[Extremely_frustrated]

Sunday 27-May-2018, 8:00 am. I get an error message ‘Online check-in not available’ for my confirmed 19:05 flight from Heathrow to Stockholm. Mmmhh!

2:00 pm : I get the same error message again when trying to check-in online a second time. Bad feeling is getting worse.

4:00 pm : I decide to leave home early and head for the airport. Just in case.
4:30 pm : I was right. My flight was canceled the day before ‘The plane didn’t come !’. I was never informed and I have 10 people scheduled to attend a three days presentation with me tomorrow morning in Stockholm. SAS rebook me on the 9:05 pm flight and gives me a 6.00 £ voucher !!
8:30 pm : my new flight is delayed by 90 mn. SAS staff on airside is unable to give me a reason for the delay or confirm it. I use the time to vent my anger by e-mail on to the key members of the European Commission on Transport. Useless bastards !
1:40 am on monday morning, 28-May-2018 : The plane finally lands in Arlanda.
2:00 am : There is a 30 mn queue at passport control !
2:40 am : These is a 50 mn queue at the taxi rank !
4:00 am : I finally walk in my hotel room. I’ll try to get a couple of hours sleep before I got to work.

Thank you SAS for the worse journey I experienced in years ! No service what so ever, useless staff. DON’T FLY SAS !!!

[FDOS_UK]

Forgive me for taking a somewhat less than totally sympathetic stance, as I also give presentations to groups of people; I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve learned to take flights earlier in the day, when working around Europe or two days before, when long haul is involved. The price of this is missing half a day at home, but it is a table stake for being in the business.

I also flew on Sunday, but chose the 1305 to Paris, rather than the evening flight.

Whilst SAS does not sound to have covered itself in glory, one has a duty of care to arrive in good shape and planning an 8pm departure was never going to result in you arriving before midnight – if all went well. The passport delay and taxi queue are symptomatic of travelling on a Sunday or Friday and are not the airline’s responsibility.

[Locod190]

Ha ha,
One misshap and the airline is scheitz
well done

[PhilipHart]

I thought you meant the little town just outside Trondheim: Welcome to Hell 😂

[EU_Flyer]

[quote quote=868109]Forgive me for taking a somewhat less than totally sympathetic stance, as I also give presentations to groups of people; I’ve been doing this for many years and I’ve learned to take flights earlier in the day, when working around Europe or two days before, when long haul is involved. The price of this is missing half a day at home, but it is a table stake for being in the business.

I also flew on Sunday, but chose the 1305 to Paris, rather than the evening flight.

Whilst SAS does not sound to have covered itself in glory, one has a duty of care to arrive in good shape and planning an 8pm departure was never going to result in you arriving before midnight – if all went well. The passport delay and taxi queue are symptomatic of travelling on a Sunday or Friday and are not the airline’s responsibility.[/quote]

My apologies to FDOS_UK I accidentally pressed report instead of reply. Whoops.

Nothing to report here, except to say I am sympathetic to the original poster. BUT… along the lines of what FDOS has suggested, I always aim to arrive 24 hours before a big meeting where possible to avoid these kinds of stressful situations. Less time with family and friends but less stress for me (and my family and friends).

[FDOS_UK]

My apologies to FDOS_UK I accidentally pressed report instead of reply. Whoops.

Don’t worry, it’s easily done, due to the site design.

[capetonianm]

Delays happen all the time. Get over it and take the good advice given to you above, for the future.

Airlines don’t bend over backwards when there’s a delay or an overbooking, it’s an everyday occurrence to them even if it’s a big deal to you. They will do the minimum and that’s it, it’s all part of the process of dehumanising air travel. Think yourself lucky you were on SAS and not someone like Vueling or Ryanair.

It would appear that you are entitled to compensation under EU261/2004 for the delay. Think yourself lucky, I had two delays this weekend, both of about two hours, inconvenient but just tough. I’ve learnt to live with it and if I need to be somewhere to meet a specific deadline I make sure I leave enough time, whatever the mode of transport, to allow for delays.

[Gin&Tonic]

Agree with FDOS and others , were the ones who have to plan for any eventuality not the carriers. I have missed many Sunday lunches with the family, but I never missed a customer meeting or arrive in bad shape for it.
It’s good to have a rant though!

[Author]

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