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Changi is tops, but lessons can be learnt from lesser lights

After the celebration of a well-deserved honour as the world’s best airport for a record sixth year according to a survey of 13.8 million respondents by Skytrax, it is time to reflect on the lessons that may be gleaned from the result, including the lessons that rival airports which lost to Changi may offer.

If beguiling amenities are all there is to Changi Airport's magic, these may be replicated or matched, or even bettered, by other airports, says the author. Photo: Reuters

If beguiling amenities are all there is to Changi Airport's magic, these may be replicated or matched, or even bettered, by other airports, says the author. Photo: Reuters

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After the celebration of a well-deserved honour as the world’s best airport for a record sixth year according to a survey of 13.8 million respondents by Skytrax, it is time to reflect on the lessons that may be gleaned from the result, including the lessons that rival airports which lost to Changi may offer.

Changi Airport topped a list dominated by familiar names. In fact, the top 10 airports in last year’s list remained in prime position, suggesting a close race marked by consistency.

Going forward, maintaining their standards is the very least these airports need to do, but this may not be enough as the bar keeps being raised.

As competition intensifies, airports which slip in the rankings are not necessarily doing worse - it is just that others are doing better.

Changi’s strengths include its class-leading leisure amenities, which have been boosted by the addition of Terminal 4 (T4) and the upgrading of T1.

The plethora of attractions and distractions have enamoured most travellers passing though the airport – a very important factor for an air hub, which relies heavily on transit traffic.

Many airports today are overflowing with lounges, spas, restaurants and shops, but few of them can boast the gamut of amenities that Changi offers. Travellers with time may go for a swim in a rooftop pool, watch a complimentary movie, or hop on a city tour.

While the airport is buzzing with a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars, there are also designated quiet rest areas and gardens complete with birdsong for those who prefer a more relaxing experience.

With continual upgrading works and the opening of the aptly-named Jewel scheduled for early next year, Changi may yet again clinch the top honour. And with a fifth terminal to follow, chances are good for the foreseeable future.

Yet, one must recognise that if beguiling amenities are all there is to the magic, these may be replicated or matched, or even bettered, by other airports.

Seoul’s Incheon International Airport ,which is Changi’s closest rival for the top spot, boasts an ice-skating rink on site and a golf course and casino accessible by free shuttle not too far away.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) entices with a nine-hole course and an Imax theatre. Changi is not alone in heeding the need to offer comfort for the tired traveller: Doha’s Hamad International Airport, which is in Skytrax’s top 10 list, also offers “quiet” rooms.

And Changi itself is offering a uniquely Singaporean experience after the popular Incheon’s traditional cultural workshop, which invites participants to try their hands at Korean art and craft: It is bringing local hawker fare to the airport in a bid to delight the palate.

But a look at the fate of Beijing’s Capital International Airport should be a cautionary tale against resting on laurels.

The airport, which placed fifth in 2012 and 2013, dropped out of the top 10 list in 2016, and is now ranked 33rd. Once you slip, recovery can be tough. Skytrax gave Beijing a three-star rating (out of a possible five). It may be architecturally impressive, but it lacks the “help” culture.

Right now, a number of airports fare better than Changi in certain areas.

It ranks behind London’s Heathrow for best terminal and best shopping, and trails HKIA when it comes to dining. In customer service, a number of Asian airports fare better, too. Changi has ranked behind Incheon and Tokyo’s Haneda for the past five surveys, while Taiwan’s Taoyuan has bested it for four years straight.

In the latest survey, Changi placed fifth, behind these three airports and Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair.

Worryingly, it is in danger of being pushed further down the list by two other Japanese airports – Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (7th) and Tokyo’s Narita (8th).

Too many people have argued that you cannot do much to change the DNA of customer service as it is culture related. But Changi can prove them wrong. Efficiency and friendliness are not mutually exclusive.

Another critical aspect that Changi should pay heed to is baggage delivery standard. It used to rank among the top three, but has dropped to 7th place in the latest survey.

It used to be that arriving passengers could expect the first bag to be on the belt within 10 minutes, and not have to wait longer than 30 minutes for the rest, but this has not often been the case recently.

Not too long ago in 2016, Changi relaxed the standard of “first bag on the belt in 12 minutes” citing feedback from industry players including ground handling companies, growing passenger numbers, rising manpower costs and different expectations of budget carriers.

Unfortunately these were from the provider’s rather than the customer’s perspective. It raised the challenge of coping with growth yet not buckling under the pressure, quite unlike the understandable exception of the seasonal constraints of weather such as the monsoon.

Finally, accessibility is another factor that can be looked into.

While Changi’s biggest achievement is in making the airport a destination in itself, an airport is also measured by how easy it is to get to and from it.

While taxis at affordable prices are readily available at Changi, it would be a boon for many travellers if public transport providers (if not the train, at least the bus) could operate an additional skeletal trunk service beyond midnight to cater to late night arrivals and an earlier commencing service for early morning departures.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Leo is an aviation veteran and published author.

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