SAS or BA to Germany?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BA is a traditional full service airline whereas SAS is a more a budget/leisure airline, though skews far more full service than say Easyjet or Ryanair.

In case of any flight issues, BA probably will be easier to deal with than SAS, but you should be OK choosing based on timing/price.

Lufthansa/United way more expensive? They have a lot of nonstops to MUC and FRA, depending on where you're coming/going.

I think you may have an older iteration of BA in your head. They have skewed much more budget airline in the past 10 years or so. I don't see a substantive difference between them and SAS. I'd book whoever has the best mix of cost/schedule.

Freuent flyer here. This is correct. BA now even charges to reserve seats in advance in _business class_.

Back to the question. SAS is now using their A350-900 on their IAD-CPH route, which is quite a new plane.

BA runs 3 fligths a day, a 777, 787, and A380. I'd pick the 787 out of those 3.

But.. connecting in CPH is much easier than LHR, and you'll do immigration in CPH (Shengen zone) instead of in Germany so that can be more pleasant. I'd go SAS.

Curious how we would know which plane is better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BA is a traditional full service airline whereas SAS is a more a budget/leisure airline, though skews far more full service than say Easyjet or Ryanair.

In case of any flight issues, BA probably will be easier to deal with than SAS, but you should be OK choosing based on timing/price.

Lufthansa/United way more expensive? They have a lot of nonstops to MUC and FRA, depending on where you're coming/going.

I think you may have an older iteration of BA in your head. They have skewed much more budget airline in the past 10 years or so. I don't see a substantive difference between them and SAS. I'd book whoever has the best mix of cost/schedule.

Freuent flyer here. This is correct. BA now even charges to reserve seats in advance in _business class_.

Back to the question. SAS is now using their A350-900 on their IAD-CPH route, which is quite a new plane.

BA runs 3 fligths a day, a 777, 787, and A380. I'd pick the 787 out of those 3.

But.. connecting in CPH is much easier than LHR, and you'll do immigration in CPH (Shengen zone) instead of in Germany so that can be more pleasant. I'd go SAS.

Curious how we would know which plane is better?

Generally a newer plane is going to be more comfortable - quieter and pressurized to a lower altitude. So A350>787>A380>777

But the seats in each in economy are generally similar, and the differences aren't that huge that I would pay a lot more or take a schedule that was much worse. But other things being equal, that's the order of preference I would have.

[Anonymous]

If youre considering BA and SAS, I'd go ahead and add Iceland Air, Turkish Airways, and Condor.

[Anonymous]

Where in Germany are you going? If it’s Munich, Frankfurt or Berlin, I would consider a nonstop on United or Lufthansa. Both fly to Munich and Frankfurt from IAD, and I think United flies to Berlin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where in Germany are you going? If it’s Munich, Frankfurt or Berlin, I would consider a nonstop on United or Lufthansa. Both fly to Munich and Frankfurt from IAD, and I think United flies to Berlin.

United offered a nonstop from IAD to Berlin briefly in summer 2023, but then cut that route.

Based on OP "best deal I can find"- I bet the United/Lufthansa nonstops are more expensive than these options, or OP isn't going near Frankfurt/Munich. One nice option of going somewhat nearby either one is a joint air/rail ticket, especially through FRA. United/Lufthansa will generally add on a free train ticket from the FRA train station to nearby cities like Stuttgart/Cologne/etc. You can just search on those cities as the destination and it will include the rail connection as an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BA is a traditional full service airline whereas SAS is a more a budget/leisure airline, though skews far more full service than say Easyjet or Ryanair.

In case of any flight issues, BA probably will be easier to deal with than SAS, but you should be OK choosing based on timing/price.

Lufthansa/United way more expensive? They have a lot of nonstops to MUC and FRA, depending on where you're coming/going.

I think you may have an older iteration of BA in your head. They have skewed much more budget airline in the past 10 years or so. I don't see a substantive difference between them and SAS. I'd book whoever has the best mix of cost/schedule.

+1

[Anonymous]

SAS runs some ATRs. Hard pass. See eg Brazil crash.

[Anonymous]

Avoid BA at all costs
Especially if you’re changing in terminal 5 at Heathrow
Absolute sh**show and the security is ridiculous
You’ll be taking off every item of clothing that’s above your base layer, taking anything that’s ever had a battery or a plug anywhere near it and putting every single one in a separate tray
That place doesn’t care about pre check or any additional hoops you’ve jumped though
And the airport lounges are packed to the rafters
Avoid Heathrow please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAS runs some ATRs. Hard pass. See eg Brazil crash.

Whats an ATR?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BA is a traditional full service airline whereas SAS is a more a budget/leisure airline, though skews far more full service than say Easyjet or Ryanair.

In case of any flight issues, BA probably will be easier to deal with than SAS, but you should be OK choosing based on timing/price.

Lufthansa/United way more expensive? They have a lot of nonstops to MUC and FRA, depending on where you're coming/going.

I think you may have an older iteration of BA in your head. They have skewed much more budget airline in the past 10 years or so. I don't see a substantive difference between them and SAS. I'd book whoever has the best mix of cost/schedule.

Freuent flyer here. This is correct. BA now even charges to reserve seats in advance in _business class_.

Back to the question. SAS is now using their A350-900 on their IAD-CPH route, which is quite a new plane.

BA runs 3 fligths a day, a 777, 787, and A380. I'd pick the 787 out of those 3.

But.. connecting in CPH is much easier than LHR, and you'll do immigration in CPH (Shengen zone) instead of in Germany so that can be more pleasant. I'd go SAS.

Curious how we would know which plane is better?

Generally a newer plane is going to be more comfortable - quieter and pressurized to a lower altitude. So A350>787>A380>777

But the seats in each in economy are generally similar, and the differences aren't that huge that I would pay a lot more or take a schedule that was much worse. But other things being equal, that's the order of preference I would have.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SAS runs some ATRs. Hard pass. See eg Brazil crash.

Whats an ATR?

Prop plane.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATR_72