Carlsberg Aviator Lounge at Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup [Review]

After an amazing pre-Christmas trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, my family traveled onward to Gdańsk, Poland. Ahead of our Wizz Air flight, we had the opportunity to check out the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge in Terminal 2 of Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (CPH).

I’ll dive into how to access the lounge, the smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich) you might put together for a quick bite, and other amenities the lounge offers. As 1 of 3 lounges that accept Priority Pass in Copenhagen, you’ll hopefully be able to assess if this is the best lounge to land in ahead of your flight.

Carlsberg Aviator Lounge Location

After passing through Terminal 2 security, the lounge is between gates A and B. Once you’ve cleared security, you’ll turn right.

Walking towards gates A and B, you’ll see the lounge space above Bistro Sommelier. The frosted windows have directional signage pointing left toward the entrance.

The main sign says *Aviator Lounge and guests are directed up a set of stairs to the entrances for both the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge and Apartment Aviator Business Lounge.

Our flight gate was not announced when we checked our luggage, and at the lounge, we noticed that it had been assigned to F8. The F gates are on the opposite side of the airport and take around 20 minutes to walk to. Fortunately, as we were traveling within the Schengen Area, we did not have to clear passport control.

Hot Tip:

When considering the timing of your lounge visit, factor in the lounge’s proximity to your gate and whether or not you’ll need to go through immigration.

Gaining Entry to the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge

After climbing the stairs, the check-in desk was to the right. Only 1 guest was in line, so my family was quickly granted entry via our Priority Pass memberships.

I believe the check-in desk functions for both the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge and Apartment Aviator Business Lounge. The entrance for the latter was across from the check-in desk.

Both lounges are open Sunday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Priority Pass

The Carlsberg Aviator Lounge is 1 of 2 Priority Pass lounges at CPH in Terminal 2. There is 1 additional Priority Pass lounge in Terminal 3. Members are allotted a 3-hour maximum stay, and children under 2 years are free.

My husband and I are Priority Pass members through my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. (my husband is an authorized user), and our kids were able to enter as our guests.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Other Lounge Networks and Partners

The lounge is also available to Diners Club International, Eurocard, Lounge Pass, and LoungeKey members.

Signage indicated that eligible passengers of the following airlines could access the Aviator Lounges: Aegean, Air France, Air Greenland, Air Serbia, Alsie Express, Atlantic Airways, Brussels Airlines, Czech Airlines, Etihad, Finnair, Iberia, Iberia Express, Icelandair, KLM, LOT, Luxair, TAP, Tui, and Vueling.

Eligible customers of Apollo, Bravo Tours, and VALiZO can also access the lounge.

Day Rates

You can purchase a 3-hour pass for 199 Danish Krone (~$29), or 5 3-hour passes for 845 DKK (~$124), around 17% savings.

Hot Tip:

The 3-hour rate for the Apartment Aviator Business Lounge is 249 DKK (~$37), and 5 3-hour passes run 1,060 DKK (~$156). The main difference between the 2, besides cost, appears to be that the Apartment offers spirits.

First Impressions

While we were able to access the lounge easily, my first thoughts were about where I would find seats for 5. The lounge was packed. Knowing we had about an hour to relax, I didn’t want to land at a high-top table, so we first explored the entire lounge for seating.

The space had many warm wood accents, from the wall panels to the flooring. The exterior floor-to-ceiling windows also looked out over the concourse, making the lounge open and airy.

Seating

As with most lounges, there were various seating options throughout the space. The most unattractive options for families seemed to be closest to the buffet and entrance. Guests’ first options were high-top tables and barstools, some with backs and some without.

This recessed space had a long high-top table, a few loungers, and a magazine shelf.

The main dining area closest to the buffet had several long high-top tables with stools. There did not appear to be any charging options at these tables.

Turning right past the recessed seating area began an L-shaped seating arrangement of wingback chairs against the windows across from a wall of banquette seating.

My family was able to find seating for 5 on a banquette, but there were no outlets for charging, and the arrangement of our family and bags felt awkward and transactional. These were not comfortable seats for relaxing — just a place to eat, drink, and move on.

