Nick Art

This thread has been merged together from the countless threads with similar topics on SAS and their (lack) of reach-ability and help during IRROPS.

Ways to reach SAS:
1. Chat on the website: https://www.flysas.com/gb-en/customer-service/contact/ [Works only when you select certain countries like the UK,NO,DK,SE etc.]
2. via Phone. The local SAS hotline numbers can be found here: https://www.flysas.com/gb-en/customer-service/contact/ [Many of the numbers have limited operating hours, hence it might make sense to check some countries in other time zones than Europe, especially the US or JP]
3. At the Airport: The HUBs have SAS transfer desks and info points
If you are at an outstation most handling agents usually have a staffed transfer desk, if not ask at the check-in desk

EC261 Claim Support & Discussion Thread: SAS and EC261/EU261 Claims [merged Discussions]

the810

I found myself sitting at VIE waiting for two hours late SK flight to CPH. This means I'm gonna miss my connection to OSL (transfer time is 75 minutes).

What is the best of these three options in situation like this?
1. Call SAS for rebooking.
2. Find transfer desk at VIE and ask them to rebook me (this would mean leaving third-party lounge, so it's not really prefered).
3. Do nothing until I get to CPH and sort things there.

I presume there are plenty of flights between CPH and OSL and they will be able to put me on something (although I may have to accept middle seat ).

I'm in SAS GO and have checked baggage, if it affects anything.

FT Guest xyzpdq

There are plenty of flights from CPH-OSL. I would sit tight and wait until you are in Copenhagen. Chances are that SAS has already rebooked you. Likely reason is a wild cat strike among some bagagehandlers this morning (solved now). You could check your booking on the various on-line tools to see if this has already happened

the810

Thanks (app still shows my original fligts and BP). I presume strike means there will be no compensation even if I arrive to Oslo over three hours late?

SK AAR

Your assumption is correct. SAS is not liable for illegal strikes of third party/ground handlers

TeapotTeddybear

Hi FT!

Emerging from the lurker grounds I come to share an interesting experience I am currently enjoying in the late stages.

I was booked on a DUS-CPH-ORB connection (SAS ticket) Friday evening, my phone being out of juice due to a forgotten charger, and thereto having to checkin at the airport.

I was arriving in good time at DUS only to see that the DUS-CPH connection (SK628) is canceled. At the SAS check in counter, I am told that I am rebooked to DUS-FRA-ARN on LH87 and LH808. So, that is fine, but missed the final destination (ORB) by a few hundred kilometers. ORB is only served by the CPH connection twice a weekday, the next scheduled flight would be Monday morning, which makes things quite a bit more tricky. Check-in agent (DUS groundstaff not SAS) calls supervisor and tells me that questions regarding why that rebooking and how to get from ARN to ORB can only be answered by SAS.

Now SAS does not have any representation or ticket sales in DUS, so they send me to the former handler for SAS matters at DUS: Aviapartner. There I am given a card with a german SAS service number that I am supposed to call to handle this. My mobile still being dead, it is time to call in that rarely relevant part of EC261 (we have a cancled flight after all) - the phone call/communication method. Aviapartner after checking with the supervisor refuses, so do the star alliance partners that I try and the 'SAS' check-in guys can't help either. Luckily, I found a couple of fellow victims of the cancelation with different problems, but they where given the same number on the card. They tried to call, but as it turns at that line is not manned Friday after 5.

So, no way to communicate with SAS and hence a total failure with regard to 'duty of care' due to the cancelation by SAS, I get on the rebooked LH connection, as ARN is at least a SAS hub and far closer to ORB than most other options, the hope was that things will be figured out there.

Unfortunately, FRA-ARN (LH808) was delayed due to 1) late in coming crew, who then found during visual inspection of the aircraft 2) a problem with the left nose wheel, requiring replacement (which was done quickly in 25 minutes), which then lead to a further delay due traffic issues/slot adding up to 70 minutes of overall delay. That meant a 0.45 arrival in ARN and the fact that all SAS counters (airside/baggage claim T5 and landside T4 and T5) were abandoned. I spent half an hour trying to track someone SASy down (even with support of a very engaged security guard), before giving up unsuccessful. With some phone charger help I tried to figure out whether there is a 24 hour SAS hotline I can call, but this thing only seems to exist for status members of EB, which I am not.

