Review of SAS flight Zurich Stockholm in Premium Eco

Airline SAS
Flight SK606
Class Premium Eco
Seat 3F
Aircraft Boeing 737-800
Flight time 02:20
Take-off 14 Apr 17, 10:30
Arrival at 14 Apr 17, 12:50
SK   #61 out of 95 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 212 reviews
Rl 777
By 1140
Published on 14th May 2017
Hello everyone and welcome to the second part of this short series covering my trip to southwestern Germany back in April 2017. This part will cover the return flight, from Zürich to Stockholm ARN. The background can be found on part 1 of this short series.






Itinerary

Part 1 - ARN-ZRH, LX1255, Swiss International Air Lines, Airbus Industrie A321, HB-IOD - Here
Part 2 - ZRH-ARN, SK606, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Boeing 737-800, LN-RGB - You are here





Note: Some pictures were taken with my camera while others were taken with my phone.







Time had advanced moderately quickly and the gap between holidays and the time of return had shortened substantially. It was the night before the date of return, which meant it was time to pack and start going through the final checks.

Flight SK606 from Zürich to Stockholm had been scheduled to leave ZRH at 10:30 AM local time on 14 April, 2017. Online check-in for SK flights open 22 hours before departure, 12:30 PM on 13 April, 2017 in this case. I had been outside with my friend Martin1405 for practically the whole day, implying a late check-in at approximately 21:50 (9:50 PM) on my friend's laptop. Few seats were available at this moment, I quickly picked seat 30A which was one of three remaining window seats in Y. This flight was originally scheduled to be operate by a 737-700 but was later switched to a 737-800.
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14 April, 2017 approached. I woke up at approximately 6 AM local time, brushed my teeth and had some breakfast with my friend before confirming the presence of my belongings for the last time. My medium-sized bag was weighed at 16,2 kg, well below the limit of 23 kg. A camera bag and a backpack were also part of my luggage, but served as my hand luggage instead.
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My friend's friendly dad drove me to the airport in Zürich from Germany. We left their house at roughly 07:36 AM local time.


One of the borders between Germany and Switzerland.
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Signs for the airport started to show up. 08:37 AM local time.
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Approaching the airport at 08:44 AM local time.
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Driving towards one of the parking garages.
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To parking P2.
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The car came to a final stop at roughly 08:49 AM, the trip to ZRH had taken approximately 1h 13 min.
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Following the arrival, the bag was collected from the trunk before making our way to the terminal.
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To the terminal using an elevator.
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A quick glance at a FIDS screen in the terminal confirms the existence of flight UA7062 (also known as SK606) to Stockholm.
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Several screens side by side.
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We then proceed to check-in 2, the check-in area SK uses (including other airlines) for their flights.
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Check-in 2. There were a fair amount of passengers present here at almost 09:00 AM, doing their thing. I on the other hand, was trying to locate the SK desks.
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Before dropping my bag at the desk, I make sure to print out a dull BP from one of the kiosks scattered around the area.
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It appears as Dnata handles check-in services for SAS (SK), Aer Lingus (EI), Royal Air Maroc (AT), Alitalia (AZ) and Etihad Regional (F7) at ZRH. The line for the bag drop was short and my bag was handled rather quickly and swiftly.
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After dropping the bag, my friend Martin1405 took me to a spot where some plane spotting was possible.
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KLM B739.
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Easyjet A319.
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KLM B739 and Swiss A343.
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Air France A318.
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We stay at the spot for a few minutes before walking back. Niki check-in desks.
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At roughly 09:20 AM, I bid farewell to my friend and his dad and thank them for everything before walking to the security check.
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I was approached by an automated BP control before entering the security check. There was roughly one hour left before my flight was scheduled to depart.
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Security was smooth without too much traffic at 09:27 AM.
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I made it through security in just six minutes, the time was 09:33 AM when I cleared the check.
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Passengers are greeted with a duty-free shopping area after clearing security.
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According to the BP I printed out earlier, flight SK606 was supposed to depart from gate A72. Boarding was scheduled to commence at 10:00 sharp.
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Walking to the A gates. As a side note: The airport looked great on the inside and this probably comes as no surprise.
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A Swiss lounge.
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Towards A72.
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I accidentally used one of the travelators located here but regretted my decision shortly after entering as I wanted to stop and look at aircraft from the windows on the sides. Unfortunately it was of considerable length so it took a while before I could stop without having a machine moving me forward.
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Continuing the walk to gate A72.
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I arrive at gate A72 by 09:50 AM local time, 10 minutes before boarding or 40 minutes before departure. I chose to walk around the area to burn these 10 minutes.
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LOT E-175.
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Air Canada B789, United B764, Swiss A333, Etihad B789 and a Bulgaria Air A319.
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Vueling A320.
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FIDS.
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SAS A321 from Copenhagen. A glimpse of the tail of my ride to Stockholm can be seen next to this company 321.
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Austrian A320.
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Flight information:

