SAS is overhauling its Business Class by relaunching a true European Business product and adding access to 35 new partner lounges across Europe and Scandinavia, strengthening its premium offering and SkyTeam integration.
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SASScandinavian Airlines (SAS) has revealed a major uplift to its Business Class product, anchored by a wide expansion of lounge access for premium passengers. Through new contracts with established lounge operators, SAS plans to extend access to around 35 additional lounges at key airports across Europe and Scandinavia, aligning its ground offering with global standards and reinforcing its integration into the SkyTeam alliance. This move is central to SAS’ ongoing strategy to strengthen its premium segment and elevate the passenger experience from end to end.
Rollout timeline and key airports
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The first partner lounges will open on October 1, 2025, with additional sites being added throughout the autumn.
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SAS already has confirmed agreements at Bergen, Helsinki, Billund, Stavanger, and Aalborg.
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Other target destinations for lounge access include Nice, Malaga, Palma, Lisbon, Venice, Florence, Naples, Malta, Madrid, Milan (Linate), Manchester, Edinburgh, Prague, Krakow, Keflavik, Gdansk, Vilnius, Wroclaw, Alicante, Barcelona, Tallinn, and Faro.
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Notably, the Stavanger (Sola) international lounge — known as the North Sea Lounge — will now be accessible to SAS international travelers from October 1, a benefit many had long requested.
SAS has emphasized that because this is a dynamic rollout, some destinations will be ready earlier than others, and travelers will be kept updated on which lounges are active at any given time.
Complementing changes in SAS’ premium offering
This lounge expansion is being introduced in parallel with SAS’ relaunch of a proper European Business Classproduct (starting October 1, 2025) on intra-European and Scandinavian routes. The refreshed Business Class will feature:
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A dedicated cabin section separated by a curtain or divider
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Blocked middle seats to enhance privacy and comfort
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A revamped Food & Beverage concept with more flexibility, locally sourced ingredients, and a reduction in food waste (using reusable tableware and minimizing plastics)
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Priority services on the ground: enhanced check-in, boarding, and luggage handling
Simultaneously, SAS is merging its SAS Gold lounges and SAS Lounges at its major hubs (Arlanda, Copenhagen, Oslo) into a single shared lounge starting October 1, 2025, to create a more unified experience and to harmonize food and drink offerings.
Access rules, benefits & SkyTeam integration
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Lounge access under this scheme will be available to customers flying in SAS Business Class (or SAS’ “Plus / Premium” classes within Europe), as well as EuroBonus Gold and Diamond members.
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SkyTeam Elite Plus members (even when flying economy) will also benefit from access to these new partner lounges, bringing SAS’ ground offering into closer alignment with alliance standards.
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Because many of the new lounges are operated by third-party providers (rather than being SAS-owned or alliance lounges), SAS is able to expand more quickly into airports where it previously lacked ground presence.
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This lounge expansion further cements SAS’ alignment with SkyTeam. Since joining SkyTeam in September 2024 (following its exit from Star Alliance during restructuring), SAS now gains access to SkyTeam’s broader network of lounges and premium services.
Strategic backdrop & industry context
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SAS’ decision to expand lounge access comes amid broader efforts to revamp its brand and premium offering under new ownership structures. In July 2025, Air France-KLM announced plans to increase its stake in SAS from 19.9% to 60.5%, which would give it majority control (subject to regulatory approval).
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The lounge push mirrors moves by other airlines investing heavily in enhancing ground experiences. Emirates has renovated its Bangkok lounge at a cost of $5 million, Korean Air is modernizing multiple lounges at Incheon and abroad, American Airlines is preparing a new Flagship® lounge in Philadelphia, Singapore Airlines is redesigning its lounges at Changi Terminal 2, and Qatar Airways is planning its first U.S. lounge in New York in 2026.
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In aviation media, the lounge expansion is viewed as a course correction for SAS: previously, on European flights SAS did not offer a “true” business class product—its interim “SAS Plus” lacked features like blocked middle seats and lounge access at many airports. By combining a revived Business Class product with robust lounge coverage, SAS aims to better compete for high-yield business travelers.
Source: SAS/ GLO
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