Did SAS leave Star Alliance, and does that change the Wallet pass?

SAS left Star Alliance on 31 August 2024 and joined SkyTeam on 1 September 2024, but the alliance change does not affect how the boarding pass works. The Wallet pass still carries the same IATA-standard 2D barcode any gate scanner reads. The EuroBonus number stored on the pass now earns and counts toward SkyTeam status.

Can I add a Finnair Plus or EuroBonus loyalty card to Apple Wallet too?

Yes. Finnair lets the Finnair Plus card be added to Apple Wallet from the app, so the Avios balance and membership number sit one tap away. SAS EuroBonus and Norwegian Reward details travel on the boarding pass itself when the account is linked to the booking.

Does the Wallet boarding pass work offline at the gate?

Yes. Once a boarding pass is added to Apple Wallet, it works in airplane mode and on weak networks because the barcode is stored on the device. A boarding pass opened directly inside an airline app may still ask for a connection, which is why the Wallet copy is the more reliable option at the gate.

What if my booking only sends a PDF and no Add to Apple Wallet button?

Bookings made through corporate tools, travel agents, or third-party portals sometimes skip the airline's Wallet handover and just send a PDF e-ticket. The PDF still carries the same Aztec or QR barcode the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass reads that barcode from a screenshot or PDF and creates a Wallet pass with identical barcode data, with the original kept as a backup.

SAS, Norwegian, Finnair: Apple Wallet Boarding Pass

Q: Do SAS, Norwegian, and Finnair all support Apple Wallet boarding passes?

Yes. All three Nordic carriers issue mobile boarding passes from their iOS apps and offer an Add to Apple Wallet button after online check-in. SAS lets travelers check in from 22 hours before departure and add the pass to Wallet, Finnair documents the Wallet option on its mobile boarding pass help pages, and the Norwegian Travel Assistant app supports Wallet passes once check-in is complete.

SAS, Norwegian, and Finnair all support Apple Wallet boarding passes through their iOS apps. The flows are similar but each has its own quirks: SAS opens check-in 22 hours before departure and recently switched alliances, the Norwegian Travel Assistant app has had a few Wallet hiccups across versions, and Finnair has supported Apple Wallet passes since the Passbook era.

This guide walks through the native flow for each carrier, explains where the policies differ, and covers the PDF fallback for bookings that arrive without an Add to Apple Wallet button.

SAS Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

The SAS Scandinavian Airlines iOS app puts boarding passes into Apple Wallet directly after online check-in. Check-in opens 22 hours before departure, and the digital boarding pass can be added to Wallet so it works offline once stored on the device.

SAS joined SkyTeam in September 2024

SAS left Star Alliance on 31 August 2024 and joined SkyTeam on 1 September 2024 after Air France-KLM took a stake in the airline. The alliance change does not affect how the boarding pass works in Wallet. The EuroBonus number stored on the pass now earns toward SkyTeam status, while the same IATA-standard barcode keeps working at every gate.

The native Add to Apple Wallet flow inside the SAS app is the cleanest path for most travelers.

Install the SAS app

Download SAS Scandinavian Airlines from the App Store and sign in with the EuroBonus account that holds the booking. Bookings without an account can be linked using the booking reference and last name.

Check in from 22 hours before departure

Open the trip and complete online check-in once the window opens 22 hours before departure. Confirm passport or travel document details if prompted, and the boarding pass screen appears.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the boarding pass screen, tap Add to Apple Wallet. iOS opens Wallet with a preview. Tap Add in the top-right corner to store the pass on the device.

Repeat for each passenger

Multi-passenger bookings need one Add to Apple Wallet tap per traveler from each passenger's own boarding pass screen. AirDrop or iMessage works for sending passes to other phones.

Norwegian Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

The Norwegian Travel Assistant app handles online check-in and the mobile boarding pass. Once check-in is complete, the boarding pass screen offers an Add to Apple Wallet option so the barcode is stored on the device for the airport.

Install the Norwegian Travel Assistant app

Download Norwegian Travel Assistant from the App Store. A Norwegian Reward login keeps CashPoints, bookings, and trip details together and speeds up check-in.

Check in and open the boarding pass

Use the app's check-in flow when it opens, then open the trip to reach the mobile boarding pass. The barcode and the Add to Apple Wallet option appear on the boarding pass screen.

Add to Apple Wallet

Tap Add to Apple Wallet on the boarding pass screen. The pass opens in Wallet with a preview. Tap Add to confirm and the barcode is stored for offline use.

Verify each passenger

Confirm that every traveler in the booking has a pass in Wallet. If a pass does not add, update the app to the latest version and retry from that passenger's boarding pass screen.

Update the app if the Wallet button misbehaves

Some Norwegian Travel Assistant app reviews report trouble saving passes to Apple Wallet on certain versions. If the Add to Apple Wallet option does not respond, update the app, restart it, and reopen the boarding pass. As a fallback, the boarding pass PDF from the check-in email can be turned into a Wallet pass using the method further down this guide.

