TPJ

But they just finished OSL lounge refurbishment last year.

I thought SAS does not have money to burn these days...

NicoEBG

SAS will update all of it's own lounges over the next years. Oslo Gardermoen will be the first airport to get the new lounge concept from nov. 2017. Copenhagen will be last, as SAS is waiting before the expansion of the airport is complete and they know which gates they will be operating from.

The lounge will be a next generation lounge offering more than 1,000 square meter of space and the lounge will offer entirely new experiences.

From Scandinavian Traveller June:
An upgraded lounge at Oslo Airport will set new standards

Time matters for travelers, so providing them with the best facilities and services to make the most of it is paramount at SAS. With this in mind, customer .lounges have become a key part of the experience and Oslo Airport will soon set a new standard in ease and comfort.

The new lounge reflects the lifestyles of today’s travelers and will be filled with exciting new features. For example, you’ll be able to keep fit in a gym, pamper yourself with a massage and test out the latest in Scandinavian innovation in the spacious 900sq m area.

Travelers will, of course, continue to enjoy the benefits of good, healthy food and refreshments at all times, while a barista will be on hand to serve coffee in an atmosphere conducive to both working and relaxing.

“SAS has driven customer experience and innovation since our start in 1946. We are constantly scanning new trends and behaviors to ensure that our products and services fit the needs of our travelers. The lounge is one of SAS’ most appreciated and highly-valued benefits and with our new concept, we’ll take it to the next level to match the lifestyles of today’s travelers,” says Stephanie Smitt Lindberg, VP of Customer Journey and Loyalty. From the design to the facilities and overall service experience, travelers will enjoy a lounge like no .other, reflecting the way SAS tests new concepts, with customer wishes and feedback playing a central role.

“The concept will safeguard the possibility to work and eat, but we will also add new features that our customers see as natural parts of leading an active and more digital lifestyle,” says Smitt Lindberg.

SAS’ overall vision is to make time matter for travelers at every touchpoint. The new lounge in Oslo will give them even more opportunities to maximize that time, the way it suits them best.

CPH-Flyer

I wonder if passengers will be pampering themselves to a massage via points or their credit card... Given the financial state of things with SK, I don't feel convinced this service will be free. Unless we are just talking about massage chairs.

Sciamano

I'm planning to fly FCO-OSL in Premium Economy within October in order to requalify my TK status. By flying non-stop I would be short of 19 miles so I was looking to fly via ARN on my outbound flight.
I have only hand baggage and want to ask you if 1h50m stop is enough or to short for having time in the lounge...or if it's worth to have a longer stop in ARN for the lounge.

Thank you

Jainzar

1h 50min is plenty of time.

klmml

... and it's definitely not worth having a longer stop to enjoy the lounge.

ksu

I think the announcement is about the new domestic lounge, instead of the temporary disgrace they now operate

klmml

To think I was in there twice a week for over two years. Ugh. I still remember the feel of the plastic spoon scraping porridge from the semi-absorbent paper plate and every time I left, pressing the red angry face on the feedback doodad.

ksu

I used to go there to pick up newspapers for the next flight, but after they stopped that I do not go as often.

FlyingMoose

Neat, more uncomfortable wooden chairs and broken self-use gates to enter.

I don't know what innovation Scandinavia has produced in the past decade considering that for most things its at least 2 decades behind. Clearly SAS's market research must have been amongst a group of people that fly ARN-CPH in coach about 3 times a year not actual frequent travellers. Out of all the things you can put in a lounge, a gym is the last thing I'd want to see.

Just translating this from SK-marketing speak to reality:

Healthy food means they can serve overdue slices of cucumber instead of actual food.

A barista on hand means that you have to wait for 15+ minutes for sub-par coffee.

An atmosphere conductive to both working and relaxing means that the wi-fi will be permanently broken and that they are most likely reducing or removing the phone/quiet rooms.

If they truly believe this then I would suggest trying out other airlines and lounges to see what needs travelers have.

Hah, same pool of feedback as the previous one. Clearly 100+ flight/year customer wishes where not taken into account.

This is just garbage.

Putting a gym in a lounge is a way for travellers to make time matter?

What about edible food, a bar with proper beverages, comfortable seats, functional high-speed wifi and measures against overcrowding? Outside of lounge needs, it would also make time matter if I didn't have to call in twice a week for basic multi-city bookings.

klmml

+1 and I love your comment about the "safeguarding" garbage

One thing that I am grateful for, is that the SAS lounges are actually pleasant to spend time in. There are contract lounges in certain countries (*cough* Germany) where you wonder if anything has changed since 1985.

ksu

Bring newspapers back! Lufthansa still have them!

highupinthesky

Yes, but for how long? I haven't seen the DK newspapers in Frankfurt or any other European LH lounge for quite a while. It's more or less only German, English and local newspapers in their lounges now a days.

ksu

And in the Avianca lounge in Miami, Lufthansa has a newspaper rack, but only with German langauge newspapers. The lack of English langauge papers is proably to avoid poaching by those traveling on other airlines.

(I poached. I was on SAS but read German, so grabbed a Süddeutsche...)

AStarr

I would hope they would do some 10-15 minute free massage chair and then have a paid menu option for more extensive services. One can hope.