While family holidays typically are relaxing and enjoyable, we all know that there are some unplanned hiccups that can upset the trip. Sometimes, despite all your careful planning, an unfortunate traffic jam en route or an unusually large crowd at the check-in counter could really set your nerves on the edge. Therefore whenever we go for holidays, we try to reach the airport early rather than just on time. But how early can we check-in? Once we checked-in, what’s there to do? Recently, we discovered that there is whole suite of interesting activities we can enjoy in the world’s best airport once we’ve cleared the immigration and enter the transit areas. Here are some of the surprises at Changi Airport which await you, even before you fly.
1. Check-in way early:
You can check yourself and your luggage into your flight , earlier than 2 hours before that mandatory check-in time. Some airlines like Singapore Airlines, actually allow passengers to check in 48 hours before their flight! Yes, luggage and all. This is very helpful, especially if your flight coincides with peak hour traffic. You can save yourself all that stress by checking-in way early , clear immigration , free your mind and enjoy the many services in Changi Airport before your trip. Details of how early you can check-in to your flight is available here.
2. Shop from Home:
Most travellers take advantage of their travel to do duty-free shopping. Some of these are recurring ones like alcohols, perfumes and cosmetics. Occasionally, when you’re running late to catch a flight, there won’t be time to shop for these items, or worse, they run out of stock! Fret not, now with iShop Changi, you can browse these items from the comforts of your home before you leave for the airport, pay for the purchases online and pick up inside the airport just before you fly. This will save you the hassle of lugging the items to the foreign land and then back again.
From fashion to quirky labels and household staples, coupled with duty-free and GST-less shopping discounts, it is no wonder that travellers treat Changi Airport as their one-stop retail wonderland. With over 400 brands under the three terminals at Changi Airport, even the most enthusiastic of shoppers may get a little lost. Besides the ever-popular cosmetics and perfumes, here are 10 labels that you did not even know existed at Changi Airport that will entice you to check-in early for some retail therapy to start your holiday on a happy note!
1. Uniqlo 2. Tory Burch 3. Pandora 4. Charles & Keith 5. TWG Tea Boutique 6. Muji 7. Desigual 8. Victoria’s Secret 9. Marc by Marc Jacobs 10. iStudio
Save 7% GST when you shop at the public areas. Only with the FREE Changi Rewards Card!
3. Soaking, relaxing or just running alongside butterflies:
So, what do you do with all that time now that you’re in the airport and faraway from the stresses of traffic and check-in queues? Well, answer is: LOTS! You can:
TERMINAL 1
a. Soak and swim in the swimming pool in Terminal 1.
b. Take photos and upload them instantly onto The Social Tree at Terminal 1.
TERMINAL 2
c. Catch a Blockbuster Movie for free in Terminals 2 (& 3).
d. Visit the Enchanted Garden, Orchid Garden and Koi Ponds in Terminal 2.
e. Explore the outdoors Sunflower Garden in Terminal 2.
f. Challenge your kids in Xbox Kinnect and PlayStation Games in Terminal 2.
TERMINAL 3
g. Walk among some exotic butterflies in the Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3.
h. Enjoy a foot massage at Terminal 3.
i. Occupy the kids in interactive art at all Terminals.
For the full range of suggested activities which are available for travellers inside the transit areas after check-in, click here.
4. Eat, eat , eat:
Singapore is a food-lovers’ paradise. From Western to Asian, Changi Airport has the right cuisine for every palate. Browse the extensive dining directory here.
Honestly, with so many thoughtful facilities and fun discoveries, it is no wonder Singapore Changi Airport wins accolades for being the World Best Airport year after year. The next time before you catch a flight, check in early, get rid of the cumbersome luggage and start enjoying all that it offers to maximise your vacation before the trip commences!
For a unique staycation, read our review of the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel.
5. Changi Recommends (Overseas Wifi Router Rental and other amazing Travel Deals):
The Changi Recommends booths are located at T1,2 and 3 Arrival Halls and T2 Departure Hall.
