Trip Reports - First Class Extravaganza – 26 Hours Of Bliss On Singapore Airlines

FIRST CLASS EXTRAVAGANZA – 26 HOURS OF BLISS ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES
(plus sidetrips on NZ in Y, TG in C and Airasia).

Introduction
This trip has been long in the planning. Back in April I decided to burn Air New Zealand points for an award ticket in F on SQ. I knew I had to visit Japan and Singapore in November so it seemed to make sense to choose SQ to go to Japan as it would allow me to visit both countries and enjoy 4 segments for the same ‘price’. I did not have enough points to do this from Auckland but did have enough to start from SYD, so I purchased a cheap ticket on NZ to Australia. Although initially I had three segments in F and one segment in Raffles, persistent calling to the NZ people brought up the remaining seat in F after 4 months, all on skysuite equiped aircraft (a deliberate choice) ^ . Thanks for all the help and good advice from fellow FTers: see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=368867&highlight=air+zealand
and http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=311672

Part 1 – Auckland to Sydney on Air New Zealand in economy class. My flight was due to depart at 09:00 and I arrived at the aiport at 07:30 where I was efficiently checked in by a knowledgeable ground staff who put a F tag on my luggage. The F lounge was not open at this time of the day so there was no point trying to get in there. I’ll spare you the details of the excellent NZ lounge – It’s been described in other forums. Thanks to my Gold status on NZ I was able to secure seat 11F, an emergency exit seat. Pitch was generous but the window seats do not recline. Service on board ranged from adequate to friendly. The Bourne Supremacy was shown on the LCD screens that are placed every few rows on this A320. Breakfast was small (I had already had some fresh fruit and a pain au chocolat in the lounge but still felt hungry after this small meal) and not hot (and I was near the front of the Y cabin). The cheese roll was not very tasty, the saucage and fruit were okay. It took nearly an hour (!) for trays to be cleared. A second drinks service was offered later. I guess that compared with many Y flights around the world Air NZ’s offering on this leg is pretty good. However, if their limited flight schedules suit, Emirates probably offer a much better product equipment-wise as their flights continue on to Dubai. The same, to a lesser extent, also applies to TG (although certainly not in business). If you want a real business class experience, NZ is not the airline to choose on this leg. Their 8 seats in C are reasonable but not on par with what you would get on Emirates.

Part 2 – Sydney lounges and boarding
After an uneventful 3:20 flight we landed at SYD. I immediately went to the NZ lounge and was told that the F side was closed but that I was more than welcome to use the C side. The main purpose for my visit to this excellent lounge was to use the showers which are very spacious and luxurious. Refreshed I then went to the SQ lounge. The F side is nice but not as nice as the NZ lounge. I found the C side of the lounge to be slightly nicer as it is more spacious although it doesn’t offer the same range of drinks and small snacks which in the F lounge include Pirie champagne, XO, fresh fruit, and small cakes/snacks, as well as cheeses. The showers, although adequate, were not nearly as nice as the C showers in the NZ lounge. The lounge agent told me that there would be only one other passenger in F.

Before going to my gate I dropped by the UA lounge, just out of curiosity. The agent told me I had no access to the lounge and that I had to go to the SQ lounge. I pointed out to her that following * rules I could access any * lounge. She looked this up and had to concede that this was indeed the case. How anyone with the remotest sense of responsibility in their jobs could not be aware of the very few basic rules for lounge access is beyond me, but alas. The lounge is very large but also really rather unattractive. I could not find computers. I stayed for 2 minutes and went to the gate where there was a queue to board. I did not feel like walking up to the front of the queue waving my F BP and decided to wait. After a few minutes the second (Australian) ground staff, who until then had been enjoying talking to one of his mates, called out ‘Raffles and first class passengers board here’. Unfortunately there was only one bridge which meant another queue and, after boarding, masses of people lining up at the back of the F section; very noisy and not very pleasant for the premium passengers.

Part 3 – My first flight in F

My first left turn – a fantastic moment. My seat 4A was smiling at me. Well, it wasn’t but I felt as if it did. ‘Some champagne Mr Fliar?’ (‘Are you calling me a liar? You bas***d!). Dom Perignon 1996 – ah…I’ll never have OJ with my lunch again. PJs and amenity kits were handed out, the latter of which I thought were really impressive, containing among others a full bottle of Bvlgari after shave which sells for nearly $90 in the Krisshop magazine. Take-off was such a strange experience. Having never sat up front all the sounds and movements are different. Even though I have experienced hundreds of take-offs this one just felt too quiet, too slow – I thought we would just fall back to earth as I didn’t hear/feel the engines’ thrust. Surreal.

