Trip Reports - *A Status Run in C & F UA/SQ/NH

My first attempt at a trip report. It came about after an eye-opening year reading the insight on Flyertalk, learning everything from the purpose of a mileage run to booking classes. I found solace knowing I wasn’t an anomaly, finding others who would fly half-way across the world to earn miles/status and try to maximize the enjoyment in the sky and on the ground. My goal with this trip was to earn 1K status, and visit Singapore which I had always wanted to see. Here’s the itinerary:

UA LAX-NRT #891 8177 13628 EQM
UA NRT-TPE #853 1356 3390 EQM
SQ TPE-SIN #871 Award Tix
SQ SIN-BKK #68 Award Tix
NH BKK-NRT #916 2868 EQM
NH NRT-LAX A #6 5451 EQM

TOTAL EQM earned: 25,337

At 75,514 EQM on UAL, I’d just sneak by to 1k Lite for the first time. Knowing I’d reach this threshold, I had no incentive for UA flights back, just needed to earn on any *A, and thanks to a great tip about buying cheap ex-BKK, I routed through there to get a very well priced F return on ANA’s New Style.

UA FLIGHT 891 LAX-NRT – C-Class
A quick stop by the RCC first. I wasn’t offered drink coupons, but there were enough past threads on this topic, that I went back to ask, and, voila. So thanks to those who have brought this to my attention. Quick drink and off to board. I didn’t pay much attention to the details so many others seem to include in trip reports like lift off time, aircraft registration number or flight path. Let’s just say, nothing was out of the ordinary. Had seat 17A, unable to snag row 15 on the 747. Unfortunately, the service was less than stellar. Now, it is United so this shouldn’t be too unexpected, except that in the past, even on domestic segments, I’ve always found there to be rather exceptional service in the upper deck cabin. I’ve read the many complaints about United’s “Prison Matrons” on international flights, and these two could have been part of that clan. There were few smiles, they were older, and didn’t seem to care much about anything. Started with the drink service. Her: What do you want to drink? Me: A Vodka Soda please. Her: (With a look of confusion) What type of soda? I was afraid from now on I’d half to waste a syllable of speech and always through the word “Club” in the middle. Next meal service came through and I was looking forward to my pre-ordered Bento (again, another tip from Flyertalk). The cart rolled down the aisle, and a tray with a nice salad and appetizer appeared and was handed to me. The other flight attendant noticed and told her to grab it back. I felt a little let down, thinking I was going to get both the main appetizer and my Bento, but no such luck.

The Bento itself was edible, more interesting than typical UA choices, but rather bland. More disappointing is the offering of inflight snacks between meals. My previous flights on ANA, there were choices of hot dishes served on trays. Here it was a bag of Sunchips or Toblerone. IFE was as expected, the small monitor with the loop of movie choices and “Air Show.” I laughed flashing back to Goldflyer’s amazing trip report, having stumbled upon it in the forum doing a search for Singapore. If you haven’t read it, stop right now and go here here. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182481&highlight=goldflyer+aeroplane) Needless to say, I couldn’t help cracking a smile watching this avante garde film showing a little aeroplane moving on a map set to music. Then I flashed to another image from his post, wondering what lecture the Prison Matron’s might give in “Business Class.”

What I realized from this flight is that UA can’t really afford to dramatically improve their business class product (say AVOD and/or Flat Seats), as they would lose any rationalization to charge a premium for their first class product. I find the business class seat more comfortable overall, food quality is relatively similar, and service is such a crap shoot, that there really is no premium to be paid for it. There is such inconsistency of US-based crews, that it could just as easily be solid in economy and less than stellar in first. The only difference can be in seat options, and if you make business on par with first in terms of entertainment and lie-flat, they are essentially the same product. At least now, first class gives you the cassettes which gives you a poor man’s VOD. Although one thing entertaining on this flight available across the board were the strange interruptions on Channel 9, where somehow all the communications between flight deck and cabin crew were patched onto it. Drink requests, asking if the pilots were ready for their meals, etc., all came over the air.

