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‘Don’t want to pay $400’: Couple sleeps at Singapore airport to avoid ‘astronomical’ hotel prices
A tourist couple chose to spend the night at Singapore airport rather than shell out “astronomical” prices for a night in the hotel room, sparking a debate
A tourist couple chose to spend the night at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport rather than shell out “astronomical” prices for a night in the hotel room, sparking a heated debate in the process about travel etiquette and social norms. In a TikTok video shared October 5, the couple explained that the cost of hotel accommodation in Singapore had skyrocketed due to the Formula One (F1) Weekend.
The video was posted by a woman who goes by @sheridan.tate8 on TikTok. She said in the video that she and her partner had just gotten off the ferry from Bintan Islands and would try to sleep at the airport instead of booking a hotel room for the night.
“We did not want to pay $400 just to rest our heads,” the couple said.
Sleeping at Singapore airport
The TikTok video shows the time between when the couple arrived at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport on Day 1 until the time they boarded their flight the following day.
They walked into the airport around 9 pm on Day 1 and spent some time shopping at stores like Uniqlo and Don Don Donki. Then, ditching their plan to watch a movie, they instead started looking for a place to sleep.
“We are having a tough time finding somewhere to rest our heads, which is understandable because we are not supposed to sleep here,” the woman says.
However, the couple does eventually find an area of the airport where some other passengers had set up makeshift beds. They unrolled their bedding and slept in that area. Both conceded that their sleep was not the best, managing to catch roughly five hours of shut eye or less.
"Not the best night of sleep," she concluded. "But we did it. We didn't have to pay for a hotel."
Video divides opinion
The video drew mixed reactions on TikTok.
“Soon Changi airport will not be No.1 anymore because there are many people making it like their bedroom,” wrote one viewer.
“Imagine planning a stopover at one of the most expensive cities on the planet and not expecting “astronomical” prices for lodging, regardless of the season,” another said.
“I used to work at the airport. You can sleep anywhere. Ask them for blankets. They’ll happily give you,” a third person claimed.
“Ignore the negative comments. Hope you had fun with this hack in SG. Welcome back again,” another wrote.
(Also read: 38-year-old Indian man stole bags, makeup worth ₹3.5 lakh from Singapore airport before flying out)
