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SAS denied your compensation

Updated 2026-10-13

SAS said no to your compensation claim. Several of the key court rulings on passenger rights involve SAS, and they do not all go SAS's way.

We are not affiliated with SAS and do not act for SAS.

What the rejection usually means

SAS rejections commonly cite:

Sometimes SAS points to older board decisions. Check that they are actually about the same situation as yours.

What the courts and boards have said

Strikes by SAS's own staff. During the 2019 pilot strike SAS refused compensation, and Sweden's consumer board ARN agreed (ARN 2019-07890), as it had after the 2016 strike (ARN 2016-07656). In 2021 the EU Court of Justice settled the question in a case against SAS: a strike called by the airline's own staff over their own demands is part of normal operations, not an extraordinary circumstance (Airhelp v SAS C-28/20). In Norway, SAS then gave in on about 30 complaints from the 2019 strike.

Strikes within the SAS group. Denmark's Eastern High Court ruled for passengers on 23 September 2022 after a short wildcat strike at SAS Ground Handling, a separate company in the SAS group. SAS could not show the cause was external. One judge dissented.

Strikes by others such as air traffic controllers or airport staff are judged differently and are more often extraordinary.

Technical faults are normally part of operations (van der Lans C-257/14).

Crew illness is not extraordinary, even away from base (TAP C-156/22). Denmark's Trafikstyrelsen has followed that line since 1 July 2017.

Weather and ATC. The event is often accepted, but SAS must also show what it did to get you there, including on other airlines (C-74/19). In Norway, SAS lost an Oslo–Málaga case where it blamed a storm that only reached Norway the next day, while Norwegian flew the same route about 30 minutes later.

Be fair about it: weather can hold up. Denmark's Supreme Court ruled for SAS in 2017 on a Copenhagen–Washington flight diverted by weather (U 2017.2809 H).

Bird strikes. Can be extraordinary, but only for the delay they actually caused (Pešková C-315/15). A Danish appeal court ruled for the passenger when the airline's only evidence was a short line in the technical log (U 2023.1758 V).

What evidence to ask SAS for

Step by step

  1. Reply to SAS in writing in the same case. Explain why the rejection does not hold and ask for the evidence.
  2. Wait for the answer: about 4 weeks in Sweden and Norway, up to 6 weeks in Denmark.
  3. Go to the complaint body for the country where the disruption happened. That is ARN in Sweden, Transportklagenemnda in Norway, Trafikstyrelsen in Denmark and KRIL in Finland. See our guide to the Nordic complaint boards.
  4. Small claims court (forliksrådet in Norway) if SAS does not follow the decision. In Norway, SAS says it follows nearly all board decisions.

When it is worth it, and when not

Strong cases: SAS's own strikes, technical faults, crew illness, and weather or ATC without flight-specific evidence.

Weaker: an air traffic controller strike that hit every airline, or a bird strike SAS can document with an incident report. Then the question becomes whether SAS rebooked you as fast as it reasonably could.

Appeal My Flight writes the reply to SAS and the board complaint for €29 per booking, however many passengers.

FAQ

SAS cites ARN decisions about the pilot strike. Do they still apply?

They were decided before the EU Court's 2021 ruling in C-28/20. The EU Court's reading of the regulation takes priority over older national practice.

Can I claim for a new ticket I bought on another airline?

If SAS did not offer reasonable rebooking, proven costs of rebooking yourself can be claimed. Keep receipts.

How long do I have?

It depends on the country. Norway and Denmark apply 3-year limitation. In Sweden, ARN has accepted claims up to about a year after the flight. Claim early.