Carfield
Sep 2, 00, 8:39 pm
Hi Everyone,
Carfield is back home and I had a great summer vacation. Of course, I had a great trip back home and took the long way this particular time. I decided to take Singapore Airlines the whole way from HKG to LAX, which means that I will need to fly down to Singapore first and then back to LAX via Taipei. My parents took the direct Hong Kong to Taipei flight with a brand new CX's A330 and then joined me in Taipei for our final leg into LAX. SIA is a great airline and I was well-fed all the way from Hong Kong to LA. The service was decent and I met some of the greatest F/As on my flight from SIN to TPE and TPE to LAX. Here is a detailed report!
SQ 857 HKG-SIN Lv1030 Arr1400
Boeing 777-300 9V-SYC
The day began with checking in at SIA counters at the HKG airport itself. CX handled all SIA's ground handling and I was checked in by a very friendly and polite agent. She gave me my boarding passes and a transfer kit at Singapore airport. She told me where the lounge was, and attached the Raffles Class blue priority tag and Star Alliance priority tag to my two bags. Then I was off my way to the very nice Silver Kris lounge in HKG. There were two sections - First and Raffles, which was located on the right and left side correspondingly. Each cabin class had its own counters and staff. I went to the Raffles Class lounge, which was very spacious with lots of comfortable seats. Blue is the color of the décor and there was a decent buffet area, which featured chicken congee, spring rolls, samosas, croissants, cereals, sandwiches, and all kinds of "real" foods. There was a huge soft drink and juice bar, with red and white wines, and all kinds of hard liquors. There was one computer and couple working desks for those who need to catch up with last minute works. I enjoyed a bit and then proceeded to catch a few pictures. Due to the rainy weather and typhoon signal number three was hoisted, I did not see many planes, but graciously saw a PR's A340 pushed back from Gate 16. It was nice. It was quite busy at HKG this morning.
Boarding began at 10:00am and it was very organized with F/J class at one lane, and Y class at one other lane. The gate agents addressed me by my name, as I handed her my boarding pass. This Boeing 777-300 was rather new and the cabin was very clean. However, none of the cabin class featured the new seats. F class got their regular sleeper seats, and J class got a very narrow seats. But Y class got the brand new seats with the headrests. Compared to the Givenchy-designed Raffles class seats, this J class seat was rather awkwardly designed. Fortunately, it was a short flight. Shortly after boarding, I took my seat at 18A, which was the last row and I was not too pleased with it. Apparently, our flight as pretty full and for J class, only middle seats were left empty. I was given newspapers and headsets after settled down. Then the menu was distributed and a F/A asked me for my choice of pre-takeoff beverage. I took the orange juice, but then I spilled it as I turned to get a magazine. I spilled it on my neighbor's armrest and fortunately, he was not too mad at me. Then the door was closed at 10:26am. Of course, hot towels were immediately distributed at all cabin classes. We pushed back but then due to a small technical problem at the right engine, we had to return to the gate. The pilot kept us posted and reminded us that our flying was only three hours and five minutes today, and we would try to catch up a bit. Then the F/As came to take beverage order and to take entrée order. Finally, we pushed back at 10:59am and took off at 11:15am. Due to the rainy weather and the typhoon situation, it was a bit bumpy on our way to 35,00ft.
After the captain signaled the F/As that it was safe for them to work (not for us though), they came by with the infamous Raffles Class' slippers - SIA's form of amenity kits at all flights. Then they came with our drinks and bags of roasted mixed nuts. Apparently, Singapore Airlines has cut the satay or canapes service on its medium haul flights. Then the F/As came by with the meal trolleys and set up our table with the pink linen cloth and gave us our meal trays, which had the appetizer, salad bowl, bread plate, butter in swirl shape, wine glass, water glass, and eating utensils.
Here is the menu:
Smoked Salmon with artichoke salad
An excellent appetizer with three slices of fresh salmon, and the artichokes were not overly sour. Great dish!
Seasonal mixed salad
Red & yellow peppers, cherry tomato, endives, and iceberg lettuce formed this nice salad.
As advertised, F/As poured dressing individually onto your salad. The choices of dressings were thousand island (my choice) and some kinds of vinaigrettes.
Braised "ee fu" noodles with prawns and lefty greens
Exclusively created by Mr. Yeung Koon Yat at Forum Restaurant, Hong Kong - very expensive restaurant BTW.
