Review: North Sea Lounge Stavanger Airport

Boarding the bus

After waiting for 10 minutes at the bus station my airport bus arrived on the dot. Apart from about five or so other passengers I was the only one taking the bus, and I managed to snatch a front row seat.

The bus stopped at 2-3 other locations in town to pick up passengers. Afterwards it continued straight to the airport, driving through the pretty Norwegian countryside.

Stavanger airport

From outside, Stavanger Sola Airport as it is officially called looks like your average regional airport. I was however surprised how big it felt inside. There are airports of certain European capitals that are much smaller in size and stature!

Clearly, Stavanger is an important business destination (it especially sees a lot of traffic thanks to the offshore oil industry) and you can see this back in the airport which is overall a pleasant place to await your flight.

Even though I checked in online for my flight, I picked up a paper boarding pass from one of the check-in machines in the main hall. I then took the escalator up towards the departures area, which in true Scandinavian style was in impeccable condition. There were no queues at all for security this morning and I was through in minutes.

For those passengers without access to the business lounge, there are plenty of cafes and shops to keep you entertained for an hour or so while waiting for your departure. As I was flying KLM in business class to Amsterdam, I however had complimentary access to the only lounge at the airport: the North Sea Lounge.

North Sea Lounge access rules

I arrived at T-2.5 at the lounge entrance. The lounge attendant, a friendly girl in her early 20s, was surprised to see someone arrive this early as there were no flights departing in the next two hours. That said, she gladly let me into the otherwise completely empty lounge.

I got access to the lounge courtesy of my KLM business class ticket, although of course any Sky Team elite passenger flying economy class on KLM could have also accessed this lounge. Some passengers on Widerøe, Loganair and SAS having elite airline status or a ticket in a certain booking class can also access the lounge for free.

You can also get access through Dragon Pass and Lounge Pass, although do note that the lounge is currently not part of Priority Pass. The holders of some premium credit cards issued by Scandinavian banks can also access the lounge for free. The same counts for AMEX Centurion or Platinum card holders.

For the full access requirements, it is best to check the official airport page. If you do not have any airline elite status, the right ticket or certain credit card, you can also buy entrance into the lounge for 300 NOK (30 EUR).

First impressions

At first sights the lounge surely did not disappoint. When it comes to pure aesthetics, I think it is one of the more appealing lounges in Europe I have ever set foot in until now. Especially when you consider this is a contract lounge at a minor European airport it all looked very impressive.

I loved the modern yet cosy design, the great views over the apron, the bright light shining in from the windows and the smart layout creating several semi-private seating corners.

The seating options range from comfy sofas to dining tables to long kitchen worktops seating multiple people at the same time. Plugs were readily available in almost every corner of the lounge, the internet was fast, and did I already mention the great views over the tarmac?

Even when the lounge filled up with fifteen or so other passengers shortly before the departure time of the KLM flight it still felt like I was about the only one in the lounge, it being as calm and serene as before when I was just the sole passenger. You can hand it to the Scandinavians to ace interior designing!

North Sea Lounge buffet