SAS passengers will no longer have to carry their bags themselves – baggage check-in from international to domestic flights

SAS is now able to offer passengers the possibility to check in their baggage from international destinations to Swedish domestic destinations.In collaboration with the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration and Swedish Customs at Arlanda Airport, SAS is simplifying travel for customers flying on international flights to and domestic flights within Sweden.

“Customers with no goods to declare will not have to collect and carry their bags through customs themselves at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and then check in again to their final domestic destination,” says Peter Nilsson, Director Swedish Domestic Routes at SAS in Sweden.

From April 1 to June 1, 2009 the service will be tested in full and will be evaluated at the end of the period.

“Our aim with checking in baggage through to final destinations is to simplify travel for our customers. If our customers like this service, the test will become a permanent part of our travel offering,” says Peter Nilsson.

Already from April 1, SAS passengers departing from international destinations will be able to check their baggage through to one of the following final domestic destinations: Gothenburg/Landvetter, Kalmar, Kiruna, Luleå, Malmö, Ronneby, Sundsvall/ Härnösand, Umeå, Åre/Östersund and Ängelholm/Helsingborg.

Customers with goods to declare in their checked-in baggage will still have to clear these goods through customs at Arlanda. The same applies to customers travelling on international flights to Stockholm with animals in the hold. In these cases, baggage will be checked-in only to Arlanda and will appear on the belts at baggage reclaim in Terminal 5, just as before. Customers must declare their baggage and then proceed to Terminal 4.

Skellefteå Airport is not included in this test since the airport is not currently defined as an international airport under EU regulations. The certification process of Skellefteå Airport is underway.

The test encompasses SK-operated flights – SAS’s own flights.

For more information:
Peter Nilsson, Director Swedish Domestic Routes at SAS in Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)70 997 45 66.
Press Service at SAS in Sweden.
Tel: +46 (0)8- 797 33 30.