Last edit by: Nick Art
Introduction to SAS & Eurobonus / Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
Scandinavian Airlines System (for short SAS, IATA code SK) is the flag carrier airline of Scandinavia. It's owned for 71% by private owners and 29% by the governments of Sweden (1/7th) and Denmark (1/7th). The government of Norway has recently sold its stake in SAS.
SAS mainly flies to destinations in Europe, particularly within Scandinavia, but also operates on a few long haul routes to Asia and the USA.
SAS is part of the StarAlliance network and has in addition codeshare operations with several airlines.
Fleet
The fleet of SAS consists of mainly short haul material, mainly A320neos, but also several variants of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families, although the latter are diminishing in number.
Bombardier CRJ regional jets and ATR turboprops are operated for SAS by the Irish airline Cityjet and Estonian airline XFly. A small fleet of Embraer 195 are operated by subsidiary SAS Link out of Copenhagen.
A fleet of A320neo aircraft is close to being fully delivered to Irish-registered subsidiary SAS Connect (formerly SAS Ireland).
For long haul operations, SAS uses the Airbus A330-300 and A350-900.
An up to date overview of the SAS fleet can be found here.
Hubs and Focus Cities
SAS has three hubs:
Copenhagen (CPH),
Stockholm (ARN) and
Oslo Gardermoen (OSL).
In addition,
Bergen (BGO),
Stavanger (SVG),
Trondheim (TRD) and
Gteborg Landvetter (GOT)
have been defined as focus cities.
Service classes
Instead of the traditional Economy Class, Economy Extra Class and Business Class, SAS has made up its own service class system.
Short haul
On all short haul, SAS serves the following classes
Experience teaches that Plus, with the exception of full flex tickets, is not considered as a business class fare by any of the airline partners of SAS. As a result, if someone books a flight in SAS plus with a partner airline, the chance is quite big to end up in regular economy. The same goes for re-routings on partner airlines. This also may affect lounge access on Plus tickets: not all partner airlines may allow Plus ticket holders in their lounges.
Frequent Flyer Program / EuroBonus
SAS has its own frequent flier program called EuroBonus. It has been around since 1992. EuroBonus offers frequent fliers the possibilities to earn points. These points can be used to obtain status and /or to save for award travel or products from the gift shop.
After subscribing to EuroBonus, the qualification period starts running. This is an period of 12 months from the month of subscription to the end of the 12th month thereafter. This cycle repeats itself every year.
For example, if someone subscribes in October, his or her qualification period runs from October to September the next year (both inclusive).
Membership levels
EuroBonus offers five levels in its program:
Qualifying segments can be earned on all flights flown by
For point earnings, please see below.
Point earnings
EuroBonus offers 2 kinds of points:
The validity of points varies and is based on the type of point and the membership level.
Basic points can be earned on all flights operated by
* Please note that only 'points for use' can be earned on AirBaltic and Ethiad Airways and only on selected routes.
Booking class
Critical for the determination of how many points will be earned is the booking class in which a flight is booked. A booking class is represented by a single character and can vary per flight segment in your booking.
A regular SAS booking via the SAS website doesn't explicitly state the booking class in the reservation, although it is possible to see in which class the booking will be done:
Step 1:
Select a suitable flight or routing and the available fares will show up. For flights fully operated by SK the booking site will show the points earned on the lower right side for each fare (1). Note that for Eurobonus Status members, the bonus % earned on flights is included in these calculations.
Step 2:
Click the (i) icon on the top of the fare (2). A popup will show up showing the fare rules. The letter is the booking class (3). In the case of more than one flight, the booking class for each flight is displayed in chronological order.
To check the booking classes later on, review the Electronic Itinerary SAS sent via mail:
Or check the booking classes directly under my bookings on the SAS website:
Star Alliance Benefits (for elites in other *A programs flying on SK)
Star Alliance Silver Benefits
You'll get nothing and like it?