NRT RCC
If only they were like these in the States. Everything from the service to the facilities was heads and tails better than any domestic RCC. At the door, you are greeted with smiles and bows by employees standing at the entrance who peripherally glance at your boarding pass, not two glaring women swiping your BP behind a desk. I had been waiting anxiously to see this raved-about Beer Machine, and was not let down. You put your glass in and press a button, and it tilts it at a slight angle, filling the glass almost to the top, then it tops it off with a dollop of foam. There is a full complimentary bar available (no need to ask for my two chits), showers, and it is huge. It is somewhat amazing to see how many United Flights are going out around this time of day and seeing such a packed lounge. The only disappointment was that the Wifi signal kept breaking up. It almost didn’t seem like this facility belonged in the UAL family, much more befitting a first-class carrier. And it becomes immediately apparent that what distinguishes American carriers from Asian carriers has a tremendous amount do to cultural differences. A little more about this on the next flight.

UA FLIGHT 853 NRT-TPE – C-Class
Was able to snag row 15, unfortunately not a window though. For all I know, this could have been the same aircraft I flew in on (remember, not paying attention to registration numbers). But the flight had an entirely different feel. In fact, it seemed in concert with many other flights on Asian carriers based primarily on the quality of service. Greetings by name, remembering which of two reds someone was drinking instead of having to ask, efficiencies and smiles all around – and they knew what a vodka soda was. The service, and how welcome you feel aboard makes a world of difference, regardless of the seat. When put in this context, United’s product doesn't seem that bad. I find that their seats are more comfortable than any other *A old style business seat and the cabin scheme as attractive. Putting aside SQ’s IFE (and possibly ANA’s new system which I will try out soon), it is on par with any comparable product. The real difference is that you can’t achieve high marks as an airline with a U.S. based crew. It’s purely a different service mentality than other parts of the world. And its not a matter of training, its just a matter of culture. It's a sense of attention and caring that surpasses a smile. Service is more than being friendly. Just as a quick summary, in typical fashion drinks w/ warm nuts were served, followed by appetizer/salad and a choice of three entrees (2 Asian/1 Western). Food was really good on this flight, and as I hadn't slept since leaving LAX, it was time to get a few hours of shut-eye. As a parting thought on this flight, I still wonder why even inter-Asia there are still plastic knives? Anyway, a really enjoyable flight, one of my best ever on UA.

TAIPEI
The only time I have Chinese food for breakfast is when I have cold leftovers from the night before. It was quite a treat to have this as the offering of choice at the Hyatt. Afterwards, I only had about an hour to explore before heading to the airport, so I was restricted to the local sites which ended up making a perfectly fine morning. I headed nearby to a sort of city hall like structure set amongst a large garden area called Sun Yatsen. On the way there, my favorite part was seeing the street crossing signals. Instead of the stagnant red and green signals, these were animated. When its time to cross, a little green man made of LEDs walks and walks and walks. Unfortunately, the red man representing the stop is stationary, which I guess makes sense. Walking around the main grounds of Taipei’s palace, I saw a crowd gathered inside, and it happened to be the changing of the guards. It’s the unexpected moments of travel like these that put a smile on my face, when you stumble upon something you would have never planned for. But to the same token, it was a kind of weak ceremony. Two guards hold watch over this huge statue of I don’t know who. There’s a lot of banging of rifle butts on the marble floor, some strange footwork, and a lot of ceremony for just two guards. Even stranger was after the two (yes, the changing involved all of two guards) took their posts, a guy in civilian clothing comes along to make sure their uniforms are in proper form, tugging their clothes as if dressing a mannequin. If this is representative of their military force, they’ve got problems ahead if they’re going to duke it out with China. Anyway, back to my random stroll, I had been told that the tallest building in the world was just around the corner. Apparently, it has taken over that claim from the Patronis (sp?) Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Taipei 101. The first few levels of this building comprise a mall, and due to time constraints my visit consisted of walking from one end of the ground floor to the other, but at least I can claim that I have been in the tallest building in the world. Back to the hotel for check-out, I noticed next to me a group of women dressed in sarongs. Knowing this was my upcoming flight staff, I listened as the check-out staff asked each one if they had consumed anything from the mini-bar the previous night. I was hoping one would say “yes” so I could call them out on the flight, but no such luck.

