SAS to launch flights to Seoul

SAS has become more interesting to Head for Points readers since its recent switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam. This is because SkyTeam membership means that you can redeem Virgin Points for its flights.

To give you a better feel for what SAS has to offer, Rhys will be heading over to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks to try out its A330 business class seat and service.

For anyone fed up with waiting for Virgin Atlantic to start its long-promised route to Seoul – which WILL happen, because it is a requirement of the Korean Air / Asiana merger which is getting close to legal completion – SAS now offers an alternative.

SAS will launch flights from Copenhagen to Seoul on 12th September 2025. This will be the first-ever direct service between Scandinavia and Korea.

The route will operate four times weekly during the summer season and three times weekly in winter. It will use an A350 aircraft.

Including Seattle, which launches in May 2025, SAS will offer 14 intercontinental routes from Copenhagen. We will look at the route network in more detail as part of our upcoming SAS review series.

How to maximise your miles when paying for flights (December 2024)

Some UK credit cards offer special bonuses when used for buying flights. If you spend a lot on airline tickets, using one of these cards could sharply increase the credit card points you earn.

Booking flights on any airline?

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold earns double points (2 Membership Rewards points per £1) when used to buy flights directly from an airline website.

The card comes with a sign-up bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards points. These would convert to 20,000 Avios or various other airline or hotel programmes. The standard earning rate is 1 point per £1.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Avios. Click here to apply.

You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

Buying flights on British Airways?

The British Airways Premium Plus American Express card earns double Avios (3 Avios per £1) when used at ba.com.

The card comes with a sign-up bonus of 30,000 Avios. The standard earning rate is 1.5 Avios per £1.

You do not earn bonus Avios if you pay for BA flights on the free British Airways American Express card or either of the Barclaycard Avios Mastercards.

You can apply here.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

Buying flights on Virgin Atlantic?

Both the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard and the annual fee Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard earn double Virgin Points when used at fly.virgin.com.

This means 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 on the free card and 3 Virgin Points per £1 on the paid card.

There is a sign-up bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points on the free card and 18,000 Virgin Points on the paid card.

You can apply for either of the cards here.

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review