Christmas and New Year’s Getaway to Tokyo in SAS Business Class
Jan 22, 2015, 7:54 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Jan 22, 2015, 11:11 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,263
Great TR! I didn't know about that metro pass either...we were just there last year and it would have come in handy. It looks you visited a lot of the same places we did...the pictures (excellent photography skills, BTW) are bringing back great memories. Thanks for sharing!
Jan 22, 2015, 1:24 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Scandinavia
Programs: EB
Posts: 81
Thanks for the nice pics and tr! I will keep it in the back of my head as I wish to travel to Tokyo with the new SAS-cabin sometime this or next year 
Though I must say - even though it's quite weak and will be changed - your image of SAS PLUS intra scandi is perhaps a bit too bad?
It isn't as bad as just smoothies and water. You can even get "lefse" (traditional norwegian flatbread) if you fly intra norway, as well as norwegian chocolate, swedish potato chips, nuts, soda etc.. Hopefully they will increase the servings with a sandwich or something by the end of this year.
Can't wait to hear about your best-SASflight-ever though!
Though I must say - even though it's quite weak and will be changed - your image of SAS PLUS intra scandi is perhaps a bit too bad?
It isn't as bad as just smoothies and water. You can even get "lefse" (traditional norwegian flatbread) if you fly intra norway, as well as norwegian chocolate, swedish potato chips, nuts, soda etc.. Hopefully they will increase the servings with a sandwich or something by the end of this year. Can't wait to hear about your best-SASflight-ever though!
Jan 26, 2015, 9:06 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Saturday January 3rd 2015
After 11 fantastic days in Tokyo it was sadly time to head back home to Scandinavia. With a departure at noon I wake up at 7am to get my things ready before bidding farewell to my hosts and leaving the apartment. My transport of choice to Narita this morning was the Keisei bus which conveniently enough left right infront of the subway station in Kasai, saving me a ton of time since I didn’t have to go into central Tokyo. The bus arrives bang on time and after paying the 1500 Yen fare to the driver, a smooth 50 minute ride awaits. We pull up at Narita International Airport just before 9am in the morning, and little did I know that there was a passport check for all vehicles entering the airport. I had foolishly enough left my passport in my trolley case which was in the baggage hold, and after some minor discussions I was able to get through without showing my passport. I can’t really see the point of having a documents check for passengers arriving by land since rail passengers are not subject to it.
The departures hall at Narita Terminal 1 South. Dedicated exclusively for ANA and Star Alliance.
Since I arrived fairly early the SAS check-in counters had yet to open, so in the mean time I had a good look around the terminal and visited a currency office to exchange some leftover Yen into Swedish Crowns. With that taken care of I return to find the SAS counters open. A total of eight counters are used for today’s flight to Copenhagen. Half for SAS Business, SAS Plus, EuroBonus Diamond/Gold/Silver and Star Alliance Gold, with the other half being used for Economy. Since I was only traveling with hand luggage I’m quickly able to pick up my boarding pass before setting off to security and immigration.
Business Class passengers with SAS are unfortunately not allowed to use the fast track security lane which is reserved only for ANA passengers, but luckily the general lines were fairly short. The same goes for immigration which was nearly desserted, and in less than a few minutes I’m well on my way to the ANA Lounge for some well needed breakfast.
ANA Lounge Satellite 5 Narita Terminal 1
At the reception I am greeted by one of the attendants who quickly scans my boarding pass before granting me access to the Business Class side. The lounge is spacious and offers plenty of seating for everyone, good amounts of natural light and a nice view of the tarmac. The same can’t be said about the ANA Lounge in Satellite 4 which is located in the basement level. The lounge was fairly crowded during my visit since the USA departures were beginning to close up, but in spite of that there was plenty of seating for everyone and the lounge never felt crowded.
The lounge is divided into an outer and inner section, where the inner section had slightly better seating and food options.
One of the two food and beverage sections.
ANA Lounges are said to have some decent food offerings, but for whatever reason I can never seem to find the hot food, and this has happened to me on several occasions. Needless to say the food that I managed to come across was a salad bar, various types of vegetarian sushi, finger sandwiches, fresh fruit and yoghurt. The drinks selection consisted of soda and juice dispensers, bottled wine and sake, a coffee machine and of course the infamous self-pouring Asahi beer machines. A noodle bar is also said to be found somewhere in the lounge, but since I didn’t have much time to spend I was never able to find it. Needless to say, I was feeling quite hungry from skipping breakfast so I immediately made myself a small breakfast plate from the few food items that I managed to find.
Light breakfast consisting of sushi, finger sandwiches, yoghurt and juice.
With roughly one hour left to boarding I left the lounge and headed over to the United Club which was located right next to my gate. I would have liked to spend more time in the ANA Lounge but I didn’t want to risk missing my flight since the lounge was quite far away from the gate. It takes me around five minutes to reach the United Club, so I guess the distance wasn’t too bad.
