Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge Changi T2

General details

Opening Times: 24 hours
Capacity: 210
Re-opened: 11th October 2022
Toilets: Yes
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 Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

Departing on a Singapore Airlines flight:

• in Suites; or
• in First Class; or
• in Business Class; or
• in Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding one of the following status tiers:
  • Singapore Airlines Solitaire PPS Club; or
  • Singapore Airlines PPS Club; or
  • Air New Zealand Airpoints Elite*

* Only when travelling to New Zealand

Departing on a Star Alliance flight:

• in First Class; or
• in Business Class

Departing on an Air New Zealand flight:

• in Business Class; or
• in Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding the following status tier:
  • Air New Zealand Airpoints Elite

Arriving on a Singapore Airlines flight:

• in Suites; or
• in First Class; or
• in Premium Economy or Economy Class and holding the following status tier:
  • Singapore Airlines Solitaire PPS Club

Note that PPS Club members travelling in Premium Economy or Economy Class on a Star Alliance airline are instead directed to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge (T2 review here), as are KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold members flying on SIA or Star Alliance carriers.

Guest policy

Passengers departing on SIA in Suites or First Class, and both PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members departing on SIA flights, can bring one guest into the lounge with them, provided their guest is departing on the same flight, as part of a recently tightened policy (previously, your guest could be departing on any same-day SIA flight).

Passengers departing on a Star Alliance flight in First Class can bring one guest into the lounge with them, provided their guest is departing on the same flight.

Business Class passengers are not entitled to a guest allowance, nor are Air New Zealand Airpoints Elite members departing to New Zealand in Premium Economy or Economy Class.

Solitaire PPS Club members, Suites and First Class passengers can also visit this lounge on arrival following a Singapore Airlines flight, with up to one guest travelling on the same flight as them.

However, it’s worth noting that in both the departure and arrival case Solitaire PPS Club passengers have access to the superior SilverKris First Class lounge in T2 or T3, which they will likely choose over this one.

Similarly Suites and First Class passengers will no doubt choose The Private Room in T3 or the SilverKris First Class lounge in T2 or T3 when departing or arriving, rather than this lounge.

Our visit

We reviewed the SilverKris Business Class lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 2 back in January 2018, but the facility has recently reopened following a hiatus of over two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike the T3 lounges, this one didn’t go under the knife during COVID-19 and instead has reopened with its original decor and only a minor spruce up, along with the adjacent T2 KrisFlyer Gold lounge we recently reviewed.

Since we had a flight in Business Class from T2 recently, it seemed like a great time to check out how this rater dated facility stacks up against the newer T3 lounges, and what has changed since its pre-pandemic operation.

Location

As you may recall from our recent review of the T2 KrisFlyer Gold lounge, currently Changi Airport has only reopened the southern end of the T2 departures concourse, including the southernmost check-in desks, immigration clearance section, and ‘F’ gates.

The Singapore Airlines lounges in T2, however, maintain their original location in the northern section of the terminal closer to the ‘E’ gates, which is still largely under renovation.

That means clearing immigration then making a left turn to the opposite end of the terminal, where the lounges are located.

You then make your way to the lounge via a kind of temporary corridor, flanked by hoardings on either side, protecting it from ongoing construction work behind.

It’s about a five minute walk from clearing the immigration area to the escalator that then takes you up to the SIA T2 lounge complex. You can’t miss this – there is currently nowhere else to go once you reach this end of the temporary corridor!

Once you reach the top of the escalator you’ll see the entrance to the DBS Asia Treasures lounge, then immediately after that the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge on the left.

Simply continue along past these entrances to the SilverKris lounge entrance right at the end of the corridor (don’t be confused – Gold is not better than Silver in this case!).

First impressions

An elegant foyer for the SilverKris lounges splits into two entrances, the left for the Business Class section and the right for First Class. This review only covers the Business Class section.

Once inside you’ll find the self-service food and beverage section to the left side, with the toilets and showers beyond that.

Meanwhile the main lounge seating area is to the right of the entrance, beyond three attractive illuminated pillars designed to demarcate the two spaces.

The ambience of this lounge couldn’t be more different than the newly renovated T3 SilverKris Business lounge, with this T2 facility featuring dim lighting and dark colours, make it quite sultry.

The lack of any windows, even with internal views, is a big shame. Combined with the lounge’s relatively low ceilings and dark lighting – it can certainly feel slightly claustrophobic.

We find that for an evening flight the moody atmosphere is quite relaxing, however on a daytime flight it can be quite disorienting (and good luck if you’re jet lagged!).

However, this lounge does boast a nice calm and quiet atmosphere. We arrived at 2pm and found the place almost deserted, and very silent.

Finding a seat was no problem whatsoever, and this is likely to be the case for most of the day outside T2’s current morning rush, with no significant departure peaks after that (unlike T3, which has a significant late night departure bank).

We noticed that the carpets have been replaced throughout the lounge, and lamps between the seats against the wall have been upgraded to a more modern, brighter version, compared to pre-COVID.

