Sky Report: CX714/CX594 Singapore to Osaka via Hong Kong

With the yen dropping to all time low in 2014, we decided to make a trip to Japan in November. Planning a F&E trip in Japan is not easy due to language barrier. Fortunately, with the help of google translate and google maps, the missus was able to piece together a nine-day trip in Osaka,Kyoto and Tokyo. The first step will be to land in Osaka airport. Due to limited premium cabin redemption options, I convinced the wife to fly on Cathay instead and experience their new first class cabin as well as their much lauded lounges in Hong Kong International Airport(HKIA).

We first flew a red-eye flight on CX714 from Singapore to HKIA. Flying Cathay business class out from Changi Airport Terminal 1 gave us the chance to experience the newly refurbished Qantas Lounge. It was a really nice lounge with ample seating. There was a separate dining area where we could order food off the menu and also a small buffet spread. The plane was a regional type with non-flat 2-3-2 seating which was not too comfortable(still better than economy though). We arrived at HKIA at 5.30am with my wife feeling pretty exhausted(sorry dear!). Our outgoing flight to Osaka was in Cathay first class. That gave us the opportunity to visit the cabana at the Pier. After a invigorating shower, we had breakfast at the restaurant, tried the noodles at the noodle bar and bread from the bakery before boarding the plane that will take us to Osaka.

The plane features Cathay new herringbone seats with 1-2-1 arrangement in business class and 1-1-1 arrangement in first class. It was refreshing trying out a product other than SQ(not that I am complaining). We had lunch together in the cabin sitting opposite each other. Before long we were approaching Osaka airport(KIX) and I found the landing gear camera extremely fascinating. Overall, it was a good lounge and flight on Cathay airlines although the red eye experience is not favored by the missus.

Sky Report: SQ213 Singapore to Perth

In May 2014, we flew as a group of seven from Singapore to Perth on SQ213 which is a 7.35am flight. Three of us, including my mother, were flying on business class while my sister’s family of four was traveling in economy. We spent some time checking out the Terminal 3’s Silverkris business class lounge before heading the gate A14 to board. Tip: to save some walking, take the sky train near the T3 Silverkris lounge elevators. It will take you to A15 where you just need to double back a bit to A14.

The flight was operated on the older generation SQ 777-200 variants, featuring the older spacebeds with 2-2-2 configuration. The seats were not the fully flat version but comfortable enough for the daytime five hours flight. We were seated in the last row 19D,19E and 19F. It was my Mum’s first time sitting in SQ business class so naturally she is very impressed by the generous amount of space on her seat. Foodwise, we started off with selections from the bread basket followed by a fruit platter. My mother likes their croissants while my wife and I prefer the well-known SQ garlic bread. Wanton noodles from the menu were too salty while BTCed choices (nasi briyani and waffles) were quite delicious.

We arrived in Perth 15 minutes early. As Singaporeans, we were able to take advantage of the Smartgate that allowed us to clear customs much faster than before. My wife however, had longer hair in her passport photo and Smartgate rejected her ‘face’ and she was directed to another counter to verify her passport. Nevertheless, the entire process was done within 15 minutes and we were in the arrivals area shortly.

Sky Report: SQ861 Hong Kong to Singapore

We took the A380 on SQ861 for the trip back. This time, we were booked in SQ A380 business class which featured fully flat beds in 1-2-1 configuration. Check-in at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 was swift but the customs clearance took quite a while. That left us with very little time for the Silverkris lounge! Tried the dim sum which was average. There’s made to order noodles as well but we opt to reserve the space in stomachs for the food onboard. As this was the pre-renovation days, there weren’t any showers in the lounge unlike now. Incidentally, our boarding gate was just outside the Silverkris lounge which was pretty convenient.

Boarding was done punctually and so we boarded the A380 and found our seats: 18D and 18E which are the bulkheads. 11D/E and 18D/E are the bulkheads on a SQ A380 which gives more legroom as compared to the other business class seats. However, the drawback will be the IFE monitors which are mounted further away on the wall rather than on the seat in front of you, therefore the display angle will be less than optimal. So if watching movies on the IFE is important to you, do not choose the bulkheads!