United Club Narita Terminal 1
This lounge may be considered as one of the lesser lounges at Narita Airport, and surely it can’t compare to the ANA Lounges. But due to its good location I and many other SAS passengers decided that it was worth the tradeoff. The lounge offers plenty of seating spread across two floors (or is the upper floor only for First Class passengers), and a spectacular panoramic view of the active runway, which alone makes this lounge worthy of a visit. The interior of the lounge felt very dated, where many of the arm chairs had worn out corners and messed up cushions. An interesting feature were the telephone sets attached to every pair of armchairs, and I couldn’t help but wonder if anybody uses these anymore.
The somewhat dated, yet cozy interior of the United Club at Narita.
The food and drinks section on the bottom floor.
I was once again told that this lounge would have proper food on offer, but all I could find were the usual carrot sticks, processed cheese, bagels and crackers. Since I had already eaten breakfast in the ANA Lounge and was expecting a proper lunch on the plane, the lack of food options didn’t really matter. The drinks available as far as I could see were a juice and soda dispenser, a coffee machine and the Asahi beer pouring machines.
I settled for an ice cold Asahi and some bagels to nibble on while watching the planes.
SAS Flight SK984 Tokyo – Copenhagen
Departure: 12.30
Arrival: 16.05
Duration: 11h 35m
Seat & Class: 4H SAS Business
Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300
After spending roughly 45 minutes in the United Club, me and the other SAS passengers left the lounge and went to the gate at roughly 5 minutes before scheduled boarding time. SAS like most of Scandinavia may be a very functional and civilized airline, but when it comes to the boarding procedures the airline falls short big time. A priority queue and an Economy Class queue were available, but since most passengers on this flight were Scandinavians nobody bothered to respect the system which resulted in the usual bedlam at the gate. Boarding was announced on time with a priority call being made for passengers in SAS Business, SAS Plus, and Star Alliance Gold. I was able to squeeze past the queue and board the plane as the first passenger in SAS Business.
Boarding is made through door 1L and I am instantly greeted by the friendly danish purser who directs me to my seat. Stepping onboard a SAS plane after nearly two weeks in Japan really gives you the sensation of arriving home before the plane has even taken off. At my seat 4H I am greeted by our Swedish steward Matt who is serving my side of the cabin. He immediately offers to hang away my jacket before I even had the chance to sit down.
The Business Class is ready for its passengers.
Unlike the outbound flight the load on this flight was higher with around 30 seats taken out of the 46 in total, and the vast majority of passengers onboard this flight were Scandinavians. Shortly after making myself comfortable, Matt approaches me with a tray of pre-flight beverages consisting of water, orange juice and Champagne. I naturally went for the Champagne.
There are few better ways to kick off a flight than with a glass of well chilled Champagne… And a disclosure to JVPhoto, yes my lip balm left a smudge on the glass.
The cabin during boarding. Aisle seat remained empty…
The seat offers plenty of space for 6ft person like myself.
Boarding is completed after only fifteen minutes and with the cargo hold loaded, we manage to leave the gate ten minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time.
Lining up for takeoff.
The Airbus A340-300 is notoriously known for being very underpowered, especially considering the fact that it’s powered by the same engines as in the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 for that matter. As a result the takeoff roll is very long and climb very slow, giving you the sensation of being on the verge of stalling during the first 30 seconds or so of the flight. This time around however, the aircraft made a surprisingly powerful takeoff in spite of the full load, and after a series of turns the plane sets course for Scandinavia and continues the climb to 35000 feet. As usual on SAS the seatbelt sign is switched off around halfway through the climb, and I’m quickly able to make a dash for the lavatory to change into my EVA Air pyjamas bottom immediately after the sign was switched off.
A very nice feature of SAS Business Class lavatories are the windows, offering a fantastic view of the engines.
The main Business Class cabin on SAS Airbus A340-300.
The somewhat dated seats in SAS Business.
Cruising altitude is reached approximately half an hour into the flight.
The lunch service is commenced shortly after reaching cruising altitude, with menus and tablecloths being distributed. The drink carts were rolled out shortly afterwards for the pre-meal aperitif service.
Starting off lunch with a glass of Champagne Henriot Vintage 2007, and some mixed nuts, raisins and cranberries..
Shortly after finishing my first glass of Champagne, the starter trays were brought out which came with a bread plate, mixed green salad and balsamico vinaigrette. The starter today consisted of seared scallop, mango salsa, frissé and pickled red onion. Freshly baked breads were served alongside, and while the bread still maintained a very high standard it wasn’t as good as the breads catered from Copenhagen. A top-up on the Champagne glass was also offered, and in addition I also settled for a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc which tasted very nice and fruity.
Starter, salad bowl and bread plate.
Scallop is by many considered to be the fillet mignon of the sea in the sense that it doesn’t offer much excitement in terms of taste and texture, and while I’m normally not a big fan of scallop this particular one turned out to be very tasty. The scallop itself had been marinated in soy sauce which gave it a nice umami flavor which paired nicely with the sweetness from the mango salsa and pickled onion. The frissé salad made for a nice presentation, and overall this was a great starter.
