SAS Missed Connection Compensation

SAS missed connection compensation.

How much can you claim? What happens if you miss your flight?

If you miss a flight connection with SAS, you may be entitled to compensation. The amount you can claim depends on the specific circumstances. At the same time, factors such as your nationality, ticket price, and travel insurance coverage do not affect your eligibility for compensation. Because European Union laws dictate that SAS must follow specific regulations. If compensation is due, SAS is obligated to pay it.

You have the option to file the claim yourself or enlist the help of professionals.

1. EU Missed Flight Connection Compensation

If you miss your connecting flight with SAS, you may be entitled to compensation.

The laws governing these situations are straightforward.

1.1 Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay: Compensation 

You made it 3 or more hours later, and it was fault of SAS.

If your SAS flight was delayed causing you to miss your connecting flight, you may be eligible for compensation. According to EU regulations, if the delay was due to the airline’s fault, you are entitled to compensation of up to €600 if you were flying to or from Europe. Since SAS is a European airline, these rules apply to all SAS flights within, to and from Europe. It’s, basically, the same thing as the SAS flight delay compensation, legally there’s no such thing as SAS missed connection compensation.

You must arrive at your final destination 3+ hours later than planned to be entitled to SAS flight compensation. To sum it up, you can get compensation if:

• It’s a 3+ hour delay;
• It’s the fault of SAS;
• Flight is to/from Europe.

The same rules apply to connecting flights. In this case, your destination in this case is your final destination (not any of the layover cities/countries).

Here’s an example. You have a connecting flight with SAS from London to Shanghai via Copenhagen. Your final destination is Shanghai. Copenhagen Airport is only a layover airport. If you have made it to Shanghai 3 or more hours later due to fault of SAS, you will be entitled to compensation for missed connection flight for the whole “London – Shanghai” journey.

Don’t forget to file a compensation claim!

1.2 Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Cancellation

The rules are the same as with flight delays.

If you’re flying to or from Europe, and you reach your final destination 3+ hours later than scheduled, and it’s due to the airline’s fault, you may be entitled to compensation from SAS. The maximum compensation amount you can get is €600. The compensation amount depends on the distance of your flight.

To sum up, you can get missed connection flight compensation if:

• Your previous flight is cancelled (or delayed) due to the fault of SAS;
• You reach your destination 3+ hours late;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

These rules only apply to connecting flights and not to self-transfer flights. If your flights are booked separately, you are not eligible for compensation. For instance, if you have booked one flight with SAS and another with Wizz Air, and SAS’s flight is cancelled, SAS will only be responsible for their own flight. You may be able to receive compensation for the cancelled SAS flight, but SAS will not provide assistance for your Wizz Air flight.

Just don’t forget to file a compensation claim!

By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

2. Extraordinary Circumstances

These are circumstances that are beyond the control of SAS.

If you miss your flight due to factors such as severe weather conditions or pandemic, you will not be eligible for compensation. However, it is advisable to confirm any information you receive if you are unsure. When it comes to compensations and refunds, it’s a good idea to double-check all the information you are being given by the airline.

Alternatively, you may choose to engage a flight compensation company to review your case on your behalf to ensure that you are not being provided with incorrect information. For instance, technical issues with the aircraft are generally considered the responsibility of the airline (not exceptional circumstances). But your airline may claim otherwise. If they do, know that it’s most likely incorrect.

3. Right to Care

If you have to wait at the airport, you are entitled to receive assistance.

For instance, if your flight is delayed or cancelled, causing you to miss a connecting flight, and you must wait for another flight, SAS is obligated to provide you with a new flight free of charge in accordance with the rules (EU Regulation 261/2004). Additionally, if your waiting time at the airport is at least three hours longer than planned, you are entitled to receive care from SAS.

• After 3 hours of waiting SAS must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, plus two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes.
• In case of an overnight delay, free hotel accommodation must also be offered (+ free transfer).

4. How to Claim SAS Flight Compensation?

There are two methods of claiming UK/EU flight compensation.

The first option is to directly contact SAS. Visit their website and get in touch with their customer support center to request compensation for your flight. However, be aware that this process may take several months, and you may need to negotiate with SAS. It would be beneficial if you have evidence to demonstrate how much later you arrived at your destination.

The second, simpler option is to seek legal representation.

With this approach, all aspects of the claim are handled by legal professionals.

Our partners provide such services – see below.

4.1 How Long Does It Take?

It takes at least a couple of months.

If your case needs to be referred to a national enforcement body or court, the process may take at least a couple more months, and in some instances, up to six or more months (you should add that to the standard 2-3 months).

The length of time it takes to receive compensation can be influenced by various factors. The sooner an airline accepts your claim and agrees to pay compensation, the quicker is the process. On the other hand, if the airline disagrees with your claim, it could take longer, and you may have to undergo a lengthy legal process to receive compensation.

Additionally, the complexity of the case can affect the amount of time it takes to receive compensation. Not all cases are the same.

5. How Much Can You Claim?

The compensation amount is fixed and range from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can calculate the amount of SAS flight compensation:

When your destination is within the EU/UK:

When your destination is outside the EU/UK:

There’s one exception. When the distance is 3500 kilometres or more and you reach your destination 3 to 4 hours later, you are entitled to compensation of €300, not €600. If the delay is longer than 4 hours, you will get full compensation of €600.

