World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
Tel: 6541 2222 or (1 800) 542 4422 (flight information). Fax: 6542 1231.
Website: www.changiairport.com.sg

Changi is located 20km (12.4 miles) from Singapore centre. It consistently tops international polls as the world’s best airport and is currently the 24th busiest. More than 24 million passengers passed through in 2003. A total of 73 scheduled airlines operate out of Changi, with 3544 scheduled flights weekly to 167 cities in 53 countries worldwide, making it the airport with the most air links in the Asia Pacific region. To cater for growth in demand, Terminal 2 was completed in 2000 and Terminal 3 is due for completion in 2006.

Major airlines: Singapore Airlines (tel: 6223 8888; fax: 6786 6947 (call centre and reservations) or tel: 6243 2546; fax: 6543 0979 (check-in); e-mail: singapore_ticketing@singaporeair.com.sg; website: www.singaporeair.com.sg) is the national airline, with direct connections to all the major cities in Asia and 90 destinations in almost 40 countries. Its subsidiary SilkAir covers 25 destinations, mostly resorts in South-East Asia, plus Trivandrum and Kochi in India.

Other major airlines include Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, All Nippon, American Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Emirates, Garuda, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airlines.

Passengers may check in between 48 and four hours before their flight, at the Singapore Airlines office in the Paragon Shopping Centre, Orchard Road. They may also check in by telephone (tel: 6243 2546) to get a confirmed allocated seat number. In these cases, passengers must still bring their luggage to the airport at least one hour before flying.

Approximate flight times to Singapore: From London is 13 hours; from New York is 20 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 18 hours (now a non-stop flight, making aviation history); from Toronto is 20 hours and from Sydney is 8 hours.

Airport facilities: While Changi’s legendary efficiency means travellers need spend the minimum amount of time in the airport, the facilities on offer mean that days could happily be spent there. These include showers, gym and sauna, fitness centres, putting green, rooftop pool (a must) and Jacuzzi, hairdressing salons, laundry service, karaoke lounge, mini supermarket, movie theatre, TV lounges, children’s play area, nursery, smoking room, medical centre and prayer room. To get back to nature there are even cactus, bamboo, sunflower and orchid gardens, and a Koi pond. There are the usual banks, bureaux de change, ATMs, postal and telecommunications offices, shops, restaurants, car hire (Avis and Hertz), hotel reservation counters, tourist information, wheelchair rental services and baggage storage facilities. Transit and transfer passengers can also take advantage of free two-hour guided coach tours of Singapore, leaving at 1000, 1300, 1500, 1600 and 1700.

Business facilities: The comprehensive range of services includes transit hotels and business-class lounges. Each transit hotel has a business centre, for typing and mailing of documents (0700-2300 daily) plus a 24-hour service of photocopying and faxing. (Terminal 1 tel: 6542 5538; Terminal 2 tel: 6542 8122). Free Internet corners are dotted around several locations in the Departure/Transit lounges in Terminals 1 and 2, open 24 hours.

Arrival/departure tax: A S$21 passenger service charge is incorporated in the price of the ticket.

Transport to the city: The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) has a station at Terminal 2, also accessible via the skytrain from Terminal 1, and is the quickest and cheapest way of getting into town. Trains run 0530-2318, (Mon-Sat); 0700-2318 (Sun) every 12 minutes. Tickets to the city centre cost S$1.80 (journey time – 27 minutes).

Singapore Bus Service (SBS Transit) (tel: 1800 287 2727 from Singapore only or 1800 767 4333 from overseas; website: www.sbstransit.com.sg) operates regular buses into the city, with terminals in the basement of Terminals 1 and 2. Public buses (under $2, exact fare only) depart every 6-14 minutes 0600-2400. Bus number 36 goes along Orchard Road (journey time – 50 minutes).

Taxis are available 24 hours from the Arrivals Hall, with journey time around 20-30 minutes between the airport and city centre. Taxi fares are between $16-$24 to the city, (plus a standard S$3 airport surcharge, S$5 Fri 1700 -Sun 2400), as well as any other surcharges – see Taxis in Getting Around). Limousine taxi service counters (offering journeys in London Taxis) are located at the arrival hall on Level 1 of both terminals. They charge a flat rate of S$35 to anywhere in the city and operate 0600-0200 daily. The six-seater MaxiCab, the airport shuttle service, run by CityCab (tel: 6552 2222; fax: 6552 7112; e-mail: feedback@citycab.com.sg; website: www.citycab.com.sg), costs S$7 and will go to almost every major hotel in Singapore. Book at the counters in the Arrivals Hall and pay the driver. It leaves from Terminal 1 and 2 every 30 minutes 0600-1800; and every 15 minutes 1805-2400.