One of the best parts of traveling first class out of Singapore with Singapore Airlines is that you get to experience the Private Room, a separate part of its SilverKris lounge for premium cabin travelers. It was one reason I specifically argued with my United reservations agent to price our flight with a destination of Hong Kong and a stopover in Singapore rather than the other way around — I wanted to depart from Singapore in first class. (Our return from Hong Kong was in business class, so this meant we wouldn’t have to redeem more miles for a first class return flight.)
Other posts in this series:
- Introduction
- Hyatt Regency San Francisco
- Singapore Airlines First Class SFO-ICN (SQ 15)
- Singapore Airlines First Class Menu
- Singapore Airlines First Class ICN-SIN (SQ 15)
- Grand Hyatt Singapore
- Historical Sights, Ethnic Neighborhoods, and Raffles Hotel
- Modern Singapore at Marina Bay and Orchard Road
- Birthday at the Night Safari
- Where to Eat in Singapore
- Singapore First Class Departure and The Private Room
- Singapore Airlines First Class SIN-HKG (SQ 866)
- Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
- Central District Parks and Victoria Peak
- Exploring the Markets of Kowloon and Mong Kok
- Day Trip to Stanley Harbor
- Where to Eat in Hong Kong
- Singapore Airlines Business Class HKG-SFO (SQ 2)
- Concluding Remarks
Leaving Singapore, our next flight was a quick hop to Hong Kong via Singapore Airlines’ first class, with the same 777-300ER configuration we enjoyed on the outbound flights from San Francisco to Singapore. Because we were first class passengers, we made a special request of our taxi driver to stop at the premium check-in area, a small turnout at the beginning of the terminal. Keep your eyes open because he almost missed it.
We were greeted at the door and escorted to a desk where our documents were checked and boarding passes were issued. I normally complain about being seated during check-in — I’m not there to chat — but this was not too bad since the agent got straight to business and we still had a desk separating us.
Before long we were passing through the private security lane. It was so quick I barely even noticed it.
Singapore Airlines operates a huge lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport. The front half is for business class passengers while the back half is for first class passengers. Unfortunately, if you’re flying in economy and are trying to get in with Star Alliance Gold status, you have to use the separate KrisFlyer Gold lounge next door. We were escorted through the lounge to the very back, where the Private Room is located. It was almost like taking a little guided tour. 😉
The business class lounge looked pretty standard, and there seemed to be a separate first class area before the Private Room. However, the Private Room is definitely a step up. There are several small seating areas for groups as large as four to six to talk privately. A few other couples came in, but we barely noticed them. We chose to sit in pairs of large wing-backed chairs along the window.
As soon as we were seated, a waiter hurried over to ask our preference for beverages, and we both ordered champagne. The only problem I had was getting the wireless Internet to work. Even with the help of a few employees, it was about 20 minutes before I was online.
After working for about an hour, we decided to break for lunch in the adjacent dining room. Our waiter brought over the menus, and I selected a hamburger with foie gras (so much better than cheese) while Megan had dim sum. As I had hoped, she took our order and came back to bring us to our table once the food was ready. The burger was excellent, although almost anything with foie gras is excellent.
I can’t really say we did much else while we were there. We’d arrived from our hotel and didn’t need a shower, but I checked out the bathrooms and they were clean and spacious. There are two actual private rooms in the back of the Private Room, but they are nothing special. It seemed more like a place to sit if you really need some quiet or privacy. This one, for example, was decked out with some children’s furniture.
Eventually our flight was called and we began the walk to the gate.
I have to comment here about how excellent the service is with Singapore Airlines. I had purchased a wine opener during our visit and stupidly packed it in my carryon luggage. The screeners spotted it at the gate, but instead of throwing it away, they called over a Singapore Airlines employee who was providing support. He apologized profusely as he put it in a special bag, gave me a claim slip, and explained I could pick it up at Hong Kong. That’s the difference between ruining and making someone’s day.
