Returning home - Singapore to Perth

Friday, 21 December/ Saturday, 22 December 2018

We landed in Singapore Changi Airport, Terminal 4 at 8,30 pm and on exiting the plane were surprised by a nice garden and a "heart tree".

Heart Tree Sculpture at Terminal 4

After coming down an escalator a stewardess asked passengers if they had connecting flights and where to. She checked our ticket, gaves us a T2 sticker to put on our clothes, and we were told to go to a small lounge on the side, and get on the next bus that would take us to Terminal 2 and in Terminal 2 take the skytrain to Terminal 1.

Singapore Airport terminals (photo from net)

The bus took a route outside the Airport but deposited us in front of a back door to Terminal 2. From here we boarded the skytrain to Terminal 1.

Out of the bus into Terminal 2

We walked until we found an Information counter as we didn't have boarding passes for our flight. The lady asked if we had arrived via a Low cost flight (yes) and she told us we would have to exit the terminal via passport control and re-enter and go through security!

We weren't happy, so she directed us to a Qantas counter nearby and we were asked the same question. We told the lady we had been directed to Terminal 2 and 1 by a staff member at Terminal 4 who even gave us a T2 sticker, so we were obviously upset at the wrong information in Terminal 4, and at having wasted so much time and the possibility we might even miss the flight if we had to exit and re-enter.

She was adamant that she couldn't give us our boarding passes as it was the Singapore Airport policy that all passengers coming in from Terminal 4 on low cost flights would have to go through passport control and security! Damn low cost flights!!!

It had taken us 1 hour to get to this point and Jose was furious saying he would never fly via Singapore Airport again!
While we walked to Passport control at high speed I would stop to take some photos along the way and then run to catch up to Jose.

Singapore Rose heart, and Christmas sculptures

In terminal 2, this interactive "Enchanted Garden" comprises 4 giant glass topped bouquet sculptures decorated with mosaics and stained glass. Within the bouquets are a variety of fresh flowers and ferns. It comes to life with sound when you weave through it.

A bouquet of flowers among the palm trees at Terminal 2

Before Passport control we had to fill in an Exit form, but we weren't leaving the airport, so we explained the situation and the officer was quite understanding and directed us to where we should exit and then re-enter the airport at Terminal 1.

Back in Terminal 1 by the Qantas counters a staff member tried helping us get our boarding pass in one of the electronic machines. It wouldn't accept Jose's details saying he didn't have a booking, ggrrrr... My details were accepted, but we told the lady it would be better if we queued and got our passes together or otherwise we might not sit together.
After about 20 minutes we finally got attended and given our boarding passes and we rushed to our departure lounge.


Even though there were wi-fi areas in the lounge and along the way I didn't manage to connect as it asked for my Passport number and an identity number, which I didn't know what it was. I later learned that at the Information counter and at specific points you can get a password to log in valid for 3 hours.

The Kinetic Rain sculpture, made of 1216 bronze droplets measures 9,8mt by 4mt.
The sculpture can form 16 different shapes through slow movements travelling a maximum distance of 7,3mt from the ceiling to the lowest point of the pattern.

Kinetic Rain at Terminal 1

About 20 minutes after arriving at the departure lounge at 11,30pm we boarded the Boeing
 737 to Perth! 
Oh, what luxury - comfortable seats, a pillow, blanket, dinner and entertainment.... But not all was 100%, unfortunately my TV didn't work and would switch off a few seconds after my movie started! After a few tries, I gave up and went to sleep.

Flying over Rottnest Island near Perth

Five hours later we landed at Perth International Airport at 5am, and because we just had hand luggage were almost the first people out the door. A few taxis awaited and we caught a taxi home.
It was quite hot already and the driver informed us that it was already 28C (82F)at 5am and the maximum temperature would go up to 40C (104F).

Finally home, we unpacked, put clothes in the washing machine and went to be for a few more hours to recover from the overnight flight.

A couple of days later we were talking about laptops and Jose went to get his laptop which he thought was in the bedroom. It wasn't, and he started retracing his steps and try to remember when he had last seen it - on the flight to Perth!!

I searched for the Lost Property phone number at Perth Airport, he called them and after having to describe the laptop with many details I wouldn't have noticed for sure, the man told him to collect it the next day. We were relieved!

And with just two days to prepare for Christmas lunch at our place, there was lots to be done - shopping, wrap presents, clean the house...

And I still want to visit Singapore, it's on my bucket list, and I'm sure Jose will come too even though he was so upset with the bad experience we had at Changi Airport.
The airport itself is beautiful, has so many beautiful sculptures, gardens, etc so it's an experience within Singapore too.
Have you had any bad airport experiences?