A Family Christmas Trip to Germany

A Family Christmas Trip to Germany

Recently, I embarked on a short trip to Germany to visit my wife's family. Although the time was limited, I was thrilled—not only to fly with United, SAS, and easyJet but also to reconnect with loved ones.

A Memorable Journey

Over the past year, I've accumulated more than 800,000 SAS miles, and traveling back and forth across Europe with family has become a delightful routine. Both my wife and I lead busy lives, making our downtime incredibly precious. As our family grows and my wife's relatives in Germany age, I always strive to seize every opportunity to visit.

To be honest, I love flying in business class; there's nothing quite like being pampered during a flight. About a month before our trip, SAS released round-trip seats from Chicago O'Hare to Copenhagen in business class. I snagged a booking for just 50,000 miles each way (currently 60,000 miles), and children enjoyed a 50% discount. However, the flight schedule required me to depart on Christmas Eve and return on New Year's Day.

I also added a leg from Zurich to Copenhagen at no additional miles. Unfortunately, there were no seats available on Christmas Day from Copenhagen to Zurich or Frankfurt, so I had to purchase an EasyJet ticket for $95 for that leg.

Generous Baggage Policy

SAS has an incredibly generous baggage policy. As a SkyTeam Elite Plus (SAS Gold) flying in business class with my family, I could check in up to 10 bags for free—how amazing is that? However, since we already had clothes in Germany, our family only packed personal items: a duffel bag for me and a backpack for my wife and kids. There’s a humorous story from this SAS flight that I’ll share in my flight review.

Christmas Atmosphere in Germany

We spent most of Christmas Day in the SAS lounge, waiting for our flight. It was indeed an interesting Christmas, but also a cherished time that everyone enjoyed. In Germany, the week unfolded simply—long walks, ice cream, coffee breaks, and short naps to recharge. Time spent with family has never felt so invaluable.

Flight Itinerary

Here’s a list of the flights I took during this trip:

• United Airlines A321neo Economy Class Los Angeles – Chicago
• Air France Lounge Chicago (ORD)
• SAS A350 Business Class Chicago – Copenhagen
• SAS Lounge Copenhagen (CPH)
• easyJet A320 Copenhagen – Basel
• SAS A330 Business Class Zurich – Copenhagen
• SAS A350 Business Class Copenhagen – Chicago

I won’t mention the American Airlines flight from Chicago to Los Angeles here. I hope you enjoyed the experiences I shared! If there's anything specific you'd like me to focus on in future posts, feel free to let me know in the comments!