Granted we have a much better camera now than we did during our pre-COVID visit to this lounge, but as you can see the brighter lighting and new carpets do help lift the dreary, windowless space a little, compared to before.

Seating options

This lounge predominantly offers the usual armchair-style seating, with a few different designs including all-leather, mixed leather and fabric, and all-fabric deigns.

Seats are set in pairs or trios along the sides main lounge area, or longer rows in the middle section, with different colours used in some places to break up the space a little.

If you’re a fan of the leather armchairs with fabric cushions, which we feel look terribly dated but many people do find more comfortable, head to the very back of the lounge, where these are in abundance.

There are also fresh orchids dotted around, which is a nice touch once again breaking up the space to distract you slightly from the basic principle that this is just one large windowless section with lots of armchairs!

Seats in the main lounge that are closest to the dining section are better lit, thanks to opaque screens separating them from that zone, rather than a solid wall.

At the dining section itself there are low dining tables with chairs and bar-style high stool seating options, for those who prefer to eat in the food section rather than in the main lounge area.

The business centre and phone booths have gone

Prior to the minor refresh of this lounge during COVID-19, a small business centre with 12 semi-private booths was available on the immediate left side of the lounge upon entering.

There were also three phone booths to the immediate right side of the entrance for people to make calls in privacy, or without disturbing other lounge guests.

Both of these sections have been repurposed in the latest refresh, with the former business centre now providing seating for 12 travellers in simple blue armchairs, with side tables in between.

These don’t fit at all with the decor in the rest of the lounge, and we expect they are temporary.

The three phone booths have now become a single enclosed play room, for those travelling with children.

While the lack of phone booths is certainly no big deal (in our experience, people don’t tend to use them these days), it’s a shame to see the business centre option replaced with the same number of armchairs instead.

This hasn’t increased the lounge seating capacity, but has removed what many travellers find a useful option for catching up on some more productive work, rather than being forced to sit at an armchair with their computer on their lap for a couple of hours.

Even the inferior T2 KrisFlyer Gold lounge next door has two workstations available for lounge guests, so it’s strange to now see no such facilities provided here in the Business lounge.

This section would be perfect for some of the airline’s latest productivity pods, now seen in the remodelled T3 Business lounge, so let’s hope that’s the ultimate intention and the furniture itself is simply on back-order!

Wi-Fi

The T2 SilverKris lounge was quiet during our visit, which always helps the Wi-Fi speed! Here’s the result of our speed test, taken at the main seating area towards the back corner of the facility.

• Down: 25.7 Mbps
• Up: 25.3 Mbps

These are fast speeds, which should allow you to be productive or entertained on your personal device with very few issues.

When we visited this lounge in early 2018, the Wi-Fi speed was around 5 Mbps, so there’s been a good improvement here.

The rates come in over twice as fast as the KrisFlyer Gold lounge next door, which we tested only 30 minutes before, since we visited both lounges on the same day.

Power outlets

Prior to COVID-19, this lounge only offered Type G three-pin UK style power outlets, meaning many international travellers had to bring an adaptor plug along with them to be able to charge their devices.

Thankfully this issue has been resolved in the minor refresh during the pandemic closure, with multi-standard sockets also boasting incorporated USB-A and USB-C charging ports installed throughout.

Power outlets are provided at most seats in this lounge, either along the wall or under the side tables between the seat pairs.

Do be aware though, not every seat in this lounge is within easy reach of a charging socket, so if your devices are in need of some juice during your visit be sure to scope out a seat with the option available, before settling in!

Reading materials

In common with other Singapore Airlines lounges, communal reading materials like newspapers and magazines are not currently provided, as a COVID-19 precaution.

That means the large room divider near the entrance to the main seating area of the lounge is currently void of any selection, which looks a bit strange.

Hopefully reading materials can make a return to the lounges in the near future, for a more complete (and better-looking) experience.

Toilets and showers

Thankfully, unlike the KrisFlyer Gold lounge next door, the SilverKris Business Class lounge in T2 has its own toilet and shower facilities.

These are accessed along a corridor at the back of the food and beverage section, to the left side as you enter the lounge.

Penhaligon’s toiletries are available by the sinks, including hand lotion, eau do toilette and shaving cream, along with a razor, hairbrush and toothbrush.

There are four private shower rooms available in each of the male and female toilet areas, for a total of eight showers.

That’s potentially annoying because if all four female showers are in use, for example, a female traveller then has to wait for the next one to become available, even if none of the showers in the male section are occupied at the time!

The new concept at the T3 SilverKris Business Class lounge has 15 unisex showers available, each with their own toilet, which is a much more flexible arrangement.

The shower suites themselves are adequate, but as we noted in 2018 they are looking decidedly dated, especially now that impressive new versions are installed over in the T3 lounge complex.

The shower itself has rain head or hand held options, and both water pressure and temperature control were good during our visit.

Unfortunately the shower suites do not have their own dedicated toilet inside, a problem Singapore Airlines only recently resolved at the Terminal 3 SKL Business Class lounge.

Shampoo and shower gel is unbranded from a generic dispenser in the shower – hardly befitting of an airline-operated Business Class lounge, where branded toiletries are the expectation.

