SAS Eurobonus gives a decent reason to collect SAS miles, especially if you’re a family looking for a great rate on award flights.
For this post, I’m not going to get into the details of the elite status aspect of the program and instead focus on the redemption side of the program.
Rove is your only transfer option
Up until March 2026, there was no way to transfer points into the SAS EuroBonus program. While bank programs certainly cover a lot of popular programs, there are still a number of foreign programs out there that don’t partner with banks in the US. These programs tend to be a bit more unknown as a result.
However, starting March 2026, Rove introduced the ability to transfer to SAS miles. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio and should be instant.
Could this open the floodgates to hidden gems? Should you do it?
No fuel surcharges when using SAS miles
Fuel surcharges, commonly referenced as “YQ” based on how it appears in fares, is typically loosely tied to price of fuel. Some award programs pass along this fee to you when paying for your flight with points while others do not. If the fee is passed along to you, that can result in your “free” flight costing you over $1,000 as a cash copay for the journey. Airlines generally have control over how much of the fare they consider to be YQ.
Thankfully, SAS does not pass along YQ to the customer on any award fares. Unlike some other SkyTeam members (like Delta or Air France), the fees when using SAS miles are pretty low.
Don’t confuse this with taxes, which every program passes along to members. There can be very high taxes you have to pay out of certain cities (such as London). These will still be your responsibility and it would be incorrect to consider these the same as YQ.
You can book awards 330 days in advance with SAS miles
As a planner, I love being able to book awards well far in advance. I feel like I can lock down my preferred dates of travel before the majority of other award seekers. And so the earlier the schedule is released, the better it is.
But perhaps what matters more is being able to book awards before those with a large balance of miles with US programs are able to book. Those programs generally open schedules and award bookings 11 months in advance. So if you can find a program that allows awards weeks before the comparable US airline, you can generally book what you want.
Award flights booked with SAS miles can be booked 330 days in advance, giving plenty of time to redeem those flights. But unfortunately, it won’t give you much advantage if you want to book early.
Award cancel and change fees aren’t bad
One thing that’s nice about SAS EuroBonus is the relatively cheap fee to cancel or change an award flight:
- Cancel/change fee on SAS flights
- Flights within Europe: €25/ticket
- Flights to/from Asia or North America: €75/ticket
- Cancel/change fee on partner flights
- Flights within Europe: €25/ticket
- Flights including intercontinental flights: €75/ticket
- There is also an administration fee of €50/ticket for partner tickets. This fee is non-refundable in the event you cancel your flight.
You can cancel or change flights up to 1 hour before departure, which is awesome as a last-minute option if you have alternative flights booked. If your points have already expired, they will be sacrificed into the ethos if you decide to change or cancel.
Award flights booked with SAS miles are based on region and carrier
SAS award flights
If you want to book an award flight that’s solely on SAS, you’ll generally pay a better rate than if you book a partner flight. SAS award flights are based on the below award chart for one-way travel.
| Region | Economy Bonus | Premium Bonus | Business Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic in Denmark, Norway, Sweden | 5,000 | 10,000 | – |
| Between Nordic+ | 10,000 | 15,000 | – |
| Between Nordic+ and Europe | 15,000 | 25,000 | – |
| Between Europe | 25,000 | 35,000 | – |
| To/From Asia or North America | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
Nordic+ represents the following countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
Europe represents the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
A few important features of SAS award flights booked on SAS metal:
- Children aged 2-11 get 50% off the award price. Infants are free (aside from taxes or fees).
- Points flights and revenue flights can be combined into a single booking.
- One stopover is permitted on flights to/from Asia or North America
- Connections can be added to existing award flights for €15 if the flight is from the Nordics to a connecting hub (CPH, OSL, ARN).
Partner award flights
If you’re interested in an award flight that includes a segment on SkyTeam partners, you’ll be subject to the following award charts. Note that unlike SAS flights, these award charts are based on roundtrip travel.
