Singapore Airlines has finally unveiled its new First Class Lounge and The Private Room at Changi Airport Terminal 3, completing a long-delayed S$50 million renovation first announced back in July 2019.
The new First Class Lounge and The Private Room will open to passengers from 6 p.m on 31 May 2022, joining the already-operational Business Class Lounge and KrisFlyer Gold Lounge.
This will provide some much-needed relief to the beleaguered Business Class Lounge, which had been playing host to all eligible passengers since November 2021- an arrangement that had become increasingly untenable in recent months.
| At a Glance: Singapore Airlines’ New T3 Lounges | ||
| Lounge | Previous | New |
| The Private Room | 78 pax (835 sqm) |
78 pax (951 sqm) |
| SilverKris First Class Lounge | 134 pax (1,044 sqm) |
134 pax (1,080 sqm) |
| SilverKris Business Class Lounge | 488 pax (2,155 sqm) |
575 pax (2,925 sqm) |
| KrisFlyer Gold Lounge | 165 pax (500 sqm) |
350 pax (1,100 sqm) |
| Total | 865 pax (4,534 sqm) |
1,137 pax (6,056 sqm) |
It’s great news for Suites, First Class and Solitaire PPS Club members, who up till now had to slum it in a cordoned-off section of the Business Class Lounge. It wasn’t terrible by any means, but was never going to offer anything approaching a proper First Class experience.
I had the opportunity to visit both the First Class Lounge and The Private Room at a media event today, ahead of tomorrow’s public opening. Here’s everything you need to know about the new lounges, what to look forward to, and some insider tips on making the most of your visit.
Read on for the full details!
Where are the lounges?
The SilverKris Lounge complex (which consists of The Private Room, First Class Lounge and Business Class Lounge) is located on level 3 of Terminal 3’s departure concourse.
After clearing immigration, turn left at the giant Louis Vuitton store and walk towards the A Gates.
You can either take the first escalator you see on the right, straight after the first Cosmetics & Perfumes by Shilla store…
…or walk slightly further and take the second escalator, next to the second Cosmetics & Perfumes by Shilla store.
The SilverKris Lounge is impossible to miss, thanks to the showpiece glass installation that Singapore Airlines has commissioned. This 12m x 3.8m wall features SIA’s signature batik motif, styled with 105 hand-crafted art glass pieces- a play on the batik design screen that adorns SilverKris Lounges around the world. It was created by glass artist B. Jane Cowie, whose works can also be found at the Enchanted Garden in Terminal 2.
With the completion of renovation works, all three SilverKris Lounges (First Class, Business Class and The Private Room) share a common entrance foyer.
From the moment guests enter, they’re in for a visual, aural and olfactory feast: a custom-made 8K Sony Crystal LED curved wall displays an animation of the SIA’s batik motif, SIA’s sonic signature “The Sound of Singapore Airlines” plays softly in the background, while SIA’s bespoke Batik Flora scent (created by Singapore artisan perfumer Scent by Six) lingers in the air.
At reception, boarding passes will be scanned and guests directed to the appropriate SilverKris Lounge based on their entitlement (or sent back down the corridor to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge!).
First Class Lounge
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| 🛫 tl;dr: First Class Lounge |
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Access & Operating Hours
The First Class Lounge is open 24 hours a day.
Access is available to:
- Solitaire PPS Club members arriving or departing on a Singapore Airlines flight (+1 guest)
- Suites and First Class passengers departing on a Singapore Airlines or Star Alliance flight (+1 guest)
While this is not officially stated anywhere on the SIA website, I’ve confirmed with airline representatives that Suites and First Class passengers arriving in Singapore on a Singapore Airlines flight have access to the First Class Lounge as well.
Since Suites and First Class passengers on Singapore Airlines can also access The Private Room, the First Class Lounge is primarily intended for Solitaire PPS Club members as well as First Class passengers flying on Star Alliance partners (which is just Lufthansa and SWISS, at the moment).
Lounge Overview
The First Class Lounge seats 134 passengers, the same number as the previous lounge. However, there’s an ever-so-slight increase in floor space from 1,044 sqm to 1,080 sqm.
Interior design was overseen by hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA, also behind projects such as the Four Seasons Singapore, Address Sky View Dubai, Capella Bangkok, and Signiel Busan), who have done a fantastic job of moving the lounges out of the mid-2000s and into the current decade.
