Me my, sister and my mum had booked a round trip with SAS to Luleå, hometown of Airliners.net. Mainly, to celebrate Christmas and New Year together with our relatives.
The report might sound strange sometimes because I forgot my dictionary at home.
Anyway here it is.
I woke up 6:15 am. I had a small breakfast and looked up at the thermometer which showed –22 C (-7,6 F) and wondered if our car would make it. Luckily, it did J.
We drove the 20 kilometres (12,5 miles) to Arlanda Airport, ARN. Our flight was scheduled to depart 8:10 am.
There was already quite long queues this Sunday morning but not that chaotic as the Friday (21st) and the Saturday (22nd) before when people had to wait over 2-3 hours to arrive to their destinations because of a two snowstorms.
My mum went to the ticket office to get our tickets while me and my sister were queuing to check-in. After 15-20 minutes my mom met us in the queue and had already checked us in. Now, we went to another queue just to drop our baggage, that took another 15 minutes. During the time my sister left us to go to the gate. When we were almost at the desk a guy who had a some kind of SAS-uniform said to me.
- Hey, you’re are going to LLA right? Follow me I’ll help you with the baggage.
My mum didn’t see him and shouted to me.
- Where are going with our baggage? Stay here!
I tried to explain that there was a SAS-guy who wanted to help us but she said that we were second in the queue and therefore we didn’t need help.
Anyway, a minute later the same guy appeared and my mum now saw him, too. We got our baggage lifted directly on a car and hurried up to gate 41, where Thorleif Viking was waiting for us.
The clock was now 7:50 am, just 20 minutes to departure!
While at gate, the TV-screen showed a message: “All passengers have to show ID”. The thing was that I had my leg, mum her driver license but my sister didn’t had any ID. However, the gate agent told my mum that it didn’t matter as long as there was a parent with her.
22D/E/F were assigned for us. I had 22E, even if it was a centre seat I had a very good view of the right wing.
We pushed back at 8:24 am but it wasn’t until 8:30 it started to move forward.
During our taxi to runway 19 (soon 19R) we passed a lot of nice planes, Novair A330-200, Thai 747-400 (which I have heard was involved in some accident same morning), SAS 767-300 and SAS A340-300 which had just arrived from Newark, EWR.
We entered the runway at 8:35 am and took off directly.
After two minutes in the air, flaps were in and the seat belt sign off.
While at FL350 (35 000 ft), the flight attendants started to serve breakfast. It was warm roll with cheese and ham, orange juice, yoghurt, milk and sugar for coffee. The same breakfast I ate 10 months ago but still very good. I had another warm roll later J.
After the flight attendants had put away the breakfasts from the tables, I asked one of them if I could have a safety card. She said that I couldn’t remove the one in the seat pocket. I then asked if they had any extra. She almost repeated the same answer and said that they couldn’t give my any. However, a few moments later she came back to me with a safety card in her hand. In quite good condition, actually.
A few minutes later, we began to descent.
The sky was clear so the descent wasn’t anything special. But we made the usual 80 degree left turn on low altitude over the beautiful archipelago. We were now on final approach for runway 32. The 737 came closer and closer to ice but suddenly land appeared under our feets and Thorlief Viking made a smooth landing.
We taxied to gate 5 (there’s only 5 gates) and I took the chance to leave the aircraft from the backdoor and walk along it.
Later we met my grandma, grabbed our baggage and left the Airport.
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 5570 posts, RR: 58 Reply 1, posted (10 years 5 months 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 1526 times:
Nice report! I have flown that route many times when I was younger. I have relatives there too and my family would go to see them. We would stay with my uncle in Sjulsmark. My parents still go but I haven't been since I moved to LAX 9 years ago. I still go to ARN once a year to see my parents. God Jul och Gott Nytt Ar!! The777Man
SAS_A330-300 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (10 years 5 months 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1507 times:
I'm glad that you liked the report.
The777Man,
Really? That's nice.
My grandpa and grandma live in Ale but I also have relatives in Älvsbyn and Piteå, too.
You should really give the new 737-600/800 a try and spend some time up here.
B737-700
I'm sorry, I forgot to type that.
We touched down at 9:44am, 14 minutes behind schedule. So, the flight lasted for 1 hour 9 minuntes.
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 5570 posts, RR: 58 Reply 4, posted (10 years 5 months 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1494 times:
Hi Simon! I have cousins in the Pitea area but I don't know exactly where they live now. I did try SK 736 ARN-MXP about two years ago and it was nice but not much legroom and I'm not that tall 5'11" (180cm).... Probably will go up there next time I'm in Sweden. Hope it's not too cold for you. We used to go in July and it was great with those very short nights... The777Man
Swiss-airplane From Switzerland, joined May 2000, 591 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (10 years 5 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 1451 times:
Hi. Cool trip report. Sounds you had a nice flight. I would like to fly with SAS once, especially with their new Boeing 737 jets.
Must be funny those long nights.... Never saw that. anyway, here in Switzerland it is also cold and there is even snow in the midland.
Greets
Mike
SAS_A330-300 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (10 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1424 times:
Mike,
I would recommend SAS for you!
Their new 737's are quite comfy. Just litle more legroom as The777Man said. Service is very good.
You should really give them a try!
Swiss-airplane From Switzerland, joined May 2000, 591 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (10 years 4 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1414 times:
Hi Simon,
Thank's for your comment. I hope to try SAS soon. I just came back from a amazing Crossair flight from ZRH to Amsterdam and back for celebreting New Year and to see the EURO currency.
A friend from my office recently flow from ZRH to CPH with SAS and she really loved it. I also would like visit Stockholm soon.
Greets
Mike
SK A340 From Sweden, joined Mar 2000, 844 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (10 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1392 times:
Nice report!
You said that you saw a SAS A340 just arrived from EWR. Does SAS often use that aircraft for the route? I thought the A340 was for the routes to Asia and the American west coast.
SAS_A330-300 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (10 years 4 months 2 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 1382 times:
Mike,
Sorry for this late reply.
You're welcomed to visit our beautiful capital!
But if you want to fly on the NG737's (NG=New Generation), please fly thru CPH as your freind did. There's a nonstop route to Stockholm but it's served by ERJ-145's.
There's nothing wrong with Embraer but I'm saying this as you wanted fly on NG737's.
SK A340,
Usually, SAS take an aircraft to fly CPH-EWR and then back to ARN, then ARN-EWR and EWR-CPH. The same thing with the ARN/CPH-ORD route. I know that SAS serves CPH-EWR with A340's. But CPH-ORD is still served by 767's. So it probably came from EWR.
I don't really know why they them on transatlantic routes but maybe because of high load factors during Christmas and New Years Eve?
Swiss-airplane From Switzerland, joined May 2000, 591 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (10 years 4 months 1 week 23 hours ago) and read 1334 times:
Simon,
thank's for your answer. On march 22nd I will fly from Zürich to Amsterdam and then to Lisbon with KLM. With their Boeing 737-800 and -900. I'm looking forward on this trip due the new Generation boeing 737 jet. Although of that fact, I still would love to visit Scandinavia. In 1996 I was once in Copenhagen, but I really hope that I can fly to Stockholm this year. I have to see this city.
Have you ever been to Switzerland?
By the way, last weekend I flow from Zürich to Barcelona with Swissair. Trip report will follow, due I was very busy last week.
regards
Mike
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