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Confirmed: Singapore's Changi Airport Is Absurdly, Famously Decadent

October 29, 2009 at 9:14 AM | by | Comment (1)

A new survey is out on travelers' favorite airports, this one claiming to be among the most comprehensive to date. 14,500 frequent travelers representing 160 countries from around the world were polled, and after everything was tallied the winner was Singapore's Changi Airport. Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok and Amsterdam's Schiphol were 2nd and 3rd respectively.

We're not sure how actually legitimate these results were and if there was any campaigning in the background. Whoever's responsible for the airport's PR seems to have an ambitious streak, and someone has gone so far as to insert copy into Wikipedia: "the designer airport is one of those anomalies where the phrase 'I spent all my time in the airport' is likely to be a positive."

So maybe this was a commissioned survey. But as the old saying goes, if you've got it flaunt it. And the Singapore Changi Airport certainly seems to have it.

SleepingInAirports.net—a site that if you don't have bookmarked, bookmark—has awarded Changi its Best Airport crown. Reviewers report free Internet, free video games, comfortable and plentiful sleeping areas, and all the amenities a traveler could ask for. There's even a free movie theater. We're a little skeptical about the traveler who gushed "there's really no reason to leave the airport" when Singapore is the reason, but the overall impression is of opulent comfort at the airport.

The Oasis Lounge is one of the main focal points for traveler adoration, as is the airport's integrated nature trail plus themed garden reserves. The entire airport is a sprawling three-terminal retail space with names like Prada, Gucci, and Bulgari. Asia's first Ferrari travel retail shop obviously choose the airport as its home. The amount of money that Singapore makes from just straightforward decadent shopping is eye popping, clocking in at hundreds of millions of dollars, so these boutiques make complete sense.

The only downside is that Changi is getting very, very crowded. Passengers come and go of course. The problem is that many staff members have apparently taken to calling the airport a second home. Or, we suspect for at least some of them, their first home. Because can you really blame them?

[Photo: Terence Ong / Wiki Commons]

Related Stories:
· Singapore Changi Airport the World’s Favorite Airport [Asia Travel Tips]
· International Airports Coverage [Jaunted]
· Airports [Jaunted]

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Go Singapore!

I agree with the general consensus that this is the world's best airport. To date, I have not seen anything like it anywhere else. For long haul flights that require a stopover of more than 2 hours, Changi would be my airport of choice. There really is no point in getting down and roaming the city as everything you need can be found here. It's like a mini-city
Kiran Baj Khatao on October 29, 2009 at 1:31 PM #Permalink

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