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Jonathan Kong

Singapore Plans to Build Terminal 4 at Changi

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Why cant we have something classy like this?

 

For the amount of money spent, mahb could but have different objectives and priority.

Edited by KK Lee

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I'm sure if we forward our suggestion perhaps 99% probability it will fall to blind eyes and deaf ears.

 

Sure there are people in MAHB who shares our enthusiasm of beautifully built, user friendly, cutting edge and within budget terminal.

 

But those may not be the decision maker.

 

KLIA2 not only functionally fcuked up, its hell expensive as well. Alas, its built, and its gonna be there for at least 30 years.

 

I really wish they dont screw up the next satellite terminal and MTB extension.

 

We can learn A LOT from Changi over the years but we didnt.

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I'm sure if we forward our suggestion perhaps 99% probability it will fall to blind eyes and deaf ears.

 

Sure there are people in MAHB who shares our enthusiasm of beautifully built, user friendly, cutting edge and within budget terminal.

 

But those may not be the decision maker.

 

KLIA2 not only functionally fcuked up, its hell expensive as well. Alas, its built, and its gonna be there for at least 30 years.

 

I really wish they dont screw up the next satellite terminal and MTB extension.

 

We can learn A LOT from Changi over the years but we didnt.

More likely, they would tried to reinvent the wheel than learn from the little red dot.

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I recently flew out from KUL via SIN and the comparison is simple :

 

SIN indeed is a good place for long layover, it is a very lively and clean airport. Unlike KUL which is quiet but boring.

 

The only downside I could find with SIN is it is too big an airport for flights with short connection time especially when it involves change of terminal. My connection time in SIN was around 1 hr and I could only merely make it to the gate on time after running at Usain Bolt 100m speed. My baggage couldn't make it though.

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The problem with technology - with rigid programming comes an inflexible approach to customer service.. checking in at T1 using one of these automated bag drop machines, three items of luggage to check in weighing precisely 25kg, and 25kg of allowance.. the first item registered as 4.5kg... sent it through and the machine then asks for the second item, however displaying that 5kg of the 25kg is used.. second item placed on belt at 7.5kg as displayed by the machine itself... machine processes and then registers this for 8kg! So now, 13kgs of the 25kg used, with 1kg in rounding errors.. fine.. third bag weighs in at 12.7kg.... machine now refuses to process - "you have 1kg excess baggage - unable to check in, repack and try again"...... asking for assistance was useless - the attendant remarked - yah, u must pay at the other side - I cannot override the machine... disgruntled I went to the manned counter, queued again and told him the debacle.. very simply he checked my luggage through and I thanked him for his common sense approach.

 

The machines took longer, were very sensitive to people or items being close by and frankly have zero flexibility... combine hat with staff that do not have a customer centric approach to their job and you have a recipe for tension - which soon transpired so it would seem with a local Singaporean after we had finished checking in..

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The problem with technology - with rigid programming comes an inflexible approach to customer service.. checking in at T1 using one of these automated bag drop machines, three items of luggage to check in weighing precisely 25kg, and 25kg of allowance.. the first item registered as 4.5kg... sent it through and the machine then asks for the second item, however displaying that 5kg of the 25kg is used.. second item placed on belt at 7.5kg as displayed by the machine itself... machine processes and then registers this for 8kg! So now, 13kgs of the 25kg used, with 1kg in rounding errors.. fine.. third bag weighs in at 12.7kg.... machine now refuses to process - "you have 1kg excess baggage - unable to check in, repack and try again"...... asking for assistance was useless - the attendant remarked - yah, u must pay at the other side - I cannot override the machine... disgruntled I went to the manned counter, queued again and told him the debacle.. very simply he checked my luggage through and I thanked him for his common sense approach.

So basically the machine round up the weight to nearest integer number. I think it should be tweaked to read until two decimal places.

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The problem with technology - with rigid programming comes an inflexible approach to customer service.. checking in at T1 using one of these automated bag drop machines, three items of luggage to check in weighing precisely 25kg, and 25kg of allowance.. the first item registered as 4.5kg... sent it through and the machine then asks for the second item, however displaying that 5kg of the 25kg is used.. second item placed on belt at 7.5kg as displayed by the machine itself... machine processes and then registers this for 8kg! So now, 13kgs of the 25kg used, with 1kg in rounding errors.. fine.. third bag weighs in at 12.7kg.... machine now refuses to process - "you have 1kg excess baggage - unable to check in, repack and try again"...... asking for assistance was useless - the attendant remarked - yah, u must pay at the other side - I cannot override the machine... disgruntled I went to the manned counter, queued again and told him the debacle.. very simply he checked my luggage through and I thanked him for his common sense approach.

 

The machines took longer, were very sensitive to people or items being close by and frankly have zero flexibility... combine hat with staff that do not have a customer centric approach to their job and you have a recipe for tension - which soon transpired so it would seem with a local Singaporean after we had finished checking in..

Very normal in IT when u have automated interline gds and unified system from ground up to baggage handling but hardware itself is unable to cope. The baggage weighting system have different subclasses and requires constant calibration by authorized programmer. I believe some of the pax bag have been weight wrongly by thin margin because of this. Thats why airport terminals in europe have the system separated with different OS and hardware but efficiency drawback is a concern and backup costs and transit passengers worse nightmare.

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I recently flew out from KUL via SIN and the comparison is simple :

 

SIN indeed is a good place for long layover, it is a very lively and clean airport. Unlike KUL which is quiet but boring.

