The Definitive Guide to Scandinavian Airlines’ Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types and Seat Options]

SAS, known colloquially as Scandinavian Airlines, is an airline holding company with its headquarters in Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm. Although the airline was formally founded in 1946, the earliest roots of the company can be traced back to 1918.

The airline as we know it was formed as a joint partnership between the flag carriers of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to satisfy the air traffic demand to Scandinavia. It’s also one of the founding members of the Star Alliance, along with United Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Thai Airways.

Today, Scandinavian Airlines serves over 280 destinations across Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, and Finland. The flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden offers an excellent way to fly a reputable product nonstop from many U.S. airports to Scandinavia.

In this guide, we’ll be delineating all of SAS’s nonstop routes to/from the U.S. and Scandinavia. We’ll also be comparing and contrasting the business, premium economy, and economy class products so you can be equipped to choose the best aircraft and seats on your next SAS flight!

Update: Due to COVID-19, SAS may temporarily suspend routes, frequencies, and/or aircraft flown. Please check with the airline directly for the most current information.

Seat Options by Aircraft Type

As mentioned above, Scandinavian Airlines, which has its headquarters in Stockholm, actually has hubs in 2 more countries: Denmark and Norway. Specifically, the 3 hubs from which it operates U.S. flights are:

• Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH)
• Oslo, Norway (OSL)
• Stockholm, Sweden (ARN)

SAS has stayed strong in the face of fierce competition from airlines like Norwegian Air, and they’ve continued to offer a fantastic in-cabin product throughout its 2 aircraft:

• A330-300
• A340-300

It’s pretty rare to see the quad-jet A340-300 these days, so AvGeeks would be happy to see it being operated by Scandinavian Airlines. Also, the fact that Scandinavian Airlines has much more consistent plane types and schedules than British Airways or Lufthansa is a welcome benefit for European travelers.

In total, SAS operates nonstop flights from 8 distinct U.S. cities, some of which, like Miami, offer more than 1 route! Let’s take a look at all of SAS’s nonstop U.S. routes:

Because we’re a points, credit cards, and travel website, let’s talk about your best options to fly SAS using points and miles.

Best Points to Earn to Fly Scandinavian Airlines

Scandinavian Airlines is a Star Alliance airline, which means you can spend partner miles to fly on the airline. This opens up an entire world of possibilities to use almost any type of points to book flights on Scandinavian Airlines.

For example, you can redeem All Nippon Airways miles, Aeroplan points, Asiana Airlines miles, Avianca LifeMiles, Lufthansa Miles & More Miles, and United Airlines miles for flights on Scandinavian Airlines.

Here are some all the ways to use transferable points for SAS flights:

• American Express Transfer Partners: Air Canada Aeroplan, All Nippon Airways Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Capital One Miles: Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Chase Ultimate Rewards: United Airlines or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Citi ThankYou Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, and Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Marriott Bonvoy: Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air China PhoenixMiles, Air New Zealand Airpoints, All Nippon Airways Mileage Club, Asiana Club, Avianca LifeMiles, Copa Airlines ConnectMiles, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, South African Airways Voyager, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and United MileagePlus

As you can see, the possibilities are mind-boggling, so we’ve also put together some of the top ways to use miles as efficiently as possible to fly to Europe from the U.S. on Scandinavian Airlines:

• Business Class: 45,000 Aegean miles, 55,000 Aeroplan points, 88,000 ANA miles (round-trip only), 40,000 Asiana Club miles, 63,000 Avianca LifeMiles, 70,000 Copa Airlines miles, 65,000 EVA Air miles, 56,000 Lufthansa Miles, 72,000 Singapore KrisFlyer miles, 82,500 Thai Airways miles, 45,000 Turkish Airlines miles, 70,000 United miles
• Premium Economy Class: 37,500 Aeroplan points, 40,000 Lufthansa miles, 75,000 Thai Airways miles
• Economy Class: 55,000 ANA miles (round-trip only), 30,000 Aegean miles, 25,000 Asiana miles, 30,000 Copa Airlines miles, 34,000 EVA Air miles, 30,000 Lufthansa miles, 55,000 Thai Airways miles, 30,000 Turkish Airlines miles

