Singapore Airlines gives transit travellers free lounge access
By Chris C., September 11 2014
Travellers with Singapore Airlines making a stopover at Singapore’s Changi Airport can now enjoy free lounge access – even if they're in economy.
It's a clever tweak of a promotion which sees eligible passengers handed SGD$40 in 'Changi Airport Dollars' to spend at the airport.
Of course if you're flying in business or first class or are carrying the appropriate colour of frequent flyer card – including SQ's own KrisFlyer or any other Star Alliance member airline – you'll already have lounge access, in which case you can drop that $40 on some duty-free shopping.
Step 1: grab your vouchers
Those vouchers are available to passengers transiting Singapore between flights with either Singapore Airlines or SilkAir, on airline tickets issued in Australia or New Zealand with a 618 or 629 ticket number.
Passengers flying only to Singapore and back aren’t eligible for deal, nor are those who break their journey in the Lion City for a day or more rather than flying onwards to their final destination.
When you land in Singapore, follow the ‘GST Refund’ signs in Terminals 2 & 3 until you spot ‘iShop Online Booth’ or ‘iShop Changi Collection Centre’ near the GST refund counter.
In either terminal, present your Singapore Airlines or SilkAir eTicket and arrival boarding pass to receive SGD$40 in Changi Airport Dollars to spend at the airport:
Step 2: head for the lounge
Make your way to the Ambassador Transit Lounge in Terminal 2. If your flight landed over in Terminal 3, you can duck between terminals on the quick, easy and free Skytrain.
You’ll find the lounge next to the Sunflower Garden. Access for up to five hours would normally set you back S$35.31, but the lounge also accepts the vouchers you just picked up at iShop – making your visit completely free.
The lounge has showers and free wireless Internet access plus snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to tide you over in between flights:
Alcoholic beverages are available at an extra charge, as is the in-lounge gym, hairdresser and the ‘nap suites’.
You can also use your vouchers to access the Ambassador Transit Lounge in Terminal 3...
... but the entry fee jumps to S$58.85, so you'll have to cough up S$18.85 (A$16.13) to get through the door.
Your payment gets you one alcoholic welcome drink plus a 15-minute head and shoulder massage on top of the normal lounge inclusions, so for longer stays the slight premium could easily be worth it.
Showers for Gold and Platinum frequent flyers
In Singapore, most Gold and Platinum frequent flyers booked in economy with Singapore Airlines are sent to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounges – which unfortunately come without showers, or even toilets.
That includes Virgin Australia Velocity Gold and Platinum members, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold guests and other Star Alliance Gold flyers such as Aegean Miles&Bonus Gold and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus Gold and Platinum cardholders.
Despite already having lounge access, elite frequent flyers could still collect their vouchers and trade one in for a shower at the Ambassador Transit Lounges.
In both Ambassador lounges, the shower-only price is under S$20 – giving you a further S$20 to spend at the airport before heading back to your KrisFlyer Gold abode.
(You won’t receive change back on your vouchers as they can only be used once.)
And, if you’re flying in business or first class with access to the nicer – and shower-bearing – SilverKris lounges, why not collect the vouchers and enjoy a S$40 discount on your duty free shopping?
You’ll have until March 31 2015 to take advantage of the deal, so if you’re flying through Singapore for work or over the busy Christmas break, don’t forget to stop at iShop!
Singapore Airlines flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in Australia from its Changi Airport hub, while regional offshoot SilkAir flies between Darwin and Singapore.
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Talk about sensational headlines!
VA Platinum
26 Mar 2014
Total posts 116
Haha wow I read the headline before I clicked on the article and thought... "noooooo the lounges will be packed!!!!"
Very clever little way to use the vouchers though Chris. I like it.
Good Article.
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
I dunno, it's accurate after all. It just 'reads' differently than some people might have though. I reckon it's clever!
