Singapore Airlines' top-tier KrisFlyer Elite Gold frequent flyers (and their Star Alliance Gold counterparts) travelling in Economy no longer have access to a lounge with showers -- or even toilets -- with the recent opening of the KrisFlyer Gold lounge in Terminal 2 at Singapore's Changi airport.

It's a surprisingly disappointing move for an airline and an airport focussed on business travellers, especially whe it comes to stopovers for connecting to onwards flights.

If you're a KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Star Alliance Gold travelling in business class you still have access to the SilverKris lounge, which as you'd expect has showers and toilets on offer (as shown below).

(Confused by the naming? Us too. To recap: the SilverKris lounge is better than the KrisFlyer Gold lounge.)

But despite being a 'highly valued passenger' with Singapore Airlines or the Star Alliance family, Gold-class travellers at Changi Terminal 2 who are booked in economy are now directed to the toilet-free shower-free KrisFlyer Gold lounge.

We can't think of another major international airline -- particularly one with such a focus on connecting passengers -- that doesn't offer showers and toilets in the lounges its elite passengers pass through at its home hub.

British Airways has a separate First Class Lounge for its top-tier Executive Club Gold frequent flyers (their equivalent of Qantas Platinum) at Heathrow, keeping its Concorde Room free for passengers actually travelling in international first class. But the Heathrow First Class lounge has showers and toilets.

So, if you travel through Singapore frequently, you might want to make other arrangements for your transit. The Priority Pass lounge network has lounges in each terminal, while the Ambassador Transit Lounges in terminals 2 and 3 are pay-per-entry: 30 Singapore dollars (A$23) for entry and then 8 Singapore dollars (A$6) for a shower.