SAS pilots on strike in April 2019
May 10, 2019, 2:25 pm
#391
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May 10, 2019, 2:49 pm
#392
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May 11, 2019, 3:00 am
#393
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The USD/SEK exchange rate was a bit higher 20 years ago, that's true. But the reason for that wasn't really a weak SEK, because the SEK faired very well against other currencies at that time. But today, SEK is very weak against all currencies. So, 20 years ago, it was a strong USD. Today, it's a strong USD and a weak SEK.
May 11, 2019, 8:43 am
#394
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Its a matter of time before governments in Scandinavia figured out how their tier 3 airports and striking airlines aren't doing their economies any good. Having a LLC and a sub-par airline on the verge of bankruptcy that isn't reliable and has terrible service as the main transport to your region while your overpaid bus drivers expect a hilarious 10%+ raise will not do wonders for your reputation either. Hopefully the correlation between strong economies and those being well served with direct routes globally will eventually trigger a wake up. It would be appalling if SAS didn't even at least try in an attempt to securing its future.
The main problem is that SK management has allowed the pilot group to develop in to the beast that they are. Something that has happened over long periods of time. The fact that SK management has not lived up to their role in decades is hardly the fault of the labour laws of the region.
SK is not highly unreliable based on the level of industrial action, Lufthansa both pilots and cabin crew, the mixed fleet debacle at BA, and the AF pilots have all had far bigger impacts in the last decade than strikes at SK has had.
Does the airport infrastructure hurt the economies in the Scandinavian region, or rather the lack there of? I'd be curious as to what is tier 1 and tier 2 airports in your view, putting CPH, ARN, and OSL as tier 3. As access points to the region, along with HEL, I belive the airports do a very good job. You can discuss the quality of the lounges, the shopping center style, the absurd price levels for any food or drink in the terminals. But connections are mostly quick and painless. Security is mostly quite efficient and quick, though the Scandinavian language instructions translated to English by the staff does come across as rude more often than good is. As connection points, I don't see many airports more efficient.
May 11, 2019, 9:38 am
#395
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Here's a 10 year chart for USD/SEK exchange. SEK has never been lower during the past decade. NOK is a little bit better, and DKK even better than NOK. But all three currencies are pretty low compared to the dollar.
Since a lot of expenses are paid in dollars (fuel, aircraft), and since most SAS income is on SEK, NOK and DKK, the weak Scandinavian currencies (and especially the SEK) is a huge problem for SAS. I don't think that anybody at SAS can use the weak currency as a bargaining point for higher salaries.
Since a lot of expenses are paid in dollars (fuel, aircraft), and since most SAS income is on SEK, NOK and DKK, the weak Scandinavian currencies (and especially the SEK) is a huge problem for SAS. I don't think that anybody at SAS can use the weak currency as a bargaining point for higher salaries.
SEK does not have that tie and has moved from 0.9 DKK per 1 SEK in beginning of 2013 to 0.69 DKK per 1 SEK yesterday. In an almost steady decline.
NOK doesn't either and have moved from 1.2 DKK per 1 NOK in beginning of 2013 to 0,76 DKK per 1 NOK yesterday. Also in an almost steady decline.
Seen from a DK point of view. The weak SEK is good, because all the SK tickets are priced in SEK when they are added to the booking system. The conversion to your local currency is done at booking time using conversion rates put in the system in the morning. It means among other, that the plusgrade upgrade minimum bidding price has been steady declining over the last years when booking from DKK. For CPH-ARN, It was close to 400DKK about 2 years ago. In November last year I placed a bid as low as 250DKK. Last week the minimum bid price in DKK for CPH-ARN was 285 DKK. This is becase the SEK prices was adjusted recently
Last edited by highupinthesky; May 11, 2019 at 9:53 am
May 11, 2019, 9:40 am
#396
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May 11, 2019, 9:59 am
#397
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Nja. It's more the mentality of any union employee. They are often narrow minded and short sighted. They see the companies as big evil enemies whit an endless supply of money. If a company goes bankrupt it must be the CEO who has done something wrong and probably illegal and most likely he will benefit from the bankruptcy.
May 11, 2019, 10:09 am
#399
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Its a matter of time before governments in Scandinavia figured out how their tier 3 airports and striking airlines aren't doing their economies any good. Having a LLC and a sub-par airline on the verge of bankruptcy that isn't reliable and has terrible service as the main transport to your region while your overpaid bus drivers expect a hilarious 10%+ raise will not do wonders for your reputation either. Hopefully the correlation between strong economies and those being well served with direct routes globally will eventually trigger a wake up. It would be appalling if SAS didn't even at least try in an attempt to securing its future.
May 11, 2019, 10:19 am
#400
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The USD/SEK exchange rate was a bit higher 20 years ago, that's true. But the reason for that wasn't really a weak SEK, because the SEK faired very well against other currencies at that time. But today, SEK is very weak against all currencies. So, 20 years ago, it was a strong USD. Today, it's a strong USD and a weak SEK.
The relatively strong USD against the NOK, DKK and SEK is of course bad for SK’s fuel bill, but currency movements seem even less relevant to demands by SK’s unionized employees than SK’s financial results, the latter of which seem to not be a factor in what its employees demand regardless of the times.
May 11, 2019, 10:21 am
#401
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That probably tells more about the USD than the SEK. :-) Over the last 20 years I've been in US when the USD was above 10 DKK per USD and when it was below 4.5 DKK per USD.
May 12, 2019, 2:27 am
#402
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May 12, 2019, 1:08 pm
#404
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SAS pilots are skilled labor, right? 
It would be the rare SAS pilot in Sweden — pre-strike income or post-strike raise — who is as poorly off as the average asylum recipient or seeker in Sweden living on welfare benefits. And the fact is that most of the asylum seekers and recipients living on welfare benefits in Sweden are definitely not living anywhere as comfortably as the skilled Swedish labor pool; and the difference in quality of life/lifestyle shows up clearly in the housing situation, in area school results, in grocery shopping habits and various other ways.
People like us and the SAS pilots in Sweden can afford to buy our way into a lifestyle in Sweden that asylum seekers and recipients generally can’t get in Sweden with or without welfare assistance. With or without the pay raise from the strike-related negotiations, SAS pilots in Sweden already had it pretty good and remain generally way better off than the average asylum seeker in Sweden.
It would be the rare SAS pilot in Sweden — pre-strike income or post-strike raise — who is as poorly off as the average asylum recipient or seeker in Sweden living on welfare benefits. And the fact is that most of the asylum seekers and recipients living on welfare benefits in Sweden are definitely not living anywhere as comfortably as the skilled Swedish labor pool; and the difference in quality of life/lifestyle shows up clearly in the housing situation, in area school results, in grocery shopping habits and various other ways.People like us and the SAS pilots in Sweden can afford to buy our way into a lifestyle in Sweden that asylum seekers and recipients generally can’t get in Sweden with or without welfare assistance. With or without the pay raise from the strike-related negotiations, SAS pilots in Sweden already had it pretty good and remain generally way better off than the average asylum seeker in Sweden.
Last edited by GUWonder; May 12, 2019 at 1:24 pm
May 12, 2019, 1:35 pm
#405
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