Airline: SAS Scandinavian Airlines

Flight no & route: SK606 ZRH-ARN

Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 Winglets

Scheduled time of departure (actual): 10:30 (10:45), UTC +2

Scheduled time of arrival (actual): 12:50 (12:50), UTC +2

Scheduled flight time (actual): 2h 20 min (2h 05 min)
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SK B738 to Stockholm ARN and SK A321 to Copenhagen.
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LN-LGB, a 738 delivered to SK in December 2012.
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VY A320.
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Finnair A321 with winglets/sharklets.
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I walk back to the gate when 10 minutes have passed. Priority boarding was announced at 10:02 AM.
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The amount of passengers eligible for priority boarding was not high, making it fairly quick for the announcement of boarding in Y to start. I was in row 30, one of the last rows and was therefore allowed to be one of the first passengers to board in Y.
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However, I was stopped by the agent after scanning my BP. She handed me a new boarding pass and said I had been upgraded to business (more like Y+ in SK short-haul) and my new seat was 3F. The agent also mentioned I would not get any meals onboard, I would only have a seat up front. I acknowledged the information and proceeded through the jetbridge. I had never flown anything besides economy prior to this, it was a slightly interesting feeling even though I was aware of the fact that it would practically be the same as in Y.
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Company A321.
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Missed focuse.
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The new BP.
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Seated on seat 3F. Flight attendants were greeting passengers at the door when entering the aircraft.
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A black pouch blocked the middle seat which was appreciated, as I had not expected to have an unoccupied middle seat. The passenger seated on seat 3D had also been upgraded.
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Seatback.
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The flight was announced as full, passengers were requested to store as much luggage as possible below the seats to keep space for larger carry-ons in the bins.
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The actual legroom was alright as seen here.
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The legroom for me was a little bit more limited, as I had my camera bag and backpack down here. The free middle seat helped with the limited amount of legroom, allowing me to stretch out to the side when needed.
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Austrian A320.
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Air Berlin (Belair) A320 pulling in to the adjacent gate. Belair is officially shutting down this October, some routes will be closed down while I believe other routes have already been taken over by Niki and Air Berlin.
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Wing view.
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Overhead panel.
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Overhead bins.
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Boarding was completed a few minutes before the scheduled time of departure.
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Pushback commenced at 10:36 AM local time.
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Interestingly, the middle seats in front of me and next to me were not blocked off which seemed bizarre. I do know that a few of these passengers were last-minute upgrades from Y like me but I do not think all of them were, SK could have made it to an Y-only flight if the latter was the case.
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Taxiing to runway 28.
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Austrian A320.
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Lufthansa A320.
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Air Europa E-195.
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Bombardier Challenger 300.
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Avro RJ100.
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Cessna Citation XLS+.
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Holding short of 28.
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Lining up with runway 28.
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Rolling down.
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Swiss A333, Etihad B789 and El Al B738.
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Blurry shot of a Singapore Airlines A388, Cathay Pacific B77W and Thai Airways B77W.
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Rocketing out of ZRH at 10:45 AM.
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Iberia A321 in the distance, arrived as IB3464 from Madrid.
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Oberglatt.
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Niederhasli and Niederglatt.
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Banking towards Stockholm, Sweden.
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Flying through the clouds.
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As soon as we made it through the clouds, the alps became partly visible.
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It was definitely nice to see parts of the mountains from above.
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Seatback.
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Cruising.
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The man seated on 30D decided to put the pouch below the middle seat, instead of having it on the seat.
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Safety card of this Boeing 737-800.
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The store.
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The BOB menu.
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SK Magazine.
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Mercedes-Benz magazine.
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Waste bag.
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Clouds.
