Relaxing, Homely, & Spacious. Cathay Pacific's New Lounge @ Changi Airport Terminal 4: Revie
Now, "The Girl" and I don't usually make time for media events; but when Cathay Pacific offered us the chance to check out their newest lounge @ Changi Airport Terminal 4 before the airport officially opened, we thought, "why not?"
Cathay Pacific is one of the worlds top airlines and by far the highest rated airline to grace Changi's Terminal 4. We've probably enjoyed a wider variety of airport lounges than most Singaporeans have (thanks to Priority Pass and our penchant for traveling to exotic destinations), but Cathay's signature lounge? Well, lets just say it's been a while since we flew to Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific, and we were really excited to see what the largest airport lounge in T4 was like.
(Plus, it was the first time we got to visit an airport before it's official opening)
T4 is so empty I can even park my car in the middle of the carpark without obstructing anyone!
Because the airport had yet to be official opened, Changi's Terminal 4 was as empty as an airport could possibly be.
The car-park was empty, check in counters unnamed and food courts closed. The only part of the airport with any sign of life was Starbucks, presumably to provide overpriced coffee to eager airport staff well off enough to get their caffeine fix for $7 over a simple cup of $1 Kopi O (local coffee) from a coffeeshop.
Self check in counters at T4. Photo Credit: Cathay Pacific.
We made our way to Cathay's check-in counter and to our surprise, everything was self automated. It's really amazing just how far technology has come.
From check-in to immigration and finally to boarding, technology takes care of everything. Less queues and way more time to enjoy the lounge!
We have arrived at the lounge!
The Cathay Pacific Lounge in Singapore seems to be designed more like an upmarket apartment than a typical airline lounge.
The Main Lounge
The Girl", a glass of champagne, and the Main Lounge
There is this homely feel the second you step in, and as you continue further inside (it's a huge lounge spanning 849 sq meters and can host slight over 200 passengers!), you see the effort Cathay has made in their selection of furniture and lighting; all to re-create the feeling of home.
Enjoying my afternoon in the most comfortable seats ever!
The folks from Cathay invited us to try out the different furniture. Every piece of furniture in the lounge has been specially selected for practicality and comfort (and boy are they comfortable).
We made ourselves feel comfortable and found the leather seats so soft we might just have fallen asleep if the situation allowed it. Side tables by every seat with built in lamps for reading and sockets available for every seat (you don't have to go begging to share a charging point in this lounge).
"The Girl" watching the planes go by. Seats with a view of the runway
It's surprising the lounge doesn't have a proper bar with whisky and all for such an upmarket airport lounge (you do get wine and beer ).
A section of the lounge offers bespoke seats offering a pretty close up view of the airport runway though. With a view like that, who needs a whisky? What's more relaxing than reclining in your seat, watching the planes take off with a champagne in hand?
The Noodle Bar
"The Girl waiting for her noodles. We ordered one of each dish to share.
Besides comfort, Cathay has also chosen to focus on providing passengers with a variety of dining options.
Just a couple of steps away from the Main Lounge is Cathay Pacific's iconic Noodle Bar; no prizes for guessing what they serve.
Apart from noodles, a couple of dim sum options are also on the menu (think BBQ Pork Buns and Siu Mai).
Especially high in demand though, are the Noodle Bar's signature Dan Dan Noodles, HK Wanton Noodles, and exclusive Cathay Pacific's Singapore Lounge, our local favorite; Laksa.
This bowl of Laksa is only available in the Singapore Lounge.
Personally, we do think they could increase the offerings on their menu (some airport lounges I've been to offer a real spread). Char Siew Rice maybe? (or more HK food stuff)
The Food Hall
"The Girl" in the food hall. Mostly a western food selection here
Not in the mood for noodles? Head to the Food Hall, a vibrant space with a variety of self-serve food offerings.
Think of it as a mini buffet. It is a great place for passengers to grab some freshly-made food and drinks before their flight.
Our Thoughts
We were sort of disappointed they didn't think to have built-in showers because that's the first thing we look for when we get long layovers. Then again, Singapore isn't a "true layover" stop for Cathay Pacific, so I'm presuming that's available in their Hong Kong Lounge.
But all in, the new Cathay Pacific Lounge is certainly one of the better airport lounges around.
Let's just say we've had our fair share of crappy lounges from our travels around the world (some of those I've visited in Africa, the Middle East and even Europe don't deserve to call themselves a lounge), and they don't come close to this upmarket, homely experience offered by the folks at Cathay.
Location: Singapore Changi Airport, Terminal 4Level 2M, Departure Transit
Size: 849 square meters
Seating capacity: 207
Opening hours: 0400h – 0100h daily
Admittance
- First and Business Class passengers
- Marco Polo Club Silver and above members
- Members of all tiers who earned lounge passes and/or their friends and family members
- oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members
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