Althouse: Please please please love our airport.

August 27, 2018

Please please please love our airport.

Is Singapore trying too hard?

45 comments:

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Do the planes run on time?; 8/27/18, 10:39 AM
traditionalguy said...: Capitalism strikes. That level customer amenities is a dead give away.

Other awards go to Las Vegas with its slots. Honolulu its its Leis and macadamia nut candy , and Atlanta with its Chik-fil-A and grits.; 8/27/18, 10:42 AM
Nonapod said...: It makes you wonder... when Dante was imagining the varied geography of Hell, did he ever envision anything like the the garish twisting tubes and apertures of modern children's play structures.; 8/27/18, 10:44 AM
tim in vermont said...: This is brought up as a bragging point in Crazy Rich Asians.; 8/27/18, 10:44 AM
buwaya said...: Singapore is like that.
Remember that it lives off being an entrepôt, it attracts rich people’s money and business operations.
An entrepôt is always in danger of somewhere else getting the investment, should they get their act together to create a competitor, mainly by eliminating political risk.
The true big dog in Asia, recall, used to be Shanghai. And Hong Kong still exists only because Guandong/Canton has too much political risk.
Shanghai could take over again, absent the political risk.
And this is Asia. Bling works there much better than here.; 8/27/18, 10:48 AM
MadisonMan said...: You know what I would like in an airport? A roof-top lounge where you could get out into the fresh air/sun. This might not work in Vegas (too hot -- and I found those slots to be annoying), but MSP? DTW? It would be great to be outside of the sterile inside.; 8/27/18, 10:49 AM
J. Farmer said...: Changi is indeed a fantastic airport and regularly makes the top or near top of such lists that the travel industry pumps out regularly. But let me give a shout out to my hometown airport, Tampa International. It's obviously much smaller than a lot of the large hub airports but is fantastically designed for getting you from ticketing through security and at the gate with a minimum of fuss.

Fun fact: the world's first scheduled passenger airline service took off from St. Petersburg and landed in Tampa on January 1st, 1914.; 8/27/18, 10:51 AM
Darrell said...: Sum Ting Wong wants you to forget about that Singapore flight.; 8/27/18, 10:54 AM
Rabel said...: Singapore is a beautiful place. And it's filled with hard-working, capable people. It's what China could have been, if not for the Communists.; 8/27/18, 10:57 AM
Dave Begley said...: In the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" there is an unfavorable mention of JFK compared to Singapore's airport.; 8/27/18, 10:57 AM
Darrell said...: There were tens of thousands of people in Singapore cheering Trump's motorcade as he approached the Nork summit. Haven't heard about it? You would have if we had a Press that wasn't part of the Democratic Party.; 8/27/18, 11:02 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Scrolling thru the photos, which are awesome - what is the one area used the most? The snooze area.

IMO - Problem at ALL airports: not enough places to lie down.; 8/27/18, 11:02 AM
JML said...: Maybe the other airports aren't trying hard enough...

Earlier this year, I had to turn down a job offer with the Navy in Singapore. The timing wasn't right. It is the right decision, but I regret that it was not to be.; 8/27/18, 11:02 AM
Anonymous said...: "Theme park" decor isn't my cup of tea, but the gardens and pools and other amenities beat the hell out of having nothing but CN-bloody-N Big Brother telescreens screaming at you from every wall and pillar.; 8/27/18, 11:07 AM
Rob said...: No worries about graffiti.; 8/27/18, 11:13 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: The best airports in the world are in Democrat cities. New York and New Jersey. Awesome. (do I need the sarc tag?); 8/27/18, 11:14 AM
Hagar said...: The terminal is only a part of an airport. Lots of airports don't even have one.; 8/27/18, 11:17 AM
Michael said...: Buwaya
Indeed. I recommend to those doing business in Asia to always swallow the cost of staying in the very best, most expensive hotel available.; 8/27/18, 11:23 AM
Michael said...: MadisonMan
The Delta Sky Club in Atlanta's international has an outdoor section; 8/27/18, 11:25 AM
jaydub said...: "In the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" there is an unfavorable mention of JFK compared to Singapore's airport."