As this was business class, meal time cannot be fixed and so we were served our meals shortly after reaching cruising altitude. The duck salad was remarkable! We BTCed stir-fried chicken with abalone and butabara shogayaki. Once again, we were not disappointed as the quality of both entrees were great.

Sky Report: SQ856 Singapore to Hong Kong

Given our previous experience in SQ Suites, we decided to give it another try in a short weekend getaway to Hong Kong during the March school holidays. The flight is a morning flight, which departs Singapore at 9.30am and reaches Hong Kong at 1.30pm. We traveled with my wife’s sister, her husband and their baby, who were traveling in economy. As we were departing in SQ First Class, they were able to check-in with us at the First Class check-in area. After collecting our boarding passes, we received our invitation cards to the Private Room while our guests were invited to the First Class Lounge.

The breakfast service at the Private Room was not as extensive as the evening spread. We ordered eggs benedict, dim sum, eggs with sausages, ipoh hor fun and waffles. The eggs and dim sum were fine but the waffles were too hard and the ipoh hor fun lacks the ‘ipoh’ taste. Feeling underwhelmed by the food so far, we adjourned to the First Class Lounge to join our guests to continue our breakfast there. The food there was a self serve buffet with more choices than the menu at the Private Room. We sampled the fried kway tiao and naan, all were quite tasty. Pancakes were ordered from the pancakes station, which was augmented with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from the freezer. Now that’s breakfast! With breakfast settled, we then took a buggy ride(arranged when we first entered Silverkris) to our gate.

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Suites class passengers were invited to board the plane first. Our guests piggybacked on the priority too. Seems like the gold boarding passes really gives you some privileges! We settled into our familiar seats, 3C and 3D. The chief steward came along to introduce himself and informed us of the flight time and estimated time of arrival. Some warm nuts and champagne was served before we took off at 9.45am.

After the seat belts signs were turned off, the stewardess came over to confirm our meal choices. I BTCed Japanese wagyu beef for myself and duck risotto for my wife. As we were still full from our breakfast, we requested that our meals be served at 11am. We were served Krug champagne, mocktails and other chips while we watched movies on the IFE. I found the Krisworld IFE to be quite updated with the movies; classics and new blockbusters were available. 11am soon came along and the table was prepared for lunch.

lots of leg space

plug and usb ports

Coke with lots of lemon

our attentive stewardess. Her red kebaya means she’s the chief stewardess

setting of the table

Fruit Platter

confit of duck leg

japanese wagyu beef with rice

cherry parfait with stewed cherry

chendol

earl grey tea

As this is a brunch menu, no caviar was served. The quality of our entre differed greatly. The confit of duck was too dry while the wagyu beef was the most tender beef I ever ate. Best BTC choice I ever made(for the beef). We finished off the meal with earl grey tea. The stewardess kept the drinks flowing after meal service, so we drank plenty of them. Before long, the plane made its approach into HKIA and we landed at 1.15pm, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Our guests were ushered into the cabin to disembark with us, ahead of economy class.

Sky Report: SQ317 London to Singapore

Our three-week honeymoon in Europe came to an end in early January 2014. The main reason for choosing London as the stopover from Iceland was the decision to ride on the A380 on SQ. SQ has four flights from London to Singapore daily, two of them are on the A380 and the remaining on the B777-300ER. We decided to book the coveted Suites class on SQ317 using our miles. Taxes and fuel surcharges added up to SGD700 per pax, yikes!