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The agent who told me food would not be served to me as I was upgraded was true to a certain extent, but that was not the full story. Real SK plus passengers would be served a "meal" in a box, including having the ability to choose anything from the menu. One of the friendly and attentive FAs arrived at my row asking whether I would like anything, I only asked for a cup of coffee as that's normally what's included in Y on intra-European flights with SK (or tea). Then, the FA asked if I was sure and if I did not want any snacks or other drinks. She noticed my confused expression and proceeded with explaining that all snacks and drinks were complimentary from the menu, for upgraded passengers too. The boxed "meal" and the food items were not, but the rest were. I ended up getting a bag of crisps with the coffee. The service was done shortly after 11:10 AM, 25 minutes after departure.
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Charging my phone with the powerbank was essential, as on every occasion.
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20 minutes later, I decided to try out a smoothie and had a Marabou chocolate bar with it. Many of the upgraded passengers ordered a whole bunch of alcoholic beverages, probably making the best of the situation where they could order almost anything from the menu. The FAs on this flight were attentive, friendly and professional. They did not seem to have any kind of "fake" smiles, it all appeared to be genuine. Definitely one of the better short-haul crews I have had.
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Cruising at 38 000 ft.
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The tray table.
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Coat hook.
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A quick visit to the lavatory was made at 11:51 AM.
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The flight was completely full today.
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The Baltic sea.
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Seat cover.
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Thanks for tracking me Martin1405!
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The island of Gotland on the Baltic sea.
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Time passed away quickly and it was already 12:19 PM, we were only a few minutes away from descent into ARN at this point.
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An overview of some new SAS' routes (ARN-MIA not on the list). Meanwhile, the captain had initiated our descent into Stockholm.
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Losing altitude.
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Gloomy weather.
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The first glimpse of Stockholm, more specifally in the northern outskirts outside of the city centre. Parts of Sollentuna municipality including Viby, Rotebro, Häggvik, Norrviken and Tureberg are visible, a portion of Upplands Väsby is also visible. The E4 freeway and road 267 can also be seen, with at least eight lakes spotted including Norrviken, Edsviken, Ravalen, Vallentunasjön, Fjäturen, Rösjön, Väsjön and Snuggan.
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In addition, Ullnasjön (lake) and a small part of Stora Värtan (leads to the Baltic sea) can be spotted in the distance.
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The Marabou chocolate factory in Upplands Väsby.
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E4 freeway.
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Fysingen (lake).
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Closing in on runway 01L.
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The road to the airport.
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Almost there.
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Touchdown on runway 01L at Stockholm ARN at precisely 12:50 PM local time.
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Slowing down.
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Thai Airways B77W, Aeroflot A320 and Norwegian B788.
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Taxiing to our gate in terminal 5.
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Back to Stockholm I presume…
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Icelandair B763.
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Continuing the taxi.
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Our 738 came to a final stop at 12:53 PM local time. We parked up next to a company 737.
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A last look at the seats. The legroom was fine and the seat comfort was acceptable for a flight of this length. I am 179cm tall (5ft 10 inches), for the record.
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I disembarked from the plane at 12:58 PM and headed towards the belts to collect my bag.
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Belt 5 according to this screen.
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The bag arrived in roughly 12 minutes, I collected it and met my dad outside who picked me up and drove me back home. That was everything for this report, thank you for taking your time to read this FR. Have a good one, see you later.
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See more

Verdict

SAS

7.1/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering6.5

Zurich - ZRH

9.4/10
Efficiency10.0
Access8.5
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Stockholm - ARN

8.0/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.5
Services7.5
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

Another flight with SAS, this time with an upgrade. The added comfort of an unoccupied middle seat was appreciated in a full flight. The crew was friendly and professional throughout the flight.

Cabin comfort - Sufficient amount of legroom with an acceptable level of seat comfort for a flight of this length.

Cabin crew - The FAs were attentive and very friendly throughout the flight.

Entertainment - Window view and magazines.

Meal/catering - I was allowed to have anything from the BOB menu (besides "food" items and the boxed meal).

Information on the route Zurich (ZRH) Stockholm (ARN)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 8 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne Zurich (ZRH) → Stockholm (ARN).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est SWISS avec 7.8/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 2 heures et 26 minutes.

