NicoEBG

ARN – ORD – LAX – HNL

To see larg scale pic: http://picasaweb.google.dk/Nicolaiebg/SasUnited#



Date 4’th November 2009

Airline: SAS and UNITED

Class of service: SAS International Business Class and United Domestic Economy Plus

Stockholm – Chicago

Flight number: SK945

Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300

Scheduled (actual) departure time: 10:20 (10:18)

Scheduled (actual) arrival time: 12:30 (12:05)

Flight duration: 08h. 45 m.

I arrived at Arlanda Airport terminal 5 08:30 in the morning with the Arlanda express train from downtown Stockholm. The youth fare a fairly priced, around 120 skr, ca. 22 usd. Easy and fast – the train ride is aprox. 20 minutes. Taking a cap out of Stockholm in the morning traffic can easily take twice as long.
Walked to the *Gold check-in counters. There was just one person in front of me. At the check-in I was greeted by a nice older lady, who reminded me of my grandmother. Later I found out that she was the purser on the flight. All the check-in staff at the business class and Star Gold counters was from the flight crew. Great idea, as they knew everything about the flight, seat layout, meals, arrival information, connections, etc.
I only had carry-on luggage but the check-in lady told me that I were only allowed 2 bags (I had one small trolley, one leather bag and one laptop-bag) on my onward connection in the US. So she would make sure that my trolley was checked-in at the gate in Chicago. Great gesture!

I asked about the load in the business cabin today and she informed me that at this moment there were only 6 pax. booked. I asked for seat 1G and if she could block seat 1H (the window seat next to me). She blocked the seat next to me with a smile and said that she would make sure to keep it blocked. Great! She printed my boarding pass all the way to LAX and informed me that I were welcome to use the fast-track and the Scandinavian or the Business class lounge and wished me a pleasant flight.
No one in line at the fast-track security line, so that only took me 2 minutes. And the security guy wished me a pleasant flight as well.
Now there’s one really bad thing about the Arlanda airport. After security you have to walk through the terrible shopping hell, packed with people looking at cheap perfume and boos. It’s so annoying! Why isn’t there any fast way out of this hell? You even have to walk in the opposite direction of the Lounges to get out of the tax-free shop.
After fighting my way through the shopping hell I walked to the Scandinavian Lounge. Pretty busy this morning but plenty of available seats though. Grabbed some breakfast: different kind of bread, chesses, Italian ham and some Danish along with a cappuccino and some fresh orange juice. Enjoy the breakfast with today’s newspapers and before I knew it my flight were boarding, so left the lounge and walked the looong way to the international gate area. No line at passport control and when I came to the gate I used the business class boarding line and were greeted by the older FA that also checked me in. she welcomed me and showed me to my seat. She remembered that she had blocked the window seat next to me and told me that it was still free.
As soon as I took place in my seat a young male FA came by and stowed my hand luggage away, asked to take my coat and weather I would like champagne, orange juice or mineral water? (He insisted stowing my luggage away even though I said that I could just do it right away) I went with the champagne and some non sparkling water with ice. The champagne served was Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Sublime. Great champagne and served perfectly chilled.
Before I knew it the boarding completed sounded and I looked around the cabin. We were only 12 passengers in the cabin today. Guess some of my fellow travelers upgraded for points at the gate.
Soon the glasses were collected and we were taxiing towards the runway this gray rainy morning. Soon we were airborne and passed through the thick low clouds and got up in the nice blue and sunny morning sky over Scandinavia. That’s really some of the best part of flying. Leaving the rainy ground and soon see the blue sky and the sun.



