No surprise upgrades this time, so this report will cover the return flight on SK in SAS Go, which is their fancy name for economy. I will also cover the SAS Lounge at CPH in this report. The Y-cabin was pretty full, so I just picked one of the two remaining window seats when I was booking the flight. I normally shy away from window seats on long-hauls since I hate feeling trapped, and this flight confirmed that fear… I should have gone with the aisle seat.
Pre-flight:
After checking out of my hotel after breakfast, I did some sightseeing in the pouring rain until lunchtime. I had a nice lunch near Nørreport and then took the subway to CPH, which is a really convenient airport to access from the city. It’s nice having an airport so close to the city unlike all the new airports in Japan that are a trek to get to (NRT/KIX/CTS/NGO).
Arriving at the airport at 14:00, I followed the signage to the check-in area in Terminal 3.
I used one of the SK kiosks to do check-in, which is when I found out some really fun news: my flight was delayed >3 hours. I didn’t bother getting a SIM card in Denmark so no SMS message from SK alerting me of the delay. Oh fun, 5-hours to kill in CPH, but luckily I was given a guest pass to enter the SAS Lounge by one of my hosts.
With my boarding pass in hand, I went over to the bag drop lines. The lines moved quickly and my bag was tagged for NGO and I was sent on my way in less than 5 minutes.
I took the escalator upstairs to the security checkpoint. I like how they tell you what the current waiting time is for security.
But first I stop and take in a view of the check-in lobby in Terminal 3 with these two ladies.
The long walk to the security checkpoint. Everything was very orderly and the lines moved smoothly. I didn’t time it, but it was probably finished within 10 minutes.
CPH loses big points for making all passengers pass through the duty-free shops in order to get to the gates. There is nothing that I hate more than these airports that are large “shopping malls.”
The FIDS confirm my fate. The plane from SFO will be arriving 3.5 hours late this afternoon so my flight becomes collateral damage.
With about 4 hours to kill, I decide to do some spotting first since it is still daylight.
QR B788.
MS B738.
SK A343.
DY B738.
SK A320.
BA A321.
SK A321.
AF A319 and DY B738.
SK CRJ-900.
Alsie Express ATR72, I always like finding obscure regional carriers.
SK A319.
DX ATR72.
LX A320.
TP A319 and LX A320.
IB A320 with sharklets.
SK CRJ-900.
Disgusting shopping infested gate areas at CPH.
Quiet hallway in CPH near the LCC gates.
A local flavor of Denmark: the LEGO store.
The SAS Lounge.
The agent was busy helping people so I just scanned my pass and went left.
From a distance, it looks nice and chic.
Getting closer to the food offerings, it looks less nice. Drinks were mediocre and the wine on tap creeps me out a little bit (good thing I don’t drink wine). I didn’t see any hot food items, there was just a salad bar (circled by vultures so no photos).
The lounge was pretty crowded so I found a seating area in the back corner near some windows (not tarmac views). My first offering was just coffee and cookies.
Connecting to the Internet, a little bit of irony: “Europe’s most punctual airline.” I’d hate to fly any other European carrier if this is true since SK averages a 2.5-hour delay based on my two flights.
I later went back to the buffet area and picked up a salad since that was the only food on offer. I settled down in a different area. Since SK does not offer free alcohol in SAS Go, I had to get my beer fix now.
About 20 minutes before the boarding time, I went to passport control, which was a little backed up because a DY flight to JFK was leaving at the same time.
Walking through the international gates, I spot the SK A343 in *A livery getting ready to go to PVG.
The aforementioned DY B788 leaving for JFK.
Waiting area for the international gates, very odd seat choice.
And here is my ride, Toste Viking, getting prepped following its arrival from SFO.
——————————-
Scandinavian Airlines, SK 983 Equipment: Airbus A340-300 [OY-KBD “Toste Viking”, delivered April 2002] Departure: 15:45 (ATD: 19:22) Arrival: 10:40 (ATA: 13:25) Flight time: 10:03
Our Gate: C32.
I entered the gate area while business class was boarding. Passports and boarding passes were checked to enter the quarantined gate area. Interesting because boarding passes weren’t checked again as we entered the jetbridge. My boarding pass is a little interesting, since the flight is still listed at the original time (15:45), but the boarding time has been adjusted to 18:15.
I finally boarded the plane at 18:35. No real greeting boarding the plane by the J-cabin FAs, just kind of pushing passengers in as fast as possible.
Some strafing of the Y seats on my way to the back. More cabin shots showing SAS Plus and SAS Go seats will be at the end during deplaning. As I make my way to my seat, boarding is completely clogged so get some time to talk and crack some jokes with a FA that was standing in the Y galley as I wait for the line to move since it looked like it was a giant Japanese tour group in this section.
My seat (taken on arrival). Preplaced on the seat were pillow and blanket.
Seat pitch is not bad for Y. A water bottle was preplaced in the seatback pocket. You can also see that my seatmate is already making his presence known in this photo…
There is a small entertainment box under the window seats.
Cabin shot during boarding.
The micro 6” IFE that is very low quality. It was definitely touch screen since the German behind me insisted on poking the screen as hard as possible throughout the flight (sleep was not in the forecast for this flight).
With all that space they saved by installing a mini IFE, they had extra space for this mirror and little storage pouch.
The tray table had a foldout cup holder.
The left armrest had the recline button and my seatmate’s elbow which would not budge until I pushed back later in the flight.
The right armrest had the IFE remote control and the audio jack. This armrest was right up against the fuselage so the seat felt very narrow and I’m not a very wide person.
Pillow and blanket. The pillow had the standard hospital cover, but was of decent size. The blanket was nasty feeling, it was very synthetic and scratchy.
Earbuds were in the seatback pocket too.
Boarding was finished, but we sat there for 20-25 more minutes while cargo containers were still being loaded.
My seatmate was already expanding his empire into my personal space. He insisted on putting a bag in between his legs and thus extending his right foot into my footspace. Since my seat was near the back of the plane, it suffered from curvature and I was already getting squeezed against the fuselage.
