Review: SAS Plus, Stockholm-Malaga

SAS Plus meal, Stockholm to Malaga

Flight: SK 1803

Departure time in Stockholm (ARN): 12:30

Arrival time in Malaga (AGP): 16:50

Aircraft: Boeing 737-800

Seat: 8A

Duration: 4h 20min

Date of flight: December 15, 2017

*Revenue Ticket, Business Class flight #139

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Video Review

Arlanda Airport Terminal 5, Departures Hall

We arrived at Stockholm Arlanda Airport Terminal 5 around ten in the morning for our 12:30pm flight. As we already had our mobile boarding pass, we headed directly to security.

The SAS Lounge is located closer to gates 11-24 Security check so we used it instead of the main security check located to the right of the departures hall.

As a SAS Plus passenger, I was able to use the Fast Track. Of course, I would have still been able to use it if flying in economy using my Star Alliance Gold status 😉

SAS Gold Lounge

The SAS Gold Lounge was a bit quiet when we arrived and they were still serving breakfast as usual. If champagnes and wines are normally breakfast items, who am I to say no 😊

By 11am, the lounge staff changed the buffet items for lunch service which included some Risoni pasta, Smoked salmon and Potato & Leek soup among others.

And since it's Christmas season, the Swedish Julmust was also on offer 👍

Aircraft, Boeing 737-800

For this flight, SAS was using a Boeing 737-800 named Turid Viking which flew from London Heathrow the other night.

Boarding, Gate 1

Boarding from gate 1 started at 12:10pm with those seating in rows 1-8 (SAS Plus passengers) boarding first. It was strange that Star Alliance Gold members did not have priority boarding.

SAS Plus Cabin

The SAS Plus cabin from rows 1-8 is in a 3-3 configuration with row 1 having only 3 seats on the right side cabin, thus a total of 45 seats. The load was about 95 percent.

Seat 8A (Window)

My seat 8A was a window. Fortunately, seat 8B was vacant 👍

Not so spacious legroom

SAS Plus tray table

SAS inflight magazines, menu card and safety instruction card

SAS inflight magazine, Scandinavian Traveler

Around 12:25pm, an announcement was made informing us that the flight is full and about 10 minutes later, the captain named Charlotte came on the PA to welcome us and to apologize for the delay due to many baggage being loaded as well as a few passengers needing assistance for boarding. Flight time was 4 hours and 5 minutes, with a nice weather on the way to Malaga.

Push back was at 12:48pm, giving us a view of Qatar Airways' Dreamliner 😍

Moments later, the staff started with the safety on board demo, as there are no monitors/screens. Take off went smoothly at 12:57pm.

As soon as the seat belt sign was turned off, the cabin manager came on the PA to inform us of the meal service, with those flying in SAS Plus getting complimentary cold meal and drinks while those in SAS Go can buy their meal on board, plus complimentary coffee and tea.

Around 1:30pm, hot towels were offered.

View from my seat around 13:45pm.

Dining

SAS menu card

SAS menu card

At 1:47pm, meals were offered which consisted of 2 boxes, a cold meal and a warm muffin.

Smoked line caught Norwegian catfish with an Öland wheat and kale salad, a dressing made from herring from Norröna, fennel cured red onion and a Prästost cream served with kale oil and kale roasted buckwheat

Lingonberry and lemon verbena muffin bar 😋

We were also offered something to drink and I chose the Ringi Apple Juice. The sparkling wine on board was Francois Montand Brut.

To end the meal service, coffee and tea were offered which was followed by pralines from Hedh Escalante Chocolatier.

Lavatory

SAS Boeing 737 lavatory

As there are no real partitions between SAS Plus and SAS Go, the lavatory was used by passengers from both cabins.

Around 4:30pm, the first officer came on the PA to inform us that we are approaching Malaga Airport and that we would be landing in 20 minutes. He also added the weather in Malaga which is 20 degrees.

View before landing

View before landing

Landing at Malaga International Airport (AGP)

We landed at Malaga International Airport at 4:45pm and after about 7 minutes, we reached our gate which was gate 62.

CONCLUSION

My last flight with SAS on SAS plus was when I flew to Palma de Mallorca in March and since it was almost the same flight distance as this one, I knew more or less what to expect on this flight. I was glad that the seat beside me was vacant since I just find it ridiculous that a passenger in SAS Go would get a vacant seat beside him especially when economy is not full, and I who is flying in SAS Plus wouldn't get it. Of course, that's the way SAS would have it so in the end, I really can't do anything about it. As expected, the meals in SAS Plus are subpar to what you'd normally get on other European airlines. I understand that they would like to minimize the cost but it's strange that they do not limit the consumption of alcoholic drinks in SAS Plus. The lady at seat 8C had 2 bottles of sparkling wine, a small bottle of liquor and apple juice. And when she asked for her second sparkling wine, I noticed that the flight attendant was not that happy. Of course, if they serve inexpensive meals and yet passengers would consume expensive drinks as they wish, then I guess SAS is not really getting any profit in the end.

Overall, the flight was nice since the flight attendants were friendly although I wish they would try to level up their meal service and use an aircraft with personal screen especially on this long flight.