Here are the “domestic” flights within Europe:
| Flights within | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 20,000 | – | 40,000 | – |
| Norway | 20,000 | – | 40,000 | – |
| Sweden | 20,000 | – | 40,000 | – |
| Metropolitan France | 20,000 | – | 40,000 | – |
| Spain | 20,000 | – | 40,000 | – |
And here are the rest of the partner awards, broken out by cabin.
Economy
| Region | Europe | North America | Central America / Caribbean | South America | North/Central Africa / Middle East | Southern Africa | Central, East, South Asia | South East Asia | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 40,000 | 70,000 | 80,000 | 90,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 95,000 | 140,000 |
| North America | 70,000 | 25,000 | 37,500 | 50,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 |
| Central America / Caribbean | 80,000 | 37,500 | 25,000 | 37,500 | 90,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| South America | 90,000 | 50,000 | 37,500 | 37,500 | 100,000 | 70,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| North/Central Africa / Middle East | 60,000 | 80,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 | 25,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 | 70,000 | 100,000 |
| Southern Africa | 90,000 | 100,000 | 85,000 | 70,000 | 60,000 | 25,000 | 120,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 |
| Central, East, South Asia | 90,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 | 110,000 | 80,000 | 120,000 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 70,000 |
| South East Asia | 95,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 | 110,000 | 70,000 | 90,000 | 50,000 | 25,000 | 70,000 |
| Pacific | 140,000 | 90,000 | 100,000 | 110,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 25,000 |
Premium economy
| Region | Europe | North America | Central America / Caribbean | South America | North/Central Africa / Middle East | Southern Africa | Central, East, South Asia | South East Asia | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | – | 105,000 | 120,000 | 135,000 | 90,000 | 135,000 | 135,000 | 142,500 | 210,000 |
| North America | 105,000 | 37,500 | 56,250 | 75,000 | 120,000 | 150,000 | 135,000 | 135,000 | 135,000 |
| Central America / Caribbean | 120,000 | 56,250 | 37,500 | 56,250 | 135,000 | 127,500 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 |
| South America | 135,000 | 75,000 | 56,250 | 56,250 | 150,000 | 105,000 | 165,000 | 165,000 | 165,000 |
| North/Central Africa / Middle East | 90,000 | 120,000 | 135,000 | 150,000 | 37,500 | 90,000 | 120,000 | 105,000 | 150,000 |
| Southern Africa | 135,000 | 150,000 | 127,500 | 105,000 | 90,000 | 37,500 | 180,000 | 135,000 | 150,000 |
| Central, East, South Asia | 135,000 | 135,000 | 150,000 | 165,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 | 37,500 | 75,000 | 105,000 |
| South East Asia | 142,500 | 135,000 | 150,000 | 165,000 | 105,000 | 135,000 | 75,000 | 37,500 | 105,000 |
| Pacific | 210,000 | 135,000 | 150,000 | 165,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 105,000 | 105,000 | 37,500 |
Business class
| Region | Europe | North America | Central America / Caribbean | South America | North/Central Africa / Middle East | Southern Africa | Central, East, South Asia | South East Asia | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 80,000 | 140,000 | 180,000 | 190,000 | 130,000 | 180,000 | 180,000 | 190,000 | 280,000 |
| North America | 140,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 100,000 | 160,000 | 200,000 | 180,000 | 180,000 | 180,000 |
| Central America / Caribbean | 180,000 | 75,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 180,000 | 170,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 |
| South America | 190,000 | 100,000 | 75,000 | 75,000 | 200,000 | 140,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 |
| North/Central Africa / Middle East | 130,000 | 160,000 | 180,000 | 200,000 | 50,000 | 120,000 | 160,000 | 140,000 | 200,000 |
| Southern Africa | 180,000 | 200,000 | 170,000 | 140,000 | 120,000 | 50,000 | 240,000 | 180,000 | 200,000 |
| Central, East, South Asia | 180,000 | 180,000 | 200,000 | 220,000 | 160,000 | 240,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 | 140,000 |
| South East Asia | 190,000 | 180,000 | 200,000 | 220,000 | 140,000 | 180,000 | 100,000 | 50,000 | 140,000 |
