Review: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold Lounge Changi Terminal 2

At every airport that Singapore Airlines flies to, eligible passengers can unwind in the SilverKris Lounge, or a third-party lounge if the former is unavailable.

But it’s a different story at Singapore Airlines’ home base of Changi, where elites flying Economy (except PPS Club members flying SQ) are turned away at the pearly gates of the SilverKris Lounge, and pointed instead to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge.

Even though the name might suggest a more premium setting — Gold being better than Silver and all —reality is anything but. The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, at least in Terminal 2, is a miserable place to be. I was a frequent visitor between 2013 to 2018 as a consultant whose travel policy meant maxing out at KrisFlyer Gold. I found the lounge so underwhelming I sometimes opted to forgo it altogether. 

What’s interesting is that the space the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge occupies used to be part of the SilverKris Lounge until 2011, when it was hived off as a separate facility. Why do this? That is an excellent question, the answer to which only Singapore Airlines really knows. However, given the low quality F&B, lack of facilities and cursory spending on interior décor, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on.

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Terminal 2 finally reopened on 9 November 2022, a month after Singapore Airlines resumed two-terminal departure operations. That was actually bad news for status holders in Economy, since they’d enjoyed access to the SilverKris Lounge at Terminal 2 prior to that!

So, has the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge seen any significant improvement since its pre-COVID days? 

Getting to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge

There are two KrisFlyer Gold Lounges at Changi Airport, one in Terminal 2, and another in Terminal 3. This post deals with the former; for a review of the (much better) Terminal 3 lounge, refer to the post below. 

Review: KrisFlyer Gold Lounge Singapore Changi Terminal 3

After clearing immigration, turn left and head towards the E Gates. There’ll be signage pointing you in the direction of the Singapore Airlines lounges. 

The route to the lounge isn’t particularly scenic. Terminal 2 is still undergoing renovations, and the handful of shops and amenities in operation are at the F Gates. The walk to the E Gates is almost entirely hoardings on both sides. In fact, the E Gates aren’t even being used for departures yet, so you’ll need to budget a bit more time to cross back to the F Gates to catch your flight.

On the flip side, the featureless walk means it’s almost impossible to miss the lounge. Signage is abundant, and sooner or later you’ll see an escalator on the right, at the end of a long corridor. Head up to the third floor…

…and you’ll see the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge on the left, with the SilverKris Lounge down the corridor. 

I know, it’s kind of a tease. 

Access and Operating Hours

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge is open 24 hours daily.

Access is available to passengers departing on a Singapore Airlines or Star Alliance flight in:

• First Class (+1 guest)
• Business Class
• Premium Economy or Economy Class, with Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, or Star Gold status (+1 guest)

Access is also available to Club Vistara Platinum & Gold, Velocity Platinum & Gold and Flying Club Gold members when flying on Singapore Airlines only.

Guests must be travelling on the same flight as the eligible passenger, per Star Alliance policy.

All that said, there is absolutely no reason why First and Business Class passengers, or Solitaire PPS Club and PPS Club members would use this lounge, when they have access to the much superior SilverKris Lounge.

In fact, the lounge dragon gave me a funny look when I showed my THAI Airways Business Class boarding pass at the door, gently suggesting that there was a “better lounge” available just down the corridor.

Simply put, the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge is really for status-holding passengers in Economy and Premium Economy.

Overview: KrisFlyer Gold Lounge

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Terminal 2 is fundamentally the same lounge from pre-COVID days, with some minor cosmetic improvements. The carpet has been swapped out, new(ish) furniture has been brought in, and the lighting turned up. Even so, it’s not enough to offset the lack of natural light and windows, creating a space that feels stuffy and claustrophobic.

With a capacity of 160 passengers, this lounge is about half the size of the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge in Terminal 3. And yet it feels much less private, since it’s basically one large rectangular room with no partitioned-off areas. You can see from one end to the other when standing up. 

There isn’t a lot of seating variety here. Forget dedicated dining tables or snoozing areas, much less productivity pods. All you’ll find are row after row of beige and grey armchairs. 

The only break in monotony comes at the rear of the lounge, where two work desks have been provisioned. The desktop computers that used to occupy this space have been removed. 

Seats are separated by black circular side tables, which aren’t very practical. Their positioning and height means they’re no good for working or dining, and you’ll probably end up placing your loose items here, or your plate when you’re finished eating.

While the vast majority of the lounge is configured with the single traveller in mind, scattered throughout are a few couple seats, basically two armchairs placed together. The layout means you won’t be able to face each other while dining though. 

There are also a very limited number of four seater pods with a coffee table divider towards the rear of the lounge, and that’s as good as it gets for families.

