Carlsberg Aviator Lounge Review: Is This Copenhagen Airport Lounge Worth It?

If there was one lounge I was curious to visit on my latest trip through Copenhagen Airport, it was the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge.

Why? Well, mostly because I somehow managed to spend three days back in Copenhagen without drinking a single Carlsberg.

Seriously.

That might not sound particularly strange, except on my previous visit to Copenhagen I drank my fair share of the stuff and even went straight to the source while visiting the Carlsberg brewery. This time around, Copenhagen was warm and sunny, so I found myself ordering spritzes while sitting outside in the city’s squares. On the occasions when I did want a beer, the places I stopped at didn’t actually have Carlsberg on tap.

In Copenhagen. Go figure.

So when I found out there was an actual Carlsberg lounge at Copenhagen Airport (CPH), I figured this would be my chance to make up for lost time.

There was just one problem: the lounge wasn’t convenient for my departure. I was flying out of a different part of the airport and ultimately spent my pre-flight time checking out the new SAS Lounge instead.

Thankfully, my travel partner Olivia was heading in the right direction for the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge and had Priority Pass access through her TD credit card. She agreed to pop in, have a look around, drink a beer on my behalf, and report back.

It’s tough work, but someone had to do it.

So, with Olivia handling the boots-on-the-ground research and me filling in the practical details, here’s my Carlsberg Aviator Lounge review, including where to find it, how Priority Pass access works, what you can eat and drink, and whether it’s worth paying to get inside.

Getting Back to Copenhagen After Three Days in Porto

This lounge visit came at the end of a pretty great European trip.

Before returning to Denmark, I spent three days in Porto, eating and drinking my way through the city before flying north to Copenhagen.

There was plenty packed into those three days. I tracked down some of the best Francesinha in Porto, developed a taste for the refreshing Porto Tónico, and stayed at Canto de Luz.

I also got hands-on with Portuguese food during a Porto cooking class and visit to Bolhão Market.

Even my departure from Portugal had a lounge component, as I checked out the Porto Airport Priority Pass ANA Lounge before flying north.

From there, it was back to Copenhagen, a city I’ve visited several times and one that never seems to run out of reasons for me to return.

If you’re planning a similar stop, my three days in Copenhagen itinerary is a good place to start. Some of my favourite Copenhagen experiences have included seeing the city from the water on a Hey Captain Copenhagen boat tour, diving into the Copenhagen food scene, and, yes, touring the Carlsberg brewery.

For this return visit, I was hoping to add another beer-related experience to that list.

Planning Your Own Copenhagen Trip

If you’re putting together a Copenhagen stop before or after a flight through CPH, you can compare cheap flights to Copenhagen and then sort out your accommodations based on your budget.

For an affordable hotel, I’ve got a few options worth considering. You can check rates at Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade, Wakeup Copenhagen Carsten Niebuhrs Gade, or Wakeup Copenhagen to compare locations and prices.

Budget travellers can also look at Copenhagen Downtown Hostel or Steel House Copenhagen. If you’re looking to splurge, Nimb Hotel Copenhagen offers a much more upscale stay.

Once you’re settled, I highly recommend seeing Copenhagen from the water. You can book the Hey Captain Copenhagen canal tour I enjoyed or combine sightseeing with food on a Copenhagen culinary bike tour.

Heading beyond the city? You can also compare car rentals in Copenhagen before your trip.

Where Is the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge at CPH?

First, an important clarification if you’re looking for information about the Carlsberg CPH lounge before your flight: the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge is located in Terminal 2.

You’ll find it airside after security, on the first floor between Piers A and B.

That makes the Carlsberg lounge particularly convenient if your departure takes you through this part of Copenhagen Airport. As with any airport lounge, though, don’t assume you can visit simply because you’re flying from CPH. Check your gate and leave yourself enough time to get to your departure area.

Olivia’s flight made visiting the lounge more convenient than mine.

Rather than race around the airport for the sake of having a Carlsberg, I went to the new SAS Lounge instead. If that’s closer to your gate, or you have access through your ticket or airline status, you can read my Copenhagen Airport SAS CPH Lounge review to see how that experience compares.