OFF TO EXPERIENCE SQ NEXT!

The real difference is that you can’t achieve high marks as an airline with a U.S. based crew. It’s purely a different service mentality than other parts of the world. And its not a matter of training, its just a matter of culture. It's a sense of attention and caring that surpasses a smile. Service is more than being friendly.

Sad but true. And worst of all, our airlines don't particularly seem to care about this while many of our countrymen don't even seem to notice...

Interesting and astute observations and insights. Thanks for a fine Trip Report so far! ^ ^


P.S. I've always included the aircraft N-Numbers, not only for my own records but also because I've always seen them included in Trip Reports of old such as those written by my favorite Trip Reporter, David P Morgan of Airliners International magazine (circa 1974/75). As such, I include them more for the thoroughness angle appreciated by the flight report purists but even then I'm not really sure what most readers will gain from this bit of information. "Hey! I've been on that aircraft before!" Yes, and... :) Details, Detailzzzzzzzzzz (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180517&referrerid=6135).....

SQ FLIGHT #871 TPE-SIN - C-Class
I did not get off to a good start at Singapore Air. Upon check-in, I was told that they could not give me a seat assignment. I was instructed to hang out in the lounge, and check with the desk there 30 minutes before departure once the check-in counter had closed. I’m not sure which level in SQ’s frequent flyer scheme is equivalent to *A Gold, but apparently there must have been at least 36 of them taking up all the windows and aisles. They implied that any frequent flyer with SQ would have priority, which kind of makes their inclusion in the alliance questionable (like their recent decision to make award travel require a higher mileage redemption than on other star partners). I guess the flip side is that I’ve always had my preferential seat with United, so I can only complain with a modicum of hypocrisy. The lounge is nice, had a good selection of beverages and food, as well as internet terminals. But it was packed, almost every seat taken, and only this one flight was going out. On my way out, they wrote my seat assignment in and I headed to the gate. As for the flight itself, I boarded the 777 Jubilee but was not very Jubilant seeing my middle seat in the back. However, KrisWorld as always is phenomenal. Even on this relatively short flight, there were tons of movies, and I love that you can program an audio playlist from the selections. This SQ flight crew was the best I’ve ever had with them (only two flights so far). The others had been trans-Pacifics, where there was one cabin attendant primarily responsible to you the whole time. So you better hope that one person is good. Here there was far more interaction with the entire cabin crew, and the consistency among all of them was stellar. The one disappointment was when they asked for my meal choice. “Mr. POD, what can I get you for dinner?” I gave them my choice, and they told me it ran out. At least on United they come clean with you and tell you they are out of something before offering and the inevitable let down. Menu is printed per city pair (and later collected), letting you see the choices to and from each city by time of day. There were three entrée choices (only two by the time it was my turn), and the beverage selection shine with espresso, coffee drinks, different iced teas, specialty drinks, etc. UA at least is trying this out on its P.S. service offering specialty drinks like Bellini’s and Kir Royals, but I would much prefer an espresso/cappuccino, then drinking their Starkbucks excuse for coffee. Time flew by with the entertainment, and we were soon approaching Singapore. Debarking the plane I was filling out my landing card, and the gentleman next to me saw my USA passport cover and glared. I wanted to tell him it was okay because I am from a blue state, but kept my mouth shut. Another interesting thing about arriving in Singapore was walking from an international flight right into the departure terminal. Being no domestic flights, you don’t get corralled into back passageways until you clear customs. Also impressive was seeing row after row of SQ liveries, thinking how this one isolated city-state is able to funnel mass amounts of traffic from all over the world.