  More information

8 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 397730 by
    marathon GOLD 10112 Comments
    I was born decades before the Schengen Agreement and I look at European open borders with the same awe and pride as at a heavier than air machine taking off : it was once deemed impossible, and yet people did it.

    I never use traveletors in terminals unless I am in a zeitnot situation for boarding.

    My initial impression was that it was really cheap of SK to not provide food to passengers upgraded for operational reasons. The I reached the text where it was clarified.

    The advantage of the window seat ahead of the wing is that you don't have hot air from the reactors degrading the quality of the pictures (but row 30 is sufficiently far back in a 738 to minimize the issue)

    I saw some Marabou candies at the duty free in ARN last time. Now I know where they come from !

    "Closing in on runway 01L" : I was puzzled by this full parking lot in the middle of nowhere, and identified it as Benstockens långtidsparkering, an apparently private long term parking facility. This will be a feature to look at if landing on 01R when seated on my favorite left side on AF1262 ;)

    This was a short delay to collect your bag, by (low) Paris Airport standards !

    Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 397855 by
      Rl 777 AUTHOR 802 Comments
      Thank you for your very nice comment :).

      “My initial impression was that it was really cheap of SK to not provide food to passengers upgraded for operational reasons. The I reached the text where it was clarified.“
      - Then we shared the same initial reaction :).

      “The advantage of the window seat ahead of the wing is that you don't have hot air from the reactors degrading the quality of the pictures“
      - Valid point! In this case, an unoccupied middle seat served as an added bonus of being seated at the front. Something that would not have been the case, if I had been seated at row 30.

      That is correct, Benstockens it is! Sometimes I spot their Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses by the pick-up and drop-off zones at terminal 5.

      Thank you very much for stopping by :).

      Have a good one, see you!
  • Comment 397741 by
    martin1405 36 Comments
    Thanks again for sharing another amazing FR! :)

    Thank you for the great time when you were here! You are always welcomed!

    I was quite sad when you had to leave, haha.

    Great pics from ZRH! Nice spotting!

    You were lucky that you were upgraded to business even though it's similar to Y.

    Unfortunately, the weather wasn't thaaat good. So you could not see the alps well. It would be better if the weather was sunny. At least you could slightly see the Alps!

    Marabou chocolate!! I would love to eat it right now. At least you got some food for free :)

    Nice lavatory as always, haha!

    I love your wing view shots. Your whole FR reminded me of my flight to STO!

    No problem for tracking! My pleasure! :)

    I hope you had a nice experience and I can't wait to read another SK! Hope you will travel again as soon as possible!

    Thanks again! Have a good one and see you!
    • Comment 397856 by
      Rl 777 AUTHOR 802 Comments
      Thank you for your very nice comment :).

      Thank you once again for the fantastic experience. The wonderful hospitality is highly appreciated :). The moment of leaving was definitely not a nice moment.

      Thank you!

      I would be even more blown away if there were clear skies that day haha.

      Thank you for the wonderful comments :).

      “Hope you will travel again as soon as possible!“
      - Thanks! Unfortunately there will not be many more flights for me this year, as we are moving this summer.

      Thanks for stopping by :).

      Have a good one, see you.
  • Comment 397891 by
    thejetflyer BRONZE 149 Comments
    Congrats on being upgraded RI777...I wish I could have seen your face as you wondered about the free snacks ! Thanks for another grear trip report which was,as ever,great to read :(
    • Comment 398754 by
      Rl 777 AUTHOR 802 Comments
      Thank you very much for your very nice comment :).

      Thanks very much, I appreciate it a lot :).

      I am deeply saddened by the recent attack in Manchester :(.

      Have a good one, see you!
  • Comment 398791 by
    loukas 341 Comments
    Many thanks for this detailed and as always very professional report with great shots! These moving corridors in ZRH are terrible, you can miss a lot of spotting possibilities but on the other hand you can avoid passing crowds of people while running to your gate :). Strange upgrade but always an upgrade! Have a nice afternoon!
    • Comment 399052 by
      Rl 777 AUTHOR 802 Comments
      Thank you for your very nice comment :).

      You explained it in an excellent way, I completely agree with you. I have seen a lot of short connections with LX at ZRH when doing random searches, these travelators could definitely be handy in those scenarios.

      Thank you for stopping by.

      Have a good one, see you!

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