Priority Pass Lounge Copenhagen: How to Get In

For travellers searching for a priority pass lounge Copenhagen option, the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge is one of the CPH lounges accepting Priority Pass. Olivia used the Priority Pass membership included with her TD credit card to enter.

That’s an important distinction when you’re deciding whether an airport lounge is actually “free.” Olivia didn’t have to pay at the door, but Priority Pass benefits vary depending on your credit card or membership. Depending on your plan, visits may be included or charged separately.

The lounge also works with other eligible access programs and participating airlines, while passengers without membership access can pay to enter when space is available.

The important words there are when space is available.

Olivia found the lounge quite busy during her visit. If you’re relying on Priority Pass, remember that admission can be restricted when a lounge reaches capacity. So if your entire airport plan revolves around getting into this particular CPH priority pass lounge, have a Plan B.

Copenhagen Priority Pass Lounge Cost and Access

At the time of writing, Copenhagen Airport lists walk-up admission to the Copenhagen priority pass lounge at 229 DKK per person, subject to availability.

Admission covers up to three hours in the lounge and includes the food, drinks, and standard lounge facilities.

Whether 229 DKK represents good value comes down to what you’re going to consume and how much you value having somewhere away from the main terminal to sit.

If you’re planning on having a couple of beers, something to eat, and a coffee before boarding, the math starts looking better pretty quickly. Airport food and drinks aren’t exactly cheap.

If you only want somewhere to sit for 30 minutes before your flight, I’d probably save the money.

Carlsberg Aviator Lounge Opening Hours

The copenhagen airport lounge priority pass option is useful for early departures because the lounge opens at 5:00 AM.

Current published hours are 5:00 AM to 8:30 PM most days, with an earlier 8:00 PM closing on Saturdays.

As always, airport lounge hours can change. Check Copenhagen Airport or your lounge membership app before heading to the airport, particularly if you’re planning around a very early or late flight.

Carlsberg Aviator Lounge Review: Seating and Atmosphere

Olivia’s first impression was that the lounge was busy.

Very busy, actually.

It was busy enough that getting clean photos of all the different seating areas without photographing a bunch of strangers proved difficult. That alone should give you some idea of what to expect during popular travel periods.

The seating itself is fairly standard airport-lounge fare, with different places to settle in depending on whether you’re eating, having a drink, or simply killing some time before boarding.

The design has the sort of clean Scandinavian look you’d expect in Copenhagen, with Carlsberg touches helping give the lounge a little more personality than your average contract lounge.

I wouldn’t come here expecting a massive premium lounge with acres of personal space and over-the-top amenities. The appeal is much more straightforward: get away from the terminal, find a seat, grab something to eat, and pour yourself a Danish beer.

That said, if the lounge itself is packed, some of that value disappears. It’s particularly worth considering if you’re paying the full walk-up price rather than getting in through Priority Pass.

Food at the Carlsberg Lounge

Food at the Carlsberg lounge is more light meal than elaborate airport buffet.

The lounge focuses primarily on a Nordic-style buffet, with cold dishes rather than an extensive spread of hot meals.

That’s not necessarily a problem if you’re stopping in for a snack before your flight. If you’re arriving hungry and expecting the lounge to replace a full restaurant meal, however, you’ll want to temper those expectations.

The upside is that the food is included with admission, so pairing a plate of snacks with a drink or two can still help make paid entry more worthwhile.

For Olivia, though, the food wasn’t the reason to seek out this particular lounge. Let’s be serious. It has Carlsberg in the name.

You know where this is going.

Carlsberg CPH Beer Selection: The Main Event

The beer is easily the most interesting part of the Carlsberg CPH lounge experience.

And really, it better be.

During Olivia’s visit, there were different Carlsberg beers available to sample, including a juicy IPA that she particularly enjoyed.

For beer drinkers, this is what separates the lounge from a generic airport lounge. And yes, I was a little jealous.

After spending three days in Copenhagen somehow failing to get a pint of Carlsberg, Olivia managed to rectify that situation at the airport.

It’s also what makes this lounge a fun option for anyone interested in Copenhagen’s connection to Carlsberg. Having a pint here isn’t exactly the same as visiting the brewery, of course, but the branding and beer selection at least give the lounge a sense of place.

