It’s been a while since we updated our guide for using Changi Airport’s Early Check-In (ECI) facilities, both at Jewel and in the main terminals, with a few more airlines joining the list allowing you to check in for your flight, drop your bags and issue your boarding passes up to 48 hours before your flight departs in some cases.

Here’s a fresh update for 2025, with 20 airlines now on Jewel’s ECI list – not quite back to the 35 airlines that were on board pre-COVID but a steady improvement from our last update – plus a further 19 airlines that either open their check-in desks early, all day, or use the lesser-known Early Check-In zone in Terminal 1.

If you’re not familiar – ECI allows you to drop your bags and have your boarding card issued much further in advance than the usual 3-hour check-in windows most airlines operate at Changi.

For many travellers, the benefit brings the opportunity to make extended visits to one or more lounges in the transit area, for a variety of dining opportunities, a few hours of productive work, and even some free-flow champagne in some cases, prior to the flight.

Do note that you must have at least 3 hours between your check-in time and the scheduled flight departure time, when using the airport’s ECI options – inside that window (i.e. less than 3 hours to departure) the regular check-in desks must be in operation and then become your sole option.

Jewel ECI options

20 airlines operating from Changi Airport now allow passengers to check in early at the Jewel ECI facility, many of which take advantage of the full 8am – 11.59pm opening hours there.

Eligibility for Jewel Early Check-In depends on the time remaining until your flight and any carrier-specific restrictions, as listed in the following table.

Jewel ECI Airlines
(as of 31st October 2025)

24h to 3h before flight departure
Airline	Hours	Notes
Singapore Airlines	8am – 11.59pm	Not for final destinations in: USA
Turkish Airlines	2pm – 8pm	Only for TK55 IST and TK169 IST pax (not TK168 MEL, TK209 IST)
18h to 3h before flight departure
Airline	Hours	Notes
Scoot	8am – 11.59pm	Not for final destinations in: Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)
12h to 3h before flight departure
Airline	Hours	Notes
AirAsia	8am – 11.59pm	—
Cathay Pacific	10am – 10pm	—
Japan Airlines	8am – 11.59pm	—
Same day to 3h before flight departure
Airline	Hours	Notes
Air France	12pm – 10pm	—
Air India	12pm – 4pm	—
Emirates	12pm – 10pm	EK353 (STD 00:30) pax can check-in the day before
Fiji Airways	Mon & Thu: 8am – 10.30am	—
Finnair	12pm – 6.45pm	—
Juneyao Air	9.30am – 12.15pm 4.15pm – 7.15pm	—
KLM	12pm – 10pm	KL836 (STD 01:40) pax can check-in the day before
Lufthansa	8am – 8pm	—
Malaysia Airlines	8am – 11.59pm	—
Philippine Airlines	8am – 9.30pm	PR510 (STD 00:40) pax can check-in the day before
Qantas	8am – 3pm	Till 3.45pm on Tue, Fri, Sun
Qatar Airways	12pm – 10pm	—
Swiss	8am – 8pm	—
Thai Airways	8am – 6pm	—

For the latest updated information on eligible Jewel ECI airlines, click here.

If you are travelling with odd-sized baggage on airlines departing from Terminal 1, you can check in these items at the Jewel ECI facility, with the exception of those travelling on Scoot and Qatar Airways.

If you’re flying on airlines departing from Terminals 2, 3 or 4, you will need to proceed to the check-in row at the main terminal for assistance in this case.

The Jewel ECI is located on Level 1 of the Jewel complex.

From the T1 departures level (also the Jewel vehicle drop off level), you’ll need to go down one level to reach the ECI facility.

From T1 arrivals you are already on the correct level and the ECI is only short walk into the complex, on the left side.

After check-in at the Jewel ECI, you can consider the Changi Lounge, available on Priority Pass / DragonPass or as a paid access option, for example if you need somewhere quiet to get some work done for a few hours before heading into the transit area.

It is located directly opposite the Jewel ECI facility.

