Review: British Airways Singapore Lounge and ‘The Bar Singapore’

General details

Opening Times: 3.00pm to 11.00pm
Capacity: 226
Size: 1,005 sq m
Opened: August 2015
Showers: Yes
Spa: No
Bar: No
Wi-Fi: Yes
Multi-standard Power Sockets: Yes
USB Charging Sockets: Yes
Wireless Charging: No
Dress Code: None

Lounge access

The following passengers are eligible to access the British Airways Singapore Lounge:

Flying on a British Airways flight, or on a oneworld member operated flight:

• in First Class or Business Class; or
• in Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding British Airways Executive Club Silver, Gold or Gold Guest List status, or oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status; or
• in any class of travel provided they are connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, having arrived in First Class or Business Class with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours (e.g. Qantas Business Class SYD-SIN followed by SriLankan Economy Class SIN-CMB, access is permitted). You are required to retain your boarding card from the arriving long-haul flight for lounge access in this case.

Note: ‘The Bar Singapore’, a separate section within this lounge, is only available to those departing on a British Airways operated flight in First Class.

Guest policy

Passengers travelling in First Class, whether on a British Airways or oneworld operated flight (e.g. Qantas First Class), may invite one guest into the lounge with them.

The guest must be travelling on a British Airways or oneworld operated flight in this case, though it does not need to be the same flight as the passenger.

Those accessing this lounge based on travel in Business Class alone (i.e. with no BA / oneworld status) are not permitted to bring any guests into the lounge with them.

If you are a BA Executive Club Silver or Gold member, or a oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status holder, you may bring one guest into the lounge with you regardless of your travel class. Your guest must be travelling on a oneworld member operated flight.

If you are a BA Executive Club Gold Guest List member, you may bring two guests into the lounge with you regardless of your travel class. Your first guest must be travelling on a oneworld member operated flight, but if you also have a second guest they must be travelling on a British Airways flight.

Location

The British Airways Singapore Lounge is located on Level 3 of Changi Terminal 1’s transit area, one level above the departure concourse.

BA’s check-in desks in Terminal 1 are at Row 10, though if you’re flying in First or Business Class you’ll be using the SATS Premier check-in lounge near Row 4.

Either way its only a 3-4 minute walk to the lounge, not counting immigration clearance time. After clearing the T1 immigration desks, make a left turn towards the C gates, then take the first escalator on the right up to the lounges.

Turn left at the top of the escalator and the British Airways Lounge is easily visible on your right.

This level 3 lounge complex also houses the Qantas Business, Thai Airways and SATS Premier lounges in Terminal 1.

If you’re accessing this lounge in transit, you’ll find it approximately mid-concourse between the C gates and D gates in T1’s transit area, a relatively short walk from the SkyTrain links serving both T2 and T3.

Reception

One thing British Airways has pulled off in this 2015 lounge refit, in our opinion at least, is a stunning entrance.

In the concept by British design studio Graven, modern ceiling lights hang over the dark tiled floor leading to a purple decorative tiled wall with the airline’s ‘speedmarque’ motif in the centre.

This wall is flanked by two white podiums where the lounge attendants welcome you.

The reception provides coat check and baggage storage facilities, if required.

Our visit

We accessed the British Airways Singapore Lounge for this review before departing on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha in Business Class.

First impressions

This 1,000 sq m facility opened in 2015 after a four-month renovation, before which it served as the joint Qantas / British Airways First Class lounge.

After the impressive entrance, decor in the rest of the lounge is a little more muted in comparison. It’s broadly in keeping with other BA lounges around the world, featuring wooden flooring, some carpeted sections and modern but sensible furnishings.

Despite now being over four years old, the lounge is still in good condition, considering the number of passengers passing through each evening. That’s assuming they aren’t all next door using the Qantas lounge, which we know is a popular option among BA passengers.

On the right side as you enter the lounge is ‘The Bar Singapore’, a private section exclusively for those flying in First Class.

The door to this section is usually closed, with access to eligible passengers through a keypad code provided at reception when you arrive. We take a peek inside towards the end of this review.

The lounge walls are adorned with tasteful artwork from up-and-coming Singaporean and British artists, in keeping with the modern design concept.

The overall capacity of this lounge is 226, comprising 185 seats in the main section and 41 in ‘The Bar Singapore’, making it a similar size to the Cathay Pacific lounge in T4 and the Qantas First lounge in T1.

