SAS seeks US market expansion with flights to LAX, Miami in 2016

Leading European carrier Scandinavian Airlines or SAS is trying to consolidate its foothold in the U.S. market and aiming to expand further. The airline recently announced it will be launching direct flights to Los Angeles and Miami in 2016.

SAS will start operating flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) effective from March 14 next year. The Flight SK933 will depart from Stockholm at 9.50 am and arrive in Los Angeles at 12.15 pm. The return Flight SK934 will depart from Los Angeles at 2.15 pm and reach Stockholm at 10 am. The flights on Los Angeles-Stockholm route will operate daily throughout the summer schedule, but will be curtailed to “five to six weekly flights” during winter schedule.

According to the airline, the daily flights to Miami will start operating in northern autumn 2016. SAS will though operate a split schedule from both Oslo and the Danish capital Copenhagen. The flights from Oslo to Miami will be operated four times per week, while the flights to Miami from Copenhagen will be conducted thrice weekly.

Apart from Los Angeles and Miami, the other U.S. destinations to be served by SAS include Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington and New York.

A spokesperson of Scandinavian Airlines said that the airline will be introducing the latest business class seats on its Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 aircrafts to be served on Los Angeles and Miami routes. The new business class seats will be able to be converted to a fully flat bed and will be topped by a pillow, blanket and mattress from Sweden’s oldest bed manufacturer Hästens.