SAS is a dependable carrier with a comfortable seat and great food onboard. My journey from Newark to Copenhagen on an A330-300 in business class was far too short, but otherwise pleasant.
SAS A330-300 Business Class Review
As a long-term Star Alliance loyalist, I was very sorry to see SAS leave Star Alliance (of which it was a founding member) for SkyTeam. But I’m thankful that the onboard product in business class remains unchanged and my short overnight trip to Copenhagen (booked with 60,000 Virgin Atlantic miles…this was before my million miles from SAS posted) was flawless.
I cut it a little close and checked in for my SAS flight at the counter in Newark Terminal B only about 65 minutes before departure.
I had to chuckle at the makeshift luggage tags…the Star Alliance logos had been scratched off with a black felt tip marker.
The security lines were very long (several flights bound for Europe were departing around the same time) and very slow (using those new tubular machines that take much longer to scan). There is no PreCheck in Terminal B at Newark…at least for the pier of gates I was departing from.
By the time I got through security, boarding had already commenced and so I did not even stop at the SAS Lounge…
It was a beautiful evening for flying.
SAS 910
Newark (EWR) – Copenhagen (CPH)
October 2024
Depart: 5:30 PM
Arrive: 7:05 AM+1
Duration: 7hr, 35min
Distance: 3,867 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Seat: 1A (Business Class)
As I stepped into the cabin I was greeted by a familiar face…one of the same flight attendants who was on my last SAS longhaul flight, the inaugural service from Bangkok to Copenhagen a year earlier. I said hello and she remembered my friend and me…it’s fun to fly with great flight attendants on multiple occasions.
Seat
The SAS A330 has 32 Thompson Aero Vantage XL seats, which are 22 inches wide and convert into a 78-inch lie-flat bed.
These seats have a small storage unit for personal items on the side and I find them more comfortable than the Thompson Vantage seats on carriers like Delta.
I was originally assigned seat 1D and sat there during the meal service so I could chat with my friend, but I eventually moved to 1A (the cabin was only about half full).
With less than five hours left in the flight, I fell asleep and slept until we started our final descent into Copenhagen. SAS offers excellent bedding from Dux and I did manage to sleep well.
IFE + Wi-Fi
SAS offers complimentary Wi-Fi to SAS Gold and business class passengers and it worked well, though it was late in the day and the flight short enough that I would have been okay without it.
Noise-cancelling headphones were placed beside each seat and the IFE library (on an 18.5-inch HD screen) included movies, TV shows, games, music, and the full beverage menu. I did not watch anything during this flight beyond the moving flight map.
As I mentiond above, it was a beautiful evening for flying.
Food + Drink
In my experience, you are always in for a treat when it comes to the catering on SAS and this flight was no exception.
Pre-departure beverages were offered including sparkling wine, water, and juice.
Menus were distributed during boarding, with dinner served after takeoff and a light breakfast before landing.
Dinner
Dinner began with a hot towel, choice of beverage, and warmed cashews. I tried the “Forrest Spring” cocktail (whiskey, Ring apple juice, ginger ale).
That was followed by a bread service, a green salad, and choice of appetizer (honey and tamarind duck breast with a green salad and red onion marmalade or flaked hot smoked salmon with a potato and haricot verts salad and quail egg).
I love the whole-grain bread on SAS…
Both appetizers sounded delightful, but I chose the duck since I don’t eat much duck at home. It was a solid choice.
I love how SAS does not use trays.
My friend had the salmon appetizer and liked it.
For the main course, I was delighted to see a braised lamb leg on the menu, served with a sweet potato and spinach hash, oyster mushrooms, and gremolata. It was brimming with flavor and a delicious dish.
My friend had the sweet gochujang chicken thigh with roasted carrots and daikon and sesame gai lan. That also looked good.
I finished off the meal with a cheese plate (Point Reyes Blue cheese and Karst aged cheddar with green tomato marmalade
from Hedh-Escalante, Sweden) and a fruit dish (skipping the pumpkin cheesecake).
Again, the trolley service and lack of trays is really a nice touch.
The SAS A330 has a galley kitchen in which you can not only help yourself to snacks (all high-quality sweet nad savory snacks from Sweden, Norway, or Denmark), but also make yourself an espresso or cappuccino.
I slept through breakfast, but it was again served via cart and included:
- yogurt
- handmade granola
- smoothie
- Morten Heiberg marmalade
- assorted charcuterie and cheeses
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- peppers
- seasonal fruit
Although I slept through that (and was stuffed from dinner), I did wake up in time to enjoy an espresso and Froosh smoothie before landing.
Lavatory
There are two lavatories behind the business class cabin and both have windows. The lavatories were clean and I liked the green plant above the sink.
The front lavatory next to the cockpit was blocked off for crew use…
Amenity Kit
Amenity kits were a drawstring yellow-striped bag. Contents included:
- Verso face moisturizer + lip balm
- Swedish Stockings (high-quality socks)
- The Humble Co dental kit
- Dux-branded eyeshade
- Earplugs
Service
The crew was very good overall; quite chatty and friendly and attentive too.
Service was not rushed…which I suppose some might take issue with. It took almost an hour to get started with service (due to turbulence) and by the time I had finished my dessert, there was only four hours left in the flight (with a delay in departing Newark due to runway congestion and a strong tailwind, our actual flight times was closer to six hours than seven).
Thus, I understand why some prefer to sleep through the service on these flights. I like the cart service and as it was only 6:00 pm ET (3:00 pm California time, where I live), I was not in a rush to get to sleep.
CONCLUSION
We landed in Copenhagen early: it was very dark outside and the day was not pleasant, with rain pouring down.
While I would have liked a flight twice as long, I’d label this flight as virtually flawless. Great service, great food, and great bedding, make for a great business class product. I look forward to fly SAS again soon.
I proceeded over to the SAS Lounge ahead of my connection.
Took the jfk flight a couple months ago and found the service painfully slow for a short red eye. Shame they don’t offer an express option. Especially seated in the first row found myself waiting so long for the next course and just wanted to finish up and try and get some sleep. Lack of non alcoholic drink options was disappointing too (but as is this case with basically every western carrier)
It’s amazing that you were able to fall asleep technically mid-afternoon on this flight.
As expected, SAS is slated to join the largest and most premium TATL JV amongst the ranks of Delta, AF/KLM, and VS.
Appreciate the details and photos. I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing.
I miss the days of the Hästens bedding, the duvet was very nice and they had a mattress sheet. Dux is fine, but not as nice. Especially nice to not have to sleep directly on the seat