Going to Singapore? You are in for a treat. the airport wins many awards.
Changi airport. Trolleys and trees. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Booking Flight Dates And Prices
let us suppose you wish to arrive in Singapore around Christmas and leave after New Year. The air fare 9On Singapore Airlines) rapidly increases day by day for returning early January so it saves several hundred UK pounds to leave late on New Year's Day rather than the 2nd or 3rd. You will still have eight days and nights here.
Kris Flyer Miles
If your relatives in Singapore book tickets for you and they are Krisflyer members, they cannot receive Krisflyer mileage credit as they are not a passenger (though they could receive some for using a Krisflyer Amex card). So if two of you are flying to Singapore you should both apply for a Krisflyer number – there is a link below. Mileage never expires (at least for me).
However, if you are a member of one of the Star Aliiance programme members, Such as Virgin, you may be able to claim points from them. Check conditions.
Choosing Meals and Seats
You should be able to log on to SIA at any time to choose a kosher/halal/vegetarian or other meal and/or select seats (Manage Booking link below). If it doesn’t work for you then your relative can do that.
You will receive a request to log in online exactly 48 hours before departure (both flights). I think doing so means you can bypass the auto kiosks (always a queue) and proceed straight to luggage drop. It’s also an opportunity to review your seating.
VISAS
If you are British you don’t need a visa for Singapore, just complete a landing form which you will receive either at luggage drop or shortly before touchdown. However, double check, just in case the rules change.
London, Heathrow
At LHR it’s terminal 3. When you enter T3 from the taxi drop, turn left and keep going to get to the correct inner entrance to the departure hall. Once inside, turn left again and the SIA kiosks and desks are at the end.
It’s a long walk to the SIA departure gates, under the apron and up the other side. Takes 15-20 minutes after security/duty-free.
Another member of my family says, "You don’t need to print anything, it’ll all be on their computer.'
However, I like to have airline tickets and hotel reservations printed out. It reminds me of check in times. It works when your phone has no reception or no battery or you change phones in another country. It is a fall-back if the system does not recognize you because the airline or hotel has listed your surname first, Asian style, or the check-in staff are checking your first name as a surname.
When dropping bags, you may need to show your passport and booking reference number. If you can use a yellow highlighter you can find this instantly without holding up everybody in the line behind you.
Always keep your passport attached to your person or in front of you. Never put it down in a trolley behind you. My friends lost their passports in the line at Singapore's Changi, with a group of lads jostling behind them. They lost their holiday.
Protexcting Passports
I had my passport stolen when my bag was taken from my shoulder, slashed outside a hwaker centre (food court) in Singapore.
Replacing a passport costs a lot of money and time and you get a temporary passport which you pay for and then have to apply for a permanent passprot when you get back to London.
If you have a small bag, don't let your bag hang loose from your shoulder. Keep it under your arm and if possible keep a poncho or jacket over the bag. What happened tnse.o me was a classic. somebody bumped me from my right, but another pair took my bag from the left.
If your phone is stolen, it is also handy to have your ticket printed out and kept in another place. Make sue both of you have copies of both tickets, so that if one person has their property stolen or lost, the other person has the details.
Driving License And Identity Cards Keep copies of your driving license and international driving license whether or not you intend to drive. The driving license acts as a second form of identification if you need it, or want to leave your passport behind in a hotel, then need identiy to change money at a bank, or get into a public buidling such as an office. For example, a colleague or new friend invites you to their Christmas party at IBM or Apple in Singapore. Their office is in the Central Business District. maybe their office is on the 18th floor. However, security in the building on the ground floor will not let you through the barrier into the lift area until you have shown evidence of your identity and they have noted your passport number.
Since September the rules have changed. Security staff are now no longer allowed to take your passport in exchange for the pass into the building.
Restaurants will be doubling prices at Christmas. You might fare better in Muslim Malaysia. Or try Hawker centres (food courts) at off-peak hours.
Emergency
Incidentally, 999 is the emergency number for police. For ambulance you call 995.
If you want to learn a little Chinese, use Duolingo or Chineasy. See my previous posts on the Chinese symbols.
Chineasy.
Useful Websites
wiki Chineasy
chineasy.com
singaporeair.com
duolingo.com
When dropping bags, you may need to show your passport and booking reference number. If you can use a yellow highlighter you can find this instantly without holding up everybody in the line behind you.
Always keep your passport attached to your person or in front of you. Never put it down in a trolley behind you. My friends lost their passports in the line at Singapore's Changi, with a group of lads jostling behind them. They lost their holiday.
Protexcting Passports
I had my passport stolen when my bag was taken from my shoulder, slashed outside a hwaker centre (food court) in Singapore.
Replacing a passport costs a lot of money and time and you get a temporary passport which you pay for and then have to apply for a permanent passprot when you get back to London.
If you have a small bag, don't let your bag hang loose from your shoulder. Keep it under your arm and if possible keep a poncho or jacket over the bag. What happened tnse.o me was a classic. somebody bumped me from my right, but another pair took my bag from the left.
If your phone is stolen, it is also handy to have your ticket printed out and kept in another place. Make sue both of you have copies of both tickets, so that if one person has their property stolen or lost, the other person has the details.
Driving License And Identity Cards Keep copies of your driving license and international driving license whether or not you intend to drive. The driving license acts as a second form of identification if you need it, or want to leave your passport behind in a hotel, then need identiy to change money at a bank, or get into a public buidling such as an office. For example, a colleague or new friend invites you to their Christmas party at IBM or Apple in Singapore. Their office is in the Central Business District. maybe their office is on the 18th floor. However, security in the building on the ground floor will not let you through the barrier into the lift area until you have shown evidence of your identity and they have noted your passport number.
Since September the rules have changed. Security staff are now no longer allowed to take your passport in exchange for the pass into the building.
Restaurants will be doubling prices at Christmas. You might fare better in Muslim Malaysia. Or try Hawker centres (food courts) at off-peak hours.
Emergency
Incidentally, 999 is the emergency number for police. For ambulance you call 995.
If you want to learn a little Chinese, use Duolingo or Chineasy. See my previous posts on the Chinese symbols.
Chineasy.
Useful Websites
wiki Chineasy
chineasy.com
singaporeair.com
duolingo.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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