Scandinavia’s Largest Travel Loyalty Program Surpasses 8 Million Members

The frequent flyer program of Scandinavian Airlines Systems ( SAS) has passed a significant milestone. Already the largest loyalty program in the region, SAS EuroBonus has now reached 8 million members worldwide.

SkyTeam and SAS take to the skies

Originally launched in 1992, the EuroBonus program has undergone several upgrades this year as SAS successfully transitioned from the Star Alliance (of which it was a founding member) to SkyTeam. Collectively, SAS EuroBonus members earn over 30 billion miles annually. According to the airline, redeeming points for bonus trips remains the most popular way to use the rewards, followed closely by flight upgrades.

The move to SkyTeam opened up a range of new destinations for frequent flyers to use their miles on as redemption across SkyTeam carriers came online. Partner airlines offer redemptions to more than 1,000 destinations in 160 countries, and EuroBonus Gold elite status members have access to over 750 lounges worldwide.

The program’s eight millionth member joined from Bergen, Norway, and was welcomed with a special celebration. Commenting on this historic moment, SAS Vice President of Product and Loyalty, Aron Backström, thanked the dedication and engagement of the airline’s frequent flyers:

“We are incredibly grateful to have reached 8 million EuroBonus members. This milestone is a testament to the amazing loyalty and engagement of our members, which enables us to continue developing the program even more to meet their needs.”

A slight boost is expected to have come from the Status Match that SAS launched this summer in response to an alliance-wide effort by Star Alliance carrier to retain Scandinavian frequent flyers.

Since its launch over 30 years ago, EuroBonus has evolved from an air miles provider to a complete travel and lifestyle service. The airline confirmed this week that Norway and Sweden have the highest concentration of frequent flyers, with those two countries alone accounting for more than half of the total members. The program also has a broad global reach, with almost one-third of members residing outside Scandinavia.

Simple Flying previously reported that younger travelers are less inclined to remain loyal to just one brand, a trend SAS seems to have avoided. EuroBonus reported a surge of younger members, with travelers between 19-39 leading new sign-ups. There has also been a shift toward leisure travel, particularly among younger generations.

The shift has seen younger Scandinavians booking more enriching journeys to less-visited destinations, which the airline has leaned into with new promotions. Another way the group has tried to engage members is by adding additional ways to earn miles, with Backström noting:

“For 32 years, we’ve been proud to reward our EuroBonus members’ loyalty with awards and benefits. To broaden the program, we are continuously adding new partners and just in the last few months we announced strategic partnerships with Scandic and Lunar.

“EuroBonus is about more than just flying; it’s about making every part of our members’ travel easier and more rewarding. With so many options to earn points, even in day-to-day activities, EuroBonus has become an integral part of our members’ lives.”

The partnership with Scandic allows EuroBonus members to earn and redeem points at the largest Nordic hotel chain, with status matching set to begin in early 2025. The Lunar partnership resulted in a debit card that allows frequent flyers to earn miles and includes a welcome bonus of 3,000 miles.

Fellow Scandinavian carrier Norwegian is also refreshing its loyalty offering. The carrier is joining forces with hotel chain Strawberry to create a common loyalty currency that can be used across a wide range of brands in the Nordics. According to a press release, Norwegian and Strawberry’s loyalty programs have around seven million members combined.