Not many travellers are aware of Changi Recommends, travel services arm established by Changi Airport Group, which welcomes our friends, families and visitors from abroad with exclusive deals for the best experiences in Singapore, with free gifts that make their trips all the more memorable. But what’s useful for us outbound passengers is the Overseas Wi-Fi Router rental services. For travellers (like ourselves) who have grown so dependent on technology, the lack of wifi connectivity can be frustrating (even crippling) when we are abroad. With portable wifi router services now available to us at such affordable prices, we are no longer at the mercies of public hotspot or free hotel wifi for internet access.
Check this out: Changi Recommends now offers Overseas Wi-Fi Router that can connect up to multiple smart devices simultaneously, which means you only need 1 portable router for the entire family’s wifi needs – no fussing with multiple overseas SIM card purchases and being stuck in the queue at Telco counters when you land at the destination airport. That’s so convenient and economical!
How much does it cost?
Check its website for the various price plans depending on where you are travelling to. Single country plan starts from an affordable SGD12/day with no charge for the first day of travel!
How to book this Overseas Wi-Fi Router?
Travellers can either reserve a router online via this overseas wifi reservation form (highly recommended), place your reservations at least three working days in advance) or pick up a set from Changi Recommends booth at any Changi Airport Terminals on your departure day. Feel free to contact Changi Recommends via the customer service hotline at +65 6922 9508 (9am to 10pm Mondays to Fridays, excluding weekends and Public Holidays) or email them at [email protected] for more information.
EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY
Thanks to Changi Airport Group, we are giving away SGD100 Changi Dollar Vouchers to 1 loyal reader to bring your family for a shopping spree or for a good meal at Changi Airport! Check out the diverse range of shops and F&B outlets from Changi Airport’s online directory here. To participate in this giveaway, simply do the following:
This giveaway ends on 17 May 2015, 11.59pm and is open to readers in Singapore. The winner will be contacted using the particulars provided when entering this draw and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete and unverified entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will be disqualified. All the best!
Amazing photos as usual! I have yet to convince the husband to check in early.. will try to do so for our next trip!
My own favourable memory of changi airport is when I had to fly to Perth to further studies for a period of 3 years. During check in, I remembered clearly that I was trembling with so much fear and anxiety. My dad put his arms around my shoulders and assured me that everything will be alright. And I also remember a big group of my friends and colleagues went to send me off, some with tears in their eyes. It was a really touching moment for me. 🙂
JingRong
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Singapore Changi Airport is the cleanest and nicest airport that I have been to so far.
Vincent Lee
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Changi airport is my fav airport because i am from SIngapore and i’m proud of it
Name: Oh Lye Choon
Email: [email protected]
I like to shop at the duty free shops and dine at the restaurants while waiting for my flight. I love the whole experience as the airport is clean and there’s a variety of shops to go to.
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Changi airport is indeeed the best airport in the world, so comfy , so much to eat and shop!
Changi airport is the best as it is clean and provides tons of entertainment.
Jingxian
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One of my fav places to take the family to! We can spend an entire day there- O loves the Canopy indoor playground, I can do some grocery shopping at the supermarket, plus not to mention the variety of food available- my personal favourites are Saboten, Aston, and the Taiwanese lu rou fan at the foodcourt. Paris Baguette for dessert and bread takeaways!
Singapore Changi Airport is definitely my favourite airport! World class standards, so many good facilities, amazing service staffs, endless choice of food ( good for foodies like me ). Even if you are not flying off to anywhere, it’s a place you can come anytime ( public area ) regardless alone, couple date, family outing. So now you know where to go to next!
Changi Airport is extremely well run and very efficient(fastest imigration processing service), all the facilities are neat, clean and convenient! The airport is very spacious. It has an extensive range of shops selling duty free consumer goods and a 24 hour food court.