Next up was the main course where three options were available: Cod with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and hollandaise sauce. Japanese pork fillet with steamed rice and bok choy, or a Swedish Wallenbergare.
My choice fell on the Wallenbergare which is breaded patty of minced veal, served with mashed potatoes, cream sauce and lingonberries.
After nearly two weeks of eating nothing but Japanese food, I couldn’t have been happier than to find a quintessentially Swedish dish on the menu. The Wallenbergare consisted of a generous patty of minced veal, breaded in Japanese Panko which gave it a nice and crispy surface. The mashed potatoes tasted like the instant variety, but the cream sauce had that nice and rich flavor. Overall the dish hit the spot perfectly, and considering the fact that it was catered out of Japan, I must say that they made a great job pulling off a Swedish classic.
Since I wasn’t entirely full from the main course, I decided to pull a SHF and ask Matt for a second main course which he was more than glad to bring me. Since I’m not a big fan of cod, I decided to try the pork fillet which was the only Japanese-style option on the menu.
Second main course of pork fillet in a sweet sauce of soy and mirin, served steamed rice and bok choy.
The dish consisted of two generous hunks of pork fillet, sticky Japanese rice, steamed bok choy all drenched in that sweet sauce. The pork itself was slightly dry and chewy, but the rice was perfectly steamed. The amount of sauce was not enough to soften up the dry meat, but overall it was a fairly tasty dish which left me very full.
Shortly after the trays had been cleared, the dessert cart was rolled out. Since I was feeling quite full from two main courses I decided to skip the cheese and only go for ice cream and dessert.
Dessert consisting of Fondente au Chocolat with lemon coulis, Häagen Dazs cookies&cream ice cream, and a glass of Sauternes dessert wine.
Hot desserts are somewhat of a rarity onboard planes mainly since they’re difficult to serve, so I was very surprised that SAS managed to pull off a near perfect fondente. The outside was crispy while the inside was filled with molten chocolate which mixed with the lemon coulis to form a citrusy chocolaty mess. The Sauternes was enjoyed separately, and the Häagen Dazs was enjoyed with a cup of coffee.
Beautiful sunset over the mountains of Siberia, shortly after lunch was finished.
The lunch service is completed roughly two hours into the flight, and feeling quite full I was in the need for a lie-down. Without even asking Matt hands me a blanket from the overhead bin, before I put the seat into a nice lounge position and settle in for a movie. The movie selection was different from the outbound journey since January’s movies had been loaded into the system, and while there were only 20 movies available many of them were newly released titles which were enough to keep me entertained throughout the flight.
Nothing beats kicking back with a nice movie at 35000 feet…
Matt and the rest of the crew did a great job in looking after the passengers in-between the services, and half way though the first movie I order an extra Häagen Dazs and an illy espresso.
Ice cream and Espresso made for a great movie snack.
Roughly half way into the flight, I take stroll to the galley to check out the self-service ”buffet” which I haven't had the chance the properly explore on previous flights. In the buffet you can find fresh fruit and berries, various snacks, cookies, soft drinks, water bottles, beer, wine and an illy Espresso machine.
The self-service buffet in SAS Business.
Matt notices me taking pictures of the cabin, and asks if I have an interest in aviation. Naturally I was guilty as charged, and we end up engaging in a very interesting conversation. Matt joined SAS just eleven months earlier and is one of the new generation of SAS crews which are slowly replacing the infamous SAS grannies. Most of the young recruits only work on short haul, and Matt was one of few working long haul which was a welcome surprise. In my opinion the younger crews are more suited for long haul since they have a passion and enthusiasm for their jobs which can’t be compared with that of their senior colleagues.
After telling Matt that I was writing a trip report (albeit for a Swedish website, which SAS lurk quite frequently) he immediately suggests that I’d try out the new Mikkeller beers. SAS recently entered a partnership with the famous beer maker Mikkeller to develop a beer that’s well suited for inflight consumption. I’m normally not much of a beer drinker and I very seldom order it on planes, but considering the fact that these beers are only found in SAS Business on long haul flights [and nowhere else] I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give them a try.
Mikkeller Red Ale and Wit Sky High Lager. These can only be had in SAS Business and nowhere else.
Mikkeller Red.
Mikkeller Wit.
Having spent my life drinking rubbish beers like Heineken and Carlsberg, sampling these fine brews was a Eureka moment where I finally understood why some people have become obsessed with craft beer. Being a fan of darker beers such as Guiness, I thoroughly enjoyed the Red Ale which had strong tones of grapefruit, lemon zest and spices. The Wit lager wasn’t bad either, and served with a slice of lemon it had a very nice and refreshing taste…
Enjoying some great beer and nice conversations, I somehow got the feeling of standing in the kitchen at a friend’s house, and once I finished the beer Matt convinced me to try out the SAS cocktails from the Air Mixology drinklist. Once again I’m not a big cocktail person, but since I already stepped out of my comfort zone with the beers I figured I’d might as well give them a try… And besides I didn’t want to offend my host.
