FIRST IMPRESSIONS Having become the proud owner of a Gold KrisFlyer card after a Star Alliance promotion in Hong Kong, I was able to get access to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3. Singapore Airlines has two lounges at Terminal 3, situated close to each other on the upper floor. The more luxurious is the SilverKris Lounge, which is for the highest tier of the KrisFlyer frequent flyer programme and for Business Class and First Class passengers. The terminology is obviously slightly confusing with a Silver lounge outpointing the Gold lounge but maybe this is one of the joys of Singapore’s unique “Singlish” language. Nonetheless, the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge would still put many a business class lounge to shame. There’s a reasonable selection of beers, wines, soft drinks and spirits and food items. There is a lot of natural daylight, which is a great antidote to jetlag and there is complimentary wifi. There are also a number of internet workstations. However, there are no toilets inside this lounge, so you will be directed to use the toilets in the public concourse outside. Again, this being Singapore, you won’t have to worry about cleanliness.
BOARDING Boarding was at Gate A10, which I had already noticed was fairly close to the lounge. Changi’s T3 is deceptively large, so always check gate location before heading for shopping, lounges or anything else. I estimated the gate was about five minutes from the lounge, so by monitoring the flight screens I was ready when the first boarding call was made. You should always leave plenty of time for boarding as there is a second, fairly rigorous, security check at the gate. We pushed away at 1857 and were given an ETA of 2212, dead on the estimated three hours and 15 minutes flight time between Singapore and Hong Kong.
THE SEAT The economy class configuration is mostly 3-3-3 but the last two rows are 2-3-2. Seat 57A is a window seat with no one behind you and you only have one seat to your right. The overhead bin on row 57 is often reserved for crew and operational equipment. The IFE is a small, square screen in the seat in front. This is a three-class configured aircraft. You can see the seatplan here.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE Seat 57A is a window seat with no one behind you and you only have one seat to your right, easy to get out if you have to and less cramped than the three-seat rows. The downside is that being at the back of the aircraft you will be last to disembark, which might not be ideal if you have a tight connection.
THE FLIGHT I put my bag in an overhead locker ahead of me and settled into my seat. Hot towels were handed out and menus distributed ahead of the pre-flight checks. About 20 minutes after take-off there was a drinks service and about 50 minutes into the flight meals began. The oriental main course was a chicken chilli dish with rice and vegetables, while the western option was a perch fillet with potatoes and vegetables. For dessert, I opted for the cheese and crackers. Complimentary tea, coffee and bar drinks were available. Service was impeccable as expected, neither invisible nor intrusive.
ARRIVAL After landing more or less exactly as scheduled, and negotiating the passport and customs checks, I was on the Airport Express train just over 30 minutes after touchdown.
VERDICT If only all short-haul flights were like this.
PRICING Singapore Airlines is selling Singapore-Hong Kong return tickets online for trips in January 2010 for S$460 (US$337)
CONTACT singaporeair.com
Kenny Coyle
