irishguy28

Just to warn you - though this is more of an issue for North American airlines, though it does sometimes happen for European airlines, too - you may find that, having booked 11 months in advance, a number of time changes or even schedule changes/cancellations may occur.

I don't travel often with SAS anymore, so not sure how likely they are to change their timetable.

I had a KLM flight booked for 29 December last, many months previously (like yourself), and had it cancelled 4 months prior to travel:

You should always consider making an Avios redemption for such positioning flights - it gives you far more flexibility (can cancel for any reason, such as finding a cheap fare you're happy with later on, while still having the "satisfaction" of knowing you have a plan already in place).

Eskimoboy

Hmm very good point, quite possibly should have done that. Isn't there a cancellation fee for a redemption that would negate any benefit of a cheaper fare?
I'm not too concerned about cancelled flights as long as they rebook us. My wife's boss is a bit strange at times, she wouldn't be happy us flying earlier on the 16th, it has to be after work. However should the flight be cancelled and we were rebooked at a different time then she'd turn her ire on SAS rather than my wife ;-)

Globaliser

The amount of cash paid, up to a maximum of Ł35 per person.

Misco60

You also need to be aware of the risk you're taking in booking the last flight of the day to Oslo in mid-December, particularly as you have an unprotected long-haul flight from there the following day. There is a small but not insignificant chance of weather that is bad enough to affect the schedules and you really need to at least think about a Plan B. Would you still make your long-haul flight if you got moved to the first flight the next day?

irishguy28

Booking the night before is mitigation enough.

SK are particularly good at operating flights; even if BA threw in the towel for some of its short haul flying it's far more likely that SK would perform theirs regardless.

If weather looks to be so bad on that date, only then should the OP look at taking more drastic measures to secure the flight- such as crying off sick from work and flying even a day earlier)

irishguy28

...which on this route can be as low as the princely sum of €1
(Not sure what it would be in GBP!)

SK AAR

Booking the OSL flight for the night before almost guarantees the OP from missing the flight ex OSL the following day. Very wise and absolutely no reason to do it differently/to fly earlier than this.

AA and other US carriers are far worse (as in it happens more frequently) than most European carriers, in particular SK, when it comes to schedule changes and cancellations. Even if far out the risk that SK cancels the LHR-OSL flight is extremely low - it is a SK prime route. Maybe 1 or 2 minor schedule changes before December, but usually nothing significant. Also keep in mind that for LHR-OSL there will always be an earlier SK flight that you can be asked to be rebooked to, if your flight is cancelled or has an inconvenient schedule change. As a last resort there is also flights via CPH or ARN. LHR flights are nothing to worry about.

If a cancellation or schedule change occur you are entitled to cancel/full refund or to be rebooked free of charge - SK is usually not fuzzy about this. But if you book with an TA/OTA it may be much more difficult to get rebooked or to cancel as the OTA has little interest in helping you out as it requires extra work that the OTA is not paid for.

Misco60

I agree that the chance of problems is extremely low, but even you have said almost guarantees. A back-up plan for an ex-EU is always sensible, even if the plan is simply to check the weather and the flights periodically on the day of travel and be ready to rebook onto an earlier flight if necessary.