SAS cancels 110 flights – Swedish Dagbladet

SAS announced Wednesday afternoon that sets the 25 flights because of the threat of a pilot strike. But during the night increased airline number to 110. This means that ten percent of tomorrow’s 1,070 scheduled flights are set.

– We continue to set a little bit for tomorrow, particularly to provide information in good time for travelers who want to plan for their trip. It has nothing to do with negotiating position to do, there are deadlines which must take the decision to start cancel a says SAS press officer Malin Selander said.

Essentially, the Swedish domestic flights that have been canceled, but a number departures to Europe and the individual to other parts of the world. The flights are set whether the strike breaks out or not. It is currently about 11 000 passengers affected, according to SAS.

Negotiations between the pilot compartment and SAS continued on Wednesday evening with a deadline that came ever closer. Starting at midnight threatens 430 pilots from the Swedish pilot association SPF and Norwegian pilots of another trade union, a total of 700 people, to go on strike.

It may in turn create havoc in a number of Swedish airports amounts of canceled flights.

– It’s a little too early to say how many passengers affected, but it will obviously have a major impact, and many thousands of passengers will be affected, said SAS CEO Rickard Gustafsson.

The negotiations have been ongoing since the end of last year, but even so, they have not managed to find an agreement on the collective agreement. SAS wants, among other things, that the pilots should work more in summer when it is greater residual pressure.

Rickard Gustafsson would not say how much the company stands to lose a day if the strike breaks out.

– Now the focus is on solving this but we end this situation it will appear in the profit, he said.

It is clear, however, that a strike can be very costly for SAS, which has been under great pressure a longer time. As late as February broke a wildcat strike in Denmark, with 334 flights canceled as a result and an estimated cost of 50 million. Further strike situations Naggar on customer trust, according to Rickard Gustafsson.

– A conflict is evil and there are no winners. Obviously affect the customers’ trust and the industry as a whole, he said.

For the traveler does canceled flights that you have the right to receive either rebook the ticket or that SAS shall make a refund.

– They’ll offer both of these options. Request a refund, the companies have seven days to make the repayment. You also have the right to assistance in the form of accommodation and food during their stay abroad, says Jan Nyquist, Head of the Consumer Agency.

– The important thing is that you get the information. It is the companies’ obligation. We have seen many cases where passengers do not know their rights, and sleeping on a bench at an airport. So it should not be.