AFF Review: SAS ATR-72 Economy Class (CPH-HAM)

[AFF Editor]

SAS ATR-72 Economy Class Review is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

SAS ATR-72 Economy Class Review

I recently flew on an SAS ATR 72 from Copenhagen to Hamburg in Economy Class, which Scandinavian Airlines markets as "SAS Go".

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[levelnine]

Thanks for the trip report!

SAS offers a security fast-track lane for SAS Plus/Business passengers and Gold members of its own Eurobonus frequent flyer program. Unfortunately, my Star Alliance Gold status (via United) didn’t make the cut

Is this common with Star Alliance airlines? To deny benefits such as fast track to alliance members?

You mentioned you paid for the ticket with UA miles (what an incredible use of points -- 15c/pt?!). What's the main method you use to accumulate UA miles? Is it mainly through flights? And is there a reason you credit to UA as opposed to SQ?

 

[AFF Editor]

Is this common with Star Alliance airlines? To deny benefits such as fast track to alliance members?

It's certainly not something I've seen regularly with other Star Alliance airlines. I was surprised to find this, to be honest. It's not really in the spirit of the alliance.

You mentioned you paid for the ticket with UA miles (what an incredible use of points -- 15c/pt?!). What's the main method you use to accumulate UA miles? Is it mainly through flights? And is there a reason you credit to UA as opposed to SQ?

Mostly by crediting Star Alliance flights to the MileagePlus program.

For the last 5 years I have used United MileagePlus as my main Star Alliance program as I have status with them. In pre-COVID times, I found it easier to earn status with United than SQ, and found it useful that United partners with a range of non-Star Alliance airlines that I sometimes fly with such as Eurowings and Azul. I also like that with United's program, you can earn miles on the cheaper fares on airlines like Lufthansa and Air New Zealand which wouldn't earn any KrisFlyer miles.

That said, once United stops extending my status (which it has done since 2020 due to Covid), I may look at switching to another Star Alliance program as I'm really not a fan of the changes United made to its frequent flyer program in 2020.

 

[levelnine]

I was surprised to find this, to be honest.

Thanks. I didn't know if that was common or not with *A. I've never encountered it with OW — the occasional lounge shenanigans (eg QR) notwithstanding.

That said, once United stops extending my status (which it has done since 2020 due to Covid), I may look at switching to another Star Alliance program as I'm really not a fan of the changes United made to its frequent flyer program in 2020.

Extremely helpful, thank you. One challenge I've encountered as I move more and more of my travel to *A is working out which program is the best to credit to.

 

[Mwenenzi]

When I booked this flight around a week before departure, the lowest available one-way airfare was a staggering €599 (just over AU$1,000)! However, cheaper SAS Youth fares were available to passengers aged 25 or under.

I ultimately booked an Economy Class seat for 6,500 United MileagePlus miles and $32.70.

As a matter of interest what would rail have cost and time?
Several decades ago drove from Hamburg to Copenhagen (in a VW kombi)

 

[OZDUCK]

As a matter of interest what would rail have cost and time?
Several decades ago drove from Hamburg to Copenhagen (in a VW kombi)

I was interested in this as well so I had a quick look. Using Monday week as a date the cheapest direct fare, and using "The Mani in Seat 61", that I could see was around A$89 and took 4hr36m. The cheapest fare was around A$49 and took 5hr29m but included 3 changes of train so lots of chances for delays to occur and it got you into Hamburg at the lovely time of 0025. The 'normal' fare seemed to be around A$104.

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks for the brief report Matt.
The Scarlett family will be on SAS in a week travelling CPH-ARN-LHR and I decided to put us in SAS Plus as the price difference wasn’t much greater than the standard SAS Go economy tickets. Looks like A320s for both legs.

One of the reasons for paying for SAS Plus is the additional ticket flexibility as well as the fact that I have *A gold status with TK, so can access the lounges, but the family doesn’t, so this way everyone can wait in there rather then me only being allowed one guest.

Some questions about the transit for anyone who’s been through ARN:

We’ll obviously be in the Schengen lounge out of CPH. Does anyone know how ARN works for flights to LHR? Ticket says departing T5 and *A has SAS Business and SAS Gold lounges in ARN T5 (what’s the difference between those two?). And is there a non-Schengen part of T5 separate to where the lounges are?

 

[Scarlett]

As a matter of interest what would rail have cost and time?
Several decades ago drove from Hamburg to Copenhagen (in a VW kombi)

We did this trip in the other direction, Copenhagen to Hamburg in 2016 and the train was fine. It was an ICE-TD train that had the interesting distinction of being loaded onto a ferry for the ~40 minute crossing of the Baltic Sea strait between Denmark and Germany.
Four hours seems about right from memory.

