SAS Scandinavian Airlines delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which SAS Scandinavian Airlines flights are covered
SAS Scandinavian Airlines is registered in Sweden, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because SAS Scandinavian Airlines is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on SAS Scandinavian Airlines routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm (ARN) → Copenhagen (CPH) | 547 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Stockholm (ARN) → Oslo (OSL) | 385 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Copenhagen (CPH) → Oslo (OSL) | 517 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Stockholm (ARN) → Paris (CDG) | 1,540 km | EU261 | €400 |
What SAS Scandinavian Airlines is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to SAS Scandinavian Airlines
The Airhelp v SAS judgment — which established that a strike by an airline’s own staff is NOT an extraordinary circumstance — was brought against this airline. If SAS rejects your claim because its own pilots or crew were on strike, that case is directly on point and decided against them.
They operate across Sweden, Denmark and Norway with different limitation periods in each. Which country’s courts hear the claim depends on where you departed or arrived.
Scandinavian winter operations produce genuine de-icing and snow delays. A weather rejection in January at Arlanda is more defensible than one in July.
Their claims portal is functional and they will usually give a specific reason rather than a generic one, which makes the reason easier to test.
Time limit: SAS Scandinavian Airlines is based in Sweden, where claims run for 3 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your SAS Scandinavian Airlines delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with SAS Scandinavian Airlines’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines delay: common questions
How much can I claim from SAS Scandinavian Airlines for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of SAS Scandinavian Airlines’s routes.
My SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does SAS Scandinavian Airlines give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a SAS Scandinavian Airlines delay claim?
Where SAS Scandinavian Airlines is based, the limit is 3 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other SAS Scandinavian Airlines claims
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.