SAS Joining SkyTeam
In October 2023, it was announced that Air France/KLM was acquiring a significant stake in Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), while the airline would leave Star Alliance and eventually join SkyTeam. This was an obvious consequence since Air France/KLM is one of the largest members of the SkyTeam alliance. We now have more details about this transition and the timing for SAS joining SkyTeam.
Date Announced for Star Alliance Departure
It was announced today that SAS is leaving Star Alliance on August 31, 2024 (HT OMaaT). By way of background, SAS filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in July 2022. After months of negotiations, it was announced that Air France/KLM was investing in SAS to acquire a 20% stake. The airline is now expected to exit bankruptcy protection around the second quarter of 2024.
It's no surprise to see SAS leaving Star Alliance after a large investment from Air France/KLM, one of the major long-term members of SkyTeam. There is similar precedent for an airline cutting ties with its alliance after receiving a significant investment from a SkyTeam member. In 2019, Delta (also a SkyTeam member) announced it was acquiring a 20% stake in LatAm Airlines Group, then a member of the Oneworld alliance. As a result, LatAm left Oneworld in May of 2020.
But unlike SAS, which is joining SkyTeam, LatAm has yet to join SkyTeam since leaving Oneworld.
SAS Moving to SkyTeam
While we have a set date for Scandinavian Airline's departure from Star Alliance, we still don't know when SAS is joining SkyTeam. The airline will begin cooperating with SkyTeam airlines on September 1, 2024. In fact, SAS EuroBonus members will enjoy elite benefits on SkyTeam airlines starting on that date. However, I would not expect to see SAS formally joining SkyTeam the day after it leaves Star Alliance; these integrations usually take some time.
In addition to joining SkyTeam, SAS is expected to join the SkyTeam transatlantic joint venture. This consists of:
- Air France-KLM
- Delta
- Virgin Atlantic
However, this is subject to regulatory approval.
What to Expect
This is a big win for the SkyTeam alliance and for award travelers. For award travel between the US and Europe, SkyTeam options are mostly limited to Air France and KLM. ITA Airways has a much more limited route network, but still offers some good options. Meanwhile, Delta award availability is very scarce while Virgin Atlantic charges obscene fuel surcharges. Adding another SkyTeam option is a big win here.
In contrast, Star Alliance offers no shortage of options for award travelers to cross the pond. We can regularly find award availability with Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, United, Air Canada, and TAP Portugal, among others.
Of course, it remains to be seen how much award availability SAS will actually release. Given how Air France and KLM release award seats regularly, I expect SAS award supply to resemble Air France/KLM's supply than Delta's. Let's keep our fingers crossed here.
It also remains to be seen how much will award seats on SAS cost when booking via Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
SAS Joining SkyTeam: ToP Thoughts
SAS joining SkyTeam is a big win for SkyTeam and should be a positive change for award travelers as well. I expect this move to have a bigger impact for SkyTeam than Star Alliance, since Star Alliance continues to offer more options for transatlantic travel even without SAS. We now have to monitor for how award redemptions will look like when SAS formally joins SkyTeam.
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