SAS Business Class – A330-300 – Chicago O’Hare to Stockholm
Chicago O'Hare to Stockholm-Arlanda in SAS Business Class - About My Flight
I booked my flight to Stockholm on SAS Airlines and received quite a deal. The entire round trip was under $600. A few days before my flight, I was offered a chance to bid on an upgrade to either SAS Business Class or SAS Plus. Taking a chance, I skipped SAS Plus and went right for SAS Business Class. My bid was accepted, and I was thrilled. I was flying from Chicago O’Hare to Stockhom-Arlanda in SAS Business Class.
SAS Business Class doesn’t only come with a lie-flat seat, plenty of extra legroom, and better food, but I also would receive priority boarding, SAS Lounge Access at Chicago O’Hare, and Security Fast Track. To say I was excited about my upgrade would be a total understatement.
SAS is quickly becoming my favorite European airline. This trip was my first long-haul flight with SAS, but I have flown them many times within Europe. The personal service of the flight attendants and the quality of the service is unlike what we have in the USA. SAS Airlines is similar to Eva Airlines and Cathay Pacific in terms of their cabins and inflight services.
Chicago O'Hare to Stockholm-Arlanda in SAS Business Class - Table of Contents
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Checking In - SAS Business Class - Chicago O'Hare to Stockholm-Arlanda
I arrived at Chicago O’Hare about three hours before my flight was set to depart. After arriving at International Terminal 5, I found the check-in desk 5E, which is the assigned area for SAS Airlines. There was a separate queue for business class, and within 60 seconds, I had my boarding pass.
The SAS Lounge at O'Hare Airport
The SAS Lounge at O’Hare Airport is relatively small as SAS only has one flight departing at a time. Upon entry, I presented my boarding pass, which was quickly scanned. The lounge had a nice seating area for working, and I was able to work on my website. This section was created while sitting at a work station in the lounge.
The lounge had some meats and cheeses, salads, snacks, and drinks that were sitting out for guests to take. I tried a few of the salads, ate two mini hotdogs, and drank a Coke Zero. The lounge was a much better place to wait for the long flight across the Atlantic than having to wait in the normal waiting area.
Priority Boarding - SAS Business Class - Chicago O'Hare
Boarding started on time, and as a Business Class passenger, I was among the first to board. There was an amenities kit on my seat, along with bedding, a bottle of water, and headphones. The flight attendant came around and offered everyone their choice of juice, water, or champaign.
The Seat - SAS A330-300 - Seat 5A - SAS Business Class
The Business Class Cabin on SAS Airlines is configured in a 1-2-1 configuration. I chose seat 5A, which was a single window seat. The odd-numbered seats near the windows are closer to the aisle, while the even-numbered seats are closer to the window.
Here are some of the best features of the Business Class Seat:
-Full 180-degree lie-flat capability
-77 inches of legroom and 24 inches of seat width
-20-inch seatback monitor
–Footrest that can be extended
-Massage mode
-Large foldout table
-1-foot wide armrest on the non-aisle side
This trip was my first time in a real long haul business class cabin. I could not believe how much additional legroom there was then in premium economy.
The foldout table made it easy for me to work on Buzzinaroundtheworld.com during the flight. SAS provides free Wifi for all Business Class Passengers. To access the WiFi, all I had to do was log in with my booking reservation. The WiFi is limited to one device at a time but can easily be switched from computer to phone.
Another perk of SAS Business Class is an amenity kit that included the following: wooden toothbrush, natural mint toothpaste, face moisturizer, lip balm, earplugs, a sleeping mask, and Swedish Style stockings.
Next to the seat are the controls that allow the passenger to recline, lie flat, and extend the footrest. There are also options for changing the firmness, turning on mood lighting, and turning on the massage feature. The massage feature turned on pulses and vibrations and did not kneed, tap, or roll as the massage chairs at the mall do.