Here’s how the size and capacity compares to other oneworld lounges at Changi:

Lounge	Size (sq m)	Capacity (pax)
Qatar Airways	~ 700	85
Cathay Pacific	849	~ 200
British Airways	1,005	226
Qantas First	~ 1,000	240
Qantas Business	~ 2,200	570

It’s interesting to compare with the new Qatar Premium lounge (see our January 2020 review), which despite being the smallest of the bunch has an insane amount of space per guest, even at full capacity.

It’s also interesting to note that the new Qantas First Lounge (see our December 2019 review) squeezes more people in, despite being almost identically sized to this BA facility, because most of the seating in the Qantas lounge is dedicated to dining – much more densely arranged than lounge seating provisioned for relaxation or work.

Seating options

Numerous seating options are available to cater for a variety of tastes. We opted for the low armchair seating near the entrance, which was quiet and reasonably private.

Each row of seats in this section has a low privacy partition with the main lounge corridor, so it doesn’t feel as though you’re sitting in the throng of passengers on their way in and out of the lounge.

As you progress further into the lounge, which is laid out in a long rectangular shape, you’ll find high bar-style seating at communal tables near the buffet area.

These have an impressive array of ‘orb lights’ hanging overhead, and the flowers on the table are a nice touch.

Counter seats by the window have a view over the Terminal 1 C gates immigration hall, also providing plenty of natural light during the day. Sadly, however, there are no aircraft or runway vistas from this lounge.

Indeed no one is going to be writing home about the view from this lounge (though the same can be said for all oneworld lounges at Changi).

Further back beyond the buffet and bar sections there is a TV area with 14 Eames-style leather lounger seats.

There’s a side table between each sat pair for your drink, including a power outlet.

This is the perfect spot for watching the evening news, but is more regularly geared up for a live sporting event, with a football match being shown during our visit.

These chairs also swivel to face one another if preferred, for example if your travelling companion isn’t interested in the match, they can face you instead!

The more subdued decor of brown and cream tones is then broken up slightly by two illuminated neon blue transparent glass ‘walls’, housing a small seating area of red chairs and blue sofas in between them.

This is quite a nice ‘living room’ style section, flanked by modern coat stands in each corner.

To the sides, additional rows of three seats alongside the window overlooking the immigration hall continue in the same layout found closer to the entrance.

These seats, towards the back of the lounge, are potentially quieter than those we chose especially during the busier hours after 6pm.

This section includes some rows of high wingback chairs as well as the more typical low armchairs, with the neutral cream or blue leather upholstery offset by more vividly coloured assorted cushions.

At the opposite side, away from the windows, seats are arranged in pairs which will be more suited to couples.

Again the assorted cushions offset the more traditional ‘lounge beige’ quite cleverly.

Other ‘living room’ style areas are available, with a variety of seating options ranging from plush wing-backed chairs to 3-seater sofas.

The ambience of all the seating sections is a little bright but still quite relaxing.

Wi-Fi and power outlets

We recorded a very reasonable Wi-Fi speed using the BA lounge network of around 15 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload during our visit.

That’s good enough for most tasks, though it’s starting to fall a little below some ‘new norms’, with the Qantas Business Lounge next door boasting download rates close to 10 times faster during our recent visit.

It’s also worth noting that we did the Wi-Fi speed test when the lounge was very quiet after we first arrived, so in the busy evening period with more users logged on the speed may suffer slightly.

Practically all seats in this lounge have a multi-standard power socket, accepting Singapore and UK-style 3-pin plugs among many others, plus USB charging outlets, for keeping your devices on the go before your flight.

Business facilities

The business centre at the far end of the lounge features two Windows-based computer work stations, plus an abundance of free desk space.

There are practical office chairs for those working from their own devices, like laptops and tablets (we rarely see anyone using the lounge’s own computers these days). It’s a simple space with good lighting for those who prefer a more formal work environment, with enough room to also spread out some paperwork if you need to.

Speaking of paperwork, a wireless printer is also available in this section.

Overall this is one of the more impressive business facilities we’ve seen in a Business Class lounge; spacious, well lit and with plenty of charging sockets available.

The only slight downside is privacy. It would have been nice to have at least some form of partition between the workstations for those catching up on more sensitive business.

Reading materials

Throughout the lounge are several sections featuring a variety of magazines and, pleasingly, daily newspapers from around the world including Singaporean, US and UK dailies.

‘High Life’ is British Airways’ monthly in-flight magazine, which you can also pick up on board if you’re flying with them, or download for free on your tablet.

Lounge visitors are also invited to download the PressReader app, which when connected to the local Wi-Fi network allows you to download thousands of international newspapers and magazines to your personal device for you to read either in the lounge or later during your flight.

