It can get quite boring, and sometimes even uncomfortable, at the airport when you’re trying to kill time. Whether you’re stuck in transit, your flight is delayed, or you’re just really early at the airport to avoid last-minute check-in hassle, waiting can be painful. However, if you’re flying in or out of one of these 10 Asia Pacific airports, you can kiss boredom goodbye thanks to the awesome perks available at their terminals. While not all of them are free of charge, you’re guaranteed to find something enjoyable while waiting to board your next flight.
Changi Airport, Singapore
Cool off in the rooftop swimming pool of this airport, annually voted the best airport in the world. One of the few airports in the world to offer this perk, Changi Airport’s pool is located at Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel in Terminal 1 and costs a cool S$ 17**. As well as the pool there’s also a jacuzzi, poolside bar and shower facilities. And that’s not all: there’s even a cactus garden featuring cacti and arid plants from Asia, Africa and America (as well as a bar within the garden), a water lily garden, a piazza garden, a children’s playground and its moving Kinetic Rain art installation. Meanwhile, Terminal 2 is where the big-screen movie theatre is located, along with the entertainment deck featuring Xbox360 and Kinect stations. If you spend more than S$ 10 shopping at the airport, you can redeem a ride down The Slide@T3, the world’s tallest airport slide at 4 storeys tall. Have more than 6 hours of transit time? You can join a 2.5 hour-long free tour of Singapore by registering right inside Terminal 2 or Terminal 3.
Tokyo Haneda Airport, Japan
Travelling with babies and toddlers but their bulky strollers are already checked in? Hire one at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and keep your hands free and your waist and shoulders pain-free. With your baby safely secured, you can then try your hand at the flight-simulator, located on the fifth floor of the airport. Prefer laid-back activities instead of competitive, stress-inducing ones? Check out Planetarium Starry Café nearby, where you can enjoy a meal whilst gazing up at 40,000,000 stars within the planetarium dome inside. If you have overnight transit, you might want to check into Royal Park Hotel The Haneda, its transit hotel accessible from the International Departures Area on the third floor.
Incheon International Airport, Seoul, Korea
Learn something about Korean history and culture while in transit at this airport. Here you’ll be able to scratch your intellectual itch at the Korean Cultural Museum, complete with 5,000-year-old UNESCO artefacts. You should also look out for the cultural performances held regularly, including the traditional Royal Procession, held four times daily. Still have time to kill? Get in some ice-skating at the Ice Forest skating rink, at the Transportation Centre, 1B, or get in a round of 18-holes at the golf course, a free 5-minute shuttle ride away. Meanwhile, high-rollers with a foreign passport may also burn some time (and cash) at the casino inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, a mere five-minutes walk away from the golf course.
Hong Kong International Airport
You can find Asia’s largest 4-D cinema here! Whilst 4D screenings may be limited to special occasions, you can watch blockbusters like Dunkirk and Fast & Furious 8 in 3D while waiting for your next flight. There is also a flight simulator at the Aviation Discovery Centre, free gaming at the PlayStation Gateway, computer-simulated basketball and skiing sessions at the i-Sports gym, and real golfing at the nine-hole golf course.
Chubu Centrair International Airport, Nagoya, Japan
Japan is known for its bath houses, or onsens, and you can enjoy a soak in a hot tub at Chubu Airport. What’s more, it comes with a view of the aeroplanes on the runway and sunset over Ise Bay. Speaking of views, which other airport lets you onto a 300-metre-long Sky Deck for a view of incoming aeroplanes as well as ships? From the deck, other than landings and take-offs, you can also watch ships sailing to or from Nagoya Port in the north, or the shorelines of Mie prefecture in the west, and of course the sunset over Ise Bay.
Brisbane Airport, Australia
Spas are practically de rigeur at most major airports these days, but what makes Wellness Spa by Jasmin Organics at Brisbane Airport different is its use of organic products. And you don’t need too much buffer time to enjoy a relaxing treatment either, as they offer 15 to 20-minute facials and massage treatments designed to relieve travel stress and prepare the traveller for the journey ahead.
Auckland Airport, New Zealand
If you’re not flying first or business class and don’t have access to an exclusive airline lounge, the Emperor Lounge at Auckland Airport is a lifesaver, and comes at relatively low cost, too. You can choose to utilise the lounge for only 3 hours, or pay an extended rate for up to 8 hours, allowing you to take a shower, enjoy the food spread, surf high-speed Wi-Fi, read magazines and newspapers, and let the kids tire themselves out at the play area in hopes that they will sleep soundly on the flight. If you’re staying in Auckland and need to park your car at the airport, there are two more perks available for those in the know. One is the ability to book your spot online pre-flight, basically guaranteeing you a parking spot, and the other is a reduced price to enter the lounge when booked along with parking.
Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
Getting back to basics, at sleep-friendly Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Thais prove themselves to be truly hospitable, with plenty of comfy seats good enough for stretching out on, plush sofas near the International Zone prayer rooms and lots of quiet corners to curl up in (although you might need a blanket for the floor). The seventh-floor observation deck is also said to be a good spot, especially with power outlets you can use to charge your phone. If slumming it is not your style, though, you can also book rooms at the transit hotel right inside the airport or get sleep boxes, equipped with soundproofing, air-conditioning, microgel blanket and pillow, free Wi-Fi, work desk and alarm clock for as low as THB1250 per 4 hours. Meanwhile, for those who check out from their hotels early in the day yet have to wait for a late flight, Airportels luggage delivery service allows you to continue to explore Bangkok baggage-free, as they will pick up your luggage at the hotel as you check out and have them waiting for you at their counter at the airport. Convenient!
Beijing International Airport, China
If you need to change to a fresh set of clothes after a flight, dressing rooms can be found at the Luggage Claim lobby at Beijing Capital Airport, at Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Meanwhile, if you need to let the kids free for a bit, take them to the childrens’ play area, equipped with games and cartoons. These can be found at the departure quarantine area at Terminal 1, near Gates 10, 25 and 35 at Terminal 2, and near the Central Business District, as well as Gates 8, 10 and 30 at Terminal 3.
Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, India
For those who insist on basic luxury when in transit, Kempegowda’s Day Hotel is the answer. It is a boutique hotel located at the domestic departure check-in area at Terminal 1, and offers different room categories to cater to solo travellers, group of friends, families and couples. Along with standard hotel amenities, including Wi-Fi, the hotel also has a massage parlour, shower and nap room packages, and use of the lounge, which also includes snacks and refreshments.
*The flight prices given here (including taxes and fees, excluding baggage fees) are for one return economy seat and were collated on 18 August 2017 for travel in September 2017 from origin airports in Australia to the destination listed, unless specified otherwise. Prices are in AUD, may be subject to change and offers may no longer be available.
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