This is a Scandinavian Airlines connecting flights guide.
It covers everything from how to book connecting flights with SAS to baggage rules and air passengers rights. Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known as SAS, is a full-service traditional airline, one of the founders of Star Alliance. It’s the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The airline operates flights to Europe, Asia, US and Canada.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
Make your trip more safe.
Add travel insurance right away. Protect yourself against possible itinerary changes later right from the very beginning. Insurance must be for the duration of the trip.
Make your trip safe from day 1.
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1. SAS Connecting Flights
SAS is a full-service traditional airline.
And one of the best things about full-service airlines is that they offer protected connections. For many people it’s the main reason to fly with full-service airlines, not lowcosters. Airline-protected connecting flights offer convenience and safety.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- More safe. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
SAS offers airline-protected connecting flights.
1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline
You have several flights, all with one airline — SAS.
This is one of the options. The most important thing to understand is that it’s not the same every time. Because airlines share their flights. So, don’t be surprised if you a flight from SAS, but it’s operated by different airline.
1.2 SAS Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
What it means is that you may book a connecting flight from SAS, but it might be operated by another company. This can be a different airline, different aircraft, their staff. Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation. It’s nothing out of ordinary. For example, SAS is a founding member of Star Alliance, and they work together with tens of airlines.
For example, Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance too.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight, it’s SAS’s responsibility. In a situation like this you should get in touch with SAS, not the other airline. Because it’s SAS responsibility to offer you a new flight. Assuming that you booked the flight from SAS. Because if that’s so, then they are so-called marketing airline in this arrangement — they are responsible for changes.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not SAS, then they are operating airline in this case — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of SAS partners here.
2. What If SAS Cancels a Flight?
Why do things like this happen? Why do airlines cancel flights?
Some of the most popular reasons for cancellation include technical problems with airplane, airport congestions, staff shortage and bad weather. What’s important to remember — whenever it happens due to airline’s fault you may be entitled to cancellation compensation.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
Scandinavian Airlines is a European airline.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
If, because of that, you miss a connecting flight, it’s their responsibility to provide you with a new flight to your destination. It’s their responsibility to take you to your destination. You can also opt for a full refund, you don’t have to take a different flight if you don’t want to.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, SAS must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 SAS Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
If SAS cancels a flight and you don’t want to take a different flight that they are offering, you can request a refund. This is your right in Europe. If you choose a refund, know that, according to the law, it must be paid to your bank account, to the same account from which you made the booking. You don’t have to accept SAS vouchers that they may offer you.
3. SAS Missed Connecting Flight
Missing a connecting flight is not fun, but it happens.
It happens due to a number of reasons — everything from delays and cancellations of one of the flights to long lines at the airport. Sometimes it happens because you, a passenger, make a mistake. Other times it’s due to airline’s fault. And then there are times that neither you, nor airline is at fault.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss SAS Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from SAS, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by SAS or not, you should contact SAS. As we already talked, in this arrangement they are the marketing airline. They must offer you a solution.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from SAS
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
Here’s how it works with connecting flights. You look at the final destination, and the time you have arrived there. If it’s at least 2 hours later than initially planned, then you might be entitled to compensation from SAS. That means it’s worth taking a closer look at what exactly happened, what caused this delay.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from SAS
On all SAS flights you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary;
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. When it’s necessary, airline should give you means to contact your family, friends or anyone you may want to contact, to let them know about the changes in your travel plans. This is the main purpose of this.
It applies to all domestic and international flights with SAS. Again, it’s because SAS is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with SAS?
You can do it directly from SAS or via a third-party.
These two are the best options that you have. You can either go to SAS website and make a reservation there (easiest and safest option), or use a flight booking website of your choice.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. SAS Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since SAS is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with SAS are simple.
In short, SAS takes care of your baggage. Or, if you’re on their partner’s flight, then they take care of your baggage. You check in your baggage at the first airport, departure airport, and then collect it at your final destination. This is how easy is traveling with checked baggage with a full-service traditional airline. Don’t forget that there are exceptions like the US, where everyone has to collect and recheck their baggage.
Anyway, when in doubts, you can always talk with airport staff during baggage drop-off. They will be able to tell you, whether you will or won’t have to recheck your baggage at some point during the journey.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not SAS? As we already talked, you may experience this, because SAS does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline.
This, other airline, in most situations will do the same as SAS.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 SAS Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
These rules vary from one flight to another. So, it’s easier to just double-check your free baggage allowance before every flight. The allowance varies depending on your class of travel, destination, and occasionally some other factors, like the current travel regulations. Check your booking confirmation to see, what exactly have you booked. Or, if you’re still planning to make a reservation with SAS, make sure to pay attention to that.
Because these rules aren’t the same on all flights.
5.3 Economy Light (SAS Go Light)
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
Don’t forget about this, when you’ll be booking a cheap SAS flight. Because SAS offers Economy Light type of tickets too. They call it Go Light. If you can’t travel with carry on baggage only, this won’t work for you.
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with SAS.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with SAS (Most Common)
For this example I’ll be using the website of SAS.
For example, I want to fly from Oslo to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
I look for flights on November 1, and these are my options:
On their website SAS sells only protected connecting flights. However, as we can see also from the screenshot above, not all flights are operated by SAS. In fact, in this example, there are only two options, both almost identical, both partly operated by Singapore Airlines. There are no options with SAS flights only. Singapore Airlines is a member of Star Alliance too.
The only variable — layover time in Copenhagen.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with SAS
Now, let’s assume, you want to go somewhere else in Vietnam.
You want to fly from Oslo to Ho Chi Minh City, and from there to Nha Trang. But before that you also want to spend a day in Ho Chi Minh City, to have a glimpse of the busiest city in Vietnam, before going on a beach holiday in Nha Trang.
- You book a connecting flight to Ho Chi Minh City, like in the example above. You an option that you feel the most comfortable with, for example, the first one, with the longest layover.
- And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other flight booking website, and book a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 24 hours in Ho Chi Minh City. You may also book a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang directly from some airline. For example, Vietnam Airlines have several daily flights to Nha Trang.
You can leave the airport during a layover like this.
In this situation, until Ho Chi Minh City you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first or second flight is delayed or cancelled, SAS will take care of that. Most likely they will give you another flight for free. However, the last leg, the last flight, from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, is a self-transfer flight. Take this into account and better don’t risk with too short layovers.
Don’t forget to collect your baggage Ho Chi Minh City.
What is your experience with SAS? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with SAS? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from SAS? How long did it take?
Featured photo by ramboldheiner from Pixabay
About the author:
Kaspars is a digital nomad and travel blogger who’s been traveling the world extensively since 2013. Since 2017, Kaspars has been writing about the less-known aspects of air travel, things like air passenger rights laws and regulations. He’s really good at simplifying complex concepts and making them easily understandable. Kaspars favorite airlines are Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
