Review: Dnata Lounge Terminal 3 Singapore Airport

Review: Dnata Lounge Terminal 3 Singapore Airport

11


Our transit time in Singapore was only scheduled to be 65 minutes, so initially our plan was to just hang around the gate, since we were running late, and I figured it would take a while to get to the lounge. Of course I should have known better, given that Garuda Indonesia carefully considers every aspect of the first class ground experience. 😉

Upon deplaning we were greeted by Saddiq, who had a sign with our names on it. There was another representative waiting for the other first class passenger.

Saddiq informed us that he’d be staying with us for the duration of our time in Singapore. Once outside the gate there were two golf carts waiting for the two first class parties, so we were driven to the lounge.

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Garuda first class golf cart Changi Airport

The lounge was a good distance from our arrival gate, and Saddiq mentioned that the golf cart was “ours” for the duration of our stay, so if we wanted to do any shopping, the driver could take us anywhere in the terminal. That’s crazy good service!

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Garuda first class golf cart Changi Airport

Garuda Indonesia uses the Dnata Lounge in Terminal 3, which is also a Priority Pass lounge, meaning anyone with a credit card with lounge access can enter. The lounge is located just past the immigration checkpoint and up a level from the terminal, for those originating their travels in Singapore.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport Terminal 3 exterior

Saddiq showed us into the private first class section of the lounge, which was located inside the entrance and to the left.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport Terminal 3 entryway

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport Terminal 3 first class section

The first class lounge was small and simple, with just about a dozen seats, a TV, and a rack with magazines and newspapers.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport first class section

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport first class section newspapers & magazines

Once Saddiq dropped us off there he said he’d pick us up again just before they’d close the door for the flight, so that we could be the last to board.

I briefly checked out the rest of the lounge. Just outside the first class section of the lounge was the main buffet, which I’ll talk more about in a bit.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

The lounge had a few different areas. Across from the buffet were several dining tables with four seats each.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

Then the main part of the lounge was closer to the windows, and opened up into the rest of the terminal.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

The setup was pretty basic, though there were several partitions between seating zones to add a sense of privacy.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport seating

The lounge had views of the tarmac, including a Singapore Airlines A350 and A380 just outside the window. It’s a shame that it’s tough to get a good picture due to the material of Changi Airport’s windows.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport view

In the other direction, the lounge looked out over the terminal. Given that this is Changi Airport, the terminal seating looked about as comfortable as the lounge seating.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport view

In terms of the food and drink spread, the lounge had a fridge with sandwiches, beer, and soft drinks.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport drinks

Then there was a selection of self serve wine, liquor, and soft drinks.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport drinks & snacks

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport soda fountain

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport liquor selection

I’ll let the pictures of the food speak for themselves, since I didn’t eat anything.

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport coffee machine & soup

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Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport food selection

At 11AM there was an announcement in the lounge that the Garuda Indonesia flight to London was boarding, though Saddiq came to us to let us know that the boarding call was for business class and not first class, and that we could stay seated.

Finally at 11:20AM Saddiq said it was time to go, and by 11:25AM we were back at the gate. At Changi Airport security is at each individual gate, though thanks to Saddiq’s help and us being the last to board, there was no line at security.

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Being escorted to Garuda Indonesia departure gate

We were on the plane shortly after 11:25AM, and the second that Saddiq put our bags in the overhead bin and bid us farewell, the door closed.

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Garuda Indonesia 777 taking us to London

Dnata Lounge Singapore Airport bottom line

The Dnata Lounge as such was pretty lackluster. However, for such a short transit I didn’t really care, and wasn’t about to eat or drink anything anyway. What wasn’t lackluster, however, was the door-to-door service provided by Saddiq. It’s incredible how perfect Garuda Indonesia’s ground experience is from start to finish.

In terms of how personalized the service is, Garuda Indonesia beats Singapore Airlines at their own hub by a long shot, as they don’t escort first class passengers in any way. In fairness, The Singapore Airlines Private Room is a nice lounge, though.

Conversations (11)
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  1. Punptipa Guest

    Jinesh, you could bring your issue to Changi Airport Group, the airport operator, for their independent investigation. They are responsible for service standards at Changi. Go to the main airport website for the email to feedback to.

  2. Jinesh L Guest

    NTIMIDATION AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY BY DNATA T1 LOUNGE STAFF FAIZAH AND TAN YI-CHEN (AND COVER UP BY THEIR MANAGER) ON 15 JANUARY 2017

    On 15 January 2017, Dnata Lounge Changi T1 staff Faizah made multiple threats against me, caused me alarm and distress, repeatedly called the “police” and “security” using phones and walkie talkies, embarrassed me in front of other lounge staff and another guest, and made me fear missing my flight.

