The beautiful terminal at Singapore Changi Airport – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
I recently needed to travel between Singapore and Hong Kong while on vacation. There are a lot of options for airlines and equipment for that four-hour flight. I had done the opposite route on the way there in Cathay Pacific business class on an A330. Since I’d never had the opportunity to fly Singapore Airlines (SQ), despite the rave reviews, I decided to transfer points from my Chase account to my SQ KrisFlyer account to redeem for first class. I figured the flight, while not long-haul, was long enough to get to experience the airline.
This article will focus on the ground experience at the excellent Singapore Changi Airport, which many consider to be the best airport in the world. I can see why.
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- Entrance to the private check-in area
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- Inside the private First Class check-in area – Photos: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
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- Dedicated immigration line for First Class passengers
We arrived at the terminal via the MRT train. Given the chance again, I would have just caught a cab or an Uber, since it was nowhere as convenient and timely as, say, the Hong Kong airport express train. Also, when you arrive via car, you can be dropped off in the driveway of the private First Class check-in area. Instead, we had to wander through the terminal to find it – luckily my wife has become more patient with these types of adventures.
Checking out an A380 while having butterflies all around you – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
We’ve written about Changi Airport in the past; it’s a pretty remarkable place. It has a movie theatre, playgrounds, and a butterfly pavilion, among many other things.
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- A wide variety of butterflies
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- Very lush foliage; a nice retreat from the airport
These amenities are all available free-of-charge, and are a great way to help pass a long layover. A warning, though; the airport is huge. It can be a long walk to get to all the different features. Again, not a problem if you have a long layover, but it will take some time.
Terminal shopping options; note the walk times – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
THE LOUNGE, WITHIN A LOUNGE, WITHIN A LOUNGE
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- Golden ticket to the Private Room
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- A very warm welcome to the Private Room – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
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- Main entrance to the SilverKris Lounge
The Private Room is a smaller, more exclusive lounge within the First Class lounge, which itself is a smaller, more exclusive lounge within the main SilverKris Lounge (for business class, elite members, etc). Think of it like a Russian nesting doll. When we went to the main entrance, our “golden tickets” for the Private Room were identified and we were whisked through the multiple lounges to the nearly-empty Private Room.
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- View from our seating area. Note the absolutely massive TV screen to the left.
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- Partial view of the dining area of the Private Room
It’s experiences like this that always make me appreciate airline miles and rewards points. There is no way I’d end up experiencing things like this without them.
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- View down the length of the Private Room
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- Small private work/relaxation rooms – Photos: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
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- As a dad, I always appreciate seeing a family room
While we enjoyed the Private Room, it was completely deserted while we were there (about 4:00pm on a Monday afternoon). And it was quiet. Like, really really quiet. I almost felt like I had to whisper to my wife. I usually prefer a lounge with a little more activity, especially since they had private rooms (within the Private Room…) where you could work or relax in peace.
Fantastic satay, which is a speciality in Singapore – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
We had a nice dinner (we didn’t want to eat too much because we had “Booked the Cook” on our flight), and they offered a wide variety of options. That said, once we left the dining room table and went back to our seats, we had really weak service. We asked for a refill of the wine we were drinking, and it never came. It’s not like staffing was an issue – there were probably eight guests in the lounge, and at least four staff that I had seen milling about.
The “regular” first class lounge – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter
At that point, we decided to “downgrade” ourselves to the First Class lounge. It was much more active, with a walk-up bar that was slinging creative drinks and a good amount of chatter, while still being an incredibly nice lounge.
We’ve had the lucky opportunity to utilize the Lufthansa First Class Lounges in Munich, and the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. I don’t believe Singapore’s top lounge was as good as either of those, but we’re really just splitting hairs at this level.
Stay tuned for the on-board experience as we headed to Hong Kong.
Nice article and looking forward to the on-board report. I went through Singapore a couple of years ago as a business class PAX, but on a rather short layover. I agree with your assessment that it is fine and staggeringly beautiful airport! I wish that I could have seen more… (As for the lounges, I’d also agree that the LH First Class terminal at FRA is still the world’s best, as long as one allows LH to drive. For the best experience, do it THEIR way!) In-flight, Singapore was probably the best, most enjoyable flying experience I’ve ever had. At least on my flight, they got everything right and the meals were simply over the top. I hope that your Book-the-Cook experience was a nice as mine. The idea that one cannot get excellent food on an airplane is nuts, IF the carrier and catering vendor make the effort. Looking forward to your next segment. -C.
Great article…but the cover pic is upside down