Tag Archives: SAS

Traveling through Copenhagen airport Kastrup during COVID-19 times in SAS Plus

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Traveling during this crazy Covid-19 times is a very big challenge.

I travelled from Sweden to Denmark’s airport Kastrup to take a SAS flight SK2777 from Copenhagen to Athens, which was the first flight available.

I used 18 000 Eurobonus points to get a seat in SAS Plus class, which this time did not give any additional benefits in comparison to SAS Go.

Here’s the current travel conditions:

  • SAS business and Gold lounges are closed
  • SAS and Copenhagen fast tracks are not available
  • Mandatory facial mask while in the airport and onboard
  • No priority boarding, boarding starts from the back of the plane
  • No drinks or food service, were only served a bottle of water and disinfection napkip

Overall, it was very different experience and felt unrealistic to fly for the first time since February 2020.

On arrival to Athens we were asked to present previously obtained QR codes and had a Covid-19 swap. Thankfully it was negative, but results you get day after via SMS message.

 

SAS EuroBonus Points Pooling (Sharing) is finally here!

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A long-awaited feature of SAS EuroBonus program is live, which is actually more positive rather than negative, considering the recent 95% points earning devaluation and 25% points redemption increase.

Now SAS EuroBonus members can pool points in one account and reach their travel goals faster. This includes SAS or Star Alliance award booking (including First Class trips), travel class upgrade, car rental, hotel booking or anything else that is possible to purchase using EuroBonus points.

https://www.sas.se/eurobonus/point-sharing/#/point-sharing

Here are the details from SAS regarding the EuroBonus sharing

Pros of SAS EuroBonus family and friends pooling

  • Up to 8 members can pool their points into 1 EuroBonus sharing account
  • Saving of 25 Eur per 1000 EuroBonus points transferred
  • All members can redeem the entire EuroBonus pool of points
  • One person acts as admin of the group and can prevent any other member from using the points completely
  • The oldest points from all members will be used first, so less chance of having EuroBonus points being wasted due to the expiration
  • If a member leaves the pool group and cancels EuroBonus (Star Alliance) award, points are returned to the members in the proper proportions
  • SAS EuroBonus Diamond member’s points do not expire (even though will be shown with expiration date)

Cons of SAS EuroBonus points sharing account

  • A new feature, which will create a lot of confusion and questions at the beginning
  • Opens brand new opportunities for scam and points black market
  • All points sharing members can see your transactions and activities
  • Saving some points for a personal use is impossible unless you leave the group
  • Requires 6 months in the points pooling account, before you can quit it

NOTE!

DO NOT SHARE/POOL YOUR SAS EUROBONUS POINTS WITH ANYONE WHO YOU DO NOT TRUST. 

After the award points have been redeemed, I doubt there will be any way of claiming them back. 

Are you going to start SAS  EuroBonus points pooling?

Leave a comment!

Ridiculous SAS EuroBonus points earnings decrease

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SAS just announced new EuroBonus points earnings that are effective from December 1st, 2018. The change is drastically decreasing points earned on SAS long-haul flights to USA and Asia in SAS Go class.

The decreased in earned points can be up to 95% !!!(SIC)!!! in comparison to current EuroBonus earnings.

ADJUSTED POINTS EARNING ON GO LIGHT TICKETS

Points earning will be adjusted on Go Light tickets and on non-flexible tickets to USA and Asia in Go class. 
Tier qualifying flights* and tier level bonus** are not affected. The change will affect passengers booking from 1st October with departures from 1st December 2018.

* 10 one-way flights (on SAS and/or to selected destinations on Wideroe) to become a Silver member, 45 one-way flights to
become a Gold member and 90 one-way flights to become a Dimond member
** Gold & Diamond members earn 25% more Basic points on flights on SAS and Wideroe

Here is an example of current earnings between Copenhagen and San Francisco on Scandinavian Airlines operated flight, without any additional status bonuses. Both SAS Go Light and SAS Go classes would earn 4 500 EuroBonus points.
Now the crazy “program improvement”, the same SAS flight in Go Light class will earn 250 EuroBonus points, which is almost 95% decrease!