 

The only downside I could find with SIN is it is too big an airport for flights with short connection time especially when it involves change of terminal. My connection time in SIN was around 1 hr and I could only merely make it to the gate on time after running at Usain Bolt 100m speed. My baggage couldn't make it though.

And you don't need to wait 30-45 minutes for bags at SIN, despite being bigger and busier ;)

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And you don't need to wait 30-45 minutes for bags at SIN, despite being bigger and busier ;)

Believe sin target to have last bag on belt in 20 minutes.

 

At kul t1 and t2, first bag on belt is 30 and 40 minutes on average respectively.

Edited by KK Lee

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Lets not get too out of topic by comparing KUL to SIN - they are in different class anyway, that is why SIN is the preferred airport for most discerning travellers.

 

T4 is now a beta tester for T5 - whatever lessons learnt at T4 will be applied to T5. Whatever that failed will be dropped and new solutions found for T5.

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And you don't need to wait 30-45 minutes for bags at SIN, despite being bigger and busier ;)

I don't know if this is an exception, but my bags were waiting for me on my last flight into KUL T1 (no immigration delays and flight landed before STA) *surprised emoji*

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I don't know if this is an exception, but my bags were waiting for me on my last flight into KUL T1 (no immigration delays and flight landed before STA) *surprised emoji*

There are a number of variables at play; where the plane is parked, narrow body vs widebody, foreign passport queues vs Msian queues ...

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There are a number of variables at play; where the plane is parked, narrow body vs widebody, foreign passport queues vs Msian queues ...

Parked at the H gates, narrow body and Malaysian queue. Hence more of an exception since I was at the baggage claim in about 15 mins max.

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Changi Airport's new Terminal 4 scheduled to commence operations on 31 October 2017

 

SINGAPORE, 6 September 2017 – Changi Airport Group (CAG) today announced that the new Terminal 4 (T4) at Changi Airport is scheduled to commence operations on 31 October 2017. This follows the recent successful conclusion of major trials, with a small number of checks and reviews to be completed in the final phase of the preparations.
To ensure a smooth transition of flight operations from the existing terminals, the operations of the nine T4 airlines – the AirAsia Group (of four airlines), Cathay Pacific Airways, Cebu Pacific Air, Korean Air, Spring Airlines and Vietnam Airlines – will be shifted to T4 over one week on the following dates:
Tuesday, 31 October 2017 - Cathay Pacific Airways and Korean Air
Thursday, 2 November 2017 – Cebu Pacific Air and Spring Airlines
Tuesday, 7 November 2017 – AirAsia Group and Vietnam Airlines
The first arrival and departing flights at T4 will be operated by Cathay Pacific – CX659 from Hong Kong (STA[1]: 0540 hours) and CX650 to Hong Kong (STD1: 0650 hours) respectively.

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A documentary about Terminal 4. First episode, more to come. Can't wait to try!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOLF8bRD9N0

I landed in Terminal 4 yesterday on AK flight - still rather quiet, and it was a short walk from the aerobridge to immigration - as usual - no queue at immigration and in less than 10min after disembarkation, I was out. Super efficient. Pleasant airport. I must say Changi does get lots of things right.

 

I didn't try the check in at T4 on the return trip to KL today - took Firefly at T2, and the flight was less than half full. Wonder how Firefly is doing on the SZB-SIN sector - for the past few flights, they were about 50% load only.

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I didn't try the check in at T4 on the return trip to KL today - took Firefly at T2, and the flight was less than half full. Wonder how Firefly is doing on the SZB-SIN sector - for the past few flights, they were about 50% load only.

Maybe its because it is the weekend - there are more business travellers on FY. Its fares are expensive (a little cheaper if booked as an MH codeshare) - so leisure travellers on a tight budget might give it a miss.

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I landed in Terminal 4 yesterday on AK flight - still rather quiet, and it was a short walk from the aerobridge to immigration - as usual - no queue at immigration and in less than 10min after disembarkation, I was out. Super efficient. Pleasant airport. I must say Changi does get lots of things right.

 

I didn't try the check in at T4 on the return trip to KL today - took Firefly at T2, and the flight was less than half full. Wonder how Firefly is doing on the SZB-SIN sector - for the past few flights, they were about 50% load only.

The immigration counter is still manned or fully automated? Judging from the youtube video, Changi is doing everything right for this terminal. Even their terminal 1 feel newer than KLIA mtb.

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The immigration counter is still manned or fully automated? Judging from the youtube video, Changi is doing everything right for this terminal. Even their terminal 1 feel newer than KLIA mtb.

The arrival is still done manually. Departure is automated, just like other terminals.

 

There is a very nice foodcourt with great choices at very reasonable prices at T4. Had my lunch there upon arrival and a bowl of fish noodles was $4. We can't even find anything at RM12 in KLIA.

Edited by Lim Kar Yong

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The immigration counter is still manned or fully automated? Judging from the youtube video, Changi is doing everything right for this terminal. Even their terminal 1 feel newer than KLIA mtb.

According to the website, the automated gate can also be used by travellers whose fingerprints had been registered by (Immigration and Checkpoint Authority) ICA upon entry to Singapore. Also the disembarkation card will not need to be collected. Theres also the human manned counters if you opt to use them.

 

The automated gates at T4 is a new set up and took me a few seconds to figure things out as Im too used to the old ones. And now theres no officers to check your boarding pass before you enter airside! (Previously theres two rounds of boarding pass/passport checks) In fact no human contact at all from collecting boarding pass (I never deposit luggage) to boarding, expect one AK staff who was there to ensure we are queueing up in the correct lane during boarding. Overall a pleasant and efficient experience for me.

Edited by Kelson

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