Singapore Airlines Lounge

Angella

Peaceful Oasis 17th October 2008

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Light, bright, white and airy.
You will get stopped on the way in and asked for your frequent flyer number. In the past I've simply quoted the number from my handy luggage tag on my hand-held luggage. But they are tightening up (presumably in case you have borrowed somebody else's luggage). So, you must go through your hundreds of cards and produce your membership card. Good to have it handy.

I liked the convenient lift to the upper level with windows. Designed for wheelchair users.

The usual 'buffet' at first appears rather spartan. However, if you look carefully, you find hidden goodies, often behind a glass door at knee level, or beyond the main display. Or on a menu which they will bring to you or which you find on a table. Such as great sandwiches. Fresh fruit. Depending on time of day, something sugary like a muffin or Danish pastry.

Watch out for disappearing buffets between mealtimes. In a hotel it would not matter but if you've a flight to catch and only twenty minutes in the lounge you don't want that food disappearing and the later buffet being put out after you've dashed off. Pity they don't warn you. However, if you ask, they can often fetch something from the kitchen.

You can order champagne. I wonder who can walk miles to the terminal gate after even one glass of champagne. I always mix mine with orange to make bucks fizz. The bar person will bring it to you.

They have the usual supply of all the UK and foreign newspapers.

Computer terminals. Did I see a sign asking you not to access porn channels out of consideration for other users of the lounge?

Oops! After checking stocks and shares and making himself miserable about the recession what else can a lonely businessman do to cheer himself up? Big brother is watching us even in the VIP airport lounge. I would have expected that, for security.

Another traveller suggested to me such signs are there because of the possibility of children in the lounge. (I do hate that - people taking squealing babies and whining toddlers into what should be a place for the VIPs on business to get on with work, away from disturbing or annoying noise and families.)

Seriously, I like the cubicles set sideways behind a barrier or at an angle. I try to move as soon as a more private or corner cubicle is vacated, from the computer monitors which are against the wall so the entire lounge behind you can see what's up on your screen. Both business and personal emails and websites should be kept private. All cubicles should be set sideways or at an angle.

I love being alerted to the time I must leave.It is so stressful to keep putting down the newspaper and checking your watch. The thing I hate about these lounges is when signs warn they won't alert you when it's time to set off to the gate to catch your plane. That is half the point of going to the lounge. To have your own 'office' with a 'secretary' to check you keep to time, especially if you've had very little sleep. And you've already had changes of schedule.

I'd already missed the previous day's flight because of a passport problem. It is so calming and reassuring to have somebody watching out for you. If you are nice to them and get friendly and they are not busy they will usually alert you.

If you are on a longhaul overnight flight to Singapore or Australia the in flight meal will be served at some silly time like after midnight UK time. So I prefer to eat in the airport lounge. Some people even eat in the lounge and skip the airline meal to get more sleep.

The ladies toilet in a frequent flyer lounge is of course superior to the ones out in the main airport. You might see a toothbrush or comb. In addition to the soap dispenser there might be a moisturizer. Spotlessly clean.

The Singapore Airlines first class lounge's Ladies at Changi is usually even more generously equipped. Frequent flyers in my family say the Virgin lounge at Heathrow has even more facilities. I went on line to check latest facts and found pages of forums full of entertaining reports from users of specific airline lounges all round the world grousing about yesterday's problems!

If you are not a member of a frequent flyer scheme you can buy a membership of a club which offers lounges at airports all over the world. They are not lounges for the big airlines which I know such as SIngapore. I'd be interested in hearing a comparison from other lounge users.