OFFICIAL. I managed to complete the SAS challenge, I will receive 1M Eurobonus points: here's how much I spent
We have arrived at the final chapter, the last installment of this crazy ride that has been the SAS challenge. On the night [...]
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
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We have reached the final chapter, the latest installment of this crazy race That was SAS's challenge. On the night of Friday-Saturday Japan time, while it was still business hours in Europe, I received the long-awaited email from Eurobonus., a missive certifying my victory, and now I can finally say that this is a success story.
You're a SAS Eurobonus Millionaire
In this article:
This was what was missing to be able to breathe a final sigh of relief and start planning how to spend 1M Eurobonus miles, or the maximum prize of the challenge.
Also Anteo, the Italian boy I met. while he was also participating in the challenge, he received the same email, and I hope the third compatriot I met is also in the group of those who successfully completed the chase.
How much I spent, the final bill
When I had decided to participate in the challenge and had booked the first tickets I had assumed about 5,500€ in expenses. Now that everything is over I can make the final sum, even in light of upgrades and Last minute schedule changes.
Before there is any controversy, I remind you that in some flights are not in this account because I had already booked them, as in the case of the flight from Helsinki that took me to L.A., so I didn't put them in the costs of the challenge, since I was going to LA anyway, and I would still have to come back.
- Flight #1 from Milan to Helsinki with SAS, in business class, cost me. 217€. As mentioned I already had the Finnair flight booked and the hotel paid for.
- Flight #2/3/4 the american campaign it cost me 1058 USD. I spent nothing on sleep because I spent the only night in the air and the flight from LAX to GDL I paid for with a voucher Alaska Airlines had issued me for a flight canceled in early 2024.
- Flight #5/6/7/8/9/10/11 the campaign of Asia Is the only one where I had problems. The Garuda Indonesia flight, to this day I still have not been credited, but it is money I still spent, as well as the MXP/AMS with KLM was not credited and I was forced to turn to KLM. In total these tickets cost me. 4136€ . To which I must also add 3 nights in hotels (Nanjing, Jakarta and Bangkok) for about 350€.
- Flight #12/13/14/15 Europe campaign should have cost me much less, but between patches to the problems in Asia and certainty of a qualifying class the whole thing cost me 1027€. To which I have to add two nights in a hotel for a total of 185€.
The total, in airline tickets, then comes to 6500€, about 1000€ more than expected.
Could I have spent less?
Probably yes, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't. The business flights also got me to scale back on the Eurobonus program, which will save me up to 10% on the cost of award tickets.
The most expensive ticket was Saudia 1800€, all in business. I could have flown economy, but it was 3 flights all in a row and I wanted to get home "whole." While the flight to Xiamen, again in business, cost me just over 1000€, these were the two longest and also most expensive trips, but also equally comfortable.
It was good for me that I took Kenya Airways in business (408€) because I read online about so many participants not getting credited anything from KQ in economy.
Same with Air Europa, the 45-minute business flight on a 787/9 cost me €253, but for that day it was the only flight where the class was qualifying at 100%.
If I had not had the non-credit from KLM and Garuda I would have finally saved over €500, By not flying Tarom and not revolving with KLM. This would also have allowed me to Spend less on Air France's latest flight since in my plans the "European campaign" was supposed to be a simple Nice/Paris with Air France followed by a Paris/Madrid with Air Europa.
Hey bum, but did you gain in the end?
So many people have written to me to ask how I planned to make the investment pay off. As I have explained in other articles a round-trip business ticket from Europe to Los Angeles costs 100k Eurobonus miles, with the 10% discount due to status, it's even less.
So let's say that with 300k points , I'm already in the black, without taking into account the fact that all the content I got became articles, posts on social media, and no less than 3 videos will come out to be published on the YT channel. So I can only say, "Yes, I gained and a lot."
As soon as I receive the credit I will start the contest to give away 300k miles
Every promise is a debt, As soon as I get my Eurobonus card credited with the nest egg, I will officially launch the contest that will result in several users in the TFC community having a chance to win tickets to fly with me around the world.
