Changi layover advice
 

I've been to SIN a few times in the past but never transiting.
I'll be arriving at 12:20am on UA continuing to Bali on a separate ticket.
Either Jetstar (4:55am) or Tigerdirect (7:00am). The first is a little cheaper and I think the connection time is plenty. Doing one ticket (causes me to fly Cathy) which will be much much greater in cost and I still don't think they interline.

I recall Airside is quite nice but I assume I will need to get my bag and exit customs and Jetstar or Tigerdirect checkin won't be open for several hours so I'll be stuck landside. Is there some place I can rest? A hotel room doesn't seem worth it.

If I just carry my bag, can I avoid customs and transit directly to Jetstar (another terminal) or Tigerdirect? Tigerdirect seems to sell a "connect" service where they'll transfer your checked back, but I assume this would not include an incoming intl flight on UA.

If I recall, there is a train between terminal, but it stops running late at night.

All the terminals (1,2,3)are connected airside by walkway.

I usually hang out airside, either in a paid lounge or transit hotel bed (min 6hr).

When the LCC check in opens I pass entry immigration, check in and then exit immigration. The transit counter will not issue boarding pass for "non-interlined" flights to LCC when I do not have an arriving boating pass from the same airline. So carry on only will not help.

tentseller just a note that the LCC terminal was closed a couple years ago, so as of now there are only the three main interconnected terminals. New LCC (named "terminal 4") is supposed to open next year I think. Don't know if it'll be connected or not though.

I was not talking about the old LCC terminal.
I was talking about checking in to a LCC flight airside at the transit(transfer) desks.

Terminal 4 is not connected to Terminals 1-3. It's separated from Terminal 2 by a taxiway, and I doubt they will close the taxiway, as it links the 2 runways together.

Unless you've already bought ticket, my suggestion is to avoid Jetstar, if possible. There are number of reports of canceled flights. Generic rule applicable to Jetstar is to avoid the first and last flight.

Another thing is that with most LCC (AirAsia is exception) you can't get boarding pass even if you have no checked luggage. You need to stop at their checkin counters and do checkin/document verification. You can't do it on airside, only on landside.

How much more is a non-LCC, and can you thus avoid having to go landside? Lots of traffic to Bali, and it is close, so I can't imagine it is that much more.

It also depends how far ahead you book, because I see Singapore Airlines to Bali in January (I think) for about S$270, which isn't the cheapest, but at least it is a full service carrier (which means service recovery is usually decent). You'll get a meal on the plane and have check in luggage included.
Of course timings might not suit you, but this might be an opportunity to get out of Changi Airport and into town.

The other way of looking at this is how much is the true cost of the LCC when all the additional not included items are added on vs the risk of LCC's operations.

I have stopped transiting beyond SIN arrival on Jetstar due to their inability to do the transit airside

I really only booked JetStar because they are the first flight. Cost was about $115 with the extras. I've flown them in Australia and didn't have any issues. The more expensive is Tiger Air leaving at 7am which I've never flown. They are a little more expensive. SilkAir is the other option over $400. Booking with UA, I think Cathy Pacific is an option and I could do one PNR, but that's something like $1000 more plus I don't even think they will interline.


With a 12:20am arrival, I figure the connection should not be a big issue even going land side. Even if I don't check my bag and fly Tigerair (in the same terminal) I still need to exit to checkin I believe because my bag will be too large for the LCC standard to carry on



Another related question, I'll be returning home on UA's 6am flight from SIN. It seems like a waste to have a hotel booked for that night. I haven't decided where my hotel will be, maybe the airport Crowne Plaza so I can leave my bags there. I'm not sure when checkin opens up (around 3am), I can just goto the lounge and hang out there. I think the MRT shuts down at night so I'd have to kill about 3hrs landside at SIN or find something to do outside and take a taxi. Any ideas on what I can do?

Unfortunately UA does not offer early check-in, so you can't go there the night before and use any of the air side lounges or transit hotel.

Check-in opens 3 hours before flight departure. http://www.changiairport.com/en/flight/airlines.html

There is land side transit hotel and lounge, cheaper than Crowne Plaza.

Hi, straight-to-gate not available anymore with Tiger, Jetstar or AirAsia?

I always got boarding passes with AirAsia as long as I did not have checked luggage. And you can check in online 2 weeks before the flight.

Oh yeah, so I wonder if I checkin online with jetstar, carry my bag, then stay airside and avoid immigration. The only issue is that my bag will be over jetstar's carry-on size. I did buy extra baggage allowance so if they question me at the gate, I would think they can check it in there.

The best value for singapore to Bali is, IMHO, KLM. $415 round-trip in international business class.

https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=SIN;t=DPS;d=2017-01-06;r=2017-01-08;sel=SINDPS0KL835,DPSSIN0KL836;sc=b

Plus if you're leaving on the 6am UA flight to HKG, the KLM flight lands at midnight. So you can book the air-side transit hotel for six hour and get some sleep there or couch surf in a lounge.

The KLM flight might spoil you if your long haul flights are in Y though.