Fast Track Immigration Singapore

[straitman]

Two weeks ago I arrived on QF1 (F, HLO) and was in a cab heading to hotel about 5 mins after leaving the AC.

Doesn't it take longer than 5 min to walk the length of the terminal in SIN :?:

 

[amaroo]

I more impressed that you got a cab that quick. That taxi line can be ugly some nights

Very quite night, no queue for Immigration, customs or taxi

Doesn't it take longer than 5 min to walk the length of the terminal in SIN :?:

First off and ended up in one of those "I can walk faster than you" sideshows with two other terminal runners Didn't actually time it but the three of us must have come close to setting a new T1 record

 

[SteveJohnson]

Coming in late but SIN is my favourite airport for superfast processing of incoming pax. Sometimes I've been there and the lines are so short and open desks so many that they have someone further up the customs area who, as pax approach, directs them to the desks on the left hand side just to keep the 'load' (hah!) spread. Takes longer to wait for checked luggage than to clear immigration, in fact because immigration is so fast you spend longer at the carousel waiting for your bags, I bet 90% of pax get through immigration before their bags have even been processed.

So yes, if you fly with only carry-on bags then you will be in a taxi and on your way to the city before the first bag hits the carousel!

 

[Austman]

A friend on QF9 MEL-SIN yesterday (seated in row 86 on the A380) reports 2 minutes to get through SIN immigration. There might be exceptions, but they are not the rule!

 

[jetlagger]

Two weeks ago I arrived on QF1 (F, HLO) and was in a cab heading to hotel about 5 mins after leaving the AC.

Assuming you only had hand carry! Still that is brilliant! Of Olympic stately standard.. I'm pretty fast on the feet.. No travelator assistance.. Best of done is about (untimed) 15 mins from gate to taxi.. On a good day!

 

[Awesom Andy]

I more impressed that you got a cab that quick. That taxi line can be ugly some nights

Depending on arrival times, it may be quicker getting the skytrain to another terminal, where there are no flights and hence no taxi queues.

 

[amaroo]

Assuming you only had hand carry! Still that is brilliant! Of Olympic stately standard.. I'm pretty fast on the feet.. No travelator assistance.. Best of done is about (untimed) 15 mins from gate to taxi.. On a good day!

Yep, HLO = hand luggage only

 

[jetlagger]

Yep, HLO = hand luggage only

:-| Oops.. Oversight! So amaroo.. Gold Medal.. Well done! I'll have a challenge for next SIN arrivals.. I'll put the trusty stopwatch to work from here on in. Gate to taxi.. Tick tock.. Cheers jl

 

[Awesom Andy]

:-| Oops.. Oversight! So amaroo.. Gold Medal.. Well done! I'll have a challenge for next SIN arrivals.. I'll put the trusty stopwatch to work from here on in. Gate to taxi.. Tick tock.. Cheers jl

I have my own version of gate-to-gate times... from arrival gate to the gate at my residence.
I guess I don't really qualify for the comp though, as I get to use the automated customs gates.

 

[dajop]

I have my own version of gate-to-gate times... from arrival gate to the gate at my residence.

I do to I often can be unlocking my front door within 35 mins of arriving the aircraft arriving at the gate (even with checked luggage, which sometimes is going around the carousel just as I am passing by ready to be picked up). Auto clearance does help though. Just not on late Fri afternoons when taxi queues can be a killer.

Conversely I often leave home only 80 mins before flight which many would consider ludicrous for an international flight and only nearly came unstuck once with late taxi, bad traffic and a police road block on the ramp to T2. But even on that occasion, as I had done OLCI and only had hand luggage, arriving at the airport 30 mins before departure I still had time for 10 mins in the lounge.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Conversely I often leave home only 80 mins before flight which many would consider ludicrous for an international flight and only nearly came unstuck once with late taxi, bad traffic and a police road block on the ramp to T2. But even on that occasion, as I had done OLCI and only had hand luggage, arriving at the airport 30 mins before departure I still had time for 10 mins in the lounge.

My office is in Changi Business Park, and once, I was still in the office typing emails when the flight status on the airport website says "boarding". Still made the flight, but I don't think I would want to try that again.

 

[JohnK]

Clearly you have not been to SIN many times. I can't recall ever waiting more than a minute.

I agree that SIN is very efficient but it's efficiency is proportional to the "visitors" and I do use that word loosely.

I have been at SIN airport where the queues at inbound immigration are 10-15 deep and at the front of the queues are visitors of the female persuasion from neighboring countries. I can tell you from experience that some of these "visitors" can take up to 5 minutes to process if not more.

 

[jetlagger]

I agree that SIN is very efficient but it's efficiency is proportional to the "visitors" and I do use that word loosely.

I have been at SIN airport where the queues at inbound immigration are 10-15 deep and at the front of the queues are visitors of the female persuasion from neighboring countries. I can tell you from experience that some of these "visitors" can take up to 5 minutes to process if not more.

Sure.. JohnK, I certainly know the scenario.. Sometimes I can become an observant queue hopper.. For this very reason.