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Home » Trip Reports » Review: SAS A330 Business Class Los Angeles to Stockholm
sasTrip Reports

Review: SAS A330 Business Class Los Angeles to Stockholm

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 10, 2017November 14, 2023 21 Comments

a plane parked at an airport

I was expecting the worst, in all honesty. My last transatlantic flight in SAS business class was a disappointment and Lucky had flown the same LAX-ARN route weeks earlier and had reported particularly poor service. But the flight turned out not just to be good, but great. Why? Ironically, it was the service…

My uncle and I arrived at LAX a few hours before our flight. I had scheduled a Global Entry interview for my Uncle (free with American Express Platinum) and that took place before we checked-in for the flight.

While the economy class check-in line was packed, the business class / Star Gold line was empty.

people standing in line at an airport

An odd occurrence at check-in: the agent insisted upon a return ticket before issuing our boarding pass. This has never happened in 50+ flights to Europe over the years and the rules are clear: we simply cannot remain more than 90 days during a six-month period. The rules do not require a return ticket.

people standing in front of a counter with luggage

Since we planned to fly home in Lufthansa First Class using miles, our return space had not opened yet. Not wanting to delay us further, I quickly placed on hold a full-fare ticket from Frankfurt to Los Angeles and showed it to her. That did the trick. There was also a seating issue — we were moved from two windows to a center section as a “courtesy”. Problem: we wanted window seats. Sadly, it was too late–all seats had been allocated.

We spent the next hour in the Star Alliance Lounge, which I have reviewed before here.

Boarding began at 1:45p.

a plane on the tarmac
a sign in front of a building

a screenshot of a sign

SAS 940
Los Angeles (LAX) – Stockholm (ARN)
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Depart: 02:15 PM
Arrive: 10:45 AM+1
Duration: 10hr, 30min
Aircraft: A330-300
Seat: 2F (Business Class)

Let’s start with the service.

SAS A330 Business Class Service

This picture this says it all–

a group of people in uniform

I took it after the flight. The crew was so friendly I could not help but to do it. Every member of the crew was charming, friendly, helpful, and courteous. They loved their jobs, were happy to be working, and it showed.

SAS A330-300 Business Class Seat + Bedding

SAS features 32 flat bed seats in business class with a full 180º recline. Seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration using the Thompson Vantage XL seat.

We took our new seats in 2D/F and tried to look at the bright side: at least we could chat during the flight.

a seat with a pillow in the middle of the seat

a plane with seats and people in the background

a seat in an airplane

a seat with a screen on the side of the seat

a seat in an airplane

a seat in an airplane

a row of seats in an airplane

a row of seats with headphones on the side

a row of seats with monitors on the side

a sign on a wall

I loved the bight colors of the cabin and Hästens pillows and bedding. The seat is comfortable in upright, semi-reclined, and fully-reclined mode.

The cabin was darkened after the first meal service, though mood lighting remained on until the lights were turned up for breakfast. Despite a 2pm departure from LAX, I was able to sleep for about five hours.

a pillow and a sheet

a bed with a tv on it

a bed with a tv and a table

a bed with headphones on it

an airplane with seats and a television

SAS A330 Business Class Dining

Menus were distributed prior to takeoff. Pre-departure beverages were also offered, though only orange juice, water, or champagne.

a glass of orange juice and a clear glass of water

Here’s the menu and wine list:

a close up of a menu

a white paper with black text

a menu of a beverage

a menu of a restaurant

a menu with a bottle of wine

a paper with text and pictures of wine bottles

a menu of beverages

a close up of a paper

a menu with coffee beans on it

Service began promptly after the captain extinguished the seat belt light, about seven minutes after takeoff.

I was first offered a warm towel. Next, the table was set for dinner, with a table cloth laid followed by a bread dish and utensils wrapped in a cloth napkin. A bowl of mixed nuts was offered. Trying to avoid jet lag, I had only sparkling water to drink.

a white towel on a black surface

a bowl of nuts and a glass of water

a piece of bread and a glass of water on a table

Service on SAS is via cart and FAs always entered the aisles in unison. The appetizer cart included two choices–veal loin or poached lobster tail. I chose veal loin. Salad was no pre-plated but rather dished out of a large salad bowl.

a table with plates of food on it

a plate of food on a table

The veal was excellent and you cannot go wrong with a green salad. But best of all was the bread: very fresh rye bread that tasted like it had been flown in from Stockholm.

I chose swordfish for my main course (served with purple mashed potatoes and white asparagus). My uncle chose beef filet (with horseradish mashed potatoes and mushrooms). Once again, meal service was via cart so there are never meal orders taken on SAS. We both loved our main courses.

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of food on a plate

Dessert included crackers/cheese, fresh cut fruit, lemon tart and ice cream. I sampled all four.

a plate of food and a spoon on a table

a tray of food with a spoon and plates on a table

Coffee is provisioned by illy and I enjoyed several cappuccinos over the course of the flight–

a cup of coffee on a saucer

SAS In-Flight Kitchen

Between meal service, a “kitchen” is set up in the business class galley in which you can help yourself to salty and sweet snacks, fresh fruit, and your choice of beverage. I tired to make a cappuccino myself and could not get the milk to foam. Thankfully a FA came to my aid!

a refrigerator with a shelf full of food and drinks

a basket of fruit and cookies

Breakfast was served only about an hour prior to landing. It seemed like the FAs may have lost track of time because the meal service went very quickly, but I was appreciative of the extra time to sleep.

