Has your flight been cancelled or delayed by the SAS strike? Then you may be entitled to compensation

If your flight is cancelled or delayed due to the SAS cabin crew strike, you may be entitled to up to DKK 4,500 in compensation.  

This morning, 120 SAS cabin crew have cancelled work as a result of a breakdown in wage negotiations between SAS and the Norwegian cabin crew union. 

It can be difficult to know exactly when you can claim compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight. But in connection with the current SAS strike, you generally can, explains Benedikte Bolvig Lund, lawyer and legal director at Refundmore, 

"It is important to be aware that the SAS strike is an internal strike among the airline's own employees, and that SAS is therefore required to handle the consequences of the strike for passengers," says Benedikte Bolvig Lund. 

Has your flight been cancelled? 

In the event of a flight cancellation or delay of more than 3 hours, you as a passenger are entitled to compensation of up to 600 EUR per person under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation - unless there are extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control. 

Extraordinary circumstances can include very bad weather, bird strikes, strikes in air traffic control, political unrest or security risks, which means that a strike among SAS cabin crew is not covered - even if the strike is organised by a trade union.   

As a rule, SAS must therefore compensate you if you are affected by flight cancellations or delays of more than 3 hours as a result of the strike. If your flight is cancelled, you are also entitled to a refund of the ticket price or a new ticket. If your flight is delayed for more than five hours, you are also entitled to a refund of the ticket price. Remember to keep your receipts for the cost of new tickets, food, drinks and any accommodation. 

Refundmore - on behalf of air passengers - takes legal action against airlines in courts across Europe and, if necessary, in the European Court of Justice. 

"When airlines cancel their flights due to a strike, they have a duty to inform passengers of their rights, but they don't always do this well enough. That's why we're taking the fight to the airlines so that passengers can get the compensation they deserve for their cancelled flights," says Benedikte Bolvig Lund. 

If you are unsure if you are entitled to compensation for your cancelled or delayed flight, you can research your options in 5 minutes at Refundmore.com. 

Benedikte Bolvig Lund also encourages travellers to always book their flights directly with the airlines. This is because ticket intermediaries are not covered by the same consumer protection EU regulation that airlines are. 

"To get your money back from the ticket vendor, you would have to take legal action against the ticket vendor in their home country and under the law of that country, through that country's courts and in that country's language. In other words, it's almost an impossible task," says Benedikte Bolvig Lund.