SINGAPORE
Driving in from the airport, you are bombarded with high-rise after high-rise of condominiums. For those familiar with Los Angeles, it was like Park La Brea on steroids. I had been convinced to stay at the Ritz-Carlton after the rave reviews in the Luxury Hotel board. It was good advice. Upon entering the lobby, you are personally escorted to the check-in desk, and this person acts as your liaison, getting your passport and CC to hand to the front desk, and later showing you up to your room. When she realized I was from Los Angeles, she asked if I lived in the O.C. Apparently, the show is really big in Singapore. Between the guy on the plane glaring at my passport, and now someone thinking we all were like the dysfunctional cast of this television show, I was feeling rather ashamed of my homeland.

The room has an amazing view out over the marina. Actually, it was already dark out when I arrived, but that was what I was told. On recommendations, I had a club level room, which wasn’t actually on the club level but several stories below. A few people on the LuxHotel board kvetched about their club rooms being on different floors than the lounge. The laziness kind of reminds me of my gym in L.A., where people valet their car. Or if its not laziness, maybe it was the ego of having others see you press the button for the tope floor on the elevator, which reminds me of a Mid-Westerner sitting in First Class (if a domestic A319 deserves that label) for the first time who wanted the world to know she was sitting in the premium cabin. She was getting heavily liquored up, and kept calling out “First Class Stewardess, First Class Stewardess” every time she wanted another drink. But I digress. Anyway, the club lounge is a nice escape, but not really worth the price difference. The breakfast they set out is much less interesting than in the lobby (I must admit I went to both) – mostly just American standbys. And I can’t really understand why people would want to eat lunch here when you have so many amazing eating opportunities right outside the front door.

And with that, I headed out to Newton Hawker Center for my first taste of Chili Crab. It was probably 90 degrees outside, the dish was twice that hot, and then there was the spice. I sweat a lot during that meal. It was very apparent this was my first time eating the dish, as I kept getting instructions on the best ways to eat it. I tried to use my chopsticks at the beginning, but soon gave up on trying to keep it clean and dug in. All I can say is, if this were Europe they’d offer a finger bowl. I left the table with a stack of napkins scattered everywhere. From there it was off to the Night Safari. I had been warned it was touristy (by the check-in lady at R.C.), but then again, what was I? I kind of felt like I was living Jurassic Park. You board a tram that silently drives through the dark woods, and along the way there are little areas of light where the animals are. There are several great animals to see, but the tour guide on the tram was a little dramatic, telling us in one breath how a species was nearly extinct because of the hunter’s bullet, and in the next breadth telling us a lame joke about how his wife had more power in their relationship like the water buffalo (I can’t remember which animal he actually compared her to). The cab on the way back had this little device where every time it exceeded 90/kmh, a chiming sound went off. Of course, 54mph is a little slow on the open highway, so this continued for a good, very annoying 30 minutes. If the car manufactures really wanted to make this device a deterrent, they could have thought of a more obnoxious sound so possibly the driver would have to pay heed.