The cabin…what can I say? Can hardly be better really. It really does feel very very luxurious, private, and special. The seats are like thrones. You are basically surrounded by leather and wood trim, have 4 windows to yourself and miles of space. Oh, and a mega TV screen (with wood trim edges), a very large dining/work table, a stationary drawer, and lots of small pockets and spaces. There is so much space you could actually get lost. I heard one F passenger once fell through the leather cushions and has never been found. He can occasionally be heard asking for more Krug. :D

After take-off drink orders were taken and warm nuts thrown around the cabin. As this flight left after 12 a full lunch service was offered. The menu is presented in a leather cover and looks very stylish. The entrée was Iranian Ossetra caviar with full condiments or Tasmanian gravad lax. As I am Dutch I asked for and got both. I actually asked for just a bit of both but basically got two portions on one plate. I thought the caviar was fantastic. This was followed by a really rather great clear soup with Chinese mushrooms and fungi, a salad, then mains for which I had booked the crook – my favourite: lobster thermidor. It was even better than the one I had in Raffles a while back. Next up, great Australian cheeses, fresh fruit, then dessert (a butter pudding), with 20 year old port (woaw…), and pralines…after all this food I had to throw up to make room for more champagne. :) The meal service, in my opinion, was on par with a good restaurant. The views of the Australian dessert, combined with such food in such surroundings made for one of those ‘woaw, this is it!’ feelings.

The service was truly impeccable. As others have commented before these people seem to have eyes in their back (or cameras on board). The female FA was not only polite, efficient, and graceful, but also very good fun. I asked for a duvet and by the time I got back from the bathroom my bed had been made and the lovely FA was waiting with the duvet to tuck me in. I was feeling almost uncomfortable and half expected her to give me a night kiss or sing a lullaby but the service didn’t quite stretch that far. The bed is sublime. I’ve never felt like this on an airplane before. :p

All too soon we were only an hour out off Singapore and a light snack (I chose a Ceasar salad in a taco shell, which was very tasty) was offered. I thanked the staff for their excellent service and offloaded myself into the Silverkris lounge. Interestingly, by the way, we ended up with 12 pax in F on this segment – did 10 people get upgraded?

Part 4 – Singapore lounges

I had been to the SKL in Singapore before but never the F side. It is very stylish although a bit stiff – certainly not special design wise (similar to the C side). However, it offers an excellent range of facilities, and great food which includes sushi/sashimi, fried rice, satay, fresh fruit, cakes/desserts/ice cream, and of course, Krug as part of the full bar service (including bartender). I had a 5 hour layover during which I did some shopping and found out how expensive Changi is for mobile phones. I decided to go over to terminal 1 to check out the TG lounge where I was warmly welcomed but warned that the lounge would close in half an hour (last departure on TG is 20:50). There is no F section and there are no computers. The lounge itself is of medium size, and although it does not have views, is not unpleasant. It has a good selection of reading materials and some warm and cold snacks, and a good range of drinks.

The reception in the NH lounge was different – first they wouldn’t let me in then they insisted I show my * card. I said I didn’t need one and after some haggling they called the manager to whom I had to explain the basic * rules. Grudgingly I was allowed into the empty and not very impressive lounge, did not find a computer, and left after 2 minutes.

Part 5 – Singapore – Tokyo in F

Flight SQ998 leaves Singapore at 23:40 and was today 8/12 full on this 5:45 flight. Again, the service was incredible. PJs and amenity kits were handed out again and I asked for a women’s one this time. A Japanese female FA (sorry I don’t pay attention to the male FAs) did a great job pleasing the predominantly Japanese clientele. There was a ‘snack’ after departure which consisted of a very nice Japanese soup (there was western option too). After this I changed to my PJs and found my bed ready on return. An hour before arrival breakfast was served and this was a real surprise – a *very* nice kaiseki meal. I am aware that there have been some lukewarm comments about the kaiseki meals on SQ but, having been lucky enough to have had authentic kaiseki food in Japan, and although this is expectedly not on par with the $300 meals you get in the better establishments it was very good indeed. The presentation was fantastic with different china for each little dish, and green tea served from a pot. Sublime. ^

MORE TO COME - SIN-BKK ON AIRASIA, TG DOMESTIC IN C, JW MARRIOTT BANGKOK, RITZ-CARLTON SINGAPORE, AND MORE....

good report so far

I want some!!!

