Terminal 3

Most SAS and Star Alliance check-in sits in Terminal 3

Terminal 3 at Copenhagen Airport is the SAS and Star Alliance side of the joint T2/T3 building, with Scandinavian Airlines, Lufthansa, KLM, and British Airways check-in desks all on this end of the hall. Landside, the train station and metro drop you almost directly into T3, so you’re within a one- to three-minute walk of the SAS counters once you come up from the platforms. T3 feeds into the C, D, and E gate piers, so your boarding pass may say CPH Terminal 3 but your actual gate will show as C, D, or E on the screens.

Schengen security in T3 drops you straight into the main hall

After security in Terminal 3’s Schengen area, you step into a central zone with Tax Free straight ahead and food and coffee spots like Joe & The Juice, Starbucks, and Lagkagehuset within a two- to five-minute walk. The T3 Schengen side serves the A/B and early C gates; signs to C and D start right by WHSmith, which sits a short walk from the central security exit. Meeting someone from Terminal 2 is simple because T2 and T3 share the same airside space; locals on TripAdvisor say you can walk between them in just a few minutes without re-clearing security.

SAS lounges sit airside in the T3 Schengen zone

The SAS Lounge and SAS Gold Lounge are both airside in Terminal 3’s Schengen section, just past security and a few minutes’ walk from the central Tax Free shop. A FlyerTalk EuroBonus regular calls the upstairs Gold lounge the better of the two, mostly because it stays quieter and has a separate feel from the main Business lounge below. If you’re on a Schengen-to-Schengen itinerary, you can check in at T3, clear security, head to the SAS lounges, and walk to your C or D Schengen gate without ever leaving this side of the building.

Schengen-to-non-Schengen connections: lounge first, passport later

For non-Schengen flights leaving from C, D, or E, frequent flyers say they stay in the T3 Schengen SAS lounges first, then leave with a buffer to clear passport control rather than sitting in the non-Schengen area for hours. Plan at least 20–30 minutes from lounge door to an E gate, since you’ll walk to the C/D split, pass the 7-Eleven, and then queue at passport control before hitting the non-Schengen concourse. Regulars posting on FlyerTalk mention using this pattern on long-haul departures to the US and Asia so they get the better lounge setup on the Schengen side.

Using the C–D–E connector instead of the main hall

On the way to non-Schengen gates, look for the escalator between the 7-Eleven and passport control near the C pier; that escalator leads up to a quieter corridor that runs from C past D1–D6 and out toward the E+100 gates. A FlyerTalk connection guide says the walk to those E+100 gates takes only a “handful of minutes” and often feels almost deserted compared with the dense T3 Schengen hall. This upper connector is useful for stretching your legs on a 10–15 minute walk to the far E gates without weaving through the busiest parts of the terminal.

Food and coffee: quick stops clustered near central T3

Food options in the T3 side of the T2/T3 complex skew toward quick service, with Starbucks, Espresso House, Joe & The Juice, and Lagkagehuset all within a short radius of the central post-security area. Lagkagehuset is a Danish bakery chain worth using for a 30–50 DKK pastry and coffee before a morning SAS departure, while the Foodmarket and Gastro sit closer to the C/D corridor if you want something more substantial. Unicorn and other smaller stands appear along the walk toward the piers, but the strongest density of options and seating is within about five minutes of the T3 security exit.

Shopping: Tax Free core, then smaller stops as you walk out

Right after T3 security you’re pushed through the main Tax Free store, which carries liquor, cosmetics, and local brands and tends to be busiest in the 06:00–09:00 and 16:00–19:00 banks. Once you clear that, you pass WHSmith and a Travel Retail Store offering travel-sized items, chargers, and reading material before hitting the split toward the C and D gates. There’s also a 7-Eleven closer to passport control near the C pier, handy for grabbing a 25–40 DKK bottle of water or a basic sandwich before heading into the non-Schengen side where options thin out.

Non-Schengen side: one lounge, weaker facilities

On the non-Schengen C/D/E side fed from Terminal 3, FlyerTalk users complain about limited power outlets near many gates and restroom setups that feel undersized for the number of long-haul passengers. The single shared non-Schengen lounge for multiple airlines and alliances can fill up fast before US and Asia departures, and regulars say food is replenished but the selection is nothing special for a long wait. If your SAS or Star Alliance flight uses the E gates, budget extra time to walk out there and expect fewer shops and food stands compared with the main T3 Schengen area.

What regulars do and one final timing tip

SAS loyalists usually head straight to the upstairs SAS Gold lounge in Terminal 3 when eligible, since reports say it’s calmer than the Business lounge and has a nicer atmosphere for getting some work done before boarding. Experienced CPH flyers use the escalator shortcut between the 7-Eleven and passport control for a smoother walk to the C/D/E connector, particularly when aiming for the E+100 gates that sit several minutes farther out. As a simple rule of thumb, be at T3 security 60 minutes before a Schengen departure and inside passport control 45 minutes before a non-Schengen flight, and you’ll have enough margin for the walks this terminal setup demands.