Upon entering the First Class Lounge, guests are greeted by the flagship bar, decorated with Lalique crystals inspired by the Aquatic Ginger flower from SIA’s batik motif. A total of 119 crystals adorn the curved wall, evoking the gentle scattering of flowers by the wind (or, less poetically, the 70,000 lbf of take-off thrust generated by an A380).
Eight seats are available at the bar, with a further half dozen or so at an adjacent high table.
Additional seating is available along the wall, with grey leather armchairs and slipper chairs as green as the olives in the martinis.
Near the entrance is a large meeting room with a total capacity for 12. This can be divided into two smaller private rooms depending on requirements. Printing facilities are available on request.
One repeated complaint that SIA received about its old First Class lounge was its tiny dining area. This seated maybe 20-25 people at most, resulting in major congestion during peak hours.
That will hopefully be a thing of the past with the new dining hall, which seats 50 guests; double the capacity from before. Most of the tables are two-tops, though a few four-tops are thrown into the mix. It will be a tighter squeeze for the four-tops, as the table size doesn’t scale linearly with the number of seats.
Larger groups can slide up to one of four family-style booths, with SIA’s batik motif subtly embossed in the background.
Beyond the dining hall is a secondary seating area with the lounge’s only TV. The TV seems somewhat undersized given the viewing area, but who really watches TV in a lounge anyway?
Armchairs here are configured in sets of two, each with their own power outlets and wireless charging pads.
There’s also a children’s playroom, with glass walls so parents can sit outside and still monitor their little ones within.
A total of six productivity pods are available for use- two near the playroom, and four near the entrance to the day rooms on the opposite side of the dining hall. Unlike the pods in the Business Class Lounge, which are outfitted with dark blue leather and plain table tops, the pods here adopt a darker, more luxurious tone, with a marble patterned table.
Each pod has a reading light, wireless charging pad, as well as USB and universal charging outlets.
At the very rear of the lounge is a small self-serve refreshment area, and beyond this the toilets and showers.
You’ll also find a soundproof room for taking phone calls. It could double up as a workspace in a pinch, though the tiny high chair seems designed to dissuade people from lingering too long.
Day Rooms
If instead of heading straight through the dining hall you turned left and then left again, you’d find four private day rooms, available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Guests can obtain a QR code from the receptionist, which entitles them to two hours of access.
Day rooms are built with special noise-dampening material, and with the door closed, it’s serenely quiet. Two rooms have adjustable recliners, while two rooms have single beds.
Adjustable recliners are from Poltrona Frau- if that name sounds familiar, that’s because they also upholstered the First and Business Class seats on Singapore Airlines’ new A380s.
Bedrooms come with a Tempur Zero G bed base, paired with Tempur’s Firm Supreme mattress. This provides full-body support, with a variety of massage options. A zero-gravity setting allows for weightless relaxation by taking stress off the lower back and elevating feet to the same level as the heart.
Each day room also has a mini-desk with charging outlets and USB ports, allowing it to be used like a hotel room.
There’s even a pillow menu- sort of. Guests can choose from a Tempur Symphony (medium firm) or a Tempur Cloud (soft fluffy).
Singapore Airlines has a partnership with Singapore-based wellness brand COMO Shambhala, which is responsible for a few of the creations on the Book the Cook menu. This partnership extends to the lounge, where yoga blocks, mats and essential oils can be requested to relax and unwind.
Food & Beverage
Dining in the First Class Lounge is buffet style, with live cooking stations that whip up dishes like chicken satay, roti prata, bak chor mee, pastas and eggs to order.
During the media event, we were shown a selection of items that would be available on rotation at the live stations or at the buffet.
Veterans of the old First Class Lounge may remember the “breakfast nook” that popped up in the morning. This is now a permanent feature, with a hot plate and waffle iron installed in the buffet area (and even outside of breakfast, who doesn’t enjoy a waffle with ice cream for dessert?).
A buffet lunch was served, featuring classics like dim sum, King Prawn laksa, chicken satay, and chili crab sauce with mantou sticks. I was particularly impressed by the quality of the dim sum, and the fact there were truffle fries.
Near the buffet line is an area with lighter bites, self-serve drinks and two coffee machines. Häagen-Dazs ice cream lurks in the fridge.
The bar near the entrance features barista-made coffee in the morning (6 a.m to 10 a.m), and signature cocktails in the evening (5.30 p.m to 1 a.m).