    Then...

    NTIMIDATION AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY BY DNATA T1 LOUNGE STAFF FAIZAH AND TAN YI-CHEN (AND COVER UP BY THEIR MANAGER) ON 15 JANUARY 2017

    On 15 January 2017, Dnata Lounge Changi T1 staff Faizah made multiple threats against me, caused me alarm and distress, repeatedly called the “police” and “security” using phones and walkie talkies, embarrassed me in front of other lounge staff and another guest, and made me fear missing my flight.

    Then their manager has the cheek to lie about it ever happening.

    My crime was to walk into the T1 lounge to look for a colleague (about 45 seconds) who was late for a flight. I asked them multiple times to check for my colleague but they kept insisting they could not. I walked in *after* giving Dnata my passport, Priority Pass and boarding pass, and telling the lounge staff to process it. When I want to check out a lounge, I usually get to walk around before deciding whether to buy a pass, and my walkaround this time was no different. But fine if they want to charge me to look for a friend, I thought.

    When I walked out, and to my utter surprise, Faizah and her colleague Yi-Chen were yelling into walkie talkies and saying they had called "security" and "police". I was shocked. Even when I left the lounge and was standing right in front of the counter, Faizah and her colleague continued to blatantly lie to the “police” and “security” that I was still inside - I had to shout into the walkie talkie/ phones to clarify that I was outside.

    She clearly knew she was in the wrong when I took her photo of her name tag, and she went ballistic, saying I committed yet another "offence" and threatened me to “delete the photo or I’ll call the police”.

    It is EXTREMELY severe to threaten someone publicly with police authority or put someone under the impression that police authority will be used against them.

    After making an email complaint, I get a response from Zurina Bte Azizi (Lounge Executive Customer Services) on 24 Jan who told me that the staff on duty was “not calling auxiliary police” but instead calling a “manager to inform him and seek his advice”. This is the biggest lie I have ever heard.

    I have asked for the name of the manager but have not gotten any response since 24 Jan despite follow-up emails.

    If the Dnata lounge staff did call the police, a complete waste and abuse of security resources and also fabricating/ embellishing a report .

    This is a customer service management/ ops issue not a police or security issue, so this was an embarrassing and hot headed mishandling of the situation.

    Terribly shocked by the whole experience. Using the police to intimidate me while I had a plane to catch was a dick move.

    I can't accept lying, intimidating, harassing and threatening behaviour. I'm still waiting to be contacted with a proper update after nearly 2 months.

  3. daft009 Guest

    I've used that exact lounge in T3 a number of times recently and its great.

    You forgot to mention the best bit, the showers around the corner here it says "slope ahead".
    I had 12 hours in Singapore for meetings (8am till 8pm) and its where I went upon arrival for breakfast & a shower using my priority pass membership.

    Upon my return to the airport in the evening I again went to the...

    I've used that exact lounge in T3 a number of times recently and its great.

    You forgot to mention the best bit, the showers around the corner here it says "slope ahead".
    I had 12 hours in Singapore for meetings (8am till 8pm) and its where I went upon arrival for breakfast & a shower using my priority pass membership.

    Upon my return to the airport in the evening I again went to the same lounge for a shower a few drinks prior to boarding my night flight.

    I've also sat in the same area which is labelled as first class and I've never seen it labelled as first class. It's normally labelled "quiet area".

    A great lounge when flying economy or premium economy in my opinion specially the free showers. It's no SilverKris but neither is the price tag.

  4. Jason Guest

    "Garuda Indonesia beats Singapore Airlines at their own hub by a long shot, as they don’t escort first class passengers in any way. "
    Yes, a HUGE fail on the part of SQ. They do such a good job in the air, why not continue it on the ground in their own home base of all places?

    With SQ (and many other airlines, like CX), you are only a First Class passenger/seat occupier...

    "Garuda Indonesia beats Singapore Airlines at their own hub by a long shot, as they don’t escort first class passengers in any way. "
    Yes, a HUGE fail on the part of SQ. They do such a good job in the air, why not continue it on the ground in their own home base of all places?

    With SQ (and many other airlines, like CX), you are only a First Class passenger/seat occupier - with Garuda you are a First Class customer so the First Class service does not end as soon as you get off the plane.

    Outside of the plane and the SQ First Class lounge, with SQ (and many other airlines) you don't matter.

