MileagePlus and SAS
 

SFO-CPH on SAS is starting up soon and wanted to take advantage of it.

I have done some research but as I have never flown SAS and credited to MP and was wondering if any of you could help me figure out the following.

- I see that Economy Extra Y-B-S fares can upgrade into business with Star Alliance Awards. As this doubles the ticket price for what appears to be their version of E+, I am wondering if there is a way to see if those awards are available at booking, i.e. can I see upgradable space before I decide to buy the Economy Extra ticket?

- Any reason not to upgrade? I see lie-flat seats so assume they must be nice.

- I am a 1K/Star Gold. Anything special about that like special rows at booking like on Swiss?

- I can't see a seat map. Will I be allowed to choose a seat?

- I see Y-B-S fares credit as 150% PQM. Has anyone had any issues with this?

- How nice is the SAS A340? I usually only fly UA but did fly Swiss to ZRH last year. I imagine the experience is somewhere in between?

Thanks!

1. If award space (ie. Award business I class) is available, you can upgrade.
2. Economy Extra is much better than UA E+. Bigger seats, footrests, better service, more amenities at the airport...
3. nothing special for you beyond normal *G benefits
4. yes you can choose a seat
5. your miles will clear just fine if it goes according to procedure (ie. you don't have to do a missing mile claim)
6. the A340 is fine- like a normal LH a340. sas economy service has been gutted a bit over the years, but Eco Extra and Biz have pretty good service...

Thanks for the quick reply. A few follow-ups.

I imagine I need expert flyer to see this?

Good to know, thanks.

After booking? So no way to see them beforehand?

And one more:

I am going with a MP General Member. Better to book on 1 PNR for upgrade chances or separate?

When flying SK and crediting to MileagePlus, you will get the 150% PQM for flying in Y,B or S as well as the base miles, but you will not get any Premier Elite Bonus Miles (100% for 1K) as you would if you were flying UA (or LH or a couple of other partners).

Did you ever figure out how to find out if SAS has room for the upgrade prior to booking? I'm in a similar situation and have never flown SAS before (typically just Lufthansa and United).

A few other questions along the lines of the OP:

What fare codes are NOT upgradeable with united miles?

What fare codes will NOT earn united miles?

Trying to decide if I should fly SAS or Lufthansa - which will be easier to upgrade using United miles? If I don't get the upgrade, which will be less of a torture to fly in economy?

For SK, all published fares (except domestic Norwegian flights) will earn at least 100% base miles.

SK only cooperates in the *A upgrade program only, C D Y B and S are eligible for upgrade.

use the standard tools ... ua.com, ANA, EF, KVS, .... (award space or upgrade space is the same inventory)

only C/D and Y/B/S -- that's it
see Star Alliance Upgrade Awards


www.united.com > MileagePlus program > Earn Miles > Airline Partners and Global Alliances > Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

Also, SK offers a 24-hour grace period to cancel and obtain a full refund on any reservation made online, so if your upgrade doesn't clear immediately you always have the option of getting your money back.

I just flew SAS on the 19th AMS to ARN. It was on a 737. The only difference between economy, economy extra and business was the service provided. All the seats and legroom were exactly the same.

Edit to add: Yes, I know, domestic Europe is MUCH different than transatlantic. Just stating my sole experience on SAS. Get to do it again on Sunday ARN-OSL

FWIW, I wouldn't spend the miles to upgrade from Econ Extra to Business on SAS for 2 reasons:

1. In 5 TATL legs during 2012, I had 3 op-ups from Econ Extra to Business. Obviously YMMV, but I've found they are pretty good about upgrading a *G on crowded flights.

2. I really dislike the business seat on the 330/340. It's a typical slide and is tough to sleep on. the food/service is really not all that different from the Econ Extra cabin and the recliner position of the econ extra seat I find easier to sleep in.

Lastly, I've found it confusing to book the econ extra fare classes via United reservations. I've been caught more than once in code-share limbo so now I always book directly with SAS when I'm trying to get that cabin. Business C/D fares don't seem to fall victim to the same confusion.

I just recently flew IAD-CPH and CPH-IAD on SAS in C.

The flight got me where I needed when I needed, but the A340 and hard product were dated. The seats are not fully flat seats. They are angled lie-flats that are only slightly more comfortable than a domestic United First seat. The controls on the seats were temperamental, with my seat not able to go completely flat for flight out from IAD (which is the overnight one, that I needed to sleep on). The IFE was limited to a couple of movies, Airshow and the Front/Down cameras (which only worked randomly).

I've only flown the route once, but I was unimpressed. The meal services were all done via cart in Business, and simple things like plastic wrap and foil not being removed from dishes before putting them on the tray, gave the service a bit of a budget feel, not what I would expect for a very expensive business class ticket. I don't know how Economy and Economy Extra are, but in researching this flight, I believe you only get coffee, tea and water in Economy, they don't offer other beverages.

The mileage posts to your mileage plus account in 2 - 7 days from the flight, but as has been mentioned, you don't get a mileage bonus from your UA elite status (so only fare class bonuses).

Since my tickets were booked for me, I had to call SAS to have seat assignments done, but that was relatively painless, just be prepared for a thick accent on the other end of the line.

The SAS lounge in CPH is a nice lounge, but it's a bit spartan. You can definitely see that SAS is racing to the bottom against the low cost carriers in Europe, and it shows in their service.