There’s a standard list of options, though I’m sure the bartender will be willing to whip up something special on request.
It’s just a shame that cocktails won’t be available during the daytime hours though- if anyplace should be sympathetic to the concept of “five o’clock somewhere”, you’d think it’d be an airport lounge!
At the rear of the lounge is a self-service refreshment area that features an electronic wine dispenser and self-pouring beer machine. Self-pour champagne can be found here, in the form of a Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime 2007 (4.6★)
In terms of wines, visitors to the First Class Lounge can expect:
- Greywackle Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (4.0★)
- Kooyong Pinot Noir 2015 (3.7★)
- Joseph Drouhin Pouilly-Vinzelles 2016 (3.9★)
- Henschke Henry’s Seven 2016 (4.0★)
Wi-Fi & Power Outlets
Singapore Airlines mentions in its press release that customers can expect Wi-Fi speeds of up to 25 Mbps. Indeed, I managed to clock speeds very close to that, but we need to keep in mind the lounge was close to empty. In real-world conditions at the Business Class Lounge, I usually clock about half that speed.
At least there’ll be no outlet hunting, because the First Class Lounge has an abundance of universal power outlets paired with USB Type-A charging ports. These can be found between chairs, under tables, built into carpentry, pretty much everywhere you’d need them.
I was expecting to see Type-C outlets, given how this will be the flagship lounge for the next decade or so, but I suppose wireless charging pads allow you to skip a generation.
Showers & Toilets
One glaring weakness of the old First Class Lounge was that shower rooms were located inside the main toilet. That made for an awkward arrangement, more akin to a locker room than a luxury airline lounge.
This has finally been rectified in the new First Class Lounge, with a total of six shower suites available to passengers (including one handicap-accessible unit). I find them rather dim, as the photos below show- an additional recessed light over the toilet wouldn’t go amiss.
Each suite is equipped with a GROHE Sensia Arena wall-hung electric bidet toilet, in pristine alpine white (long may it stay that way). There’s also a hand shower and rain shower.
What’s unfortunate is that First Class shower amenities still come in non-descript, generically-labelled bottles, which does a disservice to the luxurious interiors the designers have so painstakingly crafted. I don’t need Aesop or anything, but I do think that better presentation wouldn’t go amiss in such a place. I’ve given feedback to the SIA team on this, so let’s see if anything changes over the next couple of months.
Male and female toilets with tall mirrors, Dyson hand-dryers and GROHE Sensia Arena bidet toilets are located near the shower suites. Curiously, they’ve installed hairdryers in the toilets as well, even though the showers are no longer here (an SQ representative told me that some men like to style their hair in the washroom, hence the inclusion- as a balding man, I have no comment).
A nursing and changing room is located next to the toilets.
The Private Room
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| 🛫 tl;dr: The Private Room |
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Access & Operating Hours
The Private Room is open from 5.30 a.m to 2.30 a.m daily.
Access is available to:
- Suites and First Class passengers departing on a Singapore Airlines flight (guests are not permitted)
Just like the First Class Lounge, Suites and First Class passengers arriving in Singapore on a Singapore Airlines flight may access The Private Room- a policy not codified on the website, but confirmed with airline representatives.
Do note that First Class passengers on Star Alliance flights and Solitaire PPS Club members do not get access to The Private Room. In a sense, The Private Room is Singapore Airlines’ “true” First Class lounge.
| ❓ Which SIA routes have Suites or First Class? | |
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| Suites (A380-800) |
First Class (B777-300ER) |
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Lounge Overview
The new incarnation of The Private Room retains its 78 passenger capacity from before, but sees a 10% increase in floor space from 835 sqm to 951 sqm.
A bronze-walled passageway leads to a secondary reception area, set beneath a stunning light dome comprising 107 crystal flowers and metal leaves, specially designed for Singapore Airlines by French glassmaker Lalique (Lalique also provides the skincare products for First Class amenities kits, and once upon a time, crystal fish).
The shape of the crystals is inspired by Aquatic Ginger, one of the 10 native flowers in SIA’s signature batik motif. It’s a similar callback that the flagship bar in the First Class lounge also shares.
Compared to the First Class Lounge, the layout of The Private Room is relatively simple- there’s a forward sitting area, and an aft dining room.
