Singapore Airport Budget Terminal

Location: Singapore Airport – Singapore
Date: 27 Feb 2008

Singapore Changi Airport is world renown for its award winning facilities. It is the home of Singapore Airlines and it is a major air travel hub of Asia.

Budget airlines though are not interested in such facilities that add to the cost of a cheap flight. To cater for the low cost airlines of Asia that might not otherwise consider Changi’s gold plated airport, Singapore Airport opened a budget terminal in March 2006 to accommodate budget airlines.

The Budget Terminal is separate from the main terminals (1 to 3) and to get there you need to get a shuttle bus which departs from the basement of Terminal 2.

Singapore Budget Terminal Shuttle
[Singapore Budget Terminal Shuttle]

A tip for budget travellers. There is a supermarket in the lower level of Terminal 2. This is the first time I have seen a supermarket at an airport, which is great if you just want to buy some fruits or a snack instead of buying a meal at an airport restaurant.

Singapore Airport Supermarket
[Singapore Airport Supermarket]

Budget Terminal
The budget terminal looks exactly like what a budget terminal should look like – a great big tin shed with every unnecessary expense spared.

Singapore Airport Budget Terminal
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal]

The check-in area is simple and spacious and there is a cafe inside the departure hall as well. The Budget Terminal is currently being used by Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific, and like other budget terminals around the world there is no transfer facility to other airlines.

Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Departures
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Departures]

Budget Terminal – Airside
The facilities on the airside are surprisingly good considering how sparse the outside looks. There are the usual duty free shops as well as cafes and a 7Eleven. I needn’t have worried about getting food at the supermarket as there is also a noodle shop selling cheap bowls of noodles. Cheap like normal prices and not ridiculous airport prices.

Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Airside
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Airside]

Budget Terminal 7Eleven
[Budget Terminal 7Eleven]

For the smokers there is a boxed in outdoor section.

Singapore Budget Terminal - Outdoor Smoking
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Outdoor Smoking]

Internet
The Singapore Budget Terminal has internet facilities that puts most other airports to shame. There are computer terminals with free internet access as well as a workbench for laptop users.

Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone]

Each workspace has its own power board with power sockets for most power plug types. There is no wireless but there is a cable provided to plug into your laptop for internet access.

Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone Powerboard
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone Powerboard]

Pink Dolphins of Sentosa Island, Singapore

Location: Sentosa Island – Singapore

A popular attraction of Sentosa Island is the Dolphin Lagoon, home of Sentosa’s Pink Dolphins. These dolphins start off life grey then become pink as they mature.

A Pink Dolphin becoming pink
[A Pink Dolphin becoming pink]

At the lagoon the dolphin trainers show off the dolphins by getting them to do all sorts of tricks. For an extra fee you can have your photo taken with them.

Entry to Dolphin Lagoon also includes admission to Underwaterworld Singapore.

Pink Dolphin Showing Off
[Pink Dolphin Showing Off]

Sentosa Island – Singapore

Location: Sentosa Island – Singapore

Sentosa Island is a leisure resort island off the city-state island of Singapore. It is regarded as the southern most point of continental Asia, though that is disputable as it is an island, therefore technically not continental.

Southern Most Point Of Continental Asia
[Southern Most Point Of Continental Asia]

Sentosa has a theme park resort feel to it, but it is worth going to if you want a bit of a nature break while you are in Singapore. There is an excellent jungle walk and surprisingly nice beaches. It costs 3 Singapore Dollars to enter, which includes return skytrain ticket to get to the island.

Siloso Beach - Sentosa Island
[Siloso Beach - Sentosa Island]

Siloso Beach Trees - Sentosa Island
[Siloso Beach Trees - Sentosa Island]

Flight Review: Bangkok Airways – Samui to Singapore

Flight: Bangkok Airways PG 961
Date: 24 Feb 2008

Bangkok Airways is a Thai airline based at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok. Bangkok Airways operates flights in Thailand as well as to destinations in Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam.

Bangkok Airways at Koh Samui
[Bangkok Airways at Koh Samui]

My flight was from Samui, Thailand to Singapore for a flight of just under two hours.

Bangkok Airways is not a low cost airline as they serve food, and they are not a full service airline as there is no inflight entertainment. They call themselves a boutique airline, which is probably a good way to split the difference.

Seating is assigned and Bangkok Airways serve meals on all flights.

Bangkok Airways Inflight Meal
[Bangkok Airways Inflight Meal]

The award winning Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport consistently tops the polls in passenger surveys. Here are some features that I like.

Free Internet Terminals

Free internet - Singapore Changi

Free internet terminals, and plenty of them as well.

Laptop Desks

Laptop Access - Singapore Changi

Work desks made for laptops with power supply, so no sitting on the floor next to a powerpoint that is meant for a vacuum cleaner. There was no wireless offered by the airport, but I had my mobile phone with me and I was sent a free access code by one of the local mobile phone services.

Transit Lounge

Waiting lunge - Singapore Changi

Very comfortable lounges. Just make sure you set an alarm as the temptation to doze off could be hard to resist if you are half way through a long flight.