Until recently, I relied on my American Express (Amex) for credit card travel bonuses. However, Avinor has cancelled lounge access to Amex cardholders whose cards are not connected to Norwegian banks. While I got some compensation for the missed benefit, it’s clear that my Amex card is no longer providing the value it once did, and it’s time for a change.
Now, I’m exploring Norwegian credit card options to find the best fit for my needs, particularly for earning EuroBonus points with SAS or Cashpoints with Norwegian while minimising yearly fees. Looking at the table below I think that either Bank Norwegian Visa or Sas Euro Bonus Mastercard are the best options.
Comparing credit cards and their flight bonuses is complex. The various travel bonuses and the way you earn them are made to look like they provide a lot of value whilst it often isn’t. I will try to shed some light on this by first comparing how much it costs to earn the points, and secondly how much the points are worth when spending them.
Earning points
Points are earned depending on the credit card type and the type of purchase.
SAS Eurobonus Amex Creditcards
With SAS Amex Creditcards, you earn points at different rates depending on the type of purchase and the credit card. As Amex isn’t widely accepted in Europe, Amex would not be my first choice.
| Credit Card | Monthly Fee | NOK 100 Spent | Notable Benefits |
|---|
| SAS Amex Classic | NOK 0 | 10 EuroBonus points | Annual free card. Travel for half as many points in Europe, once a year (with a minimum spend of 100,000 p.y.). |
| SAS Amex Premium | NOK 135 | 15 EuroBonus points | 2-for-1 travel worldwide once a year, (with a minimum spend of 150,000 p.y.).travel insurance. |
| SAS Amex Elite | NOK 500 | 20 EuroBonus points | 2-for-1 travel worldwide twice a year (with a minimum spend of 150,000 p.y.), SAS Silver membership, travel insurance. |
SAS EuroBonus Mastercard
With SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard, you earn points at different rates depending on the type of purchase and the credit card. Mastercard is the most accepted credit card, and would therefore be my first choice.
| Credit Card | Monthly Fee | NOK 100 Spent | Benefits |
|---|
| Mastercard | NOK 39 | 10 EuroBonus points (1 EuroBonus = worth between 0.029 and 0.17 NOK) | 3 000 points welcome bonus. First-year half-price. |
| Mastercard Premium | NOK 195 | 15 EuroBonus points (1 EuroBonbus = worth between 0.029 and 0.17 NOK) | 10 000 points welcome bonus. Unlimited points earned. Fly Premium. Increase Level Points with SAS |
Bank Norwegian Creditcard
Bank Norwegian only offers one Visa credit card. Visa is widely accepted in Scandinavia and therefore a viable option.
| Credit Card | Monthly Fee | NOK 100 Spent | Benefits |
|---|
| Visa | NOK 0 | 0,5 (1 CashPoint = 1 NOK) | 3 % CashPoints on LowFare-Tickets 4 % CashPoints on LowFare+- Tickets 5 % CashPoints on Flex- Tickets |
Points worth
Points have different worth depending on how they are spent.
Bank Norwegian Visa
What I like about Bank Norwegian Visa is that it is straightforward about points worth. 1 CashPoint = 1 NOK.
Europbonus
Eurobonus points have an inconsistent value. They are worth between 0.003 EUR (0.035 NOK) and 0.015 EUR (0.17 NOK) per point, depending on how they’re redeemed. But keep in mind that the value of points is constantly changing, and airliners can suddenly change policies. For instance, up until recently, Norwegian Air limited the amount of points that could be used in a transaction.
Comparison
The difference in point worth makes comparing credit card value hard. I examine three scenarios per credit card to show when which card provides the most value. Where I assume a credit card spend of 10000 NOK per month. I did not take into account Amex to keep the table comprehendable.
| Card | Value per point | Monthly fee | Points earned | Monthly value |
| SAS Mastercard | 0.084 NOK Bad scenario, Point spent on flight within Europ. | 39 NOK | 1000 Points | (1000*0.084)-39= 45 NOK |
| SAS Mastercard | 0.14 NOK Average scenario, Point spent on a single inland flight | 39 NOK | 1000 Points | (1000*0.14)-39= 101 NOK |
| SAS Mastercard | 0.17 NOK Best Scenario, Point spent on double inland Flight | 39 NOK | 1000 Points | (1000*0.17)-39= 131 NOK |
| SAS Mastercard Premium | 0.084 NOK Bad scenario, Point spent on flight within Europ. | 195 NOK | 1500 Points | (1500*0.084)-195= -69 NOK |
| SAS Mastercard Premium | 0.14 NOK Average scenario, Point spent on a single inland flight | 195 NOK | 1500 Points | (1500*0.14)-195= 15 NOK |
| SAS Mastercard Premium | 0.17 NOK Best Scenario, Point spent on double inland Flight | 195 NOK | 1500 Points | (1500*0.17)-195= 60 NOK |
| Bank Norwegian Visa | Always 1 NOK | 0 NOK | 50 NOK | 50 NOK |
Conclusion
Both SAS Mastercards and Bank Norwegian Visa provide good value. I do not consider the Amex cards, as Amex is not widely accepted in Europe. Bank Norwegian has the most straightforward point system, with 1 point being worth 1 NOK. This is more complicated for EuroBonus, where the value of a point can vary between 0.084 and 0.17 NOK or even less. But if points are well spent, SAS provides more value per crown spent with the credit card. With a potential monthly value of 131 NOK compared to 50 NOK when spending 10.000 NOK per month with the credit card.
Whether the regular MasterCard or the MasterCard premium is the best pick, depends on how much one spends with the credit card, as the premium card provides more BonusPoints per crown spend. The 10.000 point welcome bonus is a nice addition to the premium credit card. But so is the first-year half-price offer for the regular Mastercard. My advice would be to start with the regular MasterCard and upgrade if you exceed the yearly limit of 20.000 bonus points.
All in all, it is hard to say which credit card provides the best value, as a lot depends on personal circumstances and preferences. SAS Eurobonus can potentially provide more value, but this does require more effort in finding the best deals. If you prefer Norwegian and its straightforward saving program, I would recommend the Bank Norwegian Card. If not, consider one of the SAS MasterCards.
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