Char-grilled tournedos of beef in brown sauce with fresh herbs
French bean with pumpkin and red capsicum & Provencale potatoes
Steamed chicken marinated in Chinese "shao shing" wine
Seasoned vegetables and Chicken-flavored rice
I chose this entrée, which was decent, and the rice was very tasty. The chicken was very moist.
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Greatest part of all the meals - the infamous cheese board. Three kinds of cheese - brie, walnut, and gouda… I chose the Brie, which was excellent. Then there were carrot sticks, celery sticks, and spring onion sticks, and a basket of tablewater crackers. Of course, nice big juicy grapes…
Fresh fruits
Fresh fruits in a real basket - I actually preferred fruit plate… Anyway, it was nice for healthy eaters.
Wine jelly with berries in chocolate cup
Strange dessert
Pralines
Almond toffees and chocolate-covered nuts - delicious and devilish
Wine List (EUR/ASIA September 2000)
Special Cocktail
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix featuring lime cordial given spicy relish through equal parts pineapple juice and ginger ale
Quite a good cocktail and this drink was offered as one of the choices for pre-takeoff beverages
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru 1994
German Wine
Dr. Loosen Riesling 1998 Qualitatswein "Cuvee Classique"
White Burgundy
Montagny Premier Cru 1997
Montagny ler Cru 1998 Laboure-Roi
Red Bordeaux
Les Charmes De Kirwan 1997 Margaux
Italian Red Wine
Rive Barbera D'Asti Superiore 1997
Port
Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1994
After the meal service, I watched a Chinese movie through the Kris World system and took a nap for the rest of the flight. There was duty free service after the meal service. The F/As made quite frequent checks on us. For some reasons, the F/As on our flight were very tired and not interested in working today. They were a bit on the "German" friendly today, with one exception. Anyway, the flight was short and we landed safely at 2:13pm and parked at Gate F41. A nice start…
SQ 6 SIN-TPE Lv1720 Arr2145
Boeing 747-400 9V-SMN
Changi airport is a very nice airport, but most windows are tinted, which makes photographing a bit difficult. The outdoor area is nice, but there is another window there. Also, the weather was hot, hot, and hot, which made it unbearable. But there are many restaurants, movie facilities, and science center… all kinds of shops and facilities. It is very clean and well-maintained. There are many lounge chairs, which is good for napping. After walking around for a while, I decided to go to the Silver Kris lounge. There are two sections - one for First and one for Raffles. The lounge was huge and there were many chairs. There were even 8 to 10 computers, which allowed internet connections. Of course, there are plug ins for laptop computers as well. There are two major buffet areas, which features all kinds of hot and cold food, Western and Eastern meals. I had the Cream of Mushroom soup and chicken drumsticks, and also some soft drinks. This lounge is very well-maintained, and the blue color décor is very nice.
I went to Gate F42 for boarding. Each gate has its own security facilities, and the gate is opened an hour before takeoff time. Boarding began at 4:55pm, which was a bit behind schedule, and I was more than happy to see the new Givenchy chairs. I sat at the main deck for the first leg, and the bulkhead window seat, 22A, was nice. Our flight attendants were very nice today, and reflected a very warm and friendly attitude throughout the flight. They immediately offered me newspapers - local and US, pre-takeoff beverage - the welcome cocktail, headsets, and menus. The load was very light on this sector, only 50% full, which also reflected the conditions of the Asian economy. After the door was closed, everyone was offered a hot towel. Due to heavy traffic, we took off at 5:46pm, and our flying time today was four hours and five minutes. We first climbed to 33,000ft and then into 37,00ft.
The most special item on this particular flight today was the entertainment system. I was able to experience the Wisemen system. Despite the movies are still the ones from August, the system was very easy to use and amazing. We were able to choose to watch any movies (three pages of listings), any short video programs (12 categories with 5-6 individual programs each), SIA information, News, Flight Path, and other information channels at anytime. Then you got to select a bunch of songs from different categories, so you can create your own play list for the flight. Of course, you can choose to rewind, fast forward, and pause at anytime. If you don't like the movie, you can simply stop and move to another movie. I had fun with this system and F/J class passengers got a Wisemen entertainment guide.
After takeoff, the crews came and took our drink and entrée orders. I ordered the "Singaporean Chicken Rice" from the "Book the Cook" service today, which was a smart move. The F/As also passed out the slippers and an addition eye mask (I guess - long-haul flight). The F/As then passed out our beverage and proceeded with the meal service.
