Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) officially exited the Star Alliance and joined SkyTeam over the weekend, building closer ties with Delta – ties that could soon see the airline add nonstop flights to more Delta hubs like Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) or Detroit (DTW).
The major airline alliance shakeup was set in motion late last year, when the Copenhagen-based airline's ownership changed hands as part of its plan to exit bankruptcy: A huge stake from Air France/KLM would eventually pull it into the SkyTeam alliance. That changeover was made official Sunday, Sept. 1, putting SAS in league with Air France, KLM, Delta, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, and 15 other airlines.
“This is the beginning of a new era for SAS,” CEO Anko van der Werff said in a statement Sunday. “Together, we will offer even greater value to our customers while strengthening our position in the global aviation market. We’re thrilled to continue connecting the world to Scandinavia and elevate the travel experience for our passengers.”
Whether you're a once- or twice-a-year traveler or a jet-set frequent flyer, airline alliances and partnerships are invaluable. They allow travelers to connect more seamlessly from one airline to another, share benefits from elite status, earn their favorite airline's miles even when flying another carrier, and – most importantly, redeem miles from one airline to fly on a dozen or more different carriers all across the globe. Paying cash or using miles, alliances open up the world.
Although SAS is now a fully fledged SkyTeam airline, we're not yet seeing the ability to book nonstop SAS flights directly through Delta or other SkyTeam carriers like Air France/KLM – though some flights with connections on SAS cropped up on Delta.com last week. Nor are we seeing the option to redeem Delta SkyMiles or other miles from other carriers to book SAS flights just yet.
Once that happens, don't expect a bargain flying to Copenhagen (CPH) or Oslo (OSL) using your SkyMiles – even when booking partner airlines, Delta's award rates now match its own unpredictable (and often sky-high) dynamic award pricing. Virgin Atlantic's new award chart for SAS, however, spells out some potential deals, like a one-way from the East Coast to Copenhagen for 20,500 miles in economy … or just 60,000 points for business class, assuming you can find award availability.
Travelers with Delta Gold Medallion Status or higher will now get more benefits when traveling with SAS thanks to SkyTeam Elite Plus status, unlocking complimentary business class lounge access abroad, priority check-in and security, free checked baggage, and extra baggage allowance. Even lowly Silver Medallion flyers get extra perks like priority check-in and boarding through SkyTeam Elite status.
The ramifications will be even bigger for not just how you fly with SAS … but where.
New Routes Coming?
With its changeover to the SkyTeam alliance looming, SAS added Delta's Atlanta (ATL) megahub to its route map earlier this year. Other Delta hubs could benefit soon.
SAS's CEO, van der Werff, promised travelers in a (since-expired) post on the FlySAS Instagram feed that more long-haul routes were in the works.
“One of the questions I’ve seen is: ‘Are you launching any new long-haul destinations in SkyTeam hubs?' The answer is simply: Yes, we will,” the CEO said. “We hope, already, to come out with something in September. So stay tuned.”
Van der Werff didn't tip his hand as to where the airline plans to begin flying and SAS representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comments. But according to a translation from a previous interview, the airline has been considering replacing its current route from Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD) … with a nonstop to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP).
That's no slam dunk: Nothing has been announced or confirmed, and SAS is surely considering plenty of new long-haul routes – not just here in the U.S. Any new routes likely won't start until the spring or summer of 2025 at the earliest.
But as SAS moves away from the Star Alliance (and its partnership with United) and cozies up with Delta, that move would make plenty of sense. To fill up their planes heading overseas, airlines rely on their partner airlines to funnel passengers connecting from nearby airports – and Minneapolis is a powerful hub for those kinds of connections.
Anyone departing from Midwest – heck, even the western half of the country – could fly to Scandinavia with one quick stop in Minneapolis … or vice versa, allowing Europeans to connect onward to many U.S. cities. And while Midwestern travelers would no doubt love a nonstop flight to Copenhagen (CPH), the real value would be in onward connections with SAS throughout Scandinavia, Finland, and the rest of northern Europe.
Over time, we're likely to see SAS fly in and out of even more Delta hubs where they can schedule smoother connections – perhaps at the expense of major United hubs like Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) and San Francisco (SFO). Both Detroit (DTW) and Seattle (SEA) seem ripe for future expansion.
Bottom Line
It's official: SAS is now part of SkyTeam, teaming up with Delta and other partner carriers like Air France/KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and more.
In the near term, that's a big win for earning miles and status when flying with SAS – and, soon redeeming miles from SkyTeam carriers to fly with SAS. But longer term, it's even better: SAS will surely begin flying to more and more Delta hubs in the U.S.
We're a travel company, not a sportsbook. But we'd say the odds for a nonstop connecting Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Copenhagen (CPH) are looking good.