Category Archives: Guides

Why you shall reach SAS EuroBonus Silver status before summer?

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SAS EuroBonus Silver

SAS EuroBonus Silver (StarAlliance Silver) status is the second lowest membership level in SAS, which has very limited perks and benefits. It can be earned by accumulating least 20 000 Basic points or taken at least 10 one-way flights on SAS Airlines and/or to selected destinations on Wideroe Airlines during your qualification period.

You can read detailed guide How to get SAS EuroBonus Silver here.

SAS EuroBonus Silver benefits

Feasible perks and benefits of SAS EuroBonus Silver status are more or less limited to “Priority business class check-in” and additional extra points, especially after SAS has taken away a perk of one free luggage on SAS Go Light fares.

SAS EuroBonus Silver benefits during summer

There’s a twist why EuroBonus Silver status has almost the same benefits as EuroBonus Gold during limited summer time.

As EuroBonus Silver member traveling during July 8th to August 20th in 2018 you can enjoy both SAS Fast Track and SAS Lounges. You can even invite up to 4 family members or 1 friend traveling on any SAS Airlines operated flight the same day. Remember, it’s not applicable to SAS Charter flights.

 

You can access SAS lounges in: Chicago, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Helsinki, New York, Oslo, Paris, and Stockholm (Arlanda Terminal 5).

And use SAS Fast Track in: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Oslo and Copenhagen.

Instant SAS EuroBonus Silver status

The easiest and fastest way to reach SAS EuroBonus Silver status stays American Express SAS Elite credit card.

With a monthly fee of approximately 330 SEK/month, you can try the card, get upgraded to SAS EuroBonus SIlver status, use the perks and benefits for few summer months and cancel it at any time, if you don’t like it (but I’m sure you would love it!).

You can potentially save up to 2000 SEK per trip with American Express Elite card in comparison to buying access to contracted lounges or paying in over-priced airport cafes.

So how much can you benefit from EuroBonus Silver status during summer?

Usually, airport lounges sell their access for approximately 20-25 Euros per person, however I find SAS lounges to be more pleasant than contracted lounges, access to which you can buy with PriorityPass or LoungeBuddy.

Here is a simple estimation for a group of travelers during one summer trip:

  • A couple traveling from an airport with SAS Lounge to an airport without could easily save 50 Euros per trip. Make it 100 Euros if you are family of four.
  • And if you’re traveling from an airport with SAS Lounge and return from an airport with SAS Lounge (such as USA or Paris), as a couple you could save 100 Euros and as a family, up to 200 Euros per trip.
  • Don’t forget, time is money. Using Fast Track in airports during summer vacation madness can save tons of time, as well as nerves and frustration.

Aklamio review – how to maximize cash back on travel & holidays

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Aklamio.com is an online cash back (or rebate) service, or as the company calls it “word-of-mouth recommendation service”.

Surely, it is not the only cash back service available online, but I find it to be the best one. It has completely free membership, one of the most intuitive user interfaces, huge selection of categories and partners, high cash back rate and friendly support team.

How to maximize Travel & Holidays by using Aklamio

First of all, you need to register in Aklamio using Facebook, Google or PayPal. Registration is fast and simple.

After registration, you will have access to 12 different categories, including Fashion, Travel & Holidays, Home & Beauty, Electronics & Software and many more. Lets focus on Travel & Holidays.

After selecting Travel & Holidays category, Aklamio provides an option to select shops from 7 different countries: Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, UK, France and Switzerland. Selecting different countries will show different shops, sometimes including very attractive offers from local partners.

Tip: Most of the major travel websites, such as Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com, are available for all markets, but offer different cash back %. For example, Hotels.com UK offers 6% cash back, while all other countries get only 5.4%. Just compare several countries for the website you are interested in, and choose the highest cash back rate. Your location does not need to match the country you select.

Remember to Turn off your ad blocker! Cash back services rely on browser cookies for tracking. Active ad blocker will prevent your purchase of being tracked by Aklamio, thus preventing you from getting reward for that purchase.

Aklamio step by step

Here’s an example of how I got additional 45 EUR back from a 6 nights stay in Novotel Singapore.

Say you’re a member of Accor Hotels Le Club loyalty program and you value accumulating status points and benefiting from top tier status with Accor. In this case, booking with third party websites, such as Expedia or Hotels.com, is not an option as those bookings will not give benefits with Accor Hotels.

Before, I would just go directly to AccorHotels.com and make a reservation. However, with Aklamio I made it as a rule to make reservations using their cash back service. It only takes few minutes longer, but saves a lot of money at the end.