We snagged a wingback chair across from a pair of outlets along the window. These seats were in highest demand during our visit. Having a travel adapter with multiple USB ports allowed us to charge several devices with access to just 1 outlet.

Hot Tip:

Tables in the lounge are made from recycled material from Carlsberg’s Draft Master beer kegs.

Food and Beverage

Our visit started around 10:30 a.m., and the food offerings were very lunch-leaning. The lounge website describes its dining style as “Nordic tapas,” which was spot-on. There were no main entrées, but plenty of cold salads and cheeses. We were counting on this lounge to fill a lunch void, and it delivered.

Buffet

The food items were very well-stocked and looked fresh, particularly the salads.

Some of the cold dishes included pickled herring, egg salad, flæskesteg with rødkål (roast pork with red cabbage), hummus, pumpkin spread, and blue cheese spread.

While my kids strayed from the pickled herring, they were able to load up on cheese slices and cubes.

Apples and oranges were essentially the only grab-and-go items.

There were rolls, rice cakes, and delicious seeded bread to accompany the many salads and spreads.

More traditional hard rolls were also available.

I enjoyed trying a little bit of everything, and after this egg salad sample, I returned for a whole sandwich. My husband liked the roast pork best and cobbled together a sandwich with that and some cheese.

My kids’ main disappointment was that nothing really satisfied their sweet tooth. There were no desserts or treats on offer.

Drinks

This is the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge, so let’s talk about the beer on tap. Options included Carlsberg, Brewmasters India Pale Ale, Carlsberg Nordic Ale, and Carlsberg 1883. There were taps in 2 areas of the lounge, and both had the same options.

There were 3 wine options: Showdown Red Zinfandel, Lazy Lizard Rosé 2021, and Uva Non Grata Gros Manseng. No liquor was available at this lounge.

There were 2 soda fountains with Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes Lemon, and Schweppes Indian Tonic Water. There were no canned beverages.

A self-service coffee machine could produce espresso, Americano, cappuccino, lattes, hot chocolate, and more. My son also found himself a mug of non-alcoholic gløgg (mulled apple cider), which was a treat for him as he had seen it at several Christmas markets.

Orange juice, apple juice, exotic juice, and cold water were dispensed via touchscreen from this tap.

Bottom Line:

If you’re used to taking a bottle of water or a can of soda with you as you leave the lounge, that’s not an option at Carlsberg Aviator Lounge, as there are no single-packaged beverages.

Amenities

Restrooms

The restrooms were located near the entrance of the lounge.

There were few stalls, but there was never a wait. This lounge does not have showers.

The largest stall in the women’s restroom was spacious if you needed to change clothes and had a ledge for belongings and its own sink.

Wi-Fi

The lounge does not have its own Wi-Fi and instead utilizes the CPH Airport Free WiFi network. No code or password was needed, and while I did not run a speed test, my access was efficient and without issue.

Periodicals

Some magazines were on the shelves in the recessed seating area, but these were all in Danish.

Print Facilities

The lounge’s website notes that it has print facilities, but I did not notice any “business center” spaces during my visit. If you need to print something, I suggest contacting the check-in attendants for assistance.

Staff and Service

My kids have not mastered the fine art of maximizing plate space, so they tend to put 1 or 2 things on a plate and then amass a giant stack of plates as they go back and forth from the buffet. Considering we were utilizing the small tables built into the banquette space, these stacks became a bit cumbersome but were cleared eventually.

As attendance in the lounge turned over frequently, I did not notice plates or glasses lingering long by empty seats.

Final Thoughts

We missed visiting the Home of Carlsberg brewery attraction on our visit to Copenhagen, so the novelty of visiting the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge at Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, was appealing.

I enjoyed some of the unique food options, but the available seating wasn’t a great fit for our family of 5, outlets were not easily accessible, and it was a real hike to get to our gate. The lounge was very light on amenities, so it’s ideal for a place to grab a quick bite to eat, use the restroom, and head to your gate.