Learn

News

SAS Now Flies From Boston to Copenhagen

Dar Dowling

0 Comments

July 19, 2018

SAS, the largest airline in Scandinavia, is introducing new daily nonstop service between Boston and Copenhagen. This route begins March 2016, but tickets are available now.

This is the first direct route offered between Boston and Scandinavia. Flights will leave from Boston at 5:30 p.m. and land in Copenhagen the next day at 7:00 a.m. Return flights will depart at 12:50 p.m., landing in Beantown at 3:20 in the afternoon.

SAS is a member of the Star Alliance, so you can book awards seats using United MileagePlus miles. The airline will fly its Boeing 737-700 BBJ.

Copenhagen: Worth the Trip and Then Some

Whether you’re flying into Copenhagen for business or pleasure, you’ll enjoy this fun city. You can eat at some of the world’s best restaurants, take in some amazing architectural wonders and explore a castle or two. Just rent a bike and pedal your way around this amazingly bike-friendly city.

Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park in the center of the city, has one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the world, as well as other scream worthy rides, including the Golden Tower and the Monsoon. If you’re traveling with your family, there are plenty of kiddie rides and an aquarium.

When you need a break from the excitement, consider the Design Museum that features all things modern. Or check out the Danish Royal Library, which is housed in the striking Black Diamond building.

A Gastronomic Dream and More

The wildly popular restaurant Noma, which serves New Nordic cuisine, is a must for any foodie. Getting a dinner reservation can be tough, so you might want to try a lunch seating instead.

Fiskebaren, another excellent restaurant, is also a great choice if you’re into seafood, and it’s easier to get in. Carnivores should consider the Rex Republic, since it has a reputation for cooking up the best steaks in town. Make sure you order the potato wedges, too.

Then there’s the Den Økologiske Pølsemand, which translates as the organic hot dog man. This is not your traditional hot dog. They dish up grilled pork and beef sausages on linseed and slow-fermented sourdough buns, and it’s usually served with chocolate milk.

There are so many dessert options, it’s hard to know where to start. But Strangas Cakeaway, Le Glace and Summerbird Chocolaterie are great for satisfying your sweet tooth.

If shopping is your thing, check out the Stroget. It’s one of the longest shopping streets in all of Europe. But if you’re looking for local produce or a bite from a food stall, then the Torvehallerne market would be a better fit.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

UGC Disclosure: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

SAS EuroBonus Program Review

Gabi Logan

1 Comment

June 25, 2020

Who Is SAS EuroBonus Good For?

The Scandinavians have a reputation for doing things simply but efficiently with a unique mix of pizzazz and understatement, and you shouldn’t expect anything less from their loyalty program.

EuroBonus, the frequent flyer program of SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), national carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, was the first airline to win Program of the Year in the Freddie Awards, the Oscars for frequent flyer programs. It went on to win the award for six consecutive years. Today, it continues to constantly bring in awards for its customer service, elite program, website and member communications.

As a member of the Star Alliance, SAS Eurobonus points give you access to a wealth of airlines around not only Europe, but also the world. And due to some interesting zoning, you can sometimes get surprising deals on awards in some areas that many other airlines consider to be two zones rather than one.

If you’re looking for a foreign Star Alliance carrier, SAS is not a bad place to park your miles due to its extremely friendly and award-winning program. It can also be a great place to earn elite status that applies to other Star Alliance airlines.

PROGRAM	ALLIANCE	CURRENCY
EUROBONUS	STAR ALLIANCE	POINTS
POINTS TRANSFER PARTNER
Club Rewards Dinners Club
AIRLINE PARTNERS
Thai Turkish Airlines United Airlines Widerøe Adria Airways Aegean Airlines Air Baltic Air Canada Air China	Asiana Airlines Atlantic Airways Austrian Avianca Brussels Airlines Copa Airlines Croatia Airlines Egyptair Estonian Air Ethiopian Airlines Eva Air	Lufthansa Shenzhen Airlines Singapore Airlines South African Swiss TAP Portugal LOT Air India Air NewZealand ANA

Hubs:

Copenhagen Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen

How Can You Use SAS EuroBonus Points?

