You arrive in Singapore from an overnight long-haul flight. It’s 9am. What you really need is shower and maybe a couple of hours sleep in a proper bed. You have a hotel room booked in the city so…
“Why would I need an arrivals lounge?”
Well the check-in time for your hotel is 2pm. Even as a status holder – Singapore’s hotel sector is busy and competitive. You call and they say the room isn’t ready and probably won’t be until check-in time. You’ve got 5 hours to burn, your clothes smell of “Eau d’Boeing” and the jetlag is just starting to kick in.
You have two choices – head into town, walk around and make the best of it, or head to the ‘The Haven’, have a shower, 3 hours sleep, then a coffee and a late breakfast. Arrive at your hotel refreshed and ready to enjoy the rest of the day. You choose!
This is why arrivals lounges are so popular, except in Singapore. So far this is the only such facility at Changi. Sure there are airside lounges for pre-departure, there are even transit hotels for passengers with an onward journey – but nothing to help you if you are terminating in Singapore – strange.
Traveller Tip: Some passengers have reported that airside third-party departure lounges have allowed access to arriving passengers who are terminating in Singapore. This is specifically against the policy of all third-party lounges we have reviewed. It appears to be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
We have always enjoyed arriving on Cathay Pacific First Class in the morning at London Heathrow, and heading to the American Airlines Arrivals Lounge for a shower, proper coffee, good breakfast and a quick read of the newspapers before heading to the hotel (which in central London, inevitably won’t be ready early). We’ll do a full review of this lounge in July – it is one of the best out there.
The Haven by JetQuay
JetQuay is a premium services provider based at Changi Airport. They are best known for their ‘JetQuay CIP terminal’ in Singapore. If you hold any of the premium credit cards you will probably have been offered a voucher to experience it. It’s effectively a separate terminal where they can chauffer you in, check you in, allow you to relax in private facilities and then chauffeur you to your gate. No matter what class or airline (as long as it isn’t budget).
We’ve tried it before and we didn’t really rate it. A nice one-off experience but for the amount that is usually charged – probably not worth it. We are planning a full review soon so watch out for that. However, they are experienced in the field of offering premium passenger products so we felt this new arrivals lounge should be good.
If you’re wondering what “CIP” means – you aren’t alone. Commercially Important Person i.e. you’ve got money to burn and want to feel special!
Lounge Facts
Location: Landside, Terminal 3, Level 1, after Customs
Showers: Yes (13)
Nap Rooms: Yes (18)
Alcohol: Yes – extra charge
Food: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes plus 4 computer terminals
Power Sockets: G-type (UK-style) only. No USB charging.
Access
Paid Rates:
Priority Pass, LoungeKey, LoungePass and DragonPass all get 3 hours access, including access to shower facilities, but not the nap rooms.
Priority Pass will get 20% off nap room rates (others vary, call for more information).
Nap rooms are also available via online travel agents but the prices vary and may not allow you to select the correct arrival time (as shown above on the pricelist) so be careful. If in doubt, book direct.
Traveller Tip: Access is allowed to both departing and arriving passengers but they will ask to see your boarding card in either case so keep it handy.
Location
The Haven is situated on Level 1 (arrivals) at Singapore Changi Terminal 3.
If you arriving on a flight into terminal 3, proceed through immigration, baggage collection and customs. Once in the public arrivals area walk right until you see the signs ‘Pay-per-use Lounge’.
If you arrive at Terminal 1 or 2 you can use the SkyTrain to get to Terminal 3, which only takes 5-10 minutes. For Terminal 4 arrivals, you will need to take the bus to Terminal 2 and then the SkyTrain. All are relatively easy access.
Main Area
The Haven isn’t a very large lounge. Just to the left of the entrance is the seating area. There is a mix of comfortable armchairs all with nearby G-type sockets (bring your adapters if you aren’t using that type).
There is a small kid play area with TVs on most walls.
A small business centre is equipped with iMacs and PCs, plus a printer and a wide selection of international newspapers and magazines.
It was quiet when were there at around 6pm on a weekday with only 2 other guests in the lounge. This seems fairly typical looking at other reviews.
Wi-Fi
Very fast indeed – most likely due to the fact the lounge was basically empty.
Download: 9.3 Mbps
Upload: 9.6 Mbps
Ping: 4 ms
Food and Beverages
Beyond the main seating area, there is a dining area with a selection of bread, soft drinks and a coffee machine. A small selection of alcohol is available at extra cost.
Instead of the usual buffet style, hot food is available from an a la carte menu. It appeared to be the usual lounge fare, but relatively tasty and at least freshly prepared.
