It's a world's first! Just wait to hear what exactly "it" is...

(Same-sex) Love is in the air this winter aboard SAS. The Scandinavian airline is hoping to host the world’s first same-sex wedding in the air aboard one of their A340s between Stockholm and New York on December 6. To find the lucky couple for the mid-air nuptials, the longtime gay-friendly airline is launching a major social media contest campaign titled “Love is in the air.” Cute. Not fierce. But cute.

The airline has partnered with VisitSweden and Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network to offer one European couple and one American couple the chance to get married aboard SAS flights and honeymoon packages—the European couple be married aboard the outbound flight to the U.S. and will get to vacation there, and the American couple will be feted on the way back to Sweden. ]]> EricRosen 2010-08-30T15:46:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/6/2/113415/0088

It feels like just yesterday that we were lifting off of the runway onboard the First Flight of Lufthansa's New A380, even if it was a couple weeks ago. Still, before we flew from Hamburg down to Frankfurt on the A380, we had to get to Germany in the first place, and we managed to peek in at the SAS Business Lounge at Newark-Liberty International Airport, which Lufthansa shares, before a direct to Deutschland.

Although the SAS Lounge is of a nice size, you will find every seat filled (and some people standing) before the first evening flights leave, due to the fact that this lounge can be accessed by Business and elite members flying on SAS, Lufthansa, Air India, Continental, United, and all other Star Alliance airlines. For example, passengers of LOT Polish Airlines will mingle with those setting out on Swiss, and it does get noisy. ]]> JetSetCD 2010-06-02T12:30:46-05:00 40.6898700 -74.178210 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/7/103246/550

Who wants to go to Stockholm, Sweden or Oslo, Norway for under $300 roundtrip? We'll be the first to raise our hand, and the start-up Scandinavian low-cost carrier Feel Air is hoping you will too, since they plan to launch direct flight between New York and Stockholm and Oslo, and also Bangkok to Stockholm and Oslo, in spring 2010.

Right now, the Feel Air website is skint on information, but there is this promising statement: "All the initial routes are set and approved, we will disclose the launch date and fares when ticket sales open later." A quick search through some Scandinavian press however reveals that the airline plans to fly two Airbus A330-200s on the routes, focusing heavily on the New York-JFK end of it (yippee!) and offering roundtrip, taxes-included fares starting from $260.

What the $260 will get you, after the jump. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-12-07T11:09:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/19/132516/18

SAS Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines allowing customers to check in with paperless 2D bar codes stored on their mobile. Passengers can have the boarding passes delivered either by SMS or via the SAS mobile site. The service will be available on domestic flights within Scandinavia and Finland, Intra Scandinavian flights, flights to Europe and Asia, and even some flights back from Europe:

SAS Scandinavian Airlines is now offering its passengers the convenience of mobile boarding passes. This means SAS customers can now travel using only their mobile phone and with an ID card/passport... The mobile boarding pass contains a 2D bar code that can be read electronically at the airport. The 2D bar code can be used to get baggage tags from the SAS Self Service kiosks, at security screening, duty-free shopping, entering SAS lounges and when boarding.

]]> Omri 2009-10-19T16:03:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/14/71053/9881

Those innovative Scandinavians have struck again. SAS Airlines had a great idea for saving fuel, dollars and the environment by flying a little slower and now they have a new plan: the gliding landing method.

SAS has figured out a way for pilots to let the plane do most of the landing by itself, gliding via an optimum route mapped out by satellite. They figure it will save about 100kg of fuel if a twin-engined jet lands this way, which is cheaper for the airline and better for the environment.

Now, we're certainly not qualified pilots ourselves, but we do like to fly around in planes, and we're not 100% sure that we want to know our plane is simply being left to glide down to landing. The SAS peeps are about to try it out for real but have only done it on a simulator so far; they do admit that the technique would probably be best for "quieter airports" so we won't be gliding into London-Heathrow any time soon.

Related Stories:
· New Gliding Landing Method for Planes to Slash Fuel Consumption [The Age]
· Scandinavian Alternative to Nasty Baggage Fees [Jaunted]

[Photo: spotterjohnsen] ]]> amandak 2009-08-14T09:09:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/22/274/44429

Up in Scandinavia, SAS Airlines have been known to pull some quirky marketing maneuvers in the past, and their latest idea for educating travelers all about using the SAS "mobile travel solutions" is to create a romantic comic strip.

Enter Love At First Flight, the SAS creation which follows the blossoming romance between James and Sophie, who meet, of course, on an SAS flight between London and Stockholm. The magazine-style comic looks nice, but includes spectacularly unromantic lines like, "It's OK, take your time, SAS have just alerted me that the departure time's changed".

Cheesy it may be, yet this comic is very readable and still tells you all about checking in via cell phone, looking up flight changes online and using frequent flyer points in the digital age. If you want to know whether James and Sophie end up together, you'll have to check out SAS's comic for yourself here.

Related Stories:
· SAS Promotes Mobile Travel Solutions [Business Traveller]
· Fly With The Störst Airline in Scandinavia [Jaunted]
· SAS Airlines Coverage [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2009-06-25T11:02:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/23/34835/2044

Hot on the heels of the news that they're letting 3,000 staff go, Scandinavian carrier SAS Airlines is adding another "please fly with us, we really need the money" enticement to the mix.

Passengers who fly into the hip Swedish capital Stockholm during March and April will be given a Stockholm City Card for nix, which will mean transfers from the airport into the city are free, so is travel for at least 24 hours, and there are a bunch of sightseeing discounts attached too.

Usually the card costs around $45, so for a marketing gimmick, we actually like this one. We used to think SAS was a bit pricey, but a quick surf found us London to Stockholm flights for under $70 for March. Of course, with 3,000 staff on their way out, the question is whether or not there'll be any flight attendants left to serve you on your next SAS flight.

Related Stories:
· SAS Offers Passengers Free Transfers and Travel [Business Traveller]
· Thousands to Get the Shaft from Limping Airlines [Jaunted]
· Stockholm Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: ombrelle] ]]> amandak 2009-02-24T10:26:10-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/