Showers

Near the lounge entrance on the left side are the toilets, plus a unisex section with seven private shower suites. That’s a reasonable number for a facility of this capacity (max. 226 guests).

It should ensure that even during the evening peak, with BA12 and BA16 passengers heading to London all using the lounge at the same time, the wait for a shower should be minimal.

The shower and room itself were spotlessly clean and in good condition. The water pressure and temperature were both great, with Elemis Spa amenities provided – the brand of choice for British Airways.

There is a choice of rain-head and hand-held options in the shower itself.

Also provided with your towel are a dental kit, shaving kit and comb. A hairdryer is located next to the sink.

Overall we found these shower suites smaller than those in the nearby Qantas Business Lounge, but with a nicer finish and better toiletries. The Qantas showers (there are a whopping 20 of them by the way, in case these are all full) are starting to show their age in comparison.

Wine and Champagne

There’s a good variety of wines, a Champagne and a port offered alongside other alcoholic beverages in this lounge.

Pro Tip: Champagne is on request in British Airways Business Class lounges (including the Galleries Club lounges at London Heathrow). Simply ask a staff member and they will bring you a glass. This presumably keeps the airline’s costs down as not only is the Champagne hidden away, its availability is not actively advertised.

As always, we check on the Vivino ratings for the Champagnes, wines and port offered.

Champagne
	Joseph Perrier Brut N.V.	3.8 stars
White Wine
	Whale’s Tale Sauvignon Blanc 2018	3.9 stars
	Redvale Chardonnay 2018	3.0 stars
	Domaine Les Esquirots Sauvignon 2018	3.5 stars
Red Wine
	Killibinbin Seduction Cabernet Sauvignon 2015	3.5 stars
	Château Charron Bordeaux Rouge 2018	3.1 stars
	Redvale Shiraz – Cabernet 2018	3.5 stars
Port
	Taylor’s Fine Tawny Port	3.7 stars

These are good scores for a Business Class lounge, with a nice range of choice between old world and new world wines.

The bar area, located in the middle of the lounge, is an impressive centrepiece with an attractive light fitting overhead.

Some high bar tables are set up with three seats each for those who just want to socialise over a drink before their flight.

Wines are stored in this elegant ‘island’, also featuring proper glassware (so often overlooked in airport lounges). As we mentioned above you won’t find the Champagne here, instead you’ll have to request a glass.

A self-service bar at either side houses the spirits alongside mixers and condiments. Slightly disappointingly, only regular Schweppes tonic was available which is really far too sweet for our taste.

Other soft drinks are available in the fridges in addition to canned Tiger, Heineken and Guinness beers.

There’s an effectively identical spirits selection on the opposite side, which had some different flavoured crisps to the primary section on our visit, but otherwise was a mirror image.

When we ordered two glasses of Champagne we asked the attendant if she could bring the bottle out so we could take a picture, and she kindly supplied an unopened one.

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut non-vintage is a decent drop, not widely sold in Singapore but available in other countries like Australia and the UK at a similar price to Moët.

Fun fact: The same Joseph Perrier is being served as one of three Champagnes offered in the nearby Qantas Singapore First Lounge (see our review), while the Aussie carrier’s Business Lounge next door to this BA facility doesn’t offer Champagne at all.

Two WMF bean-to-cup coffee machines are also available, capable of producing a host of caffeinated drinks. Alongside this was a good selection of Twinnings teas.

Dining

First thing to note about this lounge for hungry travellers is its most vital limitation – there is no hot food served for the first two hours of lounge opening (3pm to 5pm). That’s because BA’s own passengers typically start to arrive at 5pm for the Sydney flight.

In contrast the Qantas Business Lounge starts a full food service from its 2.30pm opening, including made-to-order items.

Dining tables with leather armchairs and banquettes line the wall on the far side of the buffet.

As you can see, even here power outlets are provided (look below the banquettes in the photo above). The wall itself has a Far East-inspired design, with copper-coloured pendant lights hanging over each table.

There’s space for 20 diners here, possibly more if you squeeze a third occupant at each table since the banquette curves round the side, though of course you can take your food back to any seat in the lounge to dine in a less formal setting if you prefer.

A British Airways mainstay in their lounges worldwide has not been forgotten… finger sandwiches!

These are served alongside fruit, cheese and desserts from the lounge opening at 3pm.

As if finger sandwiches and tea weren’t enough – being a British lounge it’s not surprising to see the nation’s favourite main dish take centre stage from 5pm onwards – Indian curry!

The curry was actually very tasty, served piping hot with well cooked yellow Pilao rice – not exactly my meal of choice before a long-haul flight but no complaints on the quality. On offer were:

• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Paneer Masala
• Vegetarian Curry

Visually of course, curry on a buffet rarely looks good, but take our word for it when we say it was!