EuroBonus has two categories of tickets: EuroBonus and regular. EuroBonus tickets are for award seats only, and have a fixed, published price. Regular tickets, though, have a variable price in points because you can use your points to purchase any seat on the flight with no capacity controls. Points & money awards fall into the regular ticket category, and they earn points and are eligible for upgrades.

The EuroBonus award chart for flights on its own airlines, which include SAS, Wideroe and Estonian Air, is zone-based with five zones: Nordic, EU1, EU2, USA and Asia. Each available route has a round-trip price that offers savings over two one ways. For instance, from the Nordic zone to the U.S. is 36,000 points one way, but 60,000 points roundtrip.

Partner awards are on one award chart, regardless of airline, with a single redemption price option for each class.

Though they are not as regular an occurrence as Flying Blues promo awards, SAS also releases periodic point bargains that always entitle you to 50 percent off the usual price for an award flight.

The fact that SAS rolled carrier fees and fuel surcharges into its award chart devaluation released in January 2015 means that even though some prices seem high, there is only a small cash payment on top of it.

SAS uses its own terms for different cabin classes. SAS Go, SAS Plus and SAS Business correspond to what is typically referred to as economy, business and first class. SAS Plus is only available on SAS operated flights, and SAS Business is only available on intercontinental flights.

Program perks:

Carrier-imposed fees and fuel surcharges are included in points prices, not added in cash
Ability to book points & money awards and earn points on flights
One-way awards available for additional points
Awards for infants at 10 percent of adult fare and awards for children up to 11 years old for 50 percent off
Mixed-cabin awards available
One stopover per intercontinental
Points are valid for five years after they are earned

Bookings quirks:

First class awards are only available on Air China, Air India, ANA, Asiana, EgyptAir, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United
Maximum of eight segments per award
SAS passes on high fuel charges on partner airlines like Lufthansa
On most partner airlines, upgrades with points are only available on select fares

Best value awards:

Svalbard, a polar bear-filled archipelago between continental Norway and the North Pole, is considered a domestic flight from Norway for the purposes of award flights. So you can get round-trip tickets to the most accessible part of the polar region on this typically expensive route for only 10,000 points.

Worst value awards:

Partner airline flights between Europe and North America, in North America, and between North America and Hawaii are priced well above the same flights in other Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. SAS will also pass on fuel surcharges on many partners.

Interestingly, SAS combines North and Central America on its award chart, so there is room to take advantage of a lower price on flights within that zone. Unfortunately, all prices within North America carry the same or worse prices as domestic partner United.

The Good Stuff: Upgrades and Elite Status

EuroBonus offers two types of upgrades on flights on its own carriers: confirmed upgrades and standby upgrades. Confirmed upgrades, which begin at 15,000 points between Scandinavia and the U.S., are not available for all booking classes. Standby upgrades, which cost the same number of points, are available for all types of tickets including regular tickets booked with points.

On Star Alliance partners, EuroBonus members can upgrade with points from one class to the next at least 24 hours prior to departure.

SAS EuroBonus Elite Levels and Perks

Each subsequent level includes the perks of the previous level unless stated otherwise.

Silver: Award flight booking fee waived, business-class check-in for SAS flights, priority security screening during peak travel periods, lounge access during peak travels for member and one guest or four family members, one additional checked bag, 10 percent discount on award flights booked at least 14 days in advance
Gold: Free wi-fi onboard, business-class check-in for both SAS and Star Alliance partner flights, priority security screening, SAS lounge access, two additional checked bags, 20 percent discount on award flights booked at least 14 days in advance, additional 20kg of baggage on Star Alliance partner flights, access to Star Alliance lounges, 25 percent additional basic points on SAS, Wideroe and Estonian Air, waived annual fee on the SAS EuroBonus Diners Club or Mastercard, ability to nominate another member to silver status
Diamond: 30 percent discount on award flights booked at least 14 days in advance, ability to give one gold status or two silver statuses, extended point validity, welcome gift

Associated Credit Cards

EuroBonus offers several co-branded credit card options with MasterCard, however, they are currently only available to residents of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Show Full Article