The SAS Air Mixology drinklist.
After having consumed near shameless amounts of Champagne and wine during the lunch service, in addition to the two beers I was naturally under no obligation to finish the drinks which I suppose was a good thing since I didn’t want to spend the rest of the flight drunk. The cocktails themselves were beautifully presented, though I found many of them to be a bit on the strong side. I did however enjoy the signature drink SASMopolitan and CranApple Fizz which turned out to be non-alcoholic. After spending more than an hour in the galley, it was time to retire to my seat for a lie-down. I thanked Matt for taking the time to chat, before making my way back to 4H.
Roughly half of the flight was in complete darkness over Siberia which allowed for the opportunity to catch a good nap, before spending the remainder of the flight watching movies and TV-shows.
Sunrise over Northern Finland.
With 90 minutes to go before landing, the second meal service was commenced. Similar to the breakfast service on the outbound, this meal was also plated table-side where you could pick and choose from the different options. On offer today was a Swedish salmon pudding and chicken fillet with roast potatoes, asparagus and tomato salsa. On the tray was also a starter consisting of parma ham, sun dried tomato and a black olive, a fruit bowl and a petit four as dessert.
Pre-arrival meal. I settled for a little bit of everything.
Salmon pudding is yet another Swedish classic which was nice to find on the menu. It was sadly lacking some salmon, but other than that it tasted fairly good. The chicken fillet was once agin dry, but the vegetables were nicely cooked, especially the green asparagus which I thoroughly enjoyed. All in all a somewhat mediocre but edible pre-arrival meal.
The meal service was completed as we passed Stockholm which meant that roughly forty minutes remained of the flight. In preparation for arrival I made a quick dash to the lavatory freshen up and change back into my jeans, before settling in for arrival. Our Norwegian captain brings the A340 down smoothly on the tarmac in Copenhagen just as the sun sets, and after a short taxi we pull up at the gate ten minutes ahead of schedule.
Unlike most other airlines who block Economy passengers to let Business passengers disembark first, on SAS there’s no such thing and as a result the disembarking process was slightly chaotic. The security and passport control are cleared within minutes and soon I find myself at the entrance to the SAS Lounge Complex.
SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen
The lounge itself is fairly quiet at this hour, and after scanning my boarding pass at the reception, I am welcome to walk up the stairs to the elusive Gold side. The food offerings were once again abysmal, with some nasty looking tuna and picked herring on offer. Since I was feeling quite stuffed from the flight, I stick to drinking water during my visit. The two hours pass fairly quick before it was time to head to the gate to my connecting flight to Stockholm.
SAS Gold Lounge at Copenhagen Kastrup.
The food and beverage section. Same terrible food as always.
The BusinessClass.se Lounge Corner.
Conclusions
Being a native and resident of Scandinavia I have always had a love-hate relationship to SAS. They are of course my airline of choice for flights within Europe and very seldom do I get the chance to fly them in a class above Economy, and let alone on long haul. While the hard product may be a bit dated, SAS totally made up for that with their fantastic crews who make you feel just at home onboard their planes and in many ways you’re practically back home in Scandinavia the moment you step onboard the plane. The service may at times be a bit inconsistent, especially when it comes to the Norwegian crews but thankfully I didn’t have to put out with them this time, since I was very fortunate to have Matt take care of me throughout the flight. The food is fairly good for Business Class and with the new service concept being introduced later this week, we can expect it be be even better on future flights.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave comments in the thread if you have any questions.
After 11 fantastic days in Tokyo it was sadly time to head back home to Scandinavia. With a departure at noon I wake up at 7am to get my things ready before bidding farewell to my hosts and leaving the apartment. My transport of choice to Narita this morning was the Keisei bus which conveniently enough left right infront of the subway station in Kasai, saving me a ton of time since I didn’t have to go into central Tokyo. The bus arrives bang on time and after paying the 1500 Yen fare to the driver, a smooth 50 minute ride awaits. We pull up at Narita International Airport just before 9am in the morning, and little did I know that there was a passport check for all vehicles entering the airport. I had foolishly enough left my passport in my trolley case which was in the baggage hold, and after some minor discussions I was able to get through without showing my passport. I can’t really see the point of having a documents check for passengers arriving by land since rail passengers are not subject to it.
The departures hall at Narita Terminal 1 South. Dedicated exclusively for ANA and Star Alliance.
Since I arrived fairly early the SAS check-in counters had yet to open, so in the mean time I had a good look around the terminal and visited a currency office to exchange some leftover Yen into Swedish Crowns. With that taken care of I return to find the SAS counters open. A total of eight counters are used for today’s flight to Copenhagen. Half for SAS Business, SAS Plus, EuroBonus Diamond/Gold/Silver and Star Alliance Gold, with the other half being used for Economy. Since I was only traveling with hand luggage I’m quickly able to pick up my boarding pass before setting off to security and immigration.