A penne pasta was also being served, alongside vegetarian spring rolls.

In a nod toward Singapore cuisine, chicken satay was also on offer. We did try some but it lacked the authentic charred exterior and smoky flavour of the true hawker version.

Overall there was nothing wrong with the hot food, indeed it’s quite a good selection for an airline Business Class lounge, but it just doesn’t come close to the adjacent Qantas Business Lounge with a full salad bar and two made to order dishes each day, in addition to a hot buffet section (see our review).

‘The Bar Singapore’

A ‘lounge within a lounge’, known as ‘The Bar Singapore’, is BA’s exclusive sanctuary for First Class passengers departing on one of its three daily flights – BA15 to Sydney, BA12 to London or BA16 to London.

While Graven was responsible for the concept and finish of the rest of the facility, London-based creative agency Honour was drafted in to design this exclusive section of the lounge.

Formerly known as ‘The Concorde Bar Singapore’, this space was rebranded ‘The Bar Singapore’ in mid-2019. This came about due to the confusion of many Concorde Room cardholders, who assumed they would be allowed to access this area even when not flying BA First Class.

In fact that’s not the case and never was (some websites still incorrectly state the access requirements). To access ‘The Bar Singapore’ (formerly ‘The Concorde Bar’) within this lounge, you must be departing on a British Airways flight in First Class.

As a BA First Class passenger, if you invite a guest into the lounge with you, do note that your guest will not be allowed to join you in ‘The Bar Singapore’.

Bottom line: You won’t be eligible to access this area if you are departing in First Class with another oneworld airline (e.g. Qantas). You also won’t be eligible if you arrived on BA First Class and are departing on a oneworld airline in a lower cabin class. BA Executive Club Gold / oneworld Emerald and Concorde Room cardholders are also not permitted to use ‘The Bar Singapore’, unless they are flying British Airways First Class.

Access here is strictly controlled, but during the quiet early afternoon period while it was still empty, the lounge manager was kind enough to allow us to spend 10 minutes in ‘The Bar’ to take some photos.

This space has blackened oak walls on one side, ‘mood’ lighting, European oak flooring and a Nero marble counter top, giving it a ‘private member’s club’ atmosphere – almost like a ‘speakeasy’.

Total capacity is for 41 guests, and seating options include high wingback chairs with individual reading lights and two-seater booths along the wall for dining.

There are also three semi-private ‘lounge’ areas, each with a leather two-seater sofa and chair.

Two of these also include an individual flat-screen TV for a ‘living room’ feel.

There are no windows in this area, so to give the impression of some natural light there are artificial skylights over the bar area, plus ‘electronic walls’ that display panoramic views of Singapore, with images altering depending on the time of day.

As in the main lounge section, power sockets are in abundance in ‘The Bar’, and a good selection of reading materials is available.

Finally there are eight high chairs at the central bar area, four on each side.

Speaking of the bar, the selection here includes ‘enhanced’ beverage options. The wines and premium spirits served are of better quality than you’ll find in the main lounge section.

For example, the gin available in the main lounge area is Gordon’s or Tanqueray, while ‘The Bar Singapore’ also features Bombay Sapphire. Vodka upgrades from Smirnoff or Absolut to a choice between Belvedere and Grey Goose, while the whiskey selection gains a Glenlivet 18 years.

Port fans will appreciate the Dow’s 2011 Late Bottled variety (4.0 stars on Vivino, retailing at S$64) over the more generic Taylor’s Tawny (3.7 stars, retailing at S$48) poured in the main lounge.

The only exception is Champagne. While you’ll find Joseph Perrier N.V. to self-pour in this section (or ask the attendant for a glass), as we mentioned earlier in this review the same variety is available on request throughout the lounge.

Here’s a look at the Vivino ratings for the wines and port offered in ‘The Bar Singapore’, which are available in addition to the main lounge selection already listed earlier.

White Wine
	Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyard Sémillon – Sauvignon Blanc 2017	3.8 stars
	Pierro L.T.C Sémillon – Sauvignon Blanc 2018	3.8 stars
Red Wine
	Jean-Claude Boisset Pinot Noir Bourgogne ‘Les Ursulines’ 2015	3.5 stars
	Château Chantemerle Médoc 2014	3.5 stars
Port
	Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2011	4.0 stars

With average Vivino ratings of 3.7 compared to 3.4 in the main lounge section, these are clearly a step above in quality, comparing favourably with the kind of scores seen for wines in the Qantas Singapore First Lounge (avg. 3.8), BA’s The Concorde Room at London Heathrow (avg. 3.9) and Cathay Pacific’s First Class lounges in Hong Kong (avg. 3.7).

