SAS A350 business class is a product I know well by now, and my latest flight gave me another chance to assess whether it still holds up.
SAS A350 Business Class: Still Worth It? A Full Review
I’ve reviewed SAS A350 business class several times before, including my Los Angeles to Copenhagen review, an pandemic-era look at the SAS A350-900 business class product, and a look at the SAS A350 on an Asian route. I also recently published a full family review on the SAS A350 from Chicago to Copenhagen. I’ve also reviewed this aircraft in economy class and premium economy class. This review is meant to build on those posts, not repeat them.
Booking And Route
I booked this ticket using my SAS EuroBonus miles from Zurich – Copenhagen – Chicago for 60,000 miles one-way in business class plus about 120 USD in taxes. The kids were only 30,000 miles each, a huge family-friendly advantage to using EuroBonus. Thus, the trip for the four of us cost 180,000 miles and under $500 in taxes/fees.
I reviewed our flight from Zurich to Copenhagen here. After arriving in CPH, we spent about an hour in the SAS Lounge before heading to our gate. I do love the coffee and cinnamon rolls in this lounge, though sometimes fresh beets and cucumbers are even more refreshing.
We found the gate area very crowded and boarding was delayed.
When boarding was called, there appeared to be a mad rush for the gate, so we were not first onboard…in fact, we ended up just letting most folks board and were among the last to step onboard.
Scandinavian Airlines System 943
Copenhagen (CPH) – Chicago (ORD)
Thursday, January 1
Depart: 2:30 PM
Arrive: 4:45 PM
Duration: 9hr, 15min
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Distance: 4,271 miles
Seat: 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A (Business Class)
Onboard, we were welcomed the door and turned left into the front business class cabin to find our seats.
Seat And Cabin On The SAS A350
I like even-numbered window seats on the A350, which are “true windows” with the side table adjacent to the aisle instead of the window. I chose seats 3-6A for my family..we all like window seats so we tend to sit one behind the other when we fly SAS. The seats are based on Thompson Aero Vantage XL platform.
If you want a broader look at the SAS A350 hard product, see my earlier SAS A350 business class review.
Overall, I think the cabin has help up well and prefer it to the A330. It’s comfortable for lounging and comfortable in the lie-flat mode, despite a lack of air vents, because SAS tends to keep its cabins on the cooler side.
Bedding includes a duvet and pillow and I did take an extended nap on this flight.
Food And Service
I have already written at length about my particularly drawn-out SAS A350 meal service experience on this flight, so I will not belabor that point again here. You can read about that here. SAS is due to refresh its meal service later this year, but for now the meal service really hasn’t changed much in the 15+ years I’ve been flying SAS.
Here’s the menu for my flight today:
Lunch began with warmed mixed nuts and drinks. I had cold-pressed apple juice and sparkling water. Bread was offered and I love the rye and sourdough bread on SAS.
Two flight attendants dress up as chefs during the meal service. Appetizers, main courses, and desserts are served via cart.
I had snow crab and salmon terrine with potato in mussel emulsion, dill and trout roe for my appetizer…it was very good…and served with a fresh green salad and olive oil + balsamic vinegar as dressing.
While I had pre-ordered fish for my wife and me, it was not loaded. This time, however, it was a blessing in disguise because the beef short rib with adobo sauce, crushed potato with lime, green beans, and grilled tomato was fabulous…a delicious main course that will probably make my top-10 list this year.
Dessert choices included cheese, fruit, and a Hansen’s ice cream bar and I had all three, along with a cappuccino.
Between meal services, a self-service snack area was available in the galley between the front and rear business class cabins. I do enjoy Swedish potato chips and cashews!
Prior to our arrival in Chicago, a sandwich of grilled chicken with pickled rhubarb, black pepper, sweet and sour cream cheese on Danish rye bread was served…and delicious. It was served with a side of fruit and chocolate, plus I had one more cup of coffee.
IFE And Wi-FI
I find internet fairly reliable on SAS and enjoyed some productivity on this flight, even though I was planning on just taking the day off. Internet is free for business class passengers.
I do find the IFE library below average, with a fewer movies and TV shows than on many competitors and all U.S. carriers. Noise-cancelling headphones are offered. But I found a fascinating 2019 movie called Just Mercy.
The tailcam did not work…
Even so, it was a beautiful day to fly. It was fairly dark as we left Copenhagen, but the sun rose a bit as we crossed the Atlantic, before retreating again as we arrived in Chicago.
Amenity Kit
The standard SAS amenity kit was offered…I don’t generally open them, but I do take them along because I like the toothbrush, face moisturizer, and socks:
- Verso face moisturizer + lip balm
- Swedish Stockings (high-quality socks)
- The Humble Co dental kit
- Dux-branded eyeshade
- Earplugs
Baggage Delay
One minor complaint: we had to wait about 40 minutes for our bags after our arrival at ORD.
How SAS A350 Business Class Compares
I’ve now flown SAS A350 business class multiple times across different routes, which offers a better sense of consistency for this product. What I find is that SAS is very reliable and predictable, if not boring. Compared to other products, I’d rank it below U.S. carriers due to the lack of air vents and poor IFE selection (despite the better food), but better than most Lufthansa Group carriers as well as KLM and Iberia.
Is SAS A350 Business Class Still Worth It?
So is SAS still worthwhile? Absolutely. If you’re paying cash, it is often the cheapest option. If you have SAS miles and some flexibility, it’s one of the best miles/points deals currently available. If you have FlyingBlue points, redemptions are also a good deal (if you have Delta SkyMiles, less so…).
Pricing aside, I think the product is competitive, service is good, and food excellent, while the IFE is below average. Free internet is also a plus.
