It has been 30 years since the last time Scandinavian Airlines served Canada. Now the carrier has relaunched the Copenhagen – Toronto route while also adding Stockholm – Toronto, all thanks to the new Airbus A321LR aircraft.
This week, BusinessClass.com was invited to join the inaugural flights and experience flying long-haul with SAS on a narrow body aircraft.
“We are very proud to launch this new route to Canada, and star of the show is the new Airbus A321LR aircraft. It saves up to 60% fuel compared to our wide body aircraft and opens a new world of opportunities for SAS. The new aircraft enables us to more effectively meet Scandinavian travel patterns and broaden our network” said Anko Van der Werff , CEO of SAS
SAS currently has three A321LR aircraft that only started flying for airline this year. The aircraft are part of the new and more effective Airbus A320neo family, that have more effective engines and “sharklets” at the wingtips, helping reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
The aircraft have been operating flights to selected US destinations including New York, Washington and Boston. The new routes connecting Copenhagen and Stockholm with Toronto represent the first new destination that is connected to the SAS network, but the airline has indicated that more may follow.
The A321LR is a special version of the standard A321 that is more commonly seen on shorter routes. Airlines have been asking aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing to build a relatively small aircraft with the capability of flying long routes that cannot be operated profitably by larger aircraft. Airbus came up with the A321LR - LR standing for Long Range - and airlines have been queuing up to buy them.
Two new routes opened on the same day with the same aircraft
Any new route involves risk for the operating airline, but SAS has scheduled the new routes creatively. Every time an aircraft departs from Copenhagen or Stockholm to Toronto, it returns to the other airport. The inaugural flights operated Copenhagen – Toronto – Stockholm, allowing both routes to launch on June 2nd. The scheduled flying time from Copenhagen to Toronto is 8 hours 55 minutes with the Toronto to Stockholm flight scheduled to take 8 hours 10 minutes. In reality, both flights are usually 30-45 minutes shorter.
SAS becomes the second carrier to fly from Copenhagen to Toronto as its Star Alliance partner Air Canada already serves the same route. SAS is however the only airline connecting Stockholm and Toronto non-stop.
Smaller but only marginally slower
The inaugural flight from Copenhagen to Toronto was piloted by Captain Karl Wilhelmson, Fleet Chief Pilot Airbus at SAS together, with his co-pilot Jakob Scheer joining him in the cockpit. During a mid-Atlantic visit to the cockpit, Captain Wilhelmson shared with BusinessClass.com that although the A321LR is a smaller aircraft it only flies marginally slower. The flight time would have been only 10-15 minutes shorter using a larger aircraft such as the Airbus A330.
“These aircraft are truly an amazing feat of engineering, enabling us to safely, comfortably and economically fly routes we could not operate before. I´m truly proud of the work that has been done by the flight operations team to introduce the A321LR into the SAS fleet,” said Captain Wilhelmson.
He also shared that while there are rumours of smaller aircraft being more prone to turbulence due to flying lower, there is no science to support this and in fact the aircraft will usually fly at the same altitude as wide body jets. Indeed, the inaugural flight spent most of its time flying at 36,000 feet and the ride was just as smooth as on a larger aircraft.
Small is exclusive
While a narrow body aircraft can never offer as much space as a wide body jet, the design team at SAS has clearly put a lot of thought into making each of the three cabin classes on the Airbus A321LR feel as consistent as possible when compared to the larger A330s and A350s. While small may sound cramped, reality is that at least for passengers flying in SAS Plus or SAS Business - the small and intimate cabins add a feeling of exclusiveness. Some passengers have even noted that the aircraft feels almost like a private jet due to the intimate cabins. SAS has fitted 22 Business Class seats and just 12 SAS Plus seats on the A321LR. SAS Go (Economy Class) offers 123 seats, bringing the total capacity to just 157 passengers.
Upon boarding, the aircraft interior feels instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the rest of the SAS long-haul fleet. Grey seats with dark grey, black, and silver detailing give the cabins a sleek and masculine appearance. The design follows the same visual profile as the larger aircraft, yet there are more differences than what first meets the eye.
In Business Class, all seats are not created equal
On larger SAS aircraft, all seats in SAS Business are the same except for the positioning in the cabin. On the A321LR however, there are significant differences between seats in even-numbered rows and odd-numbered rows. Seats have been placed in a staggered configuration with even-numbered rows offering a 2-2 configuration. Those travelling with a partner are likely to appreciate this setup.
Odd-numbered rows offer a generous 1-1 configuration with prized “throne” seats that have quickly become hugely popular with single travellers due to improved privacy and almost unlimited storage space for personal items. One issue with the “throne” sets is however that they can be rather narrow when reclined to a fully flat bed. When flying on the A321LR – make sure to check the seatmap and select your seat carefully.
The inflight service and catering in SAS Business resembles what is offered on larger aircraft, except for SAS not having enough space on the A321LR to fit an espresso machine.
On the inaugural flight departing Toronto, the quality of food was exceptional with several passengers commenting that it was some of the best airplane food they had ever been served.
Since June 1st SAS is once again offering largely the same inflight dining experience as before the pandemic, finally bringing an end to covid-protocols onboard. A change is however that trays will remain in use as a direct result of the A321LR not offering direct aisle access to all seats. This in turn makes it more challenging to serve meals to passengers seated away from the aisle – effectively bringing back the trays that SAS had stopped using for the main meal service several years ago.
Read the BusinessClass.com review of SAS Business Class
SAS Plus comes with a nice surprise
While opinions may differ on the Business Class experience on the A321LR compared to the larger aircraft, passengers flying in SAS Plus are in for a treat. On the 321LR, SAS Plus passengers get arguably the best premium economy experience of any SAS aircraft.
The small cabin features just 12 seats in a 2-2 configuration that resembles what US airlines offer in First Class on US domestic flights. Seats offer high resolution personal screens, a 7” recline, an extra wide centre armrest console and an improved legrest with a footrest extension. The seats are wider than on SAS A330s and A350s, and the intimate cabin provides a relaxed ambiance that the larger aircraft cannot match.
Food and beverages in SAS Plus are all inclusive and offers an upgraded experience over Economy Class. There are two choices for the main course – one being the same as in Economy Class and one being an additional option, typically a fish dish. Just like those flying in SAS Business, SAS Plus passengers also enjoy unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi for the duration of the flight.
SAS Go is the cabin class that is most similar to the rest of the SAS long-haul fleet, offering the same seats in a standard 3-3 configuration equipped with high resolution personal screens and a 5” recline
Cabin crew rise to the occasion
Service on SAS in general can be hit or miss, although service in SAS Business mostly live up to the expectations of premium cabin travel. On the inaugural flights to and from Toronto, the Danish and Swedish cabin crew were shining examples of SAS at its best. Attention to detail combined with confidence in their product and just the right dose of personality and friendliness made the flights truly enjoyable. On a good day SAS provides a world class premium product, with the Toronto inaugural flights being good examples.
Next week BusinessClass.com will publish an exclusive interview with SAS CEO Anko Van der Werff, where he shares his views on premium travel in a post-covid world, the airline´s need to adjust its long-haul fleet, the role of the new A321LRs and his vision for SAS in the coming years.
All photos © BusinessClass.com