SAS Plus in the Airbus A330-300 to Chicago

With SAS Plus, the Scandinavian airline has created a fantastic product in Premium Economy class. In the following trip report, you'll learn what service and amenities you can expect in SAS's Premium Economy on long-haul flights.

After Arrival with airberlin At Terminal 2 of Stockholm International Airport, I had to transfer to Terminal 5 for my SAS flight to Chicago. It's a comfortable 15-minute walk away.

Check in

Check-in at the SAS Star Alliance Gold counter was quick. I was able to drop off my luggage, even though there were still over five hours until departure of flight SK945 to Chicago. After security, you find yourself in the duty-free zone in Terminal 5, also known as "Absolut Vodka Paradise." The price for a 1-liter bottle of vodka was the equivalent of €20. That's probably quite reasonable by Scandinavian standards.

Now the search for the lounge began. Just like the last time in Copenhagen It's not that easy to find them at SAS. I couldn't find any signs other than a tiny signpost. I was only able to orient myself with the building map. It's best to simply look for Gate 1 in Terminal 5. At the fork in the path, you'll find a spiral staircase that leads to the lounge on the third floor.

SAS Gold Lounge at Stockholm Airport

The SAS Gold Lounge is similar in design to the lounge at Copenhagen Airport. The only, but crucial, difference is the unobstructed view of the apron.

The decor is very Scandinavian and simple. A lot of wood and metal were used to create seating areas of varying sizes. I found it truly exemplary that there were sufficient power outlets everywhere, and even dedicated USB ports for charging your electronic devices. The interior designer really thought ahead here!

The buffet is located in the rear area of the SAS Gold Lounge. Today, there was a pasta pesto salad, smoked salmon, and a variety of vegetables with dip to choose from. They also offer a soup of the day and various breads. The drinks selection ranges from soft drinks (water, ginger ale, cola, tonic, and a Swedish drink I'm not familiar with) to various beers, wines, and spirits. So, no one will go thirsty here. After my fellow passenger, Robert, finally arrived from Munich after a significant delay, we had a light lunch and drank a few Turborgs along the way.

Flight SAS SK945 to Chicago

Around 2:30 p.m., we left the lounge and walked to our departure gate, F66. The brand-new Airbus A330-300 Enhanced (registration LN-RKR, maiden flight on August 26, 2015) was already waiting at the gate. Boarding was a few minutes away. Booking class and status weren't important during boarding. Nevertheless, we were among the first on the plane and were able to take our time to photograph the newly designed cabin.

After booking our flight to Chicago in June, we decided to purchase an upgrade to the next booking class via the website Optiontown.com. Four days before departure, we finally received the long-awaited confirmation for an upgrade to SAS Plus (Premium Economy).

SAS Plus (Premium Economy)

The Premium Economy cabin (2-3-2 configuration) is beautifully designed. The seats are upholstered in gray fabric and have wide cushions. The distance to the front row is generous at 97 cm (headrest to headrest). There's also a footrest on the front seat. Each passenger can charge their electronic devices using an individual power outlet and USB port.

SAS Plus – Inflight Entertainment

The new in-flight entertainment system is fantastic. The screens finally have a good HD resolution (30 cm diagonal), and the touchscreen works precisely and reliably. At our seat in row 24 (24A & B), earbuds and an amenity kit were provided. However, you can also bring your own headphones, as the seat has a simple jack socket. The entertainment system offers various films (new releases and classics like "Alien"), individual episodes of series, music, a detailed flight map, and two exterior cameras. The food and beverage offerings can also be viewed on the display.

SAS Plus – Free Wi-Fi on board

Boarding was completed promptly at 3:30 p.m., and we set off again. The taxiway to the runway was very short, and the captain immediately took off. After the fasten seatbelt signs went off, the Wi-Fi was turned on. This is free for SAS Business and SAS Plus passengers. This allowed me to surf the internet at FL36 for the first time and stay in touch with family and friends back home. It's brilliant! Sure, the speed isn't great and the connection drops occasionally, but what can you expect at an altitude of 10 kilometers and while flying over Greenland.

Food and drink in SAS Plus

First, a bag of salted nuts and various drinks (long drinks, wine, beer, soft drinks, and water) were served. For the main course, we could choose between grilled chicken fillet with grilled vegetables and noodles or cod on rice. We both chose the chicken. This was accompanied by a salad consisting of lots of mayonnaise with crab and fish. An hour before arrival in Chicago, a small snack (a green salad with three slices of ham and potato salad) was served. Overall, the service on board was really great.

Arrival at Chicago O'Hare

As we approached Chicago O'Hare, we had a fantastic view of the sea of lights downtown. Our anticipation of the Christmas season in the "Windy City" grew!

After arriving at Terminal 5, we were quickly off the plane thanks to row 24 and hurried to immigration. We'd already had bad experiences with long wait times in Chicago, and the various desert carriers at the gates next to us didn't bode well.

Automated Passport Control (APC) for ESTA travelers

Automatic Entry (APC) was previously only available to US citizens and Global Entry travelers. Since 2014, ESTA travelers have also been able to complete the formalities at an automated kiosk. The user interface can be switched to German, thus avoiding any potential communication problems with the official. The formalities are completed quite quickly: you scan your passport, answer questions about entry and customs formalities, have your right hand fingerprinted, and take a passport photo with the built-in camera. At the end, you receive a small slip of paper printed on thermal paper. I then had to take this to an official, who only briefly asked a few questions about the reason for my trip. Filling out the white and blue customs declaration "CBP Form 6059B" on the plane is no longer necessary.

After collecting our suitcases from the baggage carousel, we went through customs and out to the waiting area for the hotel shuttles. Many buses passed by, but never one from our hotel. After waiting for 30 minutes, a United stewardess helped us with her iPhone so we could contact our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago O'Hare, we were able to report. On the phone, I learned that Terminal 5 is only served on request. We would have liked to have had this information in advance. After another 20 minutes, the shuttle finally arrived, and we were taken to the hotel.

More information about SAS Scandinavian Airlines

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