The recently announced challenge/campaign by SAS, “EuroBonus Millionaire”, lets you earn up to 1 million EuroBonus points by flying with SkyTeam partners before the year ends. Right after the announcement, we received many questions about building feasible itineraries. The rules seem clear, but there are several details, considerations and restrictions to take into account if you are going for the 1 Million Point challenge. With numerous airlines and destinations available, it can be hard to know where to start.

In this post, we’re providing practical ideas to help you make the most of this promotion. Let’s get started!

Win One Month Free Diamond: If you are planning on taking part of the promotion, share your itinerary/journey plan with us and we’ll include it on our post. You can DM us via Instagram or Facebook, or email us to [email protected]. We are going to raffle off a free month of our Diamond plan among the ones who participate!

General Considerations

It’s not as straightforward to choose the airlines for the challenge. SkyTeam has 20 member airlines, but not all of them will qualify as a EuroBonus partner.

  • Czech Airlines will leave SkyTeam on October 26.
  • Aerolíneas Argentinas, and AirEuropa do not yield EuroBonus points or earn a qualifying activity yet (confirming with SAS).
  • For MEA (Middle Eastern Airlines), the region is particularly tense, heavily influenced by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and its ripple effects.
  • ITA Airways is not a EuroBonus partner, and will soon leave SkyTeam.

Those considerations reduce the list to exactly 15 airlines: SAS, Aeromexico, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Xiamen Airlines.

Watch Out For Codeshares

Only flights operated by SkyTeam airlines count towards the challenge, not codeshare flights where a SkyTeam member’s code is used but the flight is operated by a non-SkyTeam airline. Essentially, the operating airline is what matters for determining whether a flight qualifies toward the required number of different airlines in the challenge.

SkyTeam Fifth-Freedom Flights

Fifth freedom flights allow an airline to carry passengers from one foreign country to another while the flight originates or continues to the airline’s home country. For instance, Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam member, used to operate a fifth freedom route between Bangkok, Thailand, and Guangzhou, China, which is outside its home base in Nairobi, Kenya. Similarly, KLM operates a notable fifth freedom flight between Singapore and Bali, Indonesia, offering passengers a chance to experience KLM service without traveling through its home base in Amsterdam. These routes provide an opportunity to use the airline and earn a qualification activity without flying all the way to the airline’s home country.

Example Itineraries

Explore some draft itineraries by selecting a different origin city.

Philip’s Itinerary (ex-Tokyo)

Philip (CEO) is based in Tokyo and has designed the following flight path that could fit his schedule.

EuroBonus Millionaire Itinerary from Tokyo.

Itinerary Suggestion

Region # Airline Route
Hawaii 1 Delta TYO-HNL
  2 Korean Air HNL-ICN-TYO
Taipei & HK 3 China Airlines TYO-TPE-TYO
Singapore 4 Vietnam Airlines SIN-SGN-CGK
  5 Garuda Indonesia CGK-SIN
Tokyo, Dubai, Europe 6 China Eastern TYO-PVG-DXB
  7 Kenya Airways DXB-NBO
  8 Saudia NBO-JED-DXB
  9 Virgin Atlantic DXB-LHR-CPH
Europe to Tokyo 10, 11 KLM + TAROM CPH-AMS-OTP
  12 Air Europa OTP-MAD
  13 Xiamen Airlines CDG-XMN-TYO
Tokyo to Europe 14 SAS HND-CPH
  15 Air France CPH-CDG-TYO

Here are some of the considerations taken when putting together this itinerary.

  • Tokyo-based Strategy: This itinerary starts in Tokyo and incorporates an existing trip to Singapore in December, allowing for efficient planning.
  • Avoiding the Americas: A key advantage of this plan is bypassing the Americas altogether, which is made possible by using Delta’s TYO-HNL route. This choice allows for excluding Aerolíneas Argentinas and Aeromexico from the airline list.
  • Navigating Chinese Layovers: The strategy intentionally avoids entering China directly. Instead, Chinese airlines are utilized for international layovers, such as TYO-PVG-DXB with China Eastern. While there may be better routes than this, it avoids the need for Chinese entry visas.
  • Kenya Airways 5th Freedom Flight Challenge: Although a Kenya Airways fifth freedom flight (BKK-CAN) was considered, it couldn’t be connected seamlessly to another airline. Thus, it was excluded in favor of more straightforward connections.
  • KLM’s Role: Initially, a KLM fifth freedom flight was considered. However, since a KLM segment was already needed in Europe (CPH-AMS), it was deemed unnecessary.
  • Virgin Atlantic Placement: By excluding the Americas, the best use of Virgin Atlantic was for the LHR-DXB route. This choice worked well alongside the necessary segments with Kenya Airways and Saudia.
  • Booking Class and Costs: While some fare classes were checked for accuracy, not all were finalized. It’s important to note that this itinerary also doesn’t account for hotel expenses, which can be significant when planning a trip with multiple layovers and destinations.

AwardFares: Swiss-army Knife to Become a EuroBonus Millionaire

AwardFares is an essential tool for anyone participating in the EuroBonus Millionaire challenge. It simplifies finding and booking award flights across the SkyTeam network, helping you identify the best routes to earn the necessary segments. It saves you time and effort when planning the most efficient itineraries to complete the challenge. Sign-up for an account here.

