Airport-managed lounges discontinued for SAS passengers.
Dec 27, 2016, 8:33 am
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
From MAN I can connect to the US via almost any European airline (or US airline come to think of it) and most give me lounge access on both sectors holding a J ticket for the long haul bit. Ditto with probably every other non-Scandinavian connecting passenger.
SAS must be mad doing this - the cost of lounge access for the first sector can't be huge compared to the £2k cost of a J ticket to the US.
I can still get access to the T1 MAN lounge with Diners or PP but that's chargeable.
I think this will backfire on them.
SAS must be mad doing this - the cost of lounge access for the first sector can't be huge compared to the £2k cost of a J ticket to the US.
I can still get access to the T1 MAN lounge with Diners or PP but that's chargeable.
I think this will backfire on them.
Dec 27, 2016, 10:49 am
#77
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,961
The problem is not the long haul J passengers. The problem is that SK is primarily a shorthaul airline, and on the cheap Go lounge access eats too much of the margin in the current environment. And probably also on the cheapo Plus tickets. They should find a way to include it for J long haul connections. But I guess it might be tricky to write rules that are simple, understandable and enforceable. And we ended up with this.
But that is not how it is so they have to neglect some people. There is always some loss of customers when doing changes so who cares about those few who are willing to pay a good amount of money.
Dec 27, 2016, 11:03 am
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
I guess if SK would have some "SK-Wings" construction outside of *A with a basic fare that has no EB (and *G) benefits there would be no need for this change.
But that is not how it is so they have to neglect some people. There is always some loss of customers when doing changes so who cares about those few who are willing to pay a good amount of money.
But that is not how it is so they have to neglect some people. There is always some loss of customers when doing changes so who cares about those few who are willing to pay a good amount of money.
The problem in Scandinavia is that there are too few people willing to pay a good amount of money for tickets. The yields are continuing to be under pressure. SK has to do something to cull costs. In a number of airports this does make sense, but across the board it is probably a mistake.
Dec 27, 2016, 11:20 am
#79
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,961
Don't assume I am in favour or defending SK for this. I don't, but I can see where they are coming from and their motivation for the changes. I can easily see this ending up as penny wise pound foolish though.
The problem in Scandinavia is that there are too few people willing to pay a good amount of money for tickets. The yields are continuing to be under pressure. SK has to do something to cull costs. In a number of airports this does make sense, but across the board it is probably a mistake.
The problem in Scandinavia is that there are too few people willing to pay a good amount of money for tickets. The yields are continuing to be under pressure. SK has to do something to cull costs. In a number of airports this does make sense, but across the board it is probably a mistake.
rules that are simple, understandable and enforceable
Dec 27, 2016, 11:28 am
#80
Join Date: May 2016
Location: IST, LHR
Programs: TK E+, AA PLAT
Posts: 481
This seems like a really strange decision to me, what is the actual benefit of a Plus ticket over GO? Apart from an extra piece of luggage and slightly more flexibility. If they need to cut their costs they could implement a system like Norwegian where you can pay extra for lounge/fast track on the saver plus ticket but perhaps that would put to much strain on their IT systems.
This makes it even less likely that I will choose SK for future flights for sure.
This makes it even less likely that I will choose SK for future flights for sure.
Dec 28, 2016, 1:02 am
#81
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: EB*G, BT VIP
Posts: 770
So when/if I will be flying LH/OS/LO/SN cheapo economy from those airports, SAS will actually pay the lounge for me flying a competitor using my EBD card but the day I decide to give some money to SK (quite likely a Plus fare) I will have no lounge? Brilliant idea I must admit
Dec 28, 2016, 2:20 am
#82
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,777
So when/if I will be flying LH/OS/LO/SN cheapo economy from those airports, SAS will actually pay the lounge for me flying a competitor using my EBD card but the day I decide to give some money to SK (quite likely a Plus fare) I will have no lounge? Brilliant idea I must admit
Dec 28, 2016, 6:33 am
#83
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Programs: SK*(LT)G, AY
Posts: 153
So when/if I will be flying LH/OS/LO/SN cheapo economy from those airports, SAS will actually pay the lounge for me flying a competitor using my EBD card but the day I decide to give some money to SK (quite likely a Plus fare) I will have no lounge? Brilliant idea I must admit
Of course, SK could just stop flying to airports with Star Gold lounges.
