Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris first class lounge, Sydney Airport
Guarded by a near-secret door, Singapore Airlines' first class lounge in Sydney is worth discovering.
By Chris C., August 14 2019
Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Airport
Sydney - Kingsford Smith
Alliance
Star Alliance
Airline
Singapore Airlines
Cabin-class
First
Notes
The Good
- À la carte dining, plus Veuve Clicquot Champagne
- A new addition: barista-made coffee
- Distinct zones work working, dining and relaxing
The Bad
- WiFi was out of service, and unusable for most of the visit
X-Factor
- Peace and quiet, in what's otherwise Australia's busiest international airport
Introduction
Singapore Airlines' international first class lounge at Sydney Airport's Terminal 1 is quite well hidden, perhaps by design: if you're not on 'the list', you probably wouldn't even notice it was there.
For those on the inside with a first class boarding pass or a top-tier Solitaire PPS Club frequent flyer card, there's a private dining room to enjoy, areas for lounging and working, and free-flowing Champagne.
Executive Traveller puts the SilverKris first class lounge through its paces following a recent flight through Sydney Airport.
Location & Impressions
Nestled down in Pier C at Sydney Airport, you'll find the SilverKris Lounge by following the signs to gates 50-63. Once you reach the centre of that pier, take the escalator upstairs, where the SilverKris Lounge is next door to Air New Zealand's lounge.
Singapore Airlines has both a business class and a first class lounge in Sydney. They share the same entrance and reception area...
Singapore Airlines' SilverKris Lounge entrance in Sydney
... but if you're eligible to access the first class space, the staff will buzz you in. A subtle door opens to the right, and you'll be escorted through. Here's the view from inside, as from the outside, the door blends in with the wall:
Didn't spot this door on your last visit? That's kind of the idea...
Glide through that door and you'll emerge in what's essentially a lounge room, featuring comfy chairs, some reading material and a TV, kept at an appropriate volume...
Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class 'lounge room' in Sydney
... before walking through the dining area and into the business nook, with individual seats serving as both work spaces and more private dining tables...
Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge dining and working space
... or keep walking through, and you'll reach the windows for some tarmac views, with Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 parked further behind the passing Emirates superjumbo below:
View from Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
I got comfortable in one of those flexible business desks 'slash' dining tables, where I was immediately greeted by a member of staff, handed a menu and offered a drink, where Champagne (Veuve Clicquot) was an easy choice:
Veuve Clicquot Champagne at Singapore Airlines' Sydney first class lounge
Access
- Singapore Airlines' first class and Suites Class passengers travelling to Singapore.
- Singapore Airlines' Solitaire PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club Life members prior to Singapore Airlines flights only.
- Thai Airways' Royal First Class passengers jetting to Bangkok.
- Air China first class passengers zipping to Beijing, but only on three-class Boeing 777 flights where first class is sold, as is typically available around the busy Chinese New Year travel period every year.
Put simply, this is a lounge exclusively reserved for passengers departing in first class, and for Singapore Airlines' highest-tiered frequent flyers who are also no stranger to flying up the front, given Solitaire PPS Club status can only be earned by regularly travelling in business class and first class with Singapore Airlines and SilkAir.
That's a stark difference to Sydney's Qantas First Lounge, for example, which welcomes Platinum-grade frequent flyers of not only Qantas, but also of Emirates and all Oneworld alliance airlines, so while the Qantas First Lounge is much larger, it's also much busier.
Dining
In the first class section of this lounge, there's both buffet and à la carte dining, catering to passengers making shorter stops and longer stays.
Buffet dining at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Beginning with that buffet, a breakfast-time visit found hot bites like roast pumpkin, mini omelettes with corn and cheese...
Breakfast buffet at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... chicken congee...
Breakfast buffet at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... and, chicken sausages:
Breakfast buffet at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Around the other side of the same counter was a variety of fresh salad ingredients, crackers, yoghurts and granola...
Buffet dining at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... with pastries not too far away:
Buffet dining at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Just behind, a variety of spirits and mixers...
Self-service bar counter at Singapore Airlines' first class lounge in Sydney
... plus, beer, standalone soft drinks and juices, and wine:
Self-service bar counter at Singapore Airlines' first class lounge in Sydney
There's also a DIY espresso coffee machine...
Coffee counter at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... but when I approached it to make myself a morning latte, a member of staff offered to fetch me a coffee from the business class lounge instead, where there's now a barista station – certainly better than a 'push-button' brew:
Barista-made cafe latte at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
There's also a selection of wine in the 'lounge room' area, although these are merely on display, and can instead be ordered via your waiter:
Wine on display at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Speaking of waiters, with a full table service throughout, I really didn't see the need for the buffet. As a first class passenger, I knew there'd be plenty to eat on the plane, plus anything ordered up via the menu in the lounge, and so didn't graze the buffet at all.
