Copenhagen-Chicago in business class on SAS (operated by Hifly): very good, but disappointed not to have a “real” SAS experience.

This SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight operated by Hifly between Copenhagen and Chicago was really good in terms of service, but there’s always the disappointment of not having the full experience with the airline when it’s a flight operated by a third-party airline.

As Olivier explained to you before the summer period, this summer more than ever we weren’t sure of flying with the airline we booked with. It is not uncommon for airlines to run out of aircraft during summer traffic peaks, and to resort to third-party airlines to operate certain flights. This is known as wet leasing or dry leasing: in the first case, airline X leases both aircraft and crew from airline Y, while in the other case it leases only the crew.

What should passengers expect? In theory, in terms of service, nothing should change, but it’s obvious that you won’t have the cabin of the “original” airline, and that the difference can be more than significant.

In my case, SAS decided to operate its Copenhagen-Chicago route with Hifly between July and October, in wet lease, and I knew this from the moment I booked the ticket, even though I’d forgotten about it. Anyway, I had no choice.

But I have to admit that it put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm. I had heard such good things about SAS long haul business class that I was really looking forward to trying it out, and finding myself with a potentially downgraded version and no SAS crew kind of broke the magic of that first encounter. This disappointment is tempered by the fact that the return flight will be via Stockholm, so I’ll still have a plane and a SAS crew on this occasion.

So let’s see, finally, how it all turned out.

For the record, here’s a reminder of the air routing for this trip.

You’ll find all the articles about this vacation in the USA at the bottom of the page.

Ground experience

Arriving from Gothenburg and with a 5+ hour connection to kill, I’ll start by heading to the SAS lounge, where I’ll do a bit of nibbling and a lot of work. I’ll spare you a detailed review of this lounge, which has already been presented here many times, most recently just a few days ago.

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I’ll then move on to the non-Schengen zone to try out the Eventyr lounge, as SAS doesn’t have a lounge once you’ve passed immigration. Strangely enough, and as I’ve been able to see for over a year, e-gates aren’t operational in Copenhagen, but it doesn’t matter. This isn’t a zoo like Roissy, with little or no waiting and super-friendly agents.

My passport is checked by a fifty-something policewoman who gives me a big smile, speaks to me in French, jokes with me a bit, and since my boarding gate isn’t displayed yet, tries to find out whether I’ll be departing from gate C or E…

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What a change from the mess and dragons we have to deal with at Roissy!

I head for the Eventyr lounge, which I discover on this occasion.

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I’ll take the opportunity to grab a bite to eat and buy a 17 euro eSim for a week’s unlimited data in the USA. As the E gates are a long, long way away, I’ll be leaving a little ahead of boarding time, especially as you’re never safe from a nasty surprise in terms of formalities when you’re talking about a flight to the USA.

The E gates are a fairly new area with their own police controls, but a passageway has been built to reach them from the C gates without having to go through the controls again in both directions.

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Then I’ll take a very long corridor…

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Then another very long corridor…

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And then another…

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To finally arrive at my boarding gate…at the very end of the E gates.

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You can see how huge and…empty all this is. It’s surprising how oversized this airport can be: there are at most forty flights to non-Schengen destinations departing from Copenhagen every day. Take away those to the UK and Turkey, and you’re looking at a maximum of 20 long-haul destinations (2/3 of them operated by SAS).

I don’t know if they’ve been very optimistic about traffic growth or if they like living without promiscuity, but it all leaves a rather bizarre and amusing impression.

Ah, one last point to understand just how big this airport is in relation to the traffic it carries. If you arrive one day from a non-Schengen flight at the far end of gates E (where I am) and have a connecting flight that leaves at the far end of gates A (like my recent flight to Gothenburg), depending on your state of fitness, count on a 30 to 40 minute walk…

Well, my flight is posted and all I have to do is wait… (note the photo ban…ooops).

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I’ll be walking around to visit this terminal, which is very quiet (not like the lively Schengen zone) and very pleasant (like the rest of the airport).

There’s even a terrace for spotters and smokers…

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Boarding

Boarding begins on time, and I once again savor the good manners of the Scandinavians. No one rushes around the gate, people wait for their row number to be called before leaving their seat. It reminds me of my latest flight to Bangkok from Stockholm on Thai.