Satay with onion, cucumber, and spicy peanut sauce
Due to its continuation into the USA, the meal service was long-haul style. There was a starter service, with choices of chicken and beef satays. It was delicious and everyone should try them.
Scallops with Japanese seaweed - Miso Vinaigrette as the sauce
It was grosse - three overcooked scallops with very cheap looking seaweeds. Bad choice, SIA!
Seasonal Mixed Salad
Baby corns, tomato slices, cucumber slices, icebery lettuce, and Japanese mushrooms - same dressings as before. I had the thousand Island again. It was nice, especially after having that appetizer.
Grilled Salmon with white bean, spinach, and citrus vinaigrette
Exclusivly created by Mr. Dietmar Sawyere of Forty One Restaurant, Sydney
Stir-fried Beef fillet with cracked black peppercorns, seasonal vegetables, and egg noodles
Soya sauce chicken, black mushrooms, and Chinese greens with fragrant rice
My main course was none of the above because I ordered my own Singaporean Chicken rice. It came with a plate of chicken rice (the regular casserole dish), a separate plate of chicken pieces - both dark and white meats, and some tomato and cucumber on the side. There were three kinds of sauces - Chinese garlic and ginger sauce, Chinese hot sauce, and special soya sauce for chicken rice. I recommended this dish. It was delicious.
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Walnut - delicious, Brie - nice, and white cheddar with crackers and grapes.
Fresh fruits
Banana - ripe and fresh
Almond curd with kiwifruit and longan in syrup
Nice dessert - but I missed a piece of real cake. Singapore Airlines seems to serve more jello type dessert than real gateau
Pralines - Dark Chocolate Truffles and SIA chocolate candies
Wine List (TRANSPAC September 2000 - only a bit different from the other wine list)
Special Cocktail
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix featuring lime cordial given spicy relish through equal parts pineapple juice and ginger ale
Quite a good cocktail and this drink was offered as one of the choices for pre-takeoff beverages
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru 1994
California White Wine
Geyser Peak 1997 Sonoma County Chardonnay
German Wine
Dr. Loosen Riesling 1998 Qualitatswein "Cuvee Classique"
California Red Wine
Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 Sonoma County
Italian Red Wine
Rive Barbera D'Asti Superiore 1997
Port
Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1994
My impression of this wine list is that "where are all the nice French red wines - Bordeaux, Burgundy…? I will rather have the French wines, rather than California red wine." But the champagne was very nice - not overly sour. Of course, Krug Grande Cuvee will be nicer… ha ha ha!!!
An excellent meal! F/As came by with fresh hot towels after each meal. Then I watched an episode of "Friend," "Will and Grace," and "Dharma and Greg." Then I went to take a nap before our landing at Taipei. F/As came by frequently and took drink orders. We began our descent at 9:28pm and touched down nicely at 9:53pm. We were quickly parked at Gate B4. Everyone was told to leave the plane, if I recalled correctly.
SQ 6 TPE-LAX Lv2255 Arr2005
Boeing 747-400 9V-SMN
An hour layover at TPE, and SIA reloaded the meals and refuelled the aircraft for today's flight. Due to typhoon activities and head wines and the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, our flying time was eleven hours and thirty-five minutes - slightly longer than normal. Anyway, I met my mother and sister at the gate. They arrived from CX an hour ago and was able to use the China Airlines lounge. I requested an upper deck seat and the very nice Taiwanese gate agent took care of it, and gave me 15K. Anyway, boarding took place at 10:40pm and the door was closed at 11:00pm. The F/As today were very nice. Three F/As worked in the upper deck. A very pretty Singaporean girl, one middle-aged man, and a very cute and handsome young man - Steven. (As we all know, Carfield really liked this arrangement and this flight was one of the best ones that I took.) We were offered newspapers, pre-takeoff beverage, menus, and headsets. Taxi times were long - twenty-one minutes - for unknown reasons. TPE was not particularly busy, but we had to use the west runways today. I guess it must be something to do with our flight path. We finally took off at 11:21pm.