We eventually pushed back around 19:10 into the dense fog.
Safety videos played during the foggy taxi.
We took off to the SW based on the moving map.
As we continue our climb into the dark, the safety card for this A343 (which also doubles for the A333).
Scandinavian Traveller and the route map to Asia.
The BOB Menu. Not a good sign when you see a BOB menu on a long-haul flight…
The meal service guidelines for SAS Go. If you read closely, you are only given ONE free non-alcoholic drink with the first meal. For the second meal, you only get ONE fruit drink. Post meal coffee/tea is offered, but all other drinks on this flight are BOB (and overpriced at that).
Cabin shot as meal service begins.
A cabin announcement was made that all drink orders for the meal have to be done at the aperitif service. The same FA that I joked with earlier was working my aisle; he slipped me a free beer with my glass of water. I find it poor that SK does not offer any sort of snack with the aperitif (how much does a bag of pretzels or nuts cost?). This witbier looks good though.
The meal trays were distributed. There was no option available. Everyone was served the exact same chicken with rice dish. The roll was hot and fairly good since it was multigrain. This is really poor catering, you better hope you remembered to pre-order a special meal if you really need one…
Seeing my glass was empty, the FA slipped me another free beer.
Plastic cutlery with packets of salt and pepper and a wetwipe.
The main today is “SAS Chicken Breast Barbeque” and comes in at 250g.
The main revealed and it actually doesn't look that bad. The chicken didn’t look heavily processed and the barbeque sauce helped add a lot of flavor. Overall, I was happy with the main as a Y meal.
The salad: not so happy. It looks very boring with just lettuce and a packet of dressing. No color, just industrial lettuce.
Standard Camembert cheese and crackers.
The same FA brought me two more rolls. I must have made his day with my joke, because he pampered me during this meal service with extras.
The overly sweet industrial dessert that was very small.
Milk and sugar were also on the tray.
Knowing that drinks were going to be stingy, I strategized my post-dinner drinks. I saw coffee coming first so I took a cup.
I quickly drank the coffee in time to get the green tea.
Quickly drank that in time to get the final coffee run.
After dinner, I poked around the IFE and its pitiful offerings.
Not only were the offerings bad, but clicking on most of them resulted in this screen.
The NES era remote.
I eventually just decided to rest my eyes instead of watching a bad movie. Unfortunately, my seatmate started to lean on me pushing me against the window. I wasn’t going to have any of that so I gave an “accidental” elbow into his arm while I was reaching to get my water from the seatback. He didn’t like that, but quickly returned to his sleep and leaned on me again. I immediately woke him up again in order to go to the bathroom.
The lavatories are standard Airbus issue with no amenities.
Getting back to my seat, I quickly put my arm down on the armrest before he could sit down. I wasn’t going to let him retake that space and forced him to sleep leaning towards the aisle.
Once he was asleep again, I enjoyed the sunrise over Siberia.
Breakfast service started as we got close to the Russian coast.
The breakfast offering looks about as bad as UA’s on my recent KIX-SFO report. This was the entire tray and nothing else was offered. The tray contained: cutlery, orange juice packet, plain yogurt, muesli, roll, cheese, jam, and butter. A very poor offering and it did little to fill me up.
My yogurt with muesli.
Coffee was also offered.
Leaving Russia.
Entering Japan just north of Niigata. Cloudy as always.
As we approached the eastern coast of Japan, I noticed something on the horizon: Mt. Fuji poking up over the clouds in the distance. There is also an air-to-air with some other plane just to the right of the mountain, but I can’t identify it.
The winglet.
Making our U-turn along the eastern coast of Honsh?.
Eastern approach into Narita.
We touch down almost 3 hours late.
SkyTeam operations at NRT: AM, AZ, and SU.
As we taxi to our gate, a TN A343 is in its final approach.
Arriving at our gate.
Deplaning, a look at the rear SAS Go cabin in 2-4-2 configuration.
The SAS Plus cabin in 2-3-2 configuration. Doesn’t look that compelling of a premium economy product.
A “thanks for flying” deplaning. No lines at immigration and I am quickly into the baggage claim. After a 20-minute wait for bags, I clear customs and this is where I will end this report. Tune in next time for another visit to the ANA Arrival Lounge and the short hop from NRT to NGO.
—————————- BONUS: A couple afternoon strolls through Copenhagen in between meetings. I only saw about 30 minutes of sun the entire time I was there, so you can probably guess where I was at the exact moment based on this bonus.
Københavns Rådhus.
Views from the top of Rundetårn.
De Danske Garderforeninger.
Rosenborg Slot. Unfortunately, its toilet is not up to SK standards.
Flats in København.
Foliage in Fælledparken.
Parken, home of FC København.
Foliage in Kastellet.
Den Lille Havfrue.
Maersk Headquarters.
Views from the top of the Christiansborg Slot.
Nyhavn.
See more
Verdict
SAS
5.0/10
Cabin5.5
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi3.0
Meal/catering4.5
SAS Gold
5.0/10
Comfort4.0
Meal/catering4.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services4.0
Copenhagen - CPH
9.0/10
Efficiency8.5
Access10.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness10.0
Tokyo - NRT
8.5/10
Efficiency10.0
Access6.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
SK long-haul leaves a lot to be desired in economy. The LCC nature of SK is present in some aspects of this product. The planes are old and in need of a desperate update (which unfortunately for me did not occur prior to this report). I didn’t think the catering tasted bad (the main was one of the better Y mains I’ve eaten outside of NH), but there is no option for meals, no free alcohol, and the pre-arrival meal was pitiful. Crew was very neutral and the on-time performance was crappy. An easily forgettable experience aboard SK, but still better than UA (ever so slightly).
Cabin comfort: Brutal, but mainly because of my seatmate. The seat pitch was okay, the seats are fairly hard and not very comfortable. I’m not wide at all, but I found the seats narrow, but this may have been because I was the second to last row and the curvature of the plane was squeezing me in. I couldn’t sleep at all on this flight as is common for me in economy.
