SAS – otherwise known as Scandinavian Airlines – has cancelled hundreds of flights today as pilots go on strike. The Sweden-based airline revealed that 673 flights are grounded across domestic, European and long-haul routes, making up 70 per cent of its total. Roughly 72,000 passengers are affected as pilots demand better pay. Those impacted should receive text and email updates from SAS and follow the latest travel advice.
What should SAS customers do?
Passengers due to fly with SAS are urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
SAS tweeted the latest update on Twitter, apologising for the disruption.
“We’re sorry if you’re affected by the ongoing pilot strike by the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish pilot unions that has led to delays and cancelled flights,” they wrote. “We’re doing everything we can to help everyone.
“SAS is striving to reach a solution as quickly as possible to prevent additional inconveniences for travellers.
“Before travelling to the airport, please check your flight status. For up-to-date information about the traffic situation, please visit our website”
What options do SAS passengers have?
On their website, SAS list the three options that affected passengers have now.
The first is “Wait for us to rebook you to the next available flight.” The second is:
“Contact SAS or your travel agent to rebook your ticket to a later date.”
And the third option is: “Cancel your flight and get a refund from your original place of purchase.”
Which SAS UK flights are cancelled?
Among the grounded flights are two flights into Heathrow Airport. One from Oslo, Norway, at 1.15pm and another form Stockholm, Sweden, at 4.15pm.
The 5.50pm from Stavanger, Norway and 6.30pm from Copenhagen, Denmark to Heathrow have also been cancelled.
A 5.50pm flight from Copenhagen to Birmingham Airport has also been scrapped.
As for Manchester Airport, the following flights have been cancelled: 4.20pm from Stockholm, 5.20pm from Copenhagen, 7.20pm from Oslo, Norway and 8.05pm from Bergen, Norway.
Why are SAS pilots striking?
SAS pilots want a 13 per cent wage increase. They currently earn an average of 93,000 Swedish crowns (£7,500) a month, reported the BBC.
However, the SAS Pilot Group, a union representing 95 per cent of the airline’s pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, claimed it was work schedules rather than salaries which were the focal point of the negotiations.
“Many SAS pilots have no control over when and how long they have to work. In a worst case scenario, they risk having to work seven weekends in a row,” the pilots’ trade body said in a statement.
What will happen next with SAS?
SAS has said it is willing to bargain with the striking pilots and hopes to reach an agreement soon.
“SAS is prepared to continue to negotiate, but if the requirements were to be met, they would have very negative consequences for the company,” a SAS statement said. “Nonetheless, the pilot associations have chosen conflict.”
The strike is not affecting SAS Ireland and airlines that are subcontractors of SAS.
Will impacted SAS customers get compensation?
According to flight compensation site Flight Delay Claims 4 U: “In the event of a flight cancellation due to strike, refunds will be provided to passengers by the airline if required under EU regulations. They may also offer passengers a reroute or transfer to an alternative flight if that is a possibility.
“Further financial compensation can be claimed for a flight cancelled due to a strike if delay legislative criteria are met. For instance, the subsequent delay must be in excess of three hours and have occurred in the last six years.
“The amount of compensation paid will generally vary between £220 and £540 depending on flight distance and delay duration.”
