From December 8th to 27th, Germán (our Head of Marketing) will be participating in SAS’s EuroBonus Millionaire challenge, attempting to earn one million EuroBonus points by flying 15+ different SkyTeam airlines. You can follow German’s journey in real-time via Instagram, trip reports on our Blog, and our YouTube channel.

In This Article

Who Am I?

My name is German. I’ve spent half my life in Argentina and the other half in Sweden (home of SAS and EuroBonus). I’ve been passionate about aviation since childhood, with over 600 flights, 1.6M kilometers, and 100 days in the air under my belt (FlightRadar24). I earned a Ph.D. in computer science and have worked for tech companies like Google, NVIDIA, and Ericsson. Since 2023, I’ve been leading the Marketing team at AwardFares, combining my passion for travel with my expertise in software and technology.

The (Surprising) SAS Challenge

When SAS announced its move to SkyTeam, no one expected it to go big, as it did with the EuroBonus Millionaire campaign, offering up to one million bonus points for flying SkyTeam airlines. When I read the announcement, I thought, “This is like my dream promotion,” and immediately remembered Ryan Bingham from Up in the Air (one of my favorite movies). I didn’t hesitate for a second and started planning my itinerary.

The conditions looked simple: by flying 15 different SkyTeam airlines before the end of the year, participants would receive a ONE MILLION EuroBonus point reward.

Earn 1 million EuroBonus points with SAS SkyTeam Challenge (Before December 31).

However, my excitement waned as I read the terms and conditions more carefully. The deadline was December 20th, so I had to act quickly. Code-shared flights didn’t count; only flights operated by the airline itself were eligible. Not all fare classes were valid, and some SkyTeam airlines didn’t qualify at all: Czech Airlines was ceasing operations, ITA wasn’t eligible as it was being acquired by Lufthansa, and China Southern and MEA were also excluded.

This left only 17 eligible airlines, meaning flying 15 out of 17 significantly raised the challenge. Essentially, I’d need to traverse the globe, making stops in Asia with giants like China Eastern, Xiamen Air, or Korean Air unavoidable.

Budgeting was another important factor. Depending on where you start, crossing continents can be expensive, especially for one-way trips. Unfortunately, SkyTeam is the only alliance that doesn’t offer round-the-world tickets, unlike oneworld or Star Alliance.

Terms and Conditions of the SAS EuroBonus Millionaire Challenge.

How Much Are 1 Million EuroBonus Points Worth?

There might be many reasons to take on this challenge. For me, the main motivation is the adventure and the content itself, but the financial aspect also plays a role.

One way to evaluate this is by calculating the value of the points themselves. A quick estimate (using “regular” redemptions) values the points at 1 Euro cent each, meaning one million points could be worth around €10,000. Many participants aim to spend as little as possible or optimize their investment to maximize the million points later. With enough time, smart redemptions, and using Amex 2-for-1 vouchers (available in Sweden and Norway), those points can be worth 8–10 Euro cents each, or €30,000–€50,000 in premium cabin flights (Business or First Class).

I’ve been a EuroBonus member for 12 years, and it was my main program for Star Alliance. While SAS’s departure from Star Alliance resulted in losing some exciting cabin options, I was excited about the move to SkyTeam, primarily due to the excellent connections to Argentina/Brazil via KLM and Air France, and the opportunity to earn miles on the same account with Aerolíneas Argentinas (when flying to my hometown).

For example, a round-trip between Buenos Aires and Europe costs 90,000 points in Economy or 165,000 points in Business. With those rates, one million points would cover 6x Business Class round-trips or 11x Economy Class round-trips. Considering these flights typically cost $1,500 in Economy and $5,000 in Business, the points value ranges from $16,500 to $30,000. Using the 2-for-1 vouchers doubles these numbers to astronomical values.

How much are one million EuroBonus points worth?

How much are one million EuroBonus points worth?

