Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Joining SkyTeam on September 1; Earning and Upgrade Details Released

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will officially join the SkyTeam Alliance as of September 1, 2024. We’ve known that since the move was finalized with SkyTeam and Scandinavian Airlines jointly signing an Alliance Adherence Agreement on April 29, 2024.

The news that the Scandinavian flag carrier, commonly known as SAS, would switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam was originally announced back on October 2, 2023.

However, details remained thin in the original announcement. What would happen to the SAS Eurobonus program? And how would the loyalty program work going forward, given the new partnerships, earning opportunities, and chances for using upgrades on new partners?

We now have more of those details — let’s dive in.

SAS Switches From Star Alliance to SkyTeam on September 1

SAS has been a member of the Star Alliance since 1997, when it founded the alliance with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, and United Airlines.

The transition is historic — it will bring with it a lot of change in the industry, not least for SAS Eurobonus members.

“EuroBonus members will be able to enjoy new destinations and benefits as part of the SkyTeam alliance family, marking the start of an exciting future for customers, partners, and employees alike,” said Anko van de Werff, president and CEO of SAS. “SAS customers will benefit from SkyTeam’s strong global presence in many of the world’s major aviation hubs and from its focus on strategic partnerships and innovative sustainability initiatives.”

While SAS Eurobonus members will no longer be able to earn and spend miles with the likes of Air Canada and Lufthansa, they’ll benefit from new relationships with Air France, Delta, KLM, and more.

The Eurobonus members’ status will also be matched to an equivalent SkyTeam status. Silver members will be granted SkyTeam Elite status while Gold and Diamond members will automatically become SkyTeam Elite Plus.

On the other hand, SAS Eurobonus status holders will no longer receive perks and benefits when flying member airlines of Star Alliance.

Current SkyTeam members will welcome the news, as they will now be able to earn and spend points on SAS flights on the airline’s expansive route network from its Copenhagen (CPH), Oslo (OSL), and Stockholm (ARN) hubs.

SAS’ transition from Star Alliance to SkyTeam is a direct result of the Air France/KLM group taking a 19.9% non-controlling stake in the airline after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July of 2022.

SAS Eurobonus Earning Rates After September 1

The earning rates page has a confusing-looking number of tables and charts to show you the earning rates before and after September 1, 2024. Luckily, we can condense all of this into 2 simple rules:

• Whatever you’re earning as points before September 1 will be awarded as the same number of Level points after September 1. The name is changing, but the number isn’t.
• After September 1, you’ll also get an equivalent number of Bonus points, matching the number of Level points.

Through August 31, 2024, you can earn Basic points or Extra points on codeshare flights (SK3000-SK3999 and SK6000-SK9999) with SAS partners. From September 1 on, you’ll earn Bonus points and Level points on SAS-marketed and -operated flights as shown below.

Flights Within Scandinavia

Remember, regardless of the name change from Basic points (through August 31) to Level points (from September 1), the number of points earned from these fares isn’t changing. From September 1, you’ll also earn an equivalent number of Bonus points to what you see in the table.

Flights Within Europe

Flights to/From Boston, New York, and Toronto

Flights to/From Beijing, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington

Flights to/From Bangkok, Shanghai, Tokyo, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco

SAS Upgrades

Upgrade bids to move to a higher class of service will earn additional Basic points if you’ve paid cash. You’ll earn points based on your original fare class, and this is only valid for bids placed online. Bids at the gate only earn points on the original fare class.

From September 1, 2024, you’ll earn as follows:

Final Thoughts

While SkyTeam frequent flyers may celebrate on September 1, 2024, some Star Alliance frequent flyers (and maybe some Eurobonus members) aren’t looking forward to that date.

Whatever SAS’s move from Star Alliance to SkyTeam means for you, monumental shifts like this don’t come around often in the world of airline points, miles, and loyalty. As the date approaches, we’re now gaining additional details on earning rates and upgrade awards, and will keep you updated as we learn even more.