Short after take-off the captain introduced himself and then informed us about today’s flight. A bit turbulence in the first hour or so, but nothing bad and then a smooth flight over Iceland, Greenland, the Atlantic ocean and then descending into Chicago. The captain wished us all a pleasant flight and thanked us for choosing SAS and Star Alliance. Shortly after, the Purser welcomed us again and introduced herself.
After this the Purser walked around the Business cabin and personally introduced herself to the SAS Gold, *Gold and guess there were one Pandion passenger onboard as well. Later on I had a chat with her at the buffet area and she told me that she appreciated being in personal contact with the business class passengers throughout the flight, from check-in to arrival. Soon the headphones and the comfort kit were handed out along with today’s menu. I have my own SONY digital noise cancelling headphones, they are just outstanding, so I used them instead of the SAS noise cancelling headphones, they aren’t too bad.
Shortly the cabin-crew took drink orders and served the canapés. I went for the champagne, a great Henriot 2000 Vintage Millesime, 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay and some still water with ice. The canapé were a mix of Lomo, caper berry and sun-dried black olive.
The cabin crew on this flight was mixed Danish/Swedish. A quite young team, but professional, and they looked really attractive to, for a change 



Then the dinner service began. The young male FA set up my table with glasses and cutlery, never tried that before. Guess the purser decided that due to the light load in business today. Great touch, wished they did that on all flights.
Menu:
Snack: Lomo, caper berry and sun-dried black olive

Green leaf salad with dressing of the day

First course
Shrimp and herb tian with löjrom, Swedish whitefish caviar and cucumber relish





Selection of breads with Danish butter

Main course
Poached halibut in tarragon cream sauce and oven baked vegetables

Thai green chicken curry with eggplant, pak choi and jasmine rice

Pork medallion with mashed broccoli and potatoes, mixed root vegetables and green pepper sauce





Squash and carrot tortilla served with oven baked potatoes, roasted mushrooms, sautéed onion and spicy tomato sauce

Cheese
Fourme d’Ambert, Münster, Cantal cheese and fig compote

A sweet finish
Chocolate tart with fruit salad



Wine:

White:
Chateau Haut Bertinerie 2006 Premieres Cotes de Blaye
Grand Vin de Bordeaux
100% Sauvignon Blanc

Sancerre Les Grandmontains Domaine Laport 2007 Vintage
100% Sauvignon Blanc

White of the day:
Some Chablis 2004 Gran Cru
(don’t remember the name)


Red:
Crozes-Hermitage Petite Ruche 2007
Northern Rhone
Bio-dynamic wine
Casa Silva Los Lingues Grand Reserva 2006
Colchagua Vally Chile
100% Carmenere

Red of the day: My apologies, I don’t remember

Round it off:

2002 Chateau Romer du Hayot Sauternes
France

Port:
Cockburn’s Late Bottled Vintage

Cognac and Liqueurs:
Moyet XO Borderies
Calvados Daron
Drambuie
Contrieau
Baileys Irish Cream
Xanté Poire au Cognac

Before landing

Open sandwiches



With Champagne

Smoked Salmon with lime wedge and lollo rosso

Peppered ham with onion, cress and lollo bianco

Dessert
Passion fruit créme with fresh berries





Cabin overall: SAS business class cabin is really nice. Light colors and really clean. But SAS needs to upgrade the seats soon! Not only are the kind of worn out but SAS need to keep up with the other European star alliance carriers. Especially Swiss new all flat bed seats are amazing. And with the really low prices I’m afraid that Swiss will get most of my C class travel in 2010 when they get the A340 fleet upgraded. The lavatories at SAS a great, huge space with windows and totally clean all the time. Nice touch with the fresh flowers and real cotton towels.
The in-flight entertainment needs to be upgraded as well, the screen is all right though nothing fancy but the selection of movies is just too limited.



Over all, great soft product but the hard one needs some work.

sobore

Thanks for the nice SAS TR! ^

snod08

Nice TR! nice photographs too!

seat_1a

Thanks for a nice trip report!

Is that a Malev fork that has sneaked into the SAS cabin for the dessert?

Seat 2A

Nice report, Nico. I remember when SAS had onboard chefs in First Class aboard their DC-8s however that Business Class meal service looks very nice as well.

NicoEBG

Mabye its an old Singapore Airlines??? Well anyway, kind of fun with the mixup