What a flight!

Airline guide

SAS compensation

SAS flies the Nordic markets from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, where winter weather is a genuine defence — but only for the flights it actually affected.

Quick answer

SAS flies the Nordic markets from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, where winter weather is a genuine defence — but only for the flights it actually affected.

Airline
SAS
Main hub
Copenhagen
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; EU-airline arrivals

Does SAS have to pay?

SAS flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. Intra-Nordic and European sectors sit in the €250–400 bands, with Scandinavia to the US in the €600 band. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • Snow and de-icing delays can be extraordinary, but the airline must show the disruption was unavoidable that day.
  • SAS pilot strikes are the airline's own labour dispute and do not excuse payment.
  • Denmark, Sweden and Norway each have their own enforcement body — use the one for the departure country.
  • Norway applies the same rules through the EEA agreement.

How to send your claim

SAS accepts claims through its online form; a written letter attached to the form keeps the legal basis clear.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for Copenhagen-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

It snowed, so SAS refused. Is that final?
No. Ask what the specific cause was and what measures were taken. If other airlines operated normally that day, the defence weakens.
How long do I have to claim?
It depends on the country whose courts would hear the case: three years in Germany, five in Spain, six in the UK and Ireland, two in some others. Older flights are often still claimable, so it is worth asking.
Does SAS charge to process a claim?
No. Claiming under EU261 is free and the airline has to handle it, which is exactly why handing 25–35% to an agency is hard to justify.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.