Review of SAS flight Gothenburg → Stockholm in Business

Airline SAS
Flight SK 158
Class Business
Seat 2F
Aircraft Boeing 737-600
Flight time 00:36
Take-off 13 Oct 14, 12:50
Arrival at 13 Oct 14, 13:26
SK   #50 out of 121 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 185 reviews
jetsetpanda
By 3447
Published on 18th October 2014
Hello and welcome to this GOT-ARN segment of my trip. Here is my schedule so far:

AF SFO-CDG in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8246.html
AF CDG-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8253.html
SK GOT-ARN in C - you are here
SK ARN-NCE in C - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8309.html
LH NCE-MUC in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8340.html
LH MUC-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8373.html
KL GOT-AMS in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8374.html
KL AMS-SFO in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8392.html

When I checked the weather forecast for GOT a few days before arrival it was predicted to be rainy and cold. However, upon landing at GOT, I was met by periods of sunshine combined with gray clouds. It looked like the rain has dissipated and after checking in at the Elite Park Avenue hotel, I ventured out to explore the city and make the most out of my very short stay.


From the airport to the city

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Walking around GOT




I had a good night sleep at the hotel and the following day I indulged in a generous buffet breakfast. After all, Scandinavians are known for their great displays and it would be a shame to skip that. ;)


Elite Park Avenue

The hotel is centrally located on Avenyn and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. In addition the airport bus stops right in front of it which is really convenient. My room was well appointed with the basics and it was comfortable. The highlight is the generous buffet included in the price of the room at the contemporary Park Aveny Cafe.

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My room




Park Aveny Cafe




Breakfast buffet




My plate

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After breakfast I picked up my things and went to the airport. GOT is not big, but what it lacks in size it more than makes it up in charm and efficiency.

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For this trip I purchased a SAS Plus fare which is basically a business class product on the ground and an economy plus one in the air. The ticket allowed flexibility for changes, was fully refundable and provided access to the lounge. Onboard you had a separate cabin but the middle seat was not blocked so you could potentially have a neighbor as it happened to me and the buy on board items along with alcoholic drinks were free.

I was greeted at the counter with a smile from a friendly agent who made some little talk about my destination. After issuing my boarding pass she kindly directed me to the domestic gate. Security was handled by two professional ladies who had a pleasant disposition and was stark contrast to some TSA agents in the U.S.


Ticket counter

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Boarding pass

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Once inside the gates I paid a visit to the SAS Lounge located next to the Menzies one used by BA and AB. An attendant greeted me with a smile and invited me to come in. The lounge was small but had good views of the ramp along with some computers and a contained area that was supposedly quiet. There was an area for publications and newspapers and counters with food and drink set ups.

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Views from the lounge

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Publications

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Rest of the lounge




After my indulgent breakfast I decided to skip the food here and just have some tea. There was some salad along with soup with breads. Afterwards I proceeded to the gate where I waited for the inbound flight.

FA's

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The plane arrived a couple of minutes late and some time after the FA's went onboard they decided to begin boarding starting with elite and SK + pax. There was a self boarding station next to the gate for premium passengers and I used it to board.

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Cabin inside

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As luck would have it I had a neighbor sitting next to me while all the other SK + rows had an empty middle row.

Boarding was conducted quickly and once finished we taxied for departure.


Take off

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The FA's went into action quickly due to our short flight. There was a limited amount of snacks available and I had a wasa sandwich which is just crackers with cream cheese spread in between.

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We descended shortly afterwards.



We arrived about 8 min. late.

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Verdict

SAS

6.3/10
Cabin6.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering5.0

SAS Business Lounge

7.6/10
Comfort7.5
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services7.5

Gothenburg - GOT

9.5/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Stockholm - ARN

9.0/10
Efficiency7.5
Access9.5
Services9.5
Cleanliness9.5

Conclusion

Even though SK+ is sold as a J product on some other outlets (on UA and Lifemiles it is considered J for award redemption), it is in reality Y+. The lounge access and refundable/changeable ticket are nice features offering flexibility and when the fare is not that different from regular Y, then it is a good value.

Comfortwise I hated not having a blocked middle seat. This is one area where SK could make SK+ fares more attractive.

The crew was smiling and did their job efficiently.

Flight arrived a few minutes late, not a major delay by any means.

Related

10 Comments

  • Comment 120305 by
    lagentsecret — GOLD 12417 Comments

    Thanks for sharing this FR

    The hotel buffet has a good food offer

    The lounge is average and not only because of this cheap prosecco ;)

    Not a blocked middle seat when the fare should be quite high : it's a shame

    See you soon for the next leg

    • Comment 303699 by
      jetsetpanda — AUTHOR 2294 Comments

      The hotel buffet has a good food offer

      It was great and the setting was very comfortable. This confirms once again that Scandinavians are great at buffet breakfasts.

      The lounge is average and not only because of this cheap prosecco ;)

      If you are trying to eat healthy, then this club is for you. Food offering consists mainly of soups and salads. Since I am from California where people try to eat organic and vegetarian, I felt right at home :P

      Not a blocked middle seat when the fare should be quite high : it's a shame

      It depends. Fares can be very high if purchased at the last minute but in my case the difference was marginal so I decided to splurge. I agree that an empty middle seat would have been perfect.

      Thanks for your comments as always.

  • Comment 120321 by
    02022001 — SILVER 4362 Comments

    Thanks for this FR !

  • Comment 120327 by
    marathon — GOLD 9566 Comments

    Thanks for this comprehensive Hotel and Flight Report ;)

  • Comment 120334 by
    SKYTEAMCHC — GOLD 8234 Comments

    Thanks for this hotel report ! ( just kidding and the hotel looks nice but the bed is tiny!) The city looks nice but very quiet.
    The lounge looks good but the food and drinks offer seems very limited. Not much to say on such a short flight, except, as you pointed out, that in business the middle seat should be left empty.
    looking forward to the next FR.

    • Comment 303702 by
      jetsetpanda — AUTHOR 2294 Comments

      Most single rooms in Sweden have tiny beds in my limited experience.

      It was Sunday afternoon and there were people walking around. I just waited for the right time to take the shots without people. ;)

      SAS lounges are not as generous as other European ones. Then again, if you are allowing access to passengers on SK+, you must compensate somehow.

      Thanks.

  • Comment 120380 by
    KL651 — TEAM 4492 Comments

    Thanks for this FR.

    I also have fond memories of breakfast buffets in Scandinavia.

    Göteborg really seems quiet on your pictures.

    SAS Plus is a good compromise when the fare difference with Y isn't that big.

    • Comment 303703 by
      jetsetpanda — AUTHOR 2294 Comments

      GOT is a nice city that has a relaxing feel and I only wish that I could have explored other areas. Maybe on a future trip.

      SK + is a Premium Economy product with Business Class pretensions. ;)

      Thank you for your visit.

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