So all we have here is SAS trying to reinvent themselves for the 3rd ( or is it the 4th ) time in 11 years as regards this .
(A little of my backstory )
Back in 2002 My work was taking me a lot in Scandinavia and very quickly I was a EBG. They then started changing things , reduction in soft product , reduction in earning of domestic miles in NO and SE ( yes this was not their fault directly but had a massive impact in my travel choices ) so, I re aligned my allegiances.. within years I had dropped to EB silver to EB basic , and with all my points spent that was the end of that...
I was one of those frequent flyers whose travel was paid by others but our input in who we travelled with was a contributing factor in who was chosen . Also my employers in those carriers only paid for the flight and luggage , not any meal extras ( coffee food ect..)
So for me if I have to buy a sandwich and a drink it was at MY cost... over a carrier who gives it for free, then who will i tell my employer to go with ...
They (SAS ) have in the last few years responded in a very detrimental way to the threat of LCC and unlike other carriers who have addressed the threat in a very different way.. ( BA , LH , KL ) for SAS has not..their strategy to become a LCC in Y , IMO, it has not paid off for them .
back to these changes New...
All I see is a frantic attempt to get rid of economy plus and merge it into Business with no doubt a slight increase in fares...
I cannot see how it will work by getting people to WANT to fly with a low service airline when Low cost airlines win hands down on those routes where they are in direct competition with LCC or other higher service carriers ( even including other Star alliance partners.)
I would like SAS to succede but cannot see with this present strategy how they will.
I remember how they used to be in the past and how truly great they were.
Now all this may be jaded with how bad my last 4 flights with SAS were after my experience today (MAN-ARN-VNO-CPH-MAN) but I have tried to keep my observations of their new strategy direction as objective as possible.
(sorry for my rant .. I did not expect it to be that long, but I had to get that off my chest !)