Crew: They generally seemed very average; the only saving factor on this flight was my ability to befriend the FA working my aisle. That really made a big difference since he gave me two free beers and extra bread. They didn’t seem cold, but they also didn’t seem friendly, I’d give them a 6 under normal circumstances, but will give a 7 given my personal experience.
Meal and catering: This is really where the LCC comes out on SK. There is no option for the first meal, everyone is served the same main. That said, the main wasn’t that bad and I thought the chicken was good. The rest of the tray was average at best with an industial salad and dessert. Plenty of warm bread offered though from my friendly FA. No free alcohol on SK and very stingy with drinks (everything is BOB between meals). The arrival meal was extremely poor for a 10-hour flight. SK catering is only a notch above UA (based on the quantity and quality).
Entertainment: The IFE is microscopic, the quality was very poor, and the content was terrible. Since I already exhausted anything remotely interesting on the first flight, there was nothing left. On top of that, no power ports on this older SK economy product. Standard seatback literature and no newspapers offered.
On-time performance: Ugh, SK is 2/2 on delays. This time a brutal 3.5-hour delay due to a late inbound aircraft, which is unacceptable at their hub. We landed 3 hours late into Narita, which wasn’t a problem with me because I had a 6-hour layover scheduled, but if I were to miss the last flight to NGO because of this delay, I would have been livid.
3 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thanks for sharing this report. I as about to give SAS a try for my next trip to Asia but now NOT anymore. I was shocked by the poor seating quality on those A343 (and in all classes) and the very restrictive service. So NO NO and NO. I'm even impressed you could survive and write those lines... ;)
I as about to give SAS a try for my next trip to Asia but now NOT anymore. - If given the option, I would not pick SK until their cabin refurbishment is finished and there is some improvement to their in-flight service (Y and Y+). It is not a competitive product at all given the fares they charge.
I'm even impressed you could survive and write those lines... ;) - It's price we pay for FR :)
After reading your insightful FR, all I can say is thank God that I did not set foot on SK Y! Whew! UA Y looks very decent compared to this, and SK is a legacy European carrier. How the mighty has fallen!
I normally shy away from window seats on long-hauls since I hate feeling trapped.. - I feel the same.
It’s nice having an airport so close to the city unlike all the new airports in Japan that are a trek to get to (NRT/KIX/CTS/NGO). - It's a real blessing. Well, in Japan HND is not bad at all.
Oh fun, 5-hours to kill in CPH, but luckily I was given a guest pass to enter the SAS Lounge by one of my hosts. - What a life saver.
There is nothing that I hate more than these airports that are large “shopping malls.” - More and more airports seem to be designed this way.
I later went back to the buffet area and picked up a salad since that was the only food on offer. I settled down in a different area. - Kind of pathetic. At least upstairs they have more variety.
The left armrest had the recline button and my seatmate’s elbow which would not budge until I pushed back later in the flight. - That sucks.
The meal service guidelines for SAS Go. - Incredibly disappointing for a long haul. BOB for snacks?
The overly sweet industrial dessert that was very small. - Well, be glad that it was not a packed cookie.
The blanket was nasty feeling, it was very synthetic and scratchy. - I feel itchy just by looking at it.
The breakfast offering looks about as bad as UA’s on my recent KIX-SFO report. - Looks like you had a very deficient continental breakfast.
The IFE is really bad. I don't see any redeeming quality in that Y product.
Beautiful bonus as usual, especially given the detrimental weather. Always a pleasure to visit one of your FR's Michael.
all I can say is thank God that I did not set foot on SK Y! Whew! UA Y looks very decent compared to this, and SK is a legacy European carrier. How the mighty has fallen! - I think this correctly summarizes the entire experience. I think the UA hard-product (B772 and B787) is superior to the SK hard-product. It's a close call to pick between the two, but if given the option, I would avoid both ;)
What a life saver. - Yeah, or I could have just went back into the city since it was so close, but I figured I'd just sit in the lounge.
Kind of pathetic. At least upstairs they have more variety. - I saw the third party lounges on the far end (QR sends their passengers there), it looked like it had a better offering from the glimpse in I caught walking by. The SK Lounge looked sad.
Incredibly disappointing for a long haul. BOB for snacks? - BOB for drinks! In between meals, no drinks were offered. I had a feeling this was going to happen so I used the last of my DKK to buy bottled water to bring with me on board.
Well, be glad that it was not a packed cookie. - No, the packaged cookie is reserved for AZ's long-haul business class desserts ;)
I feel itchy just by looking at it. - It was freezing on the plane so I had to use it, no other choice...
Looks like you had a very deficient continental breakfast. - I would have expected some some sort of fruit. A yogurt and some cheese does not constitute a breakfast.
The IFE is really bad. I don't see any redeeming quality in that Y product. - But it had a mirror! For some, that is a very redeeming quality ;)
Beautiful bonus as usual, especially given the detrimental weather. - Like you, I had to battle the 5C weather and heavy rain. I wasn't there on vacation, so I just tried to take advantage of my limited opportunities to walk around.
Thank you for this FR, though the SK offering, in all classes, appears VERY poor.
Apart from the interesting bonus (which does not give me more interest in visiting CPH than SK planes...), the best part is the beautiful sunrise over Siberia.
though the SK offering, in all classes, appears VERY poor. - I can't see what advantage they offer to passengers, unless there is a direct flight from CPH/ARN that works better for your schedule. For *A, LH looks to offer a much better product ex-Europe.
Yikes 3 hour delay--good thing you have lounge access.
I like how they tell you what the current waiting time is for security. - That is a nice feature. LHR has it in some Terminals. Although often at T5 it's 20 minutes+ ugh
CPH loses big points for making all passengers pass through the duty-free shops in order to get to the gates. There is nothing that I hate more than these airports that are large “shopping malls.” - Seems to be the standard in Europe anymore, and some US airports--MSP comes to mind.
Nice planespotting despite the gloomy weather. I also enjoy spotting obscure carriers, though those are rare here in the US.
