The Corona pandemic forced virtually all airlines to reduce the number of trips and in some cases keep all flights on the ground for several months. According to the law, customers are entitled to a full refund when a trip is canceled, but many were instead offered vouchers - a kind of value checks that can be used at a later date.

Has taken three months

But a decision by the General Complaints Board today stated that airlines should pay back the trips in money, not in vouchers. Both Norwegian and SAS say that the decision does not change anything for them, but that customers who wanted to have the money back for canceled flights should also receive it. But it can take several months.

- The decision is in line with how we have acted. However, I know that many customers are waiting for refunds and I would like to emphasize that we will repay the money, but it will take longer than usual due to these special circumstances, says Freja Annamatz, SAS's press manager at SVT.

She does not know how many customers it is, but the queue for reimbursements is so long that only in June will you pay back money to passengers who would have flown in March.

The staff is laid off

Norwegian also says that the decision means nothing new to them.

“Everyone who has the right to receive compensation for canceled flights gets it and there are extremely many customers who have already received their money back from us. We have already repaid several billion SEK. However, it is longer processing time than usual because large parts of our personnel are laid off. But all cases are handled in turn and everyone who has the right to get the money back will receive it, if you do not choose to re-book or get cash points, ”writes Norwegian Communications Manager Charlotte Holmbergh Jacobsson in a text message to SVT.