Orange juice was freshly squeezed and I also enjoyed Greek yogurt with muesli, an English muffin and citrus fruit.

a tray with food and drinks on it

Moments later another cart appeared with various cold cuts and a hot egg dish plus sausage. Once again, everything was delicious and there was still time for one more cappuccino.

a tray with food and drinks on it

a plate of food on a table

a cup of coffee with a blue handle

SAS A330 Business Class IFE + Wi-Fi

IFE is controlled by a passenger service unit in the seat or by touch screen. There were two dozen English movies available and a worldwide cinema including Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish movies. Music, games, and TV as well. The IFE also contained an interesting history section, detailing the story of Scandinavian Airline Systems (SAS). There were also back issues of the in-flight magazine, which I have not seen on other IFE systems.

Wi-Fi is complimentary for business class passengers, but I was unable to log on with my seat assignment and last name. Others appeared to encounter the same issue.

a blue and white sign

The purser wrote down a password to use on a napkin and presented it to me. That worked like a charm and though the internet was not fast, it worked well for the duration of the flight.

a napkin on a table

My favorite part of the IFE was the tail cam:

SAS A330 Business Class Amenity Kit

The amenity kit is very basic, with only socks, earplugs, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and skin lotion. It’s the first time I can ever recall receiving an amenity kit without an eye shade.

a black bag on a table

a group of items on a table

a leather tag on a black bag

SAS A330 Business Class Lavatories

Lavatories include a window and are stocked with additional “wet wipes” and a flowerless green plant.

a sink and toilet in a plane

a shelf with a few packets of liquid and a bottle of liquid

a plant in a pot

a toilet with a window in the ceiling

CONCLUSION

SAS business class is a solid product with great food and beverage, a comfortable seat, and good IFE + Wi-Fi. Perhaps I was particularly lucky (or others particularly unlucky) but I had an exceptional crew that made the flight amazing.

Note that when redeeming SAS flights with Aeroplan there is no fuel surcharge, an added bonus to spending your miles on SAS.

an airplane wing with a city and water

a long hallway with windows

an airplane parked at an airport

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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21 Comments

  1. Christine Hall Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 10:17 am

    How do you sleep after all that coffee? Great report!

    • Matthew Reply
      July 11, 2017 at 6:23 am

      For whatever reason, coffee does not have an adverse effect on me!

  2. archer528 Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 11:31 am

    Glad to see they didn’t use the remote gates for your flight. I arrived on SAS to LAX on June 2nd, and we parked at the remote gates. Left LAX back to ARN on June 18th and was once again at the remote gates 🙁

    Wifi was ok for me. My upgrade went through to LAX and WiFi was in and out in 1H. The upgrade didn’t clear on the return, and the WiFi was about the same in SAS Plus.

    Lastly, there was a medical emergency on the way from LAX to ARN, and the flight crew handled it very well and professionally (I was 1 seat away from the situation, so got the first hand experience). Kudos to SAS.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 11, 2017 at 6:24 am

      I am happy too. Remote gates for widebodies are very annoying!

  3. Ron Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    When was this flight? Can’t possibly be August 10 2017……..

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Last August (2016).

  4. DCDan Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    I flew nrt-cph on SAS business and was thoroughly underwhelmed. While hard product is very nice, service lacked. I think it is YOU that got lucky with crew

    • Matthew Reply
      July 11, 2017 at 6:24 am

      Perhaps. I flew SAS five times on this trip and had five good flights.

  5. James Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    Just curious. You fight Ethiopian. Why not fight SAS regarding seat? You were entitled to your assigned seat and were moved without confirmation just to accomodate an ordinary couple? (I can understand if its for family with baby or little kid)

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      Well, fair question but I don’t view a seat assignment as the same thing as seat itself.

      Plus, I was sick of dealing with the rude woman at check-in who demanded our return tickets and just wanted to get to the lounge and get some work done prior to the flight in case wi-fi did not work.

      But fair question.

      • James Reply
        July 10, 2017 at 3:44 pm

        I see… thanks for replying.

  6. Dan Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Thanks for the up to date review. We are flying to Norway and the Faroe Islands for our 25th anniversary in September. IAD-CPH-FAE on SAS, OSL-BRU-IAD on Brussels, both in business with Aeroplan miles. It should be a fun comparison of 2 good TATL products.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      Sounds like a great trip! Enjoy it.

  7. Adil Reply
    July 10, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    You’re a good man. Me? I’d have lost my temper and all interest in the flight after dealing with someone who was unaware of the regulations, and had my seats reassigned. Did she at least apologize for the reassignment? Probably not. “Courtesy” indeed!

    • Matthew Reply
      July 10, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      I agree that this contract agent should be fired. I’m not sure she even worked for SAS. But my uncle tends to always be in a good mood so he is a good person to travel with — it rubs off.

  8. Matt Reply
    March 6, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Flew SAS Business Class last month from IAD-CPH. Service was just as you reviewed here. Everything was top notch! My only “complaint” was the ability to get comfy when in the lie-flat position. I usually sleep with my legs bent, but because you legs recline under the seat in front of you, my waist down was VERY confined and I didn’t get any sleep on the overnight flight. I’d much rather have a seat that doesn’t extend under the one if front of it (like Lufthansa’s Business Class)…although the new SAS set-up is becoming the norm for most airlines in Business.

  9. Joseph G Schaitberger Reply
    April 17, 2019 at 9:47 am

    Great review. We are flying SAS A330 Business class from Jacksonville, FL to Stockholm in a few weeks. Appreciate your review and photos.

    • Matthew Reply
      April 17, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      Thanks! Enjoy your trip.

  10. CSue Reply
    May 21, 2019 at 2:29 pm

    Did you ask for Pajamas? Wondering if they have them on this flight.

    • Matthew Reply
      May 21, 2019 at 5:26 pm

      No pajamas.

  11. Pingback: Review: SAS A330 Business Class, Stockholm to Chicago - Travel Codex

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