Shortly after takeoff, the captain warned us about bumps due to activities in the nearby Taiwan area. Flying time was eleven hours and forty-two minutes, and our flight route took us NW towards the eastern coast of Japan, and then the North Pacific Ocean (a few bumps due to a weather front), and then heading directly into SBA after passing Anchorage. Our flight path was rather north today - a Great Polar route. We were warned about another weather front when we entered the Monterrey area. The pilot was right and the turbulence was bad at those two particular areas. However, the F/As were not very strict on the seat belt signs. They pretty let the passengers walk around even when the sign was on. After seat belt sign was off, the F/As began the beverage service and a rather quick supper service, so passengers could sleep. Slippers and eye masks were passed out again. BTW, our flying attitude was 8800 meters, 9100 meters, 9400 meters, 10700 meters, and then 11300 meters. I remember asking the method of translating these numbers from meters to feet, but I forgot. I hope some of you can help me again. Thanks!
Menu today with the same wine list as TRANSPAC 9/00
Supper
Salad of prawns with grapefruit and orange
Excellent appetizer - three medium-sized prawns with 2 grapefruit segments and 1 orange segment
Chilli rubbed chicken with bacon, sweet potato, green beans and onion
Exclusively created by Mr. David Burke of Park Avenue Café, New York
Slow braised Oriental style pork shank in soya sauce and Chinese wine, fried rice and seasonal vegetables
I had this entrée, which was okay. The pork was okay taste and the rice was nice. I wish I chose the chicken entrée.
Char-grilled fillet of cod in Oriental hot bean paste flavored with rice wine, leafy greens with cauliflower and red capsicums, and egg noodles
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Camembert, Monterrey Jack, or Gouda - I chose the Camembert, which was excellent… Crackers were Chinese style crackers - not the traditional kinds
Mocca crème brulee -- okay
Pralines - White or Dark Chocolate Truffles
After meal service, F/As made frequent drink rounds and cleaned the bathrooms frequently. I took a two hour nap and watched two great movies - "Romeo Must Die" (Jet Li was so cool and so cute. I am not the usual action movie fan, but got to see Jet Li. Can you believe that he is in his mid to late 30s? The Kung Fu was just so **** good) and "Return to Me." I just love Minnie Drive. She was so cute. Then I watched the "Drew Carey Show." It was okay! Then I walked around near the galley and found out what those mid-flight snacks were. There were soup noodles, butter cookies, sandwiches, and hot soup available. I had some cookies, and then I had more Sprites. Steven was on duty on the last five hours of the flight, and he worked nonstop. Everyone seemed to get up in the same time and walked around with more beverages and snacks. He was so cute. Light was turned on two hours before landing. The flight attendants once again came with hot towels and trays of juices.
Choices of juice
Apple, tomato, freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh fruit appetizer
Cantaloupe, melon, grapes and two grapefruit segments - bad fruit appetizer - the melons had no taste and it was badly-prepared
Cereal (Cornflakes is the choice today)
with low fat or full cream milk
Taiwanese style egg noodle with minced pork and stewed egg
My mother had this entrée and the eggs were apparently a bit on the bad side. She had three major episodes of diarrhea on her last hour of the flight, and one more time at home. Stayed away from it, folks!
Mixed grill of beef, chicken and veal sausage with herb jus
Oven glazed tomato, Sauteed mushroom with fine herbs, and Anna potatoes
Omelette "Nature," Grilled tomato, green beans and mushrooms, and Duchess potatoes
The omelette was very nice and fluffy, but it was a bit too plain. There was nothing inside the omelette and this dish was too vegetarian-oriented. Still a good dish though!
Assorted Breakfast rolls
Butter - Fruit preserve
Another round of hot towel after the meal service, and SIA once again played a destination video on LAX. F/As came with I-94 and the green immigration forms, but Taipei was a bit short on the custom forms today. I was fortunate enough to have an extra one - I got a copy when I was in Hong Kong. We were the only family in the upper deck with custom forms today. I recommend grabbing extra forms and always keep it on your hand carry or with your travel documents. We began our descent at 10:35am and due to traffic at LAX, we did not touch down till 8:03pm LA time. We landed at Runway 24L and we were parked at Gate 120, which was only a gate away from the immigration area. The line was not too long, but there were not too many immigration officers working today. By the time that we were done with immigration, all our bags were already unloaded. Then we went through seas of people and got in lines for the custom. Fortunately, they were smart enough to open a second line, after the first line was a bit too long and other Asian flights were landing. I guess they had a light early evening traffic because most flights into LAX arrived late today. Here is the end of the trip report! Thanks for reading it! The next trip report will be at the end of the month, when I head for Toronto for a week. I will also fly a same day ORD-ANC F class flight - using discount travel coupons and upgrade coupons. After hearing so many service improvements on this particular route, I decide to give it a try.
Have a good weekend!
