Review: OSL Lounge at Oslo Gardemoen Airport
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If you're looking for a comfortable and relaxing spot to wait for your flight at Oslo Airport, OSL Lounge is the right place. We visited the lounge before our flight to Helsinki. The lounge offered various amenities to make our travel experience more enjoyable, including comfortable seating and a good selection of food and drinks. In this review, we'll examine what OSL Lounge offers and help you decide if it's worth a visit during your next trip.
Covered in the Article
Oslo Airport
Oslo Airport, also known as Oslo Gardermoen Airport is the primary international airport serving the city of Oslo, Norway. It is the largest airport in Norway and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries.
Oslo Airport is located approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Oslo and is easily accessible by train, bus, taxi, and car. The airport has two runways and one terminal, serving over 30 airlines and handling more than 28 million passengers annually. With several restaurants, cafes, shops, and lounges, Oslo Airport offers its passengers a wide range of amenities and services. Additionally, the airport is known for its modern and sustainable design, which has earned it several awards and recognitions over the years.
Terminal
Oslo Airport boasts a modern and spacious terminal, divided into two main areas: domestic and international flights. The terminal consists of the main building, and a north pier is attached to the central area.
The terminal serves domestic and international destinations from different gates. Norway is not a member state of the EU but a member of the Schengen Agreement. Travellers flying to/from a Schengen destination must not undergo passport control.
The upper floor of Oslo Airport's departure area is home to a vast shopping and dining area where passengers can enjoy a wide range of local and international brands. Also, a few of the airport's lounges are located there.
Walking between international and domestic gates is possible. However, it would be best to clear passport control to reach the gates marked with the F letter. Flights to non-Schengen destinations use these gates.
The terminal layout is simple; any gate can be reached quickly.
Lounges
Oslo Airport has several lounges available for passengers who wish to relax and unwind before their flight: SAS Domestic Lounge, SAS International Lounge, SAS Gold Lounge and OSL Lounge. The international lounges are located on the upper floor near Gate E2, but the domestic SAS Lounge is on the departure floor.
OSL Lounge
OSL Lounge is an independent lounge serving many airlines. The airport maintains it.
Location
OSL Lounge is easy to find after the security check. The lounge is located on the airside in the airport's international area. Specifically, the OSL lounge is above Starbucks Coffee in the international departures area, near Gate E8.
Who Can Visit OSL Lounge?
OSL Lounge is accessible for passengers with premium tickets booked with the following airlines: Air Baltic, Air France, Air Serbia, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, KLM, Luxair, Sunclass Airlines, TUIfly Nordic and Qatar Airways. In practice, OSL Lounge servers airlines that do not belong to Star Alliance.
Some premium credit cards also have agreements with OSL Lounge access including travellers holding the following credit cards: Amex Centurion, Platinum and Business, Handelsbanken Business, Sparebank Platinum, Møre Mastercard Plus and Møre Mastercard Ekstra. TAV Passport holders can also visit OSL Lounge. We visited the lounge using an Amex Platinum card.
Lounge memberships are another way to access OSL Lounge. The lounge welcome customers of LoungeKey and travellers with Dragon Pass. Suprisingly, OSL Lounge does not accept Priority Pass. However, lounge memberships do not guarantee access; these customers will get in only if there is enough free space. During busy hours, the chances of getting admitted are lower.
If you do not belong to the previous groups and are travelling in economy class, you can still visit the lounge, as OSL Lounge accepts walk-ins based on capacity. You can pay for entry at the front desk starting from NOK 300 per guest. However, it is unsure if there are enough free seats. One of the best ways to secure access for busy hours is to buy a single entry beforehand from one of our favourite travel service providers, Lounge Pass which sells inexpensive vouchers for this lounge.
Our OSL Lounge Experience
Arrival
We had a scheduled flight from Oslo to Helsinki on Sunday at 2 pm. We arrived at the lounge at 11 am when the lounge was still half empty, and only the main area was open. We visited OSL Lounge using the Amex Platinum card. On our arrival, one female staff member was stationed at the reception, and she handled the formalities quickly and in a friendly manner.