Next day was spent exploring Chintown and the Financial district. The city is a really nice blend of East and West. In the afternoon I moved to the Raffles, just to experience this famous property. Upon arrival, you are ushered to your stateroom where a staff member checks you in while your room butler shows you the suite and its functions. She highlights a service button on the bed’s console, and promises if I press it she will respond within 32 seconds. I sense a challenge, and a while later I hit the button, looking at my watch. It took 37 seconds for her to show up and I was upset at having been lied to. I’m not sure if she sensed my pain. Disappointed at the letdown, I flipped on the television, and to my surprise, “The O.C.” is on. Being reminded about how messed up Orange County is and how I had earlier been though to hail from there, I needed to get out of the hotel. For dinner, I headed to a recommended hawker stand in the financial district. An adjourning street is closed off to traffic and filled with tables where about 20 vendors line up all selling satay. I had no idea which to patronize, but settled on stand 9, and enjoyed my dinner of duck and chicken skewers with peanut sauce and a beer. It was a perfect, simple meal in the heat and humidity of Singapore. I wondered how all the different stands competed, offering pretty much an identical product. It’s like Starbucks (can you sense my disdain) moving into any street where another coffee store is successful, except here they seemed to co-exist rather than drive their neighbors out of business. I returned to the wonderful Raffles, and headed to the Long Bar for my long awaited taste of Colonial Singapore. It was extremely disheartening. It had as much authenticity as Paris Las Vegas. Tourists everywhere sipped Singapore Slings poured from a pre-made pitcher while a band played campy stand-bys that people could sing along to. Flashbulbs continued to go off as people posed with their Slings. All this hype led to a big let down, and I sadly made my way back to the main building and visited the Author’s Bar. This was more like it, quiet and classy as I expected this hotel would be. It was a great one-time experience to stay there, but preferred the more laid-back attitude of the R.C. I woke to another day of exploring, Little India and Orchard Road, some authentic Chicken Rice for lunch, getting caught in a tropical downpour and then it was off to Bangkok.

Fantastic report, Mr pod - looking forward to more, and reading about your experiences with ANA new style F in particular.

At 75,514 EQM on UAL, I’d just sneak by to 1k Lite for the first time. Knowing I’d reach this threshold, I had no incentive for UA flights back, just needed to earn on any *A, and thanks to a great tip about buying cheap ex-BKK, I routed through there to get a very well priced F return on ANA’s New Style.

Great report.
Iam off to BKK in Feb 2005, can you remember what the First class fare was with ANA to Narita?

thanks. :)
Qatar

Qatar-
Don't know the fare from BKK-NRT, as my ticket was all the way through to LAX, but I'd say definately buy it in BKK, rather than in NRT.

SQ FLIGHT # 68 – SIN-BKK – C-Class
A quick check-in and a retreat to the Silver Kris Lounge. It was vast, but dark. There were two food/beverage areas on either side of the lounge. Full drinks were available in these self-serve areas as well as a mix of food from really nasty looking sandwiches to springrolls to seafood pasta. Ironically, there was a bar in the center of the lounge, which considering the self-serve areas were fully stocked seemed redundant. About 30 minutes before my flight, I looked at the departure monitors. FLIGHT 68 – FINAL CALL. Nervous they would deny me boarding I dashed to the gate, not getting a chance to see the purported wonders of Changi. Note for next time, final call does not mean final call. Seems more like they flash it on the screen the moment the flight begins boarding. So back on board Jubilee #2. I got a window seat, and an entire empty row all 7 across. The cabin seemed maybe 25% full. I don’t know if this is regular on this route, considering there is so much frequency and competition. The cabin and seats looked identical to that of the previous flight, but trying out the AVOD, it was a much older system. I popped out the video screen which seemed about 2” smaller. But it wasn’t different from most airline video screens, its just that on the other plane they were huge. There was no playlist feature, and the selection of audio and video choices was far fewer. Of course, I had to apply my service litmus test on this flight and started with a vodka soda followed by Red Wine. The crew successfully passed, knowing the intent of “soda” and remembering which wine for refills. There was a full meal service, a small salad with salmon, followed by choice of entrees and dessert. Two observations about their impressive service. First, I noticed a small chip on the wine glass and pointed it out just so it wouldn’t be re-catered. A few moments later the chief stewardess came over profusely apologizing. I was impressed that they would even bother to do this. The other incident happened during the beginning of the flight which really illustrated the difference in service between US and Asian carriers. The same chief stewardess walked to the different passengers, offering to turn on their reading lights as the cabin was soon to be dimmed. I think I would have been a little disturbed if my United “Prison Matrons” tried to reach across my lap to fumble with it. Debarking, it took a while for the jetway to arrive, so I was chatting with the cabin staff. When they realized I was from L.A., they started talking about the Leadership flights. I don’t know if it is standard for crews to work both their shortest routes as well as their longest. Their philosophy must be that service levels should be equal across their entire airline, something I’m not accustomed to. A very nice flight, giving me just enough rest to prepare for the mile-long walk to baggage claim.


