26 flights in 12 days – My crazy XP and SAS Eurobonus Millionaire run

How did I come to fly 26 flights in 12 days? What started as a Flying Blue XP mileage run ramped up with the introduction of the SAS Eurobonus challenge! This all started back in April when Air France announced a status match for Air Canada (AC), among other airlines.  I have never paid much attention to the Skyteam alliance, choosing to focus on getting status with Star Alliance and OneWorld carriers instead.  However, one product I have always been interested in trying is Air France’s La Premiere service (Flight Review: CDG-IAD).  Award tickets are only bookable if you have platinum status with Air France/KLM’s loyalty program, Flying Blue.  I had zero interest in organically qualifying for any Flying Blue (FB) level. However, the chance to match my AC Super Elite status to FB platinum for the “mere” price of $499 seemed worth it.

So, I did the status match with the full intention of flying La Premiere once, getting it out of my system, and moving on with my life. Well, let’s just say Air France won that war.

In May, I flew La Premiere from Paris (CDG) to Dubai (DXB). The cabin and onboard service were good, even somewhat great, but I would argue that Emirates, Etihad, or Singapore have better onboard service in First Class. It is the ground service, before and after being onboard, where La Premiere shines above the rest.

Ready to be spoilt!

Thanks to an expiring Hilton certificate, I was picked up at my hotel in Versailles – the Waldorf Astoria.  It is a beautiful property, with a fantastic breakfast and a good honouring of Hilton Gold or Diamond status.  To make the arrangements, I emailed the La Premiere staff and confirmed details about the pick-up after booking my ticket.  You are entitled to pick-up or drop-off within a 75km radius of CDG airport if your flight originates or ends there.

I was picked up by a car on time as requested and treated like a celebrity from there. There was a welcoming party to meet me at the airport, and I had a personal escort through check-in and security and was taken to the lounge. The lounge is spectacular and has a number of spa services that can be booked in advance. It also features table-side carved chicken and quite a few delicious chocolate desserts (ask me how I know this 😊).

Flaunting my Nail Art game

My favourite part of all this luxury, you ask? Not having to go through the final immigration check after leaving the lounge. A pet peeve of mine at CDG and other airports is needing to go through an immigration check after leaving the lounge and before boarding the plane. This means I must allow enough time in case there is a long line-up at immigration, but not so if I fly La Premiere!

My “handler” took my passport and went through all the immigration formalities on my behalf, leaving me the maximum time to enjoy the amazing lounge before going directly to board my flight.

Onboard, the cabin is very pretty, and the fabric curtains offer some privacy. But as a light sleeper, I prefer sturdier walls. However, there was only one other passenger, and she was on the other side of the plane, away from my 1A seat. Upon arrival in Dubai, the two of us were handed over to waiting Air France staff, who carried my luggage and escorted me to my next flight with Qatar Airways, waiting to ensure all was well before saying goodbye.

Air France La Premiere Cabin

So….after that experience, do you think I could give up my newly minted Flying Blue platinum status? The short answer is a resounding No!

Flying Blue Platinum Mileage Run

One of the vagaries of the Air France loyalty program is that once you have status, it is easier to keep that same level (or move to a higher tier – not necessary in my case). To retain my platinum status would require 300XP points. XP points are status markers for Flying Blue and can be earned by having an Air France branded credit card or flying with AirFrance or a partner.  XP is earned per segment and increases if you cross a border, book into a higher-fare cabin, or travel a longer distance.

With that knowledge in mind and a friend who was as gung-ho as me about gaining platinum status, we went through a planning exercise to determine the maximum XP points we could earn while flying in business and minimizing cost, incorporating the natural Canadian Thanksgiving holiday of Monday, October 14, 2024.

Flying Blue XP Mileage Run

This turned out to be Helsinki to Paris to Krakow and back via the same route. It is priced at $800 for all six flights. I booked via the US American Express travel service using my US business platinum card, which gives you 35% back on points spent purchasing business class flights. The final cost was  $520 for six segments, yielding 90XP.

My friend and I booked these flights running on October 11, 12, and 13, with a three-night break in Krakow before returning to Helsinki on October 16. I booked a flight on Condor via Westjet on October 9, with a connector on October 10 on Finnair to get to Helsinki.

We would then fly from Helsinki to Prague on October 17. I would enjoy a few days there before I headed back to Toronto. In total, this would have been 16 flights over 10 days. Fate had other plans for me.

Enter SAS Eurobonus Millionarie Challenge

I was packing for my flight later that day, October 9, when SAS Eurobonus Millionaire challenge was announced. Under this challenge, flying on 15 of their selected partner airlines before Dec 31st, 2024, would earn you 1 Million Bonus points.

Let’s be upfront. I am not that excited about 1 Million SAS points. To be honest, I have not even looked at what that will buy me. BUT! The challenge of figuring out how to fly 15 airlines located all over the world in a tight time window while still keeping my full-time regular job, requiring my presence twice per week, was irresistible.

While flying to Frankfurt on Condor’s “throne seat,” which is NOT worth the paid upgrade cost, I started researching and planning how to tack on the SAS-qualifying airlines based in Europe.  SAS was easy, given that I would end up in Helsinki after my XP runs.  I could re-jig my Helsinki to Prague flight to Helsinki, Stockholm, and Amsterdam.  This flight on October 17th gave me 1/15 airlines to meet the challenge.

Kickstarting the SAS Eurobonus run

From Amsterdam, I was considering picking up a KLM flight to …Bucharest. One of the airlines listed on the SAS qualifying list was Tarom Airlines. I had never heard of this airline and was a bit taken aback to find that I would have to incorporate a visit to Romania as part of this crazy SAS challenge.

