lexluthor

Looking to fly Phuket->Singapore->Frankfurt->New York on Singapore Air. Single ticket, all SQ flights. Is 1 hour layover enough in Singapore coming from Phuket?

BinSabai

if the flight from Phuket to Singapore is on time or only slightly delayed, it is no problem...you can stay airside and security is in front of the gate...even with a 60 minutes delay you could get your next flight as they would probably escort you...
but depending on season, Phuket airport can be quite exposed to bad weather conditions and delays are possible... when are you flying?

lexluthor

Second week of June. Flight around 9pm

lexluthor

What do you think for a flight leaving 2nd week of June. There's a flight from Phuket to Singapore 2 hours and 20 minutes earlier, but that does cuts out some final time on the beach and then I have to sit in Singapore for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Thoughts?

lexluthor

I'm going to exercise better judgement here and not give us a super tight connection just to have 2 extra hours on the beach for a 17 day trip. Maybe Changi can be a bit of a destination on its own anyhow.

I looked at the on time performance of the flight and it's at 69%. Maybe I'd still be good if it was 15 minutes late. Probably 20% chance I wouldn't make that flight.

kevino

You're doing the right thing. Less stress and you can enjoy the best airport in the world for a bit. I could live at Changi Airport.

SKT-DK

I agree, allow ample time. But your fondness of Changi is a bit (a lot) exaggerated if you ask me

kevino

Some Changi lounges are not as nice as before. I miss the sleeper rooms in T1's SQ First Class Lounge and the fish tank (I think it was in T3's old SQ First Class Lounge). However, those who know me can verify that I'm actually serious that I could live there.

travelinmanS

Changi is actually a bit boring if you don't like Duty Free Shopping (as are all airports IMHO). If I have a longer layover there I like to visit the pool and relax. I believe it's in T1 and costs $20 to use. Well worth it for killing 1-2 hours sitting poolside if you're not into shopping.

As you can probably tell from my comment about Changi, I'd rather stay 2 hours on the beach. I've had many 1 hour connections through SIN and never missed a flight.

SKT-DK

I am with you on that! My time at Changi has always been pretty short - did not even realize they had a pool because I have never had long enough time to want to explore (and I hate duty free )

BinSabai

IMHO Changi is totally overrated...
- lounges are in general not great, poor service
- i have waited 30 minutes at immigration in queue (no fast track!) as it was miserably organized...some queues had 3 desks, some had one single desk with a officer in slow motion
- i have waited over 30 minutes in taxi queue as it was miserably organized...one terminal had an overflow of taxis and another got hardly one...
- rip off with the Benz and Chrysler taxis....

SKT-DK

I can only agree with this - and maybe add to the list the security at the gate circus…

And to add insult to injury I have been convinced to go to SIN for a long weekend later in the year. Would rather have spent 26k THB / pax plus hotel elsewhere but hey… Guess such is life

kevino

What kind of service do you need in the lounges? SIN service is never warm, unlike in Bangkok or Manila.

30 minutes at immigration is bad. All 3 terminals (I'm not sure about T4) have APEC lanes though and had them before other Asian airports.

The 3 desk thing is meant to speed up processing though it doesn't always work.

For sure the luxury taxis are a rip-off, but you can get from the airport all the way to downtown on the subway for $2 US.

Taxi glitches are not as bad as Manila T3 and you don't have to worry about them using the meter like BKK (or driving you to a dark alley).

I'm sure Changi has more "gardens" than any airport in the world.

I don't know of any lounges in HKG, BKK or MNL that are open 24 hours.

BinSabai

another Changi admirer and overrater!

...where to start?

who needs a garden at the airport?

the luxury taxis are a rip off and those elder helpers like to "assign" them to westerners....my first time I was assigned to such a chrysler I asked about the fare and refused to pay (as I knew normal fares to the city)...I was driven free of charge to another terminal where I took a normal one....but not a pleasant experience at all...the fare was more than double the normal one

I once had an older taxi driver in Singapore who could not speak one word of English...my few words in Mandarin could not help as he spoke only Hokkien or Cantonese....he had a list of hotels in English on which he obviously wanted to show me mine....the list was completely outdated and luckily I knew, under which brand my hotel was years ago....otherwise I would probably still drive around in Sillypore looking for my hotel...

BKK has fast lane in- and outbound for many years while SIN has none...APEC lanes are usually not faster than others

at least one miracle lounge is open 24 hours in BKK....in my experience lounges in SIN have less extended opening hours and are more far away from the gate than in BKK....and to add the worst: you have to pass security AFTER lounge visit; so you have to leave earlier and can not even take a bottle of water from the lounge on your trip....

kevino

Well apparently you don't need a garden at the airport, but others appreciate it. Free movies are nice too, as well as artwork and plants. I don't think any other city could build an airport like SIN, not even including Jewel.

I don't know about that Miracle Lounge open 24 hours in BKK but it sounds good. Does it have showers? The old SQ first lounge in Changi had sleep rooms, computers (in the days before free internet), food, chocolate, showers, and would mail your letters anywhere in the world. As I mentioned earlier, I don't like the new, refurbished SQ lounges as much. Can you check in for flights 48 hours in advance in Bangkok? That's key for living at the airport.

I agree the luxury taxis are a rip-off (everywhere) and don't recommend them though many first-timers take them in Bangkok (and Manila and Jakarta) because they are fearful. First-timers to Singapore usually don't have that same fear.

In general taxi drivers in Singapore speak better English than taxi drivers in Bangkok, Hong Kong, or Taipei. You got a driver that couldn't speak any English which is very unusual. For sure he didn't speak Cantonese, mb Hokkien as you said or Teochew. Did he turn the meter on?

In SIN, depending on the terminal, the APEC line used to be the same line as for diplomats and other VIPs. Not sure now.

Yes, SIN has gate check and SQ often doesn't have a priority lane at the gate. But you can get water at every gate after you pass security. Bangkok has bathrooms at every gate which is very good. So in Bangkok you can bring soda and beer from the lounge in your bag onto the plane.

There are few if any carpets in the public areas of Bangkok and the ceilings are not done for some reason (ran out of money?).

Yes, some walks to the gate are very far in SIN, but also in BKK (try to use a cart even if you only have a hand-carry, esp. if you're old like me) .

The priority lanes in BKK that are next to the general immigration lines can get over populated by seniors (or people pretending to be seniors) and handicapped (and people pretending to be handicapped). It's good that the BKK dedicated fast track area accepts any business class BP now.

Changi's underground shopping, eating and waiting areas and arrivals areas are much nicer than BKK. Both are good to have trains that go all the way to the terminal. I can take public transportation (and have done it) all the way from BKK to the Royal Orchid Sheraton for 42b, even cheaper than $2.2 S or so from SIN to the Westin.

Don't get me wrong, I like Bangkok as much as Singapore, but for airports, I could live at Changi. I could not live at Suvarnabhumi. For people who have never been to either, I suggest you watch the youtube videos of airport tv shows of BKK and Changi and decide for yourself.

Not sure about how BKK will be when it opens up the new expansion area.