You might dismiss Perth as a sleepy city, especially compared to Sydney or Melbourne. But for Singapore Airlines, the Western Australian capital is just as important as the eastern state juggernauts, and that shows in the SilverKris Lounge.
With four daily flights, Perth’s largest international carrier opened its brand-new SilverKris Lounge back in early 2024. It’s a small space, but where it lacks in size, it makes up for in substance.
Lounge location and details
Just across from Gate 52, Singapore Airlines has transformed the former Qantas International Business Lounge into a contemporary haven. If you remember that space from years gone by, you’ll likely be surprised by the results.
Designed by DP Architects, this lounge embodies Singapore Airlines’ latest ‘Home Away from Home’ concept, making it unmistakably a SilverKris lounge. In fact, you could easily see the Perth lounge as an elegant new extension of the airline’s flagship SilverKris Business Class lounge at Changi Terminal 3.
The SilverKris Lounge is open for four periods every day, reflecting each of the airline’s four departures to Singapore:
- 3:50 am to 6:05 am
- 10:45 am to 1:25 pm
- 2:10 pm to 4:50 pm
- 10:10 pm to 12:50 am
Apart from Singapore Airlines’ own flights, you might be able to get in when flying South African Airways to Johannesburg (11:50 pm departure) and Thai Airways to Bangkok on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (4:20 pm departure), as both carriers are also Star Alliance members and the flight timings match up.
Lounge layout and seating
Despite its compact footprint, the lounge comfortably seats around 130 passengers – double that of before. The kitchen and bar take up most of the left side, while all the seating is on the right.
Pick an area that suits your style. There’s casual bar seating near the kitchen, a dining room, and more relaxed options such as sofas and individual workstations. Most seats have easy access to USB and AC power plugs. As previously promised, USB-C is now natively available at most outlets.
If there’s one downside, it’s that the lounge lacks windows or natural light, which can make the space seem overly moody. However, Singapore Airlines has generally done a good job with varied lighting options to combat this.
Lounge food and beverage
Dining is where the lounge truly shines. Make a beeline for the live cooking station, where a range of Singaporean and Western dishes await. Previous rotations have seen chicken rice and char kuey teow. Today, the star dish is chai tow kway – stir-fried radish cake with eggs and available white or dark (with sweet soya sauce).
There’s plenty more to choose from at the buffet. Hot choices include grilled chicken with mixed herbs, roasted spring vegetables, black pepper beef with capsicum, and oriental greens with steamed rice. You can also indulge in cold cuts, cheeses, a stunning fruit platter, finger sandwiches, and other sweet treats.
Of course, I’m down for a plate of the dark chai tow kway, topped with fresh spring onion. Paired with a steamed basket of dim sum, it’s a perfect start to lunch. But if you prefer Western comfort food, you’re also covered.
A recent addition to the lounge is a selection of pies and rolls from Pinjarra Bakery, including a decadent lamb pie. Complete with chunky, tender pieces of lamb, I devour one on the side.
Over at the bar, I treat myself to a SilverKris Sling Perth, made with local Old Young’s gin, Aperol and an enticing mix of fruits. There’s a tempting selection of cocktails, including the classic Espresso Martini made with Old Young’s Cold Drip Coffee Vodka. For something lighter, the bar fridge stocks a range of Hippie kombucha.
You’ll also find a wide range of wines, including Chandon sparkling and red and white wines from local Margeret River producers Vasse Felix and Happs. Beer is also locally sourced from Beerfarm and Gage Roads, though you can also get Heineken Zero, Cascade Premium Light, and the iconic Singaporean Tiger beer.
In short, the SilverKris Perth lounge dishes up some of the best lounge fare in the whole airport.
Lounge amenities
The bathrooms are beautifully appointed with Australian native florals and Salus body products. If you need to freshen up, there are also a few shower rooms available.
Since our last visit, the lounge’s Wi-Fi network is now up and running. Expect download speeds at around 70 Mbps and upload speeds of 37 Mbps – zippy enough for anything you need to finish pre-flight.
Who can access this lounge?
- Business Class ticket: Singapore Airlines passengers. This also applies to passengers on other Star Alliance partners if the lounge is already open for an SQ flight (as mentioned earlier).
- Airline frequent flyer status:
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold and PPS Club members prior to Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance flights (+1 guest).
- Other Star Alliance Gold frequent flyers prior to Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance flights (+1 guest).
- Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, Platinum and Beyond members departing on Singapore Airlines only (+1 guest).
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members departing on Singapore Airlines flights only (+1 guest).
- Paid lounge membership: Air Canada Maple Leaf Club (Worldwide) and United Club members departing on a Star Alliance flight (+1 guest).
There’s no option to buy access or additional guest passes to this lounge.
Our verdict
Flying Singapore Airlines out of Perth is usually a relaxing flight experience, especially if you hold elite Gold status or are booked in Business Class. The airport rarely has long lines for immigration and security; being able to unwind in the SilverKris Lounge is a bonus.
The airline has gone all out for its Perth lounge, with a strong food and beverage offering that rivals (or in my opinion, beats) the other SilverKris lounges around Australia. If you have access, you can’t go wrong by arriving early for your flight and enjoying a plate of freshly cooked delights in the lounge.
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Photography by Brandon Loo, who travelled as a guest of Singapore Airlines but accessed the lounge with his Velocity status. Select photos previously by guest contributor Jamie who attended the media opening on behalf of Point Hacks.
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