Great report, Fliar! I am very envious, and suddenly remembering that Aeroplan have a fantastic value intra-Asia F award for only 50K, so I could be sharing the same joyful experience you did SIN-NRT. (BTW: you have accidentally put the subject heading for that sector as SIN-SYD.)

Re your NZ flight, the exit rows on the A320s are not worth bothering with. I couldn't detect any difference in pitch compared to the front few rows, which have the obvious other benefits of being first off the aircraft and first to be served. It is a pity that the breakfasts are so lame these days... :td:

I was also interested to read your reports of various encounters with lounge dragons. I couldn't agree more - how on earth can they justify not knowing the rules for entry, when that is their most basic function. I wonder if that 'geeky' ;) printout of the Star Alliance lounge access rules came in handy? As for the UA lounge in SYD, while I agree with your comments, it's still by some margin the nicest UA lounge I've ever been to! :eek: We forget how spoiled we are for lounges in our part of the world...

As for the UA lounge in SYD, while I agree with your comments, it's still by some margin the nicest UA lounge I've ever been to! :eek: We forget how spoiled we are for lounges in our part of the world...

Very true - lounge-hopping is actually fun in the Asia-Pacific region unlike in the US and, mostly, Europe.

50K only for SIN-NRT? Go for it, I'd say!!

Terrific report so far, Fliar! ^
Truly, flying SQ in F is a memorable experience. Only problem is, once you've done it even once you'll be spoiled and even if you're flying in Raffles in a Spacebed you'll long for a Skysuite...

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Lobster? PJs? Duvet? Nice service? How come I don't get that kind of stuff on my AA flights? ummm, I guess this guy is a Fliar..... :p Anyways, I love your report.....I am looking forward to read the rest of this trip... :D

Great trip report! Looking forward to the rest of it.
Congratulations on your first SQ F trip.
You made me remember my first SQ F trip, which was on the old, old F LAX-SIN in 1997. Felt like a King. :D In Flight Supervisor and FAs apologized profusely when I said that the cabin was a little warm. Excellent food (they still do a la carte-style back then).

The Connolly leather on the SkySuites are sooo soft... hope to feel them again soon. :D

Part 6 – Japan
Japan is always such a pleasure. After receiving a number of responses and private emails in the ) I settled on Nadaman ([url]www.nadaman.co.jp (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=362777&highlight=kaiseki)) for our long-anticipated kaiseki meal (in the park surrounding the New Otani hotel). It was not cheap (about US$400 per person) but as good as we could have ever hoped for. Unlike Daigo, which I visited last year, this place is not vegetarian, which probably partly explains the higher price. The ingredients, the presentation and the service were out of this world. So was the ambiance of the place and our room (each ‘table’ has its own room – ours was the size of small restaurant). The women who served us (two just for our room) were fantastic, polite, pleasant, attentive and very gracious. My partner (who is Asian and very fussy when it comes to protocol) was completely impressed. I don’t think it gets much better than this. According to protocol they bow every time before entering and leaving the room, kneeling down behind the screen by the door, so as to allow maximum privacy for the guests. The views over the karesansui-type garden were great. The highlight, however, was the food itself, the harmony of colours and tastes to match the autumn season – small dishes like salmon cut in the shape of a persimmon, the incredibly beautiful clear soup, really all of it almost too beautiful to touch.

In Tokyo we stayed in a members’ hotel so comments on that are probably not particularly helpful for other readers, but in Kyoto we stayed in the New Miyako by the station. This is a 4 star hotel and it is fine, but not more exceptional than one would expect for its price. We also spent one night in a traditional ryokan, Ikumatsu. The service was superb, and the kaiseki meal served in our room nice (although not in any way comparable to the Nadaman meal). The full traditional breakfast was an elaborate and enjoyable affair. The place has character but is showing its age and needs some sort of careful upgrade. I was not as impressed with this place as I had hoped I would be, apart from the service which was sublime. To be fair, however, the price was not very high by Japanese standards (around US$400 for 2 including dinner and breakfast). The location is quite good in a reasonably quiet street but within easy walking distance of all the action.

Giro Giro is a dinner place I too would recommend – its cheap, funky and serves interesting Japanese fusion dishes. 11 courses for about $35 in a nice environment with lots of local youths.