Since ARN-ORB is a 2,5 hours ride on a coach, the next feasible option was to spend 3 dog hours in ARN and take to first bus at 4:45, as some constrains require my earliest possible presence in ORB, hence a hotel room with proper sleep was not an option. Until 4:30, when I left the area with the counters, no SAS groundstaff was spotted (while the rest of the place came back to life between 3:30 and 4:00). So I am currently writing this post on the bus expecting an overall delay in ORB of about 10 hours, without having an opportunity to talk about this mess with SAS.

I fully understand that there are deviations from the planned operations that cause disruptions for travelers and that is not the point, but the really poor show is the total disregard of the 'duty of care' responsibilities due to the simple fact that there was no one from SAS around / reachable for me.

Any advice on how to deal with the situation / proceed with the compensation claims, etc.?

CPH-Flyer

You are due compensation for the cancellation, and refund of any reasonable expenses you incurred dealing with the chaos of the reroute.

Google flights does not come up with any options for getting to ORB from DUS on Saturdays and Sundays, so the initial plan was probably to get you to ARN, and then get you on a taxi or coach the rest of the way That would make sense.

But the absence of ground crew, and details of the further plan, is pretty pathetic Though I would probably have tried to talk to Lufthansa in Frankfurt, and see if they could give more information. I think they still handle SK in Frankfurt. Though if not they might have a bit better connection to SK than the airport handling company in DUS.

I would raise a claim for comp and incurred expenses to SK customer relations And I would add description of the flow as well. Short and to the point of where they failed....

oliver2002

SAS in Germany doesn't use LH at all... only for gate crew and checkin. Backoffice is done by other agencies...

That said there is a 24h hotline agents should be able to call. I would have just asked DUS to document the statements given in the booking and organised getting to ORB myself by bus/taxi.

GUWonder

fassy

SK2751

A pretty annoying story, and clearly a tribute the outsourcing-heavy state of this industry. Not sure how I would have acted. Probably I would have been confused just like OP. Good we have FT. Just remembered a trick: remember a taxi or rental as a way out of trouble.

I also have learned many times that a working mobile when flying simplifies problems a lot. This is not an excuse for SK but a lesson for you (in the times when one cannot rely on the service in outstations a working mobile is key). I recall an LO cancellation out of YYZ when I had no working mobile. I was given a local number to call, and had to literally beg people for pennies, as the airline judged that I should be able to make a local call from a pay phone. Of course had no cash on me either.

oliver2002

Newbie Runner is currently stuck in CPH: her flight to MAN was cancelled and she was sent to a hotel by the transfer desk at 6pm with the request to check SAS.dk. now they rebooked her to LHR and there is no number to call that is open after 7pm. Business class longhaul pax. :facepalm:

NewbieRunner

At least I’m rebooked on the 12:05 flight which seems to be the first one with available seats. I just saw 3 people who should have been on the same flight as myself and they have been rebooked on the 16:30 flight also to LHR.

Nick Art

I guess they expect her to take the train from LHR to MAN?
Seems quite poor tbh, especially the lack of communications in such situations I find so utterly frustrating.

view

If you look at their FB page it seems SAS has gone into a slight meltdown in the last few days, it seems they are giving the Norwegian/DY customer service model we've seen the last few summers a run for their money.

It was bound to happen eventually, with the continous cost cutting and outsourcing. Usually the shorthaul fleet has not been the problem for SAS, but now it is high season for charter and sun destination travel and a lot of the domestic trunk routes are being plied with CRJ900 from Cityjet. Trouble is Cityjet has some 500 cancellations of SAS flight in May-Aug this year due to pilot shortage, so once those flights go belly up and all the mainline aicraft are in Spain, Italy, France etc there is no back-up. On top of that staff ground staff are usually outsourced, phone hours are limited and if you get someone they may well be in Lithuania or something because they are also outsourced.

Could be some interesting press stories for SAS this summer if they keep this up.