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Star Alliance counters SAS shift with 13-airline status match offer

Star Alliance counters SAS shift with 13-airline status match offer
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Last week, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced its transition from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, with Air France KLM acquiring a stake. This move included an easy status match for customers, granting SkyTeam elite plus status without requiring proof of current status or residency.

In response, Star Alliance has launched a significant counter-offer involving 13 of its member airlines. This initiative aims to retain customers in Northern Europe who might be affected by SAS's departure and subsequent efforts to attract members to its new alliance.

Members with current SAS status can now select an alternative Star Alliance program instead of EuroBonus. Many Star Alliance programs are considered superior to the new EuroBonus, which has increased mileage requirements for flights on Air Europa, China Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines. However, loyalty to SAS was often based on geographic convenience and specific routes that may not be easily matched by other carriers.

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This coordinated status match offer is rare; a similar effort was previously seen only once before by Star Alliance. Each participating airline has unique terms for the offer. For example, Air Canada provides status through all of 2025, while Thai Airways offers 24 months of status.

Customers must choose their program carefully since they can request a match with only one airline. If rejected—such as due to having had a United match within the past five years—they will not have another opportunity under this offer.

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