In September 2024, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced plans to reintroduce business class on intra-Europe flights, replacing the carrier’s quirky SAS Plus product. Today’s an exciting day on that front, as this product is available for flights effective immediately.
SAS Business replaces SAS Plus on regional flights
As of October 1, 2025, SAS is once again offering business class on intra-Europe flights operated by regional aircraft, branded as SAS Business. When traveling in this cabin on short haul flights, guests can expect the following:
- A new food & beverage concept with a more premium and flexible dining experience, including reusable premium tableware
- A section in the front of the aircraft, separated with a curtain and overhead divider from the rest of the plane
- Blocked middle seats, to ensure more space and privacy
- Priority treatment on the ground, including priority check-in, boarding, and access to more lounges (the airline is currently adding third party lounge access at 35 European airports)
Here’s how Paul Verhagen, SAS’ Chief Commercial Officer, describes this:
“Many of our comfort- and quality-focused travelers expect a clearly defined European Business Class that aligns with international standards. While SAS Plus has provided an upgraded experience, it has lacked the recognition and clarity that travelers seek. With the reintroduction of European Business Class, we are ensuring that SAS offers the premium experience of a top European airline.”
Now, intra-Europe business class isn’t much to get excited about, but it’s better than what the airline has been offering up until now. For context, up until today, SAS had what it referred to as SAS Plus on short haul flights. That branding was aligned with the name of the carrier’s long haul premium economy product. SAS Plus consisted of seats at the front of the cabin with complimentary drinks and snacks. There were also premium ground services, like fast track security and lounge access.
However, SAS Plus didn’t have blocked middle seats, there was no dedicated bathroom, and you were primarily just getting economy food and drinks for free. So these changes more closely align SAS with what you find in the rest of the industry.
Why SAS is changing its premium short haul product
The timing of this development is no coincidence. Roughly a year ago, SAS received an investment from Air France-KLM, and the airline has also joined the SkyTeam alliance. The goal is even to get SAS into the SkyTeam transatlantic joint venture, which consists of Air France-KLM, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic.
It makes perfect sense for SAS to more closely align its short haul product with that of partner airlines, so that there’s more consistency between airlines. For example, if someone is on a transatlantic business class ticket, they at least want a blocked middle seat on their connection, and SAS doesn’t want people booking away from the airline because of this.
Beyond that, we know SAS is embracing a new strategy, whereby it’s trying to turn Copenhagen (CPH) into a global hub, and become more of a hub-and-spoke carrier. For so long, SAS split its efforts, also offering long haul flights from Oslo (OSL) and Stockholm (ARN), and that made it tough to actually build a cohesive strategy.
Bottom line
SAS has just made updates to its short haul premium product. As of October 2025, the airline has introduced SAS Business on flights within Europe, replacing the previous SAS Plus product. This means a dedicated business class cabin with blocked middle seats, a more substantial food and drink selection, more personalized service, expanded lounge options, and more. This seems like a sensible move, given that SAS is trying to align more closely with its SkyTeam partners.
What do you make of SAS introducing business class on short haul flights?