A last-minute family trip to Europe turned into a textbook example of why overnight business class flights are worth considering — even with kids in tow. Travel blogger Live and Let's Fly flew SAS's A330 business class from Chicago to Europe, an eight-hour evening flight, and reports the whole family managed around six hours of sleep. On a red-eye of that length, that's about as good as it gets.
The trip started well before boarding. Connecting through Chicago O'Hare, the family spent time in the Delta Sky Club, which the reviewer calls huge and better than the Air France lounge alternative in the same terminal. On board, they settled into centre-section seats in rows one and two and boarded late after lingering in the lounge.
Dinner came shortly after takeoff, and the food drew genuine praise. The adults ordered short ribs and fish (salmon) with plans to share — the beef came out on top, and the appetizers were solid too. The kids duplicated the strategy, one ordering beef and the other fish, then splitting both. Notably, the reviewer reports the children were quiet, well-behaved and happily occupied with the in-flight entertainment.
Service details stood out as the difference-maker. The crew asked whether passengers wanted to be woken for breakfast — everyone declined, prioritising sleep. The reviewer requested a cappuccino at the top of descent, and a flight attendant delivered it unprompted when the time came. Heidi slept until 20 minutes before landing and got her coffee too. Small things, but on a night flight with children, exactly what you want.
There's also a candid money angle in the write-up. The author says he's happy to fly together as a family for now, but hopes the kids will soon be old enough to sit in economy or premium economy while the parents fly up front — his reasoning being that children can sleep in any seat and the entertainment screens are essentially the same across cabins. It's an honest take on the family-travel cost calculus that many parents will recognise.
A quirky footnote: the purser wore what the reviewer describes as a "political" pin, teased for a follow-up post next week. No drama on the flight itself, though — the verdict was a great experience, with the crew's attentiveness earning specific praise.
For travellers weighing SAS business class: the takeaway is that the product works as a proper night-flight tool. Comfortable lie-flat seating, a quick single-seat dinner service that doesn't drag on, and a crew willing to skip breakfast service in favour of sleep add up to the most valuable currency on an eight-hour overnight — rest on arrival. It's particularly relevant for families flying to Scandinavia or beyond via SAS's US gateways, where landing in the morning with everyone reasonably rested can save the first day of a holiday from being a write-off. Frequent flyers on any alliance route via Chicago will also note the tip about picking the Delta Sky Club over the Air France lounge when both are accessible. (A full lounge review was promised in a follow-up.)
Review via Live and Let's Fly.