However, unlike the previous Private Room which was a lounge-within-a-lounge, the new Private Room has been redesigned as a stand-alone facility, entirely self-contained with its own showers, toilets, day rooms, and childcare facilities.
Central to The Private Room’s ethos is, well, privacy. The previous iteration didn’t do a great job of this, in the sense that the seating area was one long, exposed corridor, only occasionally broken up by the odd partition here and there.
In contrast, the new Private Room uses furniture and décor to create visual partitions between different groups of guests. The idea is for guests to “own their space”, conceptually similar to having a privacy divider between airline seats- you’re not physically distant from the next person or group, but psychologically it makes a big difference.
If you head down the left aisle, you’ll find a three-seater table, plus five semi-private solo units.
If you head down the right aisle, you’ll find six more private seating pods.
These alternate in configuration between pods with two armchairs…
…and pods with an armchair and a couch.
Straight down the middle, in between the two aisles, are central living spaces for larger groups (though I’m not sure how large a group can be when First Class maxes out at four and Suites at six). These feature tall architectural glass screens and custom lighting pieces by LASVIT, creating a lush ambiance.
The old Private Room’s dining room looked like a traditional steakhouse, with dark leather panels, white tablecloths, burnt orange booth seats and dim lighting. All they needed was Frank Sinatra on the speakers and photos of famous visitors on the walls, and you might think you were in Peter Luger or Keens.
The new dining room, found at the far end of The Private Room, channels a modern bistro with lighter tones, a polished white marble floor, and warm lighting.
Back near the entrance is a family room, with a TV, sofa and beanbag chair. Colouring pencils and arts & crafts materials are available on request.
Day Rooms
The Private Room has four day rooms, each available for a 2-hour slot.
While the day rooms in the First Class Lounge require you to choose between a recliner or bed, two of the day rooms in The Private Room have both, while the other two have a recliner only.
The desk is also larger, with a separate luggage storage rack.
Food & Beverage
The highlight of The Private Room is its a la carte dining room, with waiter service at each table. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to a restaurant experience.
I managed to sneak a look at the menu, which offers the following:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Vegetarian & Dessert
Some mock-ups were provided.
We didn’t get to sample The Private Room’s offerings during the media event, but I’m planning a First Class flight very soon where I’ll be sure to try it out.
At the rear of the dining room is an attractively-lit wine fridge, plus a ham slicing machine and barista station.
The wine selection was on full display, in an attractively-lit display case.
In terms of wines, The Private Room guests can look forward to the following:
- Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2007 (4.6★)
- Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien 2007 (4.1★)
- Chateau Corton Grancey Grand Cru 2010 (4.3★)
- Greywackle Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (4.0★)
- Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Cru 2015 (4.3★)
There is no bar in The Private Room, but you can order cocktails through the waitstaff or head back to the First Class Lounge to get a bespoke drink made for you.
Wi-Fi & Power Outlets
I clocked similar Wi-Fi speeds in The Private Room as in the First Class Longe (~25 Mbps up and down), though the real testing is required to determine its robustness.
Just like the First Class Lounge, universal power outlets and USB ports are plentiful throughout The Private Room, located at almost every seat and table.
Zens wireless charging pads can also be found on several tables.
Toilets & Showers
The previous iteration of The Private Room had three showers, but they lacked attached toilets and were located inside the main bathroom. That simply wasn’t good enough, not when rivals like Cathay Pacific were offering private cabanas!
Singapore Airlines hasn’t gone the cabana route, but at least they’re no longer lagging behind. The new Private Room has a total of four shower suites (including one accessible unit), each with their own toilet.
Shower rooms are notably larger than those in the First Class lounge, as evidenced by the additional countertop space. There’s even space for a luggage rack (or block, rather).
Like the First Class lounge, shower fittings are by GROHE, with a hand shower, rain shower, and a Sensia Arena bidet toilet for all your unmentionables.
While the First Class Lounge has toiletries in unmarked, generic bottles, shower amenities in The Private Room come from COMO Shambhala’s signature Invigorate range.
Shower Room #1 and #2 are largely the same, but Shower Room #3 is special. This is easily twice the size of the others, allowing for a bench seat and additional luggage storage space. I’ve been told it’s the largest shower room anywhere in Changi, and I wouldn’t argue with that.
The accessible shower room skips the rain shower for a more hand shower and bench layout, and has more than sufficient space for a wheelchair and caregiver.
Male and female toilets are available as well.
