Review : Salon SAS Gold at Stockholm Arlanda

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has three lounges at Stockholm Arlanda. One on the domestic side and two on the international side: one SAS Business lounge and one SAS Gold lounge. It was the latter that I tried.

Who has access to the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda?
Where is the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda located?
The layout of the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda
Catering at SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda
Toilets and showers
The staff and service at SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda
My opinion

Who has access to the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda?

All Star Alliance Gold passengers travelling on SAS or a Star Alliance partner airline. Business class passengers who do not have status will go to the business lounge, to which Gold passengers also have access. SAS Eurobonus Silver members have access to both lounges on certain days at certain times of the year.

It is also possible, subject to availability, to buy access to the lounge, with a 20% discount if you buy online on the SAS website.

The two lounges have some differences and the Gold looks better than the Business without it looking too significant.

The Gold, on the other hand, has a great view of the tarmac and runways of Arlanda, whereas the Business is blind for as long as I can remember.

Where is the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda located?

The Gold and Business lounges are side by side and share a common reception area. They are in terminal 5 next to gate 1.

To get there once you have passed the security checkpoints (the police checkpoints are further away for non-Schengen flights) you have to take an immediate right into a corridor that doesn’t look like much and walk for a minute. Warning: I found the lounge very poorly signposted.

While the terminal is quite nice and lively with lots of shops and restaurants, I would say very nice for a “small” airport like Arlanda, the way to the lounge is gloomy and worn.

You finally get to a lift shortly before the second part of the terminal, which takes you to the first floor where the lounge is located.

Here we are!

Once through this door you can either turn right for the Business lounge or left for the Gold lounge. A gate with a barcode reader will give you access or not depending on your status and class of travel.

Given the size of the airport you are never too far from your gate.

The layout of the SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda

Once through the gate you enter a large loft. Instead of lining up the seats and tables in a somewhat uniform manner, as at Lufthansa, for example, the lounge here is divided into many small areas with different layouts.

It’s spacious, you can breathe easily.

This results in a host of little lounge areas…

If you prefer to have a view of the runways…

Electrical outlets and USB sockets are available everywhere.

There is plenty of room to lie down in front of the runways.

There are also very pleasant working spaces.

And finally the buffet and catering area, which we will discuss in more detail shortly.

In general, this lounge is very nice, comfortable, welcoming and friendly. In the great tradition of the SAS lounges we have tested in Copenhagen, Oslo and even Chicago. Only their Parisian lounge contrasts with the rest. This is also in the spirit of the excellent Tallinn lounge.

We are big fans of this style of lounge and agree that the Scandinavian style lends itself perfectly to creating beautiful places where you feel good. We have already explained in this video all the good things we think of SAS (on long-haul flights though ….), a largely unknown airline, and this visit confirms our opinion. The fact that it is very bright with large windows overlooking the runways is also a plus.

Catering at SAS Gold Lounge in Stockholm Arlanda

While the SAS Gold lounge in Stockholm Arlanda is in line with the airline’s other lounges (at least in its Scandinavian bases) in terms of comfort, it is also in line with the airline’s catering and this is less good news.

The buffet area looks very good.

The range of drinks is quite small, especially the spirits, but at least there is wine.

Food is scarce. I accept that in the middle of the morning it’s on the “breakfast” offer, but still… Especially since our other experiences in other lounges of the airline show us that no matter what time of day the offer is very limited.

[Note: at lunchtime it is much better …..]

And that’s it! That’s all. Whether it’s the variety or the quantity, it’s not there.

However, there is plenty of room to sit and eat, although some individual high tables would be welcome. But for that there is the rest of the lounge, even if it is less comfortable with a plate.

And it’s very nice in any case.

Toilets and showers

The lounge offers toilet and shower facilities.

Nothing special to say except that the aesthetics are much less attractive than the rest. On the other hand, to my great surprise, but perhaps I didn’t look hard enough, I didn’t find a urinal.