SAS refund, travel voucher or rerouting
After a covered SAS cancellation, choose one travel remedy: reimbursement, rerouting at the earliest reasonable opportunity, or travel later under comparable conditions and subject to availability. A five-hour departure delay can also create a reimbursement choice when the passenger abandons the journey. A voucher should be voluntary. Current EC261 reimbursement is due within seven days, while fixed compensation and care remain separate questions.
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 select an option in the app until its effect on every sector, especially the return, is understood.
Compare the three options
| Choice | Best suited when | Main consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Money back | The trip no longer serves its purpose | SAS normally stops carrying the passenger on refunded sectors |
| Earliest rerouting | The passenger still needs to arrive as soon as possible | SAS must find a reasonable route under comparable conditions |
| Later rerouting | Travel can be postponed to a chosen date | Seat availability applies and care can end after the earliest option |
| Voluntary voucher | The passenger values flexible future credit | Expiry, transferability and route limits replace immediate cash |
Reimbursement and rerouting are alternatives for the same unused carriage. Fixed EUR 250-600 can coexist because it addresses inconvenience rather than transport value.
Money back under current EC261
The current regulation requires reimbursement within seven days. It covers the ticket price for parts not made and can include used parts if the journey no longer serves the passenger's original plan. A return to the first point of departure can also be required when travel has begun and continuing is pointless.
Explain lost purpose for used sectors. Missing a one-day event after reaching a connecting airport is different from simply preferring to go home. Keep evidence that supports the original objective without disclosing unnecessary personal information.
Ask for a calculation of fare, taxes and unused services. A partial refund should identify each passenger and sector.
Current Article 8 refers to repayment in money through the methods in Article 7(3), while travel vouchers require signed passenger agreement. Record the original payment method and ask SAS to explain any currency conversion, agency deduction or unexplained difference from the ticket receipt.
Earliest reasonable rerouting
SAS should transport the passenger to the final destination at the earliest opportunity under comparable conditions. The duty is not necessarily limited to the next SAS flight if another realistic carrier or route arrives materially sooner.
Compare total arrival, airport changes, connection feasibility, documents and cabin. A route involving an unreasonable overnight wait may be inferior to an available partner service. Ask SAS to consider the alternative and save contemporaneous seat evidence.
Comparable conditions do not always guarantee the same seat number or meal. A lower cabin can create a separate Article 10 reimbursement claim.
Later travel by passenger choice
The passenger can choose rerouting at a later convenient date, subject to seat availability and comparable conditions. Obtain the new booking in writing before abandoning the immediate route. Clarify validity, seasonal service and whether return sectors remain attached.
Care does not normally continue through a voluntary extension chosen after earlier reasonable transport was available. Separate the airline-caused waiting period from the passenger's personal stay.
Voucher choice
A travel credit can be useful when it offers additional value and workable terms, but it should not be imposed in place of reimbursement. Review expiry, destinations, passenger-name restrictions, transferability, residual balance, blackout rules and insolvency risk.
Preserve evidence of consent. A meal voucher handed out as care is not the same as a travel voucher settling the unused ticket. If the passenger accepted credit under misleading information, record the screen and seek prompt correction.
Do not assume voucher acceptance automatically waives fixed compensation unless the agreement clearly settles it and valid consent exists.
Five-hour delay
At a departure delay of at least five hours, a passenger who does not wish to continue can request reimbursement under Article 8. This differs from the three-hour final-arrival payment. The traveller can have a refund choice without completing the journey.
The SAS five-hour guide explains used sectors, return to origin and the effect on a round trip.
OTA and travel agent bookings
An agent may be the merchant or control ticket servicing. Keep the SAS PNR, agent reference and payment receipt. Fixed compensation follows the operating carrier, while reimbursement mechanics can involve the seller.
Ask both parties to state their role. Do not accept repeated referral without an account of who holds the funds and who can authorise repayment. Package organisers can have additional duties under travel law.
The SAS OTA and package guide maps these relationships.
Care and compensation
Meals, hotel and airport-hotel transport are due according to waiting conditions and remain separate from the travel choice. Care can survive extraordinary circumstances, but choosing later travel for personal convenience can limit its duration.
Fixed compensation depends on cancellation notice, rerouting timing, distance and cause. Accepting earliest rerouting does not by itself remove it. List the fare refund, compensation and expenses as different totals.
Evidence and claim
Keep the original ticket, first cancellation or delay notice, all alternatives, chosen option, operated-by company and payment record. For reimbursement, identify every unused sector and passenger. For rerouting, preserve final arrival and any lower cabin.
Use the correct SAS claim category and save the submitted request. If money is delayed, send a documented reminder without opening conflicting duplicate cases.
This page reflects current law on 26 August 2026. The adopted reform's future automatic refund process is not yet operative; today's seven-day rule remains distinct from the future nine-month claim deadline.
FAQ
Can SAS force me to accept a voucher?
No. A voucher should be voluntary; request monetary reimbursement when that is the chosen Article 8 remedy.
Can I demand refund and still use the replacement flight?
Not for the same carriage as alternative choices. Fixed compensation can coexist, but reimbursement usually ends transport on the refunded ticket.
Must rerouting use an SAS flight?
Not always. Another carrier or reasonable route can be required when it offers the earliest comparable transport.
Is the refund due within 14 days now?
No. Current EC261 states seven days. A future reform process is not yet applicable on the review date.
What happens to care if I choose a later holiday date?
Care can end after the earliest reasonable option when the passenger voluntarily postpones travel for convenience.