Review of SAS flight from Stockholm to Nice in Business

SK - SAS

Flight taken on 13 October 2014

SK 1827

Stockholm Nice

ARN

NCE

16:05 03h 05m 19:10

Model Boeing 737-600

Class Business

Seat 2A

Hello and welcome to this ARN-NCE segment of my trip. Here is my schedule so far:
AF SFO-CDG in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8246.html
AF CDG-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8253.html
SK GOT-ARN in C - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8276.html
SK ARN-NCE in C - you are here
LH NCE-MUC in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8340.html
LH MUC-GOT in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8373.html
KL GOT-AMS in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8374.html
KL AMS-SFO in Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-8392.html
I arrived in ARN at the domestic side and proceeded to take my connecting flight to NCE. I followed the signs to T5 and to my surprise I had to leave the secured area and clear security again. I thought that this was somewhat inconvenient considering that I was flying the same carrier at a main hub.
On my way to T5 passing through SkyCity, a public area with shops, restaurants, 2 hotels and a train terminal between T4 and T5.

I finally arrived in T5 and was checked in by a friendly agent at the counter who issued me a copy of my boarding pass. I then used the Fast Track bypassing the main queue.

Security was smooth and professional. I entered through Duty Free (there is no way around this) and went straight to the SAS Business Lounge.

I was greeted at the entrance and presented my boarding pass. The agent asked if I was a Gold *A member and explained that there is another lounge reserved for those with such status. I appreciated the information but unfortunately I was just a SK+ passenger today, so I took a right turn and entered the Business lounge.
Entrance

Interior

The food and drinks offerings

My lunch

WC's were spacious

As you can see from one of the pics above, the hot beverages machine was broken which is a major disappointment. I think SK should have at least two of these units in the lounge as a back up. The lounge never became too crowded and there was plenty of space to stretch. I don't like the communal feel of the round tables in the middle of the room since they lack privacy.
I then headed to the gate for my flight.
Plane located by the SAS lounge on my way out through the elevators.

The plane at the gate

Initially at the gate there is a LH flight number on the screen, but this is rectified later on. A guy pulls a rack with newspapers and people help themselves to it. The agents show up and boarding starts soon. At the entrance of the plane I am greeted with a smile and settle into my seat. A quick pre-departure drink was served. I opted for some water.

Cabin

Magazine with the fleet

There is a hook for coat in front of the bulkhead seats.

The bulkhead on the other side has more legroom because of the cut out underneath.

The cabin starts to fill in and I have a neighbor who thankfully is in the aisle. The middle seat is left empty this time.

Door closed and we taxied out to the runway. A live safety demonstration is conducted.

Shortly after take off the FA's get into action and a meal is offered for those seating in SK +. According to the printed menu there is an evening meal available but no choice. However, the FA offers the meal as well as wraps or sandwiches for those who did not want the meal. She then continues with the cart to the back and another FA takes the drink orders.
The meal was cold and tasteless, but at least it was served with a warm piece of bread from a basket. I felt that the salad needed more dressing and the anchovy cream was the only thing that I found tasty from the whole set. The chocolate cake had a very industrial taste that I couldn't stand after one bite but the little piece of Valrhona chocolate was nice.
Evening meal

As part of the SK + inflight service, glasses are supposed to be served with the drinks. I saw them used for alcoholic beverages only. After the meal I requested a cup of tea with a chocolate bar and the FA happily obliged with a smile. Our FA in the front was extremely efficient and friendly.

Time to visit the WC. Nice wooden feature on top of the toilet.

Eventually we were readied for our descent into NCE and I was able to capture some night scenes from the little diminishing light outside.

I exited to the arrivals hall where lagentsecret was waiting for me and then we made our way to our place on Saint Laurent du Var.

Display all

Product ratings

Airline

SAS 7.4

Cabin8.0 / 10
Cabin crew10.0 / 10
Entertainment/wifi5.0 / 10
Meal/catering6.5 / 10

Lounge

SAS Business Lounge7.2

Comfort7.0 / 10
Meal/catering7.0 / 10
Entertainment/wifi8.0 / 10
Services7.0 / 10

Departure airport

Stockholm - ARN9.0

Efficiency8.0 / 10
Access9.0 / 10
Services9.0 / 10
Cleanliness10.0 / 10

Arrival Airport

Nice - NCE8.0

Efficiency8.0 / 10
Access8.0 / 10
Services8.0 / 10
Cleanliness8.0 / 10

Conclusion

Comfort on this flight was typical of an intra-European J product with the middle seat empty. I was lucky that on this segment nobody occupied the middle seat. I truly think that SK should get the middle seat blocked on SK + cabins. I can live with downgraded catering for this fare, but comfort should not be compromised.

FA was excellent with a great attitude and that showed in her friendly and smiling demeanor.

The meal was disappointing, but for the fare that I paid I can't complain much.

There was no entertainment as such.

We were supposed to depart at 1605 and actually left at 1614. Arrival was scheduled for 1910 and we arrived at 1916.

