Understand and manage SAS Airlines integration
SAS Airlines integration allows your property to:
Award SAS airline miles to guests in addition to credits earned in your primary loyalty program.
Automatically transmit earned miles to SAS Airlines for posting to guests' airline accounts.
Track earning activity and transmission status within the CRM.
Configure property-specific earning rules that determine when and how miles are awarded.
SAS Airlines is a leading Scandinavian carrier and member of the Star Alliance network. When configured as an additional membership program, the CRM evaluates guest stay activity against your defined earning rules and transmits miles directly to SAS Airlines. Miles earned remain separate from your primary loyalty program and are not redeemable through SHR systems.
How additional membership programs work
Additional membership programs like SAS Airlines function alongside your primary loyalty program. When a guest completes a qualifying stay:
The CRM evaluates the stay against earning rules configured for both your primary program and SAS Airlines.
The guest earns credits in your primary program, which they can redeem through your loyalty system.
The guest simultaneously earns airline miles, transmitted to SAS Airlines and visible in their airline account.
Both earning activities are tracked separately in the CRM.
Airline miles are managed entirely by the airline partner. Your property does not handle mile redemption. Guests redeem airline miles directly through the airline's systems.
Key characteristics
Outlined below are key characteristics of SAS Airlines integration.
Separate from primary program – Airline miles and primary loyalty credits are tracked independently. Guests accumulate both simultaneously.
Direct transmission to SAS – Miles earned through stays are sent directly to SAS Airlines for posting to the guest's airline account.
Property-level control – Earning rules can be configured at the property level to align with business goals and partnership agreements.
No redemption through SHR – Airline miles are redeemed through SAS Airlines systems, not through the CRM or guest portal.
Batch transmission tracking – The CRM records each transmission batch, including success status and any failures requiring review.
Profile-level visibility – Individual guest profiles display airline earning activity under the Earning tab for reference.
Before you start
Outlined below are important factors to know before configuring SAS Airlines integration.
Coordination required – Setup requires coordination between your property, the SHR team, and SAS Airlines to establish authentication credentials and connection details.
Client-wide configuration – The integration applies to all properties within your CRM instance. Individual properties cannot opt in or out once configured.
Prerequisites established by SHR – Authentication credentials such as security token, client ID, client secret, resource value and subscription key are obtained through coordination with SHR and SAS Airlines teams.
Earning rules must exist – Loyalty earning rules specific to SAS Airlines must be created and activated before miles can be transmitted.
Guest membership numbers required – Guests must provide their SAS Airlines membership number when enrolling or updating their profile. Without a valid airline member number, miles cannot be transmitted.
📌Note: To begin using this integration, contact the SHR support team.
Verify loyalty earning rules
SAS Airlines miles are awarded based on loyalty earning rules configured in the CRM. Verify that earning rules exist and are active before transmitting miles.
Review existing earning rules
Review existing earning rules by following the steps below:
From the left navigation menu, click Loyalty Setup.
Click Loyalty Earning Rule Setup.
Locate earning rules designated for SAS Airlines:
Rules should specify the program code matching SAS Airlines configuration.
Rules determine when and how many miles are awarded for example miles per dollar spent and miles per night stayed.
Verify that rules are marked as Active.
Create new earning rules
Create new earning rules if needed by following the steps below:
From the left navigation menu, click Loyalty Setup.
Click Loyalty Earning Rule Setup.
Click Add New Rule.
Configure the rule to specify:
When miles should be awarded for example at checkout or after stay completion.
How many miles are awarded for example 500 miles per night or 1 mile per dollar spent.
Which program receives the miles, select SAS Airlines program code.
Which properties the rule applies to.
Set the rule status to Active.
Click Save.
How miles are transmitted to SAS Airlines
Once configuration is complete, the CRM automatically processes airline mile transmission:
Evaluation – When a guest completes a qualifying stay, the CRM evaluates the activity against all active earning rules, including rules designated for SAS Airlines.