If the beer connection is part of the reason you’re interested in visiting, I’d also suggest reading about my Carlsberg brewery tour in Copenhagen. I drank considerably more Carlsberg on that trip than I managed this time around.

CPH Priority Pass Lounge Amenities

Beyond beer and food, the CPH priority pass lounge covers the airport lounge basics.

You can expect amenities such as Wi-Fi, charging options, flight information, toilets, food, and drinks. Those aren’t particularly flashy features, but they’re also the things that matter most when you’re killing a couple of hours before a flight.

Wi-Fi and access to power can be particularly useful if you’re trying to get some work done before boarding. The catch, as Olivia discovered, is that this can be a busy lounge. When lots of people are inside, finding exactly the seat you want can be more difficult.

That’s probably the best way to look at the amenities overall. This is a functional airport lounge rather than a destination lounge.

Come here to grab a seat, recharge yourself and your devices, have something to eat, and sample some Carlsberg before your flight.

Copenhagen Airport Lounge Priority Pass: Is It Worth Paying For?

This is where my Carlsberg Aviator Lounge review gets a little more nuanced.

If you already have complimentary Priority Pass access through a credit card like Olivia did, I’d absolutely consider stopping in when the lounge is convenient for your gate.

You’re getting somewhere to sit, Wi-Fi, food, and drinks, including draft beer. Even an hour inside can be worthwhile if the main terminal is crowded and you’d otherwise be spending money at an airport bar or restaurant.

Would I pay 229 DKK specifically to visit it?

That depends.

If I had two or three hours before departure and planned to have food, a couple of drinks, and a coffee, I could justify the price. It doesn’t take much spending inside an airport terminal before lounge admission starts looking reasonable.

I’d be less enthusiastic about paying if the lounge were visibly packed. The limited food offering also hurts the value proposition for anyone expecting a substantial hot meal.

In other words, don’t pay because you’re expecting a premium business-class lounge experience. Pay because you want somewhere to wait, some light food, and a couple of Carlsbergs before boarding.

If you already have Priority Pass access included with a credit card, the equation becomes much easier.

Carlsberg Aviator Lounge vs. SAS Lounge Copenhagen

Having now seen what Olivia experienced, am I disappointed that I skipped the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge and spent my time at the new SAS Lounge?

No.

The Carlsberg concept is fun, and the beer selection definitely gives it more personality than your average independent airport lounge. Given my history with Carlsberg in Copenhagen, I would have enjoyed checking it out myself.

But I don’t think it’s worth going significantly out of your way for if you have access to a better or more conveniently located lounge.

In my situation, choosing the SAS Lounge made more sense.

You can check out my full Copenhagen Airport SAS CPH Lounge review for that experience and decide which option makes the most sense for your flight.

Is the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge Worth It?

Overall, the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge looks like a solid, if fairly straightforward, Copenhagen Airport lounge.

Its biggest selling points are Priority Pass access when capacity allows, its location around Piers A and B, and—obviously—the Carlsberg beer selection.

The biggest drawback from Olivia’s visit was how busy it was. Combine that with a food selection geared more toward lighter cold dishes than a substantial hot meal, and this isn’t necessarily a lounge I’d go significantly out of my way to visit.

For Olivia, getting in through the Priority Pass membership attached to her TD card made the decision easy. She had somewhere to relax before her flight and got to sample the Carlsberg selection, with the juicy IPA coming out as her favourite.

For someone paying 229 DKK out of pocket, I’d consider how much time you have and what you plan to eat and drink before buying admission.

As for me?

After somehow spending another three days in Copenhagen without drinking a Carlsberg, you’d think I’d be disappointed that I missed an airport lounge dedicated to the stuff.

I’m not.

I enjoyed checking out the new SAS Lounge instead, and based on Olivia’s report, I don’t feel like I made the wrong choice. Still, it’s good to know the Carlsberg Aviator Lounge is there for next time.

And knowing me and Copenhagen, there will probably be a next time.

Hopefully, I won’t wait until the airport to have a Carlsberg.

Carlsberg Aviator Lounge FAQ

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