SAS long-haul delay or cancellation: when is compensation EUR 600?
EUR 600 per passenger is the standard EC261 amount for a covered SAS journey over 3,500 km between the EU/EEA and a non-European destination when arrival is at least three hours late, cancellation qualifies, or boarding is involuntarily denied. The flight must be operated by the responsible qualifying carrier, and extraordinary circumstances can defeat the fixed payment. Rerouting that limits arrival to no more than four hours late can allow a reduction to EUR 300 in the situations covered by Article 7(2).
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Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Do not infer distance from the words "long haul" or from cabin type. Define the protected itinerary, operator and original final destination first.
EUR 600 decision table
| Question | Result if yes |
|---|---|
| Does EC261 cover the route and operator? | Continue to the event test |
| Is the protected great-circle distance over 3,500 km and not wholly intra-EU/EEA? | The standard band can be EUR 600 |
| Did final arrival reach at least three hours late? | Delay compensation can qualify, subject to cause |
| Was a cancellation announced within the relevant notice period? | Test replacement timing and extraordinary circumstances |
| Did qualifying rerouting keep arrival within four hours? | SAS may be able to reduce EUR 600 to EUR 300 |
A journey entirely within the EU/EEA remains in the EUR 400 category even if its measured distance exceeds 3,500 km.
SAS-operated outbound and return flights
An SAS-operated departure from Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo or another EU/EEA airport is within EC261. A direct return from the United States, Canada or Asia can also fall within the regulation when the actual operator is a qualifying European SAS entity. This inbound protection is one reason the operated-by line matters.
A non-European codeshare partner operating the return may produce a different result. An SK marketing number does not give a US or Asian operator European status. Test the actual flight rather than treating the outbound and return as one territorial event.
The SAS operator guide helps identify SAS Connect, SAS Link and contracted capacity.
Measure one protected itinerary
For a connection on one ticket, distance is generally measured from the first point of departure to the final destination affected by the disruption. Do not add the length of every sector. A regional flight to Copenhagen followed by an intercontinental sector can form one protected journey when issued together.
Suppose one reservation covers Gothenburg-Copenhagen-New York. A late first flight causes the passenger to miss the long sector and arrive in New York the next day. Measure Gothenburg to New York, then assess final door-opening delay. If the feeder and long flight were separately ticketed, New York may not be the final destination of the first contract.
An intentional stopover can also divide the journey. Review the ticket dates and fare construction rather than assuming any overnight connection remains one continuous trip.
When EUR 300 can replace EUR 600
Article 7(2) permits a 50 percent reduction when passengers are offered rerouting and arrival does not exceed the original schedule by four hours for the relevant long-distance category. It is not permission to halve every claim that falls between three and four hours.
Preserve the cancellation or rerouting context, original itinerary and actual arrival. Ask SAS to identify the legal basis if it pays EUR 300. A simple delayed operation without qualifying rerouting may not fit the reduction.
For shorter categories, different two-hour and three-hour reduction thresholds apply. The complete SAS amount table covers all bands.
Delay and cancellation use different triggers
Long-haul delay compensation normally begins at three hours at the final protected destination. Arrival occurs when a door opens and passengers may leave, not at touchdown. Missed connections on one ticket are included in that final calculation.
Cancellation begins with notice. At least 14 days generally removes the fixed amount; shorter notice requires examination of replacement departure and arrival windows. The passenger still has the travel choice between reimbursement and rerouting even when the fixed-payment test fails.
Involuntary denied boarding can generate the distance amount without proving a three-hour arrival delay when the passenger presented on time with a confirmed booking and valid documents. Volunteers negotiate separate benefits.
Cause is decisive
Dangerous weather, air traffic restrictions, airport closure, security events and some external industrial action can be extraordinary. SAS must connect the event to the particular flight and establish reasonable measures. Long distance or scarce seats do not lower that burden.
Routine technical faults and ordinary crew or rotation management generally remain within airline activity. If SAS cites an event on a previous sector, ask for the aircraft sequence, recovery time and alternatives. A remote external cause does not excuse an unlimited chain of later cancellations.
Care is independent. A passenger stranded overnight can seek reasonable meals, hotel accommodation and transfers while waiting for earliest rerouting even where EUR 600 is unavailable.
Families, fares and cabins
The amount is calculated for each eligible passenger. Three ticketed family members can therefore have three EUR 600 claims. Compensation does not increase for SAS Premium or Business and is not reduced for an Economy Light fare.
A publicly offered EuroBonus award ticket can qualify. An infant or special free ticket requires the actual fare and ticket record to be examined. Paid seats, baggage and upgrades are separate services; request their price if SAS did not provide them rather than adding them to the statutory amount.
Claim evidence
Keep the original one-ticket itinerary, operated-by statement for every sector, boarding passes, rerouting records and final door-opening evidence. Show the great-circle endpoints and passenger-by-passenger calculation. Preserve the reason supplied and any realistic alternative that SAS declined.
Itemise care and replacement travel separately. Use the SAS claim checklist and save the submission reference.
The legal position was checked on 26 August 2026. The EU reform adopted in July 2026 is not yet applicable, and today's EUR 600 test must not be replaced by future thresholds or filing rules.
FAQ
Is every SAS intercontinental delay worth EUR 600?
No. Coverage, distance, final arrival, operator and cause must all qualify, and an intra-EU/EEA journey remains capped at EUR 400.
Can an SAS-operated return from the United States be covered?
Yes, a qualifying European SAS operator can bring the inbound flight within EC261 even though it starts outside Europe.
Does a four-hour long-haul delay always mean EUR 300?
No. The half reduction is tied to qualifying rerouting under Article 7(2), not every delay between three and four hours.
Is EUR 600 paid once per family booking?
No. Each eligible passenger has an individual statutory amount, subject to ticket status and representation requirements.
Does Business class increase the amount?
No. Cabin and fare price do not alter the EC261 distance band, though a downgrade or unused paid service can create another claim.