Pros and Cons

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on all

Pros And Cons– September 2024

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog that reinforced how I (and many others) had given up on the lie of loyalty and I just used cash to book the most convenient international flight from EWR to Oslo, Norway. Having just returned from that trip I’ll tell you about the pros and cons of that experience.

The “Plus” ticket on SAS from EWR to OSL included many of the perks I would have received with my lifetime Gold status on United. I was able to pick a preferred seat in advance, I was allowed one checked bag, two carry-ons and a personal item, priority boarding, Fast-Track security where available, and access to a lounge before both legs of my flight. That’s even more than Star Alliance Gold would have gotten me if SAS hadn’t left that alliance at the start of September.

What I didn’t expect was the fifty-year throwback at Terminal B security in Newark. It was a full ninety minutes to get through the security gates that are shared by the various international airlines. There were no separate pre-check lines, and the “priority” of my “Plus” level ticket did not allow me to use the business and first class only lane at this checkpoint. It was honestly insane standing for an hour and a half in a line, elbow to elbow with other passengers, in the shadow of all the signs above us that still called for social distancing. Had I been flying United out of Terminal C or A I would have been able to avoid that disaster and the long wait, but since there is no secure transfer from C or A to B, there was no way to avoid it.

The SAS Plus level (their version of premium economy) was Ok but not great. The seating was 2-3-2 instead of 2-4-2, with slightly wider seats, slightly bigger IFE screens, and a pretty much useless mechanical footrest. They did provide comfy pillows and blankets, but their amenity kit was an underwhelmingly pathetic burlap bag to hold your shoes (but no socks/slippers to wear) and a mask, earplugs and toothbrush, all wrapped with a rubber band.

The food service was OK but nothing to write home about – they, like all airlines over-spice their food and drown it in sauces that would be better kept on the side for the few insane people that want the belly bombs in flight. What was also interesting is that on both the outbound and return flights, as well as all of Oslo, no one had any Ginger Ale. I had no idea the idea of that never made it to Norway.

Landing in Oslo was fine, except for the flight attendants preventing anyone from Plus to leave the plane until all of Business was off the plane – a totally unnecessary perk for business class passengers who wouldn’t have been slowed by a merging set of passengers. I was offended by the process, and still would have been had I been in business.

When flying home I was able to check-in on the SAS app, but not able to get an electronic boarding pass – I had to get it from the agent at the airport. Beyond that, the experience at OSL was fine. Fast Track worked as promised (although it was hardly necessary to remove most of my toiletries and charging cables from my bag as they did – forcing me to repack a lot more than I should have needed to in the airport.) The SAS lounge was more than adequate, and the gate areas were clean and comfortable. I was overjoyed that boarding reverted to how airlines used to do it —people with disabilities boarded first, then Priority (groups 1 and 2) boarded together, then everyone else. There was none of this pitting the “extra special” people against the “only just special” people like United does, where group two is the sixth group to board. If you’re an elite traveler or paid extra for an increased class of service you board first, if you’re not you board second, period – exactly the way it always should be.

Interestingly, the pilot’s announcements on the return flight more than once mistakenly identified the flight as “Star Alliance” before he corrected himself to the new Sky Team allegiance. What a weird circumstance.

Landing in Newark’s terminal B was the typical zoo it always is, but Global Entry is worth every penny as always, preventing a listed seventy-five-minute wait to under ten. Retrieving a checked bag was also typical Newark, with the posted carousel being changed a half hour after waiting, forcing people to move to a different one and wait another thirty minutes before bags started showing-up.

All in all, I am happy with my choice, and happy to tell United that if they don’t start treating their lifetime elites with the promised benefits they will lose the revenue whenever we have a choice. But I’m under no illusion that they will ever learn…

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This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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