ADVENTURES IN BKK
One of the Flyertalk posts suggested an airport limo service priced similarly to a taxicab. Being the insightful traveler I thought I was, I prebooked the service, which was waiting with my name at the airport. A short wait and we were off to the city – Destination Mandarin Oriental. A relatively short drive later, the driver pulls into the porte cochere.. The name was emblazoned into the marble entrance, noticeably lacking the word “Oriental.” Off the lobby was a sleazy bar, and the décor seemed more befitting a Sheraton. My bags were dropped and I was wondering if people were drunk or high when they voted this one of the top hotels in the world. I inquired the staff, double-checking that this was the Mandarin Oriental. Moments later I found myself back in the same car, luggage loaded, headed to a new destination with my driver laughing at my apparent stupidity. Now I flashback to my conversation with the driver moments before. Him: How much do you pay for the hotel? Me: (Not wanting to offend with the real price) 8000 Baht/Night. It’s a great hotel though, right? Him: (A moment of silence and change of subject) I know a place only 1200 Baht. I can no understand why he thought I was crazy for paying such a rate for The Mandarin. Anyway, we finally pulled into the hotel, and I looked for the Mandarin Oriental logo, though it has dropped the “Mandarin” word for this property. Now I really feel stupid. And then I think, how Un-PC to call a hotel “The Oriental.”

I had stayed at The Peninsula in January, so I wanted to see how these hotels compared. The “Oriental” has a much better location on the right side of the river. The Peninsula wins on facilities, everything from rooms to the restaurants to the gym. It feels newer. I had an end room in the River Wing. Each room in this wing has an angled window so you have a partial view of the Chao Phraya. But only the two rooms at the west end look dead on, while others run perpendicular to it. The Oriental’s service was second to none. I would walk into the elevator and my floor will have already been pressed. Going across the river to lunch at their great Thai restaurant, I was greeted by name getting off the boat. How they knew it was me, I have no idea. In fact, it seemed everyone knew my name. I felt as if they have still photos of every guest they show to the staff before shifts for familiarity. It was really outstanding – and a little eerie. They have a great jazz bar, which had the atmosphere I had hoped for at Raffles Long Bar.

Since on my previous trip, I had seen all the tourist sites, I didn’t do as much sightseeing. In fact, the best sights this time were the 60 year-old men with Thai’s 1/3 their age. This was EVERYWHERE: On the streets, in every restaurant, every bar. It is actually reflective of a really sad side of this city. Many people I passed tried to offer to set me up with parts of Bangkok’s notorious underbelly. Anyway, I went to pick up my plane ticket for the flight back home. This was the primary reason I came back to Thailand. Took a cab about 20 minutes to the travel agency for the large sum of maybe $2. Getting the ticket was a cinch, and thanks to Schoflyer for the great tip. Here I was with a R/T ticket on ANA New Style F for less than a O/W business class ticket would cost going the other direction. Now, mission accomplished, I had a lot of time to kill. I saw a nearby subway stop, so jumped on just to see where it would take me. The subway seems brand-new. After a few stops, I jumped and tried to locate where I was. Based on a map, I guessed I was about a 20 minute walk to the Grand Palace, so off I went. 20 minutes later, there was no sign of the Grand Palace, nor any other tourists. Streets were packed with busses and tuk tuks, the sidewalks weren’t even moving. I think it was Chinatown, but really have no idea. I saw a Buddhist temple, and walked inside to see it and get my bearings. It was so strange, just steps off one of the busiest streets I had ever been on, to walk into this peaceful refuge. Incense was burning, people were eating and praying. Things just moved at such a different pace, it was really awe inspiring. It wasn’t at all a tourist site, just a local Wat, but I was able to find it on a map. I realized walking to the Grand Palace would have taken me another hour or so, but I was much happier where I ended up. I hailed a Tuk-Tuk for the ride back. I know you are supposed to bargain, but his offered price was so low to begin with, I wasn’t going to haggle. We spent the whole time behind a large bus, so my lungs weren’t too happy.