Planning the Million-Point Itinerary

By October and November, the idea was already swirling in my head. I couldn’t decide, but as I saw other enthusiasts flying towards their goals, I wanted to jump on the next available plane. After rearranging other commitments and reviewing the calendar, I decided to go for it.

Some restrictions influenced my plan: I wanted to return to my hometown (Ushuaia) for Christmas, covering one of the airlines (Aerolíneas Argentinas). From there, I worked out the itinerary backwards, compressing the itinerary as much as possible to keep it manageable.

Compressing the trip is risky — delays, cancellations, and independent bookings add complexity. To mitigate these risks, I built in margins and backup plans in case I had to adjust the itinerary on the fly.

The first decision was to target 16 airlines (one extra), just in case I had to skip one due to cancellations. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere adds another layer of complexity with snow and challenging weather.

Another consideration was to book tickets with some flexibility, allowing for date changes or cancellations. Fortunately, award tickets (flights booked with EuroBonus points) count for the challenge. This not only reduces costs but also provides flexibility to cancel flights and get points refunded. As a result, the first half of my trip is mostly paid tickets, while the second half is almost entirely award tickets.

At one point, I debated starting in Asia and working my way closer, but flights originating there were significantly more expensive. Additionally, as the holidays (Christmas and New Year) approach, flights in Europe become pricier and less available. I decided to start in the Americas, covering Aeromexico or Delta first, then crossing to Europe, and finally passing through Asia.

Other hurdles included obtaining visas for China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia (luckily available online), as well as a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Update: A last-minute complication is the potential imposition of martial law in South Korea. My itinerary passes through Seoul, and I’m not sure how this will affect me. As a precaution, I’m planning a direct escape to China, skipping Korean Air, and possibly returning from Tokyo or via Saudia.

Here’s the final booked itinerary (if all goes well).

Complete Itinerary

Day Route Airline Ticket Type Class Cost (USD/Points)
Day 1 Buenos Aires (EZE) -> New York (JFK) Delta Cash Business (Delta One Suites) $1690
Day 2 New York (JFK) -> Washington D.C. (IAD) -> London (LHR) Delta + Virgin Atlantic Cash Economy $169
Day 3 London (LHR) -> Copenhagen (CPH) SAS Cash Economy $80
  Copenhagen (CPH) -> Paris (CDG) Air France Cash Economy $75
Day 4 Paris (CDG) -> Bucharest (OTP) TAROM Cash Economy $109
  Bucharest (OTP) -> Amsterdam (AMS) KLM Cash Economy $105
Day 5 Amsterdam (AMS) -> Madrid (MAD) Air Europa Cash Economy $122 (Black Friday)
  Madrid (MAD) -> Amsterdam (AMS) Air Europa Cash Economy  
Day 6 Amsterdam (AMS) -> Taipei (TPE) China Airlines Cash Business $1385
Day 7 Taipei (TPE) -> Seoul (ICN)   Cash    
Day 8 Seoul (ICN) -> Beijing (PEK) Korean Air EuroBonus Points Economy 15,000 + $60
  Beijing (PEK) -> Shanghai (SHA) China Eastern EuroBonus Points Economy $120
Day 9 Shanghai (SHA) -> Xiamen (XMN) -> Guangzhou (CAN) Xiamen Air EuroBonus Points Economy 15,000 + $50
  Guangzhou (CAN) -> Bangkok (BKK) Kenya Airways Cash Economy $129
Day 10 Bangkok (BKK) -> Jakarta (CGK) Garuda Indonesia EuroBonus Points Economy 15,000 + $50
Day 11 Jakarta (CGK) -> Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) -> Seoul (ICN) Vietnam Airlines EuroBonus Points Economy 30,000 + $60
Day 12 Seoul (ICN) -> Mexico City (MEX) Aeromexico EuroBonus Points Business 190,000
Day 13 Mexico City (MEX) -> Buenos Aires (EZE) Aeromexico EuroBonus Points Business  
Day 15 Buenos Aires (AEP) -> Ushuaia (USH) Aerolineas Argentinas Cash Economy $500
Day 18 Ushuaia (USH) -> Buenos Aires (AEP) Aerolineas Argentinas Cash Economy  

