In June, Jan Krogstad booked airline tickets from SAS. He, his wife and puppy Gnatt were to fly from Oslo airport to Malaga. One month after booking, Krogstad received an SMS from the company stating that the flight had been changed.
– For us, it was only appropriate to travel in the afternoon. When we were told that the trip would suddenly take place ten hours earlier than planned, the trip was impossible for us to complete, says Krogstad.
The departure time had been moved from 16.30 in the afternoon to 06.45 in the morning.
– This did not suit us, and we wanted our money back, says Krogstad.
Did not get all the money
This should prove to be easier said than done. In Krogstad’s case, SAS acted outside the Transport Complaints Board’s practice of refunding tickets. When the airline you are traveling with changes the departure time, it is considered a cancellation of the flight.
– We had to cancel our tickets, and then booked a trip through another airline, says Krogstad.
The customer still had to accept that not all the money he had paid to SAS was to be refunded.
– We had to pay a penalty (cancellation fee, editor’s note) of 650 kroner per ticket, and we could just forget to get back the 750 kroner we paid for the ticket we had bought for the puppy, Krogstad says.
The cancellation system of SAS that Krogstad was referred to use has been set up so that the customer has to acknowledge the cancellation fee as he is not necessarily obliged to pay.
If Krogstad wanted to cancel the ticket, this was a process he could only do digitally. The customer had already spoken to the Consumer Council, which informed him that he was entitled to a refund for the entire original purchase amount.
– If you order a green sweater, and get a yellow trousers in the mail, then it is not enough to get part of the purchase price refunded, Krogstad says.
In the event of a cancellation, the consumer can choose between a refund of the ticket, rerouting as soon as possible or rebooking at a later date. This is a regular practice from the Transport Complaints Board, Department of Aviation, and a practice that we expect the airlines to follow, says the Consumer Council lawyer Caroline Skarderud.
– Caroline Skarderud, lawyer in the Consumer Council Photo: The Consumer Council
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– Right to full refund
She says that she is well acquainted with the problems Krogstad describes, and that he is not alone in experiencing difficulties in getting in touch with SAS.
– We are aware that SAS and other airlines have been difficult to get hold of. It is frustrating when you try to get in touch with a company without success. The airlines must ensure that they have adequately staffed customer service to be able to help their customers with problems and requirements that may arise, says Skarderud.
In Krogstad’s case, Skarderud is clear on what demands he has.
– The consumer will be entitled to a full refund of the ticket without having to pay a fee for this. A pet fee will also be entitled to a refund where there is a change of route of the trip to which the fee is linked, Skarderud concludes.
Became “hot in the cardboard”
Krogstad is upset by talking about the times he has tried to contact customer service by phone.
– One time I waited half an hour before I gave up, and the other time I was automatically told that I had to wait more than an hour. I’ve heard of people having to wait up to four hours for a response, so I hung up. I feel like I’m getting hot in the cardboard just talking about it.
Krogstad is not sure why he will not get hold of SAS.
– It almost seems as if they are trying to wear out the customer by having such a long and difficult process in the process of having to get hold of them, says Krogstad.
– John Eckhoff, Press Officer at SAS. Photo: SAS
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– Mistakes can happen
SAS’s press manager, John Eckhoff, acknowledges that mistakes can happen.
– It can happen wrong, and if the customer feels wrongly treated, we recommend that the customer makes a complaint to us, says Eckhoff.
Eckhoff confirms that Krogstad will receive a full refund for the tickets he has purchased.
– As the customer has described the change, it is significant and the customer will receive a full refund.
Krogstad chose to receive a refund for the ticket via the link he received via SMS. As he is sure that he is entitled to more money than he has now been repaid, he has worked hard to get SAS ‘customer service.
– The problem is just that they are impossible to get. In my experience, customer service is non-existent, and regardless of whether I call or send e-mail, I do not get in touch with anyone, says Krogstad.
And he does not intend to give up immediately.
– I do not give up this fight, and at least not when I know that I have the right to get more money back.
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