SAS Plus (Premium Economy)
Located rows 1–5 (approximate), SAS Plus offers 3–4 extra inches of pitch (33"–34") versus standard economy. No privacy dividers between seats—this is extended legroom, not business class. Best rows are 2–4 (middle cabin, furthest from lavatory and galley noise at row 1). Row 1 is acceptable but receives more crew movement during boarding and beverage service. No recline restriction in Plus.
SAS Go (Economy)
Rows 6–32 (approximate layout). Pitch of 30.0" and width of 17.7" create an intentionally compact footprint typical of SAS's no-frills strategy. Exit row seats (exact row numbers vary by aircraft configuration but often rows 11–12 and 16–17) offer 31"–32" pitch and should be selected if the no-charge seat selection option permits. Rows 30–32 are the last rows; avoid these due to galley proximity, lavatories directly behind, and maximum engine/fuselage noise. Non-recline seats, if present on this variant, typically appear in the last 2–3 rows. Acoustic sweet spot is rows 15–20: forward enough to avoid lavatory queues and rear noise, behind the cabin service galley.
Best seats
| Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|
| Row 3A or 3F | SAS Plus | Window seats in the middle of Plus cabin; 33" pitch, no galley noise from row 1, direct galley and lavatory access without crossing cabin center |
| Row 11C | SAS Go | Exit row aisle seat; ~31" pitch, no one reclines into you, easy lavatory access, low traffic compared to window/middle of cabin |
| Row 17A or 17F | SAS Go | Exit row window seats; acoustic sweet spot (forward of rear galley and lavatories), extra legroom, cabin is quieter here than rows 20+ |
| Row 18D or 18E | SAS Go | Aisle seats just behind exit row; inherit some legroom benefit from exit row decompression, direct aisle access, minimal noise and foot traffic |
Seats to avoid
| Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|
| Row 1A, 1C, 1F | SAS Plus | Bulkhead seats; crew movement during entire flight, minimal underseat storage, galleys and doors directly behind on short flights |
| Row 6A or 6F | SAS Go | Transition row between Plus and Go; receives spillover service delays, middle seat (6D) is widest sight line to galley, noise differential when cabin is at full capacity |
| Row 25D | SAS Go | Middle seat in standard economy zone; no legroom advantage, no aisle proximity, tray table angles toward fuselage, exemplified in user report as uncomfortable for 1h+ flights |
| Row 31A, 31C, 31D, 31E, 31F | SAS Go | Rear galley and twin lavatories directly behind (rows 32–33); constant odor, movement, queuing, engine noise, galley prep noise on descent |
⚡ Power & Connectivity Reality Check
The SAS A320neo economy cabin lacks USB ports or AC power outlets at individual seats in SAS Go class. This is a critical limitation for the 1-hour 10-minute Copenhagen-Stockholm route and longer intra-Scandinavian flights. Passengers report no variance by row or seat position—the entire economy section operates without seat-level charging infrastructure. SAS Plus (premium economy) seats do include USB charging, but standard economy travellers must arrive with a fully charged device.
IFE (In-Flight Entertainment) on the SAS A320neo is not offered in SAS Go; the airline operates a streaming-to-device model via the SAS app and in-flight WiFi. The WiFi provider is Viasat, delivered via satellite connectivity. Real-world speeds on domestic Scandinavian routes average 4–6 Mbps download, sufficient for messaging and light browsing but inconsistent for video streaming; passengers report service drops during ascent and descent. Bluetooth audio pairing is not available on this aircraft generation. Bring a portable battery pack rated for at least 10,000 mAh if you plan to use your device for the flight and any connecting journey.
🧳 Overhead Bin Strategy
The Airbus A320neo features larger pivot-bin overhead compartments compared to the older A320-200 generation, with improved depth and capacity. However, SAS configures the A320neo with a tight 3-3 economy layout at 30-inch pitch, which means cabin density is high. On full flights between Copenhagen and Stockholm—particularly Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons—gate-checking occurs at rates exceeding 40% on peak departures.
Passengers boarding in Group 1 (SAS Plus, SkyTeam Elite, and early bookers) typically secure overhead space in rows 1–12. General economy (Group 2) boarders in rows 13–20 have reasonable bin access. Rows 21–30 frequently experience overhead congestion; expect gate checks for any passenger in row 25 or beyond on a full flight. A standard 22-inch roller bag fits wheels-in without rotation in bins above rows 1–20 but may require sideways insertion in rows 21 onwards as bins fill.
🏃 Boarding & Exit Strategy
SAS employs a 5-group boarding system on the A320neo Copenhagen-Stockholm service:
- Group 1: SAS Plus, EuroBonus Gold/Platinum, business class connections, families with children under 2, mobility assistance
- Group 2: General public (early bookers and seat-selection purchasers)
- Group 3: Standard economy (SAS Go only)
- Group 4: Remaining passengers
To board in Group 1 or 2 without elite status, purchase a preferred seat (typically 8–12 EUR one-way) during booking or upgrade to SAS Plus; alternatively, select your seat at the 24-hour check-in window when Group 2 boarding assignments are finalized. Arrive at the gate at least 35 minutes before departure to be called in the first two groups on busy routes.
Exit speed varies significantly by seat position. Rows 1–5 deplane in approximately 2 minutes via the front door. Rows 6–15 take 4–6 minutes. Rows 16–25 (mid-cabin) experience the slowest movement due to aisle congestion and take 7–10 minutes. Rows 26–30 can take 10–12 minutes if the cabin is full. On busy Stockholm Arlanda arrivals, SAS deploys both front and rear doors for the A320neo; rows 18–25 benefit significantly from rear-door access if activated, reducing their deplane time by 3–4 minutes. The airline prioritizes rear-door use during peak domestic traffic but does not guarantee it on all flights.
📱 Booking Intelligence
Seat selection timing for SAS A320neo:
- SAS Plus buyers: Seat selection available immediately at booking, full cabin access
- General public (SAS Go): Paid seat selection opens at 7 days before departure; preferred seats (rows 1–12, aisle/window) cost 10–15 EUR and often sell out 5–7 days in advance on Copenhagen-Stockholm
- Free seat selection: Opens at 24-hour check-in; by this point, only middle seats and rows 20+ remain on full flights
Exit rows (row 16 on the A320neo) and bulkhead seats are held in SAS's revenue-management system and released only to SAS Plus ticket holders until 48 hours before departure. On popular Friday and Sunday Copenhagen-Stockholm routes, these seats typically sell out 3–4 days in advance even at the 48-hour release window. Forward cabin seats in rows 1–8 (excluding exit row 16) become available to general passengers at the 7-day mark; on busy weeks, rows 1–8 window seats are claimed within 24 hours of that release.
Practical tip: On the Copenhagen-Stockholm route, book your seat at exactly 7 days before departure during early morning hours (05:00–07:00 CET) when the seat inventory refreshes and demand is lowest. This timing captures seats released by cancelled bookings and provides a wider selection in rows 8–15 at no premium cost before dynamic pricing increases the 10–15 EUR fee to 18–22 EUR by day 5.