SAS Award flights.
 

Hey all,
I have 140,000 SAS Points and I would like to book a flight for my wife and I. I have a SAS AMEX card which gives me a free buddy seat if I spend over 100,000nok a year. The only catch is the flight has to be operated by SAS. Anyway, I see on SAS Award Chart there is alot of destinations and the points required to get there but when I try and enter them into the award flight booking page none of the good ones come up.

http://www.flysas.com/upload/Eurobon...ance_chart.pdf

Could anyone shed some light on what Im doing wrong and if there is any tricks I could do to get around this.

Many thanks,

Andy

Norway

Do you have the SAS AmEx Premium or Platinum card?

If you have the Platinum card, you can fly yourself and your companion on SAS/Wideroe AND on Star Alliance flights to go worldwide. If you have the Premium card, you can fly on SAS/Wideroe, but still go "worldwide" (as far as SAS/Wideroe's routes go, that is). You might be aware of this already, but I just wanted to mention it in case you were not.

As far as doing the booking online, I suggest you call in to get some help on how to find your destination of choice, or get the phone agent to do the booking for you. SAS' EB online booking engine can be difficult to work with in many cases.


Snacky

Many thanks for the reply. :)

I have the AMEX Platinum, but I should clarify its a Norwegian and not American issued card, if that makes a difference?

Thanks for the advice about calling the phone agent. When I come to book I'll do that. :D

Any advice where to go for a week in January for 140,000 points? :D

Availability might be limited if you are trying around New Year's. Keep checking as they do release availability periodically, although don't count on anything in peak season. We booked our X-mas holidays in early May and availability was already scarce. I suspect that you will trouble finding 2 C class tickets.

If you don't limit yourself to using your AMEX 2-4-1, you can always use the miles on a *A award. This will open up more destinations (at least what you can get for 70k miles per person).

Im fairly new to this and Im a little baffled by what you are kindly suggesting to me. :)

I am fairly flexable when I can go as I work month on month off, So I have November, January and March off. Im free at any time during these dates.

Do you mind explaining the part about the *A Award, please?

Andy

SAS is part of Star Alliance (shortened to *A) which also has award tickets available for use with SAS EuroBonus points.

You can find the prices here: http://www.flysas.com/upload/Eurobon...ance_chart.pdf

In order to book this you must find a routing yourself (I use KVS tool, a free alternative is ANA tools which you can google to find a guide to) with available tickets for your desired trip. You can then call and get the agent to book it.

However you only have 140k points which isn't enough for first class, so if I was you I would maybe just go with a trip to the US or Asia (Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, Chicago, Washington or San Fransisco) with SAS Business for 100.000 points which is searcable on SAS' sites. Once you have found the tickets, call 05400 (in Norway) to make the agent book with the 2-4-1.

Many thanks for the reply. Makes sense now, feel kinds foolish,lol.

Downloading the tool now, that will be a great wee help. :)

I think by the end of next month Ill have 160,000 points as Ive pooled my wifes etc. From the chart you linked that should be enough for a business class flight to Hawaii, how likely am I to be able to book a flight like that on the 2 4 1?

Andy

Honestly, I don't know as I have never tried it.

From what I have read however, award tickets in F are usually available only a week or two from depature. Hawaii sounds like a rather tricky destination.

Also, if you're just going away for a weekend, maybe a destination that isn't 15 hours of flying time each way is to prefer? I had a weekend trip to Washington D.C. back in april via CPH from BGO. That went well but something further (even the west coast) would have been too far for just a weekend.

Again I appreciate it. :)

As I have a month off every other month Id plan on going for longer than a weekend, more likely 7-10 days.

Was hoping to take the wife somewhere different. :D Tokyo is an interesting option but I was thinking somewhere warm and not the Caribbean as we have been there so often.

I paid for the tool you suggested and Im playing around with it. Lots to learn. :)

Andy

I am referring to the norwegian issued card terms and conditions. You will then be able to book a trip with your companion on Star Alliance carriers with available award seats for your chosen destination, in addition to SAS/Wideroe.


Snacky

Well, just to clearify a bit.... Those new rules (use on *A) are just for CT that are earned in 2014 and later. If you earned the CT in 2013 you can only use it for SK flights. But of course, no harm in trying. The only way to book CT is calling the number in the letter you got from amex. You can not book this online. If you earned it this year I would try to collect some more miles and look for F tickets. More value....

F means first class right? :D

Thanks again, I appreciate the help here.

Andy

Correct :)

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by pooling you wife's account? Do you have a family account or are you paying to transfer the points between accounts (which is generally expensive)?

Given your projected miles, I would be looking for business class tickets on any *A partner. Given the new rules of the Norwegian 2-4-1 (buddy award), you have lots of options as you are not limited to SAS flights (like those of us in Sweden). This should allow you to visit somewhere warmer than the nominal SAS destinations (at least in the months you are hoping to travel). As others mentioned, KVS will help you find the availability.