Business class review aboard SAS's E195 from Bergen to Copenhagen.

Waking up at 4:30 am to catch a flight at 6 am, the first one leaving the airport is something that should be illegal, especially if you are not flying Ryanair.

Sometimes, however, you have to set the alarm clock early and possibly sleep near if not inside the airport to avoid any unpleasantness. In my case I was leaving from Bergen in Norway and headed to Copenhagen, I slept at the Comfort Inn right outside the airport, a very nice hotel that I regret not reviewing.

How I paid for the ticket

This was a paid cash flight, also because I have not yet accumulated enough miles on my Singapore Airlines Krisflyer card and so everything makes "points" and these €135 to fly from Bergen to Copenhagen I also needed them for this,

On September 1, there will be the transition of this carrier from Star alliance to Skyteam, a very important change for all frequent flyers.

Check-in

I walked out of the hotel at 5:03 a.m. and by 5:09 a.m. I was in the check-in area; this is not my first time in Bergen, but at this time almost all the airports would be empty except maybe Bergamo and Hanh.

I quickly checked in at the desk, unsure of the weight limits on board SAS I preferred to do a quick check at my Level8 aluminum trolley. Green light and off to the lounge.

At the airport

Having gone through the controls and passed through the inevitable duty free shop, I headed To the only lounge at this airport.

I show the boarding pass to the attendant and she says, "I'm sorry, we don't have arrangements with SAS." We are not talking about a company that operates an occasional flight, but the main carrier that uses this stopover along with Wideroe and Norwegian.

The former flies domestic to all destinations, above and below the Arctic Circle, the latter is the low-cost carrier that many mistake for the Norwegian flag carrier.

Unfortunately, this room is not even Priority Pass, the alternative was to pay for access, but as I often repeat it makes no sense anywhere, let alone for 5 minutes. I therefore went to the gate to wait for boarding. Doors opened right on time and, thanks to my business + status ticket.

On board

Scandinavian, it is not very famous, but it is not a small or secondary carrier. It has a diverse fleet and also flies A321s outfitted in 2-class on intercontinental routes.

In my case the flight was operated with an Embraer E195. I really like this machine, quiet, comfortable and in this SAS set-up it is really complete.

There is no separation between biz and economy, only a tag on the seat, a sign that can be moved if necessary depending on reservations. In practice the only meaning of this mini sign is to tell the crew from here not to serve food anymore.

Armchair

The configuration of these planes is 2-2, the first thing to know is that no vacant seat is left beside the business class passenger, but the system tries to optimize the distribution of passengers.

As you may have noticed, starting this year at TFC, we fly armed with a tape measure to measure passenger space. Legroom is not a lot,  are 26cm, less than some low-cost ones. The seat, on the other hand, is 47cm wide, say average, and the space between the two backs is 66cm in total.

This E195 is the modern version, and the cabin layout shows it. Traditional USB jack and USB-c. In addition to this in the backrest is also inserted a cellular holder, convenient for watching what you vuolse without risking paresis. Air vents and courtesy light.

Nice big and solid coffee table, working on pc without jolting is very comfortable. A capacious bag completes the equipment of the chair.

Food & Beverage

Flight taking off at dawn and then breakfast is served. SAS like many companies opts for this 70-minute flight for a cold box to which a hot sandwich is added separately.

On offer is a minibox with two cherry tomatoes, two slices of cheese, one slice of turkey and a couple of half leaves of lettuce. A strawberry yogurt, with optional granola to go with it, and a juice box, all absolutely compostable. Perhaps it could have been done better.

For all economy passengers, however, there is a menu where you can choose, for a fee, what you want.

Service

Staff who did what needed to be done without adding anything, as is normal in such short flights.

In conclusion

Just another flight, but it had to be done to assess the changes that will take place starting September 1, when SAS leaves Star Alliance to join Skyteam