AStarr

So fun observations. I had a typical SAS crew flying to MAN and then SAS Ireland crew flying back out of LHR. Now, for me both were solid but on the first flight I was the only passenger in Plus for 8 rows of Plus (...). So they were pretty happy, I was pretty happy, it was nice. The SAS Ireland flight was interesting. A320neo, SAS Ireland branding on the literature in the seatback pockets. A bit interesting hearing a UK accent from the pilot. And even more entertaining - someone who's native language is definitely not one of the Scandinavian languages going over the safety information and such in Danish (it's like me when I'm doing reading for me my Danish lesson - she was great though, no mumbling!) Much more perky crew, I'll say that. I'm not sure if the one person they had from Scandinavia was from Denmark or Sweden or perhaps Norway, but there was at least one.

I'll be on these flights a lot more now that I had my brief love affair with Air France. After they halfway destroyed my luggage, I'm back to SAS because... well... somehow they manage to never destroy my stuff? And I'm always on time? How is it that these simple things have become so difficult to find?

Jainzar

Well, 2 bags were destroyed last year, but SK was handling it very well. Same goes for EC261 compensation.

AStarr

I'm fairly appalled at how Air France has handled my delayed and damaged luggage situation. They apparently didn't even have a record of it somehow. I've checked so many bags with SAS (out of necessity) that I've lost count. Nothing ever happened. It was actually pretty impressive. The one time I check a bag with another carrier... I dunno. I feel slighted by them. As much as I like to complain about SAS with various cuts to certain services, they haven't truly done anything to really screw with me (except the lack of lounge at MAN which is one of my main airports). And hey, they've gotten rid of the muffin bars!

I know luggage can get screwed up on any airline at any time but it's my my run of luck that SAS has been flawless in this department with me thankfully.

jerjeffr

Anybody remember when the VIP offers are?
Aren't they usually in March, in so any particular week (if any can recall)?
Just wanting to plan some Fall travel plans and hoping to take advantage of that link.
Appreciate sharing the knowledge.

AHO

Nobody knows and who knows when it will be is not allowed to publish it either.

For your record, last year's (2017) first SAS Friends & Family (VIP offer) was in April.
The year before (2016) was in March.

jerjeffr

Thank you. All I was looking for, as it stated 'when'

AStarr

Pondering with the weather situation Tuesday night/Wednesday morning - I have a connecting flight from CPH to LIS to catch a TATL to MIA. I'm supposed to stay overnight in Sweden and be driven at stupid early in the morning (3am) for the 6am flight.

I'm reconsidering staying at the hotel in the airport in case of delays with the bridge or worse, closures. I mean, we're driving. I'm not dealing with a train at that time. It's a 30 minute drive without traffic or bad weather. But there's snow and ice predicted. Supposedly that bridge rarely closes. It's one thing if the flight gets delayed or cancelled and I'm there at the airport when it happens. It's totally different if I'm stranded in Sweden.

Am I crazy for thinking that I should stay in CPH instead of Malmo? Is it too cautious? I'm still new to snow/ice conditions being from Florida so I have no idea how CPH handles this sort of thing and have been flipflopping on this decision all day.

jerjeffr

Live in Copenhagen, so take that for what you will.
Think being an American you would only face a slight delay with the passport control (from Sweden to DK) that they check on the train. That and if you happen to miss the train, a taxi is always a second option. But wouldn't worry much about the bridge closing nor failed infrastructure. Given the gulfstream it (usually) doesn't get too crazy in terms of minus (this week aside) so think you're fine regardless. Given that early of a flight, think there are some Airbnbs or Airport hotel which I have heard is decent, but nothing to write home about.

In short, wouldn't worry too much about anything weather wise here. The Scandinavians have had some practice and their preparations show it.

AStarr

decided to stay over in CPH because I really hate early departures anyways and it'll ease my anxiety of dealing with the bridge. I've nearly missed flights due to train malfunctions - and even though we're driving, I don't want any surprises in getting to the airport. Delays and cancellations with the flights themselves l can manage just fine

GUWonder

AStarr

Yeah my option wasn't for from Hyllie - just in Oxie. But I've nearly missed flights a couple times with giving myself 4 hours of time to get there and the transit time is estimated at 40 minutes max by train. Sometimes the signals just stop working for whatever reason. My connecting flight only flies once a day (I'm flying CPH-LIS-MIA and there is maybe a chance for weather complications). So I thought it best to stay on the side of the airport this time. I have a separate ticket from FLL-JAX the following day in the afternoon that if for some reason I miss my connection, it's feasible I can still make my connection the next day if things go really sideways. But I have higher hopes for CPH dealing with weather than my experiences with LHR and JFK and elsewhere (heh... *fingers crossed* I've worked out contingency plans in case I arrive late or miss things for whatever reason but it shouldn't be a problem because CPH seems solid at you know, winter unlike other places)

AStarr

So it's ended up with a train tomorrow midday from Aarhus to CPH instead of all the way to Malmo with people bringing me my things from Malmo because I'm paranoid and hey, nice salt water pool pre-Miami vacation so... ehhhh, that's cool with me after this cold snap.

My lack of faith isn't so much with bridge structure but with the Swedish train signals failing yet again because oh have they failed me so many times before... oi

GUWonder

GUWonder

livious

I have given up with the trains from Skĺne to CPH, except for work trips where I am not allowed to take taxis anymore. For family trips, we have started to book airport hotels with points for any flight before 8am. There are not many trains going to early, but one cannot trust that the trains will be operating. The line between Malmö and Lund has caused me all sorts of problems in the past year that I have 0 faith in trains. Then again, my train trouble have become a thing of infamy at work...to the point where colleagues will not travel with me by train. My highlights include:

(1) Bomb threat (Göteborg-Lund) expensive 1 way car rental, extra points for making the news on TV4!
(2) Suicide (Germany-Zurich) expensive taxi ride to Basel to catch another train
(3) 2 train break downs on the same trip (Jyväsklyä-HEL, CPH-Lund) Expensive 120km taxi ride to HEL, 2 hours stuck on train in Sweden

I can't even keep track of all the cancelled trains and standard delays that cause missed connections. Needless to say that I hate train travel, but fortunately my boss prefers that I fly.