Business Class passengers with SAS are unfortunately not allowed to use the fast track security lane which is reserved only for ANA passengers, but luckily the general lines were fairly short. The same goes for immigration which was nearly desserted, and in less than a few minutes I’m well on my way to the ANA Lounge for some well needed breakfast.
ANA Lounge Satellite 5 Narita Terminal 1
At the reception I am greeted by one of the attendants who quickly scans my boarding pass before granting me access to the Business Class side. The lounge is spacious and offers plenty of seating for everyone, good amounts of natural light and a nice view of the tarmac. The same can’t be said about the ANA Lounge in Satellite 4 which is located in the basement level. The lounge was fairly crowded during my visit since the USA departures were beginning to close up, but in spite of that there was plenty of seating for everyone and the lounge never felt crowded.
The lounge is divided into an outer and inner section, where the inner section had slightly better seating and food options.
One of the two food and beverage sections.
ANA Lounges are said to have some decent food offerings, but for whatever reason I can never seem to find the hot food, and this has happened to me on several occasions. Needless to say the food that I managed to come across was a salad bar, various types of vegetarian sushi, finger sandwiches, fresh fruit and yoghurt. The drinks selection consisted of soda and juice dispensers, bottled wine and sake, a coffee machine and of course the infamous self-pouring Asahi beer machines. A noodle bar is also said to be found somewhere in the lounge, but since I didn’t have much time to spend I was never able to find it. Needless to say, I was feeling quite hungry from skipping breakfast so I immediately made myself a small breakfast plate from the few food items that I managed to find.
Light breakfast consisting of sushi, finger sandwiches, yoghurt and juice.
With roughly one hour left to boarding I left the lounge and headed over to the United Club which was located right next to my gate. I would have liked to spend more time in the ANA Lounge but I didn’t want to risk missing my flight since the lounge was quite far away from the gate. It takes me around five minutes to reach the United Club, so I guess the distance wasn’t too bad.
United Club Narita Terminal 1
This lounge may be considered as one of the lesser lounges at Narita Airport, and surely it can’t compare to the ANA Lounges. But due to its good location I and many other SAS passengers decided that it was worth the tradeoff. The lounge offers plenty of seating spread across two floors (or is the upper floor only for First Class passengers), and a spectacular panoramic view of the active runway, which alone makes this lounge worthy of a visit. The interior of the lounge felt very dated, where many of the arm chairs had worn out corners and messed up cushions. An interesting feature were the telephone sets attached to every pair of armchairs, and I couldn’t help but wonder if anybody uses these anymore.
The somewhat dated, yet cozy interior of the United Club at Narita.
The food and drinks section on the bottom floor.
I was once again told that this lounge would have proper food on offer, but all I could find were the usual carrot sticks, processed cheese, bagels and crackers. Since I had already eaten breakfast in the ANA Lounge and was expecting a proper lunch on the plane, the lack of food options didn’t really matter. The drinks available as far as I could see were a juice and soda dispenser, a coffee machine and the Asahi beer pouring machines.
I settled for an ice cold Asahi and some bagels to nibble on while watching the planes.
SAS Flight SK984 Tokyo – Copenhagen
Departure: 12.30
Arrival: 16.05
Duration: 11h 35m
Seat & Class: 4H SAS Business
Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300
After spending roughly 45 minutes in the United Club, me and the other SAS passengers left the lounge and went to the gate at roughly 5 minutes before scheduled boarding time. SAS like most of Scandinavia may be a very functional and civilized airline, but when it comes to the boarding procedures the airline falls short big time. A priority queue and an Economy Class queue were available, but since most passengers on this flight were Scandinavians nobody bothered to respect the system which resulted in the usual bedlam at the gate. Boarding was announced on time with a priority call being made for passengers in SAS Business, SAS Plus, and Star Alliance Gold. I was able to squeeze past the queue and board the plane as the first passenger in SAS Business.
Boarding is made through door 1L and I am instantly greeted by the friendly danish purser who directs me to my seat. Stepping onboard a SAS plane after nearly two weeks in Japan really gives you the sensation of arriving home before the plane has even taken off. At my seat 4H I am greeted by our Swedish steward Matt who is serving my side of the cabin. He immediately offers to hang away my jacket before I even had the chance to sit down.
The Business Class is ready for its passengers.
Unlike the outbound flight the load on this flight was higher with around 30 seats taken out of the 46 in total, and the vast majority of passengers onboard this flight were Scandinavians. Shortly after making myself comfortable, Matt approaches me with a tray of pre-flight beverages consisting of water, orange juice and Champagne. I naturally went for the Champagne.
There are few better ways to kick off a flight than with a glass of well chilled Champagne… And a disclosure to JVPhoto, yes my lip balm left a smudge on the glass.
The cabin during boarding. Aisle seat remained empty…
The seat offers plenty of space for 6ft person like myself.
Boarding is completed after only fifteen minutes and with the cargo hold loaded, we manage to leave the gate ten minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time.
Lining up for takeoff.