Ultimately, I flew from Amsterdam to Paris on KLM on Oct 17t, fulfilling my second flight for the SAS run, and then from Paris to Bucharest on Tarom Airlines, fulfilling leg #3 of the 15 airlines.  I stayed at a Hilton in Bucharest for 25,000 points, which was a great redemption, as it was in an amazing location, right in the centre of what turned out to be a very beautiful downtown area.  I had a traditional Romanian dinner of meat and potatoes (there were some veggies) and went to bed very full that night.

On October 18^th, I again flew on Tarom Airlines to Prague, just to make sure that the airline was under my belt. To spoil the suspense, neither of my Tarom flights has been credited in my SAS app as yet, despite my reaching out to get it added. It seems Tarom wants me to fly on them for a third time! Still, I claim this as 3/15 of my required flights for the 1 million points.

In Prague, I met my friends and enjoyed a one-night-two-day visit to lovely, still largely intact, very touristy Prague, including a very happy visit to a chocolate and candy-making factory.

On October 19th, it was time to fly again. Again, to my trusty Amsterdam (at this point, this is my seventh visit to this airport in just over a week—and I have never actually visited the city of Amsterdam) on KLM (for extra XP points, as you can bank a year if you can manage a second round of 300XP within the same qualifying year), and then on KLM (see comment on extra XP) to Madrid.

I stayed overnight in Madrid at an AC hotel near the airport, which my Uber driver deemed to be “no bueno” because it was generally isolated from people, parties and fun.  However, looking for a reasonably cheap, comfortable place to sleep near the airport was ideal.  October 20 saw me flying Air Europa (another airline I had barely heard of), which turned out to be Spain’s Airline du Choix, from Madrid to – you guessed it – Amsterdam! I was now at 4/15 airlines in the challenge.

October 20: From Amsterdam to Paris on Air France – not for XP – but to fulfil the Air France segment of the SAS challenge, taking me to 5 airlines.

I had to be back in the office physically by the morning of Tuesday, October 22^nd.  I also wanted to work (remotely) on Monday, October 21st, as many items required my attention. I could either head back to Toronto by flying from Paris to London and taking the AirCanada or British Airways direct flights leaving at 6 p.m., or..I could try to find ONE MORE SAS partner!

SAS Eurobonus Millionaire Challenge

I knew Emirates and Air Canada leave very early in the morning from Dubai and arrive in Toronto in time for me to go to work. Air Canada gets in at 8 a.m., which would give me a little time to freshen up. Emirates has a shower on board if I fly F, which could also help me get ready for work, though that flight gets in 1-2 hours later. Armed with that knowledge and that Riyadh is less than a two-hour flight away from Dubai, and both Emirates and Saudia Airlines fly there, I found an itinerary that allowed me to fly on Emirates First Class from Prague to DXB, with a connection 1.5 hours later to Riyadh on Emirates.  In Riyadh, I would have a 4-hour stay before heading back to Dubai on Saudia Airlines (#6 of 15).  I would get in time to work remotely on Monday, October 21, Toronto time, and then head out in the F cabin of the Emirates flight, taking me into Toronto on the morning of Tuesday, October 22.

And that is what I did! I did not apply for a visa to Saudi Arabia. I had to get one upon arrival because I had to change terminals, as Emirates flies in and out of a terminal different from Saudia Airlines in Riyadh.   I amused the two kind ladies issuing visas when they asked where I was coming from, and I said, “Dubai.” “Where are you going to now?”…“Dubai.” I had to explain my crazy exploits, and when they understood, they were highly amused and wished me a lifetime of miles and points.

My experience on Saudia Airlines was a little underwhelming. I had an economy class ticket and had not travelled in that class in a while. The plane was on the older side, but the service was attentive and kind, and we were served a hot meal despite the relatively short flight (Emirates had also served a hot meal on my outbound flight to Riyadh).

The final flight in my crazy adventure was a relatively relaxing one in Emirates First Class that went mostly as planned. It got me into my workplace on Tuesday, October 22nd. Here is what my 12 days looked like;

• Oct 9: YYZ-FRA – Condor (1) – J
• Oc 10: FRA-HEL – Finnair (1) J
• Oct 11: HEL-CDG-AMS-KRK (3) – AF, AF, KLM
• Oct 12: KRK-AMS-CDG-HEL (3) – KLM J, AF J, AF J
• Oct 13: HEL-CDG-AMS-KRK (3) – AF, AF, KLM
• Oct 13-16: A break – thank goodness – though I am not sure Auschwitz counts as a break (must experience)
• Oct 16: KRK-AMS-CDG-HEL (3) – KLM J, AF J, AF J
• Oct 17: HEL-ARN-AMS-CDG-OTP (4) – SAS J, SAS J, KLM J, RO J
• Oct 18: OTP-PRG (1) – RO J
• Oct 19: PRG-AMS-MAD (2) – KLM J and Y
• Oct 20: MAD-AMS-CDG-PRG-DXB (4), AE J, AF J, AF J, EK F
• Oct 21: DXB-RUH-DXB (2): EK, SVA Y
• Oct 22: DXB-YYZ  – (1) EK F

26 flights in 12 days instead of the planned 17 in 11 days. Would I do it again?

Well, I am now planning for the remaining 9 airlines, and given that I need to be physically in the office twice per week, and need a run that includes airlines in Mexico, South America, Asia and Virgin somewhere in the mix, I feel like this lunacy might also be looming in my near future.