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Comments (16)

KL651 2014-10-22 23:40:44

Thanks for this FR, SK really isn't very documented here.

The meal you got looks decent, too bad it didn't taste good. However, the presentation could be improved, especially on longer flights such as ARN-NCE.

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 06:45:20

I agree with you that the meal could be improved. It would be great if there are two choices with one of them being a hot dish.

Thanks.

lagentsecret 2014-10-23 01:27:17

Thanks for sharing this FR

You had to clear the security again during your transit but ARN got good marks anyway

The lounge looks very basic

Fresh meal made for you lol but not really to your taste and not appetizing

Great pictures on approach

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 06:55:02

You had to clear the security again during your transit but ARN got good marks anyway

I gave ARN airport an 8 for security and immigration efficiency even though I had to clear security again because it was quick and handled courteously by the security staff. Signs were easy to follow and clearly marked. It's not a 10 experience for sure but I feel that the score was justified.

The lounge looks very basic

It was basic with simple food offerings. Soup and salad are the main components and I'm sure that those on a diet would find it ideal.

Fresh meal made for you lol but not really to your taste and not appetizing

Maybe I am becoming a food snob. After all they say that birds of the same feather flock together ;)

Thanks for the compliments about the aerial approach and your visit as usual.

Esteban 2014-10-23 01:41:58

Thanks for sharing, do they dare to call that business ?

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 07:12:08

SK+ is a product that suffers from an identity crisis. It behaves like J on the ground but in the air it is another product. Its fare can sometimes be the same as J.

I originally checked for award tickets flying on SK using both UA and AV miles. Under both websites SK+ is considered a J cabin and is charged accordingly.

Thanks.

KévinDC 2014-10-23 04:37:35

I've flown SK a few times in the early 2000s and I remember thinking it was a decent carrier, but have heard that things have gone downhill over the past 10 years. So is SK+ a premium economy product...if so, you should indicate the class of travel as Premium Economy. I'm really surprised that on a long-ish intra-European flight like this they don't have a Business cabin (i.e. blocked middle and curtain separator). Thanks for sharing!

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 07:17:03

SK+ is premium economy in the air but on my boarding pass it is stated as class C which to my knowledge signifies a business class fare. In addition as I mentioned to Esteban above some *A partners sell this cabin as J. I have made the change at the top to reflect this as a Business class flight.

Thank you Kevin.

SkyteamCHC 2014-10-23 13:05:57

Thanks for sharing this flight report with us.

I have flown once this route , at the time in business class and have a good souvenir of this flight.

A great FA and a decent meal ( it looks good but should have more taste) are the strong points of this experience.

I agree about the comment of the identity crisis at SAS and their products : They always seem to hesitate on what they want to offer to their passengers. The global experience is contrasted and does not help to build the brand.

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 22:24:03

I understand that at one point SK operated a 3 cabin on intra-European flights - Business, Economy Extra and Economy. In order to simplify things they decided to just have 2 cabins and SK+ along with SK Go were created. SK+ should have been the equivalent to J by default, but I guess the airline decided to modify it a bit in order to make it more attractive for the more cost conscious passengers. The thing is that if you are flying from overseas with SK in J and you are connecting to an intra-European flight, you are placed in SK+. If I were one of those passengers, I would not be happy with a middle seat that is not blocked and this type of catering.

Thank you for your thoughts.

AirCanada881 2014-10-23 15:51:55

Thanks for sharing this report, lovely photos! I had to reclear Security coming in from Istanbul and going to BTS, was weird!

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 22:25:42

You would think that ARN would be more efficient when it comes to connections as a hub. That is the major flaw that I see with this airport.

Thanks.

Abyssin 2014-10-23 20:20:57

Thanks for sharing this FR with us.

The lounge look quite nice even if the catering is basic, but for sure with a swedish touch!

I'm very disappointed with the in-flight product this is not a J even a C ....but thanks again as this remenbered me my first flight, onboard a brand new DC9 in F (was in the 60's).

jetsetpanda 2014-10-23 22:31:11

You are lucky to have experienced true F back then. I'm sad to see that the SK inflight product has deteriorated to this point compared to what it was before.

I like the minimalist and clean style of Scandinavian design and this lounge has that touch as you said.

Thanks.

Caribel 2014-10-24 11:50:32

I imagine the limited on-board meal service is due to the diminutive sized galley on the 737-600.

Hope to read your opinion of grilled sardines at Jan, mojitos at Gossip Bar, olive-artichoke risotto at Olive & Artichaut or stuffed quail at Les Deux Canailles. Enjoy!

jetsetpanda 2014-10-25 07:02:48

Alas, I am afraid that my gastronomic pursuits this time will fall short of your expectations as most of my meals were homemade, thought I can assure you that they tasted just as great as those of any worthy establishment since they were expertly created by lagentsecret. However, I have noted your worthy suggestions for any prospective visits to the area in the future.

While some people might make the most out of a trip by sightseeing as much as they can, others might spend a better part of their time staring at the ceiling of their rooms. ;) To each his own as they say.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments as always.

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