Airport-managed lounges discontinued for SAS passengers.
Dec 20, 2016, 4:12 am
#46
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Australia
Programs: QFF LTG , HHD
Posts: 1,207
My apologies if this has been answered. It may have been but I am having difficulty understanding the terminology. That is what comes from being a OW habitue and rarely flying on Star Alliance members 
I am flying LHR-CPH late in 2017. I'll be on a SAS saver plus fare in Y. Does this change mean I will lose access to a lounge at LHR and also to the security fast track line. If still have lunge access, which lounge? Many thanks.
I am flying LHR-CPH late in 2017. I'll be on a SAS saver plus fare in Y. Does this change mean I will lose access to a lounge at LHR and also to the security fast track line. If still have lunge access, which lounge? Many thanks.
Dec 20, 2016, 4:22 am
#47
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,957
My apologies if this has been answered. It may have been but I am having difficulty understanding the terminology. That is what comes from being a OW habitue and rarely flying on Star Alliance members I am flying LHR-CPH late in 2017. I'll be on a SAS saver plus fare in Y. Does this change mean I will lose access to a lounge at LHR and also to the security fast track line. If still have lunge access, which lounge? Many thanks.
I am flying LHR-CPH late in 2017. I'll be on a SAS saver plus fare in Y. Does this change mean I will lose access to a lounge at LHR and also to the security fast track line. If still have lunge access, which lounge? Many thanks.Furthermore:
In LHR SK had contracted the PP lounge to admit SAS customers (EBG/D in M, or regular Plus). This contract ends next year. EBG and EBD will still be able to into any of the 4 *A lounges when booked on SAS departing from T2 that day. AFAIK SAS Plus pax without status still count as C for LH lounges, so they will be able to use the Lufthansa business lounge in T2 A.
Dec 20, 2016, 5:50 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: *G, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,406
Clarification
Did I understand the announcement correctly? Here with GDN as an example where there is no *A lounge:
Possible scenarios in GDN
Is this correct?
Possible scenarios in GDN
- Flying SK M and Eurobonus Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Eurobonus Gold: Lounge access
- Flying SK M and Star Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Star Gold: Lounge access
Is this correct?
Dec 20, 2016, 6:05 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,957
Did I understand the announcement correctly? Here with GDN as an example where there is no *A lounge:
Possible scenarios in GDN
Is this correct?
Possible scenarios in GDN
- Flying SK M and Eurobonus Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Eurobonus Gold: Lounge access
- Flying SK M and Star Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Star Gold: Lounge access
Is this correct?
Dec 21, 2016, 4:49 am
#50
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,967
So here is the official mail, fresh from my inbox:
My thoughts:
- City lounges? What a useless waste of money...
- SAS Café Lounges were a nice humble addition to some of the airports I use like Malmö but nothing to write home about.
then:
- So.... removing bottled beers, decent food, hiding cup noodles etc from the lounges is improving the service? Sure, they renovated and extended the lounges but at the expense of the service offerings.
- Where has the FastTrack improved in the last 3 years - oh right... putting up a plastic sign "FastTrack line" in GOT?
That's what I wrote back plus that as a result of that decision I will use LH group or BA from now on for those destinations where
a) I have to make a connection anyway (which is pretty much everything besides my direct flights to OSL, ARN or CPH)
AND
b) SK doesn't offer lounge access but LH or BA does like KRK, WRO, MAN, BHX, BCN, DUB and many more of my regular destinations.
This costs SK about 50% of my short haul business a year. Might not be much for them but summing up my expenses for 2015 we are talking about 15.000€, for 2016 at about 10.000€ and my guestimate for 2017 is again between 10k€ and 15k€ on those routes.
Most probably they won't care about that note and will probably think they can live without me arguing it will cost them more than 12.500€ to operate those lounges...
Hi fassy,
In recent years, we’ve invested in expanding our SAS Lounges at airports at Stockholm/Arlanda, Oslo and Gothenburg. We also opened our first SAS City Lounge in Stockholm and several new SAS Café Lounges at larger domestic destinations. Not only that, we’ve extended our fast track offering and we’re continuing to invest in our lounge and fast frack offering at the locations that travelers like you visit most.
