Navigate trough the years
WHAT'S THIS?
This year, SAS will celebrate 70 years as Scandinavians’ preferred airline. We’ll be bringing you stories and photos, video clips, stats, and much more throughout year as we relive the colorful history of SAS. We’ve been a part of a billion travel stories, many of them unforgettable. Do you have a memory or a photo to share? Please email us at sas70@scandinaviantraveler.com
What's this
THE FOUNDING FORTIES
Newly established SAS makes it big in the Big Apple, then quickly adds destinations in South America and Asia. More than 700 hopeful young women apply for 22 positions as stewardesses.
1940
THE EXPANSION YEARS
The beginning of SAS as we know it, a Scandinavian airline with domestic and international routes. The young airline becomes a favorite with Hollywood stars, thanks to a direct flight between Los Angeles and Scandinavia that passes over the North Pole.
1950
THE JET AGE
The first Caravelle jet is delivered in 1959, and in the early 1960s SAS adds DC-8 four-engine jets and then DC-9s to its fleet. SAS also becomes the first airline to have an in-flight entertainment system.
1960
WELCOME TO BUSINESS CLASS
Here comes the first Boeing 747, the jumbo jet, and now the DC-10. Oh, there’s also Scanorama, the in-flight magazine. Wait, are those new uniforms? Yes, they are – and they’re designed by Christian Dior.
1970
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR WITH FLYING COLORS
Hey, hey, it’s the Eighties and SAS becomes the businessman’s airline, with the best customer service on the planet. Is it any wonder that SAS wins both the Best Passenger Service and the Airline of the Year awards? Probably not.
1980
HELLO, EUROBONUS
The world changes, and airlines have to change with it. SAS and partners join forces to launch the Star Alliance, and SAS launches its EuroBonus loyalty program. It’s also the end of an era as SAS makes its last flight on the North Pole route. No need to feel blue, though – even if SAS makes blue its color.
1990
THE INTERNET ERA
This is when the world goes truly digital, but as a wise man once said, “The best accessory to the Internet is the 747.” We still need that human touch. SAS launches a new website and adds the ability to make bookings on a mobile phone.
2000
BACK TO THE FUTURE
As in the 1950s, SAS makes a bold push: “Go big or go home.” There’s the fresh cabin and new additions to the fleet. There’s the app, a new Scandinavian Traveler concept, smartwatches, and then some. Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.
The future
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