There's usually an unfavorable mention of JFK compared to any other airport. That said, Singapore's airport has been toward the top of the world's best for at least 30 years, and Singapore City/State is equally superb. Hong Kong and Seoul have newer airports and probably more efficient now, but it's tough to beat the whole Singapore package. It's my wife and my favorite city in Asia.; 8/27/18, 11:34 AM
rcocean said...: Yeah, why is JFK Such a dump?; 8/27/18, 11:37 AM
Levi Starks said...: Hey Honey, let’s fly to Singapore. And back.; 8/27/18, 11:39 AM
Larry J said...: Singapore is a fascinating place. The island of Singapore is the nation of Singapore is the city of Singapore. Something like 35 square miles, it is home to about 6 million people. It's an example of a multicultural society that works (~18 percent Moslem), perhaps because every young man in the country has to serve in the military and the government can be, well, a bit draconian. Their military flies F-15s, F-16s, and KC-135 tankers. Those don't come cheap. Overall, Singapore is very prosperous. The government doesn't appear to be as short sighted as many I could name. For example, when they do land reclamation, they set it aside for over 30 years to let the soil fully settle before building on it. That land is used as parks until it is ready for construction.

If you go there, be sure to obey the law. They hang drug smugglers and don't take even petty crime lightly. When I was there, I almost bought a tee-shirt that read, "Singapore is a fine city" that listed a bunch of $500 fines for things like littering. The place is clean. You don't observe a heavy police presence (cameras are everywhere, though).

The food there is exceptionally good. Prices for a lot of things are on the high side and I could never afford to live there. Still, I'd love to return for another visit.; 8/27/18, 12:22 PM
buwaya said...: "It's an example of a multicultural society that works"

Because its run by the Chinese majority. Its multicultural but there is a definite dominant culture, and they make no bones about it.; 8/27/18, 12:26 PM
jaydub said...: "The food there is exceptionally good."

I think that's one of the main things that sets Singapore apart from the rest of Asia. The dominant cuisine is a fusion of Malay, Thai, Indian, Indonesian and Chinese with emphasis on flavor, spices and heat, and usually at a great price. The hawker stalls (though not really "stalls" after the government closed the outdoor hawker center in the middle of Newton Circus and others elsewhere,) have mostly moved into food courts but they still operate the same - rather like stationary food trucks that supply their own specialties to patrons who may make a meal of specialty dishes from several different stalls. There was nothing better than an ala carte dinner at old Newton Circus finished off with a couple of Brockman's and tonics at the Long Bar in the old Raffles Hotel. Pity that's gone forever.; 8/27/18, 12:59 PM
robother said...: I hate the way Singapore has Disney-fied its airport. In the old aeroporte, there were a number of shops catering to English gentlemen travelers who appreciated an old-fashioned caning, administered by an experienced hand.; 8/27/18, 1:19 PM
Alex said...: Another shiny bauble for rich people. Meanwhile people in the Rust Belt are still waiting for their manufacturing jobs.; 8/27/18, 1:36 PM
Michael said...: Um, yes (trying too hard).; 8/27/18, 2:04 PM
jaydub said...: "In the old aeroporte, there were a number of shops catering to English gentlemen travelers who appreciated an old-fashioned caning, administered by an experienced hand."

You can get a caning from an experienced hand for free in Singapore and you don't need to take a cab to the airport to do it. Famously, an 18 year old American back in the 90's vandalized some cars and was sentenced to 6 strokes of the rattan, reduced to four after great hue and cry from the American press and with the intervention of President Clinton. If vandalism isn't your thing you can also score a free caning by urinating in an elevator.; 8/27/18, 2:05 PM
Ann Althouse said...: In a lot of old interviews, Donald Trump expressed great concern about the condition of America's airports.; 8/27/18, 2:21 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Especially compared to other countries' airports.

