Businessman and former SAS CEO Jan Carlzon has become a partner in the consumer rights company Ifdelayed, which helps passengers get compensation from airlines in the event of delays.

A passenger is entitled to between 250 and 600 euros per person under an EU law from 2004 in the event of a delay of more than three hours, a cancelled flight or denied boarding, with certain exceptions. Some airlines, such as SAS, take responsibility, but the majority do not, and Ifdelayed has therefore created a service that helps passengers claim compensation – and so far they have been able to pay out a total of 90 million kronor in compensation to over 20,000 affected travelers.

The service is primarily intended for those who cannot or do not have the time to handle their own affairs, but it can also prove profitable for airlines.

– After all, it is a law and airline passengers should be able to trust that they will receive the compensation they are entitled to if problems arise during their journey. However, the process that is initiated when a request for compensation is received is costly and can even be more expensive than the payment itself. Therefore, it is also in the airlines' interest that it runs smoothly, and if our procedures make the work easier, we can help them save money, says Jan Carlzon.

In the next step, the collaboration could be further developed so that the affected passenger can be offered higher compensation if it is tied to a specific airline in the form of vouchers or points, instead of cash.

– Then the delay compensation would become an investment in future business and give the airline a new chance to build a good relationship with the passenger. It should be a competitive advantage to provide good service in this area as well, and I hope that I, with my background in aviation, can be a link that contributes knowledge and trust, says Jan Carlzon.