  • Total Cash: $4704 (USD)

  • Total EuroBonus Points: 265,000

Map

Highlights

  • A total of 16 airlines (one extra as a backup). I tried to include Saudia for all 17 but couldn’t fit it within the schedule.
  • The first half of the itinerary is entirely cash tickets, while the second half uses points for greater flexibility.
  • Nine of the 16 airlines will be my first time flying with them: Virgin Atlantic, TAROM, China Airlines, Korean Air, China Eastern, Xiamen Air, Kenya Airways, Garuda Indonesia, and Vietnam Airlines.
  • My first flight in Delta One Suites (A330-900neo).

Day 1

I start the trip flying with Delta to New York JFK on an evening flight. There were some off-season promotions in Business Class, so I decided to try the Delta One Suites on the A330-900neo. The flight departs Ezeiza at night (10:30 PM) and arrives in NY the following morning. I considered flying with Aeroméxico, but it was much more expensive.

As I complete the flights, I’ll be adding links to trip reports from this page and sharing whether the plan holds up 😊.

UPDATE: Day 1 trip report now live!

EuroBonus Millionaire Day 1: Delta One Suites A330-900neo Buenos Aires to New York

Day 2

The Delta flight arrives early in the morning. I managed to snag tickets with Virgin Atlantic to London LHR at a ridiculous price ($169 USD including taxes), but it includes a short connection in Washington IAD, which wasn’t an issue for me. The flight arrives in London early in the morning (7:30 AM), giving me time to connect within Europe.

I had tried to include Aeroméxico from New York before crossing into Europe, but it wasn’t convenient either.

UPDATE: Day 2 trip report now live!

EuroBonus Millionaire Day 2: Virgin Atlantic A330-300 Washington to London

Day 3

Since the flight arrives in London very early in the morning, I had time for intra-European connections. My goal was to tick off as many as possible, but the schedules made it tricky to include airlines like SAS and Air Europa on the same day. I opted to cover Scandinavia first with a SAS flight to Copenhagen, and from there, fly to Paris CDG with Air France. These are separate bookings (since it was cheaper) with enough buffer time for slight delays. If I miss the connection to Denmark, Air France has two later flights as backups.

Upon arriving in Paris, I decided to stay overnight at an airport hotel and continue fresh the next day.

Day 4

TAROM was one of the trickiest airlines to organize. Bucharest is quite far, and their schedules aren’t very convenient. In theory, I could have done TAROM, Air Europa, and KLM all on the same day, but the flights didn’t connect well. The most comfortable and affordable option was to depart from Paris (hence the overnight stop). Thankfully, TAROM operates from CDG and not ORY like Air Europa.

I booked a flight to OTP with TAROM and a return to Amsterdam AMS with KLM, with a 90-minute layover. Everything needs to go smoothly to make the connection, but fortunately, I won’t have to go through immigration or similar procedures. If I miss it, it’s the last KLM flight of the day. In that case, I’ll stay overnight at an airport hotel and take an early (6 AM) KLM flight the next day. Another option is to fly to Madrid early with TAROM and then Air Europa back to Amsterdam. There are several escape routes.

If everything goes according to plan, I’ll spend the night at a hotel in Schiphol.

Day 5

This day served as a bit of a buffer. I still needed to fly Air Europa, which I couldn’t fit into the previous days, so I had no choice but to do a round trip to Madrid from AMS. Fortunately, tickets were very cheap, and it’s a short flight. I depart AMS at 11 AM and return to Schiphol by 5 PM. On the plus side, I get to try two different aircraft — 787 on the way out and 737 on the return—great for trip reports 😊.

