The airline official shrugged. Hundreds of passengers were waiting at the gate at Singapore’s Changi airport for Jetstar’s overnight flight to Melbourne last Friday evening when the flight was cancelled. One of the pilots was sick; I hope they made a swift recovery.
The airline, which is the budget brand of Qantas, postponed the flight to the following night and made arrangements for hotels for the stranded passengers.
But I was in a hurry, keen to fly immediately. Surely I could be transferred to a Qantas flight instead? “No, we can’t do that,” the official said.
There are worse places to be stranded, I concluded, as I tried to find affordable options for an earlier flight. Plus, the cancellation also allowed me comprehensively to tour the entire transit area of one of the world’s key hubs while “airside” – ie without clearing Singapore immigration. This is what I found.
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 form a single unit
They are arranged in a U-shape with Terminal 1 at the bottom, T2 to the left and T3 to the right. You can walk from the most distant gate in T2 to the furthest-flung one in T3, via T1, in about half an hour. But don’t walk – instead, take the…
World’s best airport shuttle ride
The driverless train linking Terminals 2 and 3 also follows a U-shaped track, but with a spectacular difference. It slices through The Jewel, a vast and astonishing garden-in-the-airport that lures visitors to shop, dine and be dazzled by an artificial canyon draped with tropical vegetation. The line provides high-altitude views along its journey.
Smokers are looked after
Each of Terminals 1, 2 and 3 has an outdoor garden with great views of the airfield where transit passengers can smoke. The best is the Cactus Garden, which handily has a canopy in case there is a tropical downpour. Non-smokers are welcome.
Make a splash
The Aerotel on Level 3 of Terminal 1 claims to be “the only airport transit hotel in the world equipped with an outdoor swimming pool, poolside bar and shower facilities”. Admission is S$27 (£16) and allows you to come and go as you wish during opening hours, 10am-10pm. If you have not packed your costume in your cabin baggage, you can of course buy some kit.
I’d like some sleep
The Aerotel rents rooms by the hour. The categories are:
- Single (shared bathroom)
- Twin (two single beds plus a private bathroom)
- Family (four single beds plus a private bathroom).
They are not cheap: a six-hour stay in a single room costs S$217 (£129), though this includes a meal. You can save 10 per cent by joining the loyalty scheme.
Some sightseeing?
Singapore airport created an impressive proposition: even though you may only be changing planes, you can get a sense of the city state on one of the three different free tours for transit travellers. They are available to passengers who have a connection of five and a half hours or longer.
Even though Singapore Airlines is one of the sponsors, you can be flying on any airline. Book in advance, or – if your flight is suddenly cancelled or heavily delayed – ask at the City Tour Desk.
You must clear passport control but that is normally very swift; your checked baggage, if any, stays in transit. Each tour lasts two and a half hours; I recommend the City Sights Tour; it leaves at 10.30am, 2.30pm and 5.30pm daily.
You haven’t mentioned Terminal 4?
“Step into the future of flying at Terminal 4,” urges the airport authority. “Discover Changi Airport’s most cutting-edge terminal.” The impressive building was completed in 2017 (and mothballed for two years during Covid) but is a long way from the other three terminals.
Airside access is on a transit bus that leaves every 20 minutes and meanders through much of the airfield before arriving. The restaurants include some good local options. But unless you have a flight arriving or departing from T4, there is no strong reason to come here unless you like exploring the entrails of an airport by bus.
