CLINICA CASTELLDEFELS S.L.

In 1992, SAS introduced its EuroBonus scheme, one of the first FFPs in Europe. The Star Alliance network founded in 1997 gave SAS’s EuroBonus members the opportunity to earn and use points throughout the alliance. In the same year, EuroBonus was also introduced in full in the domestic air travel market in Sweden. This SAS programme is totally dominant in the Scandinavian civil aviation market and also in the Swedish domestic market. EuroBonus has some 1.7 million members in Scandinavia and approx. 2.5 million altogether.

Other programmes, such as the British Airways Executive Club, KLM’s Flying Dutchman, Lufthansa’s Miles & More and Air France’s Fréquence Plus, have only a few hundred thousand members between them in Scandinavia. At the beginning of 2003, Malmö Aviation introduced its own FFP, the Malmö Aviation Member Service.

3.3.1 EuroBonus59

SAS EuroBonus is the dominant frequent flyer programme in the Swedish domestic market. Travellers, however, may use other FFPs in the Star Alliance when flying to SAS destinations, such as Lufthansa’s Miles & More.

Bonus points

SAS EuroBonus has two types of points, Basic points and Extra points, which are earned in approximately the same way, via travel with SAS or one of its partners or via the purchase of other services or products from a partner. Both types of points can be used to claim free air travel, hotel accommodation or car rental, and both types of points are earned in approximately the same way. Basic points are used to calculate service levels. Extra points do not affect the member’s status.

Bonus points in the SAS frequent flyer programme are valid for five years in the case of points used to claim trips, hotel

accommodation and car rental. Points that determine level of membership are valid for a 12-month qualification period, dating from the month in which the member joined the scheme. Level of membership is determined by the number of Basic points that the member earns during this qualification period. As soon as members have earned the requisite number of points during this period, they are automatically upgraded to the next level of membership. A member flying in economy class on the Stockholm-London route earns 1,200 points, for example, and in business class 2,400 points. An economy class trip on this route costs 30,000 points. On the Stockholm-Luleå route, and on several other domestic routes, members earn no points for free travel or the like but 600 points in economy class and 2,400 service points in business class. An economy class trip on this route costs 12,000 points.

59 SAS’s website.

Membership levels

SAS EuroBonus has three levels of membership – Basic, Silver and Gold. A member achieves Basic status on entering the programme. In Sweden, Silver status is achieved after 35,000 points and Gold after 100,000 points.

A Basic member enjoys such benefits as air travel without a paper ticket, discounts on hotel accommodation and car rental, and other special offers available exclusively to EuroBonus members. In addition, members earning enough points can exchange these for bonus travel and special offers. A further benefit is the option of acquiring a EuroBonus Diners Club card that can be used to earn additional points when purchasing and that also entitles members to travel insurance if they use the card to pay for the journey.

A Silver member is entitled both to the benefits enjoyed by a Basic member and to such privileges as a faster, simplified check-in, priority on waiting lists for fully booked SAS flights and special discounts on hotel accommodation and car rental, as well as other special offers. In addition, Silver members are allowed to take along an extra 10 kg of baggage free of charge on most SAS flights. Silver members who acquire a private EuroBonus Diners Club card also have access to Diners Club lounges at airports.

Gold is the highest level of membership in the EuroBonus scheme and is valid all over the world when flying with all the airlines and partners in Star Alliance. Besides all the privileges enjoyed by Silver members, Gold members have access to Star Alliance lounges at airports, top priority on waiting lists for fully-booked SAS flights and priority on other fully-booked flights with other Star Alliance airlines. In addition, they are guaranteed a seat on SAS flights, but not guaranteed a specific class, when booking a full-fare Business Class ticket at least 48 hours prior to departure. On flights between Stockholm and Göteborg, between Stockholm and Malmö, and inside Norway, Gold members are guaranteed a seat if they make a reservation at least 24 hours prior to departure. They also have access to a special reservation procedure for all classes on SAS European and Scandinavian flights. In addition, they have access to special Gold/First Class check-in facilities at the airports of Copenhagen, Göteborg, Oslo and Stockholm (Arlanda), and to Business Class check-in facilities at major Scandinavian airports. Gold members can check in the same day at

certain Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts. In addition, they can take along an extra 20 kg of baggage free of charge on all SAS flights. They also have access to a large number of Star Alliance lounges around the world and can bring along a guest.

