In order to pick up some cheap business class flights on Qatar Airways, I needed to fly to Stockholm Arlanda. My usual airline of choice, British Airways, did not have flights at a schedule that suited me so I turned to Scandinavian Airlines. Happily they had a perfectly timed flight so I made my booking.
Before flight you can select a seat (for a steep €15!) and you can also pre-order food. I didn't select a seat until online check-in and scored myself an exit row window - for free! I did order "lunch" (though it didn't say what I would get) which cost me €13 before the flight. I was pretty pleased to find out my flight was being operated by an A320 NEO which is my first. The aircraft also turned out to be the first one for SAS too!
SK536 – Dublin to Stockholm Arlanda (DUB-ARN)
25 August 2017
Airbus A320 NEO – LN-RGL – Sol Viking
Seat: Economy Class 12F
Departure: 09:15 Arrival: 12:35
At Dublin Airport there was no check-in queue so my slightly overweight bag was tagged and sent on its way. I had purchased Fast Track Security which cost around €6.50 and whizzed through screening.
Scandinavian use the 100 gates at Dublin which are quite a walk away from security. Once there I sat and waited for boarding and luckily the time passed quickly.
The inbound aircraft soon arrived and not long after we were on board. The seats are upholstered in grey fabric and they look quite nice. There is plenty of room in the exit row too.
SAS Plus passengers have their own seats up the front. Unusually there is no divider just small SAS Plus markers attached to the seats where that section ends. The wood effect on the bulkhead looks really fresh and I quite like that.
Cabin crew ask people in the exit row if they are able to operate the exit in the event of an emergency. The lady on the aisle and myself both let her know we had it covered. Once everyone is on board the crew present the safety demonstration in Swedish. After this they provide a very short summary in English for others which is quite nice.
What I find really impressive is that fast USB charging is available at every seat. Set in each seat back is a USB port within easy reach which is a godsend for those with devices. Wireless Internet is due to be installed in the European fleet and activated later in 2017. The charging ports will certainly come in handy at that point.
Without much ado, we headed for the runway and proceeded to take off. What I found really great is that the aircraft is very quiet inside. Remember, I am sitting over the wing near the engine and you could hold a conversation without any issue.
The sound level reminds me very much of the Airbus A380 and A350 which are also quiet inside. Clearly the new engines live up to their promise of being less noisy than previous engines. Once in the air the crew announced that SAS Plus passengers would receive a Salmon salad for lunch. Everyone else is welcome to purchase from the on board menu.
Before flight I decided to purchase what is referred to as Lunch on the SAS web site for a princely sum of €13. What does a meal at this price look like?
A rather nice box is eventually delivered once the crew reach your row with their trolley. I discovered it is Norwegian fjord Salmon preserved in Swedish elderberries with boiled wheat. Presumably the same as what the SAS Plus people receive.
Tea and coffee is offered free to all guests on Scandinavian so I opted for tea. The salmon meal is pretty much perfection in a box. Really tasty indeed. The condiments which go with it add a burst of flavour and texture and quite frankly I am impressed with what I had. I think €13 is on the pricey side however the quality of the dish made it worthwhile.
Around 45 minutes before landing the person next to me got up to go to visit the facilities and I decided to do the same. Down the back are two of those space saving toilets which really are quite tiny.
It is quite unusual to find the waste bin, paper towels and what not above the toilet in the wall. If you don’t close the lid of the toilet, your hands will drip all over the seat before you can dry them, so it’s quite an interesting arrangement. We descended and landed into Stockholm 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
I find Scandinavian Airlines to be a quality European carrier. The new aircraft features comfortable seating and I liked the USB charger at each seat. The toilets are intriguing but I understand why airlines use the space saving version.
Smiling cabin crew provided a really friendly and efficient service. That coupled with a surprisingly excellent – if expensive – meal really had me enjoying my flight. I look forward to flying with SAS again.
Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below. Remember, for all the pictures that go with this report (other side of the safety card, more meal pictures and toilet pictures - haha!), please click here.
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