The flight departs at 10.30 am and we checked in at a relatively empty Suites counter at 8.30 am and headed to the Silverkris lounge for breakfast. The first class section had a menu for ala carte ordering, however the menu simply describes what is available in the buffet section. We got the usual english breakfast items and sampled some juices. The assortment of soft drinks not found in Singapore was something we would miss very much. 30 minutes before boarding time, we were approached by the lounge attendant that our buggy ride is ready to take us to the plane!

pretty useless menu

breakfast items

breakfast items

breakfast items

yoghurt and stuff

workstations

soft drinks and beer

coffee machine

buggy ride

Boarding the plane took no time at all, as we were shown a separate direct entrance to Suites.

Cabin was spacious, and the seat was comfortable. Each seat has its own enclosed cabin. The middle two seats (2C+2D, 3C+3D) are connected and most suitable for couples, though a screen between the two seats can be lowered if the seats were taken by strangers; our seats are 3C and 3D. During sleep time, the two seats combined to form the famous ‘double-bed in the sky’. Take note that the cabins are not fully enclosed, the doors only go up to about 1.8 metres, someone tip-toeing can definitely see what you are doing; so don’t get tooo comfortable, if you know what I mean. The steward came to introduce himself and gave me a tour of the A380 after I told him that this is our first time in an A380. After learning that this was our honeymoon, he nodded and said “This is certainly the way to honeymoon in style, Sir!”.

Some photos of the seat and cabin. As evident from the poor quality of the pictures, they were taken by my cheap camera. Please ask me if you plan to use any of the photos, thank you!

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We were served snacks and champagne before takeoff. After takeoff, the amenities kit were distributed and the stewardess came around to confirm our meal choices. We used ‘Book the Cook’ to preorder the Lobster Thermidor and Monkfish. The meals were served in the following order: satay canapes, salad, bread, soup,  entree, dessert, cheese plate, tea with pralines. My wife liked the satay so much that she got more of it instead of the salad.
Food verdict: nothing to complain about, we particularly liked the satay and garlic bread. The lobster thermidor tasted cheesy good and the monkfish was moist. We aren’t into cheese and wine so we can’t comment on either.

satay canapes

My wife really liked the Satay

orange cooler cocktail

enjoying our five course meal in the sky

garlic bread, an SQ favourite

chinese soup

prawn salad

lobster thermidor

monkfish with chef potatoes

cheese plate

pancakes and ice cream

I forgot what this is.

praline and tea to finish off.

With the meal finished, the stewardess asked us if we would want to lounge on the bed instead. Of course we said yes! Pardon the poor lighting and quality of the photos.

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We went to bed with about eight hrs left of flight time. It wasn’t comfortable, possibly due to depressurization problems. We were awaken 2 hours later and emergency landed in Baku and this incident was reported internationally. We were safe but extremely tired and how Singaporeans aptly described as ‘sibei sian’. We ended up sleeping on the floors of Baku airport while waiting for a replacement aircraft to bring us and the other 455 passengers back to Singapore. Not the best place to be stranded in due to the strict immigration regulations; we were only allowed out of the airport after our visa was approved after an estimate of 15 to 18 hours. After which, we boarded a bus to crash at a nearby hotel for around 6 hours before returning to the airport. It was another long wait before we were allowed to board the plane.

The replacement flight was coded SQ9317 and timed at 9 hours. Being exhausted from camping at the airport, the suites felt so much more comfortable when we finally re-boarded the plane. Here’s some photos of the first meal.

garlic bread

walnut salad

the other salad

watercress soup

cornish game hen

US beef fillet

quite tasty, red in the middle.

forgot dessert name again. Chocolate something..

We went promptly to sleep after the meal and woke up 7 hours later for breakfast! Had this not been due to the delayed journey, this would have been the best sleep I had on a plane ever. Here are some photos of the breakfast. Being a hastily packed flight, the food choices are limited.

cornflakes

fruit platter

english breakfast set

32 hours after our scheduled arrival, we finally arrived in Singapore. If not for the delay, the flight would have been a most pleasant one. The crew acted professionally in times of the emergency, which I appreciated.

Sky Report: The Private Room Changi Airport Terminal 3

This visit to the Private Room was done prior to our flight on SQ328. Rather than combining the lounge report together with the flight, we thought that only a separate entry would do justice to such a fine experience.