3.3.2 Braathen Wings

Up until 2002, Malmö Aviation, which was previously owned by Braathens, had an FFP entitled Braathens Wings. Following the acquisition of Braathens by SAS on 20 December 2001, Braathens’ ownership was dissolved and Malmö Aviation became an

independent airline. At the same time, Malmö Aviation

discontinued its alliance partnership with KLM and others. After 2 April 2002, Braathens Wings and the SAS EuroBonus scheme were still two separate FFPs. But after that date, Malmö Aviation

customers were given the opportunity to earn and redeem points on all of Malmö Aviation’s, Braathens’ and SAS’s domestic and international routes. Points from the two programmes could not be pooled, either for redemption purposes or for the purpose of attaining a higher service level, but members were allowed to keep all the points they had earned. The SAS EuroBonus and Braathens Wings FFPs had similar rules for redeeming bonus trips.

In the autumn of 2002, Braathens and SAS agreed to operate only one FFP in the group and decided to terminate Braathens Wings as of 1 January 2003. This decision was due both to the Norwegian competition authority’s refusal to permit bonus points systems on domestic flights in Norway and to SAS’s acquisition of Braathens.

3.3.3 The Malmö Aviation Members Service60

At the beginning of 2003, Malmö Aviation introduced its FFP, the Malmö Aviation Members Service. Travellers who had previously belonged to Braathens Wings and had flown with Malmö Aviation in 2001 and 2002 automatically became members of the new scheme.

60 Malmö Aviations hemsida.

Bonus points

Points are earned on domestic Malmö Aviation flights, on international KLM flights and through the purchase of other services or products from partners. At present, the partners are Flygtaxi and Elite Hotels. Points earned can be redeemed against Malmö Aviation or KLM air travel, or against purchases from their partners.

A one-way flight with Malmö Aviation at a regular price gives members 1,200 points, while discount travel yields 600-900 points, depending on the ticket price. When bonus points are redeemed, a one-way flight with Malmö Aviation costs 6,000 points. Certain campaign prices, youth fares and the like do not entitle the traveller to any points.

Membership levels

The Malmö Aviation Members Service has two card levels, Basic and Gold. The level is determined by the number of Malmö Aviation flights undertaken on a normal ticket or by the number of points earned during a calendar year. Members attain Gold status by undertaking 20 one-way trips with Malmö Aviation on a normal ticket or by earning 24,000 points from Malmö Aviation flights undertaken in a single calendar year. Those who were members of the Braathens Wings programme and have undertaken 10 return trips on a normal ticket with Malmö Aviation or have earned at least 20,000 bonus points on domestic travel with Malmö Aviation in 2001 and 2002 are accorded Gold status in the Malmö Aviation Members Service programme.

Besides the privileges enjoyed by Basic members, Gold members have access to a number of benefits, including free coach travel to and from airports, an extra 20 kg of baggage free of charge, priority on waiting lists for fully-booked Malmö Aviation flights and special discounts at Elite Hotels. In addition, Gold members can take along an extra 10 kg of baggage free of charge on all KLM flights. Gold status is valid for 12 months. Gold members also enjoy a range of benefits relating to bonus travel, such as the right to book bonus trips on the day of departure, the right to give away bonus trips to another person of their choosing, the right to change bonus travel bookings free of charge, the right to take ‘standby’

trips on bonus tickets, and a 50 per cent discount on bonus travel for children under 18.