QRC3288

amen!

sxc

Blossom Lounge will have showers:

http://www.plazapremiumgroup.com/wp-...SIN_FINAL1.pdf

ernestnywang

KA is now represented by CX in TPE T1. MH is also in T1, but is handled by CI and uses the CI lounge in T1, of course eligible pax can (or at least should be able to) use the CX lounge as well. If I understand correctly, JL is in T2 and just took back its original lounge after first transferring to GE (TransAsia) which then went bankrupt. It is possible to walk airside between T1 and T2, technically eligible pax flying JL can also use the CX lounge. On Taiwanese forum, some JL pax have reported walking to and using the CX lounge.

djsflynn

FWIW, my review of the lounge is now up at https://www.ausbt.com.au/cathay-paci...s-class-lounge

Overall, it predictably cleaves to the same regional lounge template as HND/BKK/MNL/TPE, so if you like those lounges you'll like this one. It's just a shame that space wasn't made available for showers or a tended bar.

The showers vs bar issue seems to split people 50/50, assuming there'd be space for just one, when I raise this with travellers and even some of my fellow journos, some people want the shower for obvious reasons after a day in Singapore; others think the showers are less necessary for various reasons but would loved to have seen even a small tended bar at the end of the Noodle Bar or the far corner of the lounge.

QRC3288

I symphatize with jagmeets, as I respect him/her as a regular poster and frequent CX flyer. But personally I never have demand for a shower at TPE or SIN on CX, and I'm in the category that is perfectly happy to NOT have showers and save the space.

The other problem with showers at regional outports is they take up serious space, and then once you decide to put them in you're faced with this question: how MANY showers? The mere presence of showers inspires use of them. And then, I'm afraid if CX only builds 1-2 showers, a fellow like jagmeets who seems to genuinely want one after meetings might be stuck in a 30-60 minute wait behind people "experiencing" the shower. Folks like me can scoff at the maximizers all we want, but it doesn't eliminate the fact that there seem to be heaps of people who legitimately show up at thea airport hours and hours ahead of time simply to "experience" otherwise-mediocre experiences put on by an airline at the airport. Showers, baths, a la carte dining, massages, etc. If the airline builds it....and especially if the Bloggers take zoomed-up, filtered pictures of it.....people go out of their way to "experience" it. Which inevitably gums things up.

At HKG, there is no problem waiting for showers because CX practically owns HKG and has so many damn shower suites you get one if you "need" one (you can't guarantee yourself a Cabana, but if you need a shower you're getting it quickly, period, The Arrival excluded). I'll add, this is something that vexes me about the Al Majouran lounge...I've waited 30-90 minutes before for a shower, which is laughably bad. (until I remind myself what I pay for Qatar business class...it's essentially a business class LCC in terms of pricing, but with a killer on-board product). I don't need bling I just want a damn shower. Anyway, at an outport like SIN where construction space is limited, I see it being a real issue.

Lack of a tended bar kinda sucks but not the end of the world for me. I love the vibe at TPE and barely care about the drink guy/girl at the back anyway.

24left

Thanks so much for the photos, video and review.

That Moët bottle in the photo tease....well...

Was space the reason there is no tended bar?

djsflynn

That's very much where I landed upon after mulling this over on Friday... even if CX had found/made space to fit some showers (and as far as I'm aware this floorspace was pretty much designed by Changi and handed to CX as a key lounge tenant, the other one on what appears to be the mirror image of the mezzanine is the confusingly-branded SATS/Plaza Premium 'Blossom' lounge), it comes down to how many showers – or rather, how few – so for every one passenger who gets a shower there'd be a lot more who would be knocked back, and this creates a clear dissatisfaction to the experience (and a new one, compared to the current no-shower situation where you can't get a shower because there are no showers, so you just accept it and let it go).

I'd also posit that regular SIN-HKG flyers, of whom CX would have many, don't allow for a lot of lounging time before their flight (would be interesting to hear from those here on that score) and so there'd be limited slots for showers anyway.

If for example the passenger's pre-flight 'dwell' time was 60-90mins vs 120mins for example. Allowing for 20 minutes in the shower plus staff clean-up time that's 30 minutes per shower, so three shower suites at 60 minutes before boarding is only six actual shower sessions.

My maths could be way rubbery but that was my line of thinking, and on that score I'd much rather have a tended bar where I could get a real barista-pulled coffee or some spirits, wine or maybe even champers.

ermen

Looks like need to use the PP in the event you need to take a shower in SIN T4..

ok if you have PP.. but would be a hassle if you don't!

ermen

From a practical perspective - SIN is a hot and humid country year round, and there would be times where a shower is absolutely necessary to refresh prior to going onto a flight, especially if it is later in the day.

Granted it is not always needed every time (and probably more for the leisure passenger viz the business traveller as you would hopefully be in an airconditioned environment for meetings most of the day), it is still a good option to have for basic hygiene.


FWIW - PP lounges seems to only have 1-2 showers at most and never recalled having a long wait for them?

QRC3288

could not agree more with djsflynn's point about the old Solus chairs vs new single seats. Although perhaps I can say things more bluntly, as an anonymous businessman, versus a good journalist who has to maintain at least a respectable dialogue with CX:

The Solus chairs were completely worthless IMO, and good riddance to them glad to see them gone. The new ones are at least comfy, allow you to lounge about and get work done. They just make a lot more sense and I'm a fan.

Whoever designed the Solus chairs isn't worth the price of one. Just an atrocious design idea gone totally whacko.

FlyPointyEnd

I was thinking the exact same thing while waiting at the Quite Zone for my shower at 4am...then I remembered I'm only paying $1900 USD for my ticket to Paris. Guess I have to lower my JFK expectations in January as i only paid $676.

FlyPointyEnd

How do they intend to serve Kopi O/C with no bar? I want Kopi C with my Kaya toast....

FlyPointyEnd

Somehow reading through this thread, I'm not surprised why many CX crew hate operating SIN flights...

jagmeets

^

Thanks - always appreciate your work!

Ouch!

djsflynn

It'd be on the breakfast menu for The Noodle Bar (and hopefully the all-day menu too, as a snack).