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Sensational does not preclude accuracy. On the contrary, a nugget of truth in a sensational statement is what gives it it's effect.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
Total posts 230
Is this promotion already in effect? Have an early morning stopover in Changi in late November, wouldn't mind getting some lounge access to get freshened up :)
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Yes Jedinak, it's available now – even if you've already booked your flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 233
Used this trick on the way to Barcelona last year! It's a good idea in general, especially with a long layover. The Ambassador lounge wasn't anything special though and next time i'd probably make use of the vouchers elsewhere
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 116
Does this also apply to redemption bookings using KrisFlyer miles?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Unsure , but I suspect they wouldn't meet the ticket number conditions listed in the article
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 116
Just received my redemption e-ticket and it starts with 618 so it looks like a 'yes' to my own question !
06 Mar 2012
Total posts 2
What is the validity of the vouchers? Is it for use on the same day only?
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
Good article Chris, very nice way to use those Changi Dollars vouchers, I never thought of this!
15 Nov 2012
Total posts 14
Great article Chris!!
12 Sep 2014
Total posts 5
I appreciate your effort reminding us of SQ's voucher promotion. Although at the heart of the article it's true you can use your vouchers for lounge access, but sorry Chris, this sounds like a fandom journalism. Reel people in with the title, even though the content is old news. This program has been going on for two months and and you just put this up with 20 days to go. What else, "Singapore Airlines gives transit travellers free food"? I expect more balanced reporting than this.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Hi TurningLeft,
When last I checked, March 31 2015 is >6.5 months away – not 20 days.
If the offer did wind up in 20 days, then we'd think twice before writing about it – but as it ends in March and is valid over the busy Christmas break, it was worth our time.
The task of a headline is to provide a brief summary of the entire article. 'Singapore Airlines lets people go and collect vouchers when they're transiting Singapore which can then be used to go to a lounge' is a unnecessarily long.
The shorter version, 'Singapore Airlines gives transit travellers free lounge access' is that brief summary. Travellers can pick up vouchers vouchers and swap them for lounge access, but only if in transit, and only if flying SQ/SilkAir, therefore the headline gives you the basics.
Sure, it's not as simple as walking into a lounge and flashing your boarding pass, but we write for our target audience of business travellers who are likely to be more interested in something such as 'free lounge access' than 'duty free shopping' or 'free food in transit', when passengers have already been fed onboard.
"I expect more balanced reporting than this" – if there's anything factually inaccurate in the article above, feel free to bring it to our attention.
Ultimately, you may have already been familiar with how this is done, but as the comments show, you're in the minority.
-Chris
12 Sep 2014
Total posts 5
Chris, I’m not saying you’re factually inaccurate. You can use the vouchers for lounge and food, but the headline grabbed my attention but it's actually recycled old news.
The SQ website says your e-tickets need to be issued from October 2012 through September 2014, but you need to transit in Singapore through end of September 2014, and that’s where I get the 20 days. You’re right that you can use the vouchers until March 2015, but if you travel during Christmas break those vouchers won't be waiting for you at Changi.
And assuming you have worldwide readers, passengers originating from Australia (and some countries in Europe) will get S$40, but those origination from the US (and another set of countries, mostly in Asia) will get only S$20. Depending on who your business travelers are, I think you need to cover your bases in your coverage.
It's great to read travel articles specifically made for Australian business travellers, and I will continue reading them, but this headline just sounds right to me. But hey, I’m in the minority, right?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
As the article indicates, the deal runs through March 31 2015, not end September 2014 – in that travellers can receive vouchers on their trip until that time (including over the Christmas break).
Singapore Airlines PR provided the March 2015 date directly to AusBT – the SQ website is simply out-of-date, and the airline has already been notified.
Re: coverage: writing for business travellers in the USA who are flying to Singapore and beyond isn't our target market – they would be if they were flying directly to Australia, but flying from the USA to Australia via Singapore is the long way around and more the market of cost-conscious leisure travellers than company-funded business travellers, given that there are non-stop Oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Virgin Australia flights between the USA and Australia, plus Air NZ via Auckland, which isn't much of a detour.
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