My first offering was just coffee and cookies. - Oh no, is this a United Club? :-P
Since SK does not offer free alcohol in SAS Go, I had to get my beer fix now. - Seriously? From a United Club to United Economy! Actually, that's not fair to UA, they serve free wine and beer in Y now. Did you get 2 beers at the same time? You had to double-fist to get your fix, LOL. OK, now I don't feel as bad about the uber-alcohol-soaked FR I just posted ^^
Waiting area for the international gates, very odd seat choice. - Once again, IKEA-esque
The 90's called and wants its IFE back.
The left armrest had the recline button and my seatmate’s elbow which would not budge until I pushed back later in the flight. - #ArmrestWars!
Boarding was finished, but we sat there for 20-25 more minutes while cargo containers were still being loaded. - like they didn't have time to do that during the 3 hour delay?!
As we continue our climb into the dark, the safety card for this A343 (which also doubles for the A333). - Those removable engines are so darn convenient!
If you read closely, you are only given ONE free non-alcoholic drink with the first meal. For the second meal, you only get ONE fruit drink. Post meal coffee/tea is offered, but all other drinks on this flight are BOB (and overpriced at that). - Pathetic. I've noticed that carriers push their Premium Economy products by downgrading Y services. Not sure that's such a good strategy.
Seeing my glass was empty, the FA slipped me another free beer. - It's always helpful to get in good with the FAs. It's sad that this is not standard service.
Unfortunately, my seatmate started to lean on me pushing me against the window. I wasn’t going to have any of that so I gave an “accidental” elbow into his arm while I was reaching to get my water from the seatback. He didn’t like that, but quickly returned to his sleep and leaned on me again. I immediately woke him up again in order to go to the bathroom. - Ugh, that just sounds miserable. Although I'm not a fan of those pouffy neck pillows (although I do own one that I never use), this would have been a good use for one as a strategically placed barrier.
Gorgeous colors at sunrise!
The SAS Plus cabin in 2-3-2 configuration. Doesn’t look that compelling of a premium economy product. - I agree, though still looks more comfortable that Y. The seats look a lot like the old BA World Traveller Plus seats
SK long-haul leaves a lot to be desired in economy. - There's an understatement. It's sad when Economy on U.S. carriers looks better. After being impressed with upgrades in service in SAS Business, I am very disappointed to see that the race to the bottom continues in Y. Sadly, that seems to be the standard anymore.
So, can we say that you won the armrest war?
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the next adventures!
Yikes 3 hour delay--good thing you have lounge access. - As I told Adan, if I didn't have lounge access, I would have just taken the subway back into the city after checking in. I can't imagine just wandering around CPH for 5 hours...
Nice planespotting despite the gloomy weather. I also enjoy spotting obscure carriers, though those are rare here in the US. - There are some occasional charter airlines that pop up. Saw a SY at LAX yesterday.
Did you get 2 beers at the same time? You had to double-fist to get your fix, LOL. OK, now I don't feel as bad about the uber-alcohol-soaked FR I just posted ^^ - Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are you judging me for double fisting beers? I didn't want to lose my seat in the crowded lounge.
Once again, IKEA-esque - That's where last year's stock much have ended up. They donate all the old furniture to the airports ;)
like they didn't have time to do that during the 3 hour delay?! - The delay was because of delayed inbound aircraft, but I didn't see them start loading cargo until we began boarding. So they have some excuse for a late plane, but no excuse for just sitting around waiting for boarding to start before loading up the plane.
Those removable engines are so darn convenient! - If you noticed, there were no engines shown on the safety card, they were clever like that to take advantage of the structural similarity of the A330/340s.
I've noticed that carriers push their Premium Economy products by downgrading Y services. Not sure that's such a good strategy. - I really don't know what meal service they got in Y+. I wonder if they did get an option, I was too far back to see what service was done for them.
It's always helpful to get in good with the FAs. It's sad that this is not standard service. - Cost-cutting measures. And look at the price of a beer on the BOB menu. $7-9 is really high. NH only charges $4 and I feel like the US carriers are $6ish for domestic flights?
Although I'm not a fan of those pouffy neck pillows (although I do own one that I never use) - The skeletons in Kevin's closet revealed!
The seats look a lot like the old BA World Traveller Plus seats. - The pitch looked only marginally better, they claimed 38 online, but it certainly didn't look it... It has the same microscopic IFE has Y and the seat width is only 18. Hopefully the new Y+ product is better and more competitive. I'd imagine they will try and copy whatever LH offers.
It's sad when Economy on U.S. carriers looks better. After being impressed with upgrades in service in SAS Business, I am very disappointed to see that the race to the bottom continues in Y. Sadly, that seems to be the standard anymore. - Pitch was okay, it was just a narrow seat with no IFE. I'd rather be on B6 for this flight.
So, can we say that you won the armrest war? - Of course :)
There are some occasional charter airlines that pop up. Saw a SY at LAX yesterday. - Sun Country is not obscure to me, lol. I used to live in Minnesota and they fly daily to DCA
Are you judging me for double fisting beers? - Not judging, congratulating :-P
NH only charges $4 and I feel like the US carriers are $6ish for domestic flights? - Yeah, beer/wine tends to run $5 and liquor $7
Too bad that Danish sky isn't as cooperative as Japanese or Californian ones for spotting. ^^
SK CRJ-600. -> Too much aquavit for making that identification mistake ? lol
SK lounges are just OK, as long as you like beer. ;)
That Y cabin looks very old. I thought such IFEs were now only found onboard AF A343s…
No alcohol and no food options for the main meal, wt* ??? Usually airlines improve their catering on Japanese routes, I hope this was not the case here because I can't imagine a worst tray than the one you got…
Pitiful catering again for the pre-arrival meal.
Earlier this year I have found very cheap prices for a roundtrip to Japan flying SK, but now I'm even more happy to have chosen NH instead. ;)
cooperative as Japanese or Californian ones for spotting. ^^ - Both of these skies will be featured soon^^
Too much aquavit for making that identification mistake ? lol - I guess SK only has one-type of CRJ and I chose wrong ;) Fixed in the text^^
as long as you like beer. ;) - But it is Carlsberg, not such a good option.
