roberino

I booked a SAS Plus ticket from BHX-CPH as a *G. Booking page says “Lounge (where available)” in the SAS Plus benefits. Problem is that the SAS website provides no way to confirm if BHX is one of those where lounge access is available. It happily redirects to the *A website, which only lists *A lounges and not contract lounges. *A airlines at BHX typically use a contract lounge. I arrived in departures to find that SAS doesn’t have any lounge/contract lounge at BHX so I ended up at Starbucks.

I get that it’s a case of caveat emptor and ultimately my responsibility but why can’t SAS either; make it clear I don’t have lounge access at BHX at the time of booking; or provide an easily searchable database of airport vs lounge access?

I will admit that this has saved me from the terrible breakfast buffet in the lounge though…

dodgeflyer

I think buried deep on the SAS website there's language to the effect of: you only have access to SAS or Star-lounges, no third party lounge. I can't recall if it is easy to find but I find the language obtuse. It isn't a great policy.

view

If you check the Star alliance lounge finder, it will actually indicate that there is contract lounge access for specified airlines such as LH,SN, AI, TK. In other words, not SAS. In the UK; LHR is the only place you will get lounge access with SK, due to the Star alliance lounges available there. It would be helpful if SAS could also make this information more plainly available on its own pages so customers can understand this situation.

SKT-DK

SK dropped access to contract lounges some years ago, sadly

oliver2002

8 years ago

Airport-managed lounges discontinued for SAS passengers.

SKT-DK

Yep - hence why it should not come as a surprise anymore..

roberino

I'm guessing they didn't advertise it at the time or since though, so anyone finding it out for the first time could still be surprised.

HogwartsExpress

They positively hide this information let alone make it more plainly available. I’m positive that Plus passengers without status are routinely kept out of the lounges simply because they don’t know about them.

fwfdan

We purchased Plus IAD-CPH. I think I found somewhere (maybe here on FT) that even thought there are LH and TK lounges that business class can use they are not available to SK Plus.... so it is more than airport contract lounges - at least in the US it carriers over to partner lounges and Plus can only access SK owned lounges.

If someone has info different from what I THINK I found feel free to correct me!

tr3k

Lounge access availability is listed in the booking on the SAS website.

tr3k

Star Alliance lounge access policy covers first & business class, and *G members. There is no provision for other travel classes.
Airline may provide lounge access to their own lounges internally based on whatever rules it sees fit, of course. But it can't control what other airlines do aside from what is explicitly listed in the alliance rules.

fwfdan

I think that is what I said... Plus does not get access to partner lounges.

I was actually trying to address the following statement and the part of the statement I bolded is incorrect - it is SK lounges only, no Star lounges. (I might not have been clear)

SKT-DK

I think it is quite clear that lounge access for Plus is only at SK operated lounges, as Premium Economy is not covered by Star Alliance lounge policy.

fwfdan

Again - That is what I said - not Star / Partner lounges.


That being said I don't think it was "quite clear" - it was a while ago but I think it said said "lounge access where available" and did not say "SAS lounges only" - which would not be very difficult to say.... EDIT: I checked it still says "where available" when you buy the ticket

Tennen

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but there's actually even more nuance to SAS Plus lounge access rules.

On intra-Europe flights, SAS Plus is coded as a "C" cabin, so it's treated as *A Business Class for lounge access. It gets you into SK-operated and *A-operated Business lounges but not contract lounges (as pointed out above, they removed it years ago). IIRC, you also can use Gold Track.
On long-haul flights, SAS Plus is coded as a "Y" cabin, so lounge access is restricted to SK-operated ones only. I don't know if Gold Track is included.

Hypothetical examples (disclaimer, I don't know if these routes even exist) for SAS Plus pax:
FRA-CPH-NRT
Outbound: LH (and AC?) at FRA. SK at CPH. *G gets you into the SEN lounges at FRA.
Return: No access at NRT, despite there being NH and UA lounges. SK at CPH. *G will get you in the NH C and UA lounges at NRT.

PRG-ARN-LAX
Outbound: No access at PRG, because they only have contract lounges. SK at ARN. *G won't work at PRG when flying SK. (AFAIK)
Return: No access at LAX, despite there being AC, UA, and *A lounges. SK at ARN. *G will get you in all lounges at LAX except *A F and UA Polaris.

ATH-OSL-LHR
Outbound: A3 or LH at ATH. SK at OSL. (Right now, A3 Schengen has capacity controls. *G + 1 guest will get redirected to a contract lounge. Not sure what the SK situation is.)
Return: AC, LH, SQ, or UA at LHR. SK at OSL. *G will get you in LH SEN at LHR.

I agree that SAS doesn't make this information easy to find and they should make it much, much clearer. Over the years, I've overheard many passengers not knowing (and/or complaining) that they didn't have lounge access as a long-haul Plus pax.

Edited to add: If it weren't for FT and this forum, I would've never known about any of this. I certainly can't fault a regular traveler for not knowing the specific conditions for lounge access as an SAS Plus pax.