Musings from Singapore: the airport

While living in Singapore, there are many things I've had to get used to. Some are better than others.

But one thing I could DEFINITELY get used to is the airport.

Arriving in Singapore in August was my first foray into Asia and I had no idea what to expect. I mean, I knew Singapore was "first world" and had the requisite #firstworldproblems. And the BF had been here a few months and clued me in to a few things. But getting off the plane at Changi Airport was not what I expected. I was expecting squat toilets and non-potable water, possibly some sporadic air con. But instead, what I found was delightfully clean and automated bathrooms, drinking fountains on every turn, amazing travellators (that's what they call the moving "sidewalk" things in the airport that help you get from gate to gate more quickly. I always wondered what to call them....) and bright, shiny, clean everything.

As I traveled to and from Singapore, my initial awe and respect for Changi Airport has changed into true appreciation.

On my first trip from Singapore (to Cambodia, in August) I noticed a few things:

• People dress up. No one wears pajamas to the airport, because they recognize that they are, in fact, out in public. (I'm looking at you, SeaTac.) Also, it happens to be a portion of "out in public" that sells high end cosmetics, clothing, handbags and even jewelry. I'm not real sure about that, but if it keeps people from dressing skanky (as my dad put it) in the airport, I'm down. I was wearing a cute t-shirt dress and boat shoes and felt a little underdressed, but considering the alternative, I'm ok with that. 
• We got our boarding pass at the counter and proceeded through the gates marked "Departure". In the US, this path takes you to a security checkpoint, where you basically have to strip down and completely unpack your suitcase on the conveyor belt before having your hair patted and sniffed. In Singapore, you proceed directly to an immigration checkpoint. Because every flight out of Singapore is an international flight. The country is 710 square kilometers in size, with one city. There are no "domestic" flights.
• After passing through immigration, I expected the security checkpoint, but still no. It wasnt until we got to our gate that we went through a security checkpoint. The gates are walled off with glass walls and they check your boarding pass and scan you as you enter the waiting area for your flight. This means that everyone in the security line with you is on your flight. There's no missing your flight cuz you were in the security line forever!
• Also...Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks co-exist peacefully...why can't they do that in Seattle?

On subsequent trips to Changi Airport, my appreciation has only continued to grow. They have signs that give the estimated walking time to your gate, so you can plan your journey through the terminal. They have massive duty-free shops and srsly full. on. mall. But probably the best thing is the "express lanes" for immigration checkpoints. If you are a Singaporean citizen - or have a handy-dandy little identification card, like I have, through my long-term employment pass - you can skip the lines at the passport checkpoint and go through the express lanes. You walk up to a kiosk and scan your passport or ID card. Then you walk to the next kiosk and scan your thumb print. The little screen says "Bon voyage!" and you're on your way. (When you come back to Singapore, the little screen says "Welcome to Singapore!") There's no waiting in line, no awkward conversation with the immigration official.....I mean, there are no passport stamps either, but it's a worthwhile sacrifice.

So when it comes to air travel, congratulations Singapore, you're doing it right!

It's been my experience that the nicer, more efficient, cleaner airports are the smaller ones. Knoxville, TN and Columbia, SC are some really awesome airports. But Singapore is no small potatoes! In 2012, more than 51 million passengers passed through the airport on one (or more) of the airport's 6500 weekly scheduled flights. As a point of comparison, LAX handled more than 63 million passengers in 2012 and RDU handled about 9 million. 

Home to more than 110 airlines, serving 240 cities in 60 countries, Singapore is a hub for Asian travel and a jumping off point to the rest of the continent. In addition to the major international carriers (United, Delta, KLM, etc.) it's also home to Singapore Airlines, which is consistently rated one of the world's top airlines* and a handful of regional carriers that offer limited itineraries for CHEAP for people like me who want to eat every variety of noodle in Southeast Asia in its original location. So with all that going on, maybe it should come as no surprise that this airport has its act together.

*I'm flying Singapore Air next week and will report back.