Karl Martin Sandnes is currently in Gran Canaria with his new fiancé and her 15-year-old daughter.
On Wednesday, they should have flown back to Oslo, and then traveled on to their hometown Molde, after two weeks in the heat.
That’s not how it will be.
– I have total anxiety
Uncertain
On Tuesday morning, he was notified that the plane had been canceled. The family of three was to fly home with SAS, but after the pilot strike became a fact on Monday, SAS has canceled a number of flights.
Sandnes is currently taking it easy, and is happy for a few extra days on holiday. Nevertheless, there is some uncertainty about who will take the bill for extra stays and new tickets home.
Sandnes is among many who have now booked a new return trip with another airline.
– Now the plan is for us to go home on Saturday. It was the first direct flight we found. All other routes are via Barcelona, which would have been a much longer journey, he says.
The couple has noted that prices at other airlines have risen since yesterday.
sea view
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Had to shell out
For the travel party of three, the price for new airline tickets with Norwegian ended at just under NOK 20,000.
– We hope that we get money back from SAS. If we get it, then we should be very happy. But we think it’s sad for those who may not have the opportunity to pay for the extra cost. There are probably many who are more frustrated than us, says Sandnes.
Just hours after Dagbladet was in contact with Sandnes, Nordmøringen has a new update about the upcoming journey home.
– SAS has offered us a rebooking via Brussels and Munich on Friday, which we chose to accept. So it will not be three days extra holiday, but that means that we land in Oslo a little earlier in the day, and maybe a flight to Molde the same day, he says.
The whole trip takes about 24 hours.
– It’s getting a little hard. We also have a flight from Molde on Thursday, which we do not know what will happen to. There is a bit of stress now, but we will still enjoy ourselves until the day of departure, he adds.
On Norwegian’s website, they inform about open purchases, which means that you can get your money back within 24 hours of ordering, if you change plans and cancel.
Dagbladet has sent questions to SAS about how they assist holidaymakers with travel home from abroad, but has not yet received an answer.
– Think this is plan B
Waiting in anticipation
Bernt and Beate Mandal are also scheduled to return to Norway and Trondheim on Friday, after two weeks on the Greek island of Crete. Now, however, there is a lot of excitement about whether the trip home goes as planned.
– Now we are prepared for a bit of everything, Bernt has stated to local newspapers Nidaroswho was first in contact with the couple.
The trip has been booked through the travel company Apollo and the flight home will basically go with SAS.
WANT TO GO HOME: The Mandal couple enjoy their holiday in Crete, but make no secret of the fact that it would have been nice to come home on Friday night, as planned. Photo: Private
sea view
So far, the couple has not been notified of changes from the travel company, and has received confirmation that Apollo will inform them if the plane does not go as it should.
– We are a bit excited, Beate says to Dagbladet.
She says that both she and her husband are still on holiday, and that there is therefore no crisis if they do not get home on time, but does not hide that it would have been nice to come home as expected.
– We long for a little home, and we are set on going home on Friday night, she adds.
This is where the holiday ended
Concerned customers
Monday could Apollo’s communications manager, Beatriz Riveratell that they receive many inquiries from concerned customers, who are now wondering what will happen to their journey.
The travel operator has chartered a number of SAS aircraft that will transport Norwegians both on trips and home this summer.
On Monday, two of the company’s trips were canceled, and a total of 22 flights – 11 out of Norway and 11 back home – up to and including Friday – could potentially be affected.
– We contact the customers who are affected as soon as we know anything about any of our aircraft, says the communications manager.
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