Star Alliance Gold Benefits
Priority check-in: Yes
Fast-track security pass: Yes (for everyone on same itinerary; excludes SK-operated fast-track security)
Extra baggage allowance: Yes (HBO fares might be excluded)
Preferred seats: Yes
Lounge access: Yes (for traveler and one guest; SAS-operated or Star Alliance-affiliated lounges only)
Priority baggage handling: Yes
Priority standby: Yes
Priority boarding: Yes (for everyone on the same itinerary)
Introduction
Scandinavian Airlines System (for short SAS, IATA code SK) is the flag carrier airline of Scandinavia. It's owned for 71% by private owners and 29% by the governments of Sweden (1/7th) and Denmark (1/7th). The government of Norway has recently sold its stake in SAS.
SAS mainly flies to destinations in Europe, particularly within Scandinavia, but also operates on a few long haul routes to Asia and the USA.
SAS is part of the StarAlliance network and has in addition codeshare operations with several airlines.
Fleet
The fleet of SAS consists of mainly short haul material, mainly A320neos, but also several variants of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families, although the latter are diminishing in number.
Bombardier CRJ regional jets and ATR turboprops are operated for SAS by the Irish airline Cityjet and Estonian airline XFly. A small fleet of Embraer 195 are operated by subsidiary SAS Link out of Copenhagen.
A fleet of A320neo aircraft is close to being fully delivered to Irish-registered subsidiary SAS Connect (formerly SAS Ireland).
For long haul operations, SAS uses the Airbus A330-300 and A350-900.
An up to date overview of the SAS fleet can be found here.
Hubs and Focus Cities
SAS has three hubs:
Copenhagen (CPH),
Stockholm (ARN) and
Oslo Gardermoen (OSL).
In addition,
Bergen (BGO),
Stavanger (SVG),
Trondheim (TRD) and
Gteborg Landvetter (GOT)
have been defined as focus cities.
Service classes
Instead of the traditional Economy Class, Economy Extra Class and Business Class, SAS has made up its own service class system.
Short haul
On all short haul, SAS serves the following classes
- SAS Go is what should resemble regular economy. The following is included in SAS Go
- 23 kg. luggage
- on line check in and on site check in
- Buy on board (coffee and tea are included in the ticket price)
- seat selection (may come with additional costs)
- SAS Plus is a hybrid form of economy extra and business class and includes the following features
- seating in the front of the plane
- no guaranteed free middle seat
- choice of food and beverages from the on board menu is included
- priority check in counter usage
- fast track security where applicable
- priority luggage labels on your hold luggage
- higher point earnings
- lounge access where available
- priority boarding where applied
Experience teaches that Plus, with the exception of full flex tickets, is not considered as a business class fare by any of the airline partners of SAS. As a result, if someone books a flight in SAS plus with a partner airline, the chance is quite big to end up in regular economy. The same goes for re-routings on partner airlines. This also may affect lounge access on Plus tickets: not all partner airlines may allow Plus ticket holders in their lounges.
Frequent Flyer Program / EuroBonus
SAS has its own frequent flier program called EuroBonus. It has been around since 1992. EuroBonus offers frequent fliers the possibilities to earn points. These points can be used to obtain status and /or to save for award travel or products from the gift shop.
After subscribing to EuroBonus, the qualification period starts running. This is an period of 12 months from the month of subscription to the end of the 12th month thereafter. This cycle repeats itself every year.
For example, if someone subscribes in October, his or her qualification period runs from October to September the next year (both inclusive).
Membership levels
EuroBonus offers five levels in its program:
- Basic is the standard entry level for everyone who subscribes to the program.
- Silver is the level for everyone who has flown 10 one way flight segments or gathered 20.000 basic points within one qualification period on qualifying flights. This comes with the status Star Alliance Silver.
- Gold is the level for everyone flying 45 qualifying flight segments or gathering 45.000 basic points within one qualification period on qualifying flights
- Diamond is the highest tier available by basic point earnings or flight segments flown. 90 segments or 90.000 points in one qualification period are required.
- Pandion is an invitation only level for the best customers of SAS. Not much is formally known about the requirements for achieving this level.
- Lifetime Gold: While not in itself a separate status level, Gold status can be achieved for life by maintaining Gold status or higher for 10 consecutive years.
Qualifying segments can be earned on all flights flown by
- SAS, with the exception of SAS flights with numbers ranging 3000 - 3999 and 6000 - 9999. More information can be found here
- Widere, with the exception of all flights within Norway that are carried out on PSO agreements. An overview of eligible routes can be found here.