SAS Go is decreasing by almost 50%, from 4500 points to 2400.


This is really sad news for everyone who used to go on mileage runs with SAS. In case you used to accumulate SAS EuroBonus point, booking SAS Go Light fare becomes a complete nonsense. Affordable SAS Go fare will be giving points comparable to two intra-Europe flight in SAS Plus. For example, Copenhagen to London in SAS Plus will give 1500 EuroBonus points.

UPDATED!

Apparently, the points decrease is not only for SAS flights to USA and Asia but Europe as well!

Here are current earnings on Copenhagen to London flight, which gives 500 EuroBonus points in both SAS Go Light and SAS Go fares.

And here are the “improved” earnings of whopping 100 points in SAS Go Light fare.

This is just a ridiculous downgrade from SAS, which came completely not announced. SAS vaguely announced it on one of the EuroBonus news pages, which requires at least 3-4 clicks to reach from the home page and doesn’t even have a clear explanation.

I was expecting EuroBonus devaluation at some point, given the long-promised SAS EuroBonus 3.0., but decrease earnings by 95%? That is just cruel.

It makes it much harder to earn and maintain any sort of elite status with EuroBonus, if you are not flying in Plus and Business class cabin. Surely, there are still options with credit cards, but who knows how SAS will “improve” credit card offers?

But hey, at least with Gold and Diamond status you will earn 25% more points on 100 base points :)!

Is anyone else thinking its just crazy from SAS to do this to their loyal customers?

Additional points with SAS EuroBonus World Mastercards

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Great news for all SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard or SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard Premium cardholders in Sweden! During July each purchase using SAS Mastercard will earn additional 10 SAS EuroBonus points.

With SAS EuroBonus Mastercard you will receive 25 Extra Points per 100 SEK spent (normally 15) and with Mastercard Premium you get 30 extra points per 100 SEK spent (normally 20) – when you pay in foreign currency throughout July 2018. It’s a great opportunity to earn some extra points for your future travel with SAS or StarAlliance.

premium-sas-eurobonusNote!: If you are current SAS EuroBonus Mastercard holder, check your email inbox for the email from SAS. There is a link to register for the offer and it’s personalized for each member.

If you haven’t received email, check your spam folder for “Fler poäng på resan i juli med SAS EuroBonus Mastercard – sommar och semestershopping“.

Also, remember that cash withdrawal will not earn any points, so try to swipe your card as much as possible.

SAS WiFi – how fast is in-flight Internet on short-haul flights?

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SAS started to finally roll out in-flight WiFi for its short-haul fleet.

While having internet connection during the flight is definitely a huge improvement for SAS, their advertising of it might be a bit misleading.

How fast is SAS onboard WiFi?

SAS is claiming their WiFi is High Speed and allows to stream from Netflix. I recently took a SAS flight from Copenhagen to Munich and here’s a SpeedTest of the connection during that flight.

SAS onboard WiFi

SAS onboard WiFi

I wouldn’t say the speed is enough for comfortable streaming of Netflix or Youtube. Netflix automatically adjusts quality, when there isn’t enough internet speed, while Youtube was working properly only at 360p quality.

Switching quality to 480p makes Youtube to constantly lag and stop for buffering, which is less than pleasant experience. Surely, I wouldn’t even hope for any HD videos working fine.

Also, the connection was interrupted few times during a short 1,5 hours flight.

SAS not working WiFi

SAS not working WiFi

Perhaps, the speed and stability will increase in the future on short-haul flights, given that on SAS long-haul A330/340 fleet I haven’t experienced the same problem.

How to get SAS onboard WiFi?

Slow WiFi is still better than no WiFi.

SAS EuroBonus Gold and Diamond members and SAS Plus travelers can use in-flight WiFi for FREE and without any traffic limitation.

This’s a really nice perk for all top-tier members, especially after cutting down on luggage.

You can connect to WiFi using your SAS EuroBonus number or Last Name / Reservation Code combination.

