SAS prepares for strike – passengers are offered complimentary re-booking

the SPG, the overall scandinavian pilotföreningarna, and the association of employers, transport operators have not yet managed to meet in the negotiations on a new collective agreement, despite several attempts by the mediator.

Now preparing SAS for the worst, and offers all passengers who have a ticket to the Friday, Saturday or Sunday, free re-booking to a later date. The parties have not reached a solution before the weekend break strike out at 00: 00 Friday 26 april, i.e. the night between Thursday and Friday.

applies to all who booked their ticket via the SAS before the 23 april, and which have departure dates between 26 and 29 april. The one who booked their trip through a travel agent or a tour operator to fly with SAS it is recommended to contact the company where the booking is been made.

The one who can, and want to be on the safe side, make probably the best in that book of his ticket already now. But those who do not, still have rights if the trip gets cancelled.

In the event of a strike, the airline is obliged to offer the passenger rerouting or reimbursement if the flight is cancelled because of the strike.

– It is of the essence, " says Christine Holst, lawyer and counselor on the Consumer upplysningstjänst Hello Consumer.

to claim compensation for any expenses incurred in connection with the trip has been cancelled, booked, or been delayed. If the traveler has the right to it or not depends on if the strike is deemed to be an extraordinary event or not.

– It can not know in advance. You have to go in and do an assessment of each case, and then there are certain parameters one must take into account whether the airline should be held responsible, " says Christine Holst.

She advises those who want to claim compensation to do so in writing to the company. Often are forms for such claims on the airlines ' websites.

– It is not in a hurry, but do it as soon as possible. The general rule is that you should do it no later than two months after it suffered economic harm.

"Then it is good to document, save receipts for expenses and attach," says Christine Holst.

Returns the carrier with a response you are unhappy with, it is possible to turn to Hello Consumer guidance, or General Complaints to have the decision reviewed.

then pilotföreningarna went out and announced that they were leaving the negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, after they have reached a point where the parties have not arrived anywhere.

since Then, the mediator made several attempts to get the negotiations to reach a solution, but little seems to have happened. Now remains only two days of negotiation and none of the parties gives some sign that a solution could be near.

" I am concerned that the pilots do not exhibit any konstruktivitet in the negotiations, I am afraid that they go more towards a conflict than a solution, said Torbjörn Granevärn, it's head of negotiations at the transport companies of the aviation industry to DN on Tuesday.

Wilhelm Tersmeden, representing the Swedish pilots, think, however, that the talks are constructive.

– To call over all that is constructive, but the SAS have lower paid pilots in comparison with several other airlines in Europe and Scandinavia. In addition, we have gone down in salary over a longer period of time and then we have lagged behind when it comes to the terms of service, " he says.