Here is how it works.

    1. Register or login to you Aklamio account
    2. Go to Travel and Holidays categoryaklamio travel category
    3. I usually select Spain as a country for Accor Hotels. It gives the highest rewards based on hotel group you choose, in case of Novotel 5.1% back:Rewards per recommendation or cashback
      PRODUCT DESCRIPTION REWARD
      Reservation of Sofitel, Lucien Barriere, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, The Sebel 6,8%
      Reservation of Novotel, Mercure, Suite Novotel, Adagio, Mama Shelter, Associated Hotel 5,1%
      Reservation of Adagio Access, Ibis, Ibis Style, 2,55%
      Reservation of Formule 1, HotelF1, Ibis budget, Formule 1 India 1,27%
    4. Select Get cashback option and proceed to AccorHotels.com website for a regular booking process (remember to have “accept cookies” on and “ad blocker” off)
    5. You can also recommend Aklamio cashback to a friend. You’ll have three options “Keep”, “Share” or “Give away”. It will determine the % of cashback you would like to share with a friend.
    6. After the standard booking procedure, Aklamio will send a confirmation email looking like thisThis means your cashback has been properly tracked by Aklamio and your reward will stay in pending status until it is confirmed. My Novotel Singapore booking was around 1000 EUR and it was rewarded accordingly 5.1%.
    7. Complete your hotel stay. It normally takes few weeks to confirm it (depends on the store, Accor Hotels confirms the stay within 3-4 weeks)
    8. After the reward has been confirmed, you will get another email from Aklamio It means your cash back is ready to be payed out by PayPal or Bank account transfer. I use PayPal and usually get cash back within several days or faster.

After using Aklamio for several months this is how my rewards are looking like (pending is upcoming summer vacation that I yet have to enjoy 😉 ):

 

It is really an easy way of saving money on each flight and hotel booking you make online. Given that in total Aklamio has more than 3000 shops and services, you don’t have to limit Aklamio just to travelling.

The great part is that Aklamio does not increase prices on partner websites if you use their link. I have done several comparisons, and some time ending up in offers from Hotels.com or Expedia being cheaper than booking directly with them.

In addition to using Aklamio to save money on travel bookings, there are many other ways to maximize your travel experience. One great resource for travel inspiration and advice is the blog bookonboard.com. With its extensive database of travel information and recommendations, this blog is a fantastic tool for planning your next adventure. Whether you’re looking for the best local cuisine, hidden gems off the beaten path, or unique cultural experiences, bookonboard.com has you covered.

By using Aklamio in conjunction with resources like bookonboard.com, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of your travel budget. With Aklamio’s vast selection of partner merchants and bookonboard.com’s expert advice, you can plan unforgettable trips that won’t break the bank. So why wait? Start exploring the world today with Aklamio and bookonboard.com as your trusty travel companions.

Are you using any other cashback service? Do you think it is worth the effort or not?

Leave a comment with your experience!

 

Which airlines status match SAS EuroBonus in 2017?

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Getting the first frequent flyer elite status requires a lot of travelling, money, time and work. Reaching elite status requirements in more than one airline alliance usually seems close to impossible.

Thankfully, some airlines offer status match for frequent flyers, meaning that you can start enjoying all the top tier benefits even before you take your first flight with the airline.

Here is a list of airlines matching your SAS EuroBonus status in 2017: Continue reading →

Amex and EuroBonus promotion, 25% more sign up bonus

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SAS Scandinavian Airlines and American Express in Sweden started a new generous promotion to attract new customers.

With 25% increased sign up Amex bonus, your new bonus will be starting at

7 500 EuroBonus extra points for SAS EuroBonus American Express Classic Card.

15 000 EuroBonus extra for SAS EuroBonus American Express Premium Card.

22 500 EuroBonus extra for SAS EuroBonus American Express Elite Card.

This is the most attractive Amex promotion in Sweden by far, and it also applies to American Express Rewards, but their value is not lucrative as with SAS EuroBonus combination. Here is what you can get by signing up to Amex now:

0 € first year fee + 7 500 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 1000 € within first 3 months.
0 € first year fee + 15 000 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 1500 € within first 3 months.
Best deal!
400 € first year fee + 22 500 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 2000 € within first 3 months.
+ 20 000 status EuroBonus points

The best deal so far is SAS EuroBonus American Express Premium Credit Card. With current promotion it is completely free for the first year, with potential up to 20 000 EuroBonus extra points on your account within the first 3 months after spending 1500 € within 3 months.