A changing and nursing room is available for those travelling with infants.
Nursing room
Conclusion
Singapore Airline’s new First Class Lounge and The Private Room will open for prime time at 6 p.m on 31 May 2022, and first impressions are very good indeed. Of course, the real test will be in the months to come, as the lounges fill up and resources get stretched.
I’ll be doing a field test of these lounges within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!
What do you make of the new First Class Lounge and The Private Room?
They’re gonna serve that inedible lasagna (that anyone that visited silverkris recently might have had the misfortune to experience)… to first class passengers? lolololol
I can’t believe someone designed all the refurbished lounges f&b options and came up with these. Qantas F/Y better in every single meal in SQ’s home airport… Truly sad
Hi Andrew, great review. Thanks
Uh dude. Wrong website. You can find Andrew at the other site, thanks.
Not bad, not unpleasant, but rather a lot of ‘meh’
SQ lounge has alot of rooms for improvement.
I truly missed the first class lounge in Taipei.
They even serve ding tai feng and dessert from famous shop in Taipei.
https://www.executivetraveller.com/eva-air-the-garden-infinity-mileagelands-diamond-lounge-review-taipei-taoyuan-airport
Great overview! I’m surprised by the lack of vegetarian options on the menu. Even the Book the Cook Menu has extremely limited vegetarian options. Given that people are now more health conscious, I would expect a greater selection of more healthy food options, including vegetarian items.
yeah that was a little surprising. the F lounge has some vegetarian items on the buffet line though
Totally agree with this. The vegetarian option in the SKL Business Class is already rather pathetic. Very carbs-driven and uninspiring. They should take a leaf out of (pun intended) EVA Air’s Taoyuan airport’s The Infinity or The Star Lounge.
I’m surprised at the lack of Pescatarian options. Pescatarian is a superior health option than Vegetarian and easier for restaurants to manage.
“as a balding man, I have no comment”
Sure this shouldn’t be amended to “as an almost-bald man…”? LOL
It actually calms my “FOMO feelings” to see that First Class isn’t a massive step up vs Business Class.
@Aaron. Great review. How sure are you on accessing the lounges upon arrival? This seems generous…
The Private Room looks truly disappointing… it used to feel dignified and was really plush but now it looks like a bank/generic lounge. Really hope it’s better in real life, but with how uninspired and cold it looks it doesn’t seem there’s much hope. And we’re probably going to be stuck with this for another decade+ at least…
I actually liked the previous Private Room, it actually feels grand and exclusive. Now it feels just like another general lounge and the dining area, looks like food court lol.
Cannot agree more, especially the gorgeous/grand single high-back single armchairs with that sumptuous brown leather, and also the very exclusive feel of the dining room, with the deep brown leather and truly standalone table and seating.
Now, with the shared long bench seats stretching the entire length, it feels like a mass market dining set-up
Agreed! The shared long bench seats for First Class Private Room?! COME ON!
Oh well, change is the only constant.
I always felt that the old private lounge looked dated though.
Exactly, it’s gonna be one of those nostalgic bygone era gems that we’re never getting back. (Just like when we had to bid farewell to the 2006 J seats, which still remains my favorite across the industry)
I for one thought that there were discussions on ala carte dining for the First lounge during the pandemic. Seems like SQ feels that passengers couldnt care less.
It makes sense to reserve the most exclusive form of in-lounge dining to only SIA first/suites pax in TPR, rather than in the first lounge where first class pax from other airlines can also enter. If there is ala carte dining even in the first lounge then it is pointless to have TPR.
What’s strange about SQ giving its own customers a little extra candy over Star Alliance customers?
I would like to see those who are still unimpressed design a better lounge. What has been criticized in the previous lounges has been directly addressed in the new ones, and then some. What else do you people want
I think it is healthy and expected that people have high hopes and expectations of SQ, especially for their premium offerings.
It is after all, one of the most highly regarded airlines in the world, with matching premium pricing to boot.
No offence, and while “adequate” and par for course, notwithstanding the competition, if people are expected to be “impressed” with the new F and TPR lounges, then I’d say SQ isn’t aiming high enough, and neither are the passengers of today and tomorrow.
This is coming from myself, a true supporter of SQ.
