SAS Scandinavian Business Stockholm Lounge
Are you sure you want the SAS Stockholm Business Class Lounge?With a Gold Eurobonus card you can turn left, to the SAS Stockholm Lounge, rather than the SAS Stockholm Business Class Lounge. Which are two very different things.
The pasta on the left, in Business Class, is better, the stools are wood not wire, and the wine comes in real bottles, not a carton.
Stockholm Arlanda SAS Scandinavian Business lounge review
The SAS Stockholm Business Class Lounge is in the middle of the long winding maze that is Arlanda Terminal 5, at a rather un-regarded junction at before the 'arm' stretching to gates one to eight, typically used by SAS for inter-Schengen flights.
Just take the lift, or the tight windy spiral stairs, and at the desk at the top the rather bored looking lounge staff will wave you to the right, in the Business Class section.
But are you sure you want to turn right?
Oh yes. The furniture is identical. The newspapers are the same. The food comes from the same kitchen. However, right is best. As a result the two have a very, very different status. Even more significantly, the right hand side has children, and worse, a children's corner. You pay your money, and you have your status.
So, assuming you turn right, you are into the SAS Stockholm Stockholm Business Class for trans-Europe, SAS's new economy plus a bit class.
The Arlanda SAS Business Class lounge is pleasant, light filled, and with a decent atmosphere.
As you enter the newspaper rack is next to the door on the left, and then ahead is the main bar and refreshment area, looking all very Ikea like, with lots of large writing saying 'relax', 'recharge' and 'refresh', as you walk around the circles.
And that is another feature the SAS Business Class lounge in Stockholm has. Circles. The tables are all round. There is a round gathering area, on a round rug, with large round chairs. The lights are giant round, roundels.
Thankfully, at the far side of the lounge is the area called the oblong. It is rectangular. Here, there are just racks and racks and racks of the same armchairs, all in neat straight rows. And all with their own personal hat stand.
Why? Well, in Stockholm it can be chilly even in mid-summer, unlike the SAS lounge which is superheated, and so everyone has to strip their coats off as they sit down. In the far corner is a giant TV, plus some of the most hard uncomfortable plastic bench seats of any lounge worldwide. They are only beaten by the hard wooden upright stools behind them. At least there are plenty of places to sit in the lounge, and it always seems quite empty. Indeed, as you walk around, there always is somewhere to sit. Carry on walking in circles, because the children's area is on the far side of the central roundel in the SAS Arlanda Lounge. Here, there are plenty of Children's books, soft toys, and notes from other children who all seem to have enjoyed playing with the large sit on reindeer. When you leave the SAS lounge, beware it is a long walk from the non-Schengen gates - almost a 12 minute walk to reach the lounge.
Food
Food in the SAS Stockholm Business Class Lounge is good enough, but not over the top. There are six tubs of salad variants, with tomatoes and lettuce etc. There is also an odd tub of herbed lard.
There are lots of types of bread rolls, however the lack of anything hot is notable, except for the hot soup.
The breakfast cold buffet is pretty good, with a selection of breads, there was ham, condiments, biscuits, chips, greens and salad sauces.
Bar
Apart from tons of Carlsberg, there is also Tuborg. In all types of variants. There are also two beer taps, with Pripps Bla beer on draft.Don't miss the wine taps: red and white is on draft, and there are also boxes of wine if you want something more 'refined'.
The walls of the bar area are lined with bottles of much nicer wine, but it's all glued to the shelf so you can't walk off with it.
There is a soft drinks fountain, with six types, including coke, fizzy apple juice, and even fizzy cranberry juice. Unusual.
The SAS Business lounge also has a very good organic coffee machine.
Bathrooms
In lounge.Decent. Clean. No showers.
Business Facilities
There are total of 5 rather elderly Macintosh computers with Internet connections on a shelf right in the centre of the lounge. It's not very good for confidential work.
There is a single printer/copy and fax facility.
Lounge wifi is free and fast.
There is a decent rack of world newspapers right by the door, with the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Daily Telegraph, along with Time Magazine.
Video: SAS Scandinavian Business Lounge