Also, fuel surcharges of $600 are levied one-way by SAS, which can be avoided by booking through the right avenues. In fact, most of the ways you book will avoid fuel surcharges, resulting in minimal taxes and fees.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• San Francisco (SFO) – Copenhagen (CPH) one-way in SAS business class for 55,000 Aeroplan points + ~$54 in taxes and fees
• Miami (MIA) – Oslo (OSL) round-trip in SAS premium economy class for 80,000 Lufthansa miles + ~$86 in taxes and fees
• Newark (EWR) – Stockholm (ARN) one-way in SAS economy class for 55,000 ANA miles + ~$64 in taxes and fees

Scandinavian Airlines First Class Options

Unfortunately, SAS isn’t currently operating any long-haul first class products to/from the U.S.

Scandinavian Airlines Business Class Options

SAS business class is one of the classiest products out there. With a new, refreshed product and a reputation for a warm staff, SAS is certainly doing premium cabin products right. In addition to the excellent service, the seat itself is staggered, forward-facing, and well-designed.

SAS has opted for Thompson XL Vantage seats in business class, which are, no doubt, an excellent choice. Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, the side seats alternate between window and aisle seats.

SAS has a great emphasis on nature, much like a typical Scandinavian winter. As far as food goes, you can expect some interesting cart-style service with typical Western classics such as steak, lobster, veal, and great bread/roll quality. Also, the self-serve snack bar is a welcome delight, replete with artisanal snacks and fresh pastries.

The seat is fully lie-flat and cozy. With 23-24 inches in seat width (which is arguably the most important part of a business class seat), 61 inches of pitch in upright mode and 77 inches long in bed mode, you’ll have plenty of space to relax and sprawl out. Also, the bedding showcases a balance between breathability and comfort.

Bottom Line: SAS has gone a long way in bolstering its business class product. With beautiful, spacious, and new fully lie-flat seats, comfy bedding, improved service, and decent catering, you’ll be sure to enjoy your flight on SAS. 

Let’s talk business!

SAS A330-300 Business Class

SAS’s superior business class product is on the A330-300. All of the seats are configured in a 1-2-1 arrangement with direct aisle access and fully lie-flat capabilities. There are 32 business class seats spread out evenly across 8 rows at the front of the aircraft.

Each of these business class seats is 23-24 inches wide, 61 inches in pitch, and 77 inches in bed length. When you consider that the average lie-flat seat is 21 inches wide and 72 inches in bed length, you’ll see a dramatic advantage of SAS’s hard product.

Also, the seat is technologically advanced, featuring lots of functionality and easy usage. There’s only 1 business class lavatory, and it’s located on the front, right side of the aircraft next to the cockpit. Galleys are located on both ends of the business class cabin, and the coat closets are at the front of the cabin.

With that being said, the best seats on the A330-300 are in row 1 due to the bulkhead. One of the biggest complaints of SAS’s business class seat, despite being an excellent hard product, is the relative tightness of the footwell. This issue is eliminated when you choose bulkhead seats.

Instead of finding yourself fitting your feet into a small orifice, you’ll have a footwell equivalent in width to the entire seat, due to the absence of another seat in front of the bulkhead seats.

Therefore, the absolute best seats (by a long margin) are 1D/F for couples travelers and 1A/H for solo travelers. Also, note that 1A/H are aisle, not window, seats. If you are insistent on window seats, you can pick 6A/H for more privacy. However, the loss of legroom in the footwell is probably not worth getting a window seat.

You will find the SAS A330-300 operated on the following U.S.-Scandinavia routes:

• Boston (BOS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Chicago (ORD) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Miami (MIA) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Newark (EWR) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) mostly
• Miami (MIA) – Oslo (OSL)
• Newark (EWR) – Oslo (OSL)
• Chicago (ORD) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Miami (MIA) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Newark (EWR) – Stockholm (ARN)

SAS A340-300 Business Class

The other aircraft SAS flies to the U.S. is the A340-300. The A340-300 is a species of planes that has slowly become extinct in favor of more fuel-efficient aircraft like the 787 Dreamliner or A350. Still, SAS has chosen the A340-300 as the aircraft of choice for many routes to America.

