SAS EuroBonus challenge: How I’m flying around the world to earn 1 million points
As a points and miles enthusiast, I am always looking for ways to earn valuable rewards. I have signed up for new credit cards, booked mattress runs and even booked flights with the sole purpose of earning additional points and miles. But my next quest to earn loyalty program rewards is a balancing act of my sanity, my love for flying and the chance to earn a ton of bonus miles.
After transitioning from Star Alliance to SkyTeam in the fall, Scandinavian Airlines launched a frequent flyer promotion: If you travel with at least 15 different SkyTeam airlines through Dec. 31, you can earn 1 million EuroBonus points. Well, challenge accepted.
I will be flying around the world in 25 days, boarding 19 flights and visiting 15 countries to earn 1 million points. And to make this even more daunting, I will be flying in economy class and praying the middle seat is clear, barring any unbeatable upgrade offers.
Let’s dive into this extreme points-earning journey I am undertaking.
What is the SAS EuroBonus 1 Million Challenge?
SAS is the flag carrier of the Scandinavian countries and recently joined the SkyTeam alliance. However, its points are notoriously hard to earn unless you live in the Scandinavian region or opt to earn them by flying other SkyTeam airlines. The carrier’s loyalty program, SAS EuroBonus, is currently offering a three-tiered promotion through its mobile app that was announced in October and ends Dec. 31.
If you complete this promotion, you’ll earn:
- 10,000 points for flying with five SkyTeam airlines
- 100,000 points for flying with 10 SkyTeam airlines
- 1,000,000 points for flying with 15 SkyTeam airlines
Per the rules of this promotion, you must have your SAS EuroBonus number noted as the frequent flyer number for all your flight reservations. EuroBonus points must be earned or used to pay for each flight for it to count. You will need to book an eligible fare that earns points, so essentially no basic economy fares.
Additionally, what makes this offer even better is that travelers will earn additional EuroBonus points for every flight taken on top of the up to 1 million points.
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When I first learned about this promotion, I immediately dismissed it because of how difficult it would be to complete. However, after weighing the pros and cons, I realized it was not too complicated and would just require a bit of planning (and a stash of American Express Membership Rewards points). While SAS is rewarding bonus points for travelers flying on five or 10 different SkyTeam airlines, to me, the challenge is only worth completing if I am able to snag 1 million bonus points.
Initially, flying on 15 different airlines didn’t seem too daunting of a task, but when I took a closer look, I realized most of the SkyTeam airlines are located in Europe and Asia, meaning I have to fly across the globe to fly on most of the eligible airlines.
The eligible airlines are Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, SAS, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Xiamen Air.
Needing to fly on 15 different airlines in a short time frame, I got to crafting an itinerary that, to some, would have them questioning whether I had lost it and to others asking, “How can I join you?”
How I’m tackling the SAS EuroBonus 1 Million Challenge
With the help of TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen, director of travel content Eric Rosen and a handful of other staffers, we crafted and booked an action-packed itinerary transversing the globe that would allow me to visit some amazing sites, explore new countries and fly on some unique airlines. When planning the itinerary, I made sure that I did not repeat any airlines and that I would not have to take any repositioning flights so I could be on as few flights as possible.
The itinerary is as follows:
| Flights | Airline | Departure airport | Arrival airport | Cost (in American Express Membership Rewards points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delta Air Lines | Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Oregon | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | 18,501 points |
| 2 | Korean Air | SEA | Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea | 70,720 points |
| 3 | Garuda Indonesia | ICN | Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali, Indonesia | 30,190 points |
| 4-5 | Garuda Indonesia and Vietnam Airlines | DPS | Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, via Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) near Jakarta, Indonesia | 11,780 points and 29,280 points
|
| 6 | China Airlines | Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, Vietnam | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) | 17,200 points |
| 7-8 | China Eastern Airlines | TPE | Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) via Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB) in China |
13,300 points |
| 9 | Xiamen Air | Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) | Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in China | $382.70 (note that cash was used to book this flight) |
| 10 | Kenya Airways | CAN | Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok | 18,780 points |
| 11-12 | Saudia | BKK | Dubai International Airport (DXB) via King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 98,736 points |
| 13 | Virgin Atlantic | DXB | Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London | 64,010 points |
| 14-15 | Air France and TAROM | LHR | Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) in Romania via Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) | 69,570 points |
| 16 | KLM | OTP | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) | 36,660 points |
| 17 | Air Europa | AMS | Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) | 23,380 points |
| 18 | Aeromexico | MAD | Mexico City International Airport (MEX) | 86,745 points |
How I booked my flights using Amex Membership Rewards points
I booked all my flights (except the Xiamen Air segment) through the American Express Travel portal using The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, in which I redeemed points at 1 cent apiece. Online travel agencies will work for this promotion as long as you put in your SAS EuroBonus number with each airline and book an eligible points-earning fare. Plus, it’s stress-free when you book with Amex Travel, as it doesn’t allow you to book any basic economy fares or fares that won’t be eligible.
In total, I used 588,852 Amex Membership Rewards points plus about $383 in cash for the Xiamen Air flight. If I had paid cash for all the flights, it would have cost me around $5,800. For my hotel accommodations, I used about 175,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and 36,000 World of Hyatt points.
I strategically made sure to book some of my flights to depart late at night so I wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel on some nights. I will also be taking advantage of my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status, which guarantees a 4 p.m. late checkout.
Why I’m tackling this SAS EuroBonus challenge
SAS EuroBonus points are some of the toughest airline points to earn. In fact, none of the major credit card issuers have SAS as a transfer partner, so that made me automatically reconsider my initial stance on this challenge. Luckily, I used a stash of Amex points to book almost the entire trip.
Once I complete this promotion, I will be notified of the results in January. The 1 million bonus points earned from this promotion must be redeemed within a five-year window.
On a base level, SAS points are worth 1 cent apiece, making 1 million points worth $10,000. Since SAS still uses a distance-based award chart, business class from Europe to North America or Asia is only 50,000 points. So, theoretically, with 1 million points, I could fly between Europe and Asia or North America 20 times in business class if I can find availability. However, SAS is notorious for having limited award seat availability on its own metal.
To maximize my points and get more than 1 cent in value per point, I plan on utilizing the SAS partner award chart for redemptions.
This is where the outsize value really kicks in. For example, a first-class, round-trip ticket from the U.S. to the Pacific or Australia only costs 225,000 points. Many cash fares on that same routing would be upward of $10,000, meaning I would be saving thousands and would still have over 650,000 points left to spend.
Related: Best ways to earn airline miles
Bottom line
While this challenge might seem absurd to some, over the past few weeks, this has become a no-brainer for me to tackle this promotion. Not in my wildest dreams at the beginning of the year could you ask me if I thought I would be spending Christmas in Saudi Arabia and ringing in the New Year in Mexico City, all while earning 1 million points along the way. This is certainly a daunting challenge that will require patience and the luck of the airline gods that there are no major delays or cancellations — and maybe the occasional complimentary exit row seat. I certainly will have a love-hate relationship with airports and airplanes when this challenge is all said and done.
And hey, if you have some free time and want to earn 1 million points yourself, there are still a few weeks left in the year, which, if you have the flexibility, may be more than enough time for you to take on this challenge.
Stay tuned for more. Throughout the next few weeks, I will journal my quest (and try a lot of airplane food). Hopefully, I will also run into some TPG-ers along the way as I strive to become a EuroBonus millionaire.