In Nara we stayed at the Nara Royal Hotel, a 4 star property which was surprisingly cheap by Japanese standards (15,000 yen for a double room), and very comfortable. It has its own onsen (hot pools). I would recommend this place as good value for money.

In Tokyo the Park Hyatt is a stunning property and its bar on the 45th floor has great views. The one on the 52nd and top floor is even better but has a steep 2,000 yen cover charge for the music. Drinks/bar food are outrageously expensive here so be prepared. The Japanese restaurant looked very nice and I might try that next time.

Part 7 – TOKYO-SINGAPORE, Singapore Airlines first class
I arrived at the airport a bit early (traffic wasn’t as bad as I had expected) on the airport limousine bus and went up to the SQ lounge. At that time I was the only guest as the previous flight was just about to depart. Interestingly there are no showers and even the toilet is a shared facility in the hallway. I was given a voucher for the facilities by gate 26 (quite a hike to the other side of the terminal). UA’s lounge doesn’t open until 11:30, the time when my flight was to leave. The SQ lounge, like the Sydney one, is okay but not special in any way. The F side, as others have commented, is not policed. By the time I had checked my email it was completely full, and the rest of the lounge was busy too. There is a nice selection of foods including dim sum and congee, and also Fauchon ice cream. Not the most exciting lounge to spend time in but it does the job.

Boarding was done as it should be - orderly and by class with a separate line for F/C pax and two entrances.

My third flight in F was another pleasure. Interestingly one of the female FAs struck me as quite different in attitude from the others I had encountered. She was not exactly impolite but for example on an earlier flight when I asked if I could have more than one praline I was encouraged to ‘have as many as I want – you are too skinny!’ whereas on this flight she sort of frowned and said ‘yes’. Later during the flight I asked if there was anything sweet (yes, I know, I am a sweet tooth) and her first reaction was ‘we don’t have any more pralines’ without offering an alternative. I got some candies, which I found a bit lame. For what it’s worth (i.e. maybe nothing) she did not look Singaporean (or Japanese) to me. The male FAs on this flight were fantastic though (and they really have to be for me to notice them ;-). One of them went well and truly beyond the call of duty in helping me with something. I can’t tell you what he did as, in his own words, it could get him into trouble, but it was great. As for the food – I had some caviar which went down really well, especially after several glasses of Dom. Next up was the Kaiseki meal and this was a much more elaborate version than the one offered on the night flight the week before, served in three ‘courses’. The presentation was fabulous and I would have really liked to take a picture but I forgot my camera. The taste was quite fantastic and this was easily the best meal I have ever had on an airplane. Minor gripe: they should really do away with those horrible wooden chopsticks and use some nicer ones. The sake served with this meal was excellent too. Just before landing I asked if they had anything else to eat (I gained 4 kgs during this flight). The FA offered ‘nuts’ (?) but after suggesting ‘cheese?’ they produced a nice platter of cheese with fruits. All in all the least consistent of the three flights so far in terms of service but the best in terms of food. I love that Blue Mountain coffee by the way.

My bag was out first in Singapore (gotta love that F tag!) :p

Brief interlude in Singapore and then Singapore-Bangkok on Airasia
This must be the biggest difference in flights one can get – from SQ in F to low cost carrier Air Asia. The reason I chose them was the price - S$89 versus nearly $600 for the cheapest alternative (TG) for that particular time/day. As I had a 5 hour layover and because of Airasia’s 15kg luggage maximum I decided to go into town and leave my luggage in the Ritz-Carlton for a week until my return which they graciously let me do. Also, when I asked, they very kindly let me use their pool/fitness facilities for a couple of hours, for free. I have stayed with them several times this year, so maybe that’s why but I sure did appreciate it. It is a great way to pass the time, much better than hanging around Changi, and all for $30 in taxi fares (return) and no need to pay for left luggage.

Airasia’s counter was very busy when I arrived but the wait wasn’t too bad at about 10 minutes. This was largely thanks to the incredibly efficient check-in girls. It took them less than 1 minute to check me in for this international flight ^ . Staralliance members – pay attention! BPs are slips of paper with your name written and the flight number manually stamped on them. I knew no food would be served on board so bought a sandwich beforehand. Boarding proceeded smoothly and as I was the last to board I was surprised to find an empty aisle seat at the front of the plane. Departure and arrival were on time. The FAs were friendly and quite professional – really nothing to complain about whatsoever.