SIA’s check-in operates 21 hours a day

If you’re departing with Singapore Airlines, you can check in for any SIA flight, up to 48 hours prior to departure, at:

• Terminal 2
  between 4.30am until 2am
• Terminal 3
  between 5am and 3.30am (Mon, Wed-Sun)
  between 5am and 2am (Tue)

This includes flights where your final destination is in the USA, even though those are excluded from the Jewel ECI programme.

These hours also apply to SIA’s First Class Check-in facilities in the respective terminals, for those eligible.

Singapore Airlines check-in at Changi Airport closes 40 minutes prior to your flight departure time. You do not need to check-in at the terminal your flight is departing from.

That means if you’re heading to a T2 destination with SIA but would rather shop or use the newer lounges in T3 prior to departure, it may be easier to check-in at T3 then clear immigration there and take the SkyTrain to T2 at boarding time.

Note that even though check-in and bag drop is available up to 48 hours before your departure time, you will only be able to clear immigration and access the transit area a maximum of 24 hours prior to departure time, due to local regulations.

SIA’s 24-48 hour check-in benefit is really to allow you to drop your bags and have your boarding card issued, then head home. On the day of your flight, you can then simply clear security and head straight to your gate if you wish.

Other Early Check-In options at Changi

Apart from the Jewel ECI facility allowing check-in up to 24 hours prior to departure and Singapore Airlines’ own check-in desks allowing check-in up to 48 hours prior to departure, there are two additional Early Check-In options at Changi Airport that airlines use.

These also allow you to check in more than 3 hours before departure time, at which point Changi Airport Group (CAG) requires airlines to open their standard check-in desks.

The T1 ECI lounge

The Early Check-In lounge in the Terminal 1 departures hall currently offers advance check-in options for the following customers heading to mainland China, between 8am and 8.30pm daily:

• Air China
• China Southern Airlines
• Chongqing Airlines
• Hebei Airlines
• Shandong Airlines
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Xiamen Airlines

Regular check-in desks

The following airlines open their check-in desks ahead of the standard 3 hours before departure, for those who wish to drop their bags and have their boarding passes issued earlier, but most don’t participate in the Jewel ECI programme.

Other >3h prior to departure check-in options
Airline	Timing	Location / Notes
Air Canada	4h prior to departure	T2, Row 12
Asiana	3pm – 7.50pm	T3, Row 8
Batik Air	7.20am – 9pm	T3, Row 1
British Airways	From 2.30pm	T1, Row 10 (Or T1 SATS Premium Lounge for F, J)
China Eastern	From 6am	T3, Row 9
Etihad	4h prior to departure	T2, Row 1
Hainan Airlines	0.00am – 2.10am	T4, Row 4 Only for HU448 / HU7910 (STD 04:40) pax
Lufthansa	From 4pm	T2, Row 4 (in addition to Jewel ECI timings)
MAI	4h prior to departure	T2, Row 12
Philippine Airlines	From 6.35am	T2, Row 11 Only for PR502 (STD 10:35) pax (in addition to Jewel ECI timings)
Swiss	From 4pm	T2, Row 4 (in addition to Jewel ECI timings)
Saudia	4h prior to departure	T3, Row 10
Thai Lion Air	7.20am – 9pm	T3, Row 1
Turkish Airlines	2pm – 8pm	T1, Row 9 (in addition to Jewel ECI timings)
United Airlines	4h prior to departure	T2, Row 1 Only for UA28 (STD 22:20) pax
West Air	0.00am – 2.10am	T4, Row 2 Only for PN6546 (STD 04:40) pax

As you can see, some airlines operate early check-in at the regular desks in conjunction with Jewel ECI running at the same time, like Lufthansa and Swiss from 4pm each afternoon, so just pick the check-in location most convenient to you in these examples.

British Airways was a former Jewel ECI participant prior to the pandemic, but has decided that instead of reinstating that option, it will simply open its regular check-in desks at 2.30pm every day through to the final flight departure – good timing for access to the Qantas lounges.

Flying Cathay Pacific or Malaysia Airlines?

It’s worth noting that Cathay Pacific’s check-in desks at Terminal 4 currently open at 4.40am each morning (7am on Thursdays), and remain open until the final flight departure at around 1am each night.

