As you might have noticed, Scandinavian airline SAS is currently at a turning point. The 20% stake by Air France – KLM initially means the switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam. In the medium term, the airlines are likely to work together even closer.
Today, more details were released about the future of the EuroBonus frequent flyer program starting in September. Firstly, the good news: not much will change for now. However, the ability to earn miles with Star Alliance members will be phased out. Instead, the points for flights with KLM & Air France have now been announced.
New Status Bonus Between 25% and 75%
Currently, frequent flyers with EuroBonus receive a mileage bonus of 10% (with Silver status) or 25% (Gold & Diamond) on flights with SAS and Wideroe. This bonus applies to both status and reward points. In other words, once you have a status, it’s somewhat easier to maintain it compared to those without status (when flying with the Scandinavians).
Here’s the bad news: in the future, there will be no bonus on status points (now called Level Points). However, the bonus on award points (Bonus Points) will increase. Starting in September, the bonuses will be:
- EuroBonus Silver: 25% bonus
- EuroBonus Gold: 50% bonus
- EuroBonus Diamond: 75% bonus
This bonus will apply not only to SAS flights as before but also to all SkyTeam partners. The basic points table for SAS flights will initially remain unchanged. However, the introduction of a revenue-based system is conceivable in the medium term.
Mileage Credit Between 20% and 300% for Air France & KLM
There is also some news regarding mileage earning with partner airlines. KLM and Air France are the first two SkyTeam airlines to be included in the points tables. This will apply to flights starting September 1, 2024:
There aren’t many surprises here. The credit is based on flight distance multiplied by a percentage depending on the booking class. The range goes from only 20% for the cheapest economy fare to 200% for expensive business fares. In La Première First Class, there’s even 300%:
- Economy (booking class X): 20%
- Premium economy (booking class A): 100%
- Business class (booking class O): 100%
- Business class (booking class C / J): 200%
- First class (only Air France): 300%
Example: For a flight from London via Paris to New York (one-way), you can earn between 825 and 11,125 status and award points. An additional status bonus on the award points may apply.
We have already included the new credits in our mileage calculator. You can find it below:
From now on, the flight number (according to SkyTeam rules) will be decisive for mileage credit, not the operating airline. So, a flight with a SAS flight number, operated by Air France, will earn miles according to the SAS mileage table.
And the other SkyTeam partners?
How many miles you will earn for flights with Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, Saudia, and others is not yet known. This information is expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Minor Changes Regarding Redeeming Miles
As for the mileage redemption table, SAS is fortunately not making any major changes. Everything remains the same for SAS flights. The current redemption table for Star Alliance will be almost exactly carried over to SkyTeam.
For instance, the two zones for Southeast Asia have been merged into one zone. Otherwise, not much is changing. A reward flight from Europe to North America will still cost:
One-way:
- 42,000 points in economy class
- 63,000 points in premium economy
- 78,000 points in business class
- 105,000 points in first class
Round-trip:
- 70,000 points in economy class
- 105,000 points in premium economy
- 130,000 points in business class
- 175,000 points in first class1
1 – Air France’s La Première first class will likely not be bookable with miles
There are no fuel surcharges, but a €50 booking fee per traveller applies.
Conclusion
For now, there are thankfully no significant changes to the SAS frequent flyer program. The loss of the status points bonus may be painful, but there’s an increased bonus on award points.
However, this may not mean much. We expect that EuroBonus will gradually lose its attractiveness as SAS and Air France-KLM come closer together. In the medium term, EuroBonus is expected to fully merge into Flying Blue (the frequent flyer program of Air France-KLM).
Translated and edited by Ditmar
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange