Review: SAS Business and Gold Lounge Oslo Airport
This review details a visit to the SAS Scandinavian Airlines Business and Gold Lounge at Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) in Norway.
Train to Oslo Airport
Having spent a nice day in Oslo, it was time to head to the airport to commence my adventure by taking a SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight to Longyearbyen, the main town and airport on Svalbard.
It was a short walk from my hotel to the Nationaltheatret station, from where I could take a direct train to Oslo’s main airport of Gardermoen.
From Oslo’s city centre you can take two different kind of trains to reach Gardermoen Airport.
There is the comfortable and fast but expensive Airport Express Train called Flytoget and there are several slower but less expensive regional trains as well.
I opted for one of the slower trains and was happy that I commenced my journey at Nationaltheatret instead of the following stop of Oslo Central Station (Oslo S.) as hundreds of other passengers boarded the train here with many not being able to grab a seat.
Oslo Gardermoen Airport
Oslo Gardermoen is a nice, spacious airport with a proper Scandinavian feel to it thanks to the use of modern wooden furniture and design elements.
As I had already checked in online and was travelling hand luggage only, I went straight to security control.
Business class passengers and frequent flyer elites such as Star Alliance Gold members can use the fast-lane security, which took just minutes to clear.
Once airside you can turn left to the domestic terminal of Oslo Gardermoen Airport and right towards all other destinations.
If you head this way, you will walk through the Schengen part of the terminal first, before eventually ending up at some passport control booths where you can enter the non-Schengen departure gates.
You might think that my domestic flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen would depart from the domestic terminal – but surprisingly enough that is not the case.
Although it is part of Norway, Svalbard is not part of the Schengen area which means that you need to pass through passport control before flying off to Svalbard (there are no passport checks on the island itself).
Indeed, because of this flights to Svalbard actually depart from the non-Schengen part of the airport!
SAS Lounge entry requirements
SAS Scandinavian Airlines has two different lounges at Oslo Gardermoen Airport: There is a domestic SAS lounge as well a SAS Lounge in the international departures area.
This international SAS Lounge is located one level above the shopping area just before gate E8 in the Schengen departures area of Oslo Airport.
If you are departing on a non-Schengen flight you can also use this lounge, but you need to remember to leave enough time to clear passport control after your visit.
The international SAS Lounge at Oslo Gardermoen Airport actually consists out of two separate lounges: There is the normal SAS Business Lounge as well as the larger and better quality SAS Gold Lounge.
Business class passengers on SAS (SAS Plus) or any other Star Alliance airline as well as passengers with a ‘Business Ticket’ on Widerøe can use the normal SAS Business Lounge.
If you hold Star Alliance gold status you can enter the SAS Gold Lounge irrespective of whether you are flying business class or economy on SAS or any other Star Alliance airline.
Although lounge membership cards such as Priority Pass are not accepted, it is possible to pay for access (350 NOK, or around 32.50 EUR) in which case you can visit the SAS Business Lounge only.
During Christmas and Summer holidays only, SAS EuroBonus Silver customers have complimentary access to the SAS Business Lounge as well.
SAS Business and Gold Lounge
When you enter the international SAS Lounge at Oslo Airport, you will find yourself in the SAS Business Lounge.
This is the more basic and compact of the two lounges, featuring several tables and couches as well as a small buffet.
On your left-hand side, you will find another set of electronic barriers through which you can enter the more exclusive and larger SAS Gold Lounge.
You can simply scan your boarding pass to gain access to this part of the lounge.
Having Star Alliance Gold status through Turkish Airlines, this was the part of the SAS Lounge which I used during my stay while waiting for my flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen.
A look around the SAS Gold Lounge
The SAS Gold Lounge at Oslo Gardermoen Airport has a modern Scandinavian design which isn’t too different from the other lounges of this airline in places such as Copenhagen.
Thanks to the modern furniture and design elements, wooden floors and lots of natural light shining through the windows, the SAS Gold Lounge certainly has a cosy and warm atmosphere.