You can check in there for any of the carrier’s flights departing that day, even if they are leaving much later, potentially allowing you to use the T1 Oneworld lounges, like the Qatar Premium Lounge, without having to wait for the Jewel ECI to open.

Similarly Malaysia Airlines has all-day opening of its check-in desks at Terminal 2 from 3am daily (6.55am on Sundays), for the same benefit.

Which terminals can you visit?

After checking early in at Jewel, the T1 ECI or the regular check in desks, you can access the transit area via immigration control at:

• any terminal (T1-4) if you are flying with a T4 airline (e.g. AirAsia, Cathay Pacific); or
• T1, T2 or T3, if you are flying with an airline that departs from those terminals.

This was confirmed to Mainly Miles by CAG back in May 2023, after there was some confusion as to whether T4 passengers are permitted to clear immigration at the T1/2/3 departure area – they are.

Terminal 4 passengers entering the transit area at the main terminals can then take the airside transit bus from T1 (Gate C21) or T3 (Immigration Hall A) to T4, operating 24 hours per day every 13 minutes.

The journey takes 18 minutes from T1 to T4 or 12 minutes from T3 to T4, so do build in sufficient time to reach your departure gate in T4.

Passengers departing from T1/2/3 can also visit the T4 transit area if they wish, for example to visit the Cathay Pacific lounge there, according to CAG, but they must first clear immigration at T1/2/3.

What’s the benefit?

The Jewel ECI option could be useful if you’re planning to have dinner in Jewel with friends or family, or even catch a movie at the cinema there, before heading through to departures for your flight.

Obviously Jewel also has plenty of shopping options plus some other attractions too, but most people we know go there for the food!

However, for many travellers – including most Mainly Miles readers – it’s early access to some of the excellent lounges in the transit area (of T1 in particular) that make early check-in a great benefit, whether you do it at Jewel or in the terminal itself.

For example, those departing in Business Class on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines or Emirates can access some great options earlier than they would usually be able to with standard check-in times.

Those departing in Air France in First Class (La Premiere) have access to the excellent Qantas First Lounge, and can check in at the Jewel ECI from 12pm, 2.5 hours ahead of the lounge opening, to maximise their à la carte dining experience.

The Qantas Singapore Business lounge also has morning opening windows on selected days of the week, while the excellent Qatar Airways Premium Lounge offers both morning and afternoon / evening timings.

Many passengers will also use early check-in simply to avoid the typically longer queues at regular airline check-in desks, if they arrive at the airport far enough in advance.

For Singapore Airlines ECI passengers flying out of T1 and visiting Jewel for dinner after checking in early, if your flight then ends up departing from a T1 gate (i.e. a ‘C’ gate), which you can check before leaving Jewel via the Changi app, you can even clear immigration in T1 to save some time.

Since T1 is directly connected to Jewel, you’ll then enjoy a much shorter walk to the gate, assuming you’re not interested in any T2/T3 SilverKris lounge time (if eligible).

Changi’s Early Check-In options provide a great opportunity to maximise your time at the airport, whether you’re looking to enjoy extended (or multiple) lounge access, explore Jewel’s dining and entertainment options, or simply avoid the rush of standard check-in times.

With 39 airlines now participating across various ECI programmes – from the convenient Jewel facility serving 20 carriers, to Singapore Airlines’ generous 48-hour advance check-in window, and the various all-day and extended-hours regular desk options – there’s flexibility with around half the airport’s passenger carriers.

The ability to check in early, drop your bags, and access the transit area up to 24 hours before departure opens up possibilities for lounge enthusiasts in particular, with access to some of the region’s finest airline lounges including the Qantas First Lounge, Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, and the full suite of SilverKris facilities.

Even if lounges aren’t your priority, the extra time landside at Jewel or airside in the terminals gives you more opportunity to relax, shop or dine.

As airline participation continues to recover and expand post-pandemic, it’s always worth checking the latest ECI eligibility for your carrier before you travel.

It may take a bit of planning, but early check-in can transform a standard airport experience into something much more enjoyable.

(Cover Photo: Sorbis / Shutterstock)