Singapore Airlines: New Lounges of “Wow”

Singapore Airlines is putting new polish on post pandemic flying starting with the opening of its flagship lounge system in T3 of Changi International Airport in Singapore. 

Passengers booked in Singapore Airline’s new Suites (available on the A380 only), First and Business Class as well as Solitaire PPS Club elite members and those holding Krisflyer Gold awards have access to a lofty labyrinth of pre-departure pampering that draws in the cathedral-like heights of Changi’s futuristic architecture and also allows for intimate, comfortable and private resting spots with varying levels of amenities.

The $50 million lounge area redo was a long-time coming and actually started in 2019. The new plans called for expanding lounge capacity by some 30 percent and creating spaces defined by activity: small meetings, work stations, family playrooms, coffee stations, bars, and dining presentations that fulfill cravings for Singapore, Indian and Chinese comfort food and also infuse international preferences. 

And while Singapore Airlines’ new designs highlight the airport’s expansive motifs with views over the shopping concourse via a celestial firmament that would make birds happy, the true magic is in the small spaces – the sleeping and resting places the new design includes. 

The Private Room, the Business and First Class sections of the SilverKris Lounge and the KrisFlyer Gold lounge have all been given defining qualities and luxuries that make flying that much more glamorous. As demand for upgraded flights has taken off in the wake of reopened borders, the forward cabins have been hard-pressed to offer up available seating to match the demand. Singapore Airlines’ new corporate initiatives combined with, call it … “revenge travel” now seen across flyer profiles have made these lounge upgrades that much more important and timely, said Marvin Tan, Singapore Airline’s Senior Vice President for Customer Services & Operations. 

“Extensive customer engagement and research have gone into the design of the new SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold lounges. Opening these lounges at this time signals our commitment to SIA’s premium brand and growth strategy. It reinforces our position as Changi Airport’s anchor airline and Singapore’s future as a pre-eminent global air hub,” added Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines CEO.

And for Singapore Airlines that has meant raising bars to meet a continuously rising expectation by flyers for “wows.”

A Rest Above the Rest

With the new lounges, the wows have won. Private resting compartments, four each in SilverKris First and The Private Room, are of particular importance to flyers taking Singapore Airline’s notable longhauls – including the 18+-hour flights between Singapore and New York JFK, which clock in as the world’s longest in non-stop flights. For transit passengers heading onward to the Far and Middle East, a private bed and nap can make all the difference, especially if meetings will be in motion upon arrival.

The Private Room compartments are completely private. All contain Poltrona Frau recliners and half of those rooms also offer adjustable and optionally vibrating Tempur Zero Gravity Beds decked in soft sheets. It’s all complemented by aromatherapy diffusers and yoga accoutrement. A closet and hooks are available for changing. A small desk offers privacy for computer work. The side table comes with built-in device-charging connections. For those who may worry about oversleeping, the lounge operators suggest leaving a boarding pass with reception along with a request to be awakened. 

The Private Room and First Class lounges manage a two-hour limit on these private bays but a relaxation room attached to the Business Class lounge brings no such time restrictions. There, passengers can rest for hours on 14 curvy, cushiony loungers in private cubicles that also offer bedside tables with connectivity and adjustable reading lights. Passengers, however, are expected to wake themselves up.

As for the rest of the spaces, in all four lounges there are a variety of sitting spots for conversations, for working, for meetings (The Private Room offers a completely private room and round table for airport tête-à-têtes). A number of ergonomically designed single chair cubicles are perfect for quick dips into the workload while recharging devices. For families, playrooms offer toys and wee-sized beanbag chairs as well as adult-size furnishings and television news. Kids are in focus even in the bathrooms, which sport child-size commodes in a gold and marble space and use Grohe Sensia Arena toilets that anticipate a user’s every move. Shower rooms are offered in all the lounges and manage to improve through the levels with added spacing and more generous amenities. 

Singapore Airlines: Growing with Demand

Singapore Airlines’ new lounge set-up in Changi’s Terminal 3 is a bit confusing, even for those who are familiar with the set-up. Between The Private Room, the First Class and Business Class sections of the SilverKris Lounge and the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, Singapore Airline’s new array of airport lounging amenities sprawl some 65,660 square feet, and mark a 30 percent overall increase in flow space with enough comfortable seating to serve 1,150 passengers.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold

The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge alone nearly doubled in size with a space given entirely to KrisFlyer Gold Elite earners and other Star Alliance Gold status holders. The open layout seats 350 and looks onto the tarmac and Malaysian greenery beyond but is, in fact, not as fancy in food choices and furnishings as the other lounges.
 

SilverKris Business

SilverKris Business Lounge is not only accessed by Business Class passengers but also Singapore Airlines’ PPS Club members. Larger by more than a fifth from its previous iteration passengers will find an open and soaring expanse with multiple seating sections for private and comfortable working, lounging, sleeping, eating, sipping, conversing and playing with children. The multi-national buffet flows into several stations – soups, salads, grab and go sandwiches, sit and stay curries and laksas, dim sum, and Malay chicken and rice dishes. Find made to order eggs and waffles in the morning and a full service bar with a barista. 

Singapore Airlines: The Private Room and First Class

Nor will cocktail hour disappoint. Spirits edge up as the labyrinthine layout flows from one club to the other. At The Private Room, passengers will be met by a wall garden of Lalique ginger flowers and other original glass-blown ceiling designs. The space set up almost in the manner of a gentlemen’s club with dark lights, dark woods and textiles and an insular motif of privacy that is void of creeping influences from the outside world. No windows here. No balconies over the concourse. Sophisticated acoustic engineering keeps sounds localized. The room is otherwise defined by sleek and purposeful furniture, a small but precious international food presentation and four private resting rooms. The First class lounge offers similar panache and adds some private resting rooms of its own.

For Business Class flyers, FOMO is not a likely outcome. The newly reopened lounge that is dedicated to those flyers who will easily be able to find privacy amid the myriad relaxation spaces. Several repast bars offer a menu of cocktails, including crimson-hued Singapore Slings and the hot and cold offerings of Asian favorites as well as hardy pastas and American breakfasts.
 

Sitting areas on the margins overlook the departure gates and stores below and offer views extending the full length of the international terminal and glimpses of flagship craft taking off and landing through the four-story wave of floor-to-ceiling windows. 

New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are on tap as are Australian pinots and French Pouilly-Vinzelles. Champagne might be Taittinger or it might be Piper-Heidsieck. More faves are found on the cooling wine shelves lining the walls. 

The SilverKris First lounge is open to passengers traveling in First Class on Singapore Airlines and its Star Alliance partners as well as Singapore’s Solitaire PPS Club elite members. Members can invite a guest traveling on the same flight. The space can hold up to 134 visitors at a time, while The Private Room is set up for just 78 people (and they no longer need an escort for entrance). However, First Class, Suite passengers and Solitaire PPS Club members are encouraged to check-in at a dedicated concierge reception desk at the entrance of T3, open from 5 am to 2 am.  More information: www.singaporeair.com