Dear SAS flyertalk community,
I am currently in mainland China and luckily in a province relatively unaffected by the current Corona virus. I had a return flight back to Europe scheduled for Monday (Feb 10th) which was cancelled in the beginning of the month when SAS stopped their schedule to China. Two days ago, I called their service hotline (as EBD). Of course I had prepared myself beforehand and already searched for alternatives on the SAS website. There were still several options to fly from Shanghai (with MU) to Hong Kong and from there back to CPH on SK966. I talked to a very friendly phone agent who after explaining my situation had initially concerns whether this was possible, but then agreed to consult with his superiors. Upon returning on the line he told me that he had even better news and he could rebook me on any date in February an AirChina flight PVG-MUC and then SK MUC-CPH because interline agreements had been extended until the end of the month. I agreed to get rebooked right on February 10th and was very happy about the friendly and efficient service and thanked the agent for his prompt support.
Today, I sat together with my Chinese partner (also EBD) and reminded him to change his ticket (booked separately with different leave but same return date - Feb 10th) as well. He called twice the SAS hotline and met twice very unhelpful agents. They both said that he has only two options: either he applies for a refund or he travels back in between March 16th and May 31st. When talking to the second agent, I actually prepared my partner already with screenshots from the SAS website for dates that were still bookable online back to CPH (not on the 10th but e.g. on the 16th, see below). After some discussion and again consulting superiors, he said that these options are not possible and that SAS had no contract with China Eastern (MU). I got a bit impatient listening into the call and went on the speaker - and asked the agent, if he could not rebook via HKG, then whether he could not offer a solution similar to mine (an AirChina flight). The agent was very astonished and said that this was even more impossible to rebook to another carrier for the intercontinental leg. He even said that agent that rebooked my flight must have been mistaken and I should give him my booking number so he could cancel my AirChina flight as well(!?!).
I refused to share my booking code to him and we terminated the call, first because this was completely done in a rude way (no apologies at all!) and second I didn't believe him because I have been rebooked by SAS several times already to Lufthansa, LOT or even intercontinental to KLM and Delta during the last year strike period.
I would like to hear the echo from the community here about this incident. I feel there went something really wrong. Also my partner feels he was discriminated and mistreated because his ticket bears a Chinese name and not a European like mine (He is though a Schengen resident and would overstay if he would need to stay in China until mid March). I will anyway try again another agent over the weekend and also complain in Copenhagen when I (hopefully) return on Monday morning.
Please see also a sample routing that can still be found (and booked) on the SAS website below
