Oslo Airport

I do not understand how 30 minute connection time is allowed at this airport. I had a 30 minute connection time between SAS flights from HEL to AMS. There were no gate agents or signs to guide for connection no displays for flight information and very large number of people trying to figure things out for themselves. Unlike all other EU airports I had go through security for flights within EU. Many people on my AMS flight missed it because they were connecting. I made it because the pilot held the flight for 10 minutes for connecting passengers. Not to mention they have construction everywhere - inside and out. Avoid this airport for any connections.

If you are on an international flight and your final destination is Oslo then no worries. However if you have an onward destination within Norway then avoid this airport like the plague. It is worse still if you are a non-EU citizen and have to queue in the non-EU passport line. Upon arrival after queuing in passport control you have to wait to collect your bags and walk these through customs - this customs check is fair enough though. However then you need to take your bags up one floor to the departure hall and check them in again via a new queue with all the other new and transit passengers (in a busy airport) and proceed to another yet another queue for a new security check. All these steps make a 2hr connection to a domestic flight risky business and as a consequence I allow a minimum of 3 hours for connections based on all too many missed flights. This is good business for Olso airport which derives half its income from retail sales of overpriced food drink and other stuff. An intelligent solution to these issues would be to have a baggage drop directly outside of customs as exists in countless other airports and then allow the option for transit passengers to remain in the secure area and proceed to their gate. I suggest therefore that international travelers transiting Oslo look at options avoiding that airport and land at other Norwegian airports with customs/immigration facilities closer to their final destination. There are a number of direct flights from European cities to regional Norwegian cities.

I used to like this airport. They are extending it now and flights are often very late due to congestion. I find that amazing at an airport like this built only 15 years ago. If you are unlucky enough to use the domestic end and your flight goes from gate 19 (a to e) then you have a 20 minute walk. No travelators no help. Also if you go on a Monday morning you are highly likely to be queuing all round the airport just to get through security. At the moment this airport is a disgrace considering the relatively small number of passengers. Also a small bottle (50cl) of water for 30 kroner (around 6 US dollars!).

Flew in and from Oslo but was lucky enough not to have a connecting flight so my experience is not as bad as others. The airport is clear and people are friendly. I found very confusing that they decided to unload different planes at the same time on the same luggage belt while others were empty (this certainly shows that organization may not be first class). Waiting time was average. A good point rental cars booth are very easy to find at short walking distance and same for the car park. The railway station is also within the terminal building easy to find and an excellent idea in winter. At departure safety queue is quite long the terminal certainly boasts the highest ratio of bars and snacks (with lots of customers even in the afternoon) compared to its size. Bad thing is that the number of available seats at the gates is ridiculously small and as our flight was delayed with very little information had to wait standing at the gate. One wonders how highly paid and supposedly qualified people who design and manage airports are unable to think that waiting passengers should be able to sit somewhere! General cleanliness could be improved but is not too bad.

On arrival at Oslo Gardamoen airport the first toilet I came to was disgusting! Further toilets only OK. This airport is satisfactory except for Norwegian style prices in the shops and restaurants. It is easy to find ones way layout good. It looks a bit "tired" lamps needing replacing here and there etc. There is work in progress at the airport. I found the train connections to Oslo city centre good and staff helpful.

SAS offered us flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam with a short stop-time in Oslo. Time mentioned in our tickets was suspiciously short only about 40 minutes to change the aircraft. We supposed airline knew how things arranged in the airport. But in fact in was the most stressful situation we’ve ever had. First it was a 10 minutes arrival delay to Oslo lack of distinct pointers for international and domestic directions where passengers should go to and having to go through an unexpected security control. All of this meant that we have had many chances for a delay. Any our attempts to take actions to speed up the process at the security control have met no reaction the staff simply didn’t understand English or acted as that. Exclusively through our assertive action we were able to pass this control phase but only caught a plane due to a 20 minutes next flight delay. A short stay in this airport left depression. In order to prove that the problem is in the internal airport organization I would mention our return route through Copenhagen where everything was organized at the highest level and we have had sufficient time to relax and continue our journey.

Very confusing instructions (actually no instructions) for connection flights long queues and chaotic atmosphere.

I've flown to Oslo several times within the past year. I don't understand why it take 30-40 minutes for the baggage to arrive on the conveyor belt. It makes it impossible to catch many of the scheduled connecting flights. Security is relatively fast compared to other airports (usually a 10 minute wait) but between waiting 40 minutes for your bags running through customs running upstairs going through security and running to your gate at the end of the long crowded corridors (without any conveyors) there is no chance to make connecting flights. The airline staff don't even seem surprised! The other problem with Oslo airport is that it is somewhat dirty. Not disgusting - but definitely not clean. Like many other airports in Europe the corridors and walkways are becoming ever more narrow as the duty free shops get wider and wider. Trying to get to your gate in the morning or evening is like an obstacle course. On the bright side the airport has relatively nice architecture. But altogether it's an airport one should definitely avoid.

I've flown through this airport about 4 times in the past 6 months - always to connect to a domestic airport (Alesund). For an airport its very nice inside lots of wood and natural light and the little staff around are friendly this is about the only good thing though. As many others have said the real problem is that connecting from an international to domestic flight means you have to collect your bags run though customs (easy enough) go up a floor to re check your bag then clear security again. Confusing signs and very few toilets (never had to queue for the mens before). The crazy thing is that my SAS tickets say I can do all of this in less than an hour. I now only take carry on luggage and even this still leaves me stressing I will miss my flight. Or if I do need to put something in the hold I end up taking a later connecting flight and find myself bored in the terminal. Leaving Norway is ok as they will check my bag all the way back to the UK.

Although new and modern it is a disappointment as traveling from Oslo is far from a smooth experience. If you arrive with an international flight and continue on a domestic one you always need to collect your luggage take it to departures check it in again and go through security. When I was traveling trough OSL last time the check-in for my flight had been moved from zone H to D but this change was not shown in the check-in information displays and I ended up waiting for 30 min for the desk to open before enquiring at the ticket desk which told me where to go. Staff told me that it was not possible to change the information that is showed in the displays. WiFi is free but to annoy you they've made a system that requires you to enter your phone number and then a code is sent by SMS. The toilet facilities are really bad there simply are not enough of them and you almost always end up queuing. Just a handful of shops although the Duty Free is pretty good. Overall it's inferior airport compared to others in the Nordic countries.