SAS booked through an OTA, travel agent or package holiday
Booking SAS through an OTA, travel agent or package organiser does not remove passenger rights, but different parties handle different remedies. EC261 fixed compensation normally goes to the airline that actually operated the disrupted flight. The seller or merchant may control ticket reimbursement, and a package organiser can owe additional assistance and contract remedies. Keep the SAS PNR, agent reference, payment receipt and complete itinerary so the parties cannot redirect the claim without explaining their role.
Free eligibility check
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 submit every issue to every company. Map operator, ticket holder, payment recipient and organiser first.
Responsibility map
| Issue | Usual first respondent |
|---|---|
| EUR 250-600 for delay or cancellation | Operating carrier |
| Earliest rerouting during disruption | Operating carrier managing the affected flight |
| Refund of ticket charged by agent | Seller or party controlling the funds, with airline cooperation as needed |
| Package holiday performance | Package organiser under package-travel law |
| OTA service fee or booking error | OTA under its contract and consumer law |
| Delayed or damaged baggage | Carrier route under Montreal rules, not the booking platform alone |
An SK marketing code is not the operator test. Read the "operated by" line even when the agent page displayed only SAS branding.
Find both reservation references
Agents often issue their own order number plus an airline PNR. Obtain the SAS record locator and e-ticket number before travel. The agent reference may not let airport staff or SAS claims staff locate the operational booking.
Download the full ticket receipt, not only a mobile itinerary. It should show passenger names, sectors, dates, ticket numbers, fare and taxes, and ideally the operating carrier. Save it before a cancellation causes reissue.
If the agent controls the contact email, change or add passenger contact details where permitted. Otherwise important cancellation notice can remain inside an intermediary account.
Notice passed through an agent
Cancellation compensation depends partly on when notice reached the passenger. SAS may say it informed the agent more than 14 days before departure, while the agent forwarded the message much later. Preserve email headers, app timestamps and account history.
The legal effect can depend on the intermediary's authority and facts. Do not simply use the later date without disclosure. State when SAS sent information if known, when the agent received it and when the passenger actually learned of the change.
The SAS schedule-change guide explains notice windows and flights brought forward.
Fixed compensation follows the operator
An agent did not cause the aircraft delay merely because it sold the ticket. Submit the EC261 request to SAS when the relevant SAS entity actually performed or intended to perform the disrupted flight. If a partner operated an SK codeshare, direct the fixed claim to that partner.
Include the complete one-ticket itinerary when a missed connection caused final arrival delay. The agent's booking structure can prove whether sectors formed one contract or a self-transfer. Do not let a visual itinerary bundle substitute for ticket evidence.
An agent can represent the passenger only with valid authority. Review any claims-company or OTA terms before allowing it to receive compensation or settle.
Ticket refund and merchant role
After cancellation, the passenger can choose reimbursement or rerouting. If reimbursement is chosen, determine who charged the card and holds the funds. An airline may authorise a refund to the agent, which then must pass it on; in another model SAS can repay directly.
Ask for a written payment path and amount. Compare fare, taxes, unused services and agency fees. The agent's own non-refundable service fee is not automatically part of the airline ticket refund, but consumer and contract law may govern it.
Do not accept endless referral. Send both parties a concise chronology and ask each to state whether it operates, holds ticket funds or provides only a platform.
For US-linked transport, DOT refund rules can place duties on the merchant of record after a cancellation or significant change. Apply that regime separately from EC261.
Package holiday rights
An EU package combines travel services under a package contract and gives the organiser responsibility for performance of included services under Directive 2015/2302. The organiser may need to assist, arrange alternatives, reduce price or address additional loss depending on the event.
These rights coexist with EC261, subject to avoiding double recovery. The organiser does not become the operating air carrier merely because the SAS flight formed part of the package. Inform it promptly because accommodation, transfers and the purpose of the package can require immediate action.
If the organiser provides replacement transport or refund, disclose it in the airline claim. Allocate payments to the actual loss so one item is not recovered twice.
Self-transfer products
Some platforms combine independent tickets and market a connection guarantee. EC261 normally assesses each contract separately, while the platform's guarantee can promise replacement or refund for the lost onward ticket.
Look for self-transfer warnings, separate PNRs, baggage collection and new check-in. Keep the guarantee terms in force on the booking date. A commercial promise can be valuable but does not merge the flights into one statutory journey.
At Copenhagen, Stockholm or Oslo, airport feasibility cannot correct a contract that leaves the connection risk with the passenger.
Care and replacement purchases
Ask the operating carrier for meals, hotel and airport transport during covered waiting. If a package organiser also arranges assistance, coordinate the response. Save itemised receipts and note who paid each cost.
Before buying a replacement flight, contact SAS and the organiser or agent controlling the ticket where practicable. Preserve realistic alternatives and choose proportionately. The replacement transport guide provides the evidence test.
Submission bundle
Create a party table naming the operator, marketing carrier, ticket issuer, merchant, agent and package organiser. Attach the SAS PNR, agent order, ticket receipt, payment record, package confirmation, notices and replacement offers.
Send each party only the remedy it can decide, while copying relevant proof of the wider itinerary. Keep all references and reconcile any refund, voucher or compensation received.
This intermediary guide was reviewed on 26 August 2026. Platform terms and merchant models change, so preserve the booking-date version for the passenger's case.
FAQ
Does an OTA pay SAS delay compensation?
Normally no. Fixed EC261 compensation follows the actual operating carrier, although the OTA can act as an authorised representative.
Which reference should I give SAS?
Provide the airline PNR and e-ticket number, adding the agent reference to explain how the booking was issued.
Who refunds a ticket bought from an agent?
It depends on who holds the funds and controls servicing. Ask the seller and SAS to identify the payment path in writing.
Does a package organiser replace SAS liability?
No. Package duties can coexist with the operating carrier's EC261 duties, subject to no duplicate recovery.
Are self-transfer flights one protected journey?
Usually not merely because a platform displayed them together. Check PNRs, tickets, baggage handling and the platform's separate guarantee.