The cabin is slightly larger, with the addition of the mini-cabin in rows 9 and 10. With 8 more seats, the A340-300 has a total business class capacity of 40 seats as opposed to the A330-300’s 32 seats. This is the primary reason why the A340-300 falls behind the A330-300.

The configuration and seat are exactly the same: 23-24 inches wide, 61 inches in seat pitch, and 77 inches long in bed mode in a 1-2-1 configuration with direct aisle access and fully lie-flat Thompson XL Vantage seats.

Another thing you’ll notice besides the mini-cabin at the back are the 2 lavatories directly in between the 2 business class sections. Interestingly, the forward lavatory is used only by crew members, which means that all business class passengers must use the 2 lavatories directly in front of row 9.

For this reason, row 1 seats are absolutely unbeatable. These seats are bulkhead seats, which means tons of extra legroom from a huge footwell (basically an ottoman) and very little foot traffic due to lavatory traffic being at the back of the cabin.

If you need the legroom of bulkhead seats but row 1 seats are all taken, row 9 is also a bulkhead row featuring more legroom. A warning, however, is that all bathroom and most galley traffic is in your direct vicinity, which may be inconvenient for you. Nonetheless, it’s still an option.

If you want the most private window seat, you can pick either 2A or 2H. These seats don’t enjoy the legroom of the bulkhead, but they’re almost as far as you can get away from the foot traffic. Additionally, the side table partitioning the seat from the aisle offers another layer of separation for optimal privacy.

There are a lot of nuances on the A340-300 that may not seem obvious at all. Upon further inspection, there are a lot of qualifiers and distinctions that will undoubtedly affect your seat choices.

SAS flies the A340-300 on the following nonstop routes to/from the U.S. and Scandinavia:

• Austin (AUS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) sometimes

Bottom Line: SAS’s 2 aircraft, the A340-300 and the A330-300, have unique differences in business class. Depending on the route and aircraft you fly, you’ll want to pick the best seat. You can often secure bulkhead seats, which have way more legroom and make for a spacious bed. 

Scandinavian Airlines Premium Economy Class Options

We’ve made a convincing case on why you should care about the different seat maps aboard SAS business class. Simply put, you can upgrade your travel experience if you appropriately select the right seat, whether it’s one with more legroom or more privacy.

But, what about premium economy? There are definitely some differences between the offerings, but the differences themselves aren’t as dramatic.

As far as the seats themselves, there’s a good amount of cushioning, making the product comparable to domestic first class. The main difference is the greater recline compared to domestic first class products.

The premium economy seats aren’t the largest in the world but are still a good way to traverse the Atlantic Ocean directly to Scandinavia. All premium economy seats on both the A330-300 and the A340-300 are approximately 18.3 inches wide and 38 inches in pitch.

For reference, the average premium economy seat is around 19 inches wide and 38 inches in pitch, which makes SAS’s offering a bit narrow compared to other options.

Let’s talk cabins!

SAS A340-300 Premium Economy Class

On the A340-300, SAS offers 28 seats in a straightforward 2-3-2 configuration spread out across 4 rows. Each of these premium economy seats is 18.3 inches in seat width and 38 inches in seat pitch.

Note that the above seat map mentions row 20 as having the best seats. Whether or not this is true is actually a subjective matter.

On one hand, these bulkhead seats have more legroom, but your legs are restricted by what is essentially a large wall in front of you.

On the other hand, other premium economy seats offer the “benefit” of being able to slide your legs under the seat in front of you for improved stretching.

In any case, taller travelers may want to avoid bulkhead seating. Couples will want to pick seats together on either side of the aircraft because you’ll have an entire row to yourself.

You can find the A340-300 being flown on these SAS routes:

• Austin (AUS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) sometimes

SAS A330-300 Premium Economy Class

SAS’s other aircraft is the A330-300. The premium economy section in the A330-300 is massive compared to that of the A340-300. With 56 premium economy seats, double the number of the A340, the A330-300 premium economy is one of the most crowded out there.

The seats are the same size and configuration, each 18.3 inches wide and 38 inches in pitch in a 2-3-2 configuration. The key difference besides the larger cabin is the presence of lavatories and galley at the front of the cabin.

