Fly SAS business class to Europe with Rove miles for $5.60

Quick summary

Booking business-class flights to Europe using points and miles often involves a trade-off between high redemption rates or high surcharges.
The SAS EuroBonus program allows travelers to book lie-flat seats between North America and Europe for 60,000 points one-way with minimal taxes and fees, making it a standout option.
Award availability at the lowest rate is limited, so flexibility with travel dates is important for securing these seats.
Other loyalty programs offer similar or lower redemption rates but typically require much higher out-of-pocket costs in taxes, fees and surcharges.

What to consider

Award space at the lowest redemption level is limited and not available on all routes or dates, so searching flexible dates increases success.
Transfers to EuroBonus are irreversible and should only be made after confirming available award space.
Taxes and fees for return flights from Europe can be higher, with examples showing around $95 for a one-way trip back to the U.S.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed walkthrough of the SAS business-class experience, including lounge access, onboard amenities and specific booking strategies.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

There is no shortage of ways to redeem your points and miles for travel to Europe. With most flights being overnight, booking a lie-flat seat is an excellent way to ensure you arrive rested and refreshed on the continent.

Points and miles enthusiasts usually need to choose between paying high redemption rates or high surcharges. Programs like Delta SkyMiles charge just $5.60 in taxes and fees for business-class flights to Europe but expect up to 500,000 miles per person for flights as short as seven hours on peak dates.

Many European programs have much lower redemption rates, such as British Airways Club, which charges just 88,000 Avios for a one-way, off-peak flight to London from the Northeast. The trade-off is you will need to stump up almost $500 in taxes, fees and surcharges to BA.

So is there a better option?

The Scandinavian Airlines EuroBonus program charges just 60,000 EuroBonus points for a one-way, SAS-operated Business Bonus award between North America and Europe. The cherry on top? You'll need to pay just $5.60 in taxes and fees. Although this loyalty currency has traditionally been difficult to earn, thanks to the new Rove transfer option, you can fly to Europe for less than the price of a cup of coffee in taxes and fees by redeeming miles.

Here's how to do it and what my experience was like.

How to book lie-flat seats to Europe with Rove

SAS doesn't add carrier-imposed surcharges to awards on flights it operates, making SAS EuroBonus one of the best-value Rove transfer partners for business-class travel to Europe.

SAS flies nonstop to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) from the following U.S. gateways, although some routes are seasonal:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Dulles International Airport (IAD)

SAS also flies nonstop from Newark to Oslo Airport (OSL) and Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN).

Business Bonus seats at the fixed 60,000-point rate were strictly limited and were not available on every route or date I searched. When they were unavailable, SAS displayed regular fares that could be paid with points at a much higher rate, so flexible dates helped a lot.

Rove miles transfer to EuroBonus points at a 1:1 ratio, with a 2,000-mile minimum and transfers in increments of 100 miles. My transfer posted instantly, though Rove says transfers usually complete within one day.

Transfers can't be reversed, so the golden rule applies here: Find award space you're happy with before you move a single mile.

SAS award flights booked on the website must currently be reserved at least three days before departure. The SAS app allows closer-in bookings, but for reservations made within three days of departure, the EuroBonus member must be traveling.

Taxes and fees were higher on the way back. When I checked, a SAS business-class award from Copenhagen to the U.S. required about $95 one-way.

EuroBonus isn't the only option to redeem your Rove miles to fly to Europe. Other transfer partners can be used, but the combination of redemption rates plus taxes, fees and surcharges is not as attractive as EuroBonus:

Air Canada Aeroplan: Business class from New York and Boston to Germany and Switzerland costs 60,000 Aeroplan points one-way on Lufthansa and Swiss, with the cash portion around 79.50 Canadian dollars (about $57), including Aeroplan's partner booking fee of CA$39 (about $28) per ticket, making this the closest rival to SAS.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Restrictive business-class awards can be found starting at as little as 60,000 miles one-way on Air France and KLM (or select routes may be available for just 45,000 if included in the monthly Promo Rewards), but taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges from $336 are payable from the U.S. at time of publication.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: Business class to London started at 29,000 Virgin points one-way, though taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges can exceed $700 one-way.
Iberia Club: Rove doesn't transfer to Iberia directly, but you can send Rove miles to Qatar Airways Privilege Club or Finnair Plus and combine those Avios with an Iberia Club account; off-peak business class to Madrid start at 40,500 Avios one-way from Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., while Iberia's flights from Miami and Dallas price at 50,500 Avios with around 120 euros (about $134) in taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Lufthansa Miles & More: A one-way Lufthansa business-class award from New York to Frankfurt costs 87,526 miles plus a whopping $1,554 in taxes, fees and carrier-imposed surcharges.

