Service/Unservice/Stuck
 

Just venting and using my time somehow ...

They asked me to use the self check-in machines in TMP; those machines usually do not want to work with me but I decided to be nice and try those again. "Check-in not possible, please check-in at the counter". Yeah, nothing new.

Checked-in, got all my luggage tagged and tickets seemed to be okay. Proceeded to the gate. Welcome Cimber Air :D

We were took off and we were still climbing and FA was seated:

"This is your captain. We are receiving disturbance from a mobile phone to our radio communication. We ask everyone to check their mobile phones and turn them off."

People checked their mobile phones and apparently everything was solved as nothing further.

FA started to serve the meals for Business and Economy Flex. I was seated in P-class so I decided that maybe I will try those nice vouchers. It took ages before the FA actually got into the P-class but I was seated on the second row in P-class so soon it was my turn especially as the previous row only ordered two wine bottles.

- I would like to have a sandwich, please.
- We are sold out.
- Hmmm?
- I only have this extra business class meal, would you like to have it?
- Oh yes, please!

So I got a nice business class meal (the last one) with a voucher. Very nice service!

Arrived to CPH, looked quickly through the flights information and then started to notice something ... Munich, right there. But hey, that is not my flight. Where is my flight? Cancelled?

To the transfer desk - waited ... and then I was told that SAS cancelled my flight. Asked re-routing. Nothing can be done. Lounge access? No ...

Thank you for nothing SAS. So much benefits for the EBS. :D

Well, I will still get to MUC but only later and will most likely need to skip dinner. But there is Novia lounge in CPH (actually two of those) and they let PriorityPass customers in so I got at least my lounge access but a little bit disappointed on SAS.

I rarely ask for lounge access and only when I really would like to have it and would need it. This was the second time in 10 years. Last time it was because AY lost our luggage but send those in the next flight - nice AA service person took us into AF lounge in CDG when I politely asked that.

How much would have that costed for SAS to let me into the lounge? Not much.

On the other hand my corporate TA couldn't do much but I didn't expect that. Why I couldn't be traveling on leisure so I could try how my personal TA would handle this ... oh, just my typical luck.

Rant over. Going to check what drinks they have in the Novia bar.

Go back to the SK counter and remind them that as per 261/04 they have to give a you a refreshment voucher (LH gives a 10EUR one in Y) and an opportunity to call the destination for free.

All cancellations get this, even if the delay is not to bad!!

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (SymbianOS/9.1; U; en-us) AppleWebKit/413 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/413 es61)

Hmmm... I forgot that rule. Oh, well. Transfer is packed and I think it is not worth it. I will spend my extra time looking around and having some seafood at the Salmon House.

Btw, Cimber isn't so bad - I felt more personal service than what I have experienced with SAS. Now I just have to figure out the strategy for my upcoming SEA flight on Wednesday.

This must have been the reason for the cancellation - according to SAS Sales:

Traffic disturbances 13-14MAY07 to, from and within Denmark and Sweden (13MAY07 12.40 UTC)
Due to technical inspections on all Q400 aircrafts, delays and cancellations to be expected 13-14MAY07.

Luckily I need service only in the cabin side - no need for inspections.... :p

OK, so now I know why the 14.30 departure from GOT to ARN has been cancelled three days on me for the last 9 days, it is the only deprture with Q400, all others are MD80 or 737. :td:

Sucks having a flight cancelled, but I can't see why SAS should give you lounge access. The lounges are, at certain times, already pretty full and even more so when flights are cancelled.

I hate crowded lounges.....:D

Sorry that I tried to enter the secret land of the lounge. :D But as stated, there are airlines who do that. And I don't see any harm asking. As I told the story before, AY/AA arranged a nice breakfast opportunity in AF lounge few years ago when we had to wait for the luggage. Not a problem for any of those airlines (and without any kind of status). I guess it is just how much you value your passengers ...

I was trying to see how much SAS cares for their valued customers (received a letter from then awhile ago where they called me as a valued customer). I got my answer and it was just like I suspected. EBS is nothing to them :-)

And it was pointed out that since I didn't remember my EU rights the SAS decided to also forget those laws and skip the voucher. So much valuing my business.

Of course I have known that for a long time, that is why I carry PriorityPass card and have arranged my own lounge access. There is just so many rumors going on in this forum that SAS would actually start caring from their passengers (especially those who fly more than once per year with them) and even their management has stated that.

But nothing is changing ... and now it is perfect time for Tommy to jump in and say that I just need to be patient and wait until SAS actually changes their direction and starts caring about their valued customers in other way than just sending junk mail. Maybe 2010?

Would that been so difficult to
a) Use the so much hyped SMS service to let me know that my flight is cancelled without silently transferring me to the next one?
b) Have the staff actually tell me that I have been transferred to the next flight?
c) Even try to act like it would be bad thing to cancel the flights and not just act cold in the transfer desk? Even a smile and few nice words?
d) Follow the EU regulations on their own and not follow them on passengers who actually know and remember all the EU laws?
e) If I am valued customer then actually value it?

Oh well, I got at least three seats on the MD80 ... the last row. Maybe that was my value? I didn't book that but I got transferred into that row.

I think SAS is great airline if you are triple-EBG, LH SEN/HON or UA 1K. All the others ... just wish that you will get where you want in the end and don't expect anything.

It doesn't need much to get me happy or impressed, I was very happy after scoring a business class meal with a meal voucher (Cimber Air provided excellent, happy and friendly service). If SAS had pulled their service correctly in CPH, I would be now praising SAS - and it would not have required lounge access but a little treatment as a valued customer they called me in their recent mailing.