Carfield
Carfield is back home and I had a great summer vacation. Of course, I had a great trip back home and took the long way this particular time. I decided to take Singapore Airlines the whole way from HKG to LAX, which means that I will need to fly down to Singapore first and then back to LAX via Taipei. My parents took the direct Hong Kong to Taipei flight with a brand new CX's A330 and then joined me in Taipei for our final leg into LAX. SIA is a great airline and I was well-fed all the way from Hong Kong to LA. The service was decent and I met some of the greatest F/As on my flight from SIN to TPE and TPE to LAX. Here is a detailed report!
SQ 857 HKG-SIN Lv1030 Arr1400
Boeing 777-300 9V-SYC
The day began with checking in at SIA counters at the HKG airport itself. CX handled all SIA's ground handling and I was checked in by a very friendly and polite agent. She gave me my boarding passes and a transfer kit at Singapore airport. She told me where the lounge was, and attached the Raffles Class blue priority tag and Star Alliance priority tag to my two bags. Then I was off my way to the very nice Silver Kris lounge in HKG. There were two sections - First and Raffles, which was located on the right and left side correspondingly. Each cabin class had its own counters and staff. I went to the Raffles Class lounge, which was very spacious with lots of comfortable seats. Blue is the color of the décor and there was a decent buffet area, which featured chicken congee, spring rolls, samosas, croissants, cereals, sandwiches, and all kinds of "real" foods. There was a huge soft drink and juice bar, with red and white wines, and all kinds of hard liquors. There was one computer and couple working desks for those who need to catch up with last minute works. I enjoyed a bit and then proceeded to catch a few pictures. Due to the rainy weather and typhoon signal number three was hoisted, I did not see many planes, but graciously saw a PR's A340 pushed back from Gate 16. It was nice. It was quite busy at HKG this morning.
Boarding began at 10:00am and it was very organized with F/J class at one lane, and Y class at one other lane. The gate agents addressed me by my name, as I handed her my boarding pass. This Boeing 777-300 was rather new and the cabin was very clean. However, none of the cabin class featured the new seats. F class got their regular sleeper seats, and J class got a very narrow seats. But Y class got the brand new seats with the headrests. Compared to the Givenchy-designed Raffles class seats, this J class seat was rather awkwardly designed. Fortunately, it was a short flight. Shortly after boarding, I took my seat at 18A, which was the last row and I was not too pleased with it. Apparently, our flight as pretty full and for J class, only middle seats were left empty. I was given newspapers and headsets after settled down. Then the menu was distributed and a F/A asked me for my choice of pre-takeoff beverage. I took the orange juice, but then I spilled it as I turned to get a magazine. I spilled it on my neighbor's armrest and fortunately, he was not too mad at me. Then the door was closed at 10:26am. Of course, hot towels were immediately distributed at all cabin classes. We pushed back but then due to a small technical problem at the right engine, we had to return to the gate. The pilot kept us posted and reminded us that our flying was only three hours and five minutes today, and we would try to catch up a bit. Then the F/As came to take beverage order and to take entrée order. Finally, we pushed back at 10:59am and took off at 11:15am. Due to the rainy weather and the typhoon situation, it was a bit bumpy on our way to 35,00ft.
After the captain signaled the F/As that it was safe for them to work (not for us though), they came by with the infamous Raffles Class' slippers - SIA's form of amenity kits at all flights. Then they came with our drinks and bags of roasted mixed nuts. Apparently, Singapore Airlines has cut the satay or canapes service on its medium haul flights. Then the F/As came by with the meal trolleys and set up our table with the pink linen cloth and gave us our meal trays, which had the appetizer, salad bowl, bread plate, butter in swirl shape, wine glass, water glass, and eating utensils.
Here is the menu:
Smoked Salmon with artichoke salad
An excellent appetizer with three slices of fresh salmon, and the artichokes were not overly sour. Great dish!
Seasonal mixed salad
Red & yellow peppers, cherry tomato, endives, and iceberg lettuce formed this nice salad.
As advertised, F/As poured dressing individually onto your salad. The choices of dressings were thousand island (my choice) and some kinds of vinaigrettes.
Braised "ee fu" noodles with prawns and lefty greens
Exclusively created by Mr. Yeung Koon Yat at Forum Restaurant, Hong Kong - very expensive restaurant BTW.
