Guy Betsy

I think SQ just tell CIAS that they want to be in one terminal. Period.

lingua101

not so sure what so confusing? Does it really if you arrive at gate D41 or F60?

I do believe in gate D41, there will be ground staff who is direct you toward T2. I think D41 will be definitely shorter walk to T2 immigration compare if you arrive in any E or F gate.

The flight will be marked arrived in T2 and you should officially get out from T2

yauee

No offense, IMHO there wasn't any confusion should occur.

1) did the ground staff waited for disembarkation door? do believe they give a CLEAR direction where to go.

2) providing flights number could be easiest. if i remember correctly there are more than 20-30 display screen across the 3 terminal for arrival flight information.

3) Maybe you dont have any check in luggage that's why you no need to go Terminal 2 that's could be a reason why you head to terminal 1 where you missed the person who you are to meet.

as long as you are not arrive at at F60 you should consider yourself lucky (AS NON-CIP).

lingua101

I guess you never make connecting flight in any US airport. Try ORD or DFW which AA used multiple terminal (well at least in 90s). In DFW you need to take a train which go round, Changi train is nothing comparable to it.

MSPeconomist

Once when I was in Singapore there was some discussion of the new T3 and I understood that it was some sort of government policy that SQ was not allowed to take over all of the nice new terminal. I think there was a sense that it wouldn't look good to use public money in a way that seemed to favor SQ or even for the benefit of SQ rather than the general public citizens/taxpayers.

kt74

How is it relevant to compare SIN with US and EU airports? The reality is that, now SQ is spread over multiple terminals, it is far easier to connect in KUL, BKK, HKG, ICN or even DXB than SIN. Bus transfers are fine, provided there is a separate bus for F/C, as EK does (and SQ can't seem to manage - I remember one memorably good CDG-SIN flight a few years ago in F was ruined by being crushed on the bus from a remote stand as it waited to be filled by Y pax...)

At SIN, if your gate allocation is unlucky, it can be a 30 minute walk or longer - hardly optimal on a 45 minute connection. And there is no way of getting from the A gates/lounges to the B gates at Changi without the 15 minute obstacle course through the T3 shopping mall - no travellators or Skytrain to help you here (why not?)

If 90% of BA can fit into LHR T5, then SQ can fit in any terminal at SIN

TerryK

I must have been very lucky or walk very fast. It have never taken me more than 15 minutes from gate to gate even from like F60 to T3.

BTW, how did you book a 45 minutes connection at Changi? MCT is either 50 minutes or an hour, depending your flight numbers.

kt74

End of A to end of E. Looks like 30 minutes to me (plus waiting and travelling time on the Skytrain)

KACommuter

Yes, there were ground staff waiting at the door to direct everyone to T2. But quite a lot of passengers hesitated - after all right ahead of them was the way out to immigration and customs. So the natural thought is "why are we being asked to go somewhere else".

You can keep saying "it's really very simple" but it doesn't alter the fact that the need to have ground staff giving directions to disembarking passengers is making work where none should be needed.

lokijuh

I think these are maximum or slow pace walking times, and probably allow for the time it takes if people just stand on the travellators. If you walk on the travellators and are able, and fit it should take half the suggested walking time, even with a trolley or wheeled luggage. 9minutes to do about 350m is very conservative.

And I'm sure, for the vast majority it wouldn't take 15 mins to get from the SK lounge in T2 (ie the E sign on the map ) to F37. I'd say most could do it in 10, some in less (5 if flight is closing!).

And as for buses, really? I absolutely loath getting off a plane and onto a crammed bus with poor-to no aircon. It may work OK for those wanting to get from F60 to B10, but what about the passengers who need to get to F59? They would have to catch a bus to some central point, find there way up some stairs and make their way back to F59. Can't please all the people all of the time.

Also, for comparison once I was 25 mins late in HKG leaving only 35 mins to connect and upon deplaning I was handed a BP a later flight, not my original one. And this was needed, as it took 15mins to pass through security at the transfer point, and still involved lots of walking. Same situation also happened in SIN and made my original flight no problems. I think everyone is overlooking the time consuming central transfer point add both waiting and walking time. (although perhaps in HKG, it would have been quicker to take a longer walk to one of the more outlying transfer points).

lingua101

So what is your point? Is the issue that SQ operate in 2 terminals or the distance between gate is too far?

If you complaining that the connecting in SIN because SQ operated in 2 terminal, I can tell you that, if you are unlucky, even within T2 you can end up walking at least 10-15 min, if you say arrive at gate F60 and connecting to E8 or E28. It happened to me once, supposed to schedule to depart from F60 and last minute SQ decided to swap aircraft and the new aircraft was at gate E6!

I occasionally depart from the very far end of gate A in T3, which is like A16-18. I walk few time, I think it is like 15 min walk and there is travelator. There is also train to bring you there.


If this is too much hassle for you try to connect in HKG. I once arrive on gate 60-ish and depart from gate 3 or 4! And what I did not know in HKG the train is only go in one direction. In arrival from bigger number gate to lower number gate (toward immigration) and in departure level from small number to bigger number (away from immigration). If you miss this, try to walk from one end to another end! I did walk from the Wing lounge (which is just behind immigration) near gate 1-4 to catch a flight at gate 60ish. It like 20ish min walk and I walked very fast as I always missed my flight and I run out of breath when I sat down in the plane!

lingua101

Well if you simply follow the direction, then you should be ok.... But many people simply do not like to follow the direction!

Even in "normal" arrival, there will still be some ground staff to tell you the direction to arrival area

yannix

I agree with you with HKG. I had similar experiences when I do US-HKG-MNL flights. At least it's exercise

kt74

10-15 mins is still less than 30 mins+

DOH, DXB and FRA have no problem laying on private air-conditioned buses, limos, Porsches, for their premium passengers - no cramming (unlike when I got off a long haul SQ F flight at a remote gate and the bus waited to be filled with Y pax before leaving...)

Last year, when I was 35 mins late on a 60 hour transit (in C class), SQ provided a buggy to take me from the B gate to the B Skytrain, presuming that I could then make my own way from there to the F gate for my connection. I was also told that my luggage would not make my flight. I refused, and requested a BP for a later flight... (Hmmm, let me think... 2 hours in the SKL, or 2 hours waiting by the carousel at KUL)

Hey, look, I'm not saying that SIN is not a perfectly adequate airport, I am just making the point that there are some other more pleasant airports to make connections in, and it would be far more convenient if SQ was in one terminal (and the *G lounges had a toilet and shower in them...)

Let's face it, SQ - nice in the air, rubbish on the ground...

KACommuter

I think that sums it up accurately for the apologists who think that all this T2/T3/T1 "work around" is perfectly fine and acceptable practice for a 1st rate airline.