Scandinavian Airlines has temporarily laid off 90% of their employees and will suspend flight operations starting tomorrow.
SAS says that demand for flights is currently non-existent and that they will resume when things pick up again. They’re asking that passengers only call them if they have a flight in the next 3 days.
SAS is doing the classy thing, ahem United and El Al, and is offering refunds for cancelled flights.
My guess is that we’ll see more airlines around the globe announce similar suspensions over the coming days and weeks.
You can discuss coronavirus and how it’s affecting your life on the dedicated COVID-19 board on DDF here.
Leave a Reply
21 Comments On "SAS Temporarily Lays Off 90% Of Workforce, Will Suspend Flights Indefinitely"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Classy thing is to lay off 90% or workforce? Not refunding and using that money to pay workers is more classy.
That money belongs to the passengers, not the employees. They paid for a service that isn’t being provided.
Everyone is going through pain now, but that doesn’t give airlines the right to hold your money hostage if they can’t provide the service you paid for.
Besides, even if they didn’t layoff anyone, they would still owe services to the passengers. Not refunding delays the inevitable and it violates their contract of carriage.
Plus it avoids the lawsuits that are surely headed El Al’s and United’s way.
Amen
It’s a catch 22. However I’d much rather customers be upset about delayed reimbursements than employees laid off and not being able to afford food. Money spent on airlines is expendable.
El Al laid off their employees and isn’t refunding.
That’s wrong on both levels. Discussion here was United vs SAS.
Extremely likely United will have layoffs in the coming days and won’t be giving refunds.
That’s some twisted logic Mike.
Mike, and what about the passengers who own restaurants, bars, catering businesses and are now trying to figure out how to pay month’s rent? Your logic that every traveler and passenger has extra money laying around is incorrect, immoral, and inconsiderate. There are contracts to be legally respected, morals to be upheld, and responsible behavior to be represented.
Smartest move I’ve seen in the industry yet. Painful, but smart.
What’s new
Is this the beginning of the collapse of many of the large world airlines?
Governments won’t let the biggest airlines fail.
Time will tell.
1)For now the UK let Flybe collapse, Although it probably would’ve died regardless.
although it probably would’ve died regardless.
2)ELAL Still did not receive the requested funds.
3) Norwegian Airlines is almost out of all their cash, And laid off over 50% of their staff
4)BA, will be having big layoffs announced shortly
5) Korean air says they may be collapsing
This is besides for all of the other airlines going through extremely pressing times. The US airlines are getting tax breaks, but let’s see how far it will take them. It all really depends how it will pan out.
We had a flight on SAS for Pesach, at least we got this good news that we will get refunded.
As long as the airlines do not go out of business, there is nothing to worry about being refunded.
So what should we do about United and elal??
Invite them to your Seder.
Dan do you think it’s time to buy shares in airline stocks, let’s see in the three big ones United Delta and American Airlines?
if they go bankrupt, you’ll likely lose every cent you put in.
If we have family members within the states that we need to get home for Pesach is this an indication to bring everyone home ASAP?