airport lounges

As I had quite a bit of time before waiting for my flight to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, I decided to check out the SilverKris Lounge in both Changi Airport Terminal 2 and 3 in order to find out once and for all which is the better lounge.

Who can access the SilverKris Lounge?

The lounges I am covering here are the business class lounges of Singapore Airlines which are found in both Changi Airport Terminal 2 and 3. The business class section of the SilverKris Lounge in Changi Airport (both of them) are open to the following passengers:

• Passengers flying with Singapore Airlines / Silkair / Star Alliance partner airline on business class
• PPS Club members flying with Singapore Airlines / Silkair regardless of class plus one guest as long as the guest is flying on a Star Alliance partner airline

SilverKris Lounge, Terminal 2 (Changi Airport)

Advantages:

• Higher shower-to-passenger ratio with passengers less likely to use the shower overall = easier to take a shower if you need to
•  Relatively quieter than the T3 lounge during peak hours

Disadvantages:

• The lounge is not as expansive as the T3 lounge

Singapore Airline’s SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 2 is admittedly a lot smaller than its Terminal 3 sibling but it would be a mistake to write it off simply because of that.

The lounge in Terminal 2 is relatively quieter than the one in Terminal 3 despite the smaller size. The area is filled with comfortable brown armchairs – equipped with power outlets by the side. For extra privacy, there are a couple of small booths where you can take personal calls.

You will also find a number of PCs at the computer station from where you can surf, although the quantity is nowhere as large as the one you find in Terminal 3.

There is one buffet spread which features a number of hot items. The variety is typically similar to the one you find in Terminal 3 except that the one in Terminal 3 has duplicates of the same spread within the buffet area to cater to the greater number of passengers.

Do note that users of the lounge in Terminal 2 are typically those heading to nearby destinations (flight time of 4 hours or less) and as such you won’t find as many showers. But the upside is, you will not find much of a queue there. I visited both Silverkris lounges on a relatively busy day (just before labor day) when the showers at the lounge in Terminal 3 actually had a snaking queue while the one at Terminal 2 only had one person in the queue. If you urgently need a shower and find the queue at Terminal 3 lounge unbearable, consider coming here.

SilverKris Lounge, Terminal 3 (Changi Airport)

Advantage:

• The biggest airport lounge in Changi Airport
• If you need to use the lounge computer, you will have plenty to choose from

Disadvantage:

• Can get really crowded during peak hours
• If you are in need of a shower, you may find yourself having to queue

As the bulk of Singapore Airlines flights have moved to Changi Terminal 3, the SilverKris Lounge here is considered as the defacto flaghship lounge of the airline. It is quite impressive and is probably one of the largest airport lounges in the world.

Despite its sheer size, the lounge was busy when I visited in the evening. I could hardly find a place to sit.

There is plenty of food and drinks available in the lounge. There are two bar / hot drink counters from which one could concoct their favorite beverage while three buffet counters contain plenty of hot items – some of which are multiple containers of the same dish.

The PC room here is shared with the First Class Lounge and the sheer number of computers and the layout reminded me a bit of my computer classes back in the day.

The bathroom is where I find the T3 lounge to be a bit tricky. First thing you will notice as you come in is the array of sinks which is nicely displayed in the middle. At first, I found it odd that a lot of people were not washing their hands but merely standing by this area. That is, until I saw where this agglomeration of people led – which was to the shower area.

If you are in quick need of a shower, you are better off at the T2 lounge. There are only 4 shower rooms in the T3 lounge and the bulk of the SQ flights departing from this lounge are long-haul with passengers more likely to go for a shower.

Verdict

Both the T2 and T3 SilveKris Lounges are essentially the same. There isn’t one that will up the other in terms of comfort, amenities or food selection. The T3 lounge is admittedly larger but may be crowded. This is one instance where T2 may prove to be a better choice despite its smaller size. Outside of peak hours, you should just choose the one located at the terminal where you are departing from.