SAS - Scandinavian Airlines

[Aviador]

Very disappointing news to hear the route is no longer. It has to be said, there were a number of people on here and else where who doubted Scandinavian Airlines commitment to the route right from the word go. There was criticism so far as the scheduling, the number of flights available and the pricing from LBA so I don't think it's any wonder the route has been canned. Having said that, how much reliance did SAS have on Cimber Airlines who they no longer deal with?

 

[Bhowani]

Very Sad.

However KLM will reap the whirlwind. I nearly had to go to Oslo in the next few weeks, and the KLM fare would have been circa £140. (I know + extras etc) Sadly, meeting was cancelled. SAS in no way competed with KLM, and I didn't want to go on a Monday or Friday!. As others have stated EddieAir to Dublin should make up the shortfall in pax.

Bhowani

 

[AirBingley]

Agree entirely with everyone's comments! SAS has however been an airline in turmoil for a while trying to grapple with labour costs and staff even taking salary breaks! I still have no idea if my June flight is cancelled as not heard a whisper from them and it's still showing as live in their system! Will update as soon as I hear1§

 

[imagineif]

I refer to my post of September 28th:

"Heard only 10 booked on the CPH tomorrow, very poor load for a Monday flight but then again - it appeals very little to the business passenger with the return only operating Friday.

The writing is on the wall for this route me thinks and it can only be attributed to poor frequencies and the half hearted attempt from SAS. I have no doubt there are many passengers travelling to Scandinavia from LBA who are using BA or KLM to connect for better flexibility."

I stand by this statement, this route is viable from LBA but neither bmi or SAS have done it properly and so its failed. Wrong aircraft, wrong frequency, bad times & silly prices. We know for a fact when something is done properly it works... Aer Lingus/Stobart proving that now with one of the best new launches in the airports history.

The majority of passengers connecting to Scandanavia have stayed with KLM & BA anyway as what SAS offered was a bit of a joke. Think people just got carried away and excited at having a 3rd Legacy carrier serving LBA and a CRJ900.

 

[AirBingley]

The plot thickens!

Following posts on flight cancellations, I was awaiting a call / Email from SAS re my flights on 22 June and believe it or not I've now gone back to the booking engine and that day it's showing 8 seats at £53.50 (pack and go - all tariffs available) available to book travelling on the Airbus 319 - my booking at the paltry £39.80 I paid is still showing live!

Summer only service perhaps?

 

[rmac]

Well in summer you will get more leisure travellers as in the winter travelling to Copenhagen isn't much fun. Copenhagen may be wonderful in the Spring (late) and summer but not in the autumn and winter, it is cold! So the route IF it is to survive must have a better emphasis on business travellers therefore at least 4 per week flights and BETTER timings to allow onward connections. I see there are more Danish business ventures starting in the UK, ie. the undersea power cable so maybe there is a greater demand for Danish business travellers coming here and vice versa.
I still think EasyJet at LBA would be successful on a number of 'business' routes, inc CPH.

 

[a300boy]

Todays SAS flight was operated by a CRJ-200 I think it was OY-RJF of Cimber Air.

 

[Aviador]

Todays SAS flight was operated by a CRJ-200 I think it was OY-RJF of Cimber Air.

I think that's the main problem we have here with SAS ending it's partnership with Cimber Air shortly. SAS no longer have the capacity to carry on serving LBA.

 

[White Heather]

The plot thickens!

Following posts on flight cancellations, I was awaiting a call / Email from SAS re my flights on 22 June and believe it or not I've now gone back to the booking engine and that day it's showing 8 seats at £53.50 (pack and go - all tariffs available) available to book travelling on the Airbus 319 - my booking at the paltry £39.80 I paid is still showing live!

Summer only service perhaps?

I wish. My understanding is that the route is axed from 1st December. 😢

Advertising of the route on local radio is regular - and all from MAN.

 

[AirBingley]

Now had mine changed - again complementary change to KLM! Such shame!

 

[752]

How come SAS are transferring pax on to KLM and not their MAN flights?!

 

[AirBingley]

How come SAS are transferring pax on to KLM and not their MAN flights?!

Believe it or not - it was not even an option when I spoke to them - it was a KLM flight and they offered me any connection the day of travel or a full refund - bizarrely both flights are KLM and not even SAS to Schipol from CPH which might have offered some saving for them. The price on the ticket is the full single fare (£500 plus) but I doubt very much SAS would have paid anything like that given that competitors like BA do a much keener single fare which would have been equally as possible!

 

[cmj]

How come SAS are transferring pax on to KLM and not their MAN flights?!

becuase the people who bought the tickets had paid to fly from LBA?

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Air Bingley - my return leg from Copenhagen to Amsterdam is with SAS. The rest of the legs are with KLM. Frankly, the flight times are better and I would rather go via AMS than MAN. Interestingly, I will get free snacks and drinks with KLM but not with SAS.

 

[cmj]

Air Bingley - my return leg from Copenhagen to Amsterdam is with SAS. The rest of the legs are with KLM. Frankly, the flight times are better and I would rather go via AMS than MAN. Interestingly, I will get free snacks and drinks with KLM but not with SAS.

The KLM "snacks" are usually either a small bag of cheese crisp type things or a biscuit. You can get beer (and I think wine) as well as soft drinks tho.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Small though they may be, they are still complimentary! Unlike the "buy on board" service afforded by SAS. When push comes to shove, for my £90, I get and early morning outbound via AMS, a late evening inbound via AMS and a free beer. Can't complain really. I may book SAS again....

 

[ChurchFenton]

Unlike the "buy on board" service afforded by SAS.

'Coffee and tea are always free...' so the saying goes on the SAS flights I took. But that's your lot without paying extra.

Unfortunately, I can't see who would be likely to show interest again on the Copenhagen route in the foreseeable future. It doesn't appear to fit where Jet2 seem to be heading with route expansion from LBA and a 737-300 could be difficult to fill if wishing to offer any meaningful frequency. Easyjet would be in a similar position, and in any case seem content to just offer season GVA each year, so there's nothing to indicate they will be interested either. So who else realistically is there? FlyBe with a Dash 8?

On the other hand, whilst not knowing the intricacies of a route such as LBA-DUS, it makes one wonder that if Jet2 can somehow make that route work 6 x weekly, then maybe, just maybe, there's a chance for another carrier to show interest in CPH.....?

 

[Bigman]

It's a shame that Eastern cannot use their based ER135 to do twice a daily Brussels and a lunchtime Copenhagen. They could enter a code-share agreement with both Brussels Airlines and SAS, who of course are both Star Alliance partners.

 

[Aviador]

That's a good idea Bigman but they would definitely need a code share for it to work.

 

[cmj]

Going a bit off-topic, but dIdn't the old BMI Brussels service have a code-share with Brussels Airlines?