Calculation – Miles earned are calculated based on the earning rule criteria for example room revenue, nights stayed or total spend.
Batch creation – Earned miles are grouped into transmission batches along with the guest's SAS Airlines membership number.
API transmission – The CRM transmits the batch to SAS Airlines via the configured API endpoint, authenticating with the credentials provided during setup.
Status recording – The CRM records the transmission status for each batch, including:
Successful transmissions or miles posted to SAS Airlines.
Failed transmissions requiring review.
A resend option for failed records.
Profile update – Earning activity is recorded in the guest's profile under the earning tab for reference.
Transmission occurs automatically based on the earning rule trigger, this is typically at checkout or when the reservation status changes to checked-out.
View earning activity on guest profiles
Follow the steps below to view airline earning activity for individual guests.
From the left navigation menu, click Profile Management.
Click Profiles.
Search for and select the guest profile.
Click the Earning tab.
Review earning records:
Earning records for the primary loyalty program display with credit amounts.
Earning records for SAS Airlines display with miles awarded.
Each record includes the date, transaction type, and program.
Verify that SAS Airlines miles were successfully transmitted by checking the status column.
Manage ongoing operations
Outlined below are best practices for managing SAS Airlines integration over time.
Update earning rules as needed – Modify earning rules to align with business goals or changes in the SAS Airlines partnership agreement.
Verify guest membership numbers – Encourage guests to provide accurate SAS Airlines membership numbers during enrollment to prevent transmission failures.
Coordinate with SHR for updates – If you experience issues with mile transmission or need to modify configuration settings, contact the SHR support team.
Monitor earning rule performance – Review earning activity reports to ensure rules are functioning as intended and guests are receiving appropriate mile awards.
Frequently asked questions
Outlined below are frequently asked questions about SAS Airlines integration.
What happens if a guest does not provide their SAS Airlines membership number?
If a guest does not have an airline membership number in their profile, the CRM cannot transmit miles to SAS Airlines. The earning activity is recorded in the CRM but will not be sent to the airline. Encourage guests to provide their airline membership numbers during enrollment or profile updates.
Can guests redeem SAS Airlines miles through the CRM or guest portal?
No. Airline miles earned through the SAS Airlines program are redeemed directly through SAS Airlines systems, not through SHR CRM or the guest loyalty portal. The CRM only facilitates earning and transmission of miles.
How long does it take for miles to appear in a guest's SAS Airlines account?
Transmission timing depends on when the earning rule is triggered, typically at checkout. Once transmitted, SAS Airlines processes the miles according to their internal timelines. Contact SAS Airlines directly for specific posting timelines.
Can earning rules be configured differently for different properties?
Yes. Earning rules can be configured at the property level, allowing different properties to award miles based on their specific partnership agreements or business goals. Configure rules during setup or modify them later as needed.
What should I do if a guest reports missing airline miles?
If a guest indicates their miles have not posted to their SAS Airlines account, verify the following:
The guest's SAS Airlines membership number is correctly entered in their CRM profile.
The stay was completed and the reservation status changed to checked-out.
The earning rule for SAS Airlines was active at the time of checkout.
If all information appears correct, contact the SHR support team to investigate the transmission status.
Can I add additional airline partners beyond SAS Airlines?
SAS Airlines is currently the only airline integration available in the CRM. If you are interested in integrating with a different airline partner, contact your account manager to discuss feasibility and costs. Additional airline integrations would require a custom project and partnership coordination with the airline.
Is there any validation on the SAS airline number or status when a guest enters it into the CRM?
No. The CRM does not validate SAS Airlines membership numbers or member status when guests enter their airline information. The membership number is transmitted to SAS Airlines as provided, and SAS Airlines performs validation on their side. If the number is invalid or the member status does not allow mile accrual, SAS Airlines will handle the rejection according to their business rules.
Are airline miles separate from primary loyalty credits?
Yes. Airline miles are tracked separately from your primary loyalty program credits. Guests accumulate both simultaneously based on stay activity, but miles and credits are managed independently.