The Airbus A340-300 is notoriously known for being very underpowered, especially considering the fact that it’s powered by the same engines as in the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 for that matter. As a result the takeoff roll is very long and climb very slow, giving you the sensation of being on the verge of stalling during the first 30 seconds or so of the flight. This time around however, the aircraft made a surprisingly powerful takeoff in spite of the full load, and after a series of turns the plane sets course for Scandinavia and continues the climb to 35000 feet. As usual on SAS the seatbelt sign is switched off around halfway through the climb, and I’m quickly able to make a dash for the lavatory to change into my EVA Air pyjamas bottom immediately after the sign was switched off.
A very nice feature of SAS Business Class lavatories are the windows, offering a fantastic view of the engines.
The main Business Class cabin on SAS Airbus A340-300.
The somewhat dated seats in SAS Business.
Cruising altitude is reached approximately half an hour into the flight.
The lunch service is commenced shortly after reaching cruising altitude, with menus and tablecloths being distributed. The drink carts were rolled out shortly afterwards for the pre-meal aperitif service.
Starting off lunch with a glass of Champagne Henriot Vintage 2007, and some mixed nuts, raisins and cranberries..
Shortly after finishing my first glass of Champagne, the starter trays were brought out which came with a bread plate, mixed green salad and balsamico vinaigrette. The starter today consisted of seared scallop, mango salsa, frissé and pickled red onion. Freshly baked breads were served alongside, and while the bread still maintained a very high standard it wasn’t as good as the breads catered from Copenhagen. A top-up on the Champagne glass was also offered, and in addition I also settled for a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc which tasted very nice and fruity.
Starter, salad bowl and bread plate.
Scallop is by many considered to be the fillet mignon of the sea in the sense that it doesn’t offer much excitement in terms of taste and texture, and while I’m normally not a big fan of scallop this particular one turned out to be very tasty. The scallop itself had been marinated in soy sauce which gave it a nice umami flavor which paired nicely with the sweetness from the mango salsa and pickled onion. The frissé salad made for a nice presentation, and overall this was a great starter.
Next up was the main course where three options were available: Cod with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and hollandaise sauce. Japanese pork fillet with steamed rice and bok choy, or a Swedish Wallenbergare.
My choice fell on the Wallenbergare which is breaded patty of minced veal, served with mashed potatoes, cream sauce and lingonberries.
After nearly two weeks of eating nothing but Japanese food, I couldn’t have been happier than to find a quintessentially Swedish dish on the menu. The Wallenbergare consisted of a generous patty of minced veal, breaded in Japanese Panko which gave it a nice and crispy surface. The mashed potatoes tasted like the instant variety, but the cream sauce had that nice and rich flavor. Overall the dish hit the spot perfectly, and considering the fact that it was catered out of Japan, I must say that they made a great job pulling off a Swedish classic.
Since I wasn’t entirely full from the main course, I decided to pull a SHF and ask Matt for a second main course which he was more than glad to bring me. Since I’m not a big fan of cod, I decided to try the pork fillet which was the only Japanese-style option on the menu.
Second main course of pork fillet in a sweet sauce of soy and mirin, served steamed rice and bok choy.
The dish consisted of two generous hunks of pork fillet, sticky Japanese rice, steamed bok choy all drenched in that sweet sauce. The pork itself was slightly dry and chewy, but the rice was perfectly steamed. The amount of sauce was not enough to soften up the dry meat, but overall it was a fairly tasty dish which left me very full.
Shortly after the trays had been cleared, the dessert cart was rolled out. Since I was feeling quite full from two main courses I decided to skip the cheese and only go for ice cream and dessert.
Dessert consisting of Fondente au Chocolat with lemon coulis, Häagen Dazs cookies&cream ice cream, and a glass of Sauternes dessert wine.
Hot desserts are somewhat of a rarity onboard planes mainly since they’re difficult to serve, so I was very surprised that SAS managed to pull off a near perfect fondente. The outside was crispy while the inside was filled with molten chocolate which mixed with the lemon coulis to form a citrusy chocolaty mess. The Sauternes was enjoyed separately, and the Häagen Dazs was enjoyed with a cup of coffee.
Beautiful sunset over the mountains of Siberia, shortly after lunch was finished.
The lunch service is completed roughly two hours into the flight, and feeling quite full I was in the need for a lie-down. Without even asking Matt hands me a blanket from the overhead bin, before I put the seat into a nice lounge position and settle in for a movie. The movie selection was different from the outbound journey since January’s movies had been loaded into the system, and while there were only 20 movies available many of them were newly released titles which were enough to keep me entertained throughout the flight.
Nothing beats kicking back with a nice movie at 35000 feet…
Matt and the rest of the crew did a great job in looking after the passengers in-between the services, and half way though the first movie I order an extra Häagen Dazs and an illy espresso.
Ice cream and Espresso made for a great movie snack.
Roughly half way into the flight, I take stroll to the galley to check out the self-service ”buffet” which I haven't had the chance the properly explore on previous flights. In the buffet you can find fresh fruit and berries, various snacks, cookies, soft drinks, water bottles, beer, wine and an illy Espresso machine.
