OK, the Singapore Airport ROCKS

Singapore Changi Airport is more than just a place for passengers to board, or disembark from an aircraft; it is a travel experience for all passengers. Besides ensuring speedy and hassle free clearance, Changi Airport houses a diverse range of facilities and services in its Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to cater to the sophisticated needs of passengers. It is a destination in itself and has remained a firm favourite with many passengers around the world for its efficiency and attention to passengers’ comfort.

Landscaping

The interior landscaping in the terminal buildings is designed to create a warm and welcoming environment. Waterfalls at major landscaped areas and koi ponds provide relaxing respite for visitors. The external landscaping has a natural and tropical effect with tall majestic palms, colourful tropical plants, ever-blooming flowers and stretches of turf to complement a green and natural environment.

Theme Gardens
Nature lovers can experience peace and tranquility at the theme gardens in the Departure/Transit lounges of Changi Airport . Here, one can find kois swimming in the pond within an indoor Orchid Garden , or take a stroll in the Fern Garden.

An open air Sunflower Garden gives passengers a vantage view of Changi Airport ‘s airfield. At this garden, weary passengers wanting a breather from the air-conditioned confines of the aircraft and terminal building can relax and enjoy the warm sunshine or take in the picturesque night lights. The Cactus Garden , the first-of-its-kind in an airport, offers more than 20 varieties of cacti native from North and South America.

Transit Hotels

Those in need of rest or to soothe aching muscles can check-in to the Transit Hotels in each of the two terminals and opt for a massage or aromatherapy treatment. Both hotels also have Business Centres with full facilities.

Shower, Fitness and Lifestyle Centre (Ed. note: OH YEAH!)

A rooftop swimming pool at the Terminal 1 Transit Hotel allows travellers to take a cool dip and sunbathe while they wait for their connecting flight. Passengers interested in health and fitness activities can relax in the saunas or make use of the well-equipped fitness centres located within the vicinity of the Transit Hotel in Terminal 1, or at the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 2.

Passengers can soothe their minds and bodies with oxygen therapy at the Plaza Premium Lounge, or relax in a jacuzzi at the Rainforest Lounge in Terminal 1.

Both the Plaza Premium Lounge and the Rainforest Lounge offers napping areas, massage, pedicure, manicure, and shower facilities.

Surfing in Transit

To meet the information and technology needs of passengers, Changi Airport offers seamless Internet access for passengers carrying laptops and personal digital assistants (PDAs) via wireless local area network (LAN) cards, ethernet cables and infrared ports. For those without laptops or PDAs, they can enjoy surfing at more than 300 free internet terminals located throughout Terminals 1 and 2.

Entertainment

Watching television in Changi Airport has become a refreshingly enjoyable experience, with the introduction of three thematic lounges. The first of its kind in an airport, each of the thematic lounges – Skyplex Entertainment Lounge, Movie Theater, News Hub and Discovery Lounge, has a unique theme. Each lounge is specially designed to depict the respective themes based on the types of television programmes screened, namely movies, sports, news and documentary programmes. The television lounges are located at four different locations in the Departure/Transit lounges of Changi Airport ‘s Terminals 1 and 2.

Shop & Dine

Shopping
There are over 100 shops offering a diverse range of quality products. The shops are carefully designed in an open free-flow concept, creating an informal and relaxed environment for passengers to browse and shop in. A special Price Guarantee Scheme ensures that prices at the airport shops are no higher than that of established retail outlets downtown. Passengers will get a refund of twice the price difference for any product purchased at a higher price at the airport. Changi Airport also offers a No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee on all items, valid up to 30 days from purchase. Passengers can also pre-order products at Changi Airport through the following website: www.changiairportshopping.com.

Dining
For the discerning gourmet, Changi Airport serves a wide selection of gastronomic delights with more than 50 food & beverage outlets throughout both Terminals 1 and 2. Singapore has a fine reputation for cosmopolitan menus and the airport offers a representative sample of the best there is. Local and international fare range from Chinese, Japanese, Sudanese, and Indian cuisine from the East to fast food and fine dining from the West can be found at the airport.

Free Singapore Tour

Passengers who have at least five hours to spare before their connecting flight can register for a free 2 ½-hour sightseeing tour to catch a glimpse of the vibrant garden city of Singapore.

Passengers who choose to take the Scenic River Tour are treated to the sights and sounds of the city and can enjoy a nostalgic bumboat ride on the Singapore River, which was once a hive of activity and the life of Singapore’s trading past. There is also the Sentosa Tour which takes passengers to the fun filled island of Sentosa, located just 5 minutes away from the main island.

Singapore Changi Airport strives to create a pleasant and memorable experience for passengers. No detail is considered too small, no passenger regarded too insignificant and no concept deemed too ambitious in Changi Airport’s ongoing efforts to maintain its reputation as an airport where “Time Flies”.

Can you imagine EWR doing this? I don’t think so. “Please enjoy a free tour around Rahway Penitentary, as well as lovely Route 9. In addition, we invite you to swim in one of our many septic and environmentally unsound waste pools and marshes.”

Not.