    While the lounge facilities of SQ are much nicer than GA (at least for now - till GA moves to their brand new terminal this year), for me personally, service trumps facilities. I'll choose better service and lesser facilities any day over better facilities and less service.

  5. Dave Guest

    @GottaFly

    I thought Tiffany was the one doing the Jordan trip

    1. Tiffany OMAAT

      @ Dave -- I'm here now, Ben has a stopover in Amman on an upcoming trip. :)

  6. GottaFly Member

    P.S This would deliver the Etihad Business class review everyone wants! Heck you could even do an Emirates Business class flight to Aus. Just be ready to not be able to shower at 38000 feet!

  7. GottaFly Member

    I use the Dnata lounge in Geneva frequently and I find that the food is always rubbish even though the lounge itself is fine. This one looks to have a better food selection though.

    Lucky, I am begging you to try Etihad and V Aus business class on your way home from your Jordon trip. You could route AUH-SYD/BNE-LAX on Etihad and VAus respectively. Thanks!

  8. elvee New Member

    @mtlmr point taken *stares romantically at nasi goreng*

  9. mtlmr Guest

    Who hasn't got an Indonesian fetish? And why would you not? :)

  10. elvee New Member

    I'm starting to worry this might develop into a strange Indonesian fetish, Lucky. Glad to see GA finally getting it's shine though.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Punptipa Guest

Jinesh, you could bring your issue to Changi Airport Group, the airport operator, for their independent investigation. They are responsible for service standards at Changi. Go to the main airport website for the email to feedback to.

0
Jinesh L Guest

NTIMIDATION AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY BY DNATA T1 LOUNGE STAFF FAIZAH AND TAN YI-CHEN (AND COVER UP BY THEIR MANAGER) ON 15 JANUARY 2017 On 15 January 2017, Dnata Lounge Changi T1 staff Faizah made multiple threats against me, caused me alarm and distress, repeatedly called the “police” and “security” using phones and walkie talkies, embarrassed me in front of other lounge staff and another guest, and made me fear missing my flight. Then their manager has the cheek to lie about it ever happening. My crime was to walk into the T1 lounge to look for a colleague (about 45 seconds) who was late for a flight. I asked them multiple times to check for my colleague but they kept insisting they could not. I walked in *after* giving Dnata my passport, Priority Pass and boarding pass, and telling the lounge staff to process it. When I want to check out a lounge, I usually get to walk around before deciding whether to buy a pass, and my walkaround this time was no different. But fine if they want to charge me to look for a friend, I thought. When I walked out, and to my utter surprise, Faizah and her colleague Yi-Chen were yelling into walkie talkies and saying they had called "security" and "police". I was shocked. Even when I left the lounge and was standing right in front of the counter, Faizah and her colleague continued to blatantly lie to the “police” and “security” that I was still inside - I had to shout into the walkie talkie/ phones to clarify that I was outside. She clearly knew she was in the wrong when I took her photo of her name tag, and she went ballistic, saying I committed yet another "offence" and threatened me to “delete the photo or I’ll call the police”. It is EXTREMELY severe to threaten someone publicly with police authority or put someone under the impression that police authority will be used against them. After making an email complaint, I get a response from Zurina Bte Azizi (Lounge Executive Customer Services) on 24 Jan who told me that the staff on duty was “not calling auxiliary police” but instead calling a “manager to inform him and seek his advice”. This is the biggest lie I have ever heard. I have asked for the name of the manager but have not gotten any response since 24 Jan despite follow-up emails. If the Dnata lounge staff did call the police, a complete waste and abuse of security resources and also fabricating/ embellishing a report . This is a customer service management/ ops issue not a police or security issue, so this was an embarrassing and hot headed mishandling of the situation. Terribly shocked by the whole experience. Using the police to intimidate me while I had a plane to catch was a dick move. I can't accept lying, intimidating, harassing and threatening behaviour. I'm still waiting to be contacted with a proper update after nearly 2 months.

0
daft009 Guest

I've used that exact lounge in T3 a number of times recently and its great. You forgot to mention the best bit, the showers around the corner here it says "slope ahead". I had 12 hours in Singapore for meetings (8am till 8pm) and its where I went upon arrival for breakfast & a shower using my priority pass membership. Upon my return to the airport in the evening I again went to the same lounge for a shower a few drinks prior to boarding my night flight. I've also sat in the same area which is labelled as first class and I've never seen it labelled as first class. It's normally labelled "quiet area". A great lounge when flying economy or premium economy in my opinion specially the free showers. It's no SilverKris but neither is the price tag.

0
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