My SAS EuroBonus Million Point Run: Lessons Learned

When I last left you, dear reader, I was back in North America, nearly at the mid-point of my SAS EuroBonus Million Point Run. Technically, I had covered only 40% of the challenge, with nine airlines still left to fly and less than two months remaining. Most of my remaining airlines were in Asia: Xiamen Airlines, China Airlines, Kenya Airways, Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, and Garuda Indonesia. The other non-Asian airlines were Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and Aeromexico. With time quickly running out, I needed to act fast.

Flight day t-shirt

November 7-10, 2024: Cancun/Aeromexico

I originally planned to fly Virgin Atlantic’s fifth-freedom route between Bridgetown and Grenada or St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, after carefully reviewing my schedules, it became clear that I couldn’t make it work due to timing constraints and my work commitments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Frustrated but determined, I turned my attention to Aeromexico and Delta. Delta flights were expensive, but I spotted a last-minute opportunity with Air Canada, which had cheap flights to Cancun on November 8. With five business class seats open the night before departure, it was the perfect opportunity to burn some e-upgrades.

Despite the short trip, my daughter wanted to join me but had one major concern—what if I got upgraded and she didn’t? The horror of sitting next to a stranger outweighed all else in her mind. My husband joined us in solving the issue. Ironically, when we flew the next day, I was upgraded to business, my daughter was placed in premium economy, and my husband was stuck in economy. Luckily, her seatmate was not “creepy,” and all was well. During the flight, I had an amusing conversation with a flight attendant who confirmed the Toronto-Cancun route’s reputation as a “party bus.” According to her, passengers were often rowdy both on the way there and even worse on the way back after indulging in Cancun’s cheap and plentiful alcohol.

Since this was a last-minute trip, I had not booked a hotel or transportation. Using onboard Wi-Fi, I booked two nights at the Dreams Sapphire Resort, an all-inclusive property about 20 minutes from Cancun airport, for 51,000 Hyatt points. However, upon arrival, I discovered that Hyatt classifies 12+ years as an adult, meaning we had to pay my daughter an unexpected CAD 495 supplement. Lesson learned: always book three adults in these situations to avoid extra fees. Despite this hiccup, we enjoyed our stay, including a fun midnight extravaganza featuring live music and special food stations at the resort.

Dreams Sapphire Resort

On the return journey, my family flew back to Toronto on an afternoon Air Canada flight, while I flew Aeromexico to Mexico City and then onward to Toronto. I was particularly cautious with my SAS number, as many participants in this challenge had reported issues with flights not crediting properly. At check-in, three Aeromexico agents debated whether they could enter my SAS number before finally figuring it out. I printed my boarding passes to ensure I had proof if the flight failed to credit. The flight from Cancun was relatively short in a forgettable narrow-body plane, but I was less than pleased upon landing in Mexico City because I had a bus gate, and it was raining.  I had access to the Aeromexico International Lounge, as my ticket was in business, and Centurion Lounge via American Express platinum card.  The food, a la carte, is much better in the Centurion lounge, and they have a massage room and shower facilities with fluffy towels and a pleasingly pebbled floor.

My flight to Toronto, a near-midnight departure, boarded on time on a 737-Max aircraft. While not my preferred aircraft, the ravioli dinner was enjoyable. Surprisingly, my Aeromexico flight was credited successfully two days later—an unexpected miracle given SAS’s inconsistent IT.

November 14-18, 2024: Japan and China Airlines

With Asia looming, I needed to fit in multiple SkyTeam flights while ensuring I retained my Air Canada status in 2025. I booked a reasonable premium economy fare from Vancouver to Tokyo, hoping for an upgrade to business. I needed to return to Toronto for work on November 19, so I carefully planned my flights to squeeze in one or two SAS partners.

For the first time, I flew Air Canada business class for over eight hours. While it wasn’t at the level of Singapore Airlines or Emirates, it was still a pleasant experience, made better by a flight attendant who carried her decaf cappuccino pods—a rarity on Air Canada.

I arrived in Tokyo and met a fellow SAS EuroBonus participant who had just completed his 15th airline. Instead of flying Asian carriers immediately, I took a break and joined him for a sushi-making class. The experience was enlightening, and we even got to use a blowtorch! We also visited a hedgehog petting facility, but my allergies forced me to make it a short visit.

Sushi making class in Tokyo

I spent the night at the Conrad Osaka, which provided stunning views and an excellent breakfast. However, I needed to refocus the next day, so I booked a China Airlines flight to Taipei, followed by a Cathay Pacific flight to Singapore, culminating in my first Singapore Suites experience in Frankfurt.

Check-in counter – China Airlines

After transiting through multiple lounges, including The Pier in Hong Kong, I boarded my Singapore Suites flight. The experience was everything I had hoped for—luxurious bedding, spacious seating, and top-tier dining. When I landed in Frankfurt and returned to Toronto, I had flown on eight of the fifteen required airlines.

December 1, 2024: Delta and Virgin Atlantic

I squeezed in a Delta and Virgin Atlantic flight combo from Sacramento to London via Seattle. Unfortunately, my Delta flight was not credited, leading to the difficult decision of whether to fly another Delta segment or risk losing the entire challenge.

December 7-12, 2024: Whirwind Asia Trip-2

A second whirlwind trip to Asia saw me fly China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, and Xiamen Airlines. Each flight had its quirks, but Xiamen Airlines stood out with Michelin-star-quality food, excellent service, and a surprisingly great onboard blanket. In contrast, Seoul’s transit security was chaotic, making it one of my least favourite transit experiences.

