{"id":86089,"date":"2026-09-19T04:36:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T20:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86089"},"modified":"2026-09-19T04:36:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T20:36:01","slug":"expat-praises-singapore-mrt-for-changi-airport-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86089","title":{"rendered":"Expat praises Singapore MRT for Changi Airport travel"},"content":{"rendered":"


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An expat living in Singapore has praised his experience of taking the MRT to catch a flight, describing the journey as \u201cfrictionless\u201d and one \u201cwhere your time matters\u201d.<\/p>\n

Swiss hospitality consultant Colin Treuthardt says in a clip shared on the Instagram page @thesituationreportkakee<\/a> that one of the most luxurious experiences he has had in Singapore was heading from Clementi MRT Station to Changi Airport<\/a> early in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to Thailand, I live in Clementi, I took the first MRT at 5.30-ish and my plane was at 7.30,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s risky, but that\u2019s a true luxurious hospitality moment \u2014 me going to the MRT on time, it reaches Changi at the precise time it said it would, you take the Skytrain in one minute it\u2019s there, you clear the customs, don\u2019t even need your passport,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

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He added that it took him just 25 minutes to get from Changi Airport MRT station to his seat on the plane.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of experience that is frictionless, where your time matters, yeah, this for me is a good example,\u201d says Treuthardt.<\/p>\n

Treuthardt also posted about the experience on LinkedIn<\/a>, calling it the \u201cbest hospitality experience he had in a long time\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat hospitality is not about adding more. Sometimes, it\u2019s about removing friction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Netizen disagree with his definition of luxury<\/h2>\n

The post, shared on Sept 12, has garnered more than 250,000 views and 100 comments. The video was also shared on TikTok<\/a>, where it racked up more than 107,000 views, 3,715 reactions, and 90 comments.<\/p>\n

Several netizens couldn\u2019t agree with his definition of what luxury was.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite luxury,\u201d said an Instagram user.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not luxury, lah! But that said, having experienced Singapore and others, the difference is how you design a city from experience as a measure versus functional excellence as a measure,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n

One netizen suggested that the experience might feel luxurious as other countries are ineffiicent.<\/p>\n

\u201cSystems working (as) they\u2019re supposed to isn\u2019t a luxury, other nations not being able to maintain their own efficiency doesn\u2019t make an efficient system a luxury. The push to normalise inefficiency is what makes efficiency feel luxurious,\u201d the Instagram user said.<\/p>\n

Some netizens, however, questioned the authenticity of his story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe you need to check in physically at Scoot at least 60 minutes before the flight takes off. The MRT ride from Clementi takes 74 minutes. It\u2019s not possible to arrive in time if one takes the 5.30am train,\u201d said a netizen,<\/p>\n

However, another said Treuthardt\u2019s version of events can stand scrutiny, explaining that a trip from Clementi to Changi Airport \u2014 including a transfer at Tanah Merah \u2014 would take just 57 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he should reach by 6.30am, which is when boarding starts for his flight,\u201d said the netizen, adding that if he had done an online check-in and did not have check-in baggage, the story would be realistic.<\/p>\n

There were netizens who thought he was just lucky to have made it to his flight.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are lucky but don\u2019t try it next time,\u201d said one netizen. \u201cYou are just super lucky that the MRT happened to be working that day and did not break down,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n

There were those who, like Treuthardt, appreciated efficiency as a luxury.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverytime I travel, the more I appreciate arriving back in Changi,\u201d said a netizen. \u201cLiving in Singapore is a luxury experience in itself,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n

Some felt that those unable to appreciate efficiency as a luxury simply took it for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes those who live their whole life in Singapore need to rest and digest the little good things that made Singapore (the envy) of other countries,\u201d said one netizen. Another, who claimed to have lived in Europe and now in the US, said: \u201cSingaporeans who complain need to appreciate that we have been so utterly pampered by our country. We take all the \u2018luxuries\u2019 for granted in Singapore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several netizens praised Treuthardt.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove this man! The way he appreciates the efficiency in Singapore,\u201d said a netizen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh the beautiful words… Singaporeans need to learn from this man!\u201d another said,<\/p>\n

One netizen, though, felt he should not have rushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should arrive at Changi Airport at least two hours before departure. It\u2019s a great place to hang out and spend some time in,\u201d said the netizen.<\/p>\n

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