Thailand
I had pricelined the JW Marriott for US$75 and it was a good deal. It is a nice 5* hotel with friendly staff and beautiful furnishings. The concierge that others reported on so positively I was less taken with. On more than one occasion I was fobbed off with half-answers. Other staff were very good though. As I had booked the room at a very deeply discounted rate and because the hotel was full I got one of the worst rooms in the house in a corner with a small window and not much in the way of views. However, the room itself was large with a wide corridor leading to a bar area, and a spacious bathroom. Amenities were good. I used the US$15 cable internet and when I couldn’t get it to work they sent someone up in 2 minutes who fixed it straight away. Well done! The spa is great and beautiful but the outside pool rather small and not very impressive.

Following advice from other FT-ers (see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308446&highlight=celadon) I booked a table at the Blue Elephant (www.blueelephant.com) and certainly did not regret it. After my earlier 4 weeks in Thailand this year (for work) I feel I have some idea of what is and what is not good Thai food and I thought this was truly excellent. The restaurant is housed in an old building with a lot of charm. Everything is presented beautifully. Staff are friendly but there were too many mistakes made (drink orders forgotten, the bill not brought, staff unknowleadgable about the menu, etc). A highlight was the foie gras with tamarind sauce; really divine. They do great cocktails too with fresh fruits.

The next day was Loy Krathong, a festival whereby thousands of people float small boats made of banana leaves with candles and incense stuck in them, on the Chao Praya river or other waterways, to send off their bad luck. The views from the restaurant were great and we could see the procession of boats beautifully. The food was as bad as the views were great, however. I had wanted to take up some of the suggestions made in this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=364983&highlight=supatra) but my host had made the reservation already.

Coming up: TG domestic C and Koh Lanta island!

Good to hear that you enjoyed your SQ F trips. Those amenity kits and PJs makes great christmas gifts btw. I gave one set to my sister, and she's loved it.

Btw, SQ also gives out playing cards and kids' souveniors (charlie brown or snoopy soft toys), and the writing kit is quite nice.

Btw, SQ also gives out playing cards and kids' souveniors (charlie brown or snoopy soft toys), and the writing kit is quite nice.

I look young but not young enough for the kids' souvenirs I don't think ;)

Is the writing kit something different from what you find in the stationery drawer?

Is the writing kit something different from what you find in the stationery drawer?

That's the one.

Nice report. But did you have to mention this? Curious minds want to know and the truth may not be half as bad as what I am speculating now :D

One of them went well and truly beyond the call of duty in helping me with something. I can’t tell you what he did as, in his own words, it could get him into trouble, but it was great.

Nice report. But did you have to mention this? Curious minds want to know and the truth may not be half as bad as what I am speculating now :D

How do you know? Maybe it is :D

Terrific report so far, fliar! looking forward to the continuation. :)

Excellent Report. I enjoy reading all the positive comments about SQ F class which is IMO the best in the sky!!!

There is so much space you could actually get lost. I heard one F passenger once fell through the leather cushions and has never been found. He can occasionally be heard asking for more Krug.

Perhaps he's not lost...he probably just doesn't want the wonderful experience to end! :)

Very nice report indeed!! ^

This is my first post!! Great report..thank you very much! Can you tell me about the Ritz Carlton in Singapore? I'll be staying there in early '05.

Excellent report! Always wondered what made SQ so great having never had the chance to fly them. From your report I definately see the reason for all the praise.

This is my first post!! Great report..thank you very much! Can you tell me about the Ritz Carlton in Singapore? I'll be staying there in early '05.

Welcome to FT Jediflyer! You must be one of the few new members to start off with a compliment rather than a question :)

Report on RC coming tonight or tomorrow. Watch this space...

Can you tell me about the Ritz Carlton in Singapore? I'll be staying there in early '05.

