T3 Silverkris Lounge First Class Area Experience
The Frankfurt-ering Expedition started with a classy check-in for my First Class flight with Singapore Airlines, and accessing the T3 Silverkris Lounge First Class Area. Although with a slightly reduced offering (with the First Class lounge and The Private Room still under renovation), it still made for a memorable experience.
After almost 3 years of non-travel, it felt slightly weird to hail a taxi to Terminal 3, even more so to the First Class check-in area (sheepish grin). But the taxi driver seemed nonchalant as he dropped me off at the entrance without a hitch. And on starts the Singapore Airlines First Class experience……
Check-In
Singapore Airlines has a dedicated first class check-in area for passengers, and there seems to be plenty of lounge chairs for everyone (and I don’t see passengers staying long enough to require more). Although it would have been even better if there was maybe some refreshments provided during the check-in process.
The process was relatively smooth, with polite and friendly staff to assist with your check-in baggage and the check-in process. I got a slight scare when the reception counter staff mentioned whether I had a negative PCR test result (passengers to Frankfurt do not need). Upon clarification, the staff said: “Sorry I thought you mentioned Thailand, all is clear!”. I heaved a sigh of relief. Phew!
Directions To The Lounge
After the check-in procedures are completed, you will exit through a dedicated door, (you can’t miss it), and there is where security checks are done. You will directly exit into the Departure/Transit Area. From there, turn right and find the elevators with a sign pointing to the SilverKris Lounge. This is different from Business Class passengers, where you will reach the lounge through the normal immigration area and turn left upon seeing the Louis Vuitton store.
Once you go up the escalators, walk slightly further down and you will go pass the future First Class Lounge and The Private Room (it was still under renovation during my visit). Continue down and you will enter the Silverkris Lounge through the left.
T3 Silverkris Lounge First Class Area
The Temporary Silverkris Lounge will serve as the future (or rather current now) Business Class Lounge, and I have to say that it was impressive. As you enter after scanning your boarding pass, you will first see a large open-air concourse (picture not shown, too many passenger to take a good one), which there are many individual, and communal seats. To reach the First Class area, you will walk pass great views of the runway, and also the Business Class dining area.
The First Class area consists of a small section in the corner of the Business Class dining area, there is a standee to indicate, with service staff checking your boarding pass. You are greeted by throne seats under a chandelier and some flowery, and there are a wide variety of loungers and communal seats for your picking.
Basically, the main differences compared to the Business Class Lounge is as follows:
This area is significantly quieter, and there are staff on hand to assist with your orders if you require.
There is also a small exclusive section (tastefully named Play Room) whereby small snacks and refreshment, ice cream (Haagen-Dazs heaven!) and most importantly alcohol is served. It is only a temporary conversion, but the room is suitably named for now.
The food menu between First Class and Business Class seems to have some slight upgrades (e.g. laksa has tiger prawn, mushroom soup has truffle etc.)
However, you still have to walk out of the area to get your coffee, tea and some refreshments, which sort of dampens the atmosphere of the First Class area. On the plus side, Piper Heidseck was served only at the First Class area, in which I had copious amounts of (but leaving some appetite for the flight later).
Productivity
If you are looking to catch up on some work, six productivity pods are available at the back of the First Class section. It was an excellent enclosed environment, with wireless charging pads, USB ports and powerpoints available.
Food
In my “productive” pod, I started to sample the food offerings in the First Class area. The Lounge uses a QR code that you can scan to access the menu, similar for Business Class guests.
I ordered the Laksa (with Tiger King Prawns) and Truffle Mushroom Soup, and they were definitely delicious, with great ingredients. offered.
However, I regretted when I saw the lunch menu, which was updated right after my flight and did not get to try. The Waygu Beef Slider looked tantalising!
The Business Class section also offers a Self-Collection Mains Counter, light snacks and fruits, TWG Tea (with some uncommon ones like Silver Moon and Assam Tea) , coffee from an automated coffee machine and even a wine dispenser!
Showers
I had a quick check on the shower facilities. The SilverKris Lounge offers 15 shower suites, with individual toilets in each. Bidet lovers will be thrilled to know that there are TOTO electronic ones that automatically open when you are near. Cheers for technology!
The shower rooms had classy grey marble fittings, with a tastefully large rain shower with great shower pressure., befitting of the Singapore Airlines brand.
The only miss has to be the bathroom amenities, in which I think Singapore Airlines miss the opportunity to further impress.
At least that wasn’t missing in the washroom amenities department, which had generous amounts of Penhaligon hand lotion and cologne, together with toothbrushes and even cups for teeth-brushing, which I think is a feature that lounge washrooms sometimes miss out on.
Conclusion
The T3 SilverKris Lounge is a pretty impressive one, and as a future SilverKris Gold Lounge, it definitely captivates the average passenger with its great food offerings, cosy environment and more-than-functional shower suites. However, it would be interesting to know whether the Lounge can cope with increasing demand at peak periods, which I could already observe during my visit.
That said, I will be looking forward to experiencing the new First Class lounge and Private Room in the near future, once I accumulated the required miles.
