Originally Posted by
Dover2Golf
In simplistic terms I've never understood why SAS does not route long haul eastbound from ARN and westbound from CPH or OSL depending on which has the biggest home market. If I were ARN based and going east, returning to CPH would be a big no and I would choose another airline and if I wanted a local connection I would choose AY. Sweden is the biggest single market of the Scandinavian countries and yet nothing operates from there and SAS have failed to exploit it.
Plenty of people fly from Sweden or Denmark to Asia via London. When I take QR to Doha from Tokyo I am always surprised how many destinations like London, Copenhagen, Stockholm are on the connection list. Going via the middle east between northern Europe and Japan is just an enormous detour. Yet people are perfectly willing to take it. Price, service, alliance (cartel) can easily make people take big detours.