That Y cabin looks very old. I thought such IFEs were now only found onboard AF A343s… - Everything on SK is old, lol^^ Those IFEs are also found on AZ narrowbody fleet^^
wt* ??? and I can't imagine a worst tray than the one you got… - This tray was better than UA's on the KIX-SFO flight^^ But I agree with your wt* sentiment exactly when you think about how cheap SK is when it comes to long-haul Y service. Only ONE!!!! non-alcoholic drink...
Pitiful catering again for the pre-arrival meal. - I told you in your LX report that there was no comparison in pre-arrival service, and it wasn't because of the length of flight.
Earlier this year I have found very cheap prices for a roundtrip to Japan flying SK, but now I'm even more happy to have chosen NH instead. ;) - This is the common consensus among most readers, I'm glad that I took one for the team and tried out this product for everyone, it was not a good flight and I couldn't wait to get off the plane in NRT. It was a treacherous flight.
It is extremely difficult for me to assess SAS. Form your reports SK can be very poor with outdated hard product, bad on-time performance etc. In contrast, as mentioned before what I heard from my friend's experience on the HKG-ARN route was good hard product, on-time flights, tasty meals with abundant mid-flight snacks. I can only say that how come SAS acts so discriminating on its different routes LOL
IMO the CPH airport looks stylish because of the wood flooring. The lounge looks decent but offerings are just average. Very unimpressive Y & Y+ hard product. (the windows 3.X-like IFE appears again!)
There is no option for the first meal --> I would be in despair if the only option was beef, not chicken (since I don’t eat beef). Your chicken option not looks bad. But the breakfast is totally a joke. It looks like snacks bought from the grocery store.
Nice spotting of Copenhagen even the foggy weather there! Look forward to your next trip and Happy Winter Solstice! (So the next series is Christmas trip? :P)
In contrast, as mentioned before what I heard from my friend's experience on the HKG-ARN route was good hard product, on-time flights, tasty meals with abundant mid-flight snacks. - I find this very perplexing that the service standards would be that different on routes based solely on aircraft type. If they are going to reinstate their service standards on the new cabins, then it should be uniformly improved across the entire flight network.
IMO the CPH airport looks stylish because of the wood flooring. - Yeah, the hardwood floors are nice looking, but it's too dark/congested for my taste.
Your chicken option not looks bad. But the breakfast is totally a joke. It looks like snacks bought from the grocery store. - The quality of the main was good on the dinner tray. The rest of that tray was very poor. The breakfast offering, as you state, is a joke. Even CX puts out better meals ;)
Look forward to your next trip and Happy Winter Solstice! (So the next series is Christmas trip? :P) - I'm on the Christmas trip right now so you'll have to settle for a domestic series in the meantime ;)
Wow the experience you just described sure came as a surprise, I thought SK was a decent carrier, but I'm seeing it's one of the worst legacy you can fly on.
No choice of main meal, only one drink, old IFE, neutral crew. Finnair is offering a better service even if they are thought to be the cheapest (in all ways) to Asia.
Did you get a voucher or something for the delay? The EU rules normally force airlines to do that.
Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting.
I thought SK was a decent carrier, but I'm seeing it's one of the worst legacy you can fly on. - I had read a lot about SK's demise, but didn't expect it to be this bad. It is really poor for a legacy carrier and I think they have to change their model since their fares don't compete well with their competitors. I'd rather fly QR via DOH for the same fare and get better service even if it isn't a direct flight.
Finnair is offering a better service even if they are thought to be the cheapest (in all ways) to Asia. - Maybe the SK cabin revamp is a direct response to the AY cabin refreshes last year? Either way, AY and LH must be biting into the Scandinavian market big time. SK's offering is just too poor to justify flying them.
Did you get a voucher or something for the delay? The EU rules normally force airlines to do that. - Hmm, good point. I'm not familiar enough with EU rules since I rarely fly there. This is interesting since I did have a 3+ hour delay. Nothing was mentioned at check-in...
When I was reading your report, it reminded me a lot of the experience my wife and I had when flying to Chicago back a few years ago from Copenhagen in Y. We had flown J across to Copenhagen from Washington, and rather enjoyed the experience, but flying back in Y to Chicago was not great. Our flight was also delayed for 3 hours like yours, and we were glad when we had finally landed back in Chicago after the long flight. The food was not very good either, and the pre-arrival meal in Chicago, was a dry, tasteless sandwich which looked like they had simply just put two pieces of bread together...
The meal service guidelines for SAS Go. If you read closely, you are only given ONE free non-alcoholic drink with the first meal. For the second meal, you only get ONE fruit drink. Post meal coffee/tea is offered, but all other drinks on this flight are BOB (and overpriced at that).
This must be new, and too bad that they are going to this model for international flights.
flown J across to Copenhagen from Washington, and rather enjoyed the experience, but flying back in Y to Chicago was not great. - I'm glad there was some consistency in our experiences. It shows that it is not isolated instances and that their J product is decent (minus hard-product) and their Y product is very poor. I would consider flying them again based on the good soft-product I experienced, but not unless it is on a newer product if I'm going to be paying out of pocket for the ticket.
This must be new, and too bad that they are going to this model for international flights. - I can't see this surviving. They are going to get stuck in a bubble between the true LCC option in DY (with an ever-expanding long-haul network) and the other legacies in the area (namely LH). That's not a good place to corner yourself since you are neither LCC or full-service, but charge full-service fares.
Great spotting at CPH! A nice variety of European airlines with QR and MS in the party as well.
2 delays in a row, not good at all. Thankfully you had a long connection in NRT.
I didn't expect much more from the meal services, this has been pretty common for SK. These kind of limited options and non-competitive BOB stuff just hurt their image as a legacy carrier. Finnair has gained a lot of market share from Scandinavia to Asia in the past few years which is not surprising given how crappy SK was. They are improving now with their updated cabins but still need to improve in the catering department.
The IFE is obviously a joke, their older A330s didn't even offer AVOD. Those are refurbished now though.
Great wing shots!
Fantastic bonus from CPH! I think it was much better than mine, the weather looked nice on some of the pics. Great shots from Christiansborg Slot and from Rundetårn.