For point earnings, please see below.
Point earnings
EuroBonus offers 2 kinds of points:
- Basic points
These are points that count towards membership levels. - Points for use (sometimes referred to as Extra points) These are the points that can be used for award travel and as a currency for buying products.
The validity of points varies and is based on the type of point and the membership level.
- Basic points are valid during one qualification period.
- Points for use (sometimes referred to as Extra points) are valid for 5 years for all memeber levels except Diamond and Pandion: those levels have no point validity. After losing Pandion or Diamond level benefits the counter for validity is reset to 5 years.
Basic points can be earned on all flights operated by
- SAS. All flights, with the exception of flights with number 3000 - 3999 and 6000 - 9999
- Widere. All flights, with the exception of PSO routes. An overview of eligible routes can be found here
- Atlantic Airways. Please note that no points are earned on flight numbers RC001-399 and RC1000-9999.
- StarAlliance partners. Point earnings is possible on all StarAlliance partners. Please note that not all booking classes may be eligible on all carriers. A detailed overview of earnings per airline can be found here.*
* Please note that only 'points for use' can be earned on AirBaltic and Ethiad Airways and only on selected routes.
Booking class
Critical for the determination of how many points will be earned is the booking class in which a flight is booked. A booking class is represented by a single character and can vary per flight segment in your booking.
A regular SAS booking via the SAS website doesn't explicitly state the booking class in the reservation, although it is possible to see in which class the booking will be done:
Step 1:
Select a suitable flight or routing and the available fares will show up. For flights fully operated by SK the booking site will show the points earned on the lower right side for each fare (1). Note that for Eurobonus Status members, the bonus % earned on flights is included in these calculations.
Step 2:
Click the (i) icon on the top of the fare (2). A popup will show up showing the fare rules. The letter is the booking class (3). In the case of more than one flight, the booking class for each flight is displayed in chronological order.
To check the booking classes later on, review the Electronic Itinerary SAS sent via mail:
Or check the booking classes directly under my bookings on the SAS website:
Star Alliance Benefits (for elites in other *A programs flying on SK)
Star Alliance Silver Benefits
You'll get nothing and like it?
Star Alliance Gold Benefits
Priority check-in: Yes
Fast-track security pass: Yes (for everyone on same itinerary; excludes SK-operated fast-track security)
Extra baggage allowance: Yes (HBO fares might be excluded)
Preferred seats: Yes
Lounge access: Yes (for traveler and one guest; SAS-operated or Star Alliance-affiliated lounges only)
Priority baggage handling: Yes
Priority standby: Yes
Priority boarding: Yes (for everyone on the same itinerary)
SAS & EuroBonus Introduction / Frequently Asked Questions
#244
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: Eurobonus EBG
Posts: 39
SAS longhaul has free meals + 1 free non-alcoholic drink with each meal in economy/Go.
SAS intra-european: Only free coffee/tea, charge for all meals (in economy/Go. Fairly cheap upgrade options to "Plus" (something between economy and business) with complimentary food and (excellent) alcohol )
SAS intra-european: Only free coffee/tea, charge for all meals (in economy/Go. Fairly cheap upgrade options to "Plus" (something between economy and business) with complimentary food and (excellent) alcohol )
#246
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: Eurobonus EBG
Posts: 39
Lets agree on taste is subjective
#247
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,985
and the Gin... well... I’m a Gin nut... for years. Long before the Gin hype started some years ago. And don’t think this one is any good. By the way, award whining means absolutely nothing. Most awards don’t even disclose how they rate and what they compare.
but let’a agree. Tastes are different.
EDIT:// as I was just bored for a moment I looked up the award for the Harahorn Gin... International Spirits Challenge, Bronze in 2016 and 2018. Not really impressive. That is kind of a everybody-gets-a-trophy-trophy, e.g. for 2018 Harahorn was one of over 80 gins in the general Bronze category, behind 63 in the Silver category, six in the Gold category and the two Trophy Gins.
Or if you only look for London Dry Gin, one out of 22 Bronze, behind eleven in Silver, on in the Gold and the one Trophy gin.
