Having flown back from Phuket with Qatar Airways, I built in a few days in Copenhagen, squeeze a Parkrun in and to see family before heading back to the UK. The return leg was meant to be British Airways Club Europe, but I switched to SAS Business Class to test a freshly status-matched Gold card and see the SAS Copenhagen lounge. The aircraft was an A320neo, running the short hop to Heathrow. On paper it is a two-hour flight with a blocked middle seat and a hot meal. In practice, it turned out to be one of the more entertaining short-haul flights I have taken in a while.
In this review
Flight Details
Flight No: SK505
From/To: Copenhagen (CPH) to London (LHR)
Departure time: 14:55
Ticket Class: Business
Flight time: 2 hours 05 mins
Frequent Flyer Points: 2250
Aircraft: EI-SIG
Aircraft type: Airbus A320neo
Number of classes: 2 (Business, Economy)
Number of seats in flying class: 8
Seat: 1A
Position: Bulkhead, window
Airport Experience
The SAS check-in area sits in Terminal 3, and the signage is not as clear as it should be. Economy bag drop is on the right once you have used the self check-in machines, while Sky Priority sits on the left. Nowhere did I see business class mentioned, but as I saw Sky Priority, I headed in that direction to check my 26kg bag (scuba diving gear).
Before reaching the check-in desks, someone was there who was meant to check people’s tickets or status, but she could not have looked less interested if she had tried – waved be through to the next check-in desk that was free. The check-in agent asked where I was flying and how many bags I had, then did her thing and sent me on my way. Barely looked at me too.
Security redeemed it. SAS runs its own dedicated fast track lane at Copenhagen, and I was through in under five minutes. The airport has been busy the few times we’ve been here, and even the standard fast track can be very slow, so a separate screening point is a real advantage.
The SAS Lounge in Copenhagen was busy, again, the staff were less than welcoming, in fact, you don’t have to speak to anyone at all as it’s self check-in (you can read the full review here.) The odd part was passport control, which required walking to the far side of the terminal, presenting my passport, then walking all the way back again. It felt like an unnecessary detour built into the terminal layout.
Boarding & Welcome
After a marathon walking from the lounge to the passport controls, you had to walk all the way back to reach the gate. When I arrived, the gate area was packed, and staff announced boarding well before anything actually happened, which did nothing for the crowd. Once it started properly, SAS called by group and held the line firmly. though there’s the usual scrum to get to the front. Only Group 1 passengers and Group 2 were held firmly back, so they respected priority boarding.
The real test on short-haul flights is the overhead bins. Too often you board to find the room above your seat already stuffed with crew bags, blankets and catering odds and ends. Here the bins above row 1 were empty, which made a refreshing change and meant my cabin bag went directly overhead rather than three rows back.
A sign at the door advertised Starlink wifi, which is the sort of thing that raises expectations immediately. I tried connecting before pushback and got nowhere. Cabin crew greeted passengers politely enough, though the welcome was functional rather than warm.
Seat
The seat is a standard short-haul recliner with the middle seat left empty, which is the European business class convention. SAS does not fit a table or divider across that middle seat, so unlike British Airways Club Europe you simply get an unoccupied seat next to you. It does the job, but made me wonder why all European airlines do the same thing?
The seat was fine for a two-hour flight. I had seat 1A at the bulkhead, which I had chosen deliberately for extra leg room. My plan to have the whole row to myself fell apart when another passenger was moved into it. A small commotion happened as several passengers were assigned the same seat number. I was never clear whether this was because everyone was ticketed in business class or not. The cabin boundary only muddled things further. SAS seems to flex the number of business class rows – at least, that’s my best guess. The seat map showed eight rows but the curtain marked only four. Some people said they were travelling business but I saw them sitting behind the curtain. Oh well, at least I have my seat, I was fine.
What is the best seat on European SAS Business Class?
Row 1 is the one to aim for. The bulkhead position means no seat-back pocket in front of you filled with airline detritus, and the floor area stays clear of the bits and pieces that accumulate elsewhere in the cabin.
The window seats, 1A and 1F, give you the most separation from the aisle and the best chance of an undisturbed flight. Avoid assuming rows 5 and beyond will be business, because the curtain moves depending on how many seats SAS sells. If you book late and end up in row 6, you may technically be in the business cabin while sitting in what feels like economy.
The issue with bulkhead seats on other airlines is always luggage space, and because the space is often filled with stuff from the airline, with SAS this is kept free.
See the seating plan on AeroLOPA.
Onboard Experience
Service began almost immediately after takeoff. A brisk, spritely member of crew appeared at my seat and asked simply: “Drink?” When I asked what was available, the reply was “What do you want?”
It was direct to the point of comedy, but I warmed to it. There was no menu, no recital of options, just an assumption that you knew what you wanted and he would make it happen. The cabin manager was clearly a long-serving professional, and his years on the job showed in the pace of the service.
The cabin service manager’s experience showed: he tended to all business class passengers, kept glasses topped up without being asked, and after finishing the forward cabin, he went back to help with the tea service in economy. Nobody sat idle while another section ran behind.
There’s one toilet at the front, which was compact but does the job.
Food & Drink
I asked for red wine, having no idea what was on board. It was decent, and I still could not tell you the grape. A little more information would not go amiss, though on SAS Business Class the approach seems to be that you ask and they pour.
The meal service produced the best moment of the flight. The crew member walked out holding a tray, handed it towards me and said: “Do you want it?” I asked what it was. “Chicken and gnocchi.” I asked whether I had a choice. He simply replied: “Don’t have it.”
Fair enough. I was not a vegetarian, and honestly I had walked into that one. The important part is that the food was good. It arrived hot, the gnocchi had not turned to paste, and the chicken was properly seasoned. The cheese cake was lovely. I would take it over British Airways short-haul catering without hesitation.
In-flight Entertainment
There are no seatback screens on the A320neo, so entertainment means your own device and the Starlink connection. That connection refused to work before departure, which was not a promising start.
Once airborne it behaved properly. Speeds were strong enough for streaming, and I had no dropouts across the two hours. For a flight of this length, a reliable connection is more useful than a screen full of films you will not finish. Bring headphones and a charged device, and you are set.
A USB-C charging port sat under your seat.
Arrival
We landed at Heathrow on time and parked at Terminal 2. Bags came out quickly, which is not always the case here, and mine was circling the belt by the time I reached the hall.
The immigration hall put a stop to that smooth progress. Terminal 2 does run an arrivals fast track, but it applied only to certain carriers such as Air India. SAS Business Class passengers are not included, so you join the main queue with everyone else.
That queue was long. UK, EU, Japanese and US passport holders were all funnelled into the same channel, moving through one at a time. But it moved quickly enough.
BG1 Verdict
Would I book it again at ~£240 one way? No. The seat is hard, there is no divider on the middle seat, and the cabin boundary is confusing enough that you cannot be certain what you have bought until you board.
What SAS does well is food and crew. The catering beat British Airways comfortably, and the service, blunt as it was, had real character behind it. The fast track at Copenhagen is worth having.
This suits travellers who need the checked bag allowance and lounge access more than they need a plush seat. As a one-off to test Gold status, it was worth doing. As a repeat purchase at that fare, it is not.
BG1 Tip
Book row 1 if you can, because the bulkhead keeps your overhead bin and floor area free of airline clutter. Do not assume the SAS Business Class curtain sits behind row 4, as it moves according to how many seats sell.
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