There's a reason Singapore-Changi International Airport consistently wins awards; it's because the place is ah-may-zing. After spending much time at the three main terminals earlier this week, we're sharing with you our favorite, can't-miss bits of this massive travel hub.

Today: The variety of indoor and outdoor gardens in Terminals 1 and 2

So a weird thing happened while we were at Changi. Well, we were chilling in a cactus garden watching a Qantas 747 taxi around the tarmac when it suddenly began raining in a soaking downpour that nearly ruined our passport. What's odd about this isn't the raining on the cacti, but the fact that all this was happening in an airport.

Changi is a massive airport of four terminals, but only three are worth talking about (the fourth is a tiny terminal for budget, regional airlines). The main three are packed with all kinds of shops, all kinds of eateries, a flume slide, a pool and lovely, lovely gardens:]]> JetSetCD 2012-02-07T10:24:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/27/17256/415

It never fails. We'll be at an airport, chilling at a gate awaiting a flight boarding announcement, and every time an Airbus A380 rolls up nearby, other travelers around us will stand and head to the windows for a better look.

There's just something about the double-decker jet, maybe that it's easy to spot or maybe because it's simply so massive that makes people pay attention. Flyers who wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 737 and a 777 will point and reverently whisper, "that's that new superjumbo. Cooool."

LAX may not have as many airlines arriving with A380s as JFK, but they're inching up there. On the other hand, LAX has only two gates best equipped to service the beasts, so you'll usually know where to find them at the large airport. That'd be gates 101 and 123. Of the 7 airlines currently flying A380s, 3 have routes to LAX. Here's who to look for:]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-27T17:25:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/12/214753/08

In our Prime Plane Spotting series, we've discovered quite a slew of odd places to get right up near the big jets; there've been coffee shops, a pool, Venetian water taxis and even an IKEA, but never before have we found a golf course.

At Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport, an entire 18-hole, par 72 golf course sits between the two runways. It's called Kantarat. Seeing it is believing it, and even better is crossing from hole to hole in a golf cart, waiting for a red light to change so you can drive across the tarmac for your next shot. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-13T11:22:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/5/9/84658/29909

Have you spotted the behemoth Airbus A380 yet? If not, or if you'd just like to enjoy a festive chance to see it again, Lufthansa will be celebrating their A380's inaugural arrival to San Francisco International Airport tomorrow with a plane spotting party, sweetened by giveaways.

From 11am to 12:30pm PST tomorrow at Bayfront Park, SFO and Lufthansa will welcome aviation enthusiasts, photographers, press and passersby to train their eyes to the sky as the big bird swoops in to begin service between San Francisco and Frankfurt.

If you attend, there are many ways to win prizes (and free flights!). For one, the first 100 people there will score a box lunch. For more details on prizes, how checking in to Foursquare could get you even more goodies, and directions on how to reach Bayfront Park, check out the official event page here.

[Photo: FlyingWithFish for Jaunted]]]> JetSetCD 2011-05-09T11:37:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/2/10/9533/02931

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport might not be one of the mighty hubs for Northwest Airlines any longer, but Delta is still around sending plenty of planes to and from the Twin Cities each day of the week. There’s a slew of windows at the airport to check out the aviation action, but there’s actually a somewhat secret observation deck within Terminal 1-Lindbergh.

We say it’s a secret because anytime we’ve visited, there has been no one there, and it’s not even on the airport maps. It’s located in Concourse D up some stairs and kind of behind one of the gift shops in the area—we think it’s called Airport Express or something like that. ]]> kjb 2011-02-10T09:59:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/12/17/8266/5227

Just as some airline iPhone apps are adding additional functions like charts of baggage fees or sudoku, Virgin Atlantic doesn't have to worry about anything like that. It just needs to deal with its own airplanes, which currently don't have baggage fees or in-flight WiFi (yet, for the latter). Thus, their latest app upgrade debuts an improved flight tracking tool, for watching as your friend/family member/coworker's flight slowly creeps across the globe.

Or—if you believe their little spoof video introducing the new feature (watch it above)—it's for stalking and forming romantic attachments to their actual airplanes. But forget English Rose; this obsessive planespotter can have her. If we had to stalk a Virgin Atlantic 747, then it would definitely be the Dita von Teese-decorated Cosmic Girl, which is usually found flying the London-Las Vegas direct.

To start your own stalking of VA's planes, download the free app from iTunes here.]]> JetSetCD 2010-12-17T08:28:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/15/211947/51

If big 747s or even 737s are not your cup of tea and you instead prefer to see the smaller regional jets, private jets and a few Airbus A320s scattered in there, then plane spotting at Vermont's Burlington International Airport is for you. Aside from the concentration of regional jets that visit BTV, the airport is unique in that the public can come up to the old Control Tower to enjoy the best view for free.

The trick is to go to the second level of the terminal—don't go through security—and there's a hallway with a simple sign pointing to the "observation tower." Up a few flights of cramped stairs and you're in the old control booth. Now all it's got are stools, but a wise plane spotter will bring the binoculars and professional camera lenses to capture shots of the planes taking off with the mountains in the background. ]]> JetSetCD 2010-10-19T14:00:05-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/