Char-grilled tournedos of beef in brown sauce with fresh herbs
French bean with pumpkin and red capsicum & Provencale potatoes
Steamed chicken marinated in Chinese "shao shing" wine
Seasoned vegetables and Chicken-flavored rice
I chose this entrée, which was decent, and the rice was very tasty. The chicken was very moist.
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Greatest part of all the meals - the infamous cheese board. Three kinds of cheese - brie, walnut, and gouda… I chose the Brie, which was excellent. Then there were carrot sticks, celery sticks, and spring onion sticks, and a basket of tablewater crackers. Of course, nice big juicy grapes…
Fresh fruits
Fresh fruits in a real basket - I actually preferred fruit plate… Anyway, it was nice for healthy eaters.
Wine jelly with berries in chocolate cup
Strange dessert
Pralines
Almond toffees and chocolate-covered nuts - delicious and devilish
Wine List (EUR/ASIA September 2000)
Special Cocktail
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix featuring lime cordial given spicy relish through equal parts pineapple juice and ginger ale
Quite a good cocktail and this drink was offered as one of the choices for pre-takeoff beverages
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru 1994
German Wine
Dr. Loosen Riesling 1998 Qualitatswein "Cuvee Classique"
White Burgundy
Montagny Premier Cru 1997
Montagny ler Cru 1998 Laboure-Roi
Red Bordeaux
Les Charmes De Kirwan 1997 Margaux
Italian Red Wine
Rive Barbera D'Asti Superiore 1997
Port
Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1994
After the meal service, I watched a Chinese movie through the Kris World system and took a nap for the rest of the flight. There was duty free service after the meal service. The F/As made quite frequent checks on us. For some reasons, the F/As on our flight were very tired and not interested in working today. They were a bit on the "German" friendly today, with one exception. Anyway, the flight was short and we landed safely at 2:13pm and parked at Gate F41. A nice start…
SQ 6 SIN-TPE Lv1720 Arr2145
Boeing 747-400 9V-SMN
Changi airport is a very nice airport, but most windows are tinted, which makes photographing a bit difficult. The outdoor area is nice, but there is another window there. Also, the weather was hot, hot, and hot, which made it unbearable. But there are many restaurants, movie facilities, and science center… all kinds of shops and facilities. It is very clean and well-maintained. There are many lounge chairs, which is good for napping. After walking around for a while, I decided to go to the Silver Kris lounge. There are two sections - one for First and one for Raffles. The lounge was huge and there were many chairs. There were even 8 to 10 computers, which allowed internet connections. Of course, there are plug ins for laptop computers as well. There are two major buffet areas, which features all kinds of hot and cold food, Western and Eastern meals. I had the Cream of Mushroom soup and chicken drumsticks, and also some soft drinks. This lounge is very well-maintained, and the blue color décor is very nice.
I went to Gate F42 for boarding. Each gate has its own security facilities, and the gate is opened an hour before takeoff time. Boarding began at 4:55pm, which was a bit behind schedule, and I was more than happy to see the new Givenchy chairs. I sat at the main deck for the first leg, and the bulkhead window seat, 22A, was nice. Our flight attendants were very nice today, and reflected a very warm and friendly attitude throughout the flight. They immediately offered me newspapers - local and US, pre-takeoff beverage - the welcome cocktail, headsets, and menus. The load was very light on this sector, only 50% full, which also reflected the conditions of the Asian economy. After the door was closed, everyone was offered a hot towel. Due to heavy traffic, we took off at 5:46pm, and our flying time today was four hours and five minutes. We first climbed to 33,000ft and then into 37,00ft.
The most special item on this particular flight today was the entertainment system. I was able to experience the Wisemen system. Despite the movies are still the ones from August, the system was very easy to use and amazing. We were able to choose to watch any movies (three pages of listings), any short video programs (12 categories with 5-6 individual programs each), SIA information, News, Flight Path, and other information channels at anytime. Then you got to select a bunch of songs from different categories, so you can create your own play list for the flight. Of course, you can choose to rewind, fast forward, and pause at anytime. If you don't like the movie, you can simply stop and move to another movie. I had fun with this system and F/J class passengers got a Wisemen entertainment guide.
After takeoff, the crews came and took our drink and entrée orders. I ordered the "Singaporean Chicken Rice" from the "Book the Cook" service today, which was a smart move. The F/As also passed out the slippers and an addition eye mask (I guess - long-haul flight). The F/As then passed out our beverage and proceeded with the meal service.