All in all, I’d say this is a poorly-designed lounge, suitable for little more than sitting and playing with your phone. 

Food & Beverage

KrisFlyer Gold Lounge guests have a self-serve buffet selection along the back wall. This features both hot and cold options, but the range is rather limited compared to the SilverKris Lounge. You also shouldn’t expect any live cooking stations, much less an a la carte menu. 

I visited during the breakfast slot, where staples like scrambled eggs, baked beans (but no breakfast meats), a DIY laksa and chwee kueh were on display, supplemented by cereals, sandwiches, and a dismal-looking salad bar.

A secondary buffet line has been set up perpendicular to the main line, with assorted dim sum and fried noodle options.

If I could sum up the food selection in one word, it would be “mediocre.” It’s a carb-heavy, oily spread designed to fill you up quickly and cheaply, and doesn’t do any justice to Singapore’s rich food heritage. 

The lack of dining tables makes eating an awkward affair. As you saw in the previous section, almost the entire lounge is filled with recliners, and side tables at an uncomfortable knee height. You’ll be hunching over your plate most of the time. 

In terms of drinks, digital coffee dispensers and TWG tea bags were available on the main buffet line.

The chiller held a range of soft drinks in the fridge, together with Marigold apple and orange juice, tomato juice, as well as canned Tiger and Heineken beer with chilled mugs.

Tiger Beer is also available on tap, which will probably be the highlight of the lounge for some. 

As for wine, let’s just say it reminds me of the scene in Hot Fuzz where Nicolas Angel asks about the wine selection, only to be told by the bartender “oh, we got red…and, er…white”.

Champagne? Oh my sweet summer child, you won’t even find a prosecco here. Perhaps mixing a can of soda water with white wine would do the trick. 

A modest selection of liquors is available for self-pour, namely Bombay Sapphire Gin, Teacher’s Highland Cream Whiskey, Absolut Vodka, Johnny Walker Red Label and Myer’s Premium White Jamaican Rum.

As you can tell from my less-than-impressed tone, the F&B selection is…less than impressive. If all you care about is not going hungry, then this will get the job done, but otherwise the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Power & Productivity

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge’s Wi-Fi network clocked in at 26 Mbps down and up, although it should be mentioned that this was during a period where the lounge was virtually empty. 

The power outlet situation is far from ideal. Outlets are limited, and where they do exist, they’re often in odd, hard-to-reach places by your feet or partially blocked by furniture. You’ll be leaning over chairs or squatting on the ground to plug in your charger.

There’s only a handful of outlets in logical locations like beneath table tops. 

At least the outlets are universal and come with USB Type-A charging ports.

Showers & Toilets

You’re joking, right?

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Terminal 2 has long been notorious for not having its own showers or toilets, and nothing has changed during COVID. If you want to answer the call of nature, you’ll need to exit the lounge, U-turn down a corridor and visit the public facilities in the terminal. 

In fact, the closest toilets to the lounge are currently undergoing renovation, so it’s an even further walk at the moment. You’ll need to walk past the (closed) DBS Asia Treasures lounge, past the Straits Food Village and visit the toilet near Subway. 

It’s just unthinkable that a lounge in a carrier’s home base would lack such a basic facility, and if you want a shower, you’ll need to take the SkyTrain to Terminal 3 and visit the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge there.

Conclusion

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge is an altogether underwhelming facility, but to be fair, Singapore Airlines is not the only airline that carves out an inferior lounge for frequent flyers in Economy. Qatar Airways and United also reserve their best lounges for Business Class passengers, with elites in Economy shunted to lesser lights. In fact, Singapore Airlines’ policy is arguably more benevolent, since the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge distinction only applies in Singapore; outside of Singapore, elites in Economy may visit the SilverKris Lounges.

Still, this is easily the weakest facility in the entire Singapore Airlines network. My expectations were already low, but revisiting this place just reminded me how I hadn’t missed much during COVID. This lounge used to be dark and depressing; now it’s bright and depressing.

If it’s any consolation, you don’t need to visit this lounge. For those who don’t mind a little exercise, the Terminal 3 facilities follow the same access rules, so the much-better KrisFlyer Gold Lounge is at your disposal. And for those transiting from long-haul to short-haul flights, I’d highly recommend using the lounges in Terminal 3 instead to freshen up and grab a bite, only heading to Terminal 2 when boarding is called. 

Singapore Airlines cannot seriously be thinking about keeping this facility the same all the way till Terminal 5 opens in mid 2030, so let’s hope there’s a major refurbishment planned. 

Any KrisFlyer Gold Lounge fans out there?