5.1 SAS Voucher Refund or Cash?

You might be offered a SAS voucher instead of compensation.

During the COVID crisis, numerous airlines provided vouchers as a form of compensation.

Despite this, you have the choice to decline the offer of a voucher and instead receive cash or bank transfer compensation for your flight. It is important to note that airlines are required to provide compensation and flight cancellation refunds in cash, and not solely in the form of vouchers or coupons. This is the law in Europe.

Read more: Your SAS Refund Is Taking Forever. What Can You Do About It?

6. Connecting Flights

6.1 What Is a Connecting Flight?

A connecting flight is two or more subsequent flights.

This requires changing planes at some point during your journey rather than flying directly from point A to point B. In this case, point C is also included in the itinerary, where you will fly from A to C, and then from C to B. Occasionally, there may be more than one stop in between. The time spent at the airport between flights is commonly referred to as a layover.

If it’s a long layover (more than 24 hours), it’s called a stopover.

There are two types of connecting flights:

1. airline-protected transfers,
2. self transfer flights.

6.2 Airline-Protected Transfer

How to find out if you have an airline-protected transfer?

1. You have booked a connecting flight either directly through the airline or with a third-party service such as Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams.
2. You have a single booking reference number for the entire trip, which includes two or more flights on your itinerary. Airline booking reference number, not travel agent booking reference number — this is an important difference. When you go to the airline’s website, and try to manage the booking, you can see the whole itinerary with this one reference number.

6.3 Self Transfer

How to tell if you have a self-transfer flight?

You have two or more flights one after the other.

If you have booked these flight separately, it’s called a self transfer.

If you have two or more reservation numbers, it’s a self transfer.

If you paid for these flights separately, it’s definitely a self transfer.

Sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between self transfer and airline-protected connecting flights. One way to tell is by checking the tickets – if each flight has a separate reservation number or booking reference, it is likely a self transfer. If you book it through an online travel agent (like Kiwi or Expedia), they also indicate if the flight is a self transfer.

7. Missed Connection

Missed connection means missing a connecting flight.

A missed connection occurs when you are unable to make your connecting flight. This typically happens when you are running late for your flight or if there is a delay or last-minute cancellation of your previous flight. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, it is easy to miss your next flight, particularly if the layover or connection time is only 1 or 1.5 hours long.

It is important to note that in many cases, airlines will protect you if you miss your connecting flight. If arriving at your destination later than expected is not a major issue, it may even be beneficial for you to experience a delay, as you may be entitled to flight compensation of up to 600 euros per person.

Cancelled or delayed flight causes missed connection?

7.1 Airline-Protected Transfer

Opting for such a flight is the simplest and most secure option for you.

If you miss your connecting flight through no fault of your own, you will be protected.

In the event of flight cancellations or delays that result in a missed connection, passengers are protected, and they may even be eligible for compensation. In such cases, the airline will arrange for a new flight, and in certain instances, compensation may also be provided.

To resolve the issue, contact SAS representatives at the airport.

What about a refund or compensation?

Regarding refunds or compensation, it is not possible to obtain a refund for a missed flight. However, if your flight falls under the EU Regulation 261/2004, you may be eligible for missed flight compensation for your entire journey (that’s the same flight delay compensation / flight cancellation compensation).

Don’t forget to file a claim for compensation!

Connecting flight example: London, Heathrow Airport (LHR) – Shanghai, Pudong Airport (PVG) with a stop in Copenhagen Airport (CPH). Booked from SAS, under one booking reference number.

7.2 Self Transfer

These are several flights that are booked separately.

What happens if you miss your self-transfer connection?

If any of these flights is 3+ hours late, cancelled or you are denied boarding, then you might be entitled to flight compensation for that particular flight. But neither of the airlines will be responsible for your journey as a whole or for any missed flights. 

Example: If you have a flight with Ryanair to Copenhagen, which we shall refer to as “flight 1,” and then have a 3-hour layover before catching the next flight with SAS to Shanghai, which we shall refer to as “flight 2,” neither airline is responsible for any missed connection resulting from a delay or cancellation of flight 1.

In the event of a lengthy delay, you may be eligible for compensation from Ryanair. If there is a last-minute cancellation, you may be entitled to a new flight, refund, and compensation from Ryanair for flight 1, in accordance with European Union regulations.

However, if you miss your SAS flight as a result, it is your responsibility to purchase a new flight to your destination. Neither Ryanair nor SAS will provide any compensation for flight 2, and you will not receive compensation for a missed flight connection.

The same applies to SAS flight – flight 2. If it’s delayed or cancelled last minute, you may get compensation for this one particular flight. At the same time, if it’s cancelled last minute and you are given a flight 2 hours earlier than you can’t make it for, it is your problem to deal with.

If you have missed flight insurance, you should contact your insurance company. They might be able to assist you, depending on the situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

SAS Delayed Flight > Missed Connection

Flight Cancellations

Other Situations

Do you have any questions about SAS compensation policies? Ask in the comments.

Featured photo by Alexandr Podvalny from Pexels