While you used to be able to use cash points no matter what the flight tickets cost, restrictions have now been introduced.
– This is due to the financial reconstruction the company has been through, says Eline Hyggen Skari, communications consultant at Norwegian, to Nettavisen.
Members of Norwegian’s benefits program receive cash points every time they buy airline tickets, and if you have a Bank Norwegian card, you also get cash points every time you shop. These points can be used, among other things, to buy airline tickets.
One cash point is equal to one kroner, so previously you could get a free flight if you ticket cost, for example, 499 kroner and you had saved up 499 cash points. It is no longer possible.
Now you have to buy tickets for at least 1000 kroner to pay with cash points, and if the ticket costs up to 1999 kroner, you can use a maximum of 500 points.
– It is a temporary change that will last until the company is more back to normal, Skari points out.
– Has reason to be dissatisfied
Kaspar Synnevåg has previously been a Norwegian Reward customer, and knows how it has been before. Now, however, he and Henrik Hylland Uhlving are working on a project where they will try to travel as far as possible with euro bonus points with SAS, and share experiences in the podcast «Klassereisen».
– I do not experience that SAS has made similar changes as Norwegian during the pandemic. It is rather the opposite, he says to Nettavisen.
Also read: Responds to Norwegian’s cash points withdrawals: – Desperate hunt for money
Synnevåg points out that SAS has made positive moves for customers during the corona pandemic. Among other things, the company has extended the status of those who are silver, gold or diamond members, even though they have not actually traveled enough to be able to retain the status.
– It is probably only Norwegian that is stubborn here. This does not sound very good, but they must do it since they have struggled so much financially, he says, and refers to the change in the use of cash points.
Synnevåg believes, however, that Norwegian should be careful about making such moves if they want to maintain the position and trust from the customers they have had. He points out that the airline has won several nominations to have the best benefit program.
– Customers have reason to be dissatisfied, because they get less value for the points than when they signed up for the benefit program, he says.
– Challenging to use up the points
Thomas Iversen, senior legal adviser in the Consumer Council, says that they understand that Norwegian is introducing this temporary change in a start-up phase. At the same time, they hope the airline will return to normal operations soon.
– These are values the customers have saved up. Now that Norwegian has significantly reduced its travel offer, and in practice only flies in the Nordic region, it can be challenging to use up its points, he says to Nettavisen, and points out:
– A good part of the trips to Norwegian are very affordable, and there are no signs that prices will increase when there is more competition in the aviation industry.
Iversen points to that newly started airline Flyr, in addition to the established companies Sas and Widerøe.
– Norwegian is allowed to make the change using cashpoints, but we expect them to take a foot in the ground relatively quickly and consider reopening to normal operation, he says.
Also read: Norwegian customers suddenly had zero cash points: Now the airline explains the reason
Challenging period
The corona pandemic has been challenging for the aviation industry. Pilots have been laid off or lost their jobs, a number of planes have been grounded at times, the number of passengers and flights has plummeted, and the economy has become difficult. For Norwegian’s part, they have had to go through a reconstruction, to avoid going bankrupt.
– We were very happy when we finished the reconstruction at the end of May, and again were able to offer customers to use cash points. We fought to preserve the Reward program, and are very concerned about being able to continue to offer a benefits program that we are proud of that customers value very highly, says Skari.
From 1 February to the end of May, Norwegian paused the opportunity for earning and using cash points, but has now reopened – with restrictions.
– Our goal is to open up for customers to use the bonus points again as before when the company is back to a more normal operation, says Skari.
Same terms as before
Unlike Norwegian, SAS has not set any restrictions on the use of points to pay for travel as a result of the pandemic.
– SAS Eurobonus exists on the same terms as before the crisis, he says to Nettavisen.
However, the company has temporarily taken extraordinary measures for its members as a result of the travel restrictions. The current membership level has been extended by 12 months for members with a qualification period up to and including August 2021, as Synnevåg also mentioned.
In addition, SAS Eurobonus has opened up the possibility of buying points, so that everyone has been able to extend their card status by at least one year despite few trips in the last year and a half.
– Earlier this winter, SAS also offered members to book this summer’s point trips with a 30 percent discount. In practice, this gives outgoing points corresponding to a higher value, says Eckhoff.
At the same time, members received four times higher status earnings for each trip with SAS or Widerøe in the period April to June.
Eckhoff points out that a point price change has been made in two regions in the Star Alliance collaboration, but the point prices for SAS and the other 12 Star Alliance regions are unchanged.
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