Great spotting at CPH! A nice variety of European airlines with QR and MS in the party as well. - The MS was the only one that surprised me, first time seeing a MS in person.
I didn't expect much more from the meal services, this has been pretty common for SK. These kind of limited options and non-competitive BOB stuff just hurt their image as a legacy carrier. - It was shocking to see how limited everything is. US carriers have set the bar low for me and that's normally how compare products, but SK took it to an even lower level. Not even the US carriers have gotten that stingy (UA is getting close). With DY in the same markets, SK is really going to hurt if they go the LCC model.
The IFE is obviously a joke, their older A330s didn't even offer AVOD. - UA B747s still don't have AVOD either.
Fantastic bonus from CPH! - I tried to do as much as I could with the poor weather. Just a lot of nasty rainy cold weather.
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#59 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
214 reviews
22 Comments
I'm even impressed you could survive and write those lines... ;)
I as about to give SAS a try for my next trip to Asia but now NOT anymore.
- If given the option, I would not pick SK until their cabin refurbishment is finished and there is some improvement to their in-flight service (Y and Y+). It is not a competitive product at all given the fares they charge.
I'm even impressed you could survive and write those lines... ;)
- It's price we pay for FR :)
I normally shy away from window seats on long-hauls since I hate feeling trapped..
- I feel the same.
It’s nice having an airport so close to the city unlike all the new airports in Japan that are a trek to get to (NRT/KIX/CTS/NGO).
- It's a real blessing. Well, in Japan HND is not bad at all.
Oh fun, 5-hours to kill in CPH, but luckily I was given a guest pass to enter the SAS Lounge by one of my hosts.
- What a life saver.
There is nothing that I hate more than these airports that are large “shopping malls.”
- More and more airports seem to be designed this way.
I later went back to the buffet area and picked up a salad since that was the only food on offer. I settled down in a different area.
- Kind of pathetic. At least upstairs they have more variety.
The left armrest had the recline button and my seatmate’s elbow which would not budge until I pushed back later in the flight.
- That sucks.
The meal service guidelines for SAS Go.
- Incredibly disappointing for a long haul. BOB for snacks?
The overly sweet industrial dessert that was very small.
- Well, be glad that it was not a packed cookie.
The blanket was nasty feeling, it was very synthetic and scratchy.
- I feel itchy just by looking at it.
The breakfast offering looks about as bad as UA’s on my recent KIX-SFO report.
- Looks like you had a very deficient continental breakfast.
The IFE is really bad. I don't see any redeeming quality in that Y product.
Beautiful bonus as usual, especially given the detrimental weather. Always a pleasure to visit one of your FR's Michael.
See you soon.
- I think this correctly summarizes the entire experience. I think the UA hard-product (B772 and B787) is superior to the SK hard-product. It's a close call to pick between the two, but if given the option, I would avoid both ;)
What a life saver.
- Yeah, or I could have just went back into the city since it was so close, but I figured I'd just sit in the lounge.
Kind of pathetic. At least upstairs they have more variety.
- I saw the third party lounges on the far end (QR sends their passengers there), it looked like it had a better offering from the glimpse in I caught walking by. The SK Lounge looked sad.
Incredibly disappointing for a long haul. BOB for snacks?
- BOB for drinks! In between meals, no drinks were offered. I had a feeling this was going to happen so I used the last of my DKK to buy bottled water to bring with me on board.
Well, be glad that it was not a packed cookie.
- No, the packaged cookie is reserved for AZ's long-haul business class desserts ;)
I feel itchy just by looking at it.
- It was freezing on the plane so I had to use it, no other choice...
Looks like you had a very deficient continental breakfast.
- I would have expected some some sort of fruit. A yogurt and some cheese does not constitute a breakfast.
The IFE is really bad. I don't see any redeeming quality in that Y product.
- But it had a mirror! For some, that is a very redeeming quality ;)
Beautiful bonus as usual, especially given the detrimental weather.
- Like you, I had to battle the 5C weather and heavy rain. I wasn't there on vacation, so I just tried to take advantage of my limited opportunities to walk around.
Thank you for all your comments Adan!
Apart from the interesting bonus (which does not give me more interest in visiting CPH than SK planes...), the best part is the beautiful sunrise over Siberia.
- I can't see what advantage they offer to passengers, unless there is a direct flight from CPH/ARN that works better for your schedule. For *A, LH looks to offer a much better product ex-Europe.
I like how they tell you what the current waiting time is for security.
- That is a nice feature. LHR has it in some Terminals. Although often at T5 it's 20 minutes+ ugh
CPH loses big points for making all passengers pass through the duty-free shops in order to get to the gates. There is nothing that I hate more than these airports that are large “shopping malls.”
- Seems to be the standard in Europe anymore, and some US airports--MSP comes to mind.
Nice planespotting despite the gloomy weather. I also enjoy spotting obscure carriers, though those are rare here in the US.
My first offering was just coffee and cookies.
- Oh no, is this a United Club? :-P
Since SK does not offer free alcohol in SAS Go, I had to get my beer fix now.
- Seriously? From a United Club to United Economy! Actually, that's not fair to UA, they serve free wine and beer in Y now.
Did you get 2 beers at the same time? You had to double-fist to get your fix, LOL. OK, now I don't feel as bad about the uber-alcohol-soaked FR I just posted ^^
Waiting area for the international gates, very odd seat choice.
- Once again, IKEA-esque
The 90's called and wants its IFE back.
The left armrest had the recline button and my seatmate’s elbow which would not budge until I pushed back later in the flight.
- #ArmrestWars!
Boarding was finished, but we sat there for 20-25 more minutes while cargo containers were still being loaded.
- like they didn't have time to do that during the 3 hour delay?!
As we continue our climb into the dark, the safety card for this A343 (which also doubles for the A333).
- Those removable engines are so darn convenient!
If you read closely, you are only given ONE free non-alcoholic drink with the first meal. For the second meal, you only get ONE fruit drink. Post meal coffee/tea is offered, but all other drinks on this flight are BOB (and overpriced at that).
