SAS retired its last Boeing 737 in 2023, so imagine the surprise of one traveller checking in for a Zürich to Copenhagen flight and spotting a 737-800 on the booking. Had the Scandinavian carrier resurrected one from storage? Not quite. The aircraft belonged to Jettime, a Danish wet-lease and charter airline, which supplied both the plane and crew while SAS sold the ticket and ran the flight under its own brand.
Wet leases like this are nothing new — airlines use them to plug gaps during summer peaks, maintenance issues or fleet shortages. SAS has used Jettime before, and clearly still does. But for passengers, the difference between a subcontracted aircraft and the real thing shows up quickly at the seat.
The Jettime 737 turned out to be a step down from the SAS Airbus product most people expect. The slimline seats were thinly padded, legroom was tight, and there was none of the tech you now take for granted: no Wi-Fi, no USB ports, no power outlets. Anyone hoping to work or charge a device mid-flight was stuck. Service and meals, to be fair, matched regular SAS standards — the crew was friendly and the catering presentation identical — and the flight itself ran smoothly.
Why does this matter more than it would have a few years ago? SAS is rolling out Starlink internet across its own fleet, so the gap between a genuine SAS flight and a leased substitute is widening, not closing. A short hop from Zürich to Copenhagen is easily survivable without connectivity, but the same aircraft swap on a longer European route could sting.
The practical lesson: check the operating aircraft when you book or check in, not just the flight number. If an SAS itinerary lists a 737-800, there's a good chance you're actually flying on a Jettime plane — meaning modest seats and no internet or charging. If onboard Wi-Fi or power matters to you, consider rebooking onto a flight operated by SAS's own Airbus fleet, or plan to download entertainment and work offline beforehand.
It's not a dealbreaker for a two-hour flight — the author calls it 'entirely tolerable' — but it's a useful heads-up for anyone booking intra-European SAS routes this summer. Airline branding on your ticket doesn't always mean the airline's aircraft at the gate.