Priority and business class passengers are called, and I’m the second to report. Having checked-in my luggage in Gothenburg, I’m asked the traditional security questions specific to travel to the USA, and I can move forward into the jetway, a little apprehensively wondering what kind of cabin I’m going to find.

The cabin

In the case of wet leasing, even if the staff are those of the chartered airline, they must be trained to follow the charterer’s protocol, so I have no worries in this respect, especially as Hifly is an established and reputable airline specialized in this type of operation.

The only unknown factor remains the cabin. Some of Hifly’s aircraft have been purchased and fitted out as desired by the airline (quite attractive, by the way, at first glance), while others have been acquired from other airlines or lessors.

In this case, the A330 with registration number 9H-HFA on which I’ll be flying today is a recent aircraft (entered service in 2017), which was originally operated by South African Airways and then returned to lessor following the airline’s economic difficulties. Hifly took it over in 2021 and has since operated it for TAAG Angola Airlines and now SAS.

I therefore expect to find a South African cabin

Which will be the case…

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The South African airline’s colors are clearly visible.

The seat is a Thompson Vantage XL in 1-2-1 configuration. It’s the same model as the seat used by SAS on its fleet, so you don’t lose out too much…but more on that later.

On the window side, the even rows have more privacy, as they are close to the window and isolated from the aisle by a sideboard, unlike the odd rows which are closer to the aisle. The specificity of “staggered” configurations ….

So here is my seat.

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The legroom is very comfortable.

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On the side there’s a little storage space, seat and light controls, helmet, amenity kit and water bottle.

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Other controls, located in the armrest, are more accessible when you’re lying down. But I will find these controls moderately responsive.

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The table is a good size.

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In the end, the feeling of privacy will be very good.

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Let’s take a look at the amenity kit…

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Like the pillow and blanket, the puch comes from DUX, an overpriced Swedish brand of high-end bedding!

In fact, the amenity kit is contained in what looks more like a shoe bag…

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And here are its contents…

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Quality face mask and socks, toothbrush, hand cream and moisturizer from Verso, a Swedish brand of premium beauty products.

All this is of very good quality, although I regret that we are not given a real pouch. In fact, depending on the flight, you either get a pouch, a laundry bag or a shoe bag, which allows the customer to collect all three.

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In fact, apart from the cabin’s color harmonies and the fact that, although it’s the same seat model as on SAS, it’s a little less elaborate in certain details it’s very close to a normal SAS product for now, as you’ll see on the return flight.

However, despite the aircraft’s young age, I can see surprising signs of wear and tear on the seat. Not as much as Thai’s A350s, but still…

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I’ll find my seatback a little wobbly and the luggage compartments modestly sized for an aircraft of this size. To be compared with those of SAS on the return trip….

I will also be moderately impressed by the IFE. The screen quality is good, but the selection is not really interesting. I think it’s the same as SAS, but I’m not sure that the content and functions are the same.

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Final point: I’ll find a wifi network but no explanation of how to connect to it anywhere. I won’t investigate any further.

The flight and the service

As soon as I’m seated, they bring me a welcome drink. I’ll have champagne. You’ll notice that we’ve got SAS crockery, so for the moment everything’s going just as if we were on a real SAS flight. It will be a very good Heidsieck.

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We’re also brought the menu, which is the normal SAS menu.

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We’ll have the opportunity to talk about that very soon.

The flight attendant stops by to offer me a second glass, which I gladly accept. The Hifly crew is very young, smiling and pleasant. The business class purser is a mix of Ronaldo (the Brazilian…) and Eric Judor.

The IFE doesn’t work on the ground… but anyway, we’ll be leaving soon, and on time.

There are no safety instructions on the IFE (unlike SAS), so we’ll be given demonstrations by the crew. Electronic devices are also prohibited during takeoff and landing (unlike SAS). Surely a rule specific to the airline or Malta, the country where the aircraft is registered.

We take off and it’s a bit of a bumpy ride until we reach our cruising altitude.

Soon we’re brought a hot oshibori.

The tables are then laid with a tablecloth.