I agree that it is normal to have high expectations, especially when it comes to SQ, but when high expectations become unrealistic expectations, nothing will ever impress these passengers, leaving them forever unsatisfied. They will say that they expected more, but doesn’t/can’t seem to list out what they actually wanted. Say the new lounges really had all the bells and whistles of the other airline lounges, but if that really happens, will passengers finally rest their case, or will they still be disappointed, calling it “unimpressive” or a “missed opportunity”? The new lounges answers direct criticisms to the old lounges… Read more »
I agree with you. I am paying in excess of 18k for a ticket on suites to New York so I expect the very best! Simply placing a lobster on a bowl of Laksa just won’t do it. I can understand SQ doesn’t do fancy but they are charging a very high premium for tickets so they cannot be ‘just good enough’. The service in the old private room was inconsistent. Sometimes they impress me with the smallest of details but other occasions they just ignore you because they are just overwhelmed. I prefer SQ under the previous management.
2 disappointments. The liquid soaps in the first class showers (lol) and the Private Room’s dining room. They should have considered CX’s dining room in the First Class Pier.
have given feedback regarding the soap dispensers for F. hopefully they’ll make some changes there, because right now it looks rather cheap.
CX dining room no doubt looks snazzy, but the standard of food has dropped tremendously since sodexo took over
A missed opportunity for SQ. I am sure it looks great and better than most lounges out there, but for some reason, I was expecting more. At the very least provide 65w USB-C charging ports! There was something rarefied about the old SKL and private room that is missing here. This is evident when they first got Ong&Ong to redo the lounges overseas. The Lalique statement pieces and batik wall seems forced in rather than of good taste. I hope SQ make changes to the menu. The current menu is no different from before. Its the usual boring laksa +… Read more »
No PS5 in play area ?
I wonder what the situation in T2 will be for SQ Lounges by 2024 when T2 is fully operational. It’d be embarrassing to see the same lounge after this revamp
I somehow prefer looks of the old Private Room dining area, much more class and unique. The new design just makes it look like the typical Business class dining area.
I wonder if all the people saying they preferred the old TPR and the grand chairs with the brown leather bla bla bla, actually have ever been inside TPR. Those chairs were probably the most uncomfortable amongst first class lounges.
I’ve never been in TPR but I’ve heard others saying the same thing about the old leather chairs. The dining set-up in the new TPR doesn’t even look half bad, perhaps it just needs a white tablecloth and table settings on the table to tie the whole ala carte dining look together.
They weren’t at all uncomfortable especially the dining chairs for what they were. Looking at what’s on offer NOW it looks like we’re going to be in very awkward positions (because of the ergonomics of the almost all the seats AND proximity of the dining tables).
For the sake of discussion and sharing (nothing to boast about), I will put my hands up and say we have been to the TPR many times, and often enough throughout the years to share my 2 cents. The standalone high back leather chairs are quite nice to sit it, the leather is supple, etc., though for those with shorter legs, the European-leaning ergonomics would become obvious, and the same can be said for many sofas/chairs coming out of the West with no specific target audience for the Asian market. Even the F/J aircraft seats on some airlines have this… Read more »
Appreciate your perspective on the old TPR. Actually shared bench seats are not all that uncommon in other first class lounges and even in some high-end restaurants. As long as they’re comfortable is what’s most important. Hopefully we all get a chance to experience the new TPR and its comforts one day.
But to give the dining area a more “restaurant” look, one thing that can be done is to dress the table up with table settings (dining mats, folded napkins etc), I think that will help with the ala carte dining aesthetic.
I am always surprised that how limited SQ’s vegetarian menu options are for this day and age. And adding Lemon and Pepper FISH under vegetarian is outright gross. I am a PPS with SQ for 4 years and have always brought along my own food for long flights as their veg options in lounge have always been a upma and vadai (which you can get a much better version at MTR for <$5!). SQ could look to Swiss Air lounge at Zurich for some inspiration. Tonnes of hot and cold veg food options (Italian, Mediterranean, and India on request) with… Read more »
You chose to be vegetarian.
You sound like a Heathrow executive telling Emirates “you chose to fly from Heathrow” instead of addressing the issue, or an insensitive bloke telling a Muslim traveller “you choose to follow Halal” or a Jew “you choose to follow Kosher” diet. Fyi, most five star airlines these days offer decent (lufthansa, Finnair) to great (Swiss) vegetarian options.
