SAS Online Check-In and Boarding Pass

For most SAS flights, check-in opens 30 hours before departure. On flights within Scandinavia and Europe, it closes 60 minutes before departure, at the same time as baggage drop.

Long-haul destinations follow different deadlines. According to the airline's published information, check-in and baggage drop close 90 minutes before departure to Asia and North America in Economy and Premium, and 60 minutes before in Business. From Greenland, check-in also closes 60 minutes before departure. If your trip was booked through a tour operator, other deadlines may apply: check the exact time on your booking.

The time that counts is the one shown for your flight in the SAS app or on the airport screens. Plan to be checked in well ahead of the deadline: once it passes, the counter can no longer accept you.

Online check-in is done on the SAS website, on the dedicated page, by entering your booking reference and last name.

The SAS app offers the same process and keeps your boarding pass, the group-by-group boarding tracker and your baggage receipt. It isn't mandatory: a paper boarding pass issued at the counter or a kiosk remains valid.

At the airport, SAS relies on self-service baggage drop, where you print your own bag tag before scanning your suitcase at the drop-off point.

One detail worth knowing: on SAS, your seat is assigned at check-in. A change requested at the gate isn't always possible, but the gate agent can check whether other seats are available.

Online check-in gives you a digital boarding pass, which shows your boarding group among other things (groups 1, 2, 3, and so on). Boarding is generally done group by group, depending on ticket type, travel class or loyalty status; priority boarding depends on the fare type or your EuroBonus membership level.

The gate agent announces when boarding begins, and you can follow progress in the SAS app or on the gate screens. SAS recommends staying seated until your group is called.

As for documents, SAS asks travellers to present your passport or ID for international flights; a boarding pass is generally sufficient for domestic flights.

Travellers who need extra assistance and families with young children may be invited to board early; let an agent know about your assistance needs in advance.

Checked baggage drop-off closes at the same time as check-in, meaning 60 minutes before departure on flights within Scandinavia and Europe, and earlier on long-haul flights in Economy and Premium.

At self-service drop points, you print the tag, attach it to your suitcase and scan the bag at the drop-off point. The tag's three small stickers go on the sides of the bag to help track it, and the baggage receipt should be kept (it also appears in the SAS app). A new bag tag cannot be printed at a self-service kiosk: you'll need to go to the SAS counter, where an agent can help.

SAS recommends arriving at least 2 hours before departure, especially during peak periods such as holidays, and 3 hours for travel to or from a destination outside Europe. Your cabin and checked baggage allowance depends on your ticket: check what's included in your fare before you travel.

When online check-in doesn't go through, your flight isn't at risk: check-in can still be completed at the SAS counter, as long as you arrive with plenty of time before the cut-off for your destination.

Two situations deserve attention. A trip booked through a tour operator may follow different deadlines than those published by the airline. And if you arrive after the boarding cut-off time, you may not be allowed to board, since gates must close on time to guarantee an on-time departure: leave enough time to reach the gate after security checks.

Travellers who would rather not handle it themselves can have their online check-in done by iBoardingPass, which carries it out as soon as SAS check-in opens and sends the boarding pass by email.

SAS is a member of the SkyTeam alliance. If your itinerary combines several carriers, check-in is usually done with the airline operating each segment, each with its own opening and closing times.

A few benchmarks from other alliance members: Air France check-in times, Delta Air Lines check-in, Air Europa boarding pass, China Airlines check-in and Aeroméxico's rules.