Days 6 and 7

Planning the Asian leg was challenging because there were so many options to consider. To simplify, I focused on finding an affordable outbound flight with schedules that allowed good connections. I tried to use Saudia, but the journey was too long, and all the options arrived late at night, losing almost two days. I found a cheap Business Class flight with China Airlines from Amsterdam to Seoul ICN via Taipei TPN. I’d read many reviews of China Airlines’ A350, so I was excited to try it. Plus, the segment to ICN is on an A330, and it arrives early in Korea—a win-win. Note: I needed a transit visa, so keep that in mind!

The first flight departs Amsterdam at 11 AM, giving me enough buffer even if the Bucharest leg from the previous day doesn’t go smoothly. Upon arrival in Seoul, I plan to stay at an airport hotel and spend the day exploring the city.

Days 8 and 9

This part was one of the most interesting to plan. From here, many of the flights are booked with points, allowing flexibility in case I need to cancel or adjust plans (e.g., missing the China Airlines flight or skipping Korea due to geopolitical tensions).

I needed to cover the Chinese airlines, so the idea was to enter China, complete all the necessary domestic flights, and exit to Southeast Asia (Garuda and Vietnam). Here’s the breakdown:

  1. China Eastern is based in PEK.
  2. China Southern is based in CAN.
  3. Xiamen Air is based in XMN.
  4. Kenya Airways operates a fifth-freedom flight from CAN to BKK, which I could use to cover this airline without going to Kenya.

The path became clearer: enter through Beijing and work my way down to Guangzhou CAN via domestic flights, exiting with Kenya Airways. Initially, I mistakenly thought China Southern was part of the promotion, but upon reviewing the terms, it wasn’t. Thankfully, I had booked a refundable flight from XMN to CAN with them and got my money back.

From Korea, I booked an early flight to Beijing (PEK) with Korean Air. Since I’ll go through immigration, I wanted a relatively long layover. I then booked a cheap ticket from PEK to Shanghai SHA with China Eastern. I’ll stay overnight at an airport hotel, which happens to be an Air China hotel with great views.

The next day, I’ll fly Xiamen Air to Guangzhou CAN via Xiamen XMN, also booked with points. I’ll have a long layover before connecting (same day) to Kenya Airways for the flight to Bangkok BKK. I’ve built in plenty of margin for delays or alternative arrangements.

I’ll arrive in Bangkok close to midnight and stay at an airport hotel.

Day 9

Waking up in Bangkok and assuming everything goes well, I’ll still need three airlines: Garuda, Vietnam, and Aeroméxico. I secured a good return to Buenos Aires from Korea with Aeroméxico, so I just need to decide whether to do Vietnam or Garuda first.

Vietnam Airlines wasn’t convenient for either the trip to Indonesia or the return. Between the two options, the “less bad” choice was using Vietnam for the return from Jakarta to Seoul.

I booked a direct flight with Garuda that departs midday (allowing for rest from the previous day) and arrives in Jakarta at 5 PM. I plan to stay at an airport hotel and might head into the city for dinner if transportation permits.

Day 10

The next day, I’ll fly back to Seoul via Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines. The schedules aren’t great—I leave Jakarta at 2 PM, with a 5-hour layover in Ho Chi Minh, departing just before midnight. The flight lands around 6 AM in Seoul.

Day 11

Buffer day to rest in Korea.

Day 12

I depart Seoul for Mexico City with Aeroméxico. The flight leaves at 11 AM and arrives at 11 AM, giving me the entire day at MEX. I’ll stay at an airport hotel, though immigration is usually required.

Day 13

The next day, I’ll take an early Aeroméxico flight to Ezeiza, arriving the same day around 10 PM.

Day 14

Rest in Buenos Aires.

Day 15

Final flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia with Aerolíneas Argentinas, closing out the challenge. Fittingly, as an Argentinian, it’s an honor to finish with my home airline.

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