What would you do with a million airline miles? If you're Noel Philips, the answer is apparently: nothing — because they're completely useless. In his latest video, the British aviation YouTuber delivers a damning verdict on the SAS EuroBonus loyalty program after spending a staggering $16,000 flying every airline in the SkyTeam Alliance just to rack up the points — only to discover the rewards are essentially unredeemable. The video covers three legs all departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH): one on SAS Scandinavian Airlines, one on United Airlines, and one on KLM — a trio of flights that together paint a picture of a loyalty scheme that simply doesn't deliver.
The Million-Mile Hustle: A $16,000 Gamble That Didn't Pay Off
Philips doesn't mince words about the premise of this adventure. After completing his earlier challenge of flying every SkyTeam airline — documented in his December 2024 video "I Flew EVERY SkyTeam Airline to win 1 MILLION Air Miles" — the creator returned to the scene of the crime to confront the bitter truth about what those hard-won miles are actually worth.
I spent 16,000 dollars to win a million air miles by flying every airline in SkyTeam Alliance. The only thing is they're absolutely useless.
The core problem, as Philips explains, is structural: the SAS EuroBonus program does not work with any SkyTeam partners, making it extraordinarily difficult to redeem miles on partner airlines. For a traveller who specifically flew the entire alliance to accumulate points, this is a catastrophic design flaw. It marks the first time Philips has covered the EuroBonus loyalty program on his channel, and the verdict is not a warm welcome.
On the Ground and In the Air: Amsterdam Schiphol to Copenhagen
The flights themselves — all departing Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and arriving at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) — offer Philips plenty of material beyond the loyalty program disaster. At Schiphol, he notes the passport line was very long, though a short connection lane was available for those who knew where to look. It's a useful tip for anyone transiting through one of Europe's busiest hubs.
The SAS leg draws the sharpest criticism. The onboard lunch service — just ham and cheese — fell well short of what Philips expected from a business class product. For a carrier that once held genuine prestige in Scandinavian aviation, it's a deflating experience. Philips had previously covered SAS in timelapse videos from 2015 and 2016, but this is his first substantive review of the airline's product and loyalty offering in the modern era, and the airline does not come out well.
The onboard lunch service was just ham and cheese, which did not meet expectations for a business class flight.
The KLM leg, meanwhile, provides a moment of relief. Philips has a long history with the Dutch carrier — including a positive KLM Business Class to Canada review from 2021 — and the Amsterdam-Copenhagen hop doesn't disappoint by comparison. The United Airlines segment rounds out the trio; Philips has covered United extensively, including a 17-hour United flight just a year prior, so a short European hop is familiar territory.
Despite the frustrations in the air, the arrival into Denmark delivers a rare moment of wonder. Philips admits he was simply glad to still be awake to witness the breathtaking scenery of Denmark from the window — a reminder that even the most exasperating travel challenges can produce unexpected rewards.
The Verdict: A Loyalty Program That Fails Its Most Loyal Customers
Philips' overall assessment of SAS Scandinavian Airlines is blunt: a disappointing experience, with miles that are nearly useless for redemptions and catering that doesn't justify the business class fare. His tip for anyone stuck with EuroBonus points? Use them for business class on long-haul flights rather than trying to redeem through partner airlines — because that route is effectively a dead end.
The broader indictment falls on the SkyTeam Alliance itself. Philips has covered SkyTeam members extensively — from Garuda Indonesia's A330neo to Turkish Airlines' A350 — but the alliance's loyalty infrastructure, at least as experienced through EuroBonus, appears to be the weak link that undermines the entire enterprise. For frequent flyers considering a SkyTeam-focused points strategy, this video is essential viewing — and a cautionary tale about spending $16,000 to learn a very expensive lesson.
