Background and Booking
For my Europe Trip, I had a nice Premium Economy fare for my transatlantic and inter-Europe flights. My first leg was on the SAS Plus A330 Premium Economy, which you can read the review for here, from Newark (EWR) to Stockholm (ARN). Overall, I found the A330 Premium Economy to be a solid experience. On my return from Oslo (OSL) to New York (JFK), I got to try the narrowbody SAS A321 Premium Economy (SAS Plus) product, which was nice to be able to compare the two different aircraft products.
In terms of booking, I was alerted to a fare sale for SAS Plus and ended up with an itinerary that would take me from New York to Stockholm and then Copenhagen, London, and Oslo before returning to New York, for right under $700 per passenger, which I found to be a wild deal.
Flight Details
Scandinavian Airlines Flight 923
Oslo (OSL) to New York (JFK)
Scheduled Duration/Status: 8 hours 20 minutes (On Time)
Aircraft: Airbus A321neo Long Range
Cabin: SAS Plus (Premium Economy)
Seat: 20A (Window)
Date of Flight: June 2026
Check-In and At the Airport
At Oslo Airport, we were able to use the Sky Priority lines to check in our bags and get our tickets, and there was no wait. We were also able to utilize the Fast Track security, which was a nice touch as well, due to no lines.
Unlike our inter-Europe legs that were booked in SAS Business, our long-haul Premium Economy (SAS Plus) tickets don’t grant lounge access, so we just wandered around the Oslo Airport, which thankfully had plenty of shops for us to visit.
Boarding & the SAS A321 Premium Economy Cabin
Boarding was scheduled to be 45 minutes before our scheduled departure, but it was a bit delayed. We were delayed 30 minutes because our flight time dropped to just 7 hours and 10 minutes from the originally scheduled 8 hours and 20 minutes, and the pilots said our gate at JFK would be occupied, so they preferred us to wait in Oslo and take off later than to arrive at JFK too early and not have a gate. We left the gate 30 minutes past our scheduled departure and took off shortly after.
The Seat
The SAS Plus A321neo Long Range product is quite interesting. It’s set up in a 2-2 configuration, versus 3-3 in standard economy, and is quite comfortable. It feels like a domestic first-class product in the U.S.
There are only 3 rows (20-22) for a total of 12 seats. Advanced seat selection was going for $70, but 30 hours before the flight, they were released to reserve for free. At this time, the first two rows were showing available, and I decided to give the bulkhead a try for some extra legroom.
The seats themselves were roomier than the SAS Plus seats on the A330 that we flew to Stockholm, and there was more storage. According to aeroLOPA, the seat offers 38″ inches of pitch and 20″ inches of width.
Amenities
There was a pillow and a nice blanket duvet waiting at our seat, as well as an amenity kit that doubled as a shoe bag. The kit was on the basic side, with earplugs, an eye mask, and a toothbrush & toothpaste. A full-sized bottle of water was also placed in the cupholder.
The large IFE screen was placed on the bulkhead wall, and there was a spot at the bottom to hold the safety card and bag.
The IFE screen was large and had a selection of 150+ movies, TV shows, music, and games.
One armrest contained the tray table, and the center armrest also housed a small storage cubby with the IFE remote, universal power adapter, and USB-A port. Disposable headsets were provided, though I wish they had provided higher-quality ones. Also, I didn’t like the fact that the cubby was quite dirty.
Then there were 3 buttons to help with reclining the seat, leg rest, and footrest.
The main issue for this flight started with my friend’s seat, which was missing a tray table. The flight attendants seemed puzzled when we reported it to them, which was interesting to me that there wasn’t already a maintenance report on it. The flight attendant told us to submit a complaint for some compensation (points, perhaps?), but the online form said it would be 4-6 weeks before we get a response, so I’ll update the post with what they offer. They recommended that she just use the pillow as a tray table, given that the cabin was full (and of course, I shared my tray table with her too).
The Flight
Lavatories
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, I used one of the 3 aft lavatories. That’s the biggest con with this aircraft and the configuration. There are no center lavatories, and you have to walk down the single aisle all the way to the back of the plane, often with many obstacles in your way and a narrow aisle.
And then, on top of the small lavatories, the one I happened to use on the right-hand side had a broken sink with no sign. I first thought it was a user error and that I did something wrong, but I flagged it to the flight attendant, and she let me know it wasn’t me, but it was frankly not working. Later in the flight, during my second (and final) visit to the lavatory, the luck of the draw with the line to the lavatory assigned me that one again, and it was not fixed, but now a sign was put up saying to use the water bottle (which was empty) and tissues. Oh boy….maybe saniziring wipes would have been a better solution.
Meal Services
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, they started a lunch service.
First, they came by with a bag of cashews and a drink service. I loved the Froosh smoothie from my first flight, so I had to get it again.
Then the main meal was provided on one tray. It came with a lemony cake, shrimp appetizer, bread, and for the main entree, I got the Chicken Pasta Pesto. There was an alternative vegetarian dish as well. The main entree was meh, a bit too saucy, and had an odd chicken texture.
They then came by with coffee or tea, and had some water services spread out.
I watched a movie and then took a nap. About 2 hours before landing, they handed out gummy bears, which was nice.
Then, 1.5 hours before landing, a light lunch service of a cold cut platter with lettuce, hummus, and roast beef was given with some bread. This actually tasted pretty decent.
Even with our late start, we ended up arriving at the gate 10 min early, which was nice.
The Verdict
Overall, I really like the SAS A321 Premium Economy seat, as it feels like a domestic first-class seat with its spaciousness. However, the aircraft design was not well thought out, and having no mid-cabin lavatory puts a damper on the Premium Economy experience. And, for a plane of just 4.5 years of age, a missing tray table and lavatory with a broken sink make me wonder about the wear and tear going forward.
Have you flown on the SAS A321 Premium Economy before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Happy travels,
Ty
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