CONCLUSION
I enjoyed another nice SAS A350 flight in business class from Copenhagen to Chicago. We’ve still got more than 1.2 million SAS miles and so I expect we will be flying a lot more SAS in the next few years. There’s nothing extra special about SAS business class, but I find it a very reliable way to fly.
> Read More:
- Review: SAS A350 Business Class (Los Angeles – Copenhagen)
- A Royal Experience In SAS A350 Business Class
- My SAS A350 Business Class Flight Had The Slowest Meal Service I’ve Ever Experienced
- Traveling In SAS Business Class With My Family On The A350, The Full Review
How was full was the flight on New Years Day?
The menu and food look solid, the only thing I’d ding them for is not offering an alternate choice for the pre-arrival sandwich (maybe also have a seafood or vegetarian option as well).
Flight went out full in business class, but a lot of non-revs. In fact, a lot of US citizens (United employees). One guy brought his husband and three kids onboard…pretty cool to score five business class seats as an employee standby.
While 60,000 miles is a good deal for a Business transatlantic routing, I have found availability through SAS’s program very scarce. To that point, I have starting accounting SAS miles with AF/KL. I wonder whether you are having difficulties using your >1M SAS miles?
I’ve burned through 1MM in the last year (though I recent cancelled my return from CPH-ORD so that put 120K back into the account and cancelled another trip that put 50K back into account).
SAS tends to release last-minute space…although more so to/from East Coast/Chicago than West Coast.
Matthew, your kids seem like I’d like them better in J with me than many adults. However, I think that kids shouldn’t be less miles in J. I’d prefer more.
I hear you – but as the father of two, I’m very thankful for the generous SAS policy. If I can generalize, I think Scandinavia itself is very pro-family and appreciate that.
Did you find passport control into the CPH C gates difficult?
When I was there a couple of months ago it was about a half-hour wait for EU passport holders to get to the “automatic” gates. It looked worse for the non-EU line.
The line was horrible for non-EU passport holders, less so for the e-gates, but we were able to use the staffed position for EU citizens because my kids are too young to use the e-gates. Three minute wait.
Do you have a EU/EEA+ European passport or residency card? Or did the Danish passport control police not say anything about you using the manual EU line because you were accompanying EU passport-using immediate family members who can’t use the manual line for EU passport users?
When the Schengen exit passport control lines get long at CPH for non-EU travelers, the airport sometimes has line assistants who will call out/up passengers on soon-departing flights and get them moved to the front of the lines. I’ve had to benefit from it way too much in the last several months on my CPH-US flights.
I was traveling with US passport, so one blue and three red passports!
That’s what I thought. Sounds like CPH passport control police was not in the least bit annoyed about your US passport use because of the kids and/or wife’s German passports. Not sure if all of the CPH passport control police would be similarly accommodating all the time with mixed citizenship status couples/families.
As you know, we fly SK all the time and we always do it this way whether coming in or out of Schengen and I’ve thankfully never had a problem. They may (rightfully) hate Trump, but Danes are still one of the best allies the USA has ever had and I think most, including my friends in Copenhagen, know that Agent Orange does not represent us as a people. So I’m happy to report I haven’t been yelled at for using the wrong line when accompanying my family.
The Danish passport control police have never yelled, as far as I’ve experienced CPH while as a passenger in the passport control lines. Can’t say the same thing about CBP at US airports of entry. Swedish passport control police are a sort of different story than the Danish ones, which is why I usually prefer dealing with Danish passport control police than Swedish passport control police. 😀
“though sometimes fresh beets and cucumbers are evening more refreshing.”
Evening more refreshing?
Take care in your copy Matthew
Proving every day that I write my own content!
Let’s add that the sleek heroine of this long but lovely flight was an SK A350-900 (named “Halvard Viking”) with an average age of 5.9 years.
A feasty and easy way of flying à la SAS! The joint flag carrier airline of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden is certainly “proud to serve the toughest crowd.”
a350 is such a beautiful aircraft. Nearly every airline does it well. SAS seems to be no different. Great review!
That AA jetliner in one of the article’s photos seems to be flying so proud and so unworried.
Nice review. And I wonder if your son takes some pride in having “earned” those flights together with you. All time with family is indeed quite special.
It’s very special. That trip and every trip we get to take together.
Hansens Flødeis ice cream varieties from Denmark have a tempting taste!
Matthew, Your children are adorable and by all accounts you and Heidi are outstanding parents. Even though I’m well past retirement and Medicare age, please consider adopting me 🙂 🙂 :-).
🙂
(doing this from iPad, just got error message, not sure if comment received)
Sorry, forgot to add: In all seriousness, I’m curious, do your children have a preference for flying with only you OR with you and Heidi? Is the answer different for Augustine and for Claire Marie?
I think the kids like it most when we all travel together. Heidi is very strict with screen time at home, but lets them watch freely on planes…I tend to also let them snack freely on planes. They like that, of course.
That said, I know Augustine loved our every one of our father-son trips and would like to do more of those. I also feel it is only fair I take Claire Marie on some daughter-father trips (and also something I want to do). However, I too prefer to travel as a family. It was odd being at Heidi’s parents without her on this last trip!
Can you elaborate on why you place SAS above KLM in business? Have to choose between the two (SAS A530 or KLM 787-10) soon.
Sure. I like them both and love the Delft Blue Houses on KLM, but I find the food and lounge better with SK, like the free internet, and if you’re connecting, finding regional on SK much better than any intra-Europe service on KL.
You can read my KLM 787-10 review here:
https://liveandletsfly.com/klm-787-10-business-class-review/
Thank you. Obviously smart children, in addition to adorable, a potent combination (like beauty and brains) .
Very selfish when people travelling together take up so many single seats.
You should take seats together in the middle!!!
You should go jump in a lake.