Review of SAS Premium Economy

The airport experience when flying SAS Plus is best in class, with passengers enjoying exactly the same benefits as those in SAS Business. From priority check-in, priority baggage and fast track security to lounge access and priority boarding - the experience is premium. 

Free access to SAS Lounges is one the biggest perks of flying Premium Economy with SAS and are located at the Scandinavian hubs of Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, plus Gothenburg, Chicago–O’Hare, and New York–Newark airports. The lounges are shared with SAS Business Class, EuroBonus Diamond and Gold members and Star Alliance Gold members. Facilities include buffet-style food stations, self-service alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink stations and free Wi-Fi. Business facilities are included in Stockholm, while Oslo and Copenhagen lounges also provide shower facilities.

SAS Plus is available on all SAS flights, but the added comfort of a more spacious seat is only offered on long-haul flights. The airline’s Airbus A321LR, A330-300 and A350-900 aircraft flying to North America and Asia all offer a dedicated SAS Plus cabin. While many prefer flying widebody aircraft on long-haul routes, the new and modern Airbus A321LR arguably provides the best SAS Plus experience in the SAS fleet thanks to the intimate cabin and seats being slightly wider on these aircraft.

Seats on the A330s are set in a 2-3-2 configuration, while the wider cabin of the A350 features a 2-4-2 configuration. Both aircraft types offer a seat pitch of 38 inches (96.5 centimetres), providing around six inches extra pitch than economy seats, and a width of 18.3 inches (46. 5 centimetres), offering around one inch more seat width than the standard offering.

The seats recline by around 7 inches (17.8 centimetres), and the robust cloth material finish is well-padded in an attractive charcoal grey colour scheme that looks masculine and contemporary. Thanks to the wide double armrest between adjoining seats, armrest elbow wars with your next-seat neighbour won’t be an issue. These armrests also conceal a thin storage compartment, perfect for an iPad, magazines, or somewhere to stow your headphones when not in use. A fold-out magazine flap is positioned on the rear of the seat in front, and a small hook for jackets is on the side of the forward seat. A fold-out adjustable table is stowed within the opposite armrest for convenience.

Try to get seats at the front of the cabin for extra bulkhead legroom and the benefit of a leg rest. Alternatively, the seats in the remainder of the cabin also sport comforting footrests. Headrests adjust up and down and fold at either side to provide a comfortable head cradle.

The front of the cabin backs onto the rear of the Business Class cabin, separated by a bulkhead, while the rear of the cabin is separated from the main economy cabin by a curtain screen.

Each seat has a 12-inch (30 centimetres) HD seatback IFE monitor, which offers plenty of entertainment choices, a flight map, and outside cameras to monitor progress. Individual AC charging points and a USB charging port provide handy charging options for personal devices.

The state-of-the-art narrow-body Airbus A321LR is capable of long-range flights to USA and Canada from Scandinavia and offers 12 SAS Plus seats in a 2-2 configuration just behind the rear Business Class bulkhead and with a separating curtain at the rear. These spacious seats offer a recline of 7 inches (17.8 centimetres), a seat width of 20 inches (50.8 centimetres), and 38 inches (96.5 centimetres) of pitch. Lavatories are shared with SAS Go passengers.  

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.

Meals are served on a single tray, with a starter side dish, the main course, and a dessert in sealed containers, plus a bread roll, biscuits, and a sealed portion of cheese. Unlike in SAS Go, Swedish designer glassware from Orrefors and metal cutlery are provided. There is a choice of two main dishes, one the same as that served in the economy cabin, such as chicken or meat, and the other typically a fish dish. Complimentary alcoholic drinks of your choice accompany the meal, and tea and coffee complete the meal service.

On longer flights, a second light cold meal is served, and on overnight flights, passengers get a tasty light breakfast of cold cuts, cheese and fruit with yoghurt, juice, a bread roll, and coffee between one and two hours before landing.

The food is an upgraded experience compared to the standard class, but the service and quality are far from the superior Business Class experience. Light, sweet, and savoury snacks, such as crisp bread, cashew nuts, or white chocolate muffins, are available between meals. 

Special meals, including vegetarian and vegan meals on flights to and from Asia and North America, can be ordered by contacting SAS Customer Service at least 24 hours before departure. Special meals are also available to SAS Plus passengers by contacting SAS Customer Service on flights longer than 80 minutes within Europe or to Beirut.

After take-off, SAS Plus passengers receive a round of drinks and a bag of cashew nuts. A relatively small selection of complimentary red or white wine, spirits, cocktails, Carlsberg beer, and soft drinks accompanies meal service and is also available during the flight. Complimentary teas and coffee are available in any class and at all destinations. On domestic and European routes, alcoholic drinks are limited by the duration of the flight and the time of day.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on which Champagne is served in Business Class and First Class on many airlines. We do our best to keep track of any changes, but feel free to let us know if there is something we missed.

The flight attendants are native Scandinavian and speak excellent English. Expect a friendly service. Although the SAS Plus section is only separated from SAS Go by a curtain (often tied back), being at the front of this cabin meaning that  SAS Plus passengers are served before those in SAS Go. Flight attendants remove finished meal trays and offer mid-flight snacks and drinks without too much inconvenience.

One source of frustration for many passengers in SAS Plus is however that cabin crew ask for beverages to be ordered for the meal together with the round of drinks served right after departure. This results in passengers struggling to balance multiple beverages and glasses in a limited space, and cold drinks consumed without ice, such as white wine or beer, are no longer cold by the time the meal is served. While this routine may make sense from a service flow perspective, it should ideally be split into two separate drink services.

The 12-inch (30 centimetres) adjustable touchscreen HD seatback IFE monitors provide a decent picture and contain a wide selection of popular films, including the latest releases and classic movies from Hollywood, binge-worthy series, music channels, video games, and children’s selection. Each seat has a one-pin outlet for headphones, a USB outlet, and an AC power outlet. Basic headphones are provided for free upon request. Exterior cameras and a flight map are a welcome distraction.

High-speed Wi-Fi is available for a fee on most domestic and European flights and flights to and from Asia and North America. EuroBonus Diamond or Gold members travelling in SAS Plus receive complimentary Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi availability on routes to Asia and North America is activated around 20 minutes after takeoff until decent. Disruption to Wi-Fi may occur on routes where Wi-Fi transmission is restricted. 

Each SAS Plus seat has a plump pillow, a thick blanket of enhanced quality compared to the standard class, and a bottle of water waiting for passengers as they board. A basic material amenity kit containing a toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs, and an eye mask is also provided. The kit bag opens out and can be used as a convenient shoe bag. SAS Plus passengers share the lavatory facilities with the SAS Go passengers.

Short and medium-haul routes within Scandinavia and Europe have the same seat specifications as SAS Go passengers. You’ll find a USB outlet and a drop-down tray table. However, SAS Plus passengers still receive the benefits of priority check-in, fast-track security, access to SAS lounges, and priority boarding. A complimentary meal or snack service is complemented by a drinks service, including tea, coffee, and a limited alcoholic drinks selection – depending on the destination, duration of the flight, and the time of day.

SAS offers two ticket types that include biofuel to reduce CO2 emissions. The aim is to use fossil-free aviation fuel on all domestic flights by 2030. The Go Smart Bio and Plus Pro Bio tickets are available on all domestic, Scandinavian, and European flights, with approximately 50% biofuel included.
Introducing the modern and efficient Airbus A321LR on Transatlantic flights means a fuel reduction of up to 60% compared to the widebody Airbus A330-300 on the same route.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally friendly aircraft.