I think everyone got to agree how easy it is to check in for our flight in SIngapore as compared to some countries. Our airport is very orderly and well organized. With the shopping and dining options added plus lots of activities for families to explore it gave us more reason to visit the airport even if we are not travelling overseas. Somehow the feeling of going to airport is just so much more relaxing as compared to shopping malls around the island!
Tng Sze Pei (Tammy)
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Changi Airport is safe, clean and efficient.
It is a one-stop shopping haunt for the whole family. Changi Airport can entertain the children all day and exhausted parents can chill at the F&B outlets. There is something for everyone.
Its big ans spacious, giving my kids tge opportunity to run about and explore! Then my man could have his many many pitstops eating non stop. Just the right kind of fun for everyone!
Phyllis Tan
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Changi airport is my favourite airport cos it has everything for kids, family, women and men and it’s safe and clean!
Name : Michelle Ong
E-mail : [email protected]
1) My kiddos love to slide down The Slide at Changi Airport ..they can go up and down several times without feeling bored or tired 🙂
2) Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport in this world as everything both the locals and tourists need in terms of sanitary, entertainment, relaxation,dining and educationally are all available under one roof. Free wifi, aircon and lots of free seating and places for kids to roam and play .. what’s not to like?
Neo Catherine
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I love Changi Airport because it is a great shopping hub with tons of bargains and food outlets. The airport also organizes frequent activities that are fun for the whole family such as the The Hobbit Exhibition and the Disney Winter Wonderland Magic.
love changi Airport because you can enjoy so much fun facilities and you would not get bored with ur family!! Best airport and my favourite activity is taking photos of all the nice decorations theme Changi Airport had set up every year!!
Changi Airport has been a top notch airport for years. It makes travelling from and to this fantastic airport a breeze ! Plus there are tons of things to do and see before the flight and my family and I love going to the airport for some shopping as well as dinners at the many restaurants in the public area 🙂 I am truly proud of our airport!
Changi Airport is my favourite airport in the world because it’s clean, beautiful,safe, convenient and efficient. They have friendly staff who provide good service.
I like the butterfly garden in the T3 departures – it’s so pretty in there.
My family LOVE to go to Changi Airport very much as it’s has lots of attraction and places to explore
Singapore Changi Airport is the airport that I like because it has all the amenities you can and can’t think of! There are activities for the young to relaxing foot massager for the old and lounge for the tired!
yoyo
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love changi airport for the no lack of parking spaces, free playground in T1, and many restaurants
Name; Jaslyn Chong
emaIL: [email protected]
Im a frequent traveller and this would definitely come in handy!
Love changi airport for its efficiency and variety of dining options!
Name : Felicia Leong
Email : [email protected]
Changi Airport is my favourite Airport because when i first stepped in, it gives me this homely feelings, and a feeling of relieve. A peaceful country, with it’s clean & green facilities & sceneries on the outside. The feeling of happiness, and the feeling of welcomed , makes me feel so warmth in this country. Not only that, it is where all the food heavens, last meeting shopping of duty frees, and those wonderful shoppings outside even when we are not able to go overseas ! The various exhibitions they had like the Hobbits, and the Disney Wonder-world, makes not only the kids excited about it, but regardless of age, language or religion, you see all of them are there to explore too ! Spacious yet memorable, it is something i love about it <3
Changi Airport is my favourite airport because there is a lot of interesting activities I can enjoy after I clear immigration and enter the transit area
Changi Airport is the best airport I have ever visited because there are lot of interesting activities I can do such as visit the Enchanted Garden , Orchid Garden , Sunflower Garden , Butterfly Garden, watch free movie, etc
My favourite experience at Changi Airport is the visiting of the various gardens, then enjoy a foot massage, follow by enjoy free movie
My favourite airport is Changi Airport because it is unlike the conventional airport which is boring especially after checking in, In Changi Airport, you can do many activities to occupy your time so much so that you do not even want to board your flight.
