Scandic Friends: The Complete Guide to Earning Points and Status
Everything you need to know about Scandic Friends, the loyalty program for the Nordics' biggest hotel chain. Seven tiers, SAS EuroBonus status matching, and points on every stay.
Scandic Hotels is the largest hotel chain in the Nordics with over 280 properties across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Poland. Their loyalty program, Scandic Friends, is free to join and has one of the more interesting tier structures out there: seven levels, from "New Friend" all the way up to "Best Friend."
But the real reason this program is worth knowing about, especially if you follow this blog, is the partnership with SAS EuroBonus. The two programs are deeply integrated. You can link accounts, transfer points in both directions, and even match status between them. If you've been collecting SAS EuroBonus points through Mag Miles, your Scandic Friends journey just got a lot more interesting.
The Seven Tiers
Scandic Friends has a "friendship" themed tier system. You move up by earning points during your membership year (a 12-month cycle starting from the date you join).
| Level | Tier Name | Points Required | Key Perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Friend | 0 (automatic) | 10% food discount on weekends, member-only rates |
| 2 | Good Friend | 5,000 | 15% food discount on weekends |
| 3 | Close Friend | 10,000 | Late checkout (1 hour), restaurant voucher (€5/night) |
| 4 | Dear Friend | 25,000 | Early check-in, 25% point boost, restaurant voucher (€7.50/night) |
| 5 | Loyal Friend | 100,000 | Room upgrade priority, 2-for-1 breakfast, restaurant voucher (€10/night) |
| 6 | True Friend | 250,000 | 50% point boost, free breakfast, 48-hour room guarantee, restaurant voucher (€15/night) |
| 7 | Best Friend | 400,000 | All Level 6 perks + yearly surprise gift, kids boost gift, restaurant voucher (€20/night) |
A few things worth noting. Once you reach a level, you keep it for the rest of your current membership year plus the next full year. And if you don't re-qualify, you can only drop one level per year, so the fall is gradual rather than sudden.
The restaurant voucher is a nice touch. From Level 3 onwards, you get a voucher per qualifying night that you can use at the hotel restaurant. At the top tiers, that's €15-20 per night, which adds up on multi-night stays.
How You Earn Points
Points are earned on spending at Scandic Hotels (excluding VAT). The earn rate depends on your tier and the currency you're paying in.
| Tier | Per 1 EUR | Per 1 SEK/NOK/DKK | Per 1 PLN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1-3 | 20 points | 2 points | 6 points |
| Level 4-5 | 25 points | 2.5 points | 7.5 points |
| Level 6-7 | 30 points | 3 points | 9 points |
On top of these base rates, Level 4-5 members get a 25% friendship point boost, and Level 6-7 members get 50%. So the effective earning rate at the top tiers is significantly higher.
You earn points on three things: the room cost, dining charged to your room, and hotel extras added when booking through the website.
One important detail: points from the Scandic Friends Mastercard and partner activities don't count toward tier qualification. Only points from stays, dining, and hotel extras push you up the levels.
The SAS EuroBonus Partnership
This is where Scandic Friends gets really interesting for anyone in the miles and points world. The partnership with SAS EuroBonus goes beyond a simple "earn miles on stays" arrangement.
Account linking. You link your Scandic Friends and SAS EuroBonus accounts (both must be at least 30 days old). Once linked, three things unlock: point transfers, status matching, and earning EuroBonus points on stays.
Point transfers. You can move points between the two programs at a 2:1 ratio. 2 Scandic Friends points convert to 1 EuroBonus point, and 1 EuroBonus point converts to 2 Scandic Friends points. Transfers are free, instant (a few minutes), and there's no minimum. Only even numbers of SF points can transfer to EuroBonus. And only EuroBonus Bonus points (not Level points) can go the other way.
Status matching. This is bidirectional, and it's genuinely useful:
| Scandic Friends Level | Matches To | SAS EuroBonus Tier | Matches To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 4 (Dear Friend) | SAS Silver | Silver | Level 4 (Dear Friend) |
| Level 5 (Loyal Friend) | SAS Gold | Gold | Level 5 (Loyal Friend) |
| Level 6 (True Friend) | SAS Diamond | Diamond | Level 6 (True Friend) |
| Level 7 (Best Friend) | SAS Diamond |
The catch: you need to have earned your level, not received it through a match. So you can't bounce a status match back and forth. But if you're a frequent Scandic guest and you've earned Level 4+, you get SAS status automatically, which means Star Alliance lounge access and all the usual airline perks.
EuroBonus earning on stays. When your accounts are linked, you earn 70 EuroBonus Bonus points + 35 Level points per 100 SEK/NOK/DKK (or 10 EUR, or 33 PLN) spent at Scandic. You can earn these alongside your Scandic Friends points.
Partners Beyond SAS
Finnair Plus: Earn 350 Avios per qualifying night at any Scandic hotel. You can earn Avios and Scandic Friends points on the same stay.
Miles & More: 250 miles per qualifying night, but only at Scandic hotels in Germany and Poland. You have to choose between miles or SF points for that stay.
Other partners include SJ (Swedish Railways), TUI, Wasaline ferries, Europcar, and several entertainment venues across the Nordics.
Points Expiry
Scandic Friends points expire 3 years from the month they were earned. You'll get email notifications as points approach expiry, and you can check expiry dates in your account. One option to extend value: convert expiring SF points into EuroBonus points through the partnership.
Who Is This Program For?
If you travel to the Nordics regularly, whether for business or tourism, Scandic Friends is worth joining even if you only stay a few nights a year. The member-only rates often beat public pricing, and the food discounts add up.
If you're building SAS EuroBonus status or points, the status matching and point conversion make Scandic Friends a complementary program. Earn hotel status and airline status from the same stays.
For how to actually spend your Scandic Friends points, including reward night pricing across all 265 hotels and the best value redemptions, check out our Scandic Friends redemption guide.