Towards the back of the seat were some additional controls which included a remote for the TV monitor, a plugin for a USB, a universal electrical outlet, a reading light, headphones, and an area for storage. I found the large armrest to be the best perk of all as there was plenty of room to put my computer when I wasn’t using it. You can see my computer case in the picture below.
When it came time to sleep, all I had to do was press the controls, and my seat turned completely flat. After making up my bed, I changed into some gym shorts and took off my polo shirt leaving only my undershirt. I fell asleep within a few minutes and slept for four hours and thirty minutes.
This trip in Business Class was the first time that I was ever able to fall asleep on a plane. As I slept, my computer and phone charged next to me. The picture below shows how much space was on the window-side armrest/storage area.
I continued to sleep until the flight attendant woke me up for breakfast one hour before landing. The lie-flat seat truly made the price of the upgrade worth it. I arrived in Stockholm well-rested and comfortable.
Snacks and Meals - SAS Business Class - Chicago O'Hare to Stockholm-Arlanda
Shortly after take-off, the flight attendants came around with a round of snacks. I chose the mixed nuts and a Coke Zero Sugar.
The Main Event meal service began about 90 minutes into the flight. I was shocked when I was given a utensil kid with three forks, a spoon, three knives, a toothpick, salt, and pepper.
The first part of dinner was bread, and I chose an olive roll. It was served with salted butter.
Next, came the starter course. The options were a salad of mixed greens, grilled beef tenderloin, or poached scallops. I chose the grilled beef tenderloin, and it was delicious.
Following the starter was the main course. There were four options including almond-crusted halibut, apple-glazed chicken, seared beef fillet, and lemon and ricotta ravioli. I thought about going with the chicken but stayed true to my gut and went with the beef. The beef was served with mashed sweet potato and a mix of yellow and green squash. Without a doubt, it was the best airplane meal I’ve ever had.
This five-course meal included a section of the meal entirely dedicated to cheese. The cheeses served included Grafton Village Cheddar and Cypress Grove Humboldt Chevre.
I enjoyed the Cypress Grove Humboldt Chevre. Finishing up the Main Event Five Course Meal was a choice of three desserts including dark chocolate cake with berry compote, Three Twins Ice Cream, and seasonal fruit. As the flight attendant was coming by to serve dessert, she saw that I was working on my travel blog. She suggested that I try the cheese plate and all three of the desserts as it would “make a great picture.” The desserts were excellent, although the dark chocolate cake was my favorite.
About one hour before landing, the flight attendant came by and woke up all of the passengers that had requested to be awoken for breakfast. Breakfast included an English Muffin, orange, pineapple, and grapefruit bowl, an egg with spinach, vanilla yogurt, and a meat and cheese platter with vegetables. To drink, I chose orange juice. The Business Class breakfast was much better than the typical economy breakfast.
SAS Business Class Lavatory
The SAS Business Class Lavatory is slightly larger than the typical economy lavatory. There are two lavatories at the end of the Business Class cabin that is for the use of Business Class passengers only. That’s a good ratio as there are only about 32 people total in Business Class.
One feature that I had never seen before was a window over the toilet. Be sure to close the window if you are using the bathroom while the plane is on the ground.
The sink was slightly larger than the economy cabin sink, and there were flowers next to the sink. This flight was the first time I’d seen flowers in the lavatory of a non-Asian airline. Next to the sink were some wet towels, lotion, and spray deodorant.
Is SAS Business Class Worth It?
Almost every time I deplane on a long-haul flight, I walk by the Business Class seats. I never thought that they would be worth the money since Business Class seats are typically priced at $1000-$1500 each way.
I was surprised by how comfortable I was in Business Class. The lie-flat seat made sleeping easy, and the extra room ensured comfort while working on my travel blog.
For airlines, such as SAS, that allow their passengers to bid on Business Class seats, some exceptional deals can be found. My entire airfare was less than $600 round trip. Add in my upgrade, and I was still well under $1000. I hope that I can score some of these upgrades in the future and that this was not merely a fluke.
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