 

[OZDUCK]

We did this trip in the other direction, Copenhagen to Hamburg in 2016 and the train was fine. It was an ICE-TD train that had the interesting distinction of being loaded onto a ferry for the ~40 minute crossing of the Baltic Sea strait between Denmark and Germany.
Four hours seems about right from memory.

I see that they have now started construction of an "immersed tunnel" to replace that ferry crossing. Combined with some high speed rail and new bridges also being built it will cut the Copenhagen - Hamburg trip time by around 2 hours. But it is not due to be completed until 2029. Plenty of controversy about the whole project.

Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AFF Editor]

As a matter of interest what would rail have cost and time?
Several decades ago drove from Hamburg to Copenhagen (in a VW kombi)

I was interested in this as well so I had a quick look. Using Monday week as a date the cheapest direct fare, and using "The Mani in Seat 61", that I could see was around A$89 and took 4hr36m. The cheapest fare was around A$49 and took 5hr29m but included 3 changes of train so lots of chances for delays to occur and it got you into Hamburg at the lovely time of 0025. The 'normal' fare seemed to be around A$104.

I normally travel by train for short trips within Europe, but the travel time of around ~5 hours and 20 minutes with 2-3 changes put me off when there was a short, direct flight available for 6,500 United miles. I also would have missed out on going out for dinner in Hamburg with friends if I took the train. However, I would have taken the train if there was no award availability as the ~$80 train fare is IMHO much better value than paying $1,000 for the flight!

 

[AFF Editor]

Thanks for the brief report Matt.
The Scarlett family will be on SAS in a week travelling CPH-ARN-LHR and I decided to put us in SAS Plus as the price difference wasn’t much greater than the standard SAS Go economy tickets. Looks like A320s for both legs.

One of the reasons for paying for SAS Plus is the additional ticket flexibility as well as the fact that I have *A gold status with TK, so can access the lounges, but the family doesn’t, so this way everyone can wait in there rather then me only being allowed one guest.

Some questions about the transit for anyone who’s been through ARN:

We’ll obviously be in the Schengen lounge out of CPH. Does anyone know how ARN works for flights to LHR? Ticket says departing T5 and *A has SAS Business and SAS Gold lounges in ARN T5 (what’s the difference between those two?). And is there a non-Schengen part of T5 separate to where the lounges are?

From memory, the only SAS lounges in ARN are in the Schengen Area. The SAS website seems to confirm this - Welcome to our Lounges – enjoy WiFi, food and beverages

You should be able to use the lounge in the Schengen Area before clearing passport control for your flight to LHR.

Yes, SAS has two types of lounges at ARN - Business and Gold. With an SAS Plus ticket, you can use the Business Lounge. With Star Alliance Gold status, you can use either lounge. Gold is supposed to be the nicer lounge, although IMHO the difference is marginal.

When I flew out of CPH in late March, I think they were just operating a single combined Gold/Business lounge.

 

[AFF Editor]

Extremely helpful, thank you. One challenge I've encountered as I move more and more of my travel to *A is working out which program is the best to credit to.

The best option really depends on which *A airlines you're flying, and on what types of fares.

Aegean Airlines has the lowest qualification/renewal criteria if you're able to complete the minimum 4 annual Aegean/Olympic Air flights. But again, many of the lower fare classes on airlines like NZ, LH, OS, LX, SN etc. don't earn anything with programs other than United MileagePlus, Miles&More or Airpoints (in the case of NZ flights).

Turkish Airlines' program is also not bad, and they offer a status match challenge.

 

[pgsdiver]

All 5 of the pgsdiver family did the rail trip CPH -FRA, with a train change in Hamburg. The train actually entering a ferry was a hit with the kids (and me, if I'm honest). One caveat, though. It can get tough on the trip over to the German side. My eldest got pretty green, admittedly he did have two hot dogs at the canteen on board.
I still like the train as an option, but for this trip it can't compete with flying for speed. As it should be, the slow road was much more interesting.

 

[serfty]

Is this common with Star Alliance airlines? To deny benefits such as fast track to alliance members?

... Thanks. I didn't know if that was common or not with *A. I've never encountered it with OW — the occasional lounge shenanigans (eg QR) notwithstanding. ...

@AFF Editor Fast Track security has not really been a defined benifit of any of the three major alliances.

BA in LHR comes to mind a decade ago.

More recently in Japan, there was a period you needed to be a JAL elite or traveling JAL F or J to use fast track security. Being a non JL *O Saphhire or Emerald or travelling non JL *O in F or J was not enough.