Recently, Eveline flew to Singapore to participate in an educational trip organized by Singapore Airlines. In this blog, Eveline shares more about this trip!
Educational trip to Singapore
After driving to Dusseldorf by car, we parked in P4. This parking garage is a few minutes from the terminal via the Skytrain. Both P4 and P5 are located directly at a Skytrain station, allowing you to reach the terminal in under 3 minutes and disembark right by the check-in counters. An alternative is to park in P8 (parking lot) or P3 (garage), which are immediately next to the terminal, allowing you to walk to the terminal.
Via Düsseldorf Airport
After arriving at Düsseldorf and a quick check-in at a dedicated counter for our group, we proceeded through passport control. At Düsseldorf, this is automated via EasyPASS. You place your passport on the scanner, look into the camera, and a moment later you're through. This system is valid for every traveler aged 18 and over, traveling with an EU passport, and is used at multiple airports in Germany for both departure and arrival. This allowed us to enter the terminal via these gates upon our return as well. It saves a tremendous amount of time, and there are enough gates available, resulting in hardly any queues. Düsseldorf is anyway a very compact airport; the gates are never a long walk away after you've passed passport control.
Next, we were able to use the Open Sky Lounge. This lounge at Dusseldorf Airport is accessible to travelers of all airlines for a fee of 27.50 Euros. Guests can make unlimited use of a limited buffet and various types of drinks.
With Singapore Airlines from Dusseldorf to Singapore
Singapore Airlines flies from Dusseldorf with a new Airbus A350-900 with Business, Premium Economy, and Economy class on board. We were in Economy class, but with my 1.86 meter height, I had more than enough legroom. What stands out is the space and light on board the A350. Every seat has a large personal in-flight entertainment system with many movies, series, music, and much more. The service on board is of a high standard; you lack nothing. You receive a menu for both meals in every class, and you eat with real cutlery. In between, they frequently come by with drinks and snacks. And the bar at the back of the galley is open for drinks and snacks between meals.
Switching to Singapore
For me, Singapore was the final destination, but transiting at this airport is very easy. You could easily do it in 1.5 hours. On board the intercontinental flight, you can already see via the in-flight system which terminal you're arriving at and from which terminal your connecting flight departs. You can then find this on the airport map and plan your journey. We had to go from Terminal A to Terminal F, which is only a 5-minute distance via the Skytrain. Some connecting flights are currently operated by Silkair, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. Over the course of this year/2020, these aircraft, and those of Scoot, will be converted to Singapore Airlines aircraft with the same service as the intercontinental flight.
Singapore surprises!
If you have time to go to Singapore, I would definitely recommend it; it certainly surprised me. The city is very well-organized, and what stands out is the cleanliness – there's no trash on the streets anywhere, and people abide by all the (traffic) rules. We visited the Arab quarter, Kampong Glam, a nice neighborhood with small, colorful shops selling unique products. Afterwards, we drove to Marina Bay, passing through some streets that are used during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in September. You can still see the red and white curbs there.
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is the bay in the city center from which you have a beautiful view of the city skyline, and where the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel is also located. This hotel consists of 3 towers with a ‘boat’ on top.
Adjacent to the hotel is a large shopping mall with a food court where we had lunch. You can buy a plate of food from one of the approximately 20 stalls and eat it at one of the many tables in the middle. If you have time, be sure to also visit the rooftop of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. From here, you have a magnificent view of the city, and in good weather (like we had), you can even see the first buildings in Malaysia.
Food halls and Supertree Grove
When you choose to access the terrace of the Ce La Vi bar, you not only get a view of the hotel's special infinity pool, but your ticket for SGD 22 is also valid as a discount on your first drink. We have dinner at Lau Pa Sat, a food hall with about 60 food stands selling all kinds of food and drinks. You can find a meal from every continent for about SGD 5 per plate. To wrap up the day, we went to Gardens by the Bay, a huge park with flower gardens and 2 enormous conservatories. Here we visited the Supertree Grove. 12 enormous structures, 25 and 50 meters high, shaped like trees and covered with flowers and plants. Every evening at 7:45 PM, a music and light show is performed here. The Garden Rhapsody is the perfect end to the day.
Back to Singapore Airport
Upon arrival at Singapore Airlines, we picked up the Changi Transit Reward vouchers. Currently, Singapore Airlines is running a promotion until September 30, 2019, where every traveler transiting through Singapore receives a voucher worth SGD 20. This voucher can be used in all shops at the airport, or you can use it for 2 hours of access to the Ambassador Lounge in terminals 2 and 3. It's ideal for relaxing, showering, or grabbing something to eat/drink. If you have more time in Singapore before departure or during a layover, the airport offers many possibilities. Besides various shops and restaurants, there are also several gardens and exhibitions. A recent highlight at the airport is ‘Jewel,’ this enormous indoor park has been open since April and cost over 1 billion euros! The highlight in the hall is the waterfall that cascades down from the dome roof and is illuminated!
It was now time to go home again, and after a similarly comfortable return flight, we landed at Dusseldorf Airport. Want to know more about this connection or about transferring in Singapore? Feel free to contact Meet me!