On the last day of 2018, I took a short trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The sole purpose of the trip is to utilise my remaining two amex lounge vouchers, due to expire end of 2018.
My trip started at Changi Airport Terminal 4 at night. I booked a ticket on the first / last Singapore-KL flight of the day, depending on how you see it, scheduled to depart just after midnight.
After arriving at Terminal 2 by train, I took the free shuttle bus that connects terminals 2 and 4. Alternatively, terminal 4 can be reached by public bus as well.
Earlier, I had checked in online and a mobile boarding pass. With no checked in luggage, I proceeded directly to the centralized security check. This process is highly automated without the need for many security personnel to conduct the check. This is unlike terminals 1 to 3 where security check is done at each gate. Once again, there was hardly any queue at all, since it was a late night timing and only few number of airlines use terminal 4.
My trip started at Changi Airport Terminal 4 at night. I booked a ticket on the first / last Singapore-KL flight of the day, depending on how you see it, scheduled to depart just after midnight.
After arriving at Terminal 2 by train, I took the free shuttle bus that connects terminals 2 and 4. Alternatively, terminal 4 can be reached by public bus as well.
Earlier, I had checked in online and a mobile boarding pass. With no checked in luggage, I proceeded directly to the centralized security check. This process is highly automated without the need for many security personnel to conduct the check. This is unlike terminals 1 to 3 where security check is done at each gate. Once again, there was hardly any queue at all, since it was a late night timing and only few number of airlines use terminal 4.
In the X'mas spirit !
Once in the airside area, I went in search of the Blossom lounge, run by the Plaza Premium lounge. It was located on the second level, and had open views of the interior of the terminal.
There are plenty of different variety of seats. My favourite has to be the cubicle seats, which offer the most privacy for travelers.
The lounge offers direct views of the shophouse facade, a popular attraction in terminal 4 airside. An animated show runs at regular intervals.
The seat in the lounge even comes with cushion! Not many lounges in the world offers this.
The food and beverage offerings in the lounge is fantastic! Many varieties of local favourites. Taste great too!
I spent a number of hours in the lounge, relaxing, eating and watching reruns of the show.
The lounge offers shower facilities as well. I informed the receptionist upon arrival at the lounge and soon was given a key to the shower room. It was well stocked with clean towels and bath amenities.
The Blossom lounge is relatively new, just like terminal 4. It is large and has plenty of seats. There is a wide variety of food and beverage. The shower facility is great too. Definitely a good use of the amex voucher here.
No boarding annoucement was made, so there is a need to keep track of time to avoid missing the flight.
I left the lounge close to departure time and was the last to board a rather empty AirAsia flight. I had a row of 3 seats to myself, great for a short rest. The flight was faster than usual, arriving at KL in 35 minutes. The light load and the late night hour must have contributed to the quick flight.
Upon arrival at klia2, the hub of AirAsia flights, I went to locate the Plaza Premium lounge.
After checking in at the lounge, I had a shower and had some light bites to eat. In the early morning hours, food was limited. By dawn, more substantial food was served.
The lounge was actually quite small with limited seating. Fortunately, there weren't many people. I managed to snag a sofa seat and spent the night making myself comfortable. The light was turned on bright through the night so an eyemask is necessary for a rest.
At dawn, after breakfast in the lounge, I began to make my way out of the airport. I took the free airport shuttle, not easy to find, to get to klia. Then I purchased a RM10 ticket to get to KL sentral.
The free shuttle between klia and klia2 offers comfortable seats with luggage racks.
Once at KL sentral, I took the free KL city shuttle for a self-guided tour of the city, while making my way to berjaya times square. It is a public bus used by the locals as well, so it can get quite crowded. The bus comes frequently so the waiting time is reasonable.
At berjaya times square, there is a redbus office under imbi monorail station with direct link back to Singapore.
The bus left on time but not sure why, a change of bus is necessary in jb, close to the causeway. The bus transfer is seamless, taking only about 10 steps as it is already waiting for Singapore-bound passengers.
Anyway, the bus reached golden mile complex at about 2300hr. After alighting, I walked along beach road to the esplanade where I joined the throng of crowd waiting to catch the new year fireworks, capping off the last day of 2018 and welcoming 2019😀
