So I found the March 2013 press release when SAS launched Plus and killed C class intra-Europe. I also remember that it ended the Nicolas Feuillatte mini champers, which was available in Extra longhaul and C class intra Europe. I was on a Plus flight to or from Japan (where I lived then) in 2013 summer after the change, and was really disappointed to find this awful sparkling wine. It really made the ho-hum Extra experience much better to have the NF.
But when had Extra emerged on the intra-Scandi routes? Mid 2000s sometime? Extra had been introduced on longhaul on the Airbuses in 2001 or 2 as they displaced the 767s. I have this memory from the single class days CPH-ARN that I had somehow secured row 1 aisle and there was nobody next to me on a close to full flight. But then in the last minute a young woman shows up with a giant dog. It was a "rehab hund". I was bounced to the middle seat and had the damn dog in my legspace for the ride.
The original Euroclass of the 1980s, which was really succesful, was that if you buy a full fare (previously economy) ticket then you get the new Euro later Business class with a flexible divider. I remember flying on a MD-80, maybe to LHR, in the late 80s with like 20 rows of business. I remember circa 1980 as a child flying CPH-OSL on an A300 (this strange new aircraft from a new company) with a fixed first class cabin that featured Gro Harlem Bruntland. (Socialists only travel first class, of course.)
Originally Posted by
CPH-Flyer
Indeed in name Plus and Business never coexisted. Hence I wrote economy extra as it was back then. Business class went away on domestic and intra Scandinavia earlier than the European routes, replaced by Scandinavian Direct, which was a one class service concept, that happened around 2002/3. Initially it was a true one class concept, and full fare and gold customers booking last minute would end up in the last row next to lavatories. Gradually it evolved with the front being reserved for certain price groups or status, and eventually the economy extra/economy distinction came along here as well. With buy on board for economy. But prior Plus incarnations and business never coexisted intra Scandinavia. Helsinki yes, as a Nordic route they always were on the European service concept.
We flew business pre the introduction of economy extra, which was basically about the flexibility of the tickets. While more flexible economy class tickets had been introduced pre economy flex, as it actually started its life as, the full flexibility was only for business class tickets. The J cabins were still reasonably big. As soon as economy flex (subsequently extra subsequently plus) appeared, we moved back and only flew business if the middle cabin was sold out. The J cabin became gaping empty, usually just 1 or 2 rows often with no passengers at all.
I honestly don't think that many companies would book J for a European flight if Plus continued to exists. Connections, leisure flights, and the top executives not flying private does not fill many rows. Especially considering connections with the current size of the SK long haul network.