Tan Huixiu Adeline
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I love Changi Airport as it is clean and beautiful and filled with a lot of activities for whole family, be it young or old. Loves dining there and my kids love the playground there. Enjoy Christmas theme and decoration too.
Hi,
Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport because there is many facilities provided such as cinemas, swimming pools,massage devices (chairs & foot), transit hotels and napping & rest area. There are about 350 retail & service outlets and 120 F&B outlets for us to experience the multitude of shopping, dining and entertainment. We also get to “sight seeing” at the Butterfly Garden, Cactus Garden, Enchanted Garden, Orchid Garden & Koi Pond and Sunflower Garden. We also can pamper yourself with an oriental foot reflexology massage. Currently I’m working at Changi Airport as an Site Engineer and I love my workplace a lots.
Done Liked, Shared & Participated.
FB: Casy Ang
I like to visit Changi Airport even when I am not flying. I like to shop and dine there. And also bring my son to the indoor playground.
Wendy Lee
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Singapore is my favourite airport because we are from Singapore & it is the most clean airport I have been to!
Changi Airport is an all time favourite because of it’s clean and beautiful environment. It’s air conditioned with dining and retail shops. Whether or not we’re flying, always a nice hang out.
Changi Airport holds fond memories for me ever since I was child! I love to browse through my photos taken there with my cousins (with the classic world clock background, the rickshaw etc..). Changi Airport also marks the starting of my working life as I began to travel frequently for company trips after joining the workforce. And now as a mum, we hardly travel oversea; but it’s a place where we bring the kids for recreation and family outing 🙂
I love how there is so much greenery within the airport, including a sunflower garden! There is no other airport which can claim this, and it harks to our status as a City in a Garden!
Singapore Changi airport is my favourite airport because of its wide variety of facilities and entertainment for customers! Moreover, it is beautiful with lots of places to snap memorable photos before our takeoff and its cleanliness is undeniable! The decorations will change according to the upcoming seasons/occasions which make customers like us, very welcomed and it’s photo-worthy too! 🙂
Changi Airport is my favourite airport in the world because touching down at Changi means I am home.
I love Changi Airport because it is the best airport in the world. I love to shop there for chocolates and perfumes. The kids enjoy the playing at the Children’s garden while my wife who is a die hard movie fan loves to sit and watch a movie while we wait for our flight. We really love Changi Airport!
Changi Airport is so clean and beautiful with great helpful staffs.
It’s clean and very organised. Lots of activities, food and places to explore even before flying! Am proud to be a Singaporean. Thanks! 😀
Rosalind Leong
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my favorable memory:
I seldom travel, about 2 years ago, I once send off my hubby for his work trip with my kids. They had fun at 1 of the playground which I remember was quite expensive but I checked the directory seem like closed already. It was the first time my kids (3 & 1yr old) went to airport. And after hubby boarded his plane, I brought my kids around It feels good to shop around as I hardly go airport. Felt impressed by alot of new shops and the cleanliness. Deepest impression on that day was despite going toilet frequently that day my newly toilet trained son still wet his pant while we were eating at the restaurant. You can imagine how fluster and embarrassed I was! It marks 1 of my most memorable motherhood experience.
I have always love Singapore Changi Airport for being big, clean and it’s a nice place to shop and dine.
Changi Airport is clean and there are many food choices.
Cynthia
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Changi Airport is the best airport in the world as you will never get bore . There are many interesting activities such as visiting the Butterfly Garden , Sunflower Garden, even foot massage or take a swim.
Changi Airport is my favourite airport because is it most fun , clean and passenger friendly and centri where passenger can find place to rest and relax (e.g. visit the various gardens, swim, foot massage), play (play Xbox or playstation games) and even surf internet free
I like Changi Airport because I can visit the various gardens such as butterfly and sunflower , eat, shop, enjoy free internet access and can even get to swim
Singapore Changi Airport is my favorite airport in the world because they are the most beautiful and cleanest airport, with 1st class facilities and services.
