Review: SAS new business class seat

In January 2015, the first plane with SAS's new business class rolls out, one of many long awaited new improvements. At the moment there are, of course, no actual seats, but a fully functional prototype has been developed and is now under SAS ownership. BusinessClass.co.uk packed up the camera to join SAS Design Director, Kristine Mayer, and try the new seat.

Fully flat with direct access to the aisle for all

The new long-haul seats were announced in late May and involve a thorough upgrade for SAS. It is not just the business class which will be upgraded, but also the premium economy class (SAS Plus) and economy class (SAS Go), which will receive new seats with increased comfort and a new colour combination. In business class, the two major innovations are the seat, which is completely horizontal when reclined and that the cabin will receive a 1-2-1 configuration, which means that all passengers have direct access to the aisle. On the new seats, there is also built in lumbar support. SAS has also entered into a partnership with the Swedish bed manufacturer, Hästens, which provides a quilt and pillow for the 196 cm long bed in business class.

New business class seat with bedding from Hästens The cabin is built in a zigzag (staggered) configuration. This allows the seat, when fully reclined, to make use of the space that the table, in the seat in front, folds out from and thus maximising the space in the cabin. This cavity has a small shelf that becomes a part of the bed and extends the seat length from just over 170cm, to the 196cm promised.The new seat will take up more space than the seat before, the Airbus A330 is therefore reducing the number of seats, from 34 to 32, and the Airbus A340, from 46 to 40. The screens are also getting bigger. They go from 10.4 inches to 15 inches, have high-resolution and a new entertainment system from Zodiac, called Rave.

HD screen and extra storage compartments

Decide for yourself how soft you want your seat

Getting to see the seat in reality gave some surprises which were not apparent in either the press information, or the animated images. First reflections after we sat down was that the seat felt somewhat hard, which led us to the first innovation, the option to control the seat’s softness. On both the main controls, above the fold out table, and the fast controls under the armrest, are buttons for "firmness”, with five different settings between hard and soft. The difference became apparent when the seat was raised.

The table, shelf and various sockets Another innovation was found to be the water bottle holder which is placed discreetly behind the seat’s controls, next to the table. This is both practical and well thought out, as it melts into the design and the bottle is much easier to reach. At the moment, the holder for the water bottle is in front of the seat, beside the screen. The new design ensures that it is now possible to keep a bottle there during takeoff and landing.

The seat’s controls with the water bottle behind

The smaller seat controls

New design with two different tempos

We have previously reported on the new SAS lounge design that has been recently implemented. The concept is considerably broader than just the lounges and extends to all areas of the travel experience, including cabins. The design is mainly based on two tempos - Retail and Hospitality. Retail is primarily used on the ground before the security check and refers to the same format as used, for example, in a shopping centre, where it is all about recognising the brand through logos, colours and shapes. The hospitality concept takes over after the security check and boarding of the aircraft. This is more about creating wellness. Unlike some other companies, SAS want to hold back with the visual corporate identity and instead focus on a design that is welcoming and relaxing, even with different tempos and nuances. A clear example of this is the new cabins where neither the seats or the interior is in SAS's main colour, blue.

Two tempos underlying the design Although tempo and colours differ between the various cabins, with a darker colour scheme in SAS’s business class, there is also a lot of fabric used in the decor and the business seat is even made of fabric. Even though skin and leather is often seen as more elegant in premium cabins, Kristine tells us that fabric is the most durable material. An nice detail is the subtle blue stripe that goes around the entire seat in a characteristic, SAS, light blue colour. Something SAS are very proud of is the front wall of business class, which has required a lot of work and a long process to get the necessary approval. The wall is completely made ​​of fabric, in a colour which matches the grey curtain.

Colour choices in SAS's new business class

Schedule

The first aircraft with the new seats will be rolled out in January 2015, the idea then is, that there will be a new aircraft upgraded every month (excluding summer) until all long-haul aircraft have the new seats installed. Which destinations the first aircraft will operate to is not yet clear, with SAS stressing that they will never be able to guarantee the new seats on a particular flight before the entire job is completed.

Colour choices in SAS's new business class The schedule has been kept to so far and the final objective is very clear. It is now more about the small details and minor adjustments until it is time to start installation.

What does BusinessClass think?

The model itself is perhaps not revolutionary, fully flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration has been around for a while now. The new seats do, however, put SAS back in the running and they could yet become a serious competitor in the lucrative business market. The colour choice is quite dark and the initial thoughts were that this may come across as negative. That is not the case. On the contrary, it is a rather pleasant colour combination that is far more soothing than dark and depressing. The built-in lights in the shelf (which incidentally, have a dimmer function), also reinforces this impression. In order to make a serious assessment of the sitting and sleeping comfort, you need a bit more than the 30 minutes we spent in the seat, but we can share some reflections. Initially, the seat felt slightly hard, but this was because it was on the hardness setting. With a few button presses, I immediately felt a little more comfortable. Otherwise, it was a pleasant sitting experience, nothing whatsoever to complain about.

Editor in chief Jacob Molin with SAS’s Swedish press officer, Henrik Edström The sleeping comfort was very good and it is a huge benefit to have the 1-2-1 configuration which means you are always situated well away from your neighbour’s seat. The seat width is about standard for business class. The pillow and blanket from Hästens is incredibly comfortable and also very stylish, a fun and innovative collaboration. It would have been nice if there was also a thin mattress to lay over the seat. It is also a very positive step to include more storage, something that reflects current needs. The shelves and table add a lot of space, with room for everything, from electronics and a water bottle, to a glass, plates and maybe a pair of glasses. Next to the screen, is an additional compartment which will is empty and intended for newspapers and reading materials. We did notice, however, that the table was rather small, not much larger than in economy class. This becomes less of an issue when using trays in the meal service, which SAS normally do, but without trays, it could become quite crowded. The entertainment system was not installed in the seat prototype so this could not be tested. The Business Class editorial team have, however, past experience with the Zodiac Rave, which is a very modern system with some innovative elements with regards to how the menu is structured. The downside with HD screens is that they can easily reflect light, which we were also able to notice on the prototype. If you sit by the window on a day flight, you will probably need to pull down the window cover to avoid glare.

Business Class marketing manager, Martin Björnström, tries out the seat Overall, there is no doubt that this is a major step up for SAS, the seat feels stylish and fresh and can surely convince some passengers who chose other alternatives with competitors to come back.

And finally, a little greeting from Kristine to Business Class readers and members:

Kristine Mayer, Design Manager SAS