Last year, SAS joined the SkyTeam alliance as a new member. As a loyal SkyTeam flyer, it was high time to experience the lounges, planes, and service of the Scandinavian company for myself. As part of a trip to North America, I flew from Brussels to Copenhagen in SAS Plus (which is being re-branded as Business Class later this year) on the Embraer E195, and in this review, you can read all about it!

Booking with SAS

For this trip, we had to compare quite a few plans to travel with the family. In the end, once dates had been confirmed, we just looked at the most favourably priced destinations via Google Flights, with Canada and the US coming out as ‘winners’. Ultimately, we found a nice flight with SAS in Premium Economy.

I booked the flights to Canada and the US via the SAS website. It was a bit of a puzzle to book the right flights for 6 people at once. Below is a table of the flights included in this booking:

I paid a total of about £1,050 (€1,230) per person, which was more than I’d normally like, but the dates when everyone was free to travel were quite specific.

SAS Plus Smart and SAS Plus Pro

There are two types of SAS Plus fares: SAS Plus Smart and SAS Plus Pro. This time, I booked the former, which is the cheaper option. The SAS Plus Smart fare includes the following as standard (any SkyTeam elite benefits are on top of that):

• 1 piece of cabin baggage (max. 8 kg) + 1 accessory (handbag or laptop bag)
• 2 pieces of cabin baggage (max. 8 kg each) for flights outside Europe
• 1 piece of checked baggage (max. 23 kg)
• Fast track security
• Lounge access on European flights
• Meal service on board
• Flight can be changed (with surcharge)
• Flight is non-refundable

With SAS Plus Pro, you also get:

• 2 pieces of checked baggage (max. 23 kg each)
• Possibility to change flights
• Change to an earlier or later flight on the day of departure (within Europe)
• Possibility of full refund

Check-in with SAS

The departure airport this time was Brussels Airport (BRU). Given our morning flight, we decided to book a hotel nearby, staying at the Novotel Brussels Airport for its proximity to the airport and free shuttle service.

After a pleasant overnight stay at the Novotel, we took the shuttle bus to the airport at 7:40 AM. It was quite busy at the bus stop, but fortunately, everyone could fit. The bus serves not only the Novotel but also guests from the Crowne Plaza.

Upon arrival at the airport, we found the SAS check-in desk after a bit of searching. In theory, we could use SkyPriority due to flying SAS Plus, but it turned out that was the only desk open anyway, resulting in a wait of about half an hour. The staff at the counter were patient and friendly despite the busy environment.

Priority Security Check

After receiving our boarding passes, we headed to the security check. Fortunately, the Priority line was operational, although it still took about 20 minutes to get through. Once airside, we had time to visit the lounge. Lounge access is included with the SAS Plus fare, allowing us entry to The Loft lounge.

If you’re flying from Brussels Airport and don’t have lounge access through status or ticket class, you can use Priority Pass for free access to the Diamond Lounges regardless of your ticket.

The Loft Lounge by Lexus – Brussels Airlines

Just before departure, we enjoyed breakfast at the Brussels Airlines lounge. Everything was neat, with two buffets, clean toilets and showers, a spa, sleeping areas, and a children’s play area. There’s even a separate section for HON Circle members.

Boarding

Shortly before boarding, we noticed the gate had changed from 46 to 59. It was a bit of a walk, but we were still on time. We also spotted a Brussels Airlines aircraft with the Tomorrowland livery! The SAS aircraft for today’s flight was an Embraer E195LR with Swedish registration SE-RSU, which has 122 seats.

Boarding began on time, with Business Class passengers allowed to board first in zone 1, followed by zone 2. The boarding process went smoothly, though we had to wait briefly in the jet bridge before entering the aircraft. During boarding, we received a somewhat cool welcome from the crew and took our seats in rows 1 and 2.

The SAS Plus fare allows for generous baggage allowances. Given the small overhead bins on the Embraer, I was surprised everything fit, although the flight wasn’t full.

SAS Plus Cabin on the Embraer E195

The SAS Plus cabin on the E195 features a 2-2 configuration throughout the aircraft. The first six rows are SAS Plus, with bulkhead rows offering significantly more legroom, particularly seats F and D in row 2 ( the first row on the right).

After SAS Plus, the remaining rows are SAS Go, which is the name SAS gives to Economy Class. The layout in SAS Go is the same as in SAS Plus, but the legroom is slightly more generous in Plus. The Plus seats are also equipped with thicker cushions, providing a better comfort level. Regardless, after about an hour, I still found the seat cushion a bit firm for my liking.

Inflight Entertainment

Inflight entertainment on this Embraer E195 is limited, which is typical for most European short and medium-haul flights. There is no IFE or Wi-Fi. The seat pocket contains the flight safety card, a sick bag, and the menu, but no inflight magazine. SAS does not offer this on long-haul flights either.

Meals and Service Onboard

SAS provides a meal service in Business Class, even on short Embraer flights. On this morning flight, the meal consisted of Norwegian salmon with fennel-potato salad in brown butter vinaigrette and spicy cheese spread, along with some crackers.

I must say, the meal was very tasty. The quality was good, and the flavours were on point. The drink selection included soft drinks, juices (including a smoothie), beer, and wine.

After the meal, coffee and tea service followed. I was pleasantly surprised to find that SAS Plus passengers can order additional items from the buy-on-board menu for free. I went for a couple of protein bars along with a nice chocolate treat for after the coffee.

As for the service, it was decent, but I found it somewhat lacking in warmth. The crew served everything somewhat coolly and didn’t engage much during the service, which felt like a missed opportunity.

In SAS Go (Economy), the service is buy-on-board, but coffee and tea are complimentary.

Arrival at Copenhagen Kastrup

After a flight of just over an hour, we arrived about 25 minutes late at Copenhagen Airport. A short taxi brought us to gate B4, but it was quite a walk to the international terminal, where our flight to Toronto was departing from gate B136. With a 43-minute layover, it was a tight connection.

Luckily, there was no queue at passport control, and we made it to the gate just in time, as boarding was almost complete. After a quick passport scan, I received a warm welcome aboard, “Welcome to the flight, Mr. Christian.” Stay tuned for my review of the next leg of the journey here on InsideFlyer,

Source of photos: Review SAS Business Class Embraer E195: InsideFlyer – Christian