Pontus Kihlsten lost 17,000 SEK after a booking error with SAS, despite being promised a refund. Initially, SAS customer service misinformed him about the refund process, leading to a significant financial loss. After media intervention, SAS admitted the mistake and refunded the promised amount.
SAS Customer Loses 17,000 SEK Due to Booking Error, Receives Refund After Media Attention
SAS Customer Loses 17,000 SEK Due to Booking Error, Receives Refund After Media Attention
When Pontus Kihlsten attempted to change his flight booking with SAS, customer service promised to assist him. However, the situation ended with him losing 17,000 SEK.
Pontus Kihlsten, 46, planned to travel to the USA to visit family in early May. He and his wife had booked business class tickets and initially planned to leave their 4-year-old son with his grandparents.
However, they realized this wouldn't work as their son was too attached to his mother, and they thought it would be nice for him to meet the family.
The tickets were changeable, and Pontus contacted SAS to see if they could switch one of the tickets to economy while booking a new ticket for their son.
"We thought it was unnecessary to fly business with our son, also because other business class passengers might not appreciate a bored 4-year-old. So the idea was for one of us to sit with him in economy class," says Pontus Kihlsten.
Lost 17,000 SEK
Pontus spoke with a woman who answered in English and appeared to be in Poland, likely at a call center, Pontus says.
The woman initially said it was difficult to downgrade tickets but checked with her superiors and returned with the news that they would assist.
The tickets were changeable, but customer service would help refund one of them so the couple could book a new ticket in economy.
"She changed one ticket to refundable, and I received a message that I would get the amount back. But a few weeks later, I learned I would only get back 1,000 of the 18,000 SEK," says Pontus.
Pontus contacted SAS again, but this time it was a dead end.
"In that conversation, SAS basically said: You knew the rebooking rules, so it's your own fault," he says.
Criticism: "Fraud"
SAS wrote via email to Pontus that they regret he received "different information from a SAS representative" but that the refund was processed according to booking rules. The airline also denied Pontus's request to access the recording of the phone call.
He also asked how he could receive confirmation of the refund if SAS hadn't agreed to help him, but received no answer.
"It's fraud and almost deception to say one thing and then not stand by it," says Pontus Kihlsten, adding:
"I will report this to the National Board for Consumer Disputes, and if that doesn't help, I will take it to court."
SAS's Response: Refund Issued
A day after Expressen first contacted SAS, the airline responded with news that Pontus would be refunded.
SAS stated that "a mistake was made on our part in the form of incorrect information" and regretted that they "did not live up to the expectations one should have of SAS."
Furthermore, SAS indicated that the customer was misinformed about the possibility of getting the ticket amount back.
"We regret this misinformation and have therefore compensated the customer with the amount they were promised, 15,498 SEK. The refund has already been processed," the company wrote in an email.