Connecting to SAS in-flight WiFi for free

Connecting to SAS in-flight WiFi for free

All other passengers would have to pay 4,9 EUR / 49 SEK / 39 DKK / 49 NOK / 7 USD per WiFi key. 

Have you taken any SAS WiFi-equipped short-haul flights recently?

How was your internet experience and connection?

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.

SAS 1 Million flights SALE and EuroBonus extra points

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Travel within Scandinavia, Europe, USA or Asia by booking SAS One Million cheap flights.

Book by 15 April.
Travel period Scandinavia & Europe: 14/5 2018–31/1 2019.
Travel period US & Asia: 20/8 2018-30/3 2019. (except between 20/12 2018–8/1 2019).

There’re many very sweet deals, especially to Los Angeles, with prices starting as low as 350 Euros. It’s a perfect opportunity to visit the US or simply go on a mileage run. In most cases, the booking is class T, which gives decent SAS EuroBonus points, or 100% to Aegean Miles+Bonus program.

There’re quite cheap flights within Scandinavia as well, but not that good prices on flights within Europe.

 

SAS hotel booking with double EuroBonus points

Hotels booked using SAS webpage will bring a double amount of SAS EuroBonus points. The promotion is also running until April 15. I personally prefer using RocketMiles or Kaligo to accumulate Miles&More or KrisFlyer.

AVIS car rentals – 10 000 additional SAS EuroBonus points

Promotion is strictly only valid for reservations created via www.avisworld.com/EuroBonus for reservations taking place between 9th April – 15th April 2018 and rentals of cars that come along with Insurance Noon taking place between 14th April 2018 – 30th March 2019.  SAS EuroBonus Extra points promotion are valid for rentals in Europe, The Middle East, Africa, Asia, USA and Canada.

You can earn 10 000 SAS EuroBonus Extra points awarded for any rentals of 3 days or longer and minimum of Car Group C.

Check Avis EuroBonus page for booking and full terms and conditions.

SAS EuroBonus LifeTime Gold status is finally here!

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SAS EuroBonus LifeTime Gold and Diamond (Star Alliance Gold) statuses have been promised by SAS for quite a while. The latest update on it was in December 2017 in Ask SAS magazine.

Today, there are reports that qualifying SAS EuroBonus members started to receive email notifications regarding their LifeTime Gold statuses.

What is SAS EuroBonus LifeTime Gold status?

sas eurobonus gold

sas eurobonus gold

It’s something quite simple, yet amazing!

It’s a EuroBonus Gold status for the rest of your life :). Remember, that it’s equivalent to Star Alliance Gold status, which grants benefits on all flights within Star Alliance network. It includes priority check-in, access to the airport lounges, security fast-tracks and some other perks. Sadly, it will not give free luggage on Go Light fares, as SAS is removing this benefit from EuroBonus program.

Yet, it’s quite nice to travel with SAS/Star Alliance with their top-tier status, it saves a lot of time and makes flying more enjoyable.

How to get SAS EuroBonus LifeTime Gold status?

sas-scandinavian-airlines

sas-scandinavian-airlines

Briefly: FLY, FLY, FLY!

You have to have a normal SAS EuroBonus Gold status for 10 consecutive years. It sounds quite a lot, but in my opinion is totally worth it. I’m in my 2nd year soon, so just 8 years ahead!

Note that a Gold status received from a Diamond member doesn’t count towards LifeTime qualification, therefore you really should have been traveling a lot in the past 10 years.

It’s also stated that “Points accumulated as a result of using credit cards, car hire, hotel stays or other earning opportunities do not count.”, but it shouldn’t affect members who received additional EuroBonus Basic Points and accelerate to their Gold status by using SAS American Express and MasterCard Premium credit cards.

So who is up for a challenge?

Share how many years you have accumulated so far!

SAS EuroBonus American Express additional 25% bonus points

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Last year in March SAS EuroBonus and American Express ran a special promotion to attract new customers. This year, Bonus 25% SAS EuroBonus points promotion campaign is a bit earlier and valid from February 16th to February 28th.

