When traveling from a cold climate to a warm-weather getaway, the question of what to do with your big, bulky winter jacket becomes an issue. The choices traditionally are to freeze as you run into the airport in shorts and flip flops, or waste valuable luggage space, shoving your coat in there until you return home. Oslo airport has just come up with a third option for those fleeing the cold weather for a bit.
Flytoget, the airport railway service, in collaboration with Oslo airport, has launched a jacket hotel for travelers. It's a free service for those that use the Flytoget train to get to the airport on the day of their flight. Each passenger can check one coat for up to four weeks while they are out of the country enjoying fun in the sun. When they return home, they simply hand in their pickup slip (or a backup picture in case it got lost), grab their coat and head home. For people nervous to leave their coat, fearing it might get lost, stolen, or damaged, they are kept in a locked warehouse at the airport. In the unlikely scenario that something happened to a jacket, the company compensates for loss or damage. It is recommended, however, that no valuables are left behind in the coat, because that loss would not be covered. If you plan to be gone longer than the four weeks allowed, you can arrange for a friend to pick up your coat for you, otherwise, it will be considered abandoned property and handed over to the police.
The service is typically available from the end of January through March or April.
Sources:
Åpner «jakkehotell» på Oslo lufthavn – Stor-Oslo
OSLOAIRPORTS.COM: Jakkehotellet er tilbake på Gardermoen
Flytogets jakkehotell – flytoget.no