The lounge had the main and premium area. The premium area was meant for some airlines' customers.
Impression
We found OSL Lounge to offer a little bit of luxury with its stylish and warm atmosphere and a wide selection of refreshing drinks and snacks. We liked the lounge's soft lighting and potted foliage, adding to the tranquil ambience with many seatings, making this lounge ideal for unwinding pre-flight.
The lounge had a good view of the apron and runway on a sunny day. There were many power outlets available. It was also easy to check for our flight info as the lounge has many flight information screens. Food tables were cleared quite fast by their friendly staff.
Customer Service
The staff of the lounge were friendly and accommodating. However, the lounge gets easily understaffed when many lounge guests arrive during busy hours. We noticed this when there were many international flight departures during a Sunday afternoon on our visit. For example, it was reflected when toilets needed attention, but staff could not notice it themselves. The lounge has three toilet rooms. One of us badly needed to use the toilet upon arrival, and the toilet near the reception was dirty. After reporting to the staff, who asked us to use the one at the left wing of the lounge, we noticed that all the hand soaps in the men's toilet room were empty.
Foods and Drinks
The lounge didn't have an extensive food selection during our visit. There was a small cold buffet, a salad bar, fresh fruits, and a hot soup, which included some snacks. Special diets like gluten-free products were available.
There wasn't a full buffet, but the range of drinks was pretty good. This included wine and beer taps, fresh juices, soft drinks, and sparkling wine. Also, non-alcoholic beers and wines were available. We didn't notice any strong alcoholic drinks in sight.
Rating
The design of OSL Lounge was stylish and modern. The lounge had plenty of seating, including large, comfortable sofas and armchairs. Being a cosy lounge with many sofas, we felt at home during our visit. The lounge offered delicious food options, although white mushroom soup was only warm food. With better food selection and the addition of a shower facility, we could give an additional one star.
Common Questions
- What lounges are available at Oslo Airport?
- Oslo Airport has several lounges that cater to different types of passengers and their needs. The SAS Lounges are available to passengers travelling with SAS or Star Alliance airlines, while OSL Lounge is available to all passengers.
- What amenities does OSL Lounge offer?
- OSL Lounge offers comfortable seating, complimentary food and drinks, and other valuable services. The warm food options may be limited, but a wide selection of drinks and snacks is available.
- Are the staff friendly and efficient?
- Based on our experience, the staff at Oslo Lounge are friendly and efficient, which adds to the pleasant atmosphere of the lounge.
- Can anyone access OSL Lounge?
- Yes, anyone can pay themself into OSL Lounge.
- Does OSL Lounge accept Priority Pass?
- Unfortunately, no.
- Does OSL Lounge accept LoungeKey?
- Yes, it does.
- Are the lounges at Oslo Airport suitable for domestic and international travellers?
- Yes, the lounges at Oslo Airport provide comfortable and stylish spaces for passengers to relax before their flights, whether they are travelling domestically or internationally.
- Where can I buy access to OSL Lounge?
- You can purchase a single visit from Lounge Pass.
- Is OSL Lounge in the Schengen area?
- Yes, it is.
Bottom Line
Our experience at OSL Lounge was a pleasant one. The reception staff was friendly and efficient, and the lounge had a warm and stylish atmosphere. The lounge's amenities, such as the flight information screens, magazine selections, Wi-Fi and the wide selection of drinks and snacks, were all satisfactory. However, the lounge's food selection was limited to mostly cold items, with only soup as the hot option. Despite this, the lounge was a great place to relax before our flight, with plenty of seating options and a tranquil ambience.
We were surprised that Priority Pass members are not welcome to this lounge. Luckily, OSL Lounge has many direct agreements with premium credit cards. For example, we used American Express Platinum to access the lounge. Overall, we recommend OSL Lounge to anyone looking for a comfortable and stylish airport lounge experience.
Have you visited OSL Lounge? Did you stay in the central area or the premium side of the lounge? Comment below about your experience.
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