CPH SAS Scandinavian Check-in

Our 24 hour trek home.
CPH-FRA-ORD-SFO
SK to LH to CO
July 8, 2011

SK at CPH... quite possibly the most clueless airline ground employees I have ever encountered. With *A award seats at summer premium, terrible connecting options for our return forced me into a 75 minute SK to LH connection at FRA, and no FCT today. A mandatory 10:00a cruise dis-embarkment meant we arrived at CPH nearly 4 hours before our 1450 SK departure. Loads of check-in lice, but the good news is that the *A Gold/Business/First was wide open.

The bad news is that our agent was one of the most clueless agents I have dealt with in ages. Apparently LH First is not good enough for this line. "Are you Gold?" Um, yes. Also LH First. Thank you AC. Without my *G AC Elite card, we might still be in the lice queue, I give the SK agent our passports and tell her FRA-ORD-SFO. Yes, it certainly is going to be a long day. Everything seems fine until I notice our luggage tags say ORD. "Oh, good catch" she says. More tap-tapping. "This is strange, I can't seem to add your CO flight." A couple minutes later and she proudly proclaims success and produces baggage tags with CPH-FRA-ORD-SFO. "I had to uncheck you in for your LH so you will need to check in at FRA. It will be no problem. It happens all the time. Just go the transit center." On an F ticket, you must be joking.

I figure I've gone a far as I can with this moron, I'll just find the LH counter and get is sorted out. Oops, bad decision. Unfortunately there is no LH counter at CPH as SK handles LH. Back to the counter to talk to Miss Clueless who is currently on the phone processing four other Crystal pax (the umbrella is a dead giveaway and probably a minimum $100 post departure charge to your CC). While in line, the lone helpful CPH SK rep comes over to see if she can help. I explain that why am back at check in, adding that there is no way I am leaving without an LH BP since checking in at FRA won't work because we will miss the check-in cut-off. If my option is "bags to SFO or no LH check-in" or "bags to ORD and LH check-in", I want the ORD/LH option. This agent seems to have a clue and interrupts Ms. Clueless to find out what is going on. After a couple of minutes of animated chitchat and my twice reminding them that "I will miss the check-in cut off time even if we're on time", she motions me over to her podium and 60 seconds later I have my SK and LH BPs and my bags are still going to SFO. At this point, my CO BP for later tonight is irrelevant.

Priority SAS security was a breeze as we were the only two who turned left at the top of the escalator, The SAS lounge was immediately after priority security... it is spacious and two levels, but in need of an extreme makeover. LH First was again apparently not good enough for access to the Scandinavia Lounge so I had to show my *G card for access... but I'm not sure what the difference is between the two levels.