I love the Ritz Carlton in Singapore. Great rooms (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/singapore/photo_tour/accommodations/marina+deluxe+room_pt.asp) and bathrooms, both with truly amazing views, and unmatched service. Definitely recommended. ^

I second MovieMan on Ritz Carlton Singapore.
Although I would add that the bathroom is the real focus, not the room. :D

Thai Airways Bangkok-Krabi, in C
TG’s C class tickets within Thailand are only US$30 or so more than economy tickets and I was keen to try this out. The domestic lounge is old but spacious and has some hot food and a drinks bar. It is lightyears away from the stunning international TG lounges but adequate I thought. Unfortunately there is no internet access. TG’s C class on this flight (737-400) was 3 rows of 2x2 of very wide seats with limited pitch. Before take-off towels were handed out and drinks were served. During the 1:15 flight a hot lunch with dessert was served and this was quite tasty. The equipment is not very well suited to this short flight, however. The trays for example are so ridiculously big and wide that the person in front of you cannot recline during the meal service. For this reason row 3 (for some reason labelled row 13 or so) is probably the best as it is the last. Row 1 (row 11 I think) has more legroom but cannot recline either during the meal service. No alcohol is served on domestic flights. FAs were friendly and helpful.

I had booked myself into a resort on Koh Lanta called Sri Lanta. I would have loved to stay at rayavadee but they wouldn’t give any discount for 3 nights as a solo traveller and it came out to US$650 or so per night. Way over my budget. Sri lanta cost about $100 and was very nice. Koh Lanta is much more crowded than I had thought/hoped. I should have done my homework better. Although it is certainly not Phuket it is basically full of resorts and restaurants/cafes/shops catering to tourists. Sri Lanta is further south on the island and relatively quiet but it’s not the hideaway I had hoped for. Having said that there are no discos anywhere near the place and only a handful of beach restaurants. The place itself is beautiful, made up of natural materials with lovely cabins with a/c but no TV/radio (thank God!) although there is a TV room by the reception. The restaurant was surprisingly good, definitely much better than the cheaper surrounding restaurants.

After 3 days of peace and quiet it was time to head back. There is no lounge in Krabi airport but C pax are given a voucher for the restaurant for a free (non-alcoholic) drink and there is a small section for exec pax with comfortable sofas. The 14:30 return flight only had a pastry puff for food. I asked for and got a second one. Both ways only farangs occupied the C seats (12/12 on the way down, 5/12 on the way up).

Singapore: Ritz-Carlton suite and Airasia
It had to happen some time but I still was shocked to find out I had made a mistake in the date for my Airasia return flight when booking online. I had to change my ticket but as it was the same day it cost me the same as what I had originally paid for my return flight. Still quite cheap though (2,500 baht; I checked at the TG office, their flights were 90% empty but the cheapest they could offer for a one-way was 8,000 baht). Everything at BKK airport takes twice as long as elsewhere and without lounge access (a first in two years) I definitely felt unhappy roaming this chaotic airport with unfriendly staff (especially the information desk staff). The Thai restaurant on level 1 has more staff than you could ever wish for but it takes 10 minutes to get anyone’s attention. It was almost funny to watch hands going up throughout the room from people desperate to put in their orders or get their cheques.

Amazing really…two years ago I had never flown in C nor ever seen a lounge. Now I don’t even know what to do at an airport without (unless it’s Changi)… :p

I had the last seat in the plane, luckily a window seat. Woaw, also that has been a long time…the smell of kerosene was pretty bad. The flight departed 40 minutes late but arrived only 10 minutes behind schedule.

As I arrived late I had booked a room (at a special conference rate of $65 including taxes and breakfast, in which I did not partake) at the Robertson Quay hotel (www.robertsonquay.com). I highly recommend it as a cheap option. The location is great, the rooms are clean, there is a/c, tv, and even very cheap broadband internet. The rooms are small but staff were helpful and I would certainly not hesitate to choose this place again (although I would also like to try hotel 1929).

The next morning however I was ready for some real luxury. It was with some anticipation that I returned to the Ritz-Calrton after my stay earlier this year. Lo and behold, the reception staff recognised me (after 7 months!!) and so did the Club staff. The girl at reception actually asked me if I was on the way back to see my family or on my way back home; what a memory! The service in this hotel is indeed truly amazing. I was not once asked for my name in the Club or my room number. A nice surprise upon check-in – the hotel was quite full and they had upgraded me from a premier room to a junior suite on level 28. Woaw…I know that some FT-ers stay in these sorts of places all the time but I don’t. It was about the size of my house (okay, I’m exaggerating) with a separate living room, dining room, a guest bathroom, main bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe the size of my hotelroom at Robertson Quay. The views over Singapore and the ocean were, as usual, stunning. I feel that every time I stay here it adds to the recognition I get. The upgrade, I am pretty sure, was probably in part thanks to my earlier stays. Club staff actually remember what you like to drink and eat and when and went out of their way to accommodate requests. Even the lobby staff at the entrance were oustanding. They quickly look at your luggage label when you arrive to greet you by name and when you go out and return later they say ‘welcome back’ instead of ‘welcom to the Ritz-Calrton. Wicked! There were a couple of minor gripes with keys having to be reprogrammed about 6 times, the club concierge phone not being answered and a number of minor technical glitches, but all in all this hotel seems to really be able to a large extent to give you a personalised experience. A real feat in such a large hotel. In a previous report (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319359&highlight=ritz-carlton+singapore) I have described the hotel in some more detail. The Summer Pavillion restaurant serves good Cantonese food by the way. The atmosphere is nice too.

