiting time is kind of normal, they seems to have quite a backlog there. But as long as you got a message that the claim was received they will get back to you in time.
Only Elites (Gold and Diamond FFP members) get a bit more attention, for Diamonds usually in a few days.
Oct 12, 2016, 5:04 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Your claim uner EC 261/2004 is against SK as the operating carrier which caused the delay. Neither UA nor AP have anything to do with this and you are wasting your time and pursuing either or both of them.
You are each (however many of you) entitled to delay compensation of EUR 600, thus approx. US$ 660. You were also entitled to a "duty of care" at LHR. If SK did not provide a hotel + meals, claim for those (provide receipts) and local transport if you did not stay at an airport hotel.
No, do not send your case to a bottom feeder collection outfit yet. You have not been denied. Your travel was on 9/5 and you were told 8 weeks which is not the "distant future" by any means. That is roughly 11/4.
If you have not heard by mid-November, call SK and ask. Follow up with this:
Not sure what you sent in, but it may be worth reformulating your claim if you said too much or too little. All that matters is that:
1. SK was the operating carrier which caused a delay at your final ticketed destination, e.g. EWR.
2. The delay was on SK flight XXX on a given date (provide the ticket number, PNR, and passenger name).
3. Provide the flight, date & time of actual arrival at EWR and note the # of hours delayed.
Advise of the claim amount. Omit irrelevant detail (it doesn't matter that you missed work & school).
If you need to pursue, you may need a bottom feeder, simply due to your location.
You are each (however many of you) entitled to delay compensation of EUR 600, thus approx. US$ 660. You were also entitled to a "duty of care" at LHR. If SK did not provide a hotel + meals, claim for those (provide receipts) and local transport if you did not stay at an airport hotel.
No, do not send your case to a bottom feeder collection outfit yet. You have not been denied. Your travel was on 9/5 and you were told 8 weeks which is not the "distant future" by any means. That is roughly 11/4.
If you have not heard by mid-November, call SK and ask. Follow up with this:
Not sure what you sent in, but it may be worth reformulating your claim if you said too much or too little. All that matters is that:
1. SK was the operating carrier which caused a delay at your final ticketed destination, e.g. EWR.
2. The delay was on SK flight XXX on a given date (provide the ticket number, PNR, and passenger name).
3. Provide the flight, date & time of actual arrival at EWR and note the # of hours delayed.
Advise of the claim amount. Omit irrelevant detail (it doesn't matter that you missed work & school).
If you need to pursue, you may need a bottom feeder, simply due to your location.
Oct 13, 2016, 12:36 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,848
You need to be patient. When SK states that it may take up to 8 weeks to get back to you, it will take 8 weeks before you hear anything. There is no point in trying to speed this up by sending reminders etc. Rest assured that you will get a reply sooner or later.
Oct 13, 2016, 1:49 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,827
Pick up the phone and make your dismay blatantly clear and that you will not accept an 8 week wait period. Don't accept the argument that they can't do anything for you and simply ask to talk to a superior. This will work almost always, might take a few phone calls but you'll get there. Raise your voice linear to the amount of calls you're making to get your right.
As the customer, it should not be your problem that SK does not employ enough back-office staff to deal with these kind of topics. Waiting 2 weeks would be reasonable, 3 would be a stretch, 8 is not acceptable.
Oct 13, 2016, 4:03 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
On the other hand, some airlines which do answer complaints more quickly are much less forthcoming with valid EC 261/2004 claims than SK. Swings and roundabouts. I'm happy to wait.
Oct 13, 2016, 4:13 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
In all fairness, 8 weeks isn't good enough and sitting back and accepting what you're told might be the Swedish thing to do, most other countries work differently.
Pick up the phone and make your dismay blatantly clear and that you will not accept an 8 week wait period.
.
Pick up the phone and make your dismay blatantly clear and that you will not accept an 8 week wait period.
.
Calling in over and over again, spending in total hours on the line (most time on hold, remember the OP is no SK Elite) for getting perhaps the compensation payment 1 week earlier? Not a compelling value proposition for me...
Of course in an ideal world airlines (or any company really) would take customer service more seriously but in the one hand we (the customers) want to get everything as cheap as possible and in the other hand top notch service. Only one of that will work economically...
Oct 13, 2016, 4:45 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Koala Lemur
Programs: SK EBD LTG (*G)
Posts: 2,447
+1 for waiting. I'd rather dealt with an airline that is slow to pay than with one that is fast to decline.
Oct 13, 2016, 5:47 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,848
Won't get you anywhere. They just work down the queue (prioritizing Elites, so if complaining for you works it's has more to do with your company spending significant amount of money on SK tickets). Same goes for almost all airlines in the world. And most of them try to get out of the compensation payment and try to pull every trick until many months later you might see a payment.
Calling in over and over again, spending in total hours on the line (most time on hold, remember the OP is no SK Elite) for getting perhaps the compensation payment 1 week earlier? Not a compelling value proposition for me...
Of course in an ideal world airlines (or any company really) would take customer service more seriously but in the one hand we (the customers) want to get everything as cheap as possible and in the other hand top notch service. Only one of that will work economically...
Calling in over and over again, spending in total hours on the line (most time on hold, remember the OP is no SK Elite) for getting perhaps the compensation payment 1 week earlier? Not a compelling value proposition for me...
Of course in an ideal world airlines (or any company really) would take customer service more seriously but in the one hand we (the customers) want to get everything as cheap as possible and in the other hand top notch service. Only one of that will work economically...
Oct 13, 2016, 5:20 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
In all fairness, 8 weeks isn't good enough and sitting back and accepting what you're told might be the Swedish thing to do, most other countries work differently.
Pick up the phone and make your dismay blatantly clear and that you will not accept an 8 week wait period. Don't accept the argument that they can't do anything for you and simply ask to talk to a superior. This will work almost always, might take a few phone calls but you'll get there. Raise your voice linear to the amount of calls you're making to get your right.
As the customer, it should not be your problem that SK does not employ enough back-office staff to deal with these kind of topics. Waiting 2 weeks would be reasonable, 3 would be a stretch, 8 is not acceptable.
Pick up the phone and make your dismay blatantly clear and that you will not accept an 8 week wait period. Don't accept the argument that they can't do anything for you and simply ask to talk to a superior. This will work almost always, might take a few phone calls but you'll get there. Raise your voice linear to the amount of calls you're making to get your right.
As the customer, it should not be your problem that SK does not employ enough back-office staff to deal with these kind of topics. Waiting 2 weeks would be reasonable, 3 would be a stretch, 8 is not acceptable.
SK knows that there is nothing OP can do to make this happen faster and that even if it's turned over to a bottom feeder as a claim, it won't get dealt with faster and OP pays for the service out of the compensation.
The reality is that there are carriers which may respond faster, but they respond "no" and take you through rounds of "no" so that it can take 18 months to see anything.