Online newspaper: The airline is heading to Air France-KLM. This means, among other things, that SAS has been delisted from the stock exchange in Norway, and they have dropped out of Star Alliance.
This can have huge significance, both for you as a customer and for shareholders.
For now, the question is what a change in ownership will mean for the bonus points you might collect after using the company’s services. The points system is known as EuroBonus, and collecting as many points as possible has become a sport.
It is currently uncertain what will happen to these points, but it is assumed that they will at least be affected in the long term.
– It is important to emphasize that we are not making any changes in the near future. “We remain a member of Star Alliance until further notice,” SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said during a press conference on Tuesday.
– Now anything can happen
Among those excited about what will happen when SAS officially leaves Star Alliance is Bergen’s Kaspar Synnevåg. He is behind the podcast “Klassereisen”, which is a project in which he and his partner Henrik Hylland Uhlving collect as many Eurobonus points as possible.
They are listed with an incredible 807,000 points. They’ve also won millions of dollars in the past, but Synnevåg booked a trip to Bali recently, among other things.
– Now anything can happen. “I don’t have a clear answer, and it’s difficult to speculate on this,” Synnevåg told Nettavisen.
He said that he sees collecting points as a project, and he started collecting them in earnest because he loves traveling and having new experiences.
– This is called bonus, so I never take them for granted. You don’t need to be too afraid, because it’s just part of the game. But I see a real danger that the money will become less valuable if SAS switches to another program. It will be interesting to follow, says Synnevåg.
– Bonus tickets can be tight
He said he was hesitant to become a Sky Team customer. He liked the idea of being able to experience new places outside Europe.
– “Worst case” is zero points. If that happens, then the world is not the end of everything. At the same time, this program is very valuable to SAS and creates loyalty. “I’m confident this will persist into the future in a form that benefits customers,” he said.
– Will you make any hasty decisions due to a change in ownership?
– I’m going to Bali in the fall, so I have time to travel in the future. I’ll probably hurry, as it might be tight to get bonus tickets. Maybe someone in the SAS will be demoted.
Star Alliance includes Air Canada, Thai Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines, among others. Cooperation between airlines means they share bonus programs, lounges, technology and logistics, schedules and offers involving several airlines.
– Currently there is absolutely no medium for long-term prospects. “When we leave Star Alliance and join Sky Team, we will make sure to look after our Eurobonus members well,” said van der Werff.
New ownership in SAS is distributed as follows:
- Air France-KLM: 19.9 percent
- State of Denmark: 25.8 percent
- Castlelake investment fund: 32 percent
- Investment fund Lind Invest: 8.6 percent
The final 13.6 percent will likely be owned by creditors whose loan capital will be converted into shares.
Professor on SAS news: – The small savers have not thought at all
“Infuriatingly humble coffee guru. Travel practitioner. Freelance zombie fanatic. Certified problem solver. Food scholar. Student.”
