SAS Inks Codeshare Deal with Delta After SkyTeam Entry
Delta and SAS will market each other's flights in a potential step toward SAS joining Delta and Air France-KLM’s transatlantic joint venture
Photo: Courtesy of Delta Air Lines
Just weeks after exiting bankruptcy with investment from Air France-KLM and joining SkyTeam, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has inked a codeshare agreement with fellow alliance member Delta Air Lines.
Starting today, Delta and SAS will operate and market flights with each other’s codes attached. That means you can purchase SAS flights through Delta’s website and vice versa.
Photo: Courtesy of SAS
The airlines note that Delta customers flying from North America will have access to 50 destinations in Northern Europe through SAS’s hubs, while SAS customers flying from Europe can connect to 150 destinations across North America through Delta’s hubs.
Currently, Delta flies its own planes to two out of three SAS hubs—Copenhagen (CPH) and Stockholm (ARN)—from New York (JFK), skipping Oslo (OSL).
Meanwhile, SAS flies to several Delta hubs: Boston (BOS), Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), and New York (JFK).
SAS to Seattle
The Scandinavian carrier also recently unveiled a new route to another Delta hub. Starting in May 2025, it will operate five weekly flights between Copenhagen and Seattle (SEA).
Photo: Sea-Tac Airport. Courtesy of The Port of Seattle.
Delta also noted that the codeshare agreement guarantees reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, allowing Delta SkyMiles and SAS EuroBonus members to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights. However, the airlines’ membership in the SkyTeam alliance also ensures this reciprocity.
“As part of Delta’s mission to connect people around the world, our new partnership with SAS will strengthen our presence in Northern Europe by offering customers improved access to destinations throughout Scandinavia and a better overall flying experience,” said Perry Cantarutti, Senior Vice President of Alliances at Delta.
Paul Verhagen, Chief Commercial Officer at SAS, added: “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Delta through this new codeshare agreement, enhancing travel options between Scandinavia and North America.”
Transatlantic Joint Venture in Sight?
The codeshare agreement could be a step toward SAS joining new owners Air France-KLM in the SkyTeam transatlantic joint venture alongside Delta and Virgin Atlantic.
Photo: Courtesy of Delta Air Lines
The closer partnership allows the airlines to coordinate fares and schedules and share revenue on certain routes. Because they’re effectively mergers in specific markets—in this case, transatlantic flights—joint ventures draw the scrutiny of regulators, which may act to strike them down to preserve competition.
Meanwhile, it’s been a busy month for post-bankruptcy SAS, which has also announced it will reintroduce business class on flights within Europe and increasingly focus on Copenhagen as its main hub and gateway to Europe, shifting away from its strategy of three hubs.