The self-service buffet in SAS Business.
Matt notices me taking pictures of the cabin, and asks if I have an interest in aviation. Naturally I was guilty as charged, and we end up engaging in a very interesting conversation. Matt joined SAS just eleven months earlier and is one of the new generation of SAS crews which are slowly replacing the infamous SAS grannies. Most of the young recruits only work on short haul, and Matt was one of few working long haul which was a welcome surprise. In my opinion the younger crews are more suited for long haul since they have a passion and enthusiasm for their jobs which can’t be compared with that of their senior colleagues.
After telling Matt that I was writing a trip report (albeit for a Swedish website, which SAS lurk quite frequently) he immediately suggests that I’d try out the new Mikkeller beers. SAS recently entered a partnership with the famous beer maker Mikkeller to develop a beer that’s well suited for inflight consumption. I’m normally not much of a beer drinker and I very seldom order it on planes, but considering the fact that these beers are only found in SAS Business on long haul flights [and nowhere else] I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give them a try.
Mikkeller Red Ale and Wit Sky High Lager. These can only be had in SAS Business and nowhere else.
Mikkeller Red.
Mikkeller Wit.
Having spent my life drinking rubbish beers like Heineken and Carlsberg, sampling these fine brews was a Eureka moment where I finally understood why some people have become obsessed with craft beer. Being a fan of darker beers such as Guiness, I thoroughly enjoyed the Red Ale which had strong tones of grapefruit, lemon zest and spices. The Wit lager wasn’t bad either, and served with a slice of lemon it had a very nice and refreshing taste…
Enjoying some great beer and nice conversations, I somehow got the feeling of standing in the kitchen at a friend’s house, and once I finished the beer Matt convinced me to try out the SAS cocktails from the Air Mixology drinklist. Once again I’m not a big cocktail person, but since I already stepped out of my comfort zone with the beers I figured I’d might as well give them a try… And besides I didn’t want to offend my host.
The SAS Air Mixology drinklist.
After having consumed near shameless amounts of Champagne and wine during the lunch service, in addition to the two beers I was naturally under no obligation to finish the drinks which I suppose was a good thing since I didn’t want to spend the rest of the flight drunk. The cocktails themselves were beautifully presented, though I found many of them to be a bit on the strong side. I did however enjoy the signature drink SASMopolitan and CranApple Fizz which turned out to be non-alcoholic. After spending more than an hour in the galley, it was time to retire to my seat for a lie-down. I thanked Matt for taking the time to chat, before making my way back to 4H.
Roughly half of the flight was in complete darkness over Siberia which allowed for the opportunity to catch a good nap, before spending the remainder of the flight watching movies and TV-shows.
Sunrise over Northern Finland.
With 90 minutes to go before landing, the second meal service was commenced. Similar to the breakfast service on the outbound, this meal was also plated table-side where you could pick and choose from the different options. On offer today was a Swedish salmon pudding and chicken fillet with roast potatoes, asparagus and tomato salsa. On the tray was also a starter consisting of parma ham, sun dried tomato and a black olive, a fruit bowl and a petit four as dessert.
Pre-arrival meal. I settled for a little bit of everything.
Salmon pudding is yet another Swedish classic which was nice to find on the menu. It was sadly lacking some salmon, but other than that it tasted fairly good. The chicken fillet was once agin dry, but the vegetables were nicely cooked, especially the green asparagus which I thoroughly enjoyed. All in all a somewhat mediocre but edible pre-arrival meal.
The meal service was completed as we passed Stockholm which meant that roughly forty minutes remained of the flight. In preparation for arrival I made a quick dash to the lavatory freshen up and change back into my jeans, before settling in for arrival. Our Norwegian captain brings the A340 down smoothly on the tarmac in Copenhagen just as the sun sets, and after a short taxi we pull up at the gate ten minutes ahead of schedule.
Unlike most other airlines who block Economy passengers to let Business passengers disembark first, on SAS there’s no such thing and as a result the disembarking process was slightly chaotic. The security and passport control are cleared within minutes and soon I find myself at the entrance to the SAS Lounge Complex.
SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen
The lounge itself is fairly quiet at this hour, and after scanning my boarding pass at the reception, I am welcome to walk up the stairs to the elusive Gold side. The food offerings were once again abysmal, with some nasty looking tuna and picked herring on offer. Since I was feeling quite stuffed from the flight, I stick to drinking water during my visit. The two hours pass fairly quick before it was time to head to the gate to my connecting flight to Stockholm.
SAS Gold Lounge at Copenhagen Kastrup.
The food and beverage section. Same terrible food as always.
The BusinessClass.se Lounge Corner.
Conclusions
Being a native and resident of Scandinavia I have always had a love-hate relationship to SAS. They are of course my airline of choice for flights within Europe and very seldom do I get the chance to fly them in a class above Economy, and let alone on long haul. While the hard product may be a bit dated, SAS totally made up for that with their fantastic crews who make you feel just at home onboard their planes and in many ways you’re practically back home in Scandinavia the moment you step onboard the plane. The service may at times be a bit inconsistent, especially when it comes to the Norwegian crews but thankfully I didn’t have to put out with them this time, since I was very fortunate to have Matt take care of me throughout the flight. The food is fairly good for Business Class and with the new service concept being introduced later this week, we can expect it be be even better on future flights.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave comments in the thread if you have any questions.