The rest of my time in Bangkok was pretty uneventful. I got a restaurant recommendation that happened to be about a block or two from the Patpong area. For those of you not familiar, it’s the red-light district. So as I dined by my lonesome, the three hostesses kept looking at me and laughing. I can only assume they thought I was grabbing a quick bite before heading out to the evening’s entertainment. Actually had a great meal. They had a brochure with quotes, one of which: “Out of 10 Points, Naj’s food would receive an almost perfect score of nine.” I’ve never heard of a “perfect nine” before. I skipped the Patpong, and walked through the nearby nightmarket. Of course, there were throngs of Westerners walking the other direction for “massages” and more. The final day, I also made it to the weekend market. This is a sprawling mass packed with people buying everything from jeans to pet food from hundreds of kiosk packed close together. Worth a visit, but bear in mind its closed during the week.

And up next, the long awaited New Style F on ANA…

FINAL CALL. Nervous they would deny me boarding I dashed to the gate, not getting a chance to see the purported wonders of Changi. Note for next time, final call does not mean final call. Seems more like they flash it on the screen the moment the flight begins boarding.

This has long annoyed me about Changi. It seems that "BOARDING" means "we're thinking of opening the gate lounge really soon" and "FINAL CALL" means "we're starting boarding". This makes it impossible to have any idea of when to go to the gate.

I can no understand why he thought I was crazy for paying such a rate for The Mandarin.

Why not? 1200 baht will get you a hotel equivalent to something that will cost $150 a night in our cities. So, in his context, your 8000 a night is similar to us paying $1000 a night. Not many people think that's worth the money, no matter what the quality.

The real difference is that you can’t achieve high marks as an airline with a U.S. based crew. It’s purely a different service mentality than other parts of the world. And its not a matter of training, its just a matter of culture. It's a sense of attention and caring that surpasses a smile. Service is more than being friendly.

Ya know, I used to think the same until last week when I flew CO BF IAH-CDG-IAH. I find it hard to remember when I've had better, more attentive service in BC, and that sample includes QF, BA and CX.

This has long annoyed me about Changi. It seems that "BOARDING" means "we're thinking of opening the gate lounge really soon" and "FINAL CALL" means "we're starting boarding". This makes it impossible to have any idea of when to go to the gate.

My own rule of thumb is to wait until it is within about 3 flights from closed - number varying depending on how far away the gate is. So far I've never missed a flight or been paged, although I was once the last onboard.

Terenz-
I'm not saying that you never have a superb U.S. based crew. I just find it the exception rather than the rule, whereas I see it consistently on foreign carriers. Also, its a different type of service, feels more organic.

Kremmen-
I agree that in the context you describe, it sounds incredibly expensive, but put in the context of the best hotels in the U.S., $200 is an extremely good rate. In New York, you'd be paying several times that for an equivalent property. Adding on to that the staff/guest ratio, levels of service, etc. it is that much better.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with my trip report/rant. Will try to get the ANA flights up here soon.

I agree that in the context you describe, it sounds incredibly expensive, but put in the context of the best hotels in the U.S., $200 is an extremely good rate. In New York, you'd be paying several times that for an equivalent property. Adding on to that the staff/guest ratio, levels of service, etc. it is that much better.


The best US hotels are utterly ludicrously overpriced by even Australian standards. ... but now that the US$ is heading gradually towards a more reasonable exchange rate, that's starting to change just a little.

I've read that drivers in Thailand earn about 10,000 baht a month, driving 6 days per week. All I was getting at is that your one night's stay is almost a month's wages to him and it's probably incomprehensible from his perspective for anyone to spend money that way.