Air France Skyteam Livery Paris CDG Boeing 777-300ER — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Everything I received for less than the price of an airport coffee

My journey to Europe began by purchasing a tall latte from Starbucks at ATL for $6.16, including Georgia sales tax, more than the taxes and fees I paid for my business-class flight.

I then used the Sky Priority check-in for my flight to Copenhagen, which allowed me to check two bags, each up to 70 pounds.

SAS business-class tickets to Europe include access to Delta Sky Club lounges. SAS departs from Concourse F, one of the two international concourses at Atlanta Airport, so I headed to the Sky Club in this concourse.

SAS A350 business class booked with EuroBonus miles — BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY

It featured an outdoor terrace, which was a great place for planespotting and soaking up the Georgia sunshine.

A kindly staff member who noticed my photo-taking gave me a tip that there was a newer and more luxurious Sky Club in Concourse D I could access on the same ticket. Since I still had several hours before my flight, I headed over there.

It was a big, bright room with floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides looking out over the airfield, and the green and teal decor was a nod to Atlanta's "City in a Forest" nickname.

Based on my visit, I would recommend heading to Concourse D if you have time; I preferred its newer, larger space.

There were plenty of hot and cold food options available, which is ideal for anyone heading to Europe and wanting to maximize their rest on their flight.

Despite being busy during the late afternoon and early evening, the bartenders happily served up sparkling wine, beers and soft drinks and well as whipping up cocktails and chatting to guests about their travel plans.

After taking advantage of priority boarding for business passengers, I boarded the SAS Airbus A350-900, which had 40 business-class seats in a 1-2-1 layout, so every passenger had direct aisle access.

The cabin had a calm, understated palette of charcoal gray seat shells with brushed silver trim and blue-flecked gray fabric, with a tan, leather-look panel lining each side console to warm it up.

The seats are staggered, and the window seats in even-numbered rows sit closer to the window, which makes them the ones to pick if you value privacy.

The bedding was already at my seat when I boarded, wrapped in plastic. It came from Dux, the Swedish bedmaker that was SAS's official comfort partner at the time, and included a gray and white pinstriped duvet and two pillows.

The amenity kit was a limited-edition one for SAS’s 80th anniversary. It came in a navy zip pouch with the airline’s 80 logo on the front. Inside was a matching navy eye mask, earplugs and a dental kit, plus lip balm and hand cream from Swedish skincare brand Muro Scents.

A pair of SAS-branded over-ear headphones hung on a hook in the side console. There was a universal power outlet and a USB port right next to it, and the seat itself was controlled from a touchscreen panel, including lumbar support.

I was more interested in sleep than cinema on my flight to Denmark, but the 18.5-inch touchscreen had a solid selection of recent releases, including "The Devil Wears Prada 2."

The drinks list was where SAS leans hardest into its Scandinavian roots.

Alongside Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne, there was a hazy IPA brewed by Danish brewery Mikkeller in collaboration with SAS; two SAS-exclusive spirits, Herno Old Tom Gin and High Coast whisky from Sweden; and a cocktail menu that included the SASmopolitan.

For my Atlanta departure, the menu had a definite Georgia flavor. The starter options were grilled peaches wrapped in prosciutto with mozzarella and balsamic pearls or seared ahi tuna. Main courses included smoked beef short rib with stone-ground grits from Georgia's Riverview Farms, a hot honey-glazed chicken thigh and goat cheese and apple ravioli.

I chose the ahi tuna, which was a light and fresh start to the meal, with a hearty slice of sourdough bread on the side.

For the main course, I went for the beef short rib, an indulgent and delicious option with super-tender beef and creamy grits.

With a fairly short flight time and a full stomach, I skipped dessert, reclined my seat fully flat and settled in for the night.

The crew set up a snack bar for business-class passengers who got hungry during the flight, but most focused on getting a good night's rest.

I slept right through breakfast (the crew had asked at dinner whether I wanted to be woken) and arrived refreshed and ready to explore the charming city of Copenhagen.

copenhagen — Copenhagen, Denmark. ALEXANDER SPATARI/GETTY IMAGES

Bottom line

After years of having to choose between high redemption rates and high surcharges, booking through SAS EuroBonus could be the ultimate sweet spot to Europe.

I've flown plenty of business-class products across the Atlantic, and SAS offered a very respectable experience on the A350 with friendly staff, direct aisle access, comfortable bedding and some fun Scandic touches.

Joining Rove costs nothing, and you can earn 1,500 bonus miles when you sign up through TPG's link. As an added bonus, new users can earn an additional 5,000 miles after making their first hotel booking of $500 or more with code "BRIANKELLY500".

I'd much rather pay $5.60 for a lie-flat seat to Europe than a cup of coffee. How about you?