SAS will cease to operate between STO and VIE from 01FEB08
Jan 19, 2008, 6:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), SAS EBG
Posts: 1,196
SAS will cease to operate between STO and VIE from 01FEB08
From the salesinfo
Guess it was hard to compete with OS on that route. Another sad example of SAS trying the "in-and-out" approach Ryanair has.
SAS will cease to operate between STO and VIE from 01FEB08
Introduction
SAS will cancel all operations between STO and VIE as of 01FEB08.
Rebooking / rerouting / refund
The following alternatives are offered to passengers holding SK tickets on SK2693 / SK2694 for travel on/after 01FEB08:
1. Full refund
2. Possibility to rebook/reissue via CPH on SK flights in same booking class. If the same booking class is not available, rebook to the lowest available booking class in the same service class.
3. Possibility to rebook/reissue to Austrian Airlines (OS) nonstop flights or via SK/OS via CPH. Rebook to the lowest available booking class in the same service class.
Introduction
SAS will cancel all operations between STO and VIE as of 01FEB08.
Rebooking / rerouting / refund
The following alternatives are offered to passengers holding SK tickets on SK2693 / SK2694 for travel on/after 01FEB08:
1. Full refund
2. Possibility to rebook/reissue via CPH on SK flights in same booking class. If the same booking class is not available, rebook to the lowest available booking class in the same service class.
3. Possibility to rebook/reissue to Austrian Airlines (OS) nonstop flights or via SK/OS via CPH. Rebook to the lowest available booking class in the same service class.
Jan 19, 2008, 8:12 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: SK*G, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 Gold
Posts: 1,874
With the limited amount of aircraft available im not surprised that they try to establish new routes but pull out when they have established that it will be hard to make money on the route.
Jan 19, 2008, 8:44 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: here and there
Programs: EB*G, UA ex1K
Posts: 570
Yes, but this "experimental" approach seems pretty inefficient and suggests a lack of long-term planning. There must be a non-trivial financial cost to set up and market new routes, as well as to shut them down. In addition, there must be other cost to people getting annoyed because routes are cancelled or not knowing whether SK flies somewhere.
Jan 19, 2008, 10:23 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: ARN
Posts: 2,321
I have been the only c-pax on 2693 and 2694 4 times during november/december so I guess the route performed badly yield-wise.
It is not so much to be missed, already now the route is not operating on all days, had to book via CPH next week anyhows (trying to stick to SK metal currently due to the april Pandion rally coming up).
Marketing wise SAS Sweden ends up with the same situation as with LO and Warsaw; no codeshare on the direct *A flights out of ARN. And as a passenger you can not get a reasonable fare that allows direct routing (OS) or via CPH (SK) when you need to rebook.
It is not so much to be missed, already now the route is not operating on all days, had to book via CPH next week anyhows (trying to stick to SK metal currently due to the april Pandion rally coming up).
Marketing wise SAS Sweden ends up with the same situation as with LO and Warsaw; no codeshare on the direct *A flights out of ARN. And as a passenger you can not get a reasonable fare that allows direct routing (OS) or via CPH (SK) when you need to rebook.
Jan 20, 2008, 2:08 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), SAS EBG
Posts: 1,196
I guess we (including myself) needs to realise that SAS (Sweden and Norway at least) are leisure airlines that targets 3 weekly flights to Ibiza, Split, Bilbao etc. Then adding 4 flights in total between AGH/VXO and NCE just to add confusion.
Jan 20, 2008, 11:05 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: ARN
Posts: 2,321
I doubt it has anything to do with onboard service concepts. It simply has to be lack of premium pax. And what a surprise that the SK flights are abandoned when there isn´t any reasonable ticket product where you can mix SK with OS. If you need flexibility OS is your only realistic choice on the route in question.
On a sidenote OS is treating SK pax really well at VIE with the separate *G check in area.
On a sidenote OS is treating SK pax really well at VIE with the separate *G check in area.
Jan 21, 2008, 12:25 am
#10
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SYD or GOT
Programs: OZ Lifetime-DMPL*G, AF*G, SPG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 803
OS has SK beat on most factors, service level, frequency, connectivity and are also reasonably competitive on price. SK should have gone the codeshare option in the first place.
Jan 21, 2008, 2:26 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: ARN
Posts: 2,321
What possibly could have saved the route was a full flex ticket product where one could mix SK and OS such as the Y and D-tickets ARN-FRA and ARN-MUC on SK/LH.
Jan 21, 2008, 10:23 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), SAS EBG
Posts: 1,196
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED CHANGES ANY TIME CHANGES PERMITTED. NOTE - REROUTING PERMITTED ONLY TO OS/LH/SK CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME CANCELLATIONS PERMITTED FOR REFUND. NOTE - TAX REFUND PERMITTED. CHANGES MAY BE MADE PROVIDED THAT ALL CONDITIONS OF THE FARE AGAIN COMPLIED WITH. REROUTING PERMITTED ONLY TO OS/LH/SK.
It is also so that the OS flights are coded with SK number as well while the SK flight is not coded with a OS number.
For example OS318 = SK9407 and OS312 = SK9409. However these cannot be booked on the route ARN-VIE only but needs to be in conjunction with other segments (aka "traffic rights").
I certainly don't understand the strategy of SAS here...
Jan 22, 2008, 2:11 am
#13
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SYD or GOT
Programs: OZ Lifetime-DMPL*G, AF*G, SPG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 803
OS are remarkably flexible when it comes to rebooking, particularly if you have already flown a segment. On quite a few occassions all I have had to do is simply ask them politely at the ticket counter in Vienna, even on a restricted economy ticket, they have been willing to change or even delete segments.
OS have the attitude that getting to the final destination is an important goal of travel ^ ^
OS have the attitude that getting to the final destination is an important goal of travel ^ ^
Jan 22, 2008, 3:39 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Sweden
Posts: 2,044
OS are remarkably flexible when it comes to rebooking, particularly if you have already flown a segment. On quite a few occassions all I have had to do is simply ask them politely at the ticket counter in Vienna, even on a restricted economy ticket, they have been willing to change or even delete segments.
OS have the attitude that getting to the final destination is an important goal of travel ^ ^
OS have the attitude that getting to the final destination is an important goal of travel ^ ^
SAS should know better and need to do better.
Jan 22, 2008, 6:57 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: ARN
Posts: 2,321
The SAS Sweden ticket rules for Low Economy are above european standards AFAIK.