- Pathetic. I've noticed that carriers push their Premium Economy products by downgrading Y services. Not sure that's such a good strategy.
Seeing my glass was empty, the FA slipped me another free beer.
- It's always helpful to get in good with the FAs. It's sad that this is not standard service.
Unfortunately, my seatmate started to lean on me pushing me against the window. I wasn’t going to have any of that so I gave an “accidental” elbow into his arm while I was reaching to get my water from the seatback. He didn’t like that, but quickly returned to his sleep and leaned on me again. I immediately woke him up again in order to go to the bathroom.
- Ugh, that just sounds miserable. Although I'm not a fan of those pouffy neck pillows (although I do own one that I never use), this would have been a good use for one as a strategically placed barrier.
Gorgeous colors at sunrise!
The SAS Plus cabin in 2-3-2 configuration. Doesn’t look that compelling of a premium economy product.
- I agree, though still looks more comfortable that Y. The seats look a lot like the old BA World Traveller Plus seats
SK long-haul leaves a lot to be desired in economy.
- There's an understatement. It's sad when Economy on U.S. carriers looks better. After being impressed with upgrades in service in SAS Business, I am very disappointed to see that the race to the bottom continues in Y. Sadly, that seems to be the standard anymore.
So, can we say that you won the armrest war?
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the next adventures!
Yikes 3 hour delay--good thing you have lounge access.
- As I told Adan, if I didn't have lounge access, I would have just taken the subway back into the city after checking in. I can't imagine just wandering around CPH for 5 hours...
Nice planespotting despite the gloomy weather. I also enjoy spotting obscure carriers, though those are rare here in the US.
- There are some occasional charter airlines that pop up. Saw a SY at LAX yesterday.
Did you get 2 beers at the same time? You had to double-fist to get your fix, LOL. OK, now I don't feel as bad about the uber-alcohol-soaked FR I just posted ^^
- Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are you judging me for double fisting beers? I didn't want to lose my seat in the crowded lounge.
Once again, IKEA-esque
- That's where last year's stock much have ended up. They donate all the old furniture to the airports ;)
like they didn't have time to do that during the 3 hour delay?!
- The delay was because of delayed inbound aircraft, but I didn't see them start loading cargo until we began boarding. So they have some excuse for a late plane, but no excuse for just sitting around waiting for boarding to start before loading up the plane.
Those removable engines are so darn convenient!
- If you noticed, there were no engines shown on the safety card, they were clever like that to take advantage of the structural similarity of the A330/340s.
I've noticed that carriers push their Premium Economy products by downgrading Y services. Not sure that's such a good strategy.
- I really don't know what meal service they got in Y+. I wonder if they did get an option, I was too far back to see what service was done for them.
It's always helpful to get in good with the FAs. It's sad that this is not standard service.
- Cost-cutting measures. And look at the price of a beer on the BOB menu. $7-9 is really high. NH only charges $4 and I feel like the US carriers are $6ish for domestic flights?
Although I'm not a fan of those pouffy neck pillows (although I do own one that I never use)
- The skeletons in Kevin's closet revealed!
The seats look a lot like the old BA World Traveller Plus seats.
- The pitch looked only marginally better, they claimed 38 online, but it certainly didn't look it... It has the same microscopic IFE has Y and the seat width is only 18. Hopefully the new Y+ product is better and more competitive. I'd imagine they will try and copy whatever LH offers.
It's sad when Economy on U.S. carriers looks better. After being impressed with upgrades in service in SAS Business, I am very disappointed to see that the race to the bottom continues in Y. Sadly, that seems to be the standard anymore.
- Pitch was okay, it was just a narrow seat with no IFE. I'd rather be on B6 for this flight.
So, can we say that you won the armrest war?
- Of course :)
- Sun Country is not obscure to me, lol. I used to live in Minnesota and they fly daily to DCA
Are you judging me for double fisting beers?
- Not judging, congratulating :-P
NH only charges $4 and I feel like the US carriers are $6ish for domestic flights?
- Yeah, beer/wine tends to run $5 and liquor $7
- You should be impressed by my LAX-SFO intake ;)
Too bad that Danish sky isn't as cooperative as Japanese or Californian ones for spotting. ^^
SK CRJ-600. -> Too much aquavit for making that identification mistake ? lol
SK lounges are just OK, as long as you like beer. ;)
That Y cabin looks very old. I thought such IFEs were now only found onboard AF A343s…
No alcohol and no food options for the main meal, wt* ???
Usually airlines improve their catering on Japanese routes, I hope this was not the case here because I can't imagine a worst tray than the one you got…
Pitiful catering again for the pre-arrival meal.
Earlier this year I have found very cheap prices for a roundtrip to Japan flying SK, but now I'm even more happy to have chosen NH instead. ;)
cooperative as Japanese or Californian ones for spotting. ^^
- Both of these skies will be featured soon^^
Too much aquavit for making that identification mistake ? lol
- I guess SK only has one-type of CRJ and I chose wrong ;) Fixed in the text^^
as long as you like beer. ;)
- But it is Carlsberg, not such a good option.
That Y cabin looks very old. I thought such IFEs were now only found onboard AF A343s…
- Everything on SK is old, lol^^ Those IFEs are also found on AZ narrowbody fleet^^
wt* ??? and I can't imagine a worst tray than the one you got…
- This tray was better than UA's on the KIX-SFO flight^^ But I agree with your wt* sentiment exactly when you think about how cheap SK is when it comes to long-haul Y service. Only ONE!!!! non-alcoholic drink...
Pitiful catering again for the pre-arrival meal.
- I told you in your LX report that there was no comparison in pre-arrival service, and it wasn't because of the length of flight.
Earlier this year I have found very cheap prices for a roundtrip to Japan flying SK, but now I'm even more happy to have chosen NH instead. ;)
- This is the common consensus among most readers, I'm glad that I took one for the team and tried out this product for everyone, it was not a good flight and I couldn't wait to get off the plane in NRT. It was a treacherous flight.
