Changi Lounge Jewel offering access from just S$10; up to 50% bonus credits

The Changi Lounge at Jewel reopened to the public in August 2020, but with passenger traffic still at record lows, isn’t seeing a whole lot of visitors. 

It’s therefore had to reinvent itself as a co-working space for those tired of working from home, and has just rolled out some very attractive promotions. These are available till 31 August 2021. 

Lounge access

During the promotion period, lounge access  starts from S$10 for two hours, including a drink and pastry. For those looking at a longer stint, S$40 gets you full day access (9 a.m to 9 p.m), plus two drinks and two pastries. 

Guests have the option to top-up for a hot meal, which can be consumed in the lounge. 

Meeting Rooms

The Changi Lounge has two meeting rooms that take five people each. These can normally be combined into a single large meeting room, but current social distancing restrictions limit you to groups of five anyway. 

Bookings of at least two hours will enjoy a special rate of S$48 for the first hour and S$24 subsequently. For perspective, this is even cheaper than the reopening rate we saw in August 2020, which was S$60 for the first hour and S$20 subsequently. 

Buy credits with up to 50% bonus

If you see yourself being a heavy user of the Changi Lounge, you can pre-purchase credits with up to a 50% bonus:

• Pay S$100 for S$130 credits (30% bonus)
• Pay S$200 for S$300 credits (50% bonus)

Free Parking

As part of Jewel’s reopening following the COVID scare in May, all visitors enjoy free parking from 10 a.m to 11 p.m daily until 5 August 2021, with no minimum spend required. Visitors to the Changi Lounge will continue to enjoy free parking from 6 August when they purchase at least four hours of access or a two hour meeting room booking. 

Can I use my lounge pass to access the Changi Lounge?

No, not unless you have a same-day boarding pass. 

Interestingly enough, it seems like the Changi Lounge is no longer accepting Priority Pass (and I would assume by extension LoungeKey since they’re owned by the same company). 

Note: Dragon Pass is now accepted with valid boarding pass. Priority Pass programme has been suspended till further notice.

This would be quite a blow for most cardholders when travel resumes, because the closure of The Haven earlier this year means that the Changi Lounge is the only landside facility (i.e. arrivals lounge) at Changi Airport. 

What’s the Changi Lounge experience like?

While the Changi Lounge normally boasts similar features to a regular airport lounge, it’s running in a rather scaled-back fashion these days. Obviously there’s no more buffet spread, and the shower facilities and nap rooms will be sealed off. 

Instead, expect safe-distanced seating with acrylic panels and an obsessive focus on cleanliness. Surfaces have been treated with anti-microbial coating and portable air purifiers have been placed around the lounge. 

The lounge’s work credentials remain as strong as ever, although perhaps a Herman Miller chair or two wouldn’t go amiss. Universal power outlets with USB ports are widely available, and the Wi-Fi clocked in at a very zippy 37 Mbps down/ 51 Mbps up when I last visited.

For a review of the Changi Lounge pre-COVID, check out the article below. 

Review: Changi Lounge, Jewel Changi Airport Singapore

Conclusion

In the good old days, access to the Changi Lounge would set you back S$50 for three hours, although admittedly the experience was much more luxurious. By stacking bonus credits and promotional rates, the per hour cost could now be as little as S$2.22 (assuming you stay the whole day). 

For those who live in the east, I’d say it’s well worth considering as a co-working space.