Tom Changi Airport Terminal 4 (#ChangiT4) is currently running its Open House from 7th to 20th August. Although registration is full and now closed, for those of you who are not able to snitch those Changi T4 Open House tickets, here are some features that you can expect at our latest airport terminal in Singapore!
What to expect at Singapore’s latest airport terminal – Changi T4
The instructions given by Changi T4 Open House was to arrive 45 minutes prior to our selected timeslot. This is because if your “Flight Time” is at 11am, the “gate” closes soon after the dedicated flight time so that the next group of “passengers” can get ready for their “flight”. As you can see from our description, the entire experience is designed as a flight experience for visitors. After we received our “boarding passes”, we were even greeted by several staff to “enjoy our flight”!
Push for Cashless Payment
After we collected our boarding passes, we went to the waiting area to wait for our “flight departure”. We noticed a couple of staff tending to visitors at the vending machines there. That made us wonder if there was something new about those vending machines. As it turns out, the staff were actually educating visitors about the push for cashless payments at Changi T4. This is in line with the government’s push for the smart nation initiative – including the reduction of cash payments across sectors in Singapore.
We went ahead and bought a cup of coffee using Visa Paywave (yes, we have adopted the cashless movement! :P) and we noticed that the coin slots for the machines were sealed off on purpose. Wonder how foreign visitors to SG can get their $1 cuppa here? We also noticed a visitor who was not able to use Android Pay (UOB Credit Card) through his mobile phone to pay for his drink. On closer inspection of the icons above, Android Pay is not featured. Perhaps we still have some ways to go in uniting all forms of cashless payments on one platform…
Changi T4 Public Art Displays
One thing we love about visiting our airports is the appreciation for the arts. Remember the Kinetic Rain Display at Changi Airport Terminal 1?
Its cousin, PetalClouds is on display at Changi T4!
According to its description, PetalClouds form wavelike displays, circular displays and even a bow-tie display according to the symphony being played. Really cool to be transiting at Changi Airport T4 while being treated to this moving art piece.
There are also other art forms at Changi T4 such as Les Oiseaux (The Birds), Travelling Family and Hey, Ah Chek! which adds to the vibrancy of art appreciation and culture in Singapore. Nice touch T4!
We even saw one of our favourite artist’s work (Coplu) at T4! Great taste in art T4!
What’s new at Changi T4
One of the biggest push towards a faster and more efficient travel experience at Changi Airport, is the FAST (Fast And Seamless Travel) System. Your entire check in experience is automated. This reduces manpower requirements at the airport and also decreases check-in duration, improving your overall travel experience.
There are 4 parts to FAST – Automated Check-In Kiosk, Automated Bag Drop Machine, Automated Immigration Gate, Automated Boarding Gate. With facial recognition at the last 3 stages of FAST, the overall security of passengers is also enhanced.
Airlines Flying from Changi Airport Terminal 4
There are currently 6 airlines slated to fly from Changi T4. They are Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, Air Asia, Cebu Pacific and Spring Airlines. Visitors get to visit booths from these airlines and learn more about their offerings.
As with Terminals at Changi Airport, you’ll get a touch of greenery as well…
At the transit area, there’s also a Heritage Zone which shows some of the unique structures (and culture through the video projection) in Singapore…
How to get to Changi T4
There are currently 2 ways to get to the T4 Open House
1. Coach from Terminal 3. Travel by public transport (Bus or Train) to Changi Airport Terminal 3. Follow the signs to Changi T4 Open House and board one of the buses. Remember that you need to show your flight time before you can board one of these buses.
2. Drive to Terminal 4. There’s a discount flat rate of $5 for 4 hours for parking at T4. Alternatively, Taxis can depart and alight from T4 as well (surcharge applies as with all airport terminals – $3 for weekdays and $5 for weekends).
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of Changi T4 Open House. Do let us know your thoughts about the new Changi Airport Terminal 4 in our comments section below!
