Showers in Terminal 5 basically mean the SAS Star Alliance Lounge

The SAS Star Alliance Lounge complex in Terminal 5 sits above the SAS transfer desk by gate E1 and runs daily from 05:30 to 23:00. Access is for SAS and Star Alliance business/first passengers plus Star Alliance Gold, including SAS EuroBonus Gold. If you’re connecting on SAS Plus on the same ticket after an SAS business arrival, you still get in under SAS’s lounge rules.

The old split between a SAS Business Lounge and a separate SAS Gold Lounge has blurred, but regulars still talk about a quieter Gold‑side zone and a busier main area. Both sides share Wi‑Fi, plenty of power outlets, and self‑serve buffet stations with cold cuts, salads, soups, and basic hot dishes that rotate through the day. Coffee machines, soft drinks, beer, and wine are all self‑pour, with spirits sometimes limited compared with bigger Star Alliance hubs.

Showers live on the Gold side and make this the only Terminal 5 option most elites bother with for a proper wash. There’s a ticket machine at the shower entrance, but FlyerTalk regulars say that outside peak morning and late‑afternoon banks the queue is basically theoretical. Aim for late morning or mid‑afternoon and you usually walk in without waiting.

Seating breaks into high‑top workbenches, armchairs, and a smaller quiet zone that YouTube reviewers call out for its resting chairs. Power points sit between many seats, so charging a laptop and phone at the same time is easy. The interior got described as “fancy and modern,” but think practical Scandinavian rather than anything flashy. Most food is buffet‑style; heavy eaters often rate the nearby American Express Lounge by Pontus higher for dining and use SAS mainly for showers and workspace.

Watch the walking times: one trip report clocked almost 12 minutes from the E1 lounge complex to far non‑Schengen F‑gates. If your boarding pass says an F2x gate, you’re looking at a decent hike plus passport control. Some Star Alliance elites instead choose the SAS Lounge by Mastercard around gate F26 once they’ve showered or if they don’t need showers at all, trading lounge quality for being closer to departure.

Practical tip: if you care about a shower before a long haul, head straight to the SAS Star Alliance Lounge near gate E1 after security, grab a queue ticket even if the screen shows no wait, and only then start on coffee and food.