Nickel and Dimed by SAS Airlines
Dec 26, 2018, 6:52 am
#46
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Expecting business class to not be THE EXACT SAME seat as coach for 3x the price is something most would assume as on it's face obvious, not necessary to research. You book an intra-Euro J flight, you expect the same crappy seat, but with the middle blocked. Not the same crappy seat AND no blocked middle.
Dec 26, 2018, 7:01 am
#47
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The problem is Kayak probably use the booking codes, and some of the business booking codes on SK long haul is used for Plus on short haul, just like almost any other airline does today.
Dec 26, 2018, 7:06 am
#48
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I'm 200% sure you will not see SK seats sold as business on shot haul on the SK web site. What resellers does, you need to discuss with them. If you have connecting flights where SK is one leg and e.g. LH another and you book business, it should be clearly stated that the SK flight is in plus, not business. Booking such a flight through the SK website will show the flight as plus with the note under the details that the LH flight will be in business (can't recall whether they have premium economy on short haul)
Dec 26, 2018, 7:17 am
#49
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If you read the reply you quoted, you would have seen that the difference between LH business and SK plus on short haul is only the blocked seat, and not all airlines has blocked middle seat on short haul business, despite using economy seats, so in reality, you are getting business for premium economy price on SK short haul.
Dec 26, 2018, 9:49 am
#50
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What SK does and does not provide is irrelevant. What is relevant is that SK's marketing matches the product. Whether the product is good value is a subjective choice made by the consumer.
If some third-party chooses to deceptively market another's product, the customer's complaint lies with the third-party.
If some third-party chooses to deceptively market another's product, the customer's complaint lies with the third-party.
Dec 26, 2018, 2:07 pm
#51
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What SK does and does not provide is irrelevant. What is relevant is that SK's marketing matches the product. Whether the product is good value is a subjective choice made by the consumer.
If some third-party chooses to deceptively market another's product, the customer's complaint lies with the third-party.
If some third-party chooses to deceptively market another's product, the customer's complaint lies with the third-party.
It’s a wonderful feeling being in a cramped SAS economy class middle seat after asking and paying SAS for business class, but have you even ever experienced that yourself?
Dec 26, 2018, 2:17 pm
#52
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SAS markets the often crammed intra-Europe SASPlus section as business class in some channels that are even its own direct distribution ones. So SAS is getting its due with the criticism of SAS short-haul business class seating being as bad as SAS short-haul economy class seating.
It’s a wonderful feeling being in a cramped SAS economy class middle seat after asking and paying SAS for business class, but have you even ever experienced that yourself?
Dec 27, 2018, 7:18 am
#55
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As in booking over the phone and in-person with SAS employees.
Which small print does SAS provide at the time of booking over the phone?
Have you read any small print that SAS provides when ticketing in person with SAS employees? What did the small print say?
Which small print does SAS provide at the time of booking over the phone?
Have you read any small print that SAS provides when ticketing in person with SAS employees? What did the small print say?
Dec 27, 2018, 8:17 am
#56
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Granted, I have not booked via phone or in person in ages, and I have never tried asking for business class when booking an intra Europe flight post. business class cessation, so I have no experience of what the reply will be.
But as this would be dependent on the reaction and explanation of a specific agent on any given day, neither do you really. They may very well just issue a Plus ticket with no words of advise, or they may warn that it is Plus and on the specific flight no business class is offered.
However that being said, the confirmation email the passenger will receive will not say business class, or indicate that the passenger is flying business class. Admittedly, booking directly in the airport for an immediate subsequent flight, the email would not be read in advance
But as this would be dependent on the reaction and explanation of a specific agent on any given day, neither do you really. They may very well just issue a Plus ticket with no words of advise, or they may warn that it is Plus and on the specific flight no business class is offered.
However that being said, the confirmation email the passenger will receive will not say business class, or indicate that the passenger is flying business class. Admittedly, booking directly in the airport for an immediate subsequent flight, the email would not be read in advance
Last edited by CPH-Flyer; Dec 27, 2018 at 9:25 am
Dec 27, 2018, 9:16 am
#57
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Or, God forbid, people strike up a conversation with other people !
Dec 27, 2018, 1:44 pm
#58
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As a test, I looked at the websites of two partner airlines.
First I checked Deutsche Lufthansa. I wanted a one-way ticket for flight LH6227 (LH codeshare for SK635) from ARN to FRA on the 10th of January. I'm offered "Business Saver" and "Business Flex".
Then I checked United Airlines. On the 9th of January, SK525 ARN-LHR followed by UA17 LHR-EWR, then on the 16th UA70 EWR-AMS followed by UA7051 (codeshare for SK556) AMS-ARN. UA presents SAS Plus as business class, both for the codeshare and for the SK code.
First I checked Deutsche Lufthansa. I wanted a one-way ticket for flight LH6227 (LH codeshare for SK635) from ARN to FRA on the 10th of January. I'm offered "Business Saver" and "Business Flex".
Then I checked United Airlines. On the 9th of January, SK525 ARN-LHR followed by UA17 LHR-EWR, then on the 16th UA70 EWR-AMS followed by UA7051 (codeshare for SK556) AMS-ARN. UA presents SAS Plus as business class, both for the codeshare and for the SK code.
Dec 27, 2018, 4:27 pm
#59
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As a test, I looked at the websites of two partner airlines.
First I checked Deutsche Lufthansa. I wanted a one-way ticket for flight LH6227 (LH codeshare for SK635) from ARN to FRA on the 10th of January. I'm offered "Business Saver" and "Business Flex".
Then I checked United Airlines. On the 9th of January, SK525 ARN-LHR followed by UA17 LHR-EWR, then on the 16th UA70 EWR-AMS followed by UA7051 (codeshare for SK556) AMS-ARN. UA presents SAS Plus as business class, both for the codeshare and for the SK code.
First I checked Deutsche Lufthansa. I wanted a one-way ticket for flight LH6227 (LH codeshare for SK635) from ARN to FRA on the 10th of January. I'm offered "Business Saver" and "Business Flex".
Then I checked United Airlines. On the 9th of January, SK525 ARN-LHR followed by UA17 LHR-EWR, then on the 16th UA70 EWR-AMS followed by UA7051 (codeshare for SK556) AMS-ARN. UA presents SAS Plus as business class, both for the codeshare and for the SK code.
But United is also perfectly willing to sell you US domestic F on a one class regional jet. So I am hardly surprised on their count
Dec 27, 2018, 4:42 pm
#60
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It is not entirely correct. I flew LH earlier today and I have bought "light" fare with no baggage as I had carry-on only, but when LH is offering you a choice between "normal" and "light" fare, the difference money wise would be around 15-20 eur one way intra-europe but it books into the same booking class. I have no clue how they sorting it out internally but today I have paid 600 eur one way for LH "light" and it was B booking class, just one step of from full Y.
Could it be that LH is offering regular and light fares in most/all fare classes, where (in addition to price) the difference is the free checked bag allowance and other privileges such as advanced seat selection not associated with their light fares? In fact, if you look at their fare codes, it wouldn't surprise me if they're using a designator or some consistent code to indicate the flight fares in every fare class that offers them. This would permit LH to sell the light fares even when the flight is quite full or close to departure when lower fare classes aren't available. It would also allow passengers not taking RTs or satisfying advanced purchase or min/max stay requirements to save a little with the light fares.