Dining room at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
On that morning menu were the following choices, many centred on breakfast given the time of day, but with a couple of lunchtime staples as well.
Breakfast menu Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
To begin, it was hard to pass up the very Singaporean chicken satay with peanut sauce, which was delicious...
Chicken satay at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... followed later by the waffle with mixed berries and maple syrup, which tasted as good as it looks:
Breakfast waffle at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
I'd also like to have tried the signature dish, prawn laksa, but didn't feel like something that heavy at 8am, so here's a supplied photo:
Prawn laksa at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Supplied
Supplied
I moved around the lounge several times during the visit, and regardless of where I sat, the staff were never far away for a Champagne top-up or another latte.
Work
You won't find a business centre in the lounge – after all, if you're flying first class, it's fair to assume you own a laptop – so I found the best place to work was at these pods, in between the dining room and the windows:
Private booths at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Here, there's desk-level AC and USB power, as well as a large bench suitable for both typing and dining:
Private booth at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
The design of these pods also allows you to swivel around and face outward, such as when your work is finished, whereby the working bench becomes a cocktail table, meaning you don't have to move seats:
Private booth at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Wireless Internet is usually available here, although the network wasn't functioning during most of my visit, with guests unable to login using the supplied password.
This was rectified only shortly before boarding, when I was able to quickly test the speeds and was pleasantly surprised to find that the connection had been upgraded since my last visit, with downloads averaging a whopping 148Mbps, and uploads even higher at 164Mbps. Read: very fast.
It'll be interesting to see whether that connection proves more stable going forward, but other than that last-minute test, it wasn't usable at all until that point.
Relax
Given the very restrictive door list for this lounge, what I appreciated most about the space wasn't the food or even the Champagne, but instead, the peace and quiet.
'Lounge room' at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
I spent about 2.5 hours here before my flight was called for boarding, and during the entire stay, I could count the number of guests that visited this lounge on one hand, which was particularly pleasing given this also came at the start of the Australian school holidays, when most other Sydney airport lounges are typically packed with travellers.
High-backed chairs at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
It was so quiet, in fact, that some travellers even 'claimed' their preferred window seats while enjoying breakfast over in the dining room, which wasn't a problem for anybody as seats were still open for those who wanted them...
Seats with a view at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... but I was rather content just behind in the business area, which I had to myself:
Seats with a view at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
The one downside to this lounge versus Sydney's only other first class facility – the Qantas First Lounge – is the absence of a day spa, although the restrooms and showers in Singapore Airlines' first class space come well-appointed, featuring fresh flowers...
Fresh flowers at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
... and, at least in the male bathroom, packed a variety of essentials:
Amenities at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
Back in the 'lounge room', you'll also find a variety of reading material. There's no information screen showing flight departures, but being the first class lounge, you can simply listen out for your boarding call.
Reading material at Singapore Airlines' SilverKris first class lounge in Sydney
All things considered, Singapore Airlines' first class lounge in Sydney doesn't have some of the bells and whistles like day spas or the private offices and meeting rooms as you'd find over in the Qantas First Lounge, but as a solo business traveller, I really didn't notice their absence.
Instead, I was too busy enjoying the peace and quiet in this haven, tucked away within what's otherwise Australia's busiest international airport: and when you're flying up the very front, being able to take a moment to yourself can really make all the difference.
Chris Chamberlin travelled at his own expense using frequent flyer points.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 193
the food and wines not to mention the Krug or Dp are much better on board plus they serve you non stop-with the malassol and lobster or Kyo Kaiseki-save it for the flight I say.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jul 2016
Total posts 12
I love this lounge. Very quiet. Love the satay and the staff are attentive and friendly.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
19 Mar 2016
Total posts 33
Hi, Chris.
Thank you a great review and a bit of an eye opener for us in other states on just how NSW centric SQ actually is.
BA
29 Jul 2016
Total posts 16
@Taylor, It's not that SQ is Sydney-centric. This is a First Class lounge review (not Business Class.) There is also an SQ First Class lounge in Melbourne, because only SYD and MEL have a First Class cabin operation. The fact that SQ (and family) flies from Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Coolangatta, with multiple daily services from the Capitals, and is pushing their more modern products on A350's or 787's (in the mix of some older types,) is clear that it is not Sydney-centric, unlike many other airlines. No other airline in AU apart from Qantas, operates a First Class lounge.
Singapore Airlines - The PPS Club
19 Mar 2016
Total posts 33
Flying visit - I am afraid that we need agree to disagree.
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