We are then offered an aperitif. I’ll have an excellent Swedish peated whisky (an Atmosfär 2) served with warm, slightly melting walnuts. The doses are generous. I hesitated to have one of the house cocktails…

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The crew passes through again, this time to choose a drink for the meal. For me, it will be a Malbec. We are also offered a selection of breads…the one I choose will be of average quality. Note that the excellent butter is served in a small cup and not simply in its packaging or in a disposable aluminum cup as seen on other airlines…

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The crew passes through again for the starters. While some other airlines try to bring you everything in a minimum of services, here we can say that they don’t balk at the effort. One pass for each item served, then one pass to clear it….

A set of cutlery for each part of the meal.… again, this makes the service of some other airlines a little stingy.

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All starters are visibly arranged on the cart so that you can make an informed choice. A service that many airlines reserve for first-class passengers. You have a choice of three starters, and I can’t remember another airline offering such a wide selection of starters (when you have a choice…).

My choice will be the Faroese cold-smoked salmon tartare with organic crème fraîche, pickled green asparagus and sorrel, baked waffle with Vesterhavs cheese.

The tartare is prepared in front of me.

I am also asked if I would like a salad with it. It will be prepared, salted and peppered to order in front of me.

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Service is by the plate, which is a step up from a simple tray (especially when the cheese is served with the starter, so there’s no need for extra service).

Close-up of the starter…

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It’s visually very appetizing.

It’s fresh and tasty but I’m still looking for the asparagus. The waffle will maybe be a little dry.

The crew will come back first to clear and then to serve the main courses… again, the dishes are displayed on the cart to help you choose.

I’ll take the “South American-inspired dish”. Fried Rokkedahl chicken breast with chimichurri, barbecue sauce with burnt tomatoes, mashed potatoes with sweet corn and lime, grilled vegetable salad

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The sauce will only be added when the dish is served, in front of me.

The chicken is melt-in-the-mouth and tastes excellent, the vegetables crunchy, the corn with lime very good, only the chimichurri will be a little discreet.

The crew will come first to clear the table, then come back to offer cheese and dessert. I have to admit that while I’m very critical of airlines that try to give their crews as little work as possible, even in business class (or of crews who ask to do as little as possible…), in this case I almost think they’re overdoing it, which makes the service a bit long. In any case, we can’t say that the service protocol is all about thrift!

I’ll have cheese, ice cream (but I could have had all desserts…), tea and cognac.

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Actually, I was expecting a more elaborate product in terms of ice cream.

End of this excellent meal and I must admit I’m rather impressed. Let’s recap

– Service is by the plate and dishes are presented on the cart.

– One set of cutlery per dish.

– Each course is served in turn, then cleared, and the next brought in. No cheese brought in on the starter tray, a separate passage for clearing and serving.

– A choice of 3 starters and 4 main courses. Which airline offers three starters in business class?

– Quality dishes, and when necessary the dressing is completed at the moment of service.

– The choice of beverages and especially spirits is quite extensive.

As far back as I can remember, I can’t remember such good service on a transatlantic flight. Then you can compare them with some Middle Eastern or Asian airlines, but I don’t think the difference is as great as you might think.

It’s time for me to switch to “night” mode to doze off a bit and watch some series (last season of Succession). Pillows and blankets will be of high quality and comfortable

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The cabin won’t be dark until some time later, but I don’t mind.

Here I am, comfortably settled in…

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The cabin will be relit 1h30 before arrival in Chicago.

A hot oshibori is brought to us, followed by the pre-landing service.

This will be an open-faced Scandinavian sandwich, Greenland shrimp with egg, chive mayonnaise, pickled red onion and watercress on rye bread. It will be served with fresh fruit and Hedh Escalante handmade chocolates.

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It’s fresh, it’s good, it’s tasty, but I find the service a little light and I wouldn’t have minded a hot dish.

Our descent begins shortly afterwards.

Arrival and disembarkation

We arrive in Chicago from the east, flying over Lake Michigan and enjoying a superb view of the city.

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But it’s even more beautiful on video…

We finally arrive at O’Hare.

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After a long drive (albeit reasonable for Chicago) we finally arrive at T5 where we disembark.

I’m one of the first to leave the aircraft, I take the corridors leading to immigration and as soon as I make the second turn my nightmare takes shape

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An impressive queue, and given the reputation of American airports in this respect, I figure I could be there for hours.

But the line moves on, slowly but surely. First turn, another line as far as the eye can see. Second turn: passengers are separated according to nationality and entry requirements. Everyone else takes the “global entry” line and I find myself alone, moving forward to take the “Esta” line a few metres further on. There are about fifteen people for a dozen agents. 5 minutes later, and after the process with me had barely taken a minute with a mute agent, I was through. I’ll be waiting for my luggage for about ten minutes, then another short queue for customs and that’s it.

