CPH Realistic Check in Time
 

Flying CPH-EWR at 8 AM in business with a connection in ARN. Star Gold status. Suggested arrival time is 4 hours in advance. What is a realistic arrival time?

So the flight out of CPH is to ARN, not EWR, right? - in that case no need to budget time for immigration, etc.

I would say check-in time depends on a few factors: Do you have checked luggage? What day of the week are you travelling? - the latter, as e.g. a Monday morning would be much busier than a Saturday.

In any case I would not arrive more than ~2hrs prior to departure.

US passport user flying SAS business class on CPH-ARN for a ticketed itinerary that goes CPH-ARN-EWR while having only standard luggage to check-in within the included baggage allowance for the ticketed itinerary? Then 90-100 minutes before check-in is the earliest I would get to CPH when having an 8am departure in SK premium cabin on the CPH-ARN flight.

3 hours before for such a trip as above? Way too early every day of a normal week out of CPH for capable, fully mobile adults. 3.25-4 hours before the CPH-ARN flight would be mad (unless there are serious flight disruptions and for some reason needing to deal with the ticketing service line at the airport on arrival).

1 hour before. More if you want to use the lounge.

45min before is cutting it close, although you will probably be at the gate 10-15min after you entered Terminal 3 (there is a dedicated SAS fast track/security check)

One hour before does work often. But with checked luggage and the possibility of the US Government kicking back in ways to the airline for check-ins on the way back to the US even before boarding on a CPH-ARN-EWR routing, 60 minutes can be cutting it too close if there is a hiccup at check-in.

If online check-in works the night before to produce a boarding pass with seat assignments, then 60 minutes is plenty for this itinerary when either having no luggage to check-in or having standard checked-in luggage within the included free checked-in luggage allowance.

You need to do online check in if you want to be at the airport 1h before departure. If SK doesn't think you are going to show up, they might sell your seat to someone else.

It depends on whether you are US passport holder, if you are not, they might suddenly ask you to show your ESTA. There are a handful of incompetence ground staff at CPH, I flew last month and I was asked to produce ESTA approval and my Coronapas.

I installed the SK app so I can check in and get my BP the day before. I’m obsessive about checking in as soon as it’s available.

But you are clearly not obsessive about going to the airport early ;)

When you have no checked luggage and your BP in the SK app, you will be fine if you arrive at at the airport 45-60min before depart. The passport scrutiny, security questions etc for a US departure will be done at ARN, not CPH.

The key is if having the boarding pass for CPH-ARN and/or CPH-ARN-EWR before showing up at the airport on a CPH-ARN-EWR itinerary. Otherwise there is a chance of being hassled at CPH and missing the flight when showing up 45-60 minutes before trip on a non-US passport.

Thanks. US passports already loaded into the SAS app.

If you’re checking in baggage, pay attention to the baggage drop cut-off time so that’s not missed. Getting a checked baggage tag out of the machines on time is useful or even critical when traveling with checked luggage. Not sure if they are still willing to do check in luggage on the night before departures from CPH, but that is a consideration too if you can access the CPH check-in area while it’s open the night before your trip.

Were not willing for me a few weeks ago. Still 1 hour ahead of time is plenty, given priority check in and security.

I’m returning on SK 925 CPH to IAD next Thur 18 May with 1245 departure. Star Alliance Gold, US passport/ Global Entry with no checked baggage.Am staying in Lund, Sweden. Intend on checking in online if SAS app ever gets fixed. What would be the latest I should expect to depart Lund by train to arrive CPH for orderly, unhurried check i ?

Could be done by taking the train from Lund C at c. 10:39 but that means too little room for disruptions if needing to make the 60 minute check-in cut-off in-person at CPH. Not the relaxing way to do that, especially since passport control and security screening at the airport take time too. In economy class on SAS to IAD, it’s general security screening unless having SAS*G status. Plus and Business class on SAS get SAS fast Track security screening access, but only at the SAS dedicated checkpoint — which is to the left (on the Burger King side) when going upstairs above the check-in level.

Don’t plan based on latest train departures from Lund. Plan based on what happens if there is a train schedule disruption and needing to hit the road by car/bus to at least Malmö-Hyllie and then take a train and/or bus to CPH from Malmö-Hyllie.

9:39 train departure form Lund C by train would be what I would do nowadays were Lund to CPH be relevant to me like it used to be. 9:19am train departure is even safer. I would definitely not leave Lund C before 8:59 for a May 18th flight to IAD. You can buy and activate the train ticket on the Skanetrafiken app on the phone on the day of travel from Lund to CPH — once it’s activated on the day of travel, the ticket remains active for the whole day on the phone even if without internet connectivity. That way you don’t need to worry about buying the train tickets at the station and losing time there.

Similar situation, flying CPH ARN as the SJ high speed train isn't running the weekend of June 17th (track repair I believe) That said flying SAS smart plus with lounge access, prioity... with bags to check. Is 90 minutes enough arrival time? Also What is the configuration on the plus seating is it 3-3 or do they block out the middle seat ?