[seasonedtraveller]

Just received an Email (scroll to bottom to view) from SAS stating that from 1st January, entrance to ‘3rd party lounges’ is withdrawn.
The Email is unclear, to me at least, if Fast Track Security is also withdrawn although it looks like it may be.

I have 2 flights with SAS departing MAN in January.

There is a link to Lounge Finder which unhelpfully, gives the following incorrect information about the lounge at MAN (which has long since been Terminal 1, Aspire lounge) not the lounge below (which used to be the old BMI lounge in Termial 3).

Lounge Options
Service Air Wilmslow
Contracted (Business)
Departure lounge in T3
After terminal three security pass the shops on your right and turn right. Follow the corridor with the windows overlooking the stands on your left. You will descend a flight of stairs and the entrance to the lounge is ahead of you.

I assume this means that I will now not get any lounge access in MAN (Star Gold/SAS Diamond) despite lounge access always being a ‘promise’ to status holders when booking tickets.

Hi John,

In recent years, we’ve invested in expanding our SAS Lounges at airports at Stockholm/Arlanda, Oslo and Gothenburg. We also opened our first SAS City Lounge in Stockholm and several new SAS Café Lounges at larger domestic destinations. Not only that, we’ve extended our fast track offering and we’re continuing to invest in our lounge and fast frack offering at the locations that travelers like you visit most.

To continue improving our own SAS Lounge and Fast Track offering, we’ve decided to end our contracts with lounges and a couple of fast tracks operated by third parties by January 1 and February 1, 2017. This means that you will no longer be able to use the services at these locations after these dates.

Please use the link below to find out more. And do follow the latest news as we continue to improve the entire travel experience, from our lounges and fast tracks to our new digital solutions, new upgraded cabins, new modern aircraft, high-speed WiFi and new food and beverage offering that we’ve already launched.

Best wishes from SAS
WE ARE TRAVELERS

[AMcWhirter]

I find this ironic because, back in the 1980s, SAS made the headlines by becoming the world’s first airline to allow lounge access to all business class airports at all its international airports (on the SAS network) worldwide.

At that time, when business class was in its infancy, lounge access was very much a hit and miss affair. And we received endless complaints from readers who were denied entry to any lounge even at major airports..

In those days, under CEO Jan Carlzon, SAS was a business class leader.

[MrMichael]

+1 Alex, Jan Carlzon was probably the best airline CEO there has ever been. He not only knew the true meaning of good service, he also understood how to make money from it. He certainly kept those old DC-9’s going!

[Mark Caswell]

Hi seasonedtraveller – thanks for posting this.

We’ll endeavour to contact SAS to get clarification on the above, and will post any reply here.

[FDOS_UK]

My colleague from Sweden visited Manchester, last week and paid slightly over £550 for 3×3 seating (no free middle seat), a small salad and a free drink.

I look forward to Norwegian increasing their schedule frequency and demonstrating the impact of market force to SAS.

SASPlus = total joke.

[rferguson]

Some info on this here:

SAS Premium Passengers Will No Longer Get Access To Third Party Lounges

[747foreverforus]

No doubt this will give Alex Cruz ideas at BA!

[Ekond222]

…Well least Fastrack will be available at Manchester for top tier passengers…erosion of benefits provided by FFP’s has been an ongoing trend for at least the last 10 years now…

[seasonedtraveller]

Whilst disappointing that SAS have withdrawn this benefit with very short notice and annoying that they have chosen to treat their status customers in this manner, I have to say that it’s a poor quality lounge anyway often filled with families, screaming kids and people swilling down as much beer as they can in the allotted time, at 6.30am, prior to their holiday flights.

Sure I’ll not miss it too much.

[openfly]

@Ekond222

FYI Fastrack is available at MAN to ALL passengers as, like many airports, there is no filtering! LHR is the only UK airport with premium filtering.
Try it…it works every time.

[lesmclaren]

Have not yet received this email from SAS [EBG lifetime member] as of 22 Dec but have read the link kindly provided by rferguson which seems not only badly written [in English] but more than confusing!
e.g. Top part says third party fast track in London withdrawn. Bottom part says London still included – however as SAS does not operate its own security I am not sure how they are going to provide this!

Does it also mean that the new Aspire lounge at LHR T2 is no longer available and that we now have to use the Lufthansa one in T2?

SAS which has been loosing the plot for many years now really does need to clean up its act!

On a possible [????] plus side, they talk about improving the cabins, lets hope this includes the short haul seats which provide no upper back or neck support even though they are of the modern slim design.

[seasonedtraveller]

So, I arrived in CPH this morning from MAN and will do the same nest week (before the lounge access is axed).
Chatting to the customer care lady in the SAS lounge about the withdrawl she said “I know, we’ve had SO many complaints about this – we feel it’s just not right”

So I sent an Email to the SAS/Feedback and received this response (20 minutes later), after first receiving an Email telling me that I would probably need to wait 4 weeks for a response, so busy are they……sadly the response is typical of the service industry, a simple copy and paste job…

Dear Mr,
Thank you for getting in touch with us.
We understand that having the possibility to spend your waiting time relaxing in a SAS lounge, is a benefit to our premium customers. The number of destinations that offer SAS lounges do vary over time.
As a part of our SAS vision, which is to make life easier for travelers to, from and within Scandinavia, we are currently investing in new aircraft, new upgraded cabins and high-speed WiFi solutions.
During the recent years, we have invested in our own lounges, such as expansion of SAS lounges in Stockholm, Oslo and Gothenburg, as well as strengthening our lounge product further by opening our first SAS City Lounge in Stockholm and new SAS Café Lounges in larger domestic destinations.
To be able to continue with the investment, expansion and improvements of our own SAS Lounges- and Fast Track locations, SAS have ended the collaboration with lounges and some Fast Tracks operated by third-party companies.
Together with STAR Alliance we offer more than 1000 lounges around the world.
Whilst we understand that it is your prerogative to choose which airline to travel with in the future we do hope that you will continue to choose SAS for your future travel and that you will continue to enjoy all the benefits which are offered to you as a SAS EuroBonus Diamond member and we are look forward t seeing you on-board again soon.
Kind regards
Alison Jones
Customer Care
Sales and Service

[IanFromHKG]

Doesn’t the Star Alliance guarantee of access to Gold lounges still apply?

[FDOS_UK]

AFAIK, there isn’t a Star lounge at Manchester, only 3rd party lounges, so no access for SK premium pax, unless they have Priority pass or Dragonpass.

Then you can add in 3 x 3 seating on a cramped 737, with no middle seat free and a very basic catering box with a salad.

SASPlus is very poor offer, IMHO.

[seasonedtraveller]

I quite agree FDOS.

I have a business class ticket to PVG from MAN with SAS but I will not get lounge access in Manchester which im sure is a first for me.

Actually, I find it annoying and a shame because the SAS business long haul has improved hugely of late.

[Author]

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