I’m on the sidewalk and on my way to catch a cab.

40 minutes between getting off the plane and boarding a cab arriving from an international flight in the USA, and at an airport like Chicago, is about as short as it gets.

The crew

Much younger than what you find on these routes with regular airlines, but I can’t fault their service. Efficient, smiling, I have the impression that they have carried out the SAS protocol to perfection…

On the other hand, I have the impression that some passengers gritted their teeth a little, simply because it wasn’t an SAS crew and none of them spoke Swedish or Danish. A bit like Air France chartering an aircraft with a crew who don’t speak French…

As a foreigner, it made no difference to me, but I can understand why the locals were disappointed.

Bottom line

All in all, a very good transatlantic flight from SAS operated by Hifly. So, of course, at the start I was disappointed not to have a 100% SAS flight, which meant I lacked a bit of objectivity and assumed that “it’s bound to be worse”. But in retrospect, and looking at things objectively as I write this review a fortnight later, I have to admit that I’ve rarely had a service of this quality on a transatlantic business class flight.

A crew that can’t be faulted for much other than not being SAS.

A decent cabin in the end. The same as SAS, but a little less good, a little less premium-looking and perhaps a little worn.

The catering was excellent in terms of quality and service protocol, and I’ve already explained why. I just found the second service a little light.

So a very positive feeling at the end, and proof that wet lease doesn’t have to mean cheap service. For a €2,200 return flight in these times, it’s very good indeed.

Still, I can’t wait to take my return flight so I can have a SAS aircraft and crew to compare.

In the end, I can’t help but feel surprised by the two faces of SAS : very frugal and limited on medium-haul routes, irreproachable on long-haul routes with no trace of cost-cutting at the customer’s expense, and a crew that spares no effort.

See you for the return flight!

The articles about this vacation in the United States

#TypePost
1DiaryPlanning summer vacation 2023 in the USA
2HotelFairfield Inn by Marriott, North Conway (New-Hampshire)
3HotelAC Hotel by Marriott, Portland (Maine)
4FlightParis-Copenhaguen – SAS – SAS plus
5LoungeSAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen
6FlightCopenhagen-Gothenburg – SAS – SAS Plus
7HotelAvalon Hotel – Gothenburg
8RestaurantCarbon, Gothenburg
9LoungeSAS Lounge – Gothenburg
10FlightGothenburg-Copenhagen – SAS – SAS plus
11LoungeAmerican Airlines Admirals Club lounge, Boston Logan
12FlightBoston – Chicago O’Hare – American Airlines – Domestic First
13LoungeEventyr lounge, Copenhagen
14FlightCopenhagen-Chicago – SAS (operated par Hifly) – Business Class
15HotelThe St. Regis, Chicago
16HotelW Chicago Lakeshore
17RestaurantSignature Room at the John Hancock Center, Chicago
18RestaurantThe Purple Pig, Chicago
19RestaurantObelix, Chicago
20RestaurantCabra, Chicago
21RestaurantMiru, Chicago
22DiaryVisiting Chicago
23LoungeAmerican Airlines Flagship Lounge, Chicago O’Hare
24FlightChicago O’Hare – Indianapolis – American Airlines Domestic First
25FlightIndianapolis – Boston – American Airlines Domestic First
26LoungeSAS Lounge – Chicago O’Hare
27FlightChicago O’Hare-Stockholm – SAS – Business Class
28LoungeSAS Gold Lounge, Stockholm
29FlightStockholm-Gothenburg – SAS – SAS Plus
30HotelScandic Rubinen – Gothenburg
31RestaurantProject, Gothenburg
32FlightGothenburg-Copenhagen – SAS – SAS Plus
33FlightCopenhagen-Paris – SAS (Operated by Jet Time) – SAS Plus
34DiaryDebriefing summer vacations in the USA
Today’s itinerary
Bertrand Duperrin
Bertrand Duperrinhttp://www.duperrin.com
Compulsive traveler, present in the French #avgeek community since the late 2000s and passionate about (long) travel since his youth, Bertrand Duperrin co-founded Travel Guys with Olivier Delestre in March 2015.
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