Stewie Mac

Maybe that's the case for GF, but all the T2 *Alliance lounges beat GC, imo.

DFB_london

Before going further, have you flown SAS? Experience trumps 'expertflyer'.

At non-CE flyers or those on a corporate budget it is avery valid comparison. BA does not have 'economy plus' and SAS Plus is their front few rows. However BA has what feels like much tighter (ie smaller) seat pitch in BA CE than on SAS in 'go'. It rather highlights how much the sandwich in CE is being priced at.

ScruttonStreet

Good grief.

It was actually a factual comparison of two services from two airlines at similar price points. Which ended with me saying I will fly BA one way and SAS the other.

No manipulation of any fact.

GUWonder

I'm no BApoligist -- as my dear amigo HIDDY can tell -- but the hybrid nature of how SK sells SASPlus leads to some fair commentary critical of SK's forward short-haul cabin when comparing multi/two-cabin routes that are served by SK and by BA.

Seat-pitch in BA business class inventory within Europe on the same routes as those served by SK? It's awfully tight.

Andriyko

I pointed out that comparing Economy Plus and Euro Traveller is not fair as they are different cabins. Comparing CE with Economy Plus would have been fairer. I also pointed out that a difference between CE and Economy Plus can be not that big (USD50 one way), while the former has better seating (with a middle seat free). Had the OP said that SK's Premium Economy presented a much better value than BA's CE who would have argued with that at these prices?

Your made a comparison of SK's business/premium economy class with BA's economy class, whilst making it seem as if you were comparing two economy cabins (and you stressed that in one of your next posts). That the two cost the same should not make a difference.

Of course, ET will look bad in comparison with a Premium economy/Business class cabin on another airline. Basically, the comparison should have been that for the price that you paid BA for ET you bought a business class ticket with SK on the same route. That's fine. It happens. But why compare business class and economy class and come to the obvious conclusion that the former is better? When one reads that BA's ET does not include lounge access but SK's Y+ does it makes ET look as an inferior product, but nowhere did you disclose that you bought a business class ticket which one would expect to include lounge access.

I am in no way disputing your description of the flights and SK's Premium Economy sounds exactly how I remember it, but comparing it with ET, which is not BA's shorthaul premium cabin, felt wrong.

sondra_finchley

We fly LON-ARN 3-5 times a year and have narrowed our flying to SAS and BA (Norwegian-nice but LGW is a pain with the train. Ryanair is a pain with both Stansted and horrible Skavsta).

SAS Go you do get a free bag, but no drinks on board, while BA its usually one of those handbag only flights, but you get booze. SAS has a great early flight that lines up with our train times, BA is usually delayed departure from Stockholm and is in a terminal MILES away from everything so if you want food you have at least a good 10 minute walk to the main terminal (but its by the ABBA display!). Crews are crews - I've had both good and bad on both runs. BA does (or at least used to recently) fly a big ol 767 out of ARN though - does anyone know why that is?

SAS Plus long haul was great though - ORD to ARN was really great value. The lounge access alone was nice, older business class type seat with recline and economy food, but overall it was extremely comfortable and would buy again. They don't always have the best catering - we once got served some sort of mystery lump of meat that was too disgusting for me to eat, but the Swede chowed down. Said it was pork, though I remain skeptical because has anyone ever heard the stew ask "chicken or pork?"

SAS was doing some really weird things with sub-sub-sub branding and product confusion (whatever that Snowflake disaster was about!) but they seem to have straightened out in the last three years. Short haul you can't go wrong with them for a solid product that isn't going to be messed about every three weeks. Also, they have a big competitor in the region with Finnair positioning themselves well for easy Asian access (I had a great flight on them once too) in addition to Norwegian, has helped SAS wake up and smell a lot of coffee.

mec72

I don't think it has anything to do with business class. No empty middle seat and terrible food (if I recall correctly, no hot food on ARN-LHR) plus plastic cutlery. In some ways it's closer to economy class back in the 90s than to business class.

Andriyko

Well, they market it both as Premium Economy and as Business (only the highest flexible fares, which go for a little more than GBP 1,000 on the LHR-CPH route, or for longhaul connections). It reminds me when KLM introduced Europe Select with six seats across the aisle and terrible food - but it was their version of business class. I think that SK's shorthaul business class is not as good as BA's CE but more like Iberia Express's business class (in terms of food and presentation), although one gets a free middle seat on IB Express.

ScruttonStreet

....except that SK doesn't have a s/h business class product. I was comparing both airlines' economy products.


But don't let the facts get in the way!

AverageHighFlyer

I commute between LHR and CPH every week, and try to split my travels between SAS and BA (in order to get status with both alliances, and make the commute less monotone).

I'm lucky enough to be able to fly both CE with BA and Plus with SAS, so that's the basis for my comparison below; I can't comment on ET or Go. Of course, bear in mind that CE is a proper business class product, whereas Plus should be considered premium economy.

In my experience there are pros and cons with each airline. A (non-exhaustive) list is as follows:

In favour of SAS:

• Price (usually). Often Plus sells for little more than Go, and it's usually always cheaper than BA's CE.
• Ticket flexibility. When booking any Plus ticket (it doesn't have to be the hilariously expensive full flex fare), date/time changes are permitted with no fee (but subject to fare difference if applicable). I've frequently turned up at the gate for the earlier flight and been allowed on (with the gate agent writing my new seat in pencil on my old BP)
• Lounge and fast track at CPH are much more convenient. The SAS lounge is not great, but neither is BA's contract lounge. But the location of the SAS lounge is great for the non-Schengen gates.
• Terminal at LHR: I much prefer T2 to T5. The LH lounge is on par with GC, and probably almost as good as the Flounge (but no Champagne bar)

In favour of BA:

• Guaranteed blocked middle seat (as EBD I usually get this on SAS as well, but it's never guaranteed)
• Better crew. The best BA crews are way better than SAS's; the worst BA crews are no worse. E.g., forget about status recognition or being addressed by name with SAS
• The food is edible (I know this is controversial here - but in my opinion BA's catering is way better than SAS's; I always reject the SAS food box in favour of some nuts, and eat at the airport instead)
• Champers
• Wardrobe
• If remote stand, CE get their own bus at LHR (never remote stand at CPH)

In conclusion, if I had to choose between one or the other (and not consider FFP loyalty), I'd probably go with SAS due to ticket flexibility and price; but the lack of a guaranteed blocked middle seat is my main problem with SAS Plus (to me, that's the most important aspect of s/h business class - it's the difference between getting work done and being miserable for two hours).

gordon0808

Since when? I've never had that in either CE or CW.

AverageHighFlyer

Whenever I've been on a BA flight into T5 that arrived at a remote stand, the CC have made sure that only the CE pax got onto the first bus.

Incidentally, for a month or so last year the SAS flights would consistently arrive at remote stands at LHR T2, and they'd make everybody exit through the rear door for some reason. This caused quite a lot of anger amongst the Plus pax...

Dan72

But you're not. You're comparing an economy product (ie SAS Plus), with an economy fare class (ie BA Y Plus fare). The comparison seems to be based on the fact that they both have 'Plus' in their description, but they are different things.

I don't think SK Plus is bad, but it's not popular on the SK board, with poor food and refreshment often mentioned.

shefgab

I think comparing SK Go and BA ET is disingenuous, irrespective of the similar prices paid.

SK Go is the front cabin of two (ergo the SK premium product) whereas on BA you flew Euro Traveller, which is the back cabin, and not the premium product.

Edit: sorry I meant SK Plus that the OP flew

GUWonder

SAS Go is the back cabin. EuroTraveller is the back cabin.