Don’t miss a chance to sign up for SAS EuroBonus American Express and receive up to 22 500 additional SAS EuroBonus extra points!

You need to use special invitation links, they are provided for each type of a card below:

7 500 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 10000 SEK within first 3 months.
0 first year fee
15 000 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 15000 SEK within first 3 months.
0 SEK first year fee 
Best deal!
22 500 SAS EuroBonus extra points after spending 20000 SEK within first 3 months.
4000 SEK/year + 20 000 status EuroBonus points (automatic EuroBonus Silver status)

Traditionally, I would recommend getting SAS EuroBonus American Express Premium Credit Card.

Under current promotion it is completely free for the first year, with a potential of receiving up to 20 000 SAS EuroBonus extra points on your account within the first 3 months after spending 15000 SEK within 3 months.

SAS EuroBonus American Express Premium Credit Card also comes with Amex 2-4-1 voucher for all StarAlliance flights, and it’s a great discount on points redemption.

Trip Report: First Class ANA and Asiana Airlines Europe-Asia

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Yet another amazing First Class experience came to an end, and there is much to remember and review!

This time I was lucky to get 2 seats on ANA First Class flight between London and Tokyo, which took me approximately 4 months to make it happen. Read more about ANA 2 seats reservation tricks here.

Route: CPH-LHR-HND-CGK-BKK-ICN-FRA-CPH
Points used: 95 000 SAS EuroBonus / person
Departure: December 25
Return: January 8
Travel time: over 60h
Classes: 2 First (ANA and Asiana), 4 Business (ANA, Thai and SAS), 1 Economy (SAS)

Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge in London Heathrow Airport

Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge in Heathrow Airport is located in The Queen’s Terminal (satellite pier T2B), next door to the Business Class lounge. It can be easily found by following signs in the airport.

The service was nice and polite, decent a la carte menu for breakfast and lunch, a small buffet of ready dishes, and proper table service. The area is quite small with a very dated and sad looking decor.

During morning hours the lounge is not crowded, allowing visitors to relax, enjoy a glass of champagne and do some airplane spotting.

United Global First Class Lounge in London Heathrow Airport

United Global First Lounge in London Heathrow Airport is the second and last First Class Lounge options for all StarAlliance travellers. Located just a few minutes away from Singaporian Lounge, I found United Global First Lounge to offer much better and pleasant environment.

It also provides a la carte menu, wide selection of drinks and quite interesting “old school” decoration, which I personally found to be quite cool.

This would be my #1 recommendation for First Class passengers in London Heathrow Airport.

ANA First Class Suite (NH 212) London to Tokyo review

One of the hardest flights to book for 2 persons, which took me more than 3 months to actually book.

Amazing experience in ANA First Class Suites onboard of B777-300ER. Positive sides: great service, delicious Krug champagne and tasty food.

However, the cabin design is quite annoying if you’re traveling with a companion. Why? Read the full review and watch the video.

ANA First Class Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport review

Freshly after arriving on ANA First Class Suites, ANA First Class Lounge in Haneda Airport provides a relaxing and fun experience after the trip.

The lounge is very spacious and comfy, polite and attentive service topped by one of my favorite champagnes Ayala, and a pleasant atmosphere.

It’s definitely a lounge to put on a “to-visit list”, but far away from Lufthansa First Class Lounges in Munich and Frankfurt.

ANA Business Class (NH 855) Tokyo to Jakarta review

This 9 hours flight from Tokyo to Jakarta is operated by Dreamliner B787, which I personally dislike.

However, ANA airlines has long-haul business class seat modification installed for this route. It’s definitely more comfortable than usual mid-ranged Dreamliner seats, as it’s offering fully flat beds.

As usual ANA has spot-on service, accompanied by a decent food and drinks menu.

Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class (TG 436) Jakarta to Bangkok review

New Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class cabin onboard Dreamliner B787.

A very, very pleasant surprise! Despite the business cabin not being the most advanced and private one, it looked very nice, felt fresh and was very comfortable.