However, the food (although really of a high quality) could not match what was served at My Humble House – one of my favourite restaurants in Singapore. This is a hypercool place with a superswhish décor. The food is a rather innnovatie fusion of eastern and western cuisens, and for me it worked as it did last year when I was here. It’s in the Esplanade and I highly recommend it. Ask for a table at the back where you will have views over the city.

From the Singapore F lounge - the last leg coming up now...will report soon... :D

My last (for now!) flight in F – SIN-SYD
Check-in for first class in Singapore is *really* cool. There’s a bunch of porters with trolleys outside the terminal who take your bags, hotel-style. A lady came up to me, introduced herself and asked where I would be flying to. She walked me over to the F check-in area which is an enclosed area with comfortable seating; much like a lounge really. A drink would have been even better. I then gave her my ticket and passport and she went off with those to get my BP. She double-checked my long lay-over in Sydney on the way to Auckland and that I really wanted to check my luggage through. She said someone would be waiting for me in SYD to guide me through the transfer area. What a relaxing way to check in! The F lounge was its pleasant self. I love the large number of magazines and newspapers. I had just bought a wirless card for my laptop and was able to access the network which was a cool (first for me) experience. The showers were not very clean, nor were they the last time by the way. I had some of the delicious cakes but no alcohol as I was just too tired.

Boarding was called separately but if you were not in the waiting area at the time there was no separate line for F/C pax which is not very good imo. There are two entrances, however, so you arrive in relative quiet. Service on this flight was impeccable. I decided not to partake in the snack (dumpling soup with flower mushrooms or a wam croissant with shaved ham and Emmental) and after a glas of Dom (oh, how I’ll miss that!) asked for my bed to be made which was promptly done with two duvets (the cabin was only 6/12 full). I had a great sleep and was woken up 1:30 before arrival. I had orderd Nasi Lemak through BTC and it was wonderful. The prawns were big and spicy, the cucumber nice and cool. I really loved it. I also had some fresh fruit and blue mountain coffee.

I stroked the ever so soft Connolly leather one more time and then it was the end of my F experience. It will be a while yet before I will see the inside of such a cabin again….(*sobbing*).

Air NZ in Y from SYD-AKL
The promised SQ person was nowhere to be seen so I headed over to the NZ lounge for my long layover in Sydney. However, it was closed for cleaning so I had a quick shower in the SQ lounge (the C showers are better than the F ones!) before also that closed at 12:30. The NZ lounge was closed until 13:00 but at 13:10 there was still no one. I had another stroll around the airport and came back at 13:30 by which time it was open and I found myself a nice and comfortable couch for a 2-hour sleep. There was decent food and remembering the meagre offerings on the way over I had quite a bit.

The flight was only half full and I snatched a row for myself. The dinner service, if it can be called that, was really only snack size. This is not good enough, especially not for the time of the day (18:00) for a 3 hour flight. Everything else about the flight was fine, however.

Reminiscing
SQ do have a marvellous F product. I can see why others talk about it so much. There was really very little room for improvement. I had the odd less-than-impeccable-but-still-good FA, I had nuts offered when I asked for food, I don’t like the cheap wooden chopsticks they serve with their brilliant kaiseki meals, and I think the toilets are too small (same size as Y/C just better appointed). If you really want to be picky, the ‘mattrass’ could have been thicker (I think that’s why people recommend using two). In terms of (pre-)checkin services SQ should try and offer something along the lines of what they do in SIN at other stations too. Maybe a limousine pick-up like EK. Also, they should try to always offer two boarding lines and where possible two entrances.

However, overall there is little to fault them, at least not in my experience on these first flights. It was a delight.

26 hours of bliss really. ^

Thank you very much for your report. I enjoyed reading every single word of it.