| Pacific | 280,000 | 180,000 | 200,000 | 220,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 140,000 | 140,000 | 50,000 |
First class
Good luck finding these as partner awards
| Region | Europe | North America | Central America / Caribbean | South America | North/Central Africa / Middle East | Southern Africa | Central, East, South Asia | South East Asia | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | – | 175,000 | 200,000 | 225,000 | 140,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 257,000 | 380,000 |
| North America | 175,000 | 70,000 | 95,000 | 120,000 | 190,000 | 235,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 |
| Central America / Caribbean | 200,000 | 95,000 | 70,000 | 95,000 | 212,500 | 205,000 | 237,500 | 237,500 | 237,500 |
| South America | 225,000 | 120,000 | 95,000 | 70,000 | 235,000 | 175,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
| North/Central Africa / Middle East | 140,000 | 190,000 | 212,500 | 235,000 | 70,000 | 140,000 | 190,000 | 130,000 | 235,000 |
| Southern Africa | 225,000 | 235,000 | 205,000 | 175,000 | 140,000 | 70,000 | 285,000 | 225,000 | 235,000 |
| Central, East, South Asia | 225,000 | 225,000 | 237,500 | 250,000 | 190,000 | 285.000 | 70,000 | 120,000 | 175,000 |
| South East Asia | 275,500 | 225,000 | 237,500 | 250,000 | 130,000 | 225,000 | 120,000 | 70,000 | 175,000 |
| Pacific | 380,000 | 225,000 | 237,500 | 250,000 | 235,000 | 235,000 | 175,000 | 175,000 | 70,000 |
Region definitions:
| Region | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Domestic Europe | Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Metropolitan France, Italy |
| Europe | Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Metropolitan France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and Ukraine |
| North America | Canada, Mexico and United States (excl Hawaii) |
| Central America and Caribbean | Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire Sint Eustatius, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Thomas, Sint Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands |
| South America | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela |
| North/Central Africa & Middle East | Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kongo & Central Africa, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Republic of Cape Verde, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Yemen |
| Southern Africa | Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe |
| Central, East and South Asia | China (incl. Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Népal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia |
| South East Asia | Thailand, Vietnam, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Guam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore |
| Pacific | Australia (incl. Tasmania), Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Tahiti), Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia (Noumea), New Zealand, Niue Islands, Norfolk Islands, Tonga and Western Samoa, Hawaii |
A few important features of SAS award flights booked on SAS metal:
- Children aged 2-11 do not get any award discount.
- One-way flights cost 60% of the roundtrip price.
- All flights in a single direction must be in the same cabin.
- All partner flights are subject to a non-refundable €50/ticket administration fee.
- Multiple airlines can be combined in the same booking as long as they belong to SkyTeam.
- No stopovers are permitted.
- Connections can be added to existing award flights for €15 if the flight is from the Nordics to a connecting hub (CPH, OSL, ARN).
What are the sweet spots with SAS miles?
From our read of the award chart, here are what we would use with our SAS miles.
Business class with SAS between US or Asia and Europe
Hands down, this is among the best pricing between US and Europe. At just 60,000 miles and no fuel surcharges, it’s going to be hard to beat if you want to fly in comfort across the Pond. SAS actually flies to 10 destinations in North America, with another 6 destinations in Asia, giving you a good amount of choice.
One of the better options for families on SAS metal
We’ve mentioned it up above but it’s worth calling it out specifically here. Some European airlines give a discount for bringing along the kids. Airlines like Air France and Lufthansa give a 25% discount on award flights for kids under 12.