Satay with onion, cucumber, and spicy peanut sauce
Due to its continuation into the USA, the meal service was long-haul style. There was a starter service, with choices of chicken and beef satays. It was delicious and everyone should try them.
Scallops with Japanese seaweed - Miso Vinaigrette as the sauce
It was grosse - three overcooked scallops with very cheap looking seaweeds. Bad choice, SIA!
Seasonal Mixed Salad
Baby corns, tomato slices, cucumber slices, icebery lettuce, and Japanese mushrooms - same dressings as before. I had the thousand Island again. It was nice, especially after having that appetizer.
Grilled Salmon with white bean, spinach, and citrus vinaigrette
Exclusivly created by Mr. Dietmar Sawyere of Forty One Restaurant, Sydney
Stir-fried Beef fillet with cracked black peppercorns, seasonal vegetables, and egg noodles
Soya sauce chicken, black mushrooms, and Chinese greens with fragrant rice
My main course was none of the above because I ordered my own Singaporean Chicken rice. It came with a plate of chicken rice (the regular casserole dish), a separate plate of chicken pieces - both dark and white meats, and some tomato and cucumber on the side. There were three kinds of sauces - Chinese garlic and ginger sauce, Chinese hot sauce, and special soya sauce for chicken rice. I recommended this dish. It was delicious.
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Walnut - delicious, Brie - nice, and white cheddar with crackers and grapes.
Fresh fruits
Banana - ripe and fresh
Almond curd with kiwifruit and longan in syrup
Nice dessert - but I missed a piece of real cake. Singapore Airlines seems to serve more jello type dessert than real gateau
Pralines - Dark Chocolate Truffles and SIA chocolate candies
Wine List (TRANSPAC September 2000 - only a bit different from the other wine list)
Special Cocktail
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix featuring lime cordial given spicy relish through equal parts pineapple juice and ginger ale
Quite a good cocktail and this drink was offered as one of the choices for pre-takeoff beverages
Champagne
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Premier Cru 1994
California White Wine
Geyser Peak 1997 Sonoma County Chardonnay
German Wine
Dr. Loosen Riesling 1998 Qualitatswein "Cuvee Classique"
California Red Wine
Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 Sonoma County
Italian Red Wine
Rive Barbera D'Asti Superiore 1997
Port
Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 1994
My impression of this wine list is that "where are all the nice French red wines - Bordeaux, Burgundy…? I will rather have the French wines, rather than California red wine." But the champagne was very nice - not overly sour. Of course, Krug Grande Cuvee will be nicer… ha ha ha!!!
An excellent meal! F/As came by with fresh hot towels after each meal. Then I watched an episode of "Friend," "Will and Grace," and "Dharma and Greg." Then I went to take a nap before our landing at Taipei. F/As came by frequently and took drink orders. We began our descent at 9:28pm and touched down nicely at 9:53pm. We were quickly parked at Gate B4. Everyone was told to leave the plane, if I recalled correctly.
SQ 6 TPE-LAX Lv2255 Arr2005
Boeing 747-400 9V-SMN
An hour layover at TPE, and SIA reloaded the meals and refuelled the aircraft for today's flight. Due to typhoon activities and head wines and the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, our flying time was eleven hours and thirty-five minutes - slightly longer than normal. Anyway, I met my mother and sister at the gate. They arrived from CX an hour ago and was able to use the China Airlines lounge. I requested an upper deck seat and the very nice Taiwanese gate agent took care of it, and gave me 15K. Anyway, boarding took place at 10:40pm and the door was closed at 11:00pm. The F/As today were very nice. Three F/As worked in the upper deck. A very pretty Singaporean girl, one middle-aged man, and a very cute and handsome young man - Steven. (As we all know, Carfield really liked this arrangement and this flight was one of the best ones that I took.) We were offered newspapers, pre-takeoff beverage, menus, and headsets. Taxi times were long - twenty-one minutes - for unknown reasons. TPE was not particularly busy, but we had to use the west runways today. I guess it must be something to do with our flight path. We finally took off at 11:21pm.
Shortly after takeoff, the captain warned us about bumps due to activities in the nearby Taiwan area. Flying time was eleven hours and forty-two minutes, and our flight route took us NW towards the eastern coast of Japan, and then the North Pacific Ocean (a few bumps due to a weather front), and then heading directly into SBA after passing Anchorage. Our flight path was rather north today - a Great Polar route. We were warned about another weather front when we entered the Monterrey area. The pilot was right and the turbulence was bad at those two particular areas. However, the F/As were not very strict on the seat belt signs. They pretty let the passengers walk around even when the sign was on. After seat belt sign was off, the F/As began the beverage service and a rather quick supper service, so passengers could sleep. Slippers and eye masks were passed out again. BTW, our flying attitude was 8800 meters, 9100 meters, 9400 meters, 10700 meters, and then 11300 meters. I remember asking the method of translating these numbers from meters to feet, but I forgot. I hope some of you can help me again. Thanks!