Departing on SQ First Class from Singapore has the additional perk of checking in at the First Class Check-in counter at Terminal 3. In the taxi approaching the usual departure area, you could see the First Class Check-in arrow to the left. As we took the turn in, we found ourselves at the First Class Check-in area where it looks more like a hotel check-in than an airport. Our luggage was taken care of immediately by the attendants while our passports were collected by the staff to process the check-in. We then received the red boarding passes along with invitation cards to the Private Room. After sorting out the boarding passes, we were escorted to the dedicated immigration counter. After breezing through immigration, we headed up the escalator to access the SilverKris Lounge.

Check in entrance

My luggage only…

Take a seat while checking in

50 kgs allowance each!

Heading up to the SK Lounge

The lounge attendants brought us inside after we showed them our invitation cards; we passed the Business Class Lounge followed by the First Class Lounge and finally got to the Private Room. Only first class passengers departing from Singapore on a SQ flight were allowed into the Private Room. Each first class passenger is entitled to bring a guest into the First Class Lounge (not the Private Room though) and this guest does not need to be departing on the same flight. So if you are feeling generous, grab a random stranger.(me!)

There was an air of elegance to the ambiance of the Private Room. It was divided into two areas, a restaurant area and several high-backed lounge chair areas. We took our seats in the restaurant area and proceeded to order from the menu.

The boarding passes!

Invitation card

What shall we eat?

What shall we eat?

Buffet items

Buffet items

A small self-serve buffet area

Lounging area

Restaurant area

Wide seats

2 even more private rooms behind my wife

Empty restaurant

Lounging area

Lounging after dinner

The service staff was very attentive. Our waiter recommended the lamb shanks and the satay, which were both very good. Word to the wise, be careful when ordering the ice-cream. Each ‘scoop’ was actually the entire small tub of Ben and Jerry’s! We ordered three scoops to share and nearly died finishing it.

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We then rested in the lounging area until our flight time. It was so comfortable that we fell asleep and nearly missed the final call for boarding! None of the staff came to remind us that boarding has started; we didn’t hear any announcements too. The lounge was pretty far from our boarding gate and we literally had to run there. The dedicated boarding channel for first class passengers was closed by then. So that was the only unpleasant experience.

Sky Report: SQ328 Singapore to Munich

During our honeymoon in December 2013, we made use of our accumulated miles to book two first class tickets on Singapore Airlines. We flew into Munich followed by a train trip through Stuttgart, Freiburg and Berlin.

The flight was 13 hours long, leaving Singapore at 11.30 pm and arriving the next day in MUC airport at 5.30 am. This was our first time in Europe and we celebrated Christmas here too!

Our seats were in the pointy end of a Boeing 777-300ER, 2C and 2D. It was a full load in first class; all eight seats were taken: two of us, a family of five and a gentlemen who went to sleep immediately after takeoff.

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What’s first class travel without the food? There are two meals on-board: supper and breakfast service. We used the ‘Book The Cook’ service to book the Kyo Saiseki Japanese meal and Lobster Thermidor.

Appetizer

Fish maw soup

Cold soba noodles

Rice and entrees

Dessert

Crabcake appetizer

Lobster thermidor

Christmas pudding

The Kyo-Kaiseki was well presented and delicious. I did not like the cold soba noodles but it’s just because I didn’t like cold stuff for dinner. Persimmon dessert was the highlight of the meal. My wife chose the Boston Lobster Thermidor which had a creamy sauce and several large chunks of lobster. The dessert (warm christmas pudding) was not well received by her.

After dinner, we finished the movies we were watching and went to bed (3 am Singapore time). I woke up 4 hours later and got a snack, chicken sandwich and orange juice.

Went to sleep again and woke up for breakfast.

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The breakfast was very filling and the staff were attentive for the whole flight. It certainly started our honeymoon on a good note as we exited the plane. We are in Deutschland!