But SAS takes this to another level. Children aged 2-11 can get a 50% discount across all cabins. That makes economy pricing as cheap as 2,500 points domestically or 15,000 across the Atlantic. Business class for children would only be 30,000 miles–an absolute steal. If you’re a family looking for an airline that wants your business, look no further.
Unfortunately, the discount doesn’t carry to partner flights, so stick to SAS.
Partner flights across the Atlantic in business class
Keep in mind that while awards on SAS metal can be done one-way, the cheapest price for partner flights must be roundtrip.
So, with that in mind, there certainly are worse ways to spend 140,000 miles than to get a roundtrip flight on SkyTeam partners between North America and Europe. You’ll get options like Delta, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic at an efficient price. You know what else? You’ll pay no fuel surcharges with these airlines either. All of them seem to tack on fuel surcharges on some portion of awards, so it’s nice avoiding them.
Important: Hawaii doesn’t count as “North America” and neither does the Caribbean.
Domestic Delta flights… if you can find them
Intra-North America flights are listed at a very reasonable price. Remember those days when you could go anywhere in North America for just 25,000 miles roundtrip in economy? You’ll get that with SAS miles! And if you somehow find business class availability, it would only run you at 50,000 SAS miles.
The real question, again, is whether Delta will make any of these awards available. It’s inconsistent with making flights open to partner bookings, especially in premium cabins. But if you find them, it’s a relative steal these days.
Theoretical great pricing: Hawaii is in the same region as Australia
Talk about a unicorn award. Look at what’s included in the Pacific region: Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji. The fact that Hawaii is somehow grouped together with these other destinations is an anomaly that doesn’t make sense. Just look at that roundtrip pricing:
- Economy: 25,000 miles roundtrip
- Premium economy: 37,500 miles roundtrip
- Business: 50,000 miles roundtrip
That’s absolutely absurdly pricing! The problem? Finding the award space. It’s not like you have a plethora of SkyTeam carriers in this region. And with a lot of these destinations, it’s hard to find award flights in general with any award program. But if you can find it, congrats on finding a unicorn.
Lap infant awards are free (just pay taxes and fees)
Back when we flew internationally with an infant, we ended up sometimes paying a pretty penny to allow our child to sit in our lap. Without getting into the debate on the safety of the lap child, I can say it sometimes got expensive.
With most airlines, you would be forced to pay 10% of the cash price of the ticket. Say you found a flight for 75,000 miles in business class one-way. But if you want to bring your lap infant, you’d have to pay 10% of the cash fare, which could be thousands of dollars. A one-way flight is painfully priced high, and you might pay less if doing a roundtrip, but it’s still quite a dent. I’d say the rough average of what we paid for an infant was around $600 for the ticket.
But guess what? Lap infants are free on award flights! It doesn’t matter if you’re flying on SAS or on a partner airline. If you book an award, all you’ll need to pay are the taxes and fees for the lap child.
Pretty neat, huh?
How to best search for availability?
You could just use the SAS website, but it can be a little annoying in our opinion. There is a different website for partner awards. On top of that, both the SAS and partner award sites don’t have much of a calendar feature–you’ll be stuck with only seeing +/- 1 day with not much of an indication on what’s available unless you check each date individually. It’s at least a fast website, but it’s not that functional in this digital age we live in.
Instead, why don’t you just use the free or paid version of the excellent Seats.Aero tool? That site allows has SAS EuroBonus availability built in and is a lot easier to find award space.
Do SAS miles expire?
Yes, SAS miles do expire but you won’t find the details in the EuroBonus terms and conditions. Instead, reports are that points will expire within 5 years unless you are a top-tier elite member (no expiration).
How do you use your SAS miles?
Suggested reading:
- The Best Strategy Booking Award Flights with No Cancel Fee
- How to Book Award Travel Like a Pro
- Overcome Your Travel Fears and Enjoy Adventure
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