To continue improving our own SAS Lounge and Fast Track offering, we’ve decided to end our contracts with lounges and a couple of fast tracks operated by third parties by January 1 and February 1, 2017. This means that you will no longer be able to use the services at these locations after these dates.
Please use the link below to find out more. And do follow the latest news as we continue to improve the entire travel experience, from our lounges and fast tracks to our new digital solutions, new upgraded cabins, new modern aircraft, high-speed WiFi and new food and beverage offering that we’ve already launched.
Best wishes from SAS
WE ARE TRAVELERS
http://www.flysas.com/en/travel-info...irport/lounges
In recent years, we’ve invested in expanding our SAS Lounges at airports at Stockholm/Arlanda, Oslo and Gothenburg. We also opened our first SAS City Lounge in Stockholm and several new SAS Café Lounges at larger domestic destinations. Not only that, we’ve extended our fast track offering and we’re continuing to invest in our lounge and fast frack offering at the locations that travelers like you visit most.
To continue improving our own SAS Lounge and Fast Track offering, we’ve decided to end our contracts with lounges and a couple of fast tracks operated by third parties by January 1 and February 1, 2017. This means that you will no longer be able to use the services at these locations after these dates.
Please use the link below to find out more. And do follow the latest news as we continue to improve the entire travel experience, from our lounges and fast tracks to our new digital solutions, new upgraded cabins, new modern aircraft, high-speed WiFi and new food and beverage offering that we’ve already launched.
Best wishes from SAS
WE ARE TRAVELERS
http://www.flysas.com/en/travel-info...irport/lounges
- City lounges? What a useless waste of money...
- SAS Café Lounges were a nice humble addition to some of the airports I use like Malmö but nothing to write home about.
then:
To continue improving our own SAS Lounge and Fast Track offering, we’ve decided to end our contracts with lounges and a couple of fast tracksoperated by third parties by January 1 and February 1, 2017.
- Where has the FastTrack improved in the last 3 years - oh right... putting up a plastic sign "FastTrack line" in GOT?
That's what I wrote back plus that as a result of that decision I will use LH group or BA from now on for those destinations where
a) I have to make a connection anyway (which is pretty much everything besides my direct flights to OSL, ARN or CPH)
AND
b) SK doesn't offer lounge access but LH or BA does like KRK, WRO, MAN, BHX, BCN, DUB and many more of my regular destinations.
This costs SK about 50% of my short haul business a year. Might not be much for them but summing up my expenses for 2015 we are talking about 15.000€, for 2016 at about 10.000€ and my guestimate for 2017 is again between 10k€ and 15k€ on those routes.
Most probably they won't care about that note and will probably think they can live without me arguing it will cost them more than 12.500€ to operate those lounges...
Dec 21, 2016, 5:15 am
#51
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: SAS*D, IC-RA,EM-G
Posts: 99
I have one point I would like to understand as a SAS Diamond, when travelling economy with Lufthansa or other Star Alliance carriers will my Diamond card still enable me to get in the contract lounges as a Star Gold. This is not clear?
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
Last edited by msportmad; Dec 21, 2016 at 5:20 am
Dec 21, 2016, 5:33 am
#52
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: *G, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,406
I have one point I would like to understand as a SAS Diamond, when travelling economy with Lufthansa or other Star Alliance carriers will my Diamond card still enable me to get in the contract lounges as a Star Gold. This is not clear?
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
Dec 21, 2016, 6:44 am
#53
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
Did I understand the announcement correctly? Here with GDN as an example where there is no *A lounge:
Possible scenarios in GDN
Is this correct?
Possible scenarios in GDN
- Flying SK M and Eurobonus Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Eurobonus Gold: Lounge access
- Flying SK M and Star Gold: No lounge
- Flying LH M and Star Gold: Lounge access
Is this correct?
G
Dec 21, 2016, 7:49 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,967
I have one point I would like to understand as a SAS Diamond, when travelling economy with Lufthansa or other Star Alliance carriers will my Diamond card still enable me to get in the contract lounges as a Star Gold. This is not clear?