Xiamen Airlines – inflight meal

KoreanAir Business Class

I arrived at Tokyo’s Narita airport around 3:50 p.m. on December 8, with a tight connection to an ANA flight to Jakarta at 5:45 p.m. Fortunately, I tagged along with two other passengers on my Air Canada flight, who had a protected itinerary to Jakarta. An ANA agent met them at the gate, and I ran behind them through transit security. To my relief, the flight was delayed by 45 minutes, giving me just enough time to board. The ANA Dreamliner business class seat was comfortable, but I find their seats hard and wish they would invest in mattress toppers.

After a six-hour layover in Jakarta, I flew Garuda Airlines to Bangkok in economy, an unfortunate choice given that my lounge access was denied despite my Air France Platinum status. The priority lounge had a three-hour stay rule, leaving me to wait in a deserted airport. The flight itself was turbulent, with a cabin full of lively French-speaking students reacting vocally to every drop in altitude. The pilots did an impressive job navigating the stormy conditions.

In Bangkok, I met a fellow SAS challenge participant to take Kenya Airways’ fifth-freedom flight to Guangzhou, a popular choice among competitors. The Air France lounge granted us access (unlike Garuda). I was thrilled to see a female captain on our A330 flight, a rare sight on wide-body aircraft. The Kenya Airways crew looked impeccably fresh despite long-haul duties.

Arriving in China was an adventure—I didn’t have a visa but successfully secured a 24-hour transit permit. Our Hyatt U R Cove hotel was a brand I was excited to check off for my Hyatt Brand Explorer free night. However, I ran into payment issues, as Chinese taxis and digital services don’t accept North American credit cards. Eventually, I withdrew cash, ensuring I reached the airport for my Korean Air flight to Seoul, then Osaka.

In Osaka, I regrettably spent the night in a capsule hotel—a first and last. Booking Xiamen Airlines was an ordeal, requiring my family back in Canada to secure my ticket via Amex concierge. However, Xiamen Airlines delivered impeccable food, service, and even a free overnight stay at their Lakeside hotel. Immigration almost derailed my plans due to my nearly full passport, but an officer eventually found space for the visa stamp.

From Taipei, I took Starlux Airlines to San Francisco, one of my favourite airlines due to its well-executed space theme. I connected on an Air Canada flight home via Las Vegas, bringing me to 14 out of 15 airlines.

December 22, 2024: Delta Take-2

To rectify my Delta crediting issue, I flew Delta again from Chicago to New York, an entirely unnecessary trip purely for the SAS challenge. Thankfully, this time, the flight was credited successfully.

December 26-29, 2024: Nanjing/China Eastern

Due to visa complexities, I opted for China Eastern over Vietnam Airlines for my final airline. The journey through Nanjing was not smooth, with immigration confusion nearly jeopardizing my entry. However, I secured a visa and completed my last required flight.

Nanjing – UrCove by Hyatt

On December 29, I woke up to see China Eastern adequately credited to my SAS account, meaning I had officially completed the SAS EuroBonus challenge.

Special Accrual – 1,000,000 Points

Reflections and Learnings

SAS confirmed my status as a EuroBonus Million Point winner two days later. I spent nearly one million Amex points on this adventure—not the most efficient redemption, but an unparalleled learning experience. This SAS EuroBonus challenge gave me insights into SkyTeam partners, unexpected destinations, and the thrill of navigating global travel logistics. It was a journey of strategy, endurance, and, above all, adventure.

Here are the top 10 learnings (in no particular order):

1. The Pier lounge closes at midnight.
2. Xiamen Airlines has amazing food on board and in the lounge. It, and China in general, are now on my bucket list, whereas previously, I had no desire to visit the country.
3. Jakarta and Garuda will not be in my future if I can help it.
4. I would like to visit Riyadh for real, not just spend a few hours in the airport. Previously, I had been worried it would not be as “Western” as UAE and, therefore, not as easy or fun to be a tourist. I was wrong.
5. Kenya Airways is pretty cool, and I would consider them an airline in the future.
6. I will go back to Bucharest, but not on Tarom Airlines, if I can avoid it (it was not bad, just that there are other options to get there).
7. I did not love the Seoul airport or transiting there. However, I did love Korean Air’s Dreamliner business seat with its whopping four windows of space and would try to fly that again.
8. I will book Garuda Airlines for a roller-coaster ride without going to an amusement park.
9. KLM’s lounge in Amsterdam has decent food.
10. It is tough to get Diet Coke in China. One of the few times I have been grateful to McDonalds.

Summary of my flights for SAS EuroBonus promotion:

1. Oct 17: Scandinavian Airlines (SAS J): HEL-ARN-AMS
2. Oct 17: KLM (AMS-CDG)
3. Oct 17 & 18: Tarom (J): CDG-OTP and OTP-PRG—I flew this twice to ensure at least one flight would be credited!
4. Oct 20: Air Europa: MAD-AMS (J)
5. Oct 20: Air France AF: CDG-PRG (J)
6. Oct 21: Saudia Airways SVA: RUH-DXB (Y)
7. Nov 10: Aeromexico (AM): Cun-MX-YYZ  (J)
8. Nov 17: China Airlines CI: NRT-TPE (J)

Dec 1: Delta (first time) DL: SMF-SEA—Y—this flight was never credited, and I am still waiting for SAS to credit me for it manually.

9. Dec 1: Virgin Airlines VS: SEA-LHR – Y (but PY)
10. Dec 9: Garuda Airlines GA: CGK-BKK (Y)
11. Dec 9: Kenya Airlines KQ: BKK-CAN (J)
12. Dec 10: Korean Air KE: CAN-ICN-KIX (J)
13. Dec 11/12: Xiamen Airlines MF: KIX-XMN-TPE (J)
14. Dec 22: Delta (2^nd time) DL: ORD-JFK (Y)
15. Dec 27: China Eastern MU: ICN-NKG-BKK (Y)