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Prio boarding for Gold/Diamond friend or family

Prio boarding for Gold/Diamond friend or family

Old Jun 4, 2019, 10:56 am
  #1  
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Prio boarding for Gold/Diamond friend or family

I am quite sure that this will stir a mixed response

Good news! Prio boarding for Gold/Diamond friend or family

2019-06-03

As of 4 June 2019 you as a Gold/Diamond member will be able to bring 1 guest or up to 4 family members when prio boarding.

This benefit is valid when your companion travels in the same booking as yourself. The boarding pass for your guest/family will automatically be upgraded as eligible for priority boarding.
https://www.sas.se/eurobonus/offers-and-news/
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 12:43 pm
  #2  
 
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Why should people complain about this? Works for years. Just say he/she is with me and the agent waves you through.

Having the companion automatically added for priority boarding is actually a good thing as it enhances/speeds up the boarding process.
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 1:59 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by fassy
Why should people complain about this? Works for years. Just say ‘he/she’ is with me and the agent waves you through.

Having the companion automatically added for priority boarding is actually a good thing as it enhances/speeds up the boarding process.
I know that there are people who are unhappy about the amount of people getting priority boarding already now and this just makes it worse. But the impact should be quite limited outside the vacation periods.

And while the current process works with the agents, it doesn't work with the automated gates.
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 2:17 pm
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Originally Posted by fassy
Why should people complain about this? Works for years. Just say he/she is with me and the agent waves you through.

Having the companion automatically added for priority boarding is actually a good thing as it enhances/speeds up the boarding process.
For people who book themselves and their accompanying relatives a combination of regular paid and mileage tickets for travel on SAS, they may be out of luck for priority boarding since not all traveler will be on the same PNR as the *G passengers.

For couples who have four kids, they too may be out of luck in whole or in part when it comes to priority boarding.

The same PNR requirement and four accompanying family members cut-off are developments that require their own criticism from some at least; and also SAS may be doing this as part and parcel of getting more passengers to pay for priority boarding and doing this for a money grab. I also recognize that they are doing this in large part because of the automated boarding gates.
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 3:10 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
The same PNR requirement and four accompanying family members cut-off are developments that require their own criticism from some at least; and also SAS may be doing this as part and parcel of getting more passengers to pay for priority boarding and doing this for a money grab. I also recognize that they are doing this in large part because of the automated boarding gates.
The 4 accompanying family members are the same limit which has existed for lounge access for years. Beside that. It's new to me that you can pay to get priority boarding on SK. I know it's common on discount airlines, but I've never heard it being an option on SK.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 12:33 am
  #6  
 
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Originally Posted by highupinthesky
It's new to me that you can pay to get priority boarding on SK. I know it's common on discount airlines, but I've never heard it being an option on SK.
I guess he meant pony up for Plus when booking the trip. Booking quite long in advance like most families do for vacation the difference is price is quite small and these small things might push mom or dad over the line to pay extra.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 1:18 am
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Originally Posted by fassy
I guess he meant pony up for Plus when booking the trip. Booking quite long in advance like most families do for vacation the difference is price is quite small and these small things might push mom or dad over the line to pay extra.
Given it gives fast track and lounge access already, I strongly doubt priority boarding limitations will push many to pay the difference. Add to that, that SK in general don't have issues selling the plus and bizz seats, I doubt the limitations are there as a money maker for SK. It's simply the same limitations as on lounge access.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 2:17 am
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Originally Posted by highupinthesky
Given it gives fast track and lounge access already, I strongly doubt priority boarding limitations will push many to pay the difference. Add to that, that SK in general don't have issues selling the plus and bizz seats, I doubt the limitations are there as a money maker for SK. It's simply the same limitations as on lounge access.
Lounge access at SK has never required that the guests be on the same PNR as the *G passengers. The limitation to be on the same PNR as the *G is not the same when it comes to lounge access.

The gap between SK and supposedly low cost carriers is narrowing or even borderline negligible at times. So dont be surprised when SK plays the sell it game for priority boarding too.

Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 5, 2019 at 2:23 am
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 2:24 am
  #9  
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If you are on the same PNR all of you get the same boarding group. If on separate PNR, the companion has to scan in the gate just after you, similar to lounge entry.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 2:33 am
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
If you are on the same PNR all of you get the same boarding group. If on separate PNR, the companion has to scan in the gate just after you, similar to lounge entry.
How can the automated boarding gates work that way when on separate PNRs? An authorized 4-person trail programmed in would mean that a non-priority boarding passenger just needs to follow most any individual with priority boarding and get in too. And if it works as suggested in the second sentence above for boarding but is limited to 4 trailers regardless of automated or manual boarding, then that is new and a negative cap for Star Golds traveling with say five family members (without all the same priority boarding group noted on the boarding passes).

