I READ with shock the recent Straits Times advertisement by Singapore Airlines (SIA). With the opening of the new Terminal 3 at Changi Airport on Jan 9, SIA will split its check-in locations to 102 destinations in 42 countries between T3 and T2. To make matters worse, the split in check-in destinations between the two terminals seems to be random. There is specific check in for countries in Europe and Asia at both terminals - Russia, Turkey and Pakistan at T2, and France, Spain and China at T3, for example.
The decision to split check-in counters between T2 and T3 may be a cost consideration or an internal operation constraint, but it is not a customer service consideration.
Many studies have shown that air travel is one of the most stressful experiences. This is especially true at the airport; leaving loved ones, waiting in long queues for check in, hauling baggage, and facing Customs and security checks.
Imagine a tourist carrying the baggage of a family of five, running late because of the children, then arriving at the wrong terminal. Then he has to gather the children and baggage to head to another terminal for check in. So what if there is a state-of-the-art sky train to take him there? A Rolls-Royce will not help if he is already late and the experience will leave a permanent scar.
What is service? Service is serving a glass of cold water on a hot day when you go into a shop. It's called anticipation, serving your customer what he needs before he even realises he needs it. Inability to anticipate your customer's needs is an invitation to chaos.
As one of the top airlines in the world, SIA should house all check-in counters in one terminal, and any terminal at Changi can house all SIA check-in counters.
As a traveller, I would rather get to the right terminal first and then worry about how to reach my boarding gate.