Could he do something about it?; 8/27/18, 2:21 PM
Leland said...: Yeah, why is JFK Such a dump?

Have you seen who runs the State? JFK was never that great.; 8/27/18, 2:23 PM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: WE cannot do anything about anything real or big until the waste stops. Start with Mueller.; 8/27/18, 3:09 PM
Darrell said...: Famously, an 18 year old American back in the 90's vandalized some cars and was sentenced to 6 strokes of the rattan

I called the Singapore Embassy in D.C. when this was happening to express my opinion and they connected me to the Ambassador--which I didn't want. I told him that I fully support Singapore and that most Americans do too. I also told him that he has needs to execute the sentence as soon as possible because opinion is changing the longer the Media gets to play around with the story--and he was surprised at that. He thanked me for my input and a few hours later I saw the sentence was carried out. Coincidence? Perhaps.; 8/27/18, 3:36 PM
john said...: Blogger Ann Althouse said...
Especially compared to other countries' airports.

Could he do something about it?

He could try ordering the National Anthem to be played every hour and make sure everyone stands.

In most US cities there is no financial incentive to make airports more comfortable or friendly to the travelling public.; 8/27/18, 4:39 PM
The Skeptic said...: It's been 20 years since I've been in Singapore, but I vividly recall the customs landing card saying "Death to Drug Dealers." It cetainly motivated me to keep an eye on my luggage!; 8/27/18, 6:06 PM
tim in vermont said...: He could try ordering the National Anthem to be played every hour and make sure everyone stands.

Or at a minimum, provide us with Democrat Propaganda Channel, I mean CNN free places to wait for our flights. It is pretty rich to make a comment like that in airports where we are served up ant-Trump propaganda 24x7 currently.; 8/27/18, 6:25 PM
tim in vermont said...: There’s usually an unfavorable mention of JFK compared to any other airport

JFK is a fine airport. Serviceable, lots of restaurants and shops where you can kill time while they decide whether or not to cancel the late flight to Burlington, VT.; 8/27/18, 6:29 PM
PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...: I'm with Tim.

I've flown into and out of JFK 3-4 times a year for the past 45 years. It used to be the pits, agreed.

Much better now.

Ditto San Juan International. Used to be pretty grungy and run down, few decent concessions. A few years back it was sold to a Mexican outfit. They've put a lot of money into upgrading it and running it for profit. Still work to be done to get to Singapore, or even DFW quality. But still one of the nicer airports I use.

John Henry; 8/27/18, 7:22 PM
Paul Mac said...: No, they aren't.; 8/27/18, 7:47 PM
Kirk Parker said...: Well, does it have a Hello Kitty-themed gate? No? Sorry, it can't measure up to Taipei's airport then.; 8/27/18, 9:10 PM
narciso said...: There's an Australian HBO series serangoon road, on the international channel, it's like a policier set in the Singapore of the 60s, the protagonist was a prisoner in change prison and later was a soldier in malaya.; 8/27/18, 11:09 PM
n.n said...: They're trying to hard. You don't have to dress up just so that they like you... or something.; 8/28/18, 12:08 AM
lgv said...: I've been to Changi many times. It is a little over the top now days.

Especially compared to other countries' airports.

Could he do something about it?

Changi is a hub for all of Asia. It's 24/7 from so many countries with so many long layovers. The US doesn't need a Changi, but there are a few airports that need a serious help, including all NY airports and LAX. They are so awful compared to Changi, Incheon, or Narita it is embarassing.

It's really not the president's job to upgrade airports.; 8/28/18, 12:47 PM
mikee said...: The article did not list the airport's rental showers. Ahh, the pleasure of washing myself clean and changing clothes midway between Mumbai and Tokyo!; 8/28/18, 3:51 PM