I think every producer who submits their spirit into the challenge and pay for entry (that's why you don't see a lot of very renown world class Gins even in there, as they usually do not pay to get rated into these kind of challenges) get's at least Bronze. Soooo, matches my tasting experience. Not that great...
Last edited by fassy; Jun 6, 2019 at 5:05 am
#250
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Koala Lemur
Programs: SK EBD LTG (*G)
Posts: 2,463
SK apparently took down CPH-WAW for most of the summer almost entirely! That is completely crazy given the traffic on this route (just came to WAW on yet another flight filled to the brim). Then you get interesting anomalies like this one: 3184 DKK for a flight in 7 weeks for now, in GO LIGHT, earning 100 EB points. Seriously? (this is one-way price, returns are also super expensive, and only 2-3 flights a week).
#251
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Koala Lemur
Programs: SK EBD LTG (*G)
Posts: 2,463
Actually, does anybody has a chance to check loads on this only SK flight for Aug 7th WAW->CPH.
Just out of curiosity. I wonder whether they actually managed to sell most seats already (unlikely as LO is no 5 times cheaper on the same date), or the revenue management is wrongly estimating demand vs capacity comparing to (presumably higher) capacity in recent years in that week.
Just out of curiosity. I wonder whether they actually managed to sell most seats already (unlikely as LO is no 5 times cheaper on the same date), or the revenue management is wrongly estimating demand vs capacity comparing to (presumably higher) capacity in recent years in that week.
#252
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: CPH
Programs: SK, A3, QR
Posts: 220
SK apparently took down CPH-WAW for most of the summer almost entirely! That is completely crazy given the traffic on this route (just came to WAW on yet another flight filled to the brim). Then you get interesting anomalies like this one: 3184 DKK for a flight in 7 weeks for now, in GO LIGHT, earning 100 EB points. Seriously? (this is one-way price, returns are also super expensive, and only 2-3 flights a week).
#253
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,985
Just out of curiosity. I wonder whether they actually managed to sell most seats already (unlikely as LO is no 5 times cheaper on the same date), or the revenue management is wrongly estimating demand vs capacity comparing to (presumably higher) capacity in recent years in that week.
Never understood why SK is not having ARN-WAW or OSL-WAW flights as well. Funny enough you can book AGH-ARN-WAW with first leg on SK, second on LO via the LOT webpage at reasonable prices (schedule still sucks) but when you try to book this via SK.... even in the corporate booking tool.... is it not possible. The only option they allow is AGH-ARN-FRA-WAW with LH. At total fantasy prices over $2.500 one-way making the r/t over $5.000.
But I have that issue with a lot of flights in the SAS for business booking tool. As soon as you add some *A partner flights to the itinerary the prices go crazy. Crappy tool! Just good for booking SK only multi-city trips.
#254
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: BRU
Programs: A3 *G & FB G
Posts: 643
I have a flight in July with SAS with a very short layover. I usually don't worry too much about layovers in FRA, ZRH, VIE if they're very short, but I am not really familiar with Scandinavian airports in terms of extremely short layovers. Do you think I will make it? Given the flights are in the evening, I don't want to spend the night in Oslo... As I won't have a flight that day that will bring me to AGP.
So here's the schedule:
BRU-OSL: 19h00 - 20h50
Layover 35m
OSL-AGP: 21h25 - 01h35
Both with SAS in 1 PNR...
Wish me luck
So here's the schedule:
BRU-OSL: 19h00 - 20h50
Layover 35m
OSL-AGP: 21h25 - 01h35
Both with SAS in 1 PNR...
Wish me luck
#255
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,985
Tight but doable assuming the inbound flight from BRU arrives on time.
OSL is rather small and very efficient airport. Also CPH is a really great airport for connections. Not as great as VIE but since the opening of the satellite terminal in MUC Id say better than MUC.
ARN is a mixed bag. Mostly okay, but domestic to international or the other way around sucks. International / International is fine.
OSL is rather small and very efficient airport. Also CPH is a really great airport for connections. Not as great as VIE but since the opening of the satellite terminal in MUC Id say better than MUC.
ARN is a mixed bag. Mostly okay, but domestic to international or the other way around sucks. International / International is fine.