IIRC, for some airlines even passengers all on the same PNR have at times been given different boarding pass group numbers/letters than some others on the same PNR.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 7:54 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Lounge access at SK has never required that the guests be on the same PNR as the *G passengers. The limitation to be on the same PNR as the *G is not the same when it comes to lounge access.
No but the 1 friend or 4 family members applies to both lounge access and priority boarding now.

Originally Posted by GUWonder
The gap between SK and supposedly low cost carriers is narrowing or even borderline negligible at times. So dont be surprised when SK plays the sell it game for priority boarding too.
All airlines are narrowing the gab to the discount airlines, but I still don't know what it is SAS can "sell" with this new benefit. It's an additional benefit you get without having to pay anything. If anything it would lead to less pax buying plus or bizz tickets, but I strongly doubt that will happen. But off course they will benefit. It would be stupid not to.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:08 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
How can the automated boarding gates work that way when on separate PNRs? An authorized 4-person “trail” programmed in would mean that a non-priority boarding passenger just needs to follow most any individual with priority boarding and get in too. And if it works as suggested in the second sentence above for boarding but is limited to 4 “trailers” regardless of automated or manual boarding, then that is new and a negative cap for Star Golds traveling with say five family members (without all the same priority boarding group noted on the boarding passes).

IIRC, for some airlines even passengers all on the same PNR have at times been given different boarding pass group numbers/letters than some others on the same PNR.

I agree the automated gates will have problems if it's not marked on the boarding pass. That's probably also why the requirement for same PNR exist. In the lounge and fast track there are only limited issues with not having the access marked on the boarding cards for friend and family members, as most of the time, everyone trying to pass the lounge gates will have access, so tailgating isn't really a problem here as it would be with priority boarding.
The limitation of 1 friend or 4 family members are just the same as for lounge access and fast track in CPH, OSL, ARN and GOT. For Fast track the same PNR requirement exist too, but not for lounge access.
But using the automated gates doesn't prevent the gate staff from using the manual scanning next to the automated gates, and they often do for families with small children, people who need more time to board and other none standard boarding, which can't be marked on the boarding card automatically during online check-in.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:23 am
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When I use fast track at ARN my travel companions mostly aren’t on the same PNR as I, and we get it anyway. But it’s my Amex affiliation that gets us that when flying SAS out of ARN.

The fast track limitation on SAS passengers coming in via *G member seems set arbitrarily by SAS. There is no four guest cap for a family of 6 or more persons to check-in at staffed counters when one of them is *G. Should there be?

The guest cap can vary to be what SAS wants it to be as long as it doesn’t violate Star Alliance agreements, but as this capping is SAS’ prerogative, it’s also to be expected that SAS takes the hit for capping off things as it does for fast track and priority boarding. The lounge thing has SAS being more generous than Star Alliance carriers and Alliance requirements. Not the same for priority boarding and priority security screening.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:47 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
When I use fast track at ARN my travel companions mostly arent on the same PNR as I, and we get it anyway. But its my Amex affiliation that gets us that when flying SAS out of ARN.
So why mention it here? We are discussing the benefits you get from SAS, not the once you get from your credit card companies deal with SAS.

Originally Posted by GUWonder
The fast track limitation on SAS passengers coming in via *G member seems set arbitrarily by SAS. There is no four guest cap for a family of 6 or more persons to check-in at staffed counters when one of them is *G. Should there be?
If someone in a group have a better benefits than the standard SAS benefits. They of course count, just like you AMEX benefit at fast track does. But again. We are discussing the SAS benefits. Not the *G benefits, nor the AMEX or other external partner benefit.

Originally Posted by GUWonder
The guest cap can vary to be what SAS wants it to be as long as it doesnt violate Star Alliance agreements, but as this capping is SAS prerogative, its also to be expected that SAS takes the hit for capping off things as it does for fast track and priority boarding. The lounge thing has SAS being more generous than Star Alliance carriers and Alliance requirements. Not the same for priority boarding and priority security screening.
SAS can give whatever benefits they want to their own PAX's and members of own frequent flyer program. *A has nothing to say here as long as SAS does not go below the benefits set out by *A.
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 10:46 am
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Originally Posted by highupinthesky
So why mention it here? We are discussing the benefits you get from SAS, not the once you get from your credit card companies deal with SAS.


Mentioned to show that SAS need not have this same PNR requirement for using fast track. And to indicate that an SAS requirement to be on the same PNR is not a customer-friendly policy; its even hostile toward customers who use award tickets for family members flying on the same planes as a *G flying on a regular paid ticket.

Originally Posted by highupinthesky
SAS can give whatever benefits they want to their own PAX's and members of own frequent flyer program. *A has nothing to say here as long as SAS does not go below the benefits set out by *A.
Yes or no, but customers still have something to say when they feel like an SAS policy is taking away something that used to be part of the norm of how *G customers have been treated by the airline previously. And customers still have something to say when an airline is using excuses to downgrade service, like some may think SAS does at times.
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