As a result, savvy travelers will want to avoid rows at the front of the section, unless you need a bassinet for your baby. Actually, we would contend that the best seats are towards the back of the aircraft for 2 reasons:

1. Less foot traffic due to the distance from the lavatories and galley
2. Less noise pollution from the plane’s engines

As a result, couples traveling together may opt for 27A/B or 27G/H. You’ll have an entire row to yourself when you choose these 2 seats together.

You can find the A330-300 being offered on the following nonstop SAS routes to the U.S.:

• Boston (BOS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Chicago (ORD) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Miami (MIA) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Newark (EWR) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) mostly
• Miami (MIA) – Oslo (OSL)
• Newark (EWR) – Oslo (OSL)
• Chicago (ORD) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Miami (MIA) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Newark (EWR) – Stockholm (ARN)

Bottom Line: SAS’s A340-300 premium economy cabin is half the size of the A330-300’s premium economy section. When you can, you’ll want to fly on the A340-300 as opposed to the A330-300. 

Scandinavian Airlines Economy Class Options

Let’s move onto our last section: economy. SAS is reputed for offering some great connecting fares to the rest of Europe via Scandinavian transits. If you happen to book one of these flights, you’ll definitely want to pick a good aircraft and the best seats possible.

As we always say, the story in economy is legroom. As long as you can find the best legroom, everything else will be better. Let’s get into SAS’s seat maps in economy and talk about the top seats to reserve on your flights to Europe.

The economy seats are quite tight, so just keep that in mind.

SAS A340-300 Economy Class

SAS’s A340-300 economy class wins over the A330-300 for 1 reason: number of preferential seats. The economy cabin consists of rows of seats in a 2-4-2 configuration and 2-3-2 towards the back. Also, there are a total of 179 seats in this section.

Each of the economy seats is 17.3 inches wide and 31-32 inches in pitch. There are 5 lavatories, 4 of which are in the middle of the economy cabin and 1 at the back of the plane.

The best seats are at the bulkhead or emergency exit row. These are rows 30, 40, and 41 (middle only). Couples travelers will do best to choose 30A/B or 30G/H before opting for 40A/B and 40G/H. These seats have much more legroom and are also more private since you’ve got a whole row to yourself.

If these are taken, you can also pick the remaining seats in row 30 or 41C/D/E/F. Just beware that rows 40 and 41 are close to the lavatories, so you’ll experience more foot traffic.

You can find the A340-300 flown on these nonstop SAS routes to/from the U.S. and Scandinavia:

• Austin (AUS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) sometimes

SAS A330-300 Economy Class

Our other choice is SAS’s A330-300. Each of the 174 economy seats is 31-32 inches in pitch and 17.3 inches wide. The seats are arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration and 2-3-2 towards the back.

The bulkhead is ahead of row 30 and the exit row is in row 41. Also, there are 5 lavatories, 4 in the middle of the cabin and 1 at the right-rear side of the plane.

Although row 30 seats are the best, the second-best set of seats are situated behind the section of 4 lavatories.

Couples will want to reserve seats in the following order:

1. 30A/B or 30G/H
2. 41A/B or 41G/H
3. 30C/D/E/F
4. Everything else

Here are the U.S. routes on which SAS’s A330-300 can be found:

• Boston (BOS) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Chicago (ORD) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Miami (MIA) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Newark (EWR) – Copenhagen (CPH)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Copenhagen (CPH) mostly
• Miami (MIA) – Oslo (OSL)
• Newark (EWR) – Oslo (OSL)
• Chicago (ORD) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Miami (MIA) – Stockholm (ARN)
• Newark (EWR) – Stockholm (ARN)

Hot Tip: If you’re looking for more ways to fly to Sweden, explore our in-depth guide on how to fly to Sweden on points!

Final Thoughts

SAS operates 2 aircraft on passenger flights to the U.S.: the A330-300 and the A340-300. With comfortable business class seats and competitive premium economy/economy products, you’ll definitely want to consider flying them nonstop to Scandinavia.

The best business class seats are the bulkhead seats on the A330-300, while the best premium economy seats are on the A330-300 due to the cabin being half the size of the A340-300’s premium economy section. Lastly, the best economy product goes to the A340-300, which has more preferential seats with greater legroom and comfort.

Now, you can use all of this information and put together a convenient, optimized itinerary for your next SAS flight!