Although the lounge doesn’t have a tarmac view, you can look out over the airport check-in area from multiple parts of the lounge.
Some parts of the lounge feature a variety of comfortable armchairs, while other parts have communal high top work tables or standard dining tables.
Most seats in the lounge have access to power sockets, making it easy to keep your electronic devices charged.
Of course, there is a fast and reliable Wi-Fi internet connection throughout the entire lounge.
Food buffet
At the front of the SAS Gold Lounge you can find the food and drinks buffet.
Although there was an overlap between the food and beverages being offered at the SAS Business Lounge and the SAS Gold Lounge, the selection of food and drinks is wider in the Gold Lounge.
Especially the cold food buffet at the SAS Gold Lounge looked great in both quantity and quality.
There were several kinds of breads, pastries and cold cuts on offer as well as an extensive salad bar.
However, the hot food options were more limited.
Only later in the afternoon did one of the lounge attendants bring out some soup and hamburgers.
Although I don’t think the SAS Gold Lounge in Oslo ranks among the best lounges in Europe when it comes to food, you can definitely grab a quality snack or a light meal here.
Drinks
The SAS Gold Lounge in Oslo has several coffee machines that make a decent cup.
You will also find tea, soft drinks as well as several large glass dispensers with juice and flavoured water.
The selection of alcohol in the SAS Gold Lounge was quite good.
The SAS Gold Lounge features Carlsberg draught beer, 2 or 3 different options of both red and white wine, a sparkling wine and mid-shelf bottles of booze such as Jameson whisky, Campari and Baileys liqueur.
Other facilities
The SAS Gold Lounge has several enclosed work booths which you can use if you need to get some serious work done or want to make some phone calls in full privacy.
Although the international SAS Business and Gold lounge at Oslo Gardermoen Airport have toilets, there are no shower rooms.
Non-Schengen departures
About half an hour before boarding of my flight was scheduled to begin I left the lounge and headed through passport control to the non-Schengen departure area of the terminal.
There weren’t many evening departures from the non-Schengen concourse.
Apart from a single flight to London, most passengers seemed to be heading to Svalbard as apart from my SAS flight there was also another flight to Longyearbyen with competitor Norwegian.
SAS flight to Svalbard
My SAS flight to Longyearbyen was operated by a Boeing 737-700 in all economy seating.
The flight to Svalbard was rather uneventful.
The middle seat next to me remained empty and complimentary coffee and tea was served.
Although there were no real views from the window it being an evening flight, at least I could enjoy myself using the complimentary on-board Wi-Fi internet.
The flight went by quickly and we safely landed at Longyearbyen Airport.
As there are no jet bridges at Longyearbyen Airport you will have to disembark your plane by stairs, which certainly will give you a nice introduction to the cold temperatures of Svalbard when you visit the island in winter!
Conclusion
The SAS Gold Lounge at Oslo Gardermoen Airport is a solid lounge that makes for a fine place to get some work done or to await your flight departure in comfort.
Inside the lounge you will find comfortable seats in a calm and pleasant environment, plenty of charging outlets and a decent food and drinks buffet.
The only disadvantages of the SAS Gold Lounge is the rather limited selection of hot food and the lack of showers.
However, do note that you can only enter the larger, more exclusive SAS Gold Lounge if you hold Star Alliance Gold status.
If you are confined to the much-smaller and more limited SAS Business Lounge, you probably don’t want to spend too much time in this airport lounge.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Snow Seeking in Svalbard: A Winter Trip Into the Arctic‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Low-Cost Travel to Norway: Oslo on the Cheap
2. Review: SAS Business and Gold Lounge Oslo Airport (current chapter)
3. Review: Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg Hotel, Longyearbyen
4. Longyearbyen: A Visit to the World’s Northernmost Town
5. A Svalbard Snowmobile Ride to Barentsburg
6. Barentsburg: A Visit to a Unique Russian Coal Mining Town
7. Pastel Winter: The Famous Blue Sunset Skies of Svalbard
8. The Long Way Home: Three Flights From Longyearbyen