Out of curiosity, how early can one check in, assuming check in baggage is involved? When I tried searching the Singapore Airlines website said up to 48 hours in advance, though I’m assuming that’s online check in
You can check in up to 48hrs before; I’ve checked in as much as 18 hours before a flight and had no problems accessing the lounges – but these were pre-COVID data. Post COVID I had checked in up to 15 hours before on Christmas and also had no problems getting into the lounge. However, since the resurgence of traffic in Changi, I was initially rejected from checking in 10 hours prior. A few agents said that this was a directive from CAG to manage passenger levels, but I eventually got my boarding pass after I escalated the issue, though… Read more »
Cheers, my flight from Changi isn’t until around 2100 so I was contemplating what I’d do for that day since I’d have baggage with me. I did contemplate just getting my baggage delivered to the airport and wandering around for the day but I think I now hear the siren song of TPR/first class lounge
SIA can take this chance to open a dedicated lounge for economy class passengers only.
No need bells and whistles buf “functional”.
Good chance to be trendsetter again for the industry
Thank you Aaron for an erudite, detailed, personal account of the new lounges. I missed out by a day flying in from FRA in Suites, so this was cathartic for a wounded av-geek!
Keep up the great work
regards
Ian
Thanks Ian! don’t worry- the lounges will be around for a long time. Next time!
Are there any pictures of how the main foyer connects to the J lounge? I am trying to picture where it links up to the rest of the space. Has the previous (temporary?) entrance since been closed up? What has been placed in that space now?
here is where it joins with the J lounge: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jWVNjj72x1UPhwg27
will get another photo when i visit tomorrow
Funny how when the old TPR was still around, everyone hated its its dark and tired interiors and was begging for a refresh. Now that the TPR has a refreshed, modernised design, suddenly everyone loved how “grand” and “dignified” it was, among other words I’ve never heard anyone use to describe the old TPR when it was around. Guess some people just want what they can’t have.
I always felt the old T3 First Class lounge was not bright enough, but sunlight could still come through depending on the time of day, however even much more pronounced was the Biz section, with absolutely no natural light coming in regardless morning/afternoon. But the old TPR certainly did not have this issue, it was always bright enough with plenty of natural light unless you entered after maybe 6pm, because it had full height glass panels running the entire span of the TPR. Yes the dining seats were all a deep brown. Probably the thing that looked tired was the… Read more »
I think someone hit the nail on the head when they said SQ doesn’t aim high enough anymore. Their approach seems to be “almost as good as our competitors is good enough for us” it’s a strange ideological shift for an airline that was once obsessive about delighting customers and exceeding expectations. These lounges look fine, but they’re still behind what Qantas or Cathay created more than a decade ago. The FC lounge is probably behind what an airline like United or BA is offering their top-grade frequent flyers. Aside from aesthetic improvements, the FC lounge experience is still exactly… Read more »
Does not make sense for the first lounge to have ala carte dining when they have TPR to do that, considering there are “two” first class lounges, with TPR serving exclusively SQ first/suites passengers. Also does not make sense for an airline like SQ that still offer a prominent first class product to have ala carte dining in the business lounge. Many airlines who do that either don’t have first class or prioritises developing the business experience rather than first. Agree on the toiletries part though, but then again its all about finding the right brand and partnership. Maybe they… Read more »
I see your point but this is totally out of step with what other airlines are doing and highlights the fact that the First Class lounge only exists because SQ is a mean spirited, penny-pinching airline that does not want its Solitaires to use its top shelf facilities. The Suites and FCL network is so small nowadays (again due to their small minded incompetence), so it’s not like most pax have the choice of flying FCL on the majority of routes.
SQ is an airline in decline with no vision and a dearth of competence. They’re a has been.
A bit of a stretch to call SQ mean spirited and a has-been in my opinion, but then again we’re all just stating our own thoughts and opinions here. Although the first class network might be small now, we have to take into account of new first class seats on the 777-9 which will be delivered in a couple of years time. Considering how SQ has 31 of those on order, we might see more first class routes by the time the aircraft goes into service. Not to mention how some existing A380 routes (like HKG, PVG, PEK, NRT) have… Read more »
“Suites and First Class passengers arriving in Singapore on a Singapore Airlines flight have access to the First Class Lounge as well” does it means that if I’m arriving to Singapore, before I cleared the customs, I can still go into the lounge?
Yes you surely can use the lounge within 24hr prior to your flight whether arrival or departing.
If the agent giving you hard time just keep pushing that you have access or say you wanna use the shower to freshen up.