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
If this is the case SAS have just lost 60-70 flights per year from me and expect many others in Europe as lounge access was the only difference left between them and Easyjet/Ryanair!
or travel on another carrier...
Dec 21, 2016, 11:26 am
#56
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,957
What is the worst to me is the communication of SK or better its non-existence.
Plus is still advertised as including lounge access and fast track and when you book it only says that it depends on availability. Fast track and the lounges are still available at these airports just SK doesn't want to pay for it anymore.
Now it will take a long time until that information gets to most customers.
And I even wonder if that was the real reason to introduce the Plus Saver fare on SH. Now you get a penalty if you cancel. Well done.
Plus is still advertised as including lounge access and fast track and when you book it only says that it depends on availability. Fast track and the lounges are still available at these airports just SK doesn't want to pay for it anymore.
Now it will take a long time until that information gets to most customers.
And I even wonder if that was the real reason to introduce the Plus Saver fare on SH. Now you get a penalty if you cancel. Well done.
Dec 21, 2016, 11:57 am
#57
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
). Would you mind sharing the e-mail address I should be using (apologies if you've already kindly mentioned this before).
Dec 22, 2016, 11:07 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
I am really surprised how quiet this thread is. On the other side businessclass.se only published this info on Dec 21, so FT was faster this time (plus no one even commented the BC article). If Scandinavians are already in the Christmas mode, it might be hard awakening in January
Dec 22, 2016, 11:25 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,957
Well the decision was done and SK won't back off by just writing here. I'm with fassy to take this change into account when flying. So if SK notices that their savings scheme is not working it is hopefully way more convincing. SK can't win purely on price with their cost base. I hope they notice that they are pushing into the wrong direction.
Dec 23, 2016, 1:43 am
#60
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Stockholm
Programs: UA*G, SK*G
Posts: 76
Interestingly, some of these changes already have been applied, it seems.
On Tuesday I flew from LPA on SAS to ARN. I am *A Gold (on UA) and was told that there is no lounge access. I went to the only lounge available and was in fact denied entry.
The following 3 hours were rather frustrating. If you go to the airport early, expecting to do some work at the lounge, it's rather annoying if you suddenly find yourself wasting time with looking for power outlets in the public areas.
It is very disappointing. On the other hand, my SAS light fare was cheaper than the one offered by Norwegian (and it did not increase in price until the day of departure!). So just from looking at the economics, I understand why SAS does not want to give a cut of that revenue to the lounge operator. However, in the end, access to lounges is for me the number one reason of Gold status. So this development actually makes me question my whole loyalty to *A (not only to SAS).
Personally, as *A gold member and considering that *A is branding itself as the biggest and leading alliance, I have this expectation that on any significant airport of the world, there is at least one lounge for me to access if I am flying on a member airline - no matter which one. It adds a lot of mental costs and frustration if one constantly has to research in advance whether one will have lounge access or not.
In the end I would expect *A to actually force its member airlines to ensure lounge access for its elites (and premium passengers) on any airport with a certain size.
On Tuesday I flew from LPA on SAS to ARN. I am *A Gold (on UA) and was told that there is no lounge access. I went to the only lounge available and was in fact denied entry.
The following 3 hours were rather frustrating. If you go to the airport early, expecting to do some work at the lounge, it's rather annoying if you suddenly find yourself wasting time with looking for power outlets in the public areas.
It is very disappointing. On the other hand, my SAS light fare was cheaper than the one offered by Norwegian (and it did not increase in price until the day of departure!). So just from looking at the economics, I understand why SAS does not want to give a cut of that revenue to the lounge operator. However, in the end, access to lounges is for me the number one reason of Gold status. So this development actually makes me question my whole loyalty to *A (not only to SAS).
Personally, as *A gold member and considering that *A is branding itself as the biggest and leading alliance, I have this expectation that on any significant airport of the world, there is at least one lounge for me to access if I am flying on a member airline - no matter which one. It adds a lot of mental costs and frustration if one constantly has to research in advance whether one will have lounge access or not.
In the end I would expect *A to actually force its member airlines to ensure lounge access for its elites (and premium passengers) on any airport with a certain size.
Last edited by imartin2k; Dec 23, 2016 at 1:54 am