Note, additional sign up bonus only works if you register using current members invitation, so make sure you sign up with the links provided under each Amex card picture, otherwise it will be only 5 000 sign up bonus and no additional bonus.

EuroBonus 3.0, what to expect from SAS?

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One of SAS’s big boys, Eivind Roald (yeap, that typical scandinavian from the photo, who also happened to be Executive Vice President Commercial. Member of SAS Group Management) briefly mentioned during one of interviews about SAS project “Loyalty 3.0”, which gained wide popularity among EuroBonus frequent flyers as SAS EuroBonus 3.0 program.

There was no official release date announced, but was expected to kick in somewhere around end of 2016, or beginning of 2017. It’s almost mid March of 2017 and there has not been any news related to EuroBonus 3.0.

What are the possible changes to SAS EuroBonus 3.0?

Continue reading →

SAS EuroBonus Amex Classic or MasterCard credit card, which one is better?

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SAS Scandinavian Airlines is currently offering two similar EuroBonus co-branded credit card: SAS EuroBonus American Express Classic Credit Card and SAS EuroBonus World MasterCard. Both cards cost the same and have a flat rate of extra points accumulation: 10 points per 1 euro spent.

Here is a brief comparison of both SAS EuroBonus American Express Classic Credit Card and SAS EuroBonus World MasterCard that would help you to choose the best option.

SAS EuroBonus MasterCard – more points on daily shopping

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SAS Scandinavian Airlines is offering two options for co-branded credit cards. First option is SAS EuroBonus American Express, which is a great offer for travel lovers and points freaks.

But SAS EuroBonus Amex has two obvious cons, it is expensive and not accepted in most of the places.

As a great backup option, SAS is offering SAS EuroBonus Mastercard, which is also connected to EuroBonus account and would accumulate additional EuroBonus extra points on each purchase in the places where MasterCard is accepted.

When you sign up, SAS would reward you with 4000 introduction extra points if you make a purchase within 30 days after receiving credit card.

This SAS EuroBonus credit card has a flat earning rate of 10 points per 100 SEK spent, or simply 1 EuroBonus point for each euro spent. It is not as good as American Express Elite and Premium cards, but it costs only 20 euros first year, and 40 euros service charge next years.

You can apply for the card at SAS EuroBonus World MasterCard homepage .

Remember, that you need Swedish Social Security number in order to apply.

Start paying with your EuroBonus MasterCard as soon as you get it and in all places where American Express is not accepted in Scandinavia and worldwide.

Book award flight with EuroBonus AMEX 2-4-1 (2 for 1) voucher

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Holders of SAS EuroBonus American Express Premium and Elite Credit Cards get an extra perk, which allows to book SAS or any Star Alliance award flight for only 50% of the points required. However, it’s commonly referred as Amex 2-4-1 (two for one) voucher.

How to get Eurobonus Amex voucher?

It’s quite simple and straight-forwards, all you need to do is to accumulate 150 000 SEK (approx 15 000 EUR) spendings on your American Express Premium or Elite card in one calendar year.  After you reach the required amount, you will receive a letter with a notification and a voucher code.

How to book award flight on SAS or Star Alliance with Amex voucher?

In the voucher letter from American Express there will be a dedicated phone number, which would connect you to a call center in Tallinn, where really helpful assistants can create a reservation for you and redeem Amex 2-4-1 voucher.

How to find seats and class availability for award flight?

Read the most up to date guide on how to search for available flying classes, seats, routes and airlines to ensure the most successful and spot-on award flight on SAS or Star Alliance network.

SAS EuroBonus American Express Elite Credit Card, is it worth it?

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SAS EuroBonus American Express Elite Credit Card

American Express (Amex) SAS EuroBonus Elite card is the most expensive airline partnered card available in Sweden with the benefits which are not available for Denmark and Norway.

With the annual fee of 4000 SEK (or 420 EUR) it is usually the question, is it really worth it?

 

20,000 status founding EuroBonus points
Interest-free credit up to 55 days
The concierge service around the clock
SAS EuroBonus Extra points on everything you buy with the card – 20 Extra Points per $ 100
Double the value of your points when you shop for SEK 150 000 in a calendar year, you get the opportunity to book an optional EuroBonus trip to 50% discount points with SAS “Best Price” or Star Alliance, for up to two people. Do you shop for SEK 300 000 you get a till4
More cards, more points – In your membership includes three extra cards and an Additional Card for yourself at no extra charge
The shortcut to good tickets through American Express Invites®