Menu today with the same wine list as TRANSPAC 9/00
Supper
Salad of prawns with grapefruit and orange
Excellent appetizer - three medium-sized prawns with 2 grapefruit segments and 1 orange segment
Chilli rubbed chicken with bacon, sweet potato, green beans and onion
Exclusively created by Mr. David Burke of Park Avenue Café, New York
Slow braised Oriental style pork shank in soya sauce and Chinese wine, fried rice and seasonal vegetables
I had this entrée, which was okay. The pork was okay taste and the rice was nice. I wish I chose the chicken entrée.
Char-grilled fillet of cod in Oriental hot bean paste flavored with rice wine, leafy greens with cauliflower and red capsicums, and egg noodles
Selection of cheese with garnishes
Camembert, Monterrey Jack, or Gouda - I chose the Camembert, which was excellent… Crackers were Chinese style crackers - not the traditional kinds
Mocca crème brulee -- okay
Pralines - White or Dark Chocolate Truffles
After meal service, F/As made frequent drink rounds and cleaned the bathrooms frequently. I took a two hour nap and watched two great movies - "Romeo Must Die" (Jet Li was so cool and so cute. I am not the usual action movie fan, but got to see Jet Li. Can you believe that he is in his mid to late 30s? The Kung Fu was just so **** good) and "Return to Me." I just love Minnie Drive. She was so cute. Then I watched the "Drew Carey Show." It was okay! Then I walked around near the galley and found out what those mid-flight snacks were. There were soup noodles, butter cookies, sandwiches, and hot soup available. I had some cookies, and then I had more Sprites. Steven was on duty on the last five hours of the flight, and he worked nonstop. Everyone seemed to get up in the same time and walked around with more beverages and snacks. He was so cute. Light was turned on two hours before landing. The flight attendants once again came with hot towels and trays of juices.
Choices of juice
Apple, tomato, freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh fruit appetizer
Cantaloupe, melon, grapes and two grapefruit segments - bad fruit appetizer - the melons had no taste and it was badly-prepared
Cereal (Cornflakes is the choice today)
with low fat or full cream milk
Taiwanese style egg noodle with minced pork and stewed egg
My mother had this entrée and the eggs were apparently a bit on the bad side. She had three major episodes of diarrhea on her last hour of the flight, and one more time at home. Stayed away from it, folks!
Mixed grill of beef, chicken and veal sausage with herb jus
Oven glazed tomato, Sauteed mushroom with fine herbs, and Anna potatoes
Omelette "Nature," Grilled tomato, green beans and mushrooms, and Duchess potatoes
The omelette was very nice and fluffy, but it was a bit too plain. There was nothing inside the omelette and this dish was too vegetarian-oriented. Still a good dish though!
Assorted Breakfast rolls
Butter - Fruit preserve
Another round of hot towel after the meal service, and SIA once again played a destination video on LAX. F/As came with I-94 and the green immigration forms, but Taipei was a bit short on the custom forms today. I was fortunate enough to have an extra one - I got a copy when I was in Hong Kong. We were the only family in the upper deck with custom forms today. I recommend grabbing extra forms and always keep it on your hand carry or with your travel documents. We began our descent at 10:35am and due to traffic at LAX, we did not touch down till 8:03pm LA time. We landed at Runway 24L and we were parked at Gate 120, which was only a gate away from the immigration area. The line was not too long, but there were not too many immigration officers working today. By the time that we were done with immigration, all our bags were already unloaded. Then we went through seas of people and got in lines for the custom. Fortunately, they were smart enough to open a second line, after the first line was a bit too long and other Asian flights were landing. I guess they had a light early evening traffic because most flights into LAX arrived late today. Here is the end of the trip report! Thanks for reading it! The next trip report will be at the end of the month, when I head for Toronto for a week. I will also fly a same day ORD-ANC F class flight - using discount travel coupons and upgrade coupons. After hearing so many service improvements on this particular route, I decide to give it a try.
Have a good weekend!
Carfield