SAS (commonly pronounced with the letters spelled out, but if you want to sound local, many in the Nordics say “sass”) is a pan-Scandinavian flag carrier. However its network (especially long-haul) is largely centered on Copenhagen these days. It’s also an airline in the midst of change, having just made the shift to Skyteam from Star Alliance. Its route map has been changing to align with its new partners, with more to come. Here’s everything you need to know.
Why should you consider SAS?
At its best SAS offers an attractive, Nordic-flavored service alongside some really great fares. Especially for premium cabins on connecting itineraries between North America and points in Europe. As the Nordic capitals are a bit less conveniently situated than the other Euro hubs, and as its brand recognition is a bit lower in North America, SAS knows it has to compete on price. And while relatively small compared to European majors, it can be a great way to fly transatlantic.
In my opinion its long-haul business class is underrated, with one of the most comfortable seats out there, good design and a nice selection of Nordic food and drink. It is more minimalist and maybe less luxurious than some competitors, but the vibes tend to be right. Service quality can vary from flight to flight, but the main reason to fly SAS business is the comfortable seat.
Also, all the Nordic hubs (Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm) are relatively small, nicely designed and easy to connect through. Though there’s plenty of debate in the region about which is best (sadly it’s probably not my home airport of Stockholm).
Understanding “SAS Plus”
SAS does things a little differently with its premium cabin known as “Plus”. It can be confusing at first.
Within Europe, Plus is the business cabin which features an economy seat just like most of other so-called “euro biz” products, with free food and drink plus perks like priority check-in, boarding and extra baggage allowance. However unlike most other European majors, SAS does not block the middle seat – meaning it’s as cramped as economy on a full flight.
On long-haul, Plus is the name of the premium economy cabin which features a larger seat and upgraded service. The good news is whether you’re booked in Business or Plus for the long-haul, your European connection will be in Plus, which comes with SAS lounge access. On this point they’re a cut above most transatlantic competitors.
Tip: when looking at intra-European fares, search “premium economy” instead of “business class”. Both options will give you results in SAS Plus, but the premium economy search will tend to yield fares that are as little as one-third of business fares – for the exact same seat and service. Don’t ask me how it makes sense…that’s just how it is.
Destinations
SAS has a relatively small intercontinental route network that’s mainly focused on North America. So you’ll be able to catch SAS at the big eastern cities like New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Toronto; plus San Francisco and Los Angeles on the west coast. It has a smaller offering to Asia with Shanghai, Tokyo and Bangkok currently served.
Around Europe SAS has good coverage between the major Scandinavian cities and sunny destinations as well as business hubs. The European route map is in flux due to the switch over to Skyteam from Star Alliance – with SAS focusing more on Skyteam hubs like Amsterdam and Paris instead of Star hubs like Frankfurt and Zurich.
Tip: outside of the much busier summer season, SAS is among the best ways to reach the likes of Stockholm and Oslo because it offers in some cases the only nonstop service from North America. Copenhagen on the other hand is well-served from various long-haul destinations year-round, as that’s where a lot of connecting traffic is consolidated.
The SAS fleet
SAS on the whole has a modern and fuel-efficient fleet with a number of A350s and A320NEOs that are quiet and comfortable. Even its older A330s are generally very well-maintained – you wouldn’t guess their age (and they’re also nice and quiet). Rounding out the fleet is a stable of Embraer E-jets and CRJs serving regional routes in Europe.
You’ll notice some aircraft in Europe fly under “SAS Connect” while others flying under “SAS Link” and then there’s just plain old SAS too. While this is fairly confusing, from a passenger standpoint you don’t need to be too concerned about it – the onboard experience will be largely the same as its mostly about labor contracts. The only noticeable difference is that on SAS Connect you’ll find much more international crew, whereas on mainline it’ll be mostly Scandinavians.
Onboard experience
SAS Business is among the best in Europe if you ask me, and SAS Plus (premium economy) on long-haul is comfortable and often reasonably priced. And even economy is not bad at all in terms of comfort and cabin layout, though there are some service negatives to be aware of there. Overall, the onboard experience with SAS is of a high standard and if the price is right they are among my top choices for transatlantic travel in any class.
Long-haul economy class
Economy class is fairly standard as these things go, but I do like the calming greys and wood effect panels with blue mood lights – they go a long way in creating a nice environment. Seats are reasonably comfortable and legroom is adequate for economy.
The thing to know about long-haul economy is that SAS very much opts for a low-cost type service here: you’ll get a free meal but that comes with one soft drink. If you want anything additional, such as an extra Sprite or any alcohol, you will pay for it. On the plus side: they do offer a free large bottle of water. And they did recently stop charging to request a kids or vegetarian meal after some backlash. So that’s progress.
Tip: SAS offers a buy-up to a higher quality meal with an alcoholic drink as an add-on to economy tickets, bringing it more in line with the premium economy meal. I don’t personally find it to be worth the extra cost, but if having a larger meal is important to you, you might consider it.
Long-haul premium economy class
SAS Plus premium economy offers wider seats with extra legroom and more padding. The overall effect is that you’ll be much more likely to get some rest on a longer transatlantic. The food is also a step above and you get free snacks and alcohol. It’s a sweet spot for comfort versus price paid in my opinion. And upgrade bids are often offered to business class at very reasonable rates in both points and cash (more on that below).
Long-haul business class
Business class is among the more comfortable for sleeping and resting – the cabins are beautiful, the menus feature interesting Nordic beverages and snacks and tend to offer healthy, fresh fare. All seats lie flat and have direct aisle access. The footwells are spacious enough to not feel constricted. And it’s often available at very favorable prices. I think it’s seriously underrated.
Tip: go for even-numbered window seats for maximum privacy: these are closer to the window and further from the aisle compared to the odd-numbered rows.
European business class
SAS offers one of the worst European business classes because like most other European carriers it’s just an economy seat with no extra legroom, but unlike those others they also don’t block the middle seat. So if the flight is full it’s very cramped. On the other hand you do get free food, snacks and drinks, and priority everything, plus lounge access and a seat towards the front. If the price difference isn’t too great (it often isn’t), you may still find it worthwhile. I often do.
Tip: if you can get a seat in row 1, you’re freed from some of the cramped feeling because you have extra space in front of you and no one to recline into you. That means if you prefer a window seat like me, you can get up freely without disturbing your seatmates too much. That for me is worth a lot!
Upgrading
SAS has a fantastic upgrade bidding program where I often have success even placing the minimum bid. It can be an especially good use of SAS Eurobonus points. If you fly SAS and partners a fair amount it is not difficult to earn a lot of these points, and upgrades can be had for very low prices. It’s one of the best things about SAS.
Loyalty program
SAS Eurobonus is not only good for upgrading on SAS. It’s also really great for families as it offers mileage pooling across an entire household (great if you have kids) and offers award tickets for children at 50% of the cost of an adult’s ticket. It’s also not too difficult to reach mid-tier status (Gold). I stick with the Eurobonus program for these reasons.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
