Scandinavian Airways Relaunches Seattle to Copenhagen Route

On Could 21, Scandinavian Airways (SAS) relaunched a long-haul flight connecting Seattle–Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) with Copenhagen Airport (CPH) after a 16-year-long pause. The flight will function 5 days per week through the SAS summer time schedule—however I used to be fortunate sufficient to snag a business-class seat on the primary flight.

“The Seattle-Copenhagen route has been a extremely requested vacation spot,” Paul Verhagen, government vice chairman and chief business officer at Scandinavian Airways, tells Journey + Leisure. “Washington State has deep Scandinavian roots, with many residents tracing their heritage to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. This creates pure demand for each leisure and household journey.”

As any enterprise class journey ought to, my tour started with a go to to the lounge. Whereas there isn’t an SAS lounge in Seattle, the airline is part of the SkyTeam airline alliance, so I received entry to Seattle–Tacoma Worldwide Airport’s Delta Sky Membership. The lounge has views of Mount Rainier and the runway, and you’ll aircraft spot whereas having fun with small bites like clam chowder, rooster sliders, and caprese salad from the buffet or a drink from the bar.

Though the Delta Sky Membership was situated in Concourse A and the flight was scheduled to depart from Concourse S, it was straightforward to maneuver between terminals, because of the SEA Underground—trains depart each three minutes and there was no have to undergo safety once more.

The inaugural festivities kicked off with a celebration close to the gate, that includes historic footage of the unique inaugural SAS flight from Seattle to Copenhagen.

Boarding was fast and straightforward (admittedly, being in zone one didn’t harm), and we quickly discovered ourselves on an Airbus 350-900, thought of top-of-the-line fashionable wide-body planes. It’s a lot quieter than most different planes in its peer group, and the air stress is decrease. It solely ever feels such as you’re, at most, an altitude of round 5,500 ft. That every one means a extra comfy expertise with much less jet lag.

After a send-off from the native fireplace division and the airport employees, our flight was quickly within the air, making its manner throughout the Rocky Mountains, by means of Canada, and eventually throughout the Atlantic.

I’ve all the time flown financial system so let’s simply say that in SAS enterprise class, some socks have been knocked off.

The enterprise class part was in a 1-2-1 formation, and I discovered myself within the center aisle. The models have been generously sized, and the seat was giant and comfortable, with buttons that might regulate the peak, angle, and stage of cushion within the chair. There was loads of overhead storage, in addition to a nifty space to retailer different objects close to my ft. I additionally appreciated having a shelf (with a drink holder, no much less) to retailer odds and ends that I had with me throughout my flight.

There have been over-the-ear headphones for watching motion pictures on the very deluxe, outsized leisure console. Leisure choice was broad, with new motion pictures like “Nosferatu,” “A Full Unknown,” and “The Brutalist” obtainable to look at in addition to traditional flicks like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “Cool Hand Luke,” and “Dumb and Dumber.”

However maybe one of many coolest perks of flying in an A350-900 is the tail-view digicam, the place you may watch mountains, rivers, and oceans move you by throughout your flight from the consolation of your seat. The web service, nonetheless, was fairly spotty throughout this specific flight, and it was laborious to load a browser web page, a lot much less get work accomplished.

Along with the same old enterprise class swag bag—full of a watch masks, face cream, a toothbrush, and socks—passengers on this inaugural flight additionally obtained a small bag full of issues like Scandinavisk-branded hand cream, white chocolate truffles, and a commemorative baggage tag. Passengers additionally received a “boreal forest” soy wax candle by Skog, which did certainly scent like a brisk stroll by means of the pines.

So far as airplane meals goes, it will be laborious to seek out fault in Scandinavian Airways’ enterprise class fare, which actually goes all out with contemporary, Scandi-inspired fare. For every meal, flight attendants started service by “setting” the desk by laying down a serviette on the tray desk.

Dinner was a four-course occasion consisting of a starter, a foremost, a cheese plate, and a dessert. I opted for the burrata salad for a starter, a spring-y association of tomatoes, basil, and burrata with a candy balsamic discount on the aspect. I then had the grilled miso rooster, which was served with piping sizzling jasmine rice and completely cooked radishes and bok choy. There was contemporary fruit and a cheese plate for dessert, that includes a beneficiant slice of very good blue cheese.

Breakfast was a easy affair with in a single day oats, a smoothie, and a poached egg with shashuka. Bedding down in a comforter from the luxe Swedish linen model Dux made it straightforward to catch some shut-eye, too.

With the a number of feasts and loads of motion pictures to look at, I quickly discovered myself in Copenhagen. Since I felt so well-rested from my flight, it was straightforward to hit the bottom operating—and that is precisely what SAS intends.

Copenhagen Airport is a serious hub to different Scandinavian locations and a gateway to all that northern Europe has to supply. After this flight, I hopped on a few brief aircraft rides to Bergen, Norway (a direct route from Copenhagen to Bergen is on the market), and spent a number of days exploring the nation’s breathtaking fjords by automobile—the transition from one of many area’s most bustling cities to one of the vital distant and idyllic areas was clean and straightforward.

“The route is among the many quickest and most seamless transatlantic connections, providing vacationers an environment friendly and clean journey between North America and Europe,” Verhagen says. “Schedules have been designed to maximise connectivity with the remainder of the SAS community, providing one-stop entry to and from 39 European cities through Copenhagen.”

For West Coast and Pacific Northwest residents, which means Northern Europe is as soon as once more, only one brief (and really luxurious) flight away.