Even the snacks in here are an improvement, with Kettle Brand Potato Chips instead of Lay’s in the main lounge.

The Bar also features an attendant for table service.

The food selection, offered at the cabinetry wall bar, is effectively the same as the ‘daytime’ selection in the main lounge. That’s to say finger sandwiches, cheese, fruit and dessert items. For hot food from 5pm onwards, you can order from a special menu with items delivered to your table.

During our visit, The Bar Singapore was effectively offering the same hot food selections as the main lounge (i.e. curries / pasta / satay), plus an à la carte selection of:

• Cream of mushroom soup
• Greek salad with feta cheese
• Roasted cod and poached prawn
• King prawn laksa with egg noodles
• Mushroom lasagne
• Rare roasted beef ribeye on ciabatta
• A selection of ice cream

We can’t speak for the atmosphere or service levels in ‘The Bar Singapore’ during the busier evening periods, since we were not able to access it during those hours. Unfortunately we were also not eligible to stay and try any of the à la carte menu items.

One aspect to note is that some will find ‘The Bar Singapore’ a bit dark and claustrophobic. We visited in the afternoon, when it was still light outside, and it did feel a bit dreary (or ‘subdued’). Nonetheless we liked the concept and the ‘air of mystique’ around its branding and entrance / access.

Fun fact: British Airways also operates ‘The Bar Dubai’ at its lounge there, also formerly ‘The Concorde Bar Dubai’, but now rebranded. Access is under the same policy, and these two facilities are not to be confused with the airline’s two ‘Concorde Room’ lounges at London Heathrow (see our review) and New York’s JFK.

Concluding thoughts

The British Airways Singapore lounge is a very nice oneworld option, with a good variety of seating options, a wide range of beverages including Champagne, an excellent business centre and well-equipped shower suites.

The lounge is very peaceful between 3pm and 6pm, but even after that it never became too busy to be enjoyable. There were still plenty of seats available right up to the 8-9pm peak when it fills with London-bound passengers.

The drinks selection is impressive, including a wide range of spirits, however the lack of a tended bar like that found at the nearby Qantas Business Lounge means no made-to-order cocktails or barista coffees here.

The food selection was a bit of a let down, with only cold options available for the first few hours of operation and then a ‘decent’ selection at best in the evening.

It’s certainly nothing like the offering at the adjacent Qantas Business Lounge (such a short stroll it would be rude not to try), and a far cry from the à la carte options at the nearby Qatar Singapore Premium Lounge (open every evening, but not accessible unless you are travelling in Business or First Class on a oneworld airline).

That said, we did enjoy the curry and the satay wasn’t bad either, so the food fell short based on local lounge alternatives rather than on a more international benchmark, where it would probably be regarded as quite good.

The Bar Singapore, a separate section exclusively for the airline’s own First Class customers, has a nice ‘private member’s club’ ambience, with a selection of more premium spirits, table service and an à la carte food menu. It gets mixed reviews, with many finding it dark and claustrophobic, but we really quite liked it despite only having a short tour while it was empty.

Ultimately if the atmosphere of ‘The Bar Singapore’ is not for you – pick up a drink there and enjoy it in the main lounge area.

Summary

If you are entitled to access the British Airways Singapore Lounge, come for a quiet glass of Champagne to escape the crowds and enjoy a pleasant shower experience, but if you are hungry – head over to the Qantas or Qatar lounges for a far superior selection.

The most important thing to remember here? Ask for a glass of Champagne. It is available to anyone, but is only out on show in ‘The Bar Singapore’.

The shower suites and business facilities are superior to the Qantas Singapore Business Lounge, but the Wi-Fi connection and food does fall short in comparison.

‘The Bar Singapore’ doesn’t stand up to the standards in the new Qantas Singapore First Lounge, but you can visit both as a BA First Class passenger, then retire to this private section – not available even to Qantas First Class travellers or Platinum members.

Thanks to the British Airways Singapore Lounge staff for allowing us to access ‘The Bar Singapore’ during our visit. As with all our impartial reviews, nothing was pre-arranged and we simply asked on the day.

Review Summary

4 / 5 among airline-operated Business Class lounges

British Airways Singapore Lounge Varied seating options, a good drinks selection, a quiet afternoon atmosphere and great showers were pleasant surprises from the British Airways Singapore Lounge, which includes a dedicated First Class section. Sadly, food was a bit of a let down.

Visited: September 2019

(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)