Finnair Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

Finnair has offered Apple Wallet boarding passes since the Passbook era, and the support has carried through every app version since. The Finnair iOS app handles check-in, the mobile boarding pass, and the Add to Apple Wallet handover. The Finnair Plus loyalty card can also be added to Wallet to show the Avios balance and membership number.

Install the Finnair app

Download Finnair from the App Store and sign in with the Finnair Plus account that holds the booking. Bookings without an account can be linked using the booking reference and surname.

Check in inside the app

Open the booking, complete online check-in, pick a seat if not already assigned, and confirm travel document details. The mobile boarding pass appears on the trip screen.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the boarding pass screen, tap Add to Apple Wallet. The pass is signed by Finnair and opens in Wallet with a preview before being added to the device.

Optionally add the Finnair Plus card

From the loyalty section of the app, the Finnair Plus membership card can also be added to Wallet so the Avios balance and membership number stay one tap away during travel.

Once added, the pass surfaces through a lock screen widget as departure or boarding approaches, which puts the barcode a double-tap away without opening any app.

What All Three Wallet Passes Carry

Across SAS, Norwegian, and Finnair, the Wallet pass holds the same information airport scanners need.

Flight and seat details

Flight number, route, departure time, gate, seat, and boarding zone where assigned

Standard 2D barcode

IATA-format Aztec or QR barcode that matches the airline's printed boarding pass for the same booking

Passenger and frequent flyer reference

Name as booked, plus EuroBonus, Norwegian Reward, or Finnair Plus number when linked to the booking

Boarding group and class

Cabin and boarding group as assigned by the airline, the same indicator a printed pass would carry

Where the Three Carriers Differ

The mobile pass works similarly across all three airlines, but a few practical differences matter at the airport.

Mobile boarding pass accepted

SAS flights across the Nordic and European network where mobile passes are supported, from 22 hours before departure
Norwegian flights where the Travel Assistant app issues a mobile boarding pass after check-in
Finnair flights from Helsinki and most international destinations where mobile passes are accepted
Codeshare and partner-operated flights where the operating airline accepts mobile passes

May still need a printed pass

Passengers with infants, unaccompanied minors, or special assistance on any of the three carriers
Some non-hub or regional airports that have not enabled mobile pass scanning
Last-minute changes that require an agent to re-issue the boarding pass at the airport desk
Codeshare segments where the partner airline issues the pass in a different format

Backup the pass before the airport

Phones run out of battery, apps crash, and a few regional gates still struggle with dim screens. A screenshot of the boarding pass, kept in the photo library, removes a stress point. Apple Wallet itself works offline once the pass is added, so airplane mode at the gate is not the issue.

Need a Wallet pass from a Nordic carrier PDF?

NeatPass makes it easy to convert any ticket, pass, or loyalty card to Apple Wallet.

Try NeatPass Free

When Only a PDF Arrives in the Inbox

Bookings made through corporate travel tools, online travel agents, or third-party portals sometimes drop the airline's Wallet handover and just send a PDF e-ticket or a check-in confirmation with the boarding pass attached.

The barcode on that PDF is the same Aztec or QR code the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass reads the barcode from a PDF or screenshot and creates a native Wallet pass with identical barcode data.

Save the PDF on the iPhone

Open the airline email and save the boarding pass PDF, or screenshot the page that shows the barcode. Make sure no edge of the barcode is cropped.

Open NeatPass and import

Open NeatPass, tap the plus button, and pick the PDF or screenshot from the photo library or Files. On-device AI detects the barcode and reads flight details where it can.

Review the details

Check that flight number, route, seat, and passenger name match the original boarding pass. Adjust any field that needs fixing.

Add to Wallet

Tap Add to Apple Wallet. The new pass opens in Wallet and is double-tap accessible from the lock screen, with the same barcode the airline pass carries.

NeatPass works with every supported barcode format and offers several import methods, so even unusual e-ticket formats can land in Wallet.

When the Pass Does Not Behave

A few patterns repeat across all three carriers and are worth knowing in advance.

No Add to Apple Wallet button - The booking may have come through a third-party channel; the PDF fallback above covers this case
Pass not on the Lock Screen - Wallet may surface the pass as departure or boarding approaches; outside that context, open Wallet directly
Seat or gate change after adding the pass - Re-open the booking in the airline app, grab the updated boarding pass, and add it again; delete the older Wallet version to keep things tidy
Multiple passengers missing - Each traveler needs their own Add to Apple Wallet tap from their own boarding pass screen, or the pass can be shared via AirDrop

Once added, the pass works in airplane mode and on weak networks, which matters in busy terminals where airport WiFi rarely cooperates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Convert a Nordic carrier PDF into a Wallet pass

Download

Three Carriers, One Wallet Pass Format

Across SAS, Norwegian, and Finnair, the cleanest path is the same: check in inside the airline app, tap Add to Apple Wallet, and the pass lands on the lock screen with the right barcode. Where the booking dodges the native flow, a PDF screenshot and a pass app close the gap.

For the PDF route in detail, read how to convert a PDF boarding pass. For more European carriers, see Lufthansa boarding passes in Apple Wallet, and KLM boarding passes in Apple Wallet.