GeezerCouple

Thank you for this.

It wasn't clear, and by the time I got this far in the thread, I was beginning to think it was airside.

So... DH should not venture to see it until/unless we are sure that I won't want to do it too.
(I don't think we'd want to be separated by the "airside/landside" border anyway, but that's a different issue.)

How far a walk is it?
That waterfall *does* look to be worth viewing!

I assume there would be some food vendors for sandwiches airside... open 24 hours?

Thanks!

GC

GeezerCouple

Will/can our checked luggage (probably one large fold-over) be checked straight through from EWR to AKL, so we would not need to deal with it <whatever we do> in SIN?

We'll each have a spinner carry-on and probably a small tote for convenience for small things.

And... Security ONLY at the gate?
Sounds rather retro, like the good old days when friends and family could gather 'round and see one off or greet one right as they get on/off the plane!
I assume there is Immigration Control, or some sort of centralized control for access to "airside"?

Thanks again... again!

GC

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Yes. I had a brain freeze. Security is done at the gate in SIN.

There is a centralised immigration - or rather an centralised immigration for each terminal.

If you don't have to collect bags you can enter SIN via immigration at any of the terminals. If you have bags to collect you must enter SIN at the immigration facilities of your arrival terminal (this is where your bags will come out).

As others have said, you must use your boarding pass within the limits of Singapore law. That means you only enter airside with the intention of travelling. So while you can arrive, head out and eat (etc), you can then come back and really should stay airside at that point. You can't come back in for a couple hours then head out again multiple times.

Kacee

I would imagine SQ will give you a choice of checking it through or picking it up at SIN.

lokijuh

I would suggest the Crowne Plaza.

1. You are going to be at Changi for 15.5hrs, so your probably will need to book the airside transit hotel for 12 hrs anyway, so the cost difference will be negligible
2. If you book airside hotels (say for 5:30pm or 6pm) and the flight lands early, you may have to wait to check-in as they are booked in hourly blocks. This is not a problem at Crowne Plaza as you are basically arriving at a normal check in time for a hotel. I note that over the last week or two SQ 21 from EWR has consistently arrived at 4:20-4:30pm, some 40-50 mins ahead of schedule (one flight even arrived at 3:39pm, 1.5 hrs early!) : https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SIA21 Admittedly this varies at different times of the year.
3. You can get room service if you want, or alternatively visit one of the landside restaurants/cafes in Jewel or hawker centre style food court in B2 of Terminal 3 to eat. Yes there are plenty of options airside, but no option of room service.
4. Immigration arriving into Singapore.. at most 30 mins, could be as quick as 5 mins. Departing Singapore immigration ... 5 mins.
5. You don't have to predict the time you need to leave the hotel by. I mean you could book airside hotel until 8am that solves the problem, but at CP, you don't have to prebook. If you booked to 6am at a airside hotel and wanted to sleep until 7:30am, you probably couldn't .

Happy

Have you ever taken a look on Changi airport's own website? You would / should be able to find boatload of information that may help you to sort out many questions that popping up...

Jewel is landside, as well as walk involved.

Changi is probably the best equipped airport in the world. The interactive website is almost information overload. In particular, the terminal maps do not have a pdf file to download, only interactive - this literally forced me to take screen pictures to store on iPad as we have a second overnight needed when we return from PER - on that overnight we chose Mercure Roxy at Katong because our next day departure is not until 2pm. Mercure has complementary regular airport shuttle, - there are specific instructions on where to show up (for the purpose of collecting "ticket"?) at each terminal - therefore I need the terminal map, in hope we can move very quickly therefore can get on the shuttle that departs 15 min after our ETA. (Hope but reality may be we have to wait for the next shuttle an hour later).

You can also go to Singapore Airlines web site and check out their description of Changi and each of its terminals - there are literally real gardens at each terminal for example. SQ website is easier to find need info than Changi's fwiw.

Happy

Not at all because only passengers with BPs can get to Air Side. Each terminal has its own immigration control.

A lot of world's airports operate this way, i.e. mobile security unit at the gate - it seems a much more efficient system than what is being employed at US airports. to be honest.

LTN Phobia

Note that if you are unlucky, you could be stuck in an immigration queue for up to 90 minutes. It's happened to me once recently, and the guys behind me were saying it was the 2nd time it happened to him recently. It's normally pretty quick, but not always. Something to bear in mind if you feel you will want to go to sleep ASAP.

MSPeconomist

The third paragraph here is very confusing. Twice you mean to say enter SINGAPORE (the country) not SIN (the AIRPORT).

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Yeah. To save writing 'Singapore' multiple times I used the abbreviation SIN. In context I don't think anyone was confused?

MSPeconomist

At first I interpreted it as about what happens when the OP returns to the airport for the next flight.

IIRC the country abbreviation would be SG.

Happy

Or more commonly known as SGP. That is most of our friends use when they write emails.

For 2 letter, 3 letter codes on countries -

https://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/ctycodes.htm