Best. Airport. Ever (Singapore Changi Airport (SIN))

Member Name: adamp111

Product:	Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
Date:	07/06/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean, well decorated, plenty to do, free amenities

Disadvantages: None really...

Singapore Changi Airport is more like a hotel than an airport. Given that it's just an airport, it's quite difficult to explain how it can be so good, but it's on a different scale to other airports around the world, and certainly than any airport in Britain. Arriving and Departing was a pleasure, although there are somewhat different experiences depending on which terminal you use.

I arrived in Terminal 3, the newest of the terminals, and was speechless at how clean it was; fountains, greenery, sweets at immigration, fast and efficient baggage handling, and quick security checks helped the 17-hour journey I'd just embarked on finish on a good note.

Whilst in Singapore, I flitted to Thailand for a few days, and had a slightly different experience; we departed form Terminal 2, a slightly older version of the fantastic Terminal 3, but returned to the budget terminal. The budget terminal is, effectively, a warehouse with the necessary bits of an airport stuck in it. That said, it helped to keep the costs of the flight down, processing was still very quick, and there were no major reasons to complain.

For waiting, Changi really excels. Comfy armchairs with built in speakers are dotted around in front of various different flat-screen TV's showing different TV channels, there are internet terminals in abundance with comfy seating, a wide variety of not-extortionately priced eateries, and a generous selection of lounges and shops.

Perhaps the only negative part of my experience of Changi airport was an altercation with a shop worker, who forbade me from buying alcohol because I was transferring through Qatar (allegedly an alcohol-free state). I insisted that I wasn't entering the country, and the bag wouldn't be unsealed, so it was fine. She refused to serve me, and I had to go and complain to the information staff before she eventually conceded and sold the alcohol. Still, this isn't really a fault of the airport, more of the individual franchised shop.

All in all, if you're travelling to/from/through Changi, you can sleep easy knowing you'll have a pleasant experience filled with creature comforts.

Summary: One of the best airports in the world, and a pleasure to travel through.