Dec 28, 2016, 6:47 am
#84
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: KSU (Kristiansund N, Norway)
Programs: SAS EBD/ *G
Posts: 2,163
Exactly. This is the deal if you want to be part of an alliance, so for SK to get out of paying for Star Gold lounges, they would in fact need to leave Star alliance altogether. I am sure they have considered also this option, but of course they would be eaten alive in a very short time.
From the article:
Eksisterende lounge-tilbud, som til nå har vært driftet av eksterne utleieaktører, erstattes av Star Alliance-lounger ved de ulike flyplassene, opplyser selskapet. SAS er medlem i flyalliansen.
Samtidig skal flyselskapet jobbe med en oppgradering av egne lounger og investeringer for utbygging av flere tilbud ved de ulike destinasjonene.
My translation: "Existing lounge offering, which until now has been run by external operators, will be replaced by Star-Alliance lounges at the airports in question, the airline says. SAS is a member of this airline alliance. At the same time, the airline is working on upgrading its own lounges, and will invest in extending the avialable facilities at the different destinations."
So: no loss of Star Alliance privileges (yet...), the enhencement only concerns non-Star lounges. The fact that there are no Star lounges at the airports in question is not adressed by SAS, even though they are hinting that mor Star lounges might be introduced.
Dec 28, 2016, 7:17 am
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,848
Dec 28, 2016, 8:25 am
#86
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: EB*G, BT VIP
Posts: 770
I understand ref Star lounges but the question here they are closing access to the contracted lounges. I am every week flying out of VNO and TLL (and some other airports) where the lounges are airport operated. So if I do LO or LH economy - SK will indeed pay them a lounge access fee when I am using SK card. Same time flying SK I will not get the lounge even flying Plus? This is totally insane!!! And if they really going to do that what else they have in mind? Probably a good time to burn the miles and go for MM Senator...
Dec 28, 2016, 9:35 am
#87
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,777
It appears that you and some other participants in this thread believe that EBGs travelling on a SK service will lose access to Star Gold lounges. That is not correct according to the link I posted in post #66. The lounges being cut are NOT Star Gold lounges, but non-Star contract lounges.
It appears you have been drinking too much aquavit these last few days, as I have decidedly not indicated such a thing
Another user was commenting on the fact that SK is not able to deny access to EBG+ to any Star alliance Gold lounge, and who would pay for such access when flying another carrier than SK.
So the only way SK could theoretically block such access (which they are not actually doing) would be to leave the alliance.
Dec 28, 2016, 10:42 am
#88
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: POZ
Programs: LH*S (FTL), OZ*G, Accor gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 270
The carrier will pay for lounge access for pax in C class (regardless if *A Gold or higher) but the FFP will have to pay for pax in Y getting access to the lounge due to elite FFP status (as such pax would not otherwise get lounge access and it would be unreasonable to ask the carrier to pay for this).
Have you any confirmed information regarding payment for lounge access ?
According to previous discussion the op carrier pays for lounge access in *A.
If the FFP pays for lounge access I do not see the reason for SK to cut lounge access for non-SK *G.
Dec 28, 2016, 11:37 am
#90
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Programs: SK*(LT)G, AY
Posts: 153
Taking into account what was said in that thread from 2014, the card issuer pays when the *G pax goes to Star lounge.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...ge-access.html
But that policy may not apply to contract lounges. Post #9 there seems to refer that the operating carrier must cover the cost. Same time I get that an airline cannot exclude other FFP-s from the access, because Star Alliance website provides
Learning every day.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...ge-access.html
But that policy may not apply to contract lounges. Post #9 there seems to refer that the operating carrier must cover the cost. Same time I get that an airline cannot exclude other FFP-s from the access, because Star Alliance website provides
As a Star Alliance Gold customer you have access to third party Contract Lounges contracted by the member airline on which you are travelling.