We love shopping, dining at cooling Changi Airport and my daughter has so much fun playing with the other kids at the children’s playground.
Esther L Chng
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Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport in the word because there’s so much you can do like shopping, eating or even foot massage facilities to kill boredom while waiting to fly off unlike other airports.
Singapore Changi Airport is my favorite airport in the world becos I’m really proud of the huge airport that is easily accessed and has so many nice things like food, shops and playground for the entire family from the young to the old.
Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport because it has a very clean and welcoming environment.
Diana Leong
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Changi Airport is one with the most thoughtful facilities to keep travelers occupied, tip top cleanliness, wide choices of cuisine it’s no wonder my favorite airport!
Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport in the world because it has won awards for being the best in the world with No 1 shopping, food and entertainment paradise ! <3
Name: Koh Hock Guan
Email Address: [email protected]
Singapore Changi Airport is my favourite airport among those that I have travelled to because it very accessible, very clean, organised, spacious and very well equipped with shops, restaurants, kids and other facilities.
Wendy Tay
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Ashley Tan
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Changi Airport is my favourite airport because it is clean and organized! There are a lot of directions/signages to guide us around so that we will not be lost in such a big airport. Most importantly, there are so many things to do at the airport and we cannot even finish exploring it in a day!
My name is Andy Neo and email is [email protected]
To me, Changi Airport is my favourite airport in the world because it is much more than just an airport. It is also a shopping centre, a recreation place for the kids etc..it is much more than just a place where we say goodbyes and welcome to our family, friends and visitors…1 more important reason is…..and the MOST important reason….when I step back from overseas into Changi Airport, the airport tells me…I am HOME!! Love it!
Name: Lee Keat Yen
Email: [email protected]
I love Changi Airport because it is one of the best world class international airport with lots of passenger friendly facilities, very clean, very organized and the shopping is great too!
Michelle Ang, [email protected], Changi Airport have many activities that for everyone to use, play and relax. It is just so big with 3 terminals which I go anywhere using the skytrain available too..
Singapore airport is clean and beautiful.
Valerie
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Changi airport is my most favourite airport in the world because there is so much I can do while waiting for my flights….shop at the abundant duty free stores, enjoy the art works, dine in top restaurants and cafes, visit the butterfly garden etc. You wont get bored with Changi Airport!
Keith Tan
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I love Changi Airport because efficient, safe, clean and lot of activities.
I love the free wifi at the Changi Airport and during festive seasons like Chistmas etc, the airport is always very beautifully decorated. With its huge varieties of restaurants and shops, its simply awesome to shop and dine at the airport!
Love Changi Airport. Its a world class airport with great efficiency, shopping experience, customer service and yummy food. I always felt lots of pride when I touched down in Singapore!
I love to use the massager chairs before I take off! Nothing beats a home brand like Changi Airport which boosts so many pretty gardens and facilites for all, young and old.
I love to bring my kids to see plane taking off and landing at Changi Airport and they are all so thrilled about it.
Gan Say Bin
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Singapore Changi airport is the best because it’s clean, efficient and there are many activities for everyone!
Changi is my favourite airport because I simply love to shop there whenever I have the chance, always buying skincare products, perfumes and wine at duty free shops
With so much to do at Changi airport ranging from swimming, massage, shopping, dinning, strolling around the gardens, kids playground etc, its definitely one of my favourite airport! You cant be bored at Changi!
Changi is always my favourite airport as it holds lots of childhood memories for me. My parents loved to bring us to watch the planes when we were young and I still remember the huge fish tanks; I can watch the fishes for hours =)
Changi airport is my favourite airport as there are so many events and activities planned throughout the year for visitors. Activities targeting kids are my family favourites ones and they are often organised during school holidays. In the past, T3’s Check-in Row has been transformed into wonderlands such as a giant bouncy castle, an adventure playground and a mini-exhibition space.