London to New Zealand (via Singapore) flight advice - lounges etc.

marky_p

Hi gang,

I'm after some advice on how best to enjoy a flight to and from New Zealand next month.

We are flying LHR - SIN - AKL outbound (12hr stopover) and CHC - SIN - LHR on the return (straight through).

What I'm looking for is tips on what lounges etc. constitute the best value (all airports) so we can enjoy the 24 hour slog as much as possible! I've done a lot of reading up on Singapore but there are so many lounge/shower/hotel/nap room options it is a bit confusing. We also plan to see some of Singapore, so don't want to just book a room to sleep in for ten hours, but probably do want a lie down and a shower.

Naturally, as this is MSE, any bargains would be great. And if anyone has the power to bump me up to business, drop me a PM :rotfl:

Derwent

I always use the Plaza Premium lounge when passing through Changi, can't fault it, peaceful environment with nice food and very clean shower facilities.

novelty-socks

Singapore Airport is super-pleasant and spacious, with decent food options and some quiet spots. I had lounge access on a recent trip to Australia, but would question whether it's worth paying extra for.

It's a quick cab ride from the airport to the city (traffic permitting), and I think you can even sign up for a free tour if you're in the airport for more than 5 hours or so.

Are you flying Singapore Airlines BTW? Having just done UK-Australia return with them (with a baby), I found their economy cabin very good. I have Star Alliance Gold status and we got bumped to Premium Economy on one leg, but I hear business upgrades are very very uncommon.

knightstyle

How long do you have in Singapore? If over a day look at the hotels deal with Singapore air. If just a couple of hours there is at least one airside hotel where you can have a shower and relax in the lounge area much cheaper than one of the official lounges. Plus there are massages available airside as well.
Last time we had about 4 hours there and had a shower and a massage plus a walk around the shops which worked out just right timewise.

zagfles

When we went we stayed in the transit hotel which is brilliant - you book by the hour so book as long as you need, and a daytime booking is no problem. We booked something like 10am to 7pm for around £100 for a room for 4. Quiet room, no windows so you don't know it's daytime - we didn't sleep on the flight, arrived about 2am UK time (10am local time) and straight to bed! Luggage checked through, didn't need to go through immigration.

Then up in the evening for the NZ flight - again no need to sleep on flight as we'd had a good 9 hours sleep in a proper bed.

Far better and cheaper than paying a silly amount for a dorm bed in the sky! Which seems to be be main benefit of business class.

The airport do city tours for transit passengers, free IIRC, and there's loads else to do in the airport eg swimming pool, even a bird park.

If you're on SIA, they sometimes give you transit vouchers which you can use to pay for stuff in the airport - including the transit hotel. When we went it almost paid the whole cost of the hotel.

richardw

What time do you arrive at SIN from LHR?

Gloomendoom

zagfles wrote: »

If you're on SIA, they sometimes give you transit vouchers which you can use to pay for stuff in the airport - including the transit hotel. When we went it almost paid the whole cost of the hotel.

Passed through Changi the week before last and the vouchers were worth S$20 per person. They can be used to pay for most things within the terminal including entry to one of the lounges. I don’t think they would cover the full current cost of the transit hotel. In the past we have also been given an additional S$20 of perfume/alcohol/tobacco vouchers.

zagfles

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Passed through Changi the week before last and the vouchers were worth S$20 per person. They can be used to pay for most things within the terminal including entry to one of the lounges. I don’t think they would cover the full current cost of the transit hotel. In the past we have also been given an additional S$20 of perfume/alcohol/tobacco vouchers.

IIRC we got SIN$40 each, so $160 between the 4 of us, and the transit hotel was a bit under $200. But this was 4 years ago.

marky_p

Thanks for the posts everyone - very helpful.

We are flying SIA and are leaving Heathrow in the morning, I believe we arrive at Changi at around 7.30am, then depart again around 8pm the same day.

I know about the free tours but that isn't really our scene, so with 12 hours on the way out we do plan to do some exploring off our own backs. I'm also aware of the vouchers they often offer and will definitely be looking into that.

That said neither my wife or I are very good flyers and we aren't good at sleeping on planes, so we fancied at least a couple of hours lie down.

Some further questions:
- does the Premium Plaza lounge access include a shower or is the shower an extra charge?
- do the airside hotels include showers or are they simply just beds?

zagfles

The transit hotel rooms are just like normal hotel rooms, ensuite with shower etc.

IIRC the minimum booking is 6 hours, S$110 (about £60) for a double so not too expensive. See http://www.harilelahospitality.com

Gloomendoom

marky_p wrote: »

Some further questions:
- does the Premium Plaza lounge access include a shower or is the shower an extra charge?
- do the airside hotels include showers or are they simply just beds?

The Plaza lounge has showers included. They provide the towels too. I have spent many hours in the Plaza lounge and it is excellent, however, if I wanted a good kip, I’d get a room in a transit hotel.

The transit hotels include showers but the cheapest rooms aren’t en-suite.