SAS launches new travel concept for children

SAS launches new travel concept for children SAS is launching a series of innovations for younger passengers as part of a major service restructuring. The aim is to keep children occupied, and so give both them and their grown-up escorts as pleasant a journey as possible. Target ages range from 0 to 12 years. New ideas such as playrooms or play corners are already available on the ground at many airports, and there are also regular childrens' events such as performances of various types. The SAS home page on the Internet is opening a special childrens' site where it will be possible, among other things, to play computer games interactively, or to send postcards. Brochures will be available at airports and booking offices, describing what SAS has to offer children and those who travel with them, how children travelling alone will be cared for, what is offered as standard, and what can be booked in advance (special diet, sleeping bags, etc). Special baggage tags and new bags for children travelling alone have been created, and eventually special childrens' check-ins may become available. Parents of the smallest children will be able to borrow baby carriages at airports. Once in the air, newly developed menus will be on offer, including childrens' favourites such as pasta, chicken, burgers, and pancakes. To keep children occupied, there will be a complete new range of toys and games aimed at various age groups: picture books, drawing books, plastic toy figures, pacifiers, crayons, puzzles, and so on. Children travelling long-haul with SAS will receive special flight bags containing playthings and magazines. These packs will come in two groups, for 3 - 7 years olds, or 8 to 12s. 'About 1 million children aged up to 12 travel with SAS each year, and this is the group we want to look after', explains Erik Strand, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales of SAS. 'So it will be good to be able to provide the most carefully prepared childrens' service SAS has ever offered' 'The child travel concept will be implemented in annual modules, which means we will be able to improve continuously in response to passenger demand', he continues. SAS for children will be symbolised by 'Ole', a little figure who will pop up here, there, and everywhere SAS is represented. Ole is the childrens' friend, and the tale of how he came into the world is told in a storybook which is distributed to children travelling with SAS. Ole will be the main thread leading through the novelties SAS is now offering children. He appears in various forms on everything from baggage tags to games and other play items. He will also be conspicuous in connection with activities for children at airports and at childrens' events with which SAS is in any way involved. SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/31/20030731BIT00570/wkr0001.DOC http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/31/20030731BIT00570/wkr0002.pdf