Been There... Done That...: Airports

Showing posts with label Airports. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Urban: Shop Till You Board!

Boring airport terminals, with only 1-2 duty-free outlets, are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, airport are allocating more and more space for retail. You don't have to search far to grasp that concept - just look at Changi Airport's Terminal 3. Heck, they're hosting their own flea market!

This weeks Urban focused on the typical Singaporean-year-end-travel-craze. Singaporeans love to travel (well, the city-state IS small) and worse, they can easily afford it! Amongst things they featured were about shopping in airports:

Narita International Airport
Tokyo, Japan

Must-Buy: Japanese Fashion Labels

San-Ai Mizugirakuen
Level 4 Central Building, Terminal 1
Designer swimwear in pretty candy hues and floral motifs. Prices start from S$30.
Samantha Thavasa
Level 3 Main Building, Terminal 2
Japanese designer handbags. Prices range from 3,675Yen for a bag charm to 36,750Yen for a leather handbag.

Dubai International Airport
Dubai

Must-Buy: Luxury Goods

Dubai Duty Free, Concourse
All High-End Labels, such as Givenchy, Paul Smith, Hugo Boss, and Salvatore Ferragamo, including apparel, jewelry, cosmetics and fragrances. Prices are generally 15% cheaper then in Dubai town, and may be up to 70% cheaper than in Singapore.

Heathrow Airport
London

Must-Buy: British Fashion and Lifestyle Brands

Kurt Geiger
Stocks on luxury shoes and accessories from brands such as Jimmy Choo, French Connection and DKNY. Prices are approximately 30% cheaper than in Singapore

Incheon International Airport
Seoul, Korea

Must-Buy: Korean Beauty Products

Korean Cosmetics and Beauty Products, such as Laneige, The Face Shop and Etude House
Prices are about 50% cheaper than in Singapore
Korean Cultural Experience
Duty Free Arcade, Level 3 Passenger Terminal (Near Gate 31)
Korean cultural muesum and craft bar that showcases relics that span 5,000 years, including costumes from the Chosun Dynasty, Buddhist artefacts, Korean alphabet exhibits, and the traditional drums and flutes. The museum opens from 7am to 10pm daily. Admisssion is free.

Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong

Must-Buy: Luxury Goods

Luxury Labels, such as Hermes, Chanel, Agnes b, Jimmy Choo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Loewe
Prices are about 20%-50% less then in Singapore.

Extracted from Urban, 20th November 2009

Things You Should Know When Shopping At Changi Airport

Yes, there may be a difference in the amount you pay when you shop at the airport, depending on whether you're departing or arriving.

1. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents enjoy GST-free shopping ONLY when they depart from Changi Airport, and NOT when they return. The only exception to that rule is for liquor (restricted to 1bottle of wine, 1bottle of liquor, and 1x six-pack beer per person) and all beauty products at the 18 Perfumes & Cosmetics stores run by Nuance-Watsons in Changi.

2. All travellers on incoming flights from MALAYSIA are NOT allowed to buy liquor at Changi Airport's duty-free stores. This is meant to prevent liquor trafficing due to the large number of incoming (and cheap) incoming flights from Malaysia.

3. Singaporeans do NOT enjoy GST savings at the DFS Galleria (at Scotts Road). The GST-free prices applies only to those with foreign passports (yes, that includes us PR's). Shoppers should complete a tax rebate form at the customer service counter on Level 4 (with their passports) before redeeming the 7% GST at tax rebate counters in Changi Airport (before departure).

4. Nuance-Watson offers pre-order services on duty-free fragrances and cosmetics, which may be collected at their central stores (in each terminal). In addition, you may choose to collect your pre-purchased items when you return to Singapore. To browse their products, visit http://www.nuancewatson.com.sg/ (with a min 3 working days in advance booking notice).

Extracted from Urban, 20th November 2009

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Kota Kinabalu International Airport

Well, I thought I'd do some digging into Terminal 1... so here it is..

View from Above

The Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is just but a mere stone throw away from the city centre. In fact, the runway path goes right through the city - almost certainly imposing a comical number as the height constraint for buildings within the city!

The airport, comprising of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, is supposedly Malaysia's second most busiest airport after KLIA. The airport first began as a military airfield for the Japanese during WW2, and was previously known as the Jesselton Airfield.
The first terminal was built in 1957, to accomodate commercial flights and international tourists.

Around the 1980s, a newer and larger terminal - now rebranded as Terminal 2 - was built to cater for the influx of air traffic. Terminal 2 now serves as the AirAsia terminal, in addition to a few other low-cost carriers, including TigerAirways.

On August 19th, 2008, Terminal 1 re-opened its doors to the public. Built at a cost of RM720 million, the new terminal would now be able to serve up to 3,200 passengers per peak hour, or an annual capacity of 9 million passengers (as a comparison, KLIA served ~27.5million passengers in 2008).

Artistic Renderings of the Proposed New Terminal 1

At first glance, one would expect the terminal to be totally brand new - with steel structures spanning great distances, "eco-friendly" skylights, and a fat load of glass. I was surprised to find that, similiar to the National Museum of Singapore, the project was designed as an extension and reconstrucion of the original terminal. The whole project, scheduled for completion by mid-2009 (which duh~! of course didn't happen), was designed with 17 aircraft parking bays, with the new wing capable of accomodating the Airbus A380.

Where The Old (left) meets The New (right)

Architectural Features

The Departure Hall column head was inspired by the Dusun Haversack. The Dusun Haversack or ‘Wakid’, is a native practice of the Kadazan-Dusun and symbolizes preparation for a meaningful journey.

Ethnic motifs of the Bajau, or Tenunan Bajau, were found as part of the flooring pattern of the main concourse.

The skylight mimics the hull of a traditional boat of the Bajau in Semporna. The Lepa, in the language of the seafaring Bajau in the east coast of Sabah, means wooden boat of many purpose. The Lepa is commonly used by the locals for fishing, ferrying people and goods, as living quarters, and to hold weddings and cultural shows, and are mainly made out of the Ubar Sluk (or Seraya Merah) wood.

Terminal 1 Design Options