Jan 27, 2015, 8:05 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Great TR! I didn't know about that metro pass either...we were just there last year and it would have come in handy. It looks you visited a lot of the same places we did...the pictures (excellent photography skills, BTW) are bringing back great memories. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the nice pics and tr! I will keep it in the back of my head as I wish to travel to Tokyo with the new SAS-cabin sometime this or next year
Though I must say - even though it's quite weak and will be changed - your image of SAS PLUS intra scandi is perhaps a bit too bad? It isn't as bad as just smoothies and water. You can even get "lefse" (traditional norwegian flatbread) if you fly intra norway, as well as norwegian chocolate, swedish potato chips, nuts, soda etc.. Hopefully they will increase the servings with a sandwich or something by the end of this year.
Can't wait to hear about your best-SASflight-ever though!
Though I must say - even though it's quite weak and will be changed - your image of SAS PLUS intra scandi is perhaps a bit too bad?
It isn't as bad as just smoothies and water. You can even get "lefse" (traditional norwegian flatbread) if you fly intra norway, as well as norwegian chocolate, swedish potato chips, nuts, soda etc.. Hopefully they will increase the servings with a sandwich or something by the end of this year. Can't wait to hear about your best-SASflight-ever though!
Jan 31, 2015, 3:15 am
#24
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 220
A very nice and comprehensive trip report. I know these are allot of work to prepare so thank you for taking the time and effort to share your SAS and Tokyo experience with us. I am just curious as to how and why you developed your interest in Tokyo and Japanese culture and cuisine? Scandinavia is a long way from Tokyo, which you call your favorite city in the world. What do you find so interesting about Tokyo as compared to your typical European city?
As for SAS, I had the misfortune to fly them once from Bangkok to Singapore return and all I can say is never again! It was almost like I was doing the crew a favor by allowing them to serve me...but I guess that's the way Scandinavian egalitarianism works...like the no respect for premium boarding lines or passenger exits.
As for SAS, I had the misfortune to fly them once from Bangkok to Singapore return and all I can say is never again! It was almost like I was doing the crew a favor by allowing them to serve me...but I guess that's the way Scandinavian egalitarianism works...like the no respect for premium boarding lines or passenger exits.
Feb 1, 2015, 4:39 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Europe
Programs: UA:1K MM, AF:FB-Platinum; QR: PC Platinum, FI: Saga Gold
Posts: 2,931
Query
LH4116,
Thank you for sharing. It's been quite some time since I flew SAS long-haul in Business. One of my memories is that they served all the food with the aluminum/plastic covers still in place over the food. I could not believe that they were so lazy as to not take them off! I was later told it was policy !! Has that changed - or were you kind in your photography ;-)
I did not realise Norwegian cabin crew were considered the worst...
Braniff
Thank you for sharing. It's been quite some time since I flew SAS long-haul in Business. One of my memories is that they served all the food with the aluminum/plastic covers still in place over the food. I could not believe that they were so lazy as to not take them off! I was later told it was policy !! Has that changed - or were you kind in your photography ;-)
I did not realise Norwegian cabin crew were considered the worst...
Braniff
SAS Business Class
Feb 2, 2015, 2:24 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Nice report but your mention of the wagyu being so wonderful compared to the "fake crap they have in the US"..........well, you've been going to the wrong restaurants (perhaps out of your budget, from what you've said in your report) in America. The Americans have some excellent beef. It's just like anywhere else - you get what you pay for. If you want good beef, then you have to go to where quality is served. I've never heard Sweden mentioned when great beef is brought up, or perhaps I'm missing something.
On the topic of food....you mentioned that the sashimi you got was "too fresh for your liking". How else do you expect it to be served?
On the topic of food....you mentioned that the sashimi you got was "too fresh for your liking". How else do you expect it to be served?
Feb 2, 2015, 2:58 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Nice report but your mention of the wagyu being so wonderful compared to the "fake crap they have in the US"..........well, you've been going to the wrong restaurants (perhaps out of your budget, from what you've said in your report) in America. The Americans have some excellent beef. It's just like anywhere else - you get what you pay for.
That said, having had the "real thing", it is absolutely awesome but it is a different product altogether in its composition, flavor, texture, and preparation. It is more like foie gras than steak, and I wouldn't ever make a direct comparison to, say, a dry-aged Chicago ribeye.
Feb 2, 2015, 3:03 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Scandinavia
Programs: EB
Posts: 81
Norwegian cabin crew is just as good as swedes and danes, this old "myth" about NO/SE/DK being better or worse is an old country-war and outdated point of view. With new hires in SAS there's fresh faces everywhere, with people being serviceminded and friendly from all countries.
