A Lounge Within a Lounge Within a Lounge
Can’t believe that I am using this line again. This used to be the classic line for the old TPR Lounge in Singapore. This is a unique one. I have no idea why this is done this way. Singapore Airlines does not operate its own lounge directly in Jakarta but has a huge space dedicated to its own passengers inside the Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge. It absolutely makes sense for SQ to have its own facilities in Jakarta, as this is a very premium market for them. There is a huge number of customers with high daily traffic. It is also the second largest base for PPS club members. It is important to control and maintain the quality. This allows them to offer much more premium and upmarket offerings to their most exclusive customers.SQ might not be able to secure space and decided to collaborate with Plaza. Do check out my compilation of SKL around the world.
Access Requirements
This lounge is slightly different from the usual SKL outstation. It is an exclusive facility for Singapore Airlines passengers. The lounge is part of the Plaza Premium Lounge. It consists of both a business class section and a first class section. As with the usual SQ rules, business class passengers, KrisFlyer Elite Gold members, Star Alliance Gold members and PPS club members are invited to the business class lounge. First class passengers and PPS Solitaire Club members get the First Class Lounge. Typical guesting rules apply. I got access with a first-class ticket.
Arrival & Location
The lounge is located near gate 6. You will be able to find it easily, leading towards the gate. Simply look for the Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge. I have no idea why this is so special with a Saphire. This is like a lounge inside a lounge inside a lounge. You have to show your boarding pass to the staff at the Sapphire lounge. You will then enter the Plaza Premium Lounge before entering the SQ section at the end of the lounge. There will be another SQ staff member here to verify your access. I was then ushered through the business class section into the first class section. You can spend time in both the business class section and the Sapphire Plaza Premium Lounge, too.
Singapore Airlines Secret First Class Lounge Jakarta
Let me first share about the first class section of the lounge, which is the most exclusive space over here, located inside the business class section. It is a segregated space with a sliding door.
There is a host inside to help with orders. The first half of the space mainly consists of dining tables, which are best suited for meals. There are nine dining tables with seating for 18. You can dine throughout the entire lounge as well. This can get busy near departures. I did feel that the dining table here is on the smaller side.
The rest of the lounge is filled with couches and armchairs. Some are in groups, and there are these really private ones with a view of the surrounding area. It is a nice and comfortable space. It could do with some background music. At times, it can get really quiet till it is awkward to talk.
Business Class Lounge
This business class section is much more spacious. Along the window, you have some lounging couches. There is no bar here. The seating comes with good access to power outlets and wifi. There are also some dining tables and cubicle-style seating on the side. This will be perfect for solo travellers. Here are some pictures of the place. Things are well maintained, and the staff go around frequently to clear things up.
Toilets and Showers
There are no toilets in the first class section of the lounge. You will have to head back to the business class area to use the toilets there. The toilets are unmemorable and can be better maintained by the staff.
There are no showers over here, which makes sense since it is a short flight. Passengers needing one can just do so when they transit in Singapore at the main lounge. Doing a transit in Singapore is on the route for most of the travellers from Jakarta.
Food and Drinks Business Class
All of the food and drinks are found towards the corner. The selection here is much more premium compared to the usual contract lounge. It is still staffed by Plaza Premium. You can find some soup, salad, fruits, cold cuts and cakes. There are some other cooked dishes and also live stations offering some cooked-to-order items. I tried one of their mee goreng.
For drinks, they have a selection of non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, juices and bottled water. In terms of alcoholic drinks, they do not offer much; you only have some canned beers and wines. This is certainly the area that they can improve on. Perhaps some spirits and bubbles? Since it is only for SQ flyers, it should follow the same SKL identity in other locations.
Food and Drinks First Class
All of the food and drinks over here are also prepared over in the business class lounge. They are prepared upon order and exclusive for the passengers in the first-class lounge. They do have an extensive menu over here. The selection is pretty good. This is a solid one. Check out the menu over here. The all-day menu is offered from 11am until 8pm. Breakfast is offered from 3am to 11am.
Over the course of my stay, I tried a number of items. They are excellently executed! Everything is served in small portions. This allows you to try more items. The items are served in a quick time.
In addition to the menu, you can also find some snacks, canned drinks, coffee, tea, wines and bottled mineral water in the self-serve area. There are no spirits and champagne over here. This is no doubt disappointing. I am sure they can afford to offer a champagne in the first class area for their most premium customer. That should barely make any dent for this station.
Conclusion
The lounge is certainly a pleasant surprise. Jakarta flyers certainly get it good over here. This might just be the best SQ lounge outstation! It makes lots of sense given how premium the market is for SQ, and this is also known as the second home of PPS members. Jakarta have the most PPS members outside of Singapore. Do note that this is different from the Plaza Premium Lounge, which you can already access via a contract lounge program like Priority Pass. I will share more about that in a separate post. It is definitely nice to have a private space for just SQ passengers. The first-class food is very good, and everything is amazing. The space does get quite busy, especially when leading up to the flight departures. It will then empty before getting filled again. With that being said, I feel that they could improve on the alcoholic options. A Champagne won’t hurt! In the meantime, I shall keep my capacity for the Krug onboard.
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