Thankfully the same branded Penhaligon’s hand lotion, eau do toilette and shaving cream by the main sinks are available alongside the personal sink in each shower suite, along with a razor, hairbrush and toothbrush.

Unless you’re in a rush before your T2 departing flight, we would definitely recommend heading across to the T3 SilverKris Business Class lounge for a more luxurious shower experience, including a private toilet complete with TOTO bidet.

Beverages

The latest revamped SilverKris Business Class lounge over at Changi Airport Terminal 3 incudes a tended bar, acting as a barista coffee station in the mornings but serving up more punchy concoctions from 5pm each evening.

Sadly the T2 SilverKris Business lounge has not had a bar added, as you might expect following only a minor refresh, so it’s self-serve all the way, just as it was before.

There’s a Tiger beer tap, allowing you to pour your own drink into a chilled mug taken from the dedicated fridge alongside.

There were two white wines, a Champagne and one red wine offered during our visit.

Here’s how the wine and Champagne score out of 5 on our favourite ratings site Vivino.

• Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Brut Champagne N.V., France: 4.0 stars
• Stonier Chardonnay 2018, Australia: 3.6 stars
• Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2018, Australia: 3.8 stars
• Teusner The Riebke Shiraz 2018, Australia: 4.0 stars

It’s interesting that the wine selection was exclusively Australian. No complaints from us here, but SIA usually includes an ‘old world’ option or two in the mix, typically from France.

There was also only one red wine option, so if you’re not a Shiraz lover – tough luck here.

We tried a glass of the Shiraz before heading to the gate, and as per the Vivino rating it doesn’t disappoint.

The Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel is also a great choice by SIA – refreshing and crisp with a smooth and creamy finish – exactly what to expect from a good Champagne, and a good accompaniment to many dishes, especially fish and cheese.

Alongside the wines, spirits are available.

The self-pour spirits selection included:

• Courvoisier XO Cognac
• Bacardi Rum
• Myers’s Rum
• Bombay Sapphire Gin
• Jack Daniels Whiskey
• Absolut Vodka
• Bowmore 10 years Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Chivas Regal 12 years Whisky

Accompaniments like ice, Worcestershire sauce, limes and lemon segments were also available.

The self-serve drinks fridge includes canned Tiger and Heineken beer, plus juices and soft drinks like Coke, Sprite and Schweppes Tonic or Soda Water.

Glassware is located just below the beverages counter.

Two large Boncafé coffee machines pour an above-average cup, including mocha, cappuccino, espresso and lattes.

A good selection of TWG teas are also on offer, though you’ll have to head round the corner slightly from the beverage counter to the cereal area to find these.

Dining

Our visit to the lounge was during lunchtime hours, with a selection of dishes available to self-serve from the buffet area.

Choices included Chicken and Leek Stew, Fried Dou Qian, Peas Upma and Sambar.

Steamed rice was also available, along with some Indian and western accompaniments.

If you don’t want to take your food into the main lounge seating area, you can eat in the dining section on one of the low tables or high bar stool seats.

There is also a dim sum section, with a selection including Yam Pau, Fan Choy, Gyoza, Har Kow and Seafood Siew Mai.

Strangely there was no DIY Laksa station, a feature in most other Singapore Airlines lounges at Changi and something previously offered in this lounge too.

The cold selection offered a (very) basic salad station, some fruit and pre-packed sandwiches.

There’s also a cereal station, bread and a toaster in case it’s breakfast time for your body clock.

Some dessert selections are available in a presentation cupboard.

Overall the food selection was quite decent, but as with most Singapore Airlines lounges there was a distinct lack of healthy options like you see in the Qantas lounges, for example.

Concluding thoughts

Nothing can really detract from the main drawback of this lounge – its complete lack of natural light – but a revamp could address this even in the current location, with some clever design elements and lighting.

It’s difficult to see how this lounge will stand the test of time for the next decade until the opening of Terminal 5 in the mid-2030s, so we’re hopeful for a renovation, or a brand new T2 facility, in the not too distant future.

As with the neighbouring KrisFlyer Gold lounge though, perhaps the best thing about this SKL is that there’s actually no need to use it, unless you’re seriously pressed for time.

The latest revamped SilverKris Business Class lounge in Terminal 3, complete with a tended bar, runway views, an alfresco terrace section, more natural light, and modern shower suites with their own toilet, is only a 15-minute journey door-to-door from here.

That makes it a better option all-round than this lounge, until a revamped version can also hopefully make its way to Terminal 2.

Don’t forget there’s also the option to check-in for all Singapore Airlines flights departing from Changi T2 at Terminal 3 instead, giving you faster access to a better lounge there, followed by a short SkyTrain ride to T2 when it comes time to head to the gate and board.

Review Summary

3 / 5 among airline-operated Business Class lounges

Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge Changi T2 Quiet and comfortable, with Champagne and a decent food and beverage selection, however this lounge is very dark and claustrophobic compared to its brand new Terminal 3 counterpart, and is long overdue a revamp.

Visited: November 2022

(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)