oliver2002

If you are signed in using a LH-usa.com user profile and get redirected to the LH Germany webstore based on point of origin, they don't charge OPC

nacho

Thanks Oliver! It's nice to know that I can avoid OPC^

ranskis

The rules about exchange rate are not decided by SAS but by IATA. First you have the IATA ROE (Rate of exchange) that converts a published fare in NUC. These rates are usually updated once a month based on an average exchange rate the previous month, or something like that.

Then you add up all the NUCs (if you fly ARN CDG HEL, ARN CDG would be a fare in SEK and CDG HEL in EUR) and you use the reverse ROE to convert into the currency of country of departure, here SEK. There are rules regarding rounding in each currency, I think it is the next 5 or 10 SEK here. Then, this fare is converted into the currency of country of purchase using a different exchange rate, the Bankers Sellers Rate. This rate is updated more frequently than the ROE, weekly usually and is directly related to currency pairs, without passing through a neutral unit of conversion (NUC).

Then, when some currencies fluctuate widely or in case of devaluation, there can be discrepancies depending on the point of sale and fare calculation rules, it is what happened with the devaluation of the Myanmar Kyat (check the ex-RGN thread in mileage run discussions).

Of course, on top of that, you need to add the fees the banks or cards issuer are taking for currency conversion. Most often, for Scandinavian debit cards, it is 1%. AMEX usually takes 2-3% depending on the foreign currency.

SusanDK

It varies a lot in Denmark. I recently got the SAS MasterCard and I'm charged 0.75% at most supermarkets and petrol stations, but I wasn't charged a fee at Ikea or most housewares / department stores, or mid-range restaurants, nor the pharmacy or mobile broadband company. Also I don't think I've been charged a fee when making an online purchase within Denmark.

It surprises me that Soelleroed Kro charges the fee and agree this is petty.

Susan

nacho

At least they tell you in advance so you can bring cash, it's petty but at least they warn you about that in advance.

0.75% is very little - I thought Bilka charges something like 2% for using CC. I remembered it's 5% for foreign cards.

Ikea in Germany doesn't even take CC - Mr. Nacho's colleague was in an Ikea to shop for furnitures for his holiday apartment in Berlin, and when he was checking out with a bunch of furnitures he was told to pay cash or EC card. He has neither of them so he had to leave his things behind to get cash.

Amexpat

The Danes and their petty charges. Some restaurants charge to drink tap water with a meal and it was the Danish courts that required SK to have a 30 kroner service charge for online booking.

Here in Norway, credit card fees are not common and many credit card companies give cash back on purchases. I get 1% back with Visa Trumf.

It'll be interesting to see how SK tries to impose the CC fee with all the possible international loopholes.

AA_EXP09

Luckily you can get around this for now by using a HKG based travel agent.
The CC charge doesn't apply.

nacho

How?

nacho

To be honest I don't really care what charge they have - all I look at was the price I pay at the end of the day. I don't care what the fee is as long as it's the cheapest I can get.

Yes, the tap water thing is amazing. It's how Danish restaurants earn their $ on - drinks. I even saw that in a McDonald's in Odense, they charge DKK 15 for a cup of tap water.

I don't know if you realise: more and more Danish malls stop having cold water for washing hands in toilets. My kids was screaming quite a few times because the water is warmer than lukewarm. I think it's the mall's way to deter people drinking tap water instead of paying DKK 10 for a bottle of water in the supermarket.

My Swedish CC also gives 1% cash back and there is no annual fee, plus travel insurance if you buy flights tickets using the CC.

gnaget

Once a month? I purchased an ARN-CPH one way for $96.92 last week and now the ticket is $98.51 (same T class fare available).

Found this: "IATA Rates of Exchange (IROE) provides monthly updates of IATA currency rates of exchange used by the industry for fare/rate construction. They are built based on the average of the five banking days ending on the 10th of each month."

Surely they can't have updated it since last week if they follow this method. It looks to me that SAS is tracking the exchange rate more frequently.

gnaget

Sure, enough, Noma also charges a CC fee. 5% for Amex according to this article. Are they also suggesting that it varies based on the card type?

http://www.andyhayler.com/show_restaurant.asp?id=625

Part of this problem is probably that the credit card fees for merchants are high in Denmark and I suspect it has something to do with the monopoly of this outfit PBS or whatever it is called. The old joke was that "monopoltilsynet" in Denmark is there to ensure that the monopolies are maintained.

Amexpat

This is a pet peeve of mine - the disappearance of drinking fountains in public areas to increase the sales of bottled water. I suspect airports are doing that, especially after the rule of no liquids through security. In the intl terminal OSL, there used to be a few water fountains that dribbled enough water to partially fill a water bottle. They often don't work now and the public rest rooms dispense warm water that's not refreshing (I recently found out that the handicap WC dispenses cold water).

You'd think with all the talk of global warming governments would require public fountains in public areas to avoid eco-unfriendly bottled water and allow citizens to have access to the water they already have paid for through taxes.

nacho

I even checked handicap WC for cold water - nope, warm/hot water only. The only place you can always get cold water is baby changing room because they can't afford to burn baby bums

I think the liquid restriction will never be lifted because it's too much money tax free shops in airports are enjoying this restriction - thirsty travellers, travellers get their toiletteries confiscated etc.

Once at MMX Mr. Nacho empty bottle was confiscated He forgot to take the lid out.

For the global warming thing, the government will think, if I can sell a bottle of water for DKK 10, I'll get DKK 2.5 in tax. No problem with recycling since there is 'pant' on all bottles anyway. Smart for the government to double charge us.

SusanDK

Well, I'd rather have warm/hot water to wash my hands after using the rest room, than have only cold water available. I've been in public toilets both in Europe and the U.S. where the only tap water for hand-washing was cold, and I don't find this very sanitizing.

oliver2002

Since this thread has covered a broad spectrum, let me add one more aspect: If you want to earn miles on Ikea purchases in Germany, buy Ikea Giftcards using the qipu link: http://www.qipu.de/cashback/geschenk...elt_de_-_ikea/ You pay with a mile credit card with no extra fee and ger 3.75% cash back on giftcard purchases