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SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? SAS – Scandinavian Airlines is licensed in the EU, so EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all its flights. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flights on every route you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can usually claim for flights up to 3 years back.

IATA code
SK
Headquarters
Stockholm / Copenhagen
Hub
Copenhagen (CPH), Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), Oslo (OSL)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
all flights

SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical SAS – Scandinavian Airlines routes: Copenhagen–New York, Stockholm–Chicago, Oslo–London Heathrow, Copenhagen–Budapest.

SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, SAS – Scandinavian Airlines must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How punctual was SAS – Scandinavian Airlines in the UK in 2025?

SAS – Scandinavian Airlines operated 14,853 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.11% were 3 hours or more late and 1.02% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
14,853

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
84.7%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.11%

1 in 909 flights · better than the UK average

Cancelled
1.02%

153 flights · close to the UK average

Average delay
7.4 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
London Heathrow9,81186.2%0.09%0.77%
Manchester2,83677.3%0.10%1.12%
Aberdeen1,13192.6%0.09%2.25%
Edinburgh56884.0%0.18%0.18%
Birmingham50381.2%0.38%3.45%

What to know when claiming from SAS – Scandinavian Airlines

  • You can still claim for flights cancelled during the 15-day SAS pilot strike of 2022 (the limitation period depends on the country; in Denmark it is 3 years).
  • The 2022–2024 bankruptcy protection proceedings (Chapter 11) have ended, so older claims can also be handled.

About SAS – Scandinavian Airlines

SAS is Scandinavia's largest airline; Air France–KLM has been a shareholder since 2024. From its Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo hubs it flies across Europe and to North America.

The SAS name appears in one of the most important judgments in EU261 case law: in C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that a lawful strike by the airline's own pilots is NOT an extraordinary circumstance – so compensation is due.

How to claim directly from SAS – Scandinavian Airlines

  • Official online form: flysas.com
  • On the Claims page choose ‘EU261 compensation’ (expenses, baggage and other claims are separate options; a ‘contact us by post’ option also exists). UK ADR – sources conflict: the CAA’s list puts SAS under AviationADR, but AviationADR’s own member list does not include SAS and CEDR lists SAS among the companies it covers. Ask SAS which scheme applies in its final response.
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from anywhere (it is an EU airline) and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to SAS – Scandinavian Airlines?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.flysas.com/gb-en/support-information/claims), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a SAS – Scandinavian Airlines flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

SAS – Scandinavian Airlines offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The SAS – Scandinavian Airlines name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. SAS – Scandinavian Airlines – official claim / complaints page – SAS – Scandinavian Airlines
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.