The warning signs are serious. Many have learned the hard way. Singapore Changi Airport is not the airport to play games in.
Some take this “hobby” of gaming the system a bit too far. Think Justin Ross Lee (video below).
Others mean well and may even have noble intentions, like a man who wants to accompany his spouse to the gate in order to have those few extra moments together.
But whatever the motive, if you do not intend to fly, do not even think about passing through passport control and into the departure area of Singapore Changi Airport. In fact, authorities consider it a SIN worthy of steep punishment. Think a S$20,000 (US$14,300) fine or two years in jail.
30 people have been arrested for violating this law in 2019!
Addressing the public on Facebook, the airport offered a stern reminder:
Passengers who enter the transit areas with a boarding pass should only be there for the purpose of traveling to their next destination.
CONCLUSION
I’ve bought refundable tickets before to accompany family to the gate. But it is something I’ll never do in Singapore! Thankfully, the beautiful Singapore Jewel is located outside the secure departure area and accessible to everyone.
Even so, I wish more airports would adopt polices like Pittsburgh or Tampa in the USA or like Australia domestic terminals where passengers don’t have to actually be flying to use the terminal.
I know that creates all sorts of additional concerns and potential security screening costs, but how many people are going to spend their Saturdays going to the airport to hang out?
Well, I’m sure I’m the exception… 😉
You might also enjoy reading Ed’s take on this at Pizza In Motion and Gary’s from View from the Wing.
You’re a lawyer. Wouldn’t this constitute fraud?
I would be open for an afternoon at the airport! But it’s not as fun as it used to be with Amex no longer allowing “non lounge experiences”
Medan airport (KNO) is a lovely airport because it has gate security, but with the twist of anyone can walk up to any gate with or without a boarding pass. T2 at CGK is very similar.
Ahh this vlogger bragging about all his stuff.. He knows nothing about air travel hacking.
“but how many people are going to spend their Saturdays going to the airport to hang out?” Changi airport gets pretty busy on weekends. Before the Jewel, families would go to Terminal 2, which has a mall and food courts in the basement. The new Jewel add-on has attracted even more families with its exclusive eateries (ie Shake Shack), movie theater, activities/playgrounds, and retail stores.
Yup, many Singaporeans I know actually like hanging out at the airport, myself included. Even if we’re not sending anyone off. And even before The Jewel was developed.
Actually, to know how this law came about, you got to go back a few decades in history back to the Lockerbie Bombing. It was thought that the bomb came from a person who checked in his luggage and never flew, so these days, whenever someone buys a ticket and does not show up, a bomb alert goes out.
Laws happen because in the past, someone somewhere messed something up big time.