  1. Real-Time Award Seat Availability: Access up-to-date award seat availability for both SAS flights and SkyTeam partners, making finding eligible flights easier and planning your travel segments efficiently.
  2. Alerts: Set up alerts to get notified when award seats become available on your desired routes, ensuring you take advantage of every opportunity to book the flights you need to maximize your points.
  3. Journey Planner: Use the Journey Planner to build, save, draft, and share itineraries. This allows you to brainstorm and optimize your travel plans for the challenge, ensuring each segment is strategic.
  4. Seat Maps: Visualize seat maps to select the best available seats and ensure your preferred seating is secured, helping you maximize every flight segment.

Visa Considerations for SkyTeam Airlines’ Hub Countries

Below are the visa requirements for various airlines in the SkyTeam alliance, focusing on their main hub countries:

  1. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) - Denmark, Norway, Sweden
    • Schengen Visa: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are part of the Schengen Area. Travelers from non-EU countries may need a Schengen visa for short stays (up to 90 days within 180 days).
    • Transits: Typically, transiting through these countries without entering the Schengen Area might not require a visa for some nationalities, but others (like some African or Asian countries) might still need a transit visa.
  2. Aeromexico - Mexico
    • Visa-Free for Some Nationals: Citizens of many countries (e.g., the U.S., Canada, EU) can enter Mexico visa-free for up to 180 days.
    • Electronic Travel Authorization: Some travelers may be eligible for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) instead of a visa if they hold a valid U.S. visa or a residence permit for certain countries.
  3. Air France - France
    • Schengen Visa: France requires a Schengen visa for non-EU travelers visiting or transiting.
    • Airport Transit Visa: Some nationalities require an airport transit visa (ATV) even if they do not leave the international zone of a French airport.
  4. China Airlines - Taiwan
    • Visa-Exempt for Short Stays: Some nationalities can enter Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days.
    • eVisa: Certain travelers can apply for an eVisa online if they do not qualify for visa-free access.
    • Transit Without Visa: Some nationalities can transit without a visa, but this depends on not leaving the airport’s international zone.
  5. China Eastern - China
    • Transit Visa Exemptions: China offers transit visa exemptions for stays of 24, 72, or 144 hours (depending on the airport). These are available for travelers transiting through specific cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
    • Regular Visa: For longer stays, travelers need a visa obtained before departure.
  6. Delta Air Lines - United States
    • ESTA (Visa Waiver Program): Nationals from certain countries can apply for an ESTA for short visits (up to 90 days).
    • B1/B2 Visa: Required for those not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program for tourism, business, or short visits.
    • Transit: Travelers transiting through the U.S. still need an ESTA or a transit visa (C visa).
  7. Garuda Indonesia - Indonesia
    • Visa-Free: Citizens from ASEAN countries can enter Indonesia without a visa.
    • Visa on Arrival (VOA): Available for many nationalities for stays up to 30 days, renewable once.
    • eVisa: Available for longer stays or certain nationalities who are not eligible for VOA.
  8. Kenya Airways - Kenya
    • eVisa: Most travelers must obtain an eVisa before arriving in Kenya.
    • Visa-Free: Citizens of some African countries do not require a visa.
    • Transit Visa: Available for stays of up to 72 hours.
  9. KLM - Netherlands
    • Schengen Visa: The Netherlands is part of the Schengen Area, requiring a Schengen visa for stays or transits longer than 90 days.
    • Airport Transit Visa: Required for some nationalities even if only transiting through Schiphol Airport without entering the Netherlands.
  10. Korean Air - South Korea
    • Visa-Free for Short Visits: Citizens of many countries can enter South Korea visa-free for short stays (15-90 days).
    • K-ETA: Electronic Travel Authorization is required for some visa-free nationals before traveling.
    • Transit Visa: Generally not required for most travelers transiting through Incheon International Airport.
  11. Saudia - Saudi Arabia
    • eVisa/Tourist Visa: Available for many nationalities and can be used for tourism, including Umrah.
    • Transit Visa: Available for short stops; many travelers use this to visit holy sites.
    • Visa-Free Transit: Not common—travelers usually need a visa even if transiting.
  12. TAROM - Romania
    • Visa Requirements Similar to Schengen: Though not a Schengen country, Romania’s visa policy aligns closely with Schengen rules.
    • Visa-Free Entry: Citizens of the EU, U.S., and some other countries can visit for up to 90 days.
    • Airport Transit Visa: Required for some nationalities if transiting through Bucharest.
  13. Vietnam Airlines - Vietnam
    • Visa Exemptions: Available for some ASEAN countries and a few others for stays of 15-30 days.
    • eVisa: Available for citizens of 80 countries for stays up to 30 days.
    • Transit Visa: Not required if travelers remain in the transit area and have an onward ticket.
  14. Virgin Atlantic - United Kingdom
    • Visa-Free for Short Visits: Many nationalities can visit the UK for up to 6 months without a visa.
    • Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW): Available for certain nationalities (e.g., UAE, Oman, Qatar).
    • Transit Visa: Some travelers require a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) if transiting through a UK airport.
  15. Xiamen Airlines - China
    • Transit Visa Exemptions: China offers 24, 72, or 144-hour visa-free transit stays depending on the city (e.g., Xiamen).
    • Regular Visa: Required for longer stays or visits outside the visa-free transit cities.

Get The Most From Your EuroBonus Points

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