Finnair vs SAS : Which Is Better?

Finnair and SAS are the two largest airlines in the Nordic countries, and on a trip into or out of the region you can often fly either one. Finnair flies from Helsinki. SAS flies from Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo.

On price and schedule the two are often close. Let’s look at where they differ, so you can decide which one is better for your trip.

Hubs & Destinations

Where each airline is based decides what it is good at, and they are good at different things.

• Where they fly from — Finnair uses one hub, Helsinki. SAS uses three, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo, with most of its long-haul flying out of Copenhagen.
• Getting to Asia — Finnair, easily. It flies to about eleven Asian cities from Helsinki, and SAS to a handful. They are long flights, though: with Russian airspace closed, Finnair routes around it, which adds two to four hours to Japan and Korea.
• Getting around Scandinavia — SAS, comfortably. It has a dense set of domestic routes across Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
• Who else you can fly on one booking — Finnair connects to oneworld airlines like British Airways and Qatar Airways. SAS moved to SkyTeam in September 2024, so it now connects to Air France, KLM, and Delta instead of Lufthansa and United.

Baggage & Fees

On both airlines the fare name decides more than the airline does.

• The cheapest fare — no checked bag on either airline. Finnair calls it Superlight, SAS calls it Economy Light, and inside Europe both give you one small bag that fits under the seat.
• The standard economy fare — one checked bag at 23 kg on both airlines, plus a carry-on at 8 kg. Finnair gives you two on flights to and from Japan.
• Business — two checked bags at 32 kg on both airlines. Finnair allows three on flights to Japan.
• An extra bag across the Atlantic — Finnair charges €75, or about $85. SAS charges $82 on its cheapest fare and $106 on the rest.
• Buying a bag late — both charge more at the airport. Finnair asks €65 to €70 in Europe against €32 to €55 booked ahead. SAS charges $140 inside the last 22 hours, whatever fare you hold.
• A bag over 23 kg — on a long flight Finnair charges $95 at the airport whatever it weighs, up to 32 kg. SAS charges $90 up to 28 kg, then $160. So a 30 kg bag costs you less on Finnair.
• Extra bags with status — SAS gives one at EuroBonus Silver and two at Gold. Finnair’s comes through the alliance instead, where oneworld Sapphire adds a bag.

Service Overview

Finnair is the better-rated of the two. Status works a little differently on each.

• Independent rating — Skytrax rates airlines out of five stars for the cabin and the service. Finnair gets four. SAS gets three.
• Getting into a lounge in economy — both make you earn status first, and on both the tier is Gold. Below that, Finnair Silver members pay €30 a visit.
• Getting through the airport faster — Finnair Gold is oneworld Sapphire, which brings business class check-in and priority boarding. SAS gives both a tier earlier, at Silver, and adds fast track through security at Gold.

In-Flight Entertainment

On screens the two are level. On Wi-Fi, SAS is well ahead.

• Seatback screens — long-haul only on both airlines. Finnair puts them on its biggest aircraft, SAS on its flights to Asia and North America. On a short European flight you watch on your own phone or tablet.
• What the Wi-Fi costs — €24.95 on Finnair for a whole long flight. Nothing on SAS, as long as you join EuroBonus, which is free. (Joining Finnair Plus is also free and gets you text messages on short flights, and Silver status or a Business ticket gets you the full internet.)
• How far it has reached — Finnair has Wi-Fi on all of its own jets. SAS had Starlink on about seventy percent of its planes by September 1, 2026, with the rest due by the end of the year.

Which One Should You Book?

The fare and the schedule will settle most trips, and you should let them. Where the two come back at the same price:

• Book Finnair — for Asia, where it flies to far more cities, or if you already collect Avios or hold status with a oneworld airline.
• Book SAS — for anywhere inside Scandinavia, for Wi-Fi you do not pay for, or if your points live with Air France, KLM, or Delta.

One more thing if your trip has a connection in it. Cirium, which measures arrival times across the industry, put SAS second in Europe for 2025 with about 86% of flights on time, and Finnair tenth with about 80%.

If you are comparing other European airlines, here’s our look at KLM and Lufthansa, which covers the same ground for that pair.