It is extremely difficult for me to assess SAS. Form your reports SK can be very poor with outdated hard product, bad on-time performance etc. In contrast, as mentioned before what I heard from my friend's experience on the HKG-ARN route was good hard product, on-time flights, tasty meals with abundant mid-flight snacks. I can only say that how come SAS acts so discriminating on its different routes LOL
IMO the CPH airport looks stylish because of the wood flooring. The lounge looks decent but offerings are just average. Very unimpressive Y & Y+ hard product. (the windows 3.X-like IFE appears again!)
There is no option for the first meal --> I would be in despair if the only option was beef, not chicken (since I don’t eat beef).
Your chicken option not looks bad. But the breakfast is totally a joke. It looks like snacks bought from the grocery store.
Nice spotting of Copenhagen even the foggy weather there! Look forward to your next trip and Happy Winter Solstice! (So the next series is Christmas trip? :P)
In contrast, as mentioned before what I heard from my friend's experience on the HKG-ARN route was good hard product, on-time flights, tasty meals with abundant mid-flight snacks.
- I find this very perplexing that the service standards would be that different on routes based solely on aircraft type. If they are going to reinstate their service standards on the new cabins, then it should be uniformly improved across the entire flight network.
IMO the CPH airport looks stylish because of the wood flooring.
- Yeah, the hardwood floors are nice looking, but it's too dark/congested for my taste.
Your chicken option not looks bad. But the breakfast is totally a joke. It looks like snacks bought from the grocery store.
- The quality of the main was good on the dinner tray. The rest of that tray was very poor. The breakfast offering, as you state, is a joke. Even CX puts out better meals ;)
Look forward to your next trip and Happy Winter Solstice! (So the next series is Christmas trip? :P)
- I'm on the Christmas trip right now so you'll have to settle for a domestic series in the meantime ;)
Wow the experience you just described sure came as a surprise, I thought SK was a decent carrier, but I'm seeing it's one of the worst legacy you can fly on.
No choice of main meal, only one drink, old IFE, neutral crew. Finnair is offering a better service even if they are thought to be the cheapest (in all ways) to Asia.
Did you get a voucher or something for the delay? The EU rules normally force airlines to do that.
I thought SK was a decent carrier, but I'm seeing it's one of the worst legacy you can fly on.
- I had read a lot about SK's demise, but didn't expect it to be this bad. It is really poor for a legacy carrier and I think they have to change their model since their fares don't compete well with their competitors. I'd rather fly QR via DOH for the same fare and get better service even if it isn't a direct flight.
Finnair is offering a better service even if they are thought to be the cheapest (in all ways) to Asia.
- Maybe the SK cabin revamp is a direct response to the AY cabin refreshes last year? Either way, AY and LH must be biting into the Scandinavian market big time. SK's offering is just too poor to justify flying them.
Did you get a voucher or something for the delay? The EU rules normally force airlines to do that.
- Hmm, good point. I'm not familiar enough with EU rules since I rarely fly there. This is interesting since I did have a 3+ hour delay. Nothing was mentioned at check-in...
When I was reading your report, it reminded me a lot of the experience my wife and I had when flying to Chicago back a few years ago from Copenhagen in Y. We had flown J across to Copenhagen from Washington, and rather enjoyed the experience, but flying back in Y to Chicago was not great. Our flight was also delayed for 3 hours like yours, and we were glad when we had finally landed back in Chicago after the long flight. The food was not very good either, and the pre-arrival meal in Chicago, was a dry, tasteless sandwich which looked like they had simply just put two pieces of bread together...
The meal service guidelines for SAS Go. If you read closely, you are only given ONE free non-alcoholic drink with the first meal. For the second meal, you only get ONE fruit drink. Post meal coffee/tea is offered, but all other drinks on this flight are BOB (and overpriced at that).
This must be new, and too bad that they are going to this model for international flights.
Looking forward to your next report!
Matthew
flown J across to Copenhagen from Washington, and rather enjoyed the experience, but flying back in Y to Chicago was not great.
- I'm glad there was some consistency in our experiences. It shows that it is not isolated instances and that their J product is decent (minus hard-product) and their Y product is very poor. I would consider flying them again based on the good soft-product I experienced, but not unless it is on a newer product if I'm going to be paying out of pocket for the ticket.
This must be new, and too bad that they are going to this model for international flights.
- I can't see this surviving. They are going to get stuck in a bubble between the true LCC option in DY (with an ever-expanding long-haul network) and the other legacies in the area (namely LH). That's not a good place to corner yourself since you are neither LCC or full-service, but charge full-service fares.
Have a good holidays!
Great spotting at CPH! A nice variety of European airlines with QR and MS in the party as well.
2 delays in a row, not good at all. Thankfully you had a long connection in NRT.
I didn't expect much more from the meal services, this has been pretty common for SK. These kind of limited options and non-competitive BOB stuff just hurt their image as a legacy carrier. Finnair has gained a lot of market share from Scandinavia to Asia in the past few years which is not surprising given how crappy SK was. They are improving now with their updated cabins but still need to improve in the catering department.
The IFE is obviously a joke, their older A330s didn't even offer AVOD. Those are refurbished now though.
Great wing shots!
Fantastic bonus from CPH! I think it was much better than mine, the weather looked nice on some of the pics. Great shots from Christiansborg Slot and from Rundetårn.
Have a good one, see you!
- The MS was the only one that surprised me, first time seeing a MS in person.
I didn't expect much more from the meal services, this has been pretty common for SK. These kind of limited options and non-competitive BOB stuff just hurt their image as a legacy carrier.
- It was shocking to see how limited everything is. US carriers have set the bar low for me and that's normally how compare products, but SK took it to an even lower level. Not even the US carriers have gotten that stingy (UA is getting close). With DY in the same markets, SK is really going to hurt if they go the LCC model.
The IFE is obviously a joke, their older A330s didn't even offer AVOD.
- UA B747s still don't have AVOD either.
Fantastic bonus from CPH!
- I tried to do as much as I could with the poor weather. Just a lot of nasty rainy cold weather.
Happy holidays and thanks for your comments!
Great pics, thanks for sharing!
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