SAS-Million-Points-Challenge-India
SAS Million Points Challenge India

“One million points. Four years. Challenge accepted.”

Why take the SAS EuroBonus Challenge? Simple: earn a million points, travel the world, unlock insane value. Here’s where it gets interesting – we chose a loyalty program from an airline that doesn’t even fly to India. Sounds crazy? Let me tell how it unfolds & why we choose to do it. Read about the challenge here

The Million-Point Question

SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) doesn’t fly to India. At first glance, that might seem like a deal-breaker. But diving deeper into SkyTeam alliance options revealed something fascinating – these points could be a game-changer for international travel from India.

Why SAS EuroBonus?

The SAS EuroBonus program offers some incredible features that made this challenge worthwhile:

  • Cancel or rebook flights up until 24 hours before departure
  • Mix and match travel classes (economy outbound, business return? No problem!)
  • Open-jaw itineraries (fly into Barcelona, return from Amsterdam)
  • Points valid till Sep 2029

Plus, with no SkyTeam carriers operating domestic routes in India, every point would go toward international adventures.

Why SAS EuroBonus?

The SAS EuroBonus program offers some incredible features that made this challenge worthwhile:

  • Cancel or rebook flights up until 24 hours before departure
  • Mix and match travel classes (economy outbound, business return? No problem!)
  • Open-jaw itineraries (fly into Barcelona, return from Amsterdam)
  • Points valid till Sep 2029

Plus, with no SkyTeam carriers operating domestic routes in India, every point would go toward international adventures.

Where can we use those points?

Mumbai SkyTeam Network
Mumbai SkyTeam Network

From Mumbai, we have access to six SkyTeam airlines:

Western Routes:

  • Air France
  • KLM
  • Saudia
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Kenya Airways

Eastern Routes:

  • Vietnam Airlines

If we choose to start from Delhi, Korean Air becomes the ultimate value play.

Korean Air to the East

Let’s look at why Korean Air is a sweet spot

  • 25,000 points for economy return
  • 50,000 points for business return

These rates apply to destinations like:

  • South Korea
  • Japan
  • Taiwan
  • Hong Kong And the best part? Low surcharges!

Do the math: 1 million points = 20 business class return trips. With business fares typically costing ₹1.5 lakhs return, that’s ₹30+ lakhs in value!

Delhi-Tokyo
Delhi-Tokyo

The Vietnam Alternative

Vietnam Airlines offers another option, though at higher rates:

  • ~50,000 points for economy return
  • ~100,000 points for business return

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Korean Air to start Mumbai operations once the T2 airport expansion is complete

Mumbai-Tokyo
Mumbai-Tokyo

Europe

SkyTeam’s European offerings are solid:

  • Economy: 90,000 points return
  • Business: 165,000 points return

That means six luxurious business class returns to Europe, easily worth over ₹10 lakhs.

Mumbai-Barcelona
Mumbai-Barcelona

North America

Same points, bigger value:

  • Economy: 90,000 points return
  • Business: 165,000 points return

Six business class returns across the Atlantic, perfect for those 15+ hour journeys.

Mumbai-NewYork
Mumbai-NewYork

Beyond the Points

This challenge wasn’t just about maximizing value (though getting potentially ₹10+ lakhs worth of travel is nice!). It was about turning points into possibilities, creating memories, and sharing adventures with my wife.

Looking Ahead

This challenge wasn’t just about points. It pushed us to think differently, to see opportunities where others saw roadblocks. We learned to question the obvious, dig deeper, find value in unexpected places. 

Travel isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about those first steps into a new city. That window seat view of Mt. Fuji. That perfect coffee in Paris. Those conversations with strangers who become friends.

With Shruti, we set out to crack a points challenge. We ended up discovering that the real value isn’t in the points – it’s in taking that first step. Sometimes the craziest ideas lead to the best journeys. After all it’s a journey and not the destination that matters.

Million points? Done. But the journey? Just getting started.

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