Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced that it’s updating its inflight dining, and it sounds like there will be less of a focus on Nordic food, among other changes.
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SAS introducing “Flavors by SAS” concept
SAS will be modifying its food and beverage concept as of October 1, 2025. This will be called “Flavors by SAS,” and is intended to offer a more varied, globally inspired culinary offering. With this, we’ll see updates in all cabins on intercontinental flights, in intra-Europe business class (launching as of the same date), and in lounges.
This will replace the carrier’s current “New Nordic by SAS” concept, which was launched in 2017. SAS claims that while the New Nordic by SAS concept highlighted Scandinavian specialities with a modern twist, the Flavors by SAS concept will bring a broader and more global perspective on dining, with greater variety, enhanced presentation, and more international culinary influences.
We’ll also see the airline introduce a new, more flexible dining approach, to improve meal variety and adapt service to each flight. The new program will make it easy to adjust meals based on flight time, service needs, and available space onboard.
Here’s how Aron Backström, SAS’ VP of Product & Loyalty, describes this evolution:
“While SAS has always been about bringing Scandinavia to the world, this new concept, Flavors by SAS, brings the world to Scandinavia, incorporating bold and diverse flavors inspired by Europe, the U.S., Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.”
“SAS’ innovative dining approach and rotating menu system sets a new standard in inflight dining, providing a flexible, customer-centric alternative to traditional static menus. This dynamic model positions SAS at the forefront in innovation and adaptability within airline food and beverage service.”
What exactly is changing with SAS’ new dining concept?
SAS provides the following specific details about what will be changing with the dining updates:
- New menus, with more globally inspired culinary offerings
- Tiered meal service, with various service levels to ensure that meal offerings align with flight length and conditions, from a simpler basket service to full tray meals with hot and cold dishes
- Flexible dining approach, which allows SAS to mix and match meal components to create unique tray combinations, ensuring variety and freshness
- Rolling menu rotations, with meals changing more frequently, ensuring frequent travelers get to experience new options
- Elevated presentation in business class, with SAS replacing single use items with porcelain, a unique double-walled porcelain mug, and glass and stainless-steel utensils to elevate the onboard dining experience
I’d say these changes generally sound good, though of course we’ll have to reserve judgment until the new program actually launches. The airline also highlights how with the new food offering, it will be reducing food waste, and that’s usually not great in terms of being able to get your first choice, etc.
For example, in early 2024, KLM announced it would reduce food waste by using AI. A short while later, I flew KLM long haul business class, only to be served a premium economy meal before landing, because they ran out of food.
Bottom line
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will be overhauling its inflight dining as of October 2025, as the Flavors by SAS concept will be replacing the New Nordic by SAS concept that we’ve seen for the past eight years. The airline claims there will be more of a focus on international dishes, among other changes.
Of course these changes are always made to sound good, so hopefully that’s actually the case. We’ll find out later this year…
What do you make of SAS’ inflight dining updates (or at least what we know so far)?
I just hope they maintain the food quality, I actually think SAS had among the better catering options for a european carrier. Fairly no-frills but still quite tasty (especially compared to Finnair, LH, and KLM)
Finally, the menu items and "snack boxes" (if you can even call them that..) are so often random and odd pieces of food that don't really taste all that good.
Where's E39 saying that SAS died after joining SkyTeam?
Right here. SAS died after joining SkyTeam - the alliance of the unwanteds.
Oh, you didn't leave unlike Arps Skadden.
As a Scandinavian I applaud getting rid of the open faced sandwiches and other Nordic dishes, that just never really seemed good enough compared to what we would normally get at a good lunch restaurant in Copenhagen for example. I liked that the food represented the nordics, but the quality just was not good enough for me.
I really liked the Scandinavian Business Class dishes. It gave SAS a sense of place over generic dishes. I will miss it, I hope at least one dish on the menu will represent their origin.
While I enjoyed the food, the service was way too drawn out for a red eye from NYC. Hopefully this comes with a nice quick express option on those flights if you want any chance at some sleep compared with current pace
I can see why they are doing this since I don't think Scandinavian food is to everyone's liking, but it gives SAS its character. I quite liked the Scandinavian centric meals I had on my flights with SAS (the bread, the open-faced sandwich, the lingonberries with my main course, the must drinks). If there's a way to provide a little bit of international or "non-Scandinavian" food and a little bit of Scandinavian food, sure, I'd be on board.
In October or November of 2024, SAS had some kind of SE Asian-inspired main meal in business class. If that was part of preparing for this, I welcome the development.