Has anyone heard? T2-T3 Confusion

[EWR]

Don't know if this has been discussed. It has been rumored that the split of SQ flights when T3 Changi is up is going to entail some confusion. Regional flights will depart from T2 and long haul from T3. As for arrival, you won't know which terminal you will land in until 2 hours before that happens, because SQ aircrafts are on mixed rotation (e.g. flying from Australia, then flying off to Bangkok next). If you are connecting from Oz to Eu, you might have to transit from T2 to T3. Don't forget about the greeters for passengers disembarking at Singapore.

[Singapore_Air]

This rumour should not have been leaked. Let's wait until the terminal actually opens.

[jjpb3]

This rumour should not have been leaked. Let's wait until the terminal actually opens.

As opposed to news that should have have been leaked? Sorry, I don't agree that management is entitled to pick among which pieces of information actually leak out. They can manage the process of information flow; leaks are by nature part of the risk of any hush-hush process.

I think EWR raises a fair question for people contemplating the impact of the division of flights. EWR, I've heard a similar report (but with a different window, i.e., not 2 hours). But the report was preceded by quite well-informed speculation from frequent flyers who knew that if they flew in on a long-haul leg, their aircraft was often put on regional duty right after.

IMO, this does have the potential makings of a confusing passenger experience. But it's not clear that the potential will become reality, at least until we see how exactly Changi management will try to manage the issue.

[UMD]

I think Changi as Changi and SQ as SQ will manage it very well. After all these years of experiencing the sevices these 2 companies provided, I trust there will be no real negative impact on passengers comfort.

To me as passenger, it really does not matter what terminal my flights will arrive to. To transfer flights, it will just be like the experience now going from gates in concourse E to F and vise versa. With T3 opens, passengers will have 2 additional concourses (A and B) to go to and from. There will be clear signs all over the airport and I am sure the new skytrain systems to and from T2 and T3 will support all the connecting passengers well.

Fixing the departing terminal is definitely more important than the arrival terminal and I believe this is what SQ has done. The only problem I see with this is for the greeters but then again, most greeters always call in advance before leaving for the airport to check the arrival time and terminal.

[EWR]

Cynical thought

To UMD: that is quite true. It's just two more concourses to connect from.

However, I have this cynical idea that if one doesn't take the skytrain (which may be too crowded given the current configuration! I prefer the old carriage), one is "forced" to walk around the whole U shaped loop. Is this a ploy to get people to shop more... Logically, shouldn't SQ flights be all within an area, rather than separated by T1?

The greatest problem goes to friends and greeters indeed. There is an underground passage which takes 10 min or so to walk across, but still, I think I would like to know way in advance where to wait - I for one like to check these things a day before, just in case I'm out in town before I go to the airport. What about tour companies? Do they now have to start checking for arrival terminals? They didn't have to when terminals were dedicated to specific airlines, i.e. they just need to know the airline... (heck, most airports around the world do that)

[jjpb3]

However, I have this cynical idea that if one doesn't take the skytrain (which may be too crowded given the current configuration! I prefer the old carriage), one is "forced" to walk around the whole U shaped loop. Is this a ploy to get people to shop more... Logically, shouldn't SQ flights be all within an area, rather than separated by T1?

The logic is driven by the increased capacity required from SQ. No doubt it's easier if the flights were all in one area, but that's just one way to solve the problem; we don't know the tradeoffs faced by Changi management. I do doubt if they would be willing to put SIN's standing as a hub at risk by making things more inconvenient for passengers.

The greatest problem goes to friends and greeters indeed. There is an underground passage which takes 10 min or so to walk across, but still, I think I would like to know way in advance where to wait - I for one like to check these things a day before, just in case I'm out in town before I go to the airport. What about tour companies? Do they now have to start checking for arrival terminals? They didn't have to when terminals were dedicated to specific airlines, i.e. they just need to know the airline... (heck, most airports around the world do that)

Depends on the window required to find out the arrival terminal, I think. If you could know the arrival terminal only one hour before the flight arrives, I think your criticism is fair.

But what if the window were, say, 5 hours before the flight? I'm curious what amount of advanced notice, in your view, would result in a non-onerous amount of inconvenience for greeters, if advanced notice would now be needed?

[Lobster]

The information I heard was that the arrival terminal will be 99% fixed at 6 hours from the timetabled arrival time but will not be 100% fixed until 2 hours before arrival. Meeters and greaters will be able to find out which terminal the people they are meeting are arriving at either from the internet or by phoning SQ. I think once people get used to it then it will not cause too many problems.

Supposidly the Skytrain from T2 to T3 will only take a couple of minutes so transfers airside should not be too painful.

As SQ can't fit into a single terminal then I think this really is their only choice.

[EWR]

I heard the same as Lobster about the 6 hour then 2 hour "rule". Maybe it will be quite a hassle for 1% of the time for greeters then... or whatever that low percentage is.

The other thing is, one has to take into account things like delays and how that would affect re-deployment of aircrafts (already at Changi) to make up for the late one... Depending on the scheduled turn-around time (and the number of late aircrafts at the same time!), I think that puts pressure on flight punctuality; otherwise, to minimize chain delays, aircrafts have to be shifted from T2 to T3 or vice versa?

As for the capacity issue, I guess what I was trying to push for was: why not T1 and T2 or T1 and T3 - in which case the terminals would be adjacent, rather than separated by another one when one is walking through it. (of course one would argue that T1 is old and small).

[KeithMEL]

Does this mean that MCT will be increased to take into account the potential need to make a T2-T3 connection? Or will difference in time taken to connect between both terminals be sufficiently negligible?

I don't remember the exact set up of the new terminal but I keep being told that it's very far away from T2. May cause problems with luggage delivery in tight connections?

[UMD]

The way Changi has been built, each terminal has its own arrival hall. The greeters problem will still not be solved if SQ combines both T1 and T2 or T1 and T3 together. The distance between the arrival halls of T2 and T3 (at least visually to me) are closer to each other.

I have a feeing that there is somehow an underground tunnel being constructed between T2 and T3. I believe also that to go from T2 to T3, there is a direct link on Skytrain without going through T1.

[EWR]

Yes there will indeed be a new skytrain going between T2 and T3 directly (has anyone seen the rail for that being constructed? or is it underground?). But there isn't going to be an underground *walkway* on the airside (there will be one for the landside though)... Or so I heard.

[SQ168]

I have a feeing that there is somehow an underground tunnel being constructed between T2 and T3.

It is actually already constructed. It's located above the MRT station and connect T2 and T3 on the landside. The MRT station is also connected to T3, so those using MRT can go directly to T3 and vice versa.

(has anyone seen the rail for that being constructed? or is it underground?)

The track for the T2-T3 skytrain has also finished. In fact you could see the skytrains shuttling back and forth between T2 and T3 for test runs, as the track goes over the main airport access road. It looks like the Skytrain station in T2 will be opposite gate F50.

[The High Flyer]

As SQ can't fit into a single terminal then I think this really is their only choice.

At this point in time, SQ shares Terminal 2 with several other airlines (Philippines Airlines, Air France, etc). Assuming that T3 will be much larger, if not as large as, T2, shouldn't it be large enough to accomodate SQ alone? The other airlines could stay in T2.

[zvezda]

Will it be possible to walk between T2 and T3 airside? Perhaps via T1?

[SQ168]

Will it be possible to walk between T2 and T3 airside? Perhaps via T1?

Should be possible via T1. T3 has taken quite a number of ex-T1 gates so it should be connected like T1-T2.