As usual, Thai Airways provided very attentive, positive and smiling service, as well as tasty food and Veuve Cliquot champagne 🙂

Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa Panorama (Executive) Lounge review

I think TripAdvisor and endless booking webpages show relatively accurate picture of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort at Karon Beach.

I just make a short review of the Panorama (Executive) Lounge, which can be accessed by Hilton Honors Diamond members or by booking Deluxe/Royal suite.

Overall, it works more like a bar than a lounge, but it’s a damn good bar by Thailand measurements, providing free drinks and a stunning sunset view :)!

Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class / StarAlliance Gold Lounge in Bangkok Airport

Relatively new StarAlliance Gold / SilverKris Business Class Lounge in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

It’s a bit tricky to find as there’re no clear signs, so it took me more than 15 minutes to find it.

Overall, I think it’s the best StarAlliance Business Class Lounge in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, and let me explain you why…

EVA Air Business Class / StarAlliance Gold Lounge in Bangkok Airport

The newest StarAlliance Gold Lounge by EVA Air in Bangkok Airport.

It looks very cool from outside, but inside it’s a complete disaster.

I cannot understand who could have possibly agreed on such interior design within a “Business Class” Lounge concept. The lounge looks more like a nightclub, strip club, cheap bar, than a business class lounge.

Ridiculous lightning, poisonous colours and labirynt walks, read more why I personally hated this lounge….

Air France / KLM / SkyTeam Business Class Lounge in Bangkok Airport review

The only SkyTeam Elite lounge in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, which serves Air France, KLM, SkyTeam and PriorityPass travelers.

To my biggest surprise, it was the brightest and the best decorated lounge out of 4 lounges I’ve visited in Bangkok Airport. Very clean, with reasonable food and drinks selection, proper working and relaxing areas, combined with a nice view over the terminal.

Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class (TG 658) Bangkok to Seoul review

Good, old and ugly Thai Airways Boeing 747 upper-deck Business Class cabin…

I’ve taken this flight previously in First Class cabin. Clearly, it was a nicer experience to fly First than Business, but with a new improvement of Veuve Clicquot champagne being served in Thai Royal Silk Business Class, I just cannot complain on it!

So we had Veuve, and then more Veuve, and some more Veuve and a bit more of fresh and refreshing Veuve… If you look for more details, please read the short review (better if you have a glass of Veuve Clicquot in your hands).

Asiana Airlines First Class Suites (OZ 541) Seoul to Frankfurt review

Asiana Airlines is one of the easiest award flights to book, and yet the most exciting flight to take.

I could list 100s of ANA, Lufthansa, Thai and Singaporean First Class issues, but with Asiana it’s just 2 – severe champagne/wine deficit and uncomfortable bedding. The rest of Asiana Airlines A380’s experience was amazing!

Simply the best food onboard (Bibimbap!!!), polite and fun service, comfortable cabin and… Did I mention amazing food and service?

After enjoying the exceptional service and culinary delights on Asiana Airlines, we can’t help but daydream about our next adventure. Australia, with its mesmerizing landscapes and pristine beaches, is calling our names louder than ever.While our flight on Asiana Airlines had a couple of minor hiccups like the champagne/wine shortage and bedding, it was an overall thrilling experience. The outstanding food, especially the mouthwatering Bibimbap, and the polite, fun, and attentive service left an indelible mark on our travel memories.

Now, as we contemplate our next journey, we can’t help but imagine how the beautiful beaches of Australia will enchant us. From the world-famous Bondi Beach in Sydney to the remote and untouched stretches of sand along the Western Australian coast especially Merimbula, Australia promises to be a beach lover’s paradise.The thought of sinking our toes into the warm, golden sands, listening to the soothing sounds of the waves, and enjoying the sunny Australian weather is incredibly enticing. Whether it’s snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef or simply relaxing on the pristine shores, Australia offers a beach experience like no other.We look forward to trading our cabin seats for beach loungers and experiencing the magic of Australia’s coastline, all while savoring the memories of our remarkable flight with Asiana Airlines