However, more interesting is that you said that 8000 wasn't what you really paid. What was the actual rate?

Kremmen-
The actual rate was about US$340. But I booked through Amex Centurion so with their "buy one, get one free" benefit at M.O.'s, it was a very respectable $170/night for a great room. Not necessarily respectable by Bangkok standards, but I couldn't do a quick conversion to Baht so rounded off when I told the driver. I'm actually headed to Australia in January for the first time in January (very excited). If US rates are "utterly ludicrously overpriced" by your standards, what should I be looking at to pay for a nice property down under?

If US rates are "utterly ludicrously overpriced" by your standards, what should I be looking at to pay for a nice property down under?

You know, I actually find that a hard question, because I spend vastly more time in hotel rooms overseas than in my own country.

Of course, it all depends on what you most value. I rather like the Westin in Melbourne and the W in Sydney, which tend to both be a little over A$200 a night from the chain, but there are lots of lower priced good alternatives. The Sheraton in Perth (~$150) is a lower-end Sheraton from a facilities point of view, but I found their service to be excellent. In all these examples, there are two common features: A decent swimming pool and excellent service. Those happen to be two things that I value, while others may have different tastes, or indeed have different experiences just because of the different staff that they encounter.

Thanks, I enjoyed reading that.

About 30 minutes before my flight, I looked at the departure monitors. FLIGHT 68 – FINAL CALL. Nervous they would deny me boarding I dashed to the gate, not getting a chance to see the purported wonders of Changi. Note for next time, final call does not mean final call.



Final call is actually meant for economy passengers. It's one way of getting economy passengers into the holding area since everyone needs to go thru security at the gate.

Out of curiosity, how much was your FRT on ANA?

ANA FLIGHT 916 – BKK-NRT - C-Class
I arrived a little too early at the airport, trying to make-up for my missed opportunity of exploration at SIN. I was nervous as the ticket agent poured over my ticket during check-in, thinking possibly I had been conned by the cheap travel agent. But my ticket survived unscathed, and moments later boarding pass in hand. Through sheer luck, I ended up at BKK with exactly 200 Baht, just enough to pay the departure tax which I had forgotten about. When I was last there in January, I had stumbled through a few lounges (TG & UA) before finding the good one down the hall. So I knew exactly where to go. Most of the passengers seemed to be waiting for a Lufthansa flight scheduled about 30 minutes before my departure. Lots of beverage choices as well as some indistinguishable hot food options. I passed on the food. It’s a really nice lounge, of course, it was built just in time for the airport to close and relocate. Off to the gate, and again one of the last to board for the 11:55p departure. This was a Club Asia 767, which was a very nicely designed plane. Seating was 2-1-2, and the middle seat has a storage compartment on the right, similar to the upper deck of a 747 though slightly smaller. A pre-printed menu was on the seat, and it appeared there was a whole dinner service, or so I thought. After take-off, hot towels, and then the flight attendants went down either aisle with a tray of light snacks. Apparently, the dinner is only on dinner time flights, which ANA doesn’t run during the month the menu is printed for, so I’m kind of at a loss. Maybe this is a good strategy for UA to seem like a top-tier carrier, by printing menus promising caviar but only for flights that don’t exist. As the trays moved through the cabin with sushi, udon and ramen, the rest of the cabin crew took drink orders. The sushi was a little disappointing, just a piece of Inari and one of whitefish, so I followed it with the Udon which was good. It was an extremely efficient way to get the meal service finished quickly for such a short red-eye. Lights go off, and someone cranks up that thermostat to high. This was probably the hottest cabin I’ve ever sat in. And it knocked me right out (that and the drinks). I woke up briefly mid-flight when the lights came back on, about 1.5 hours before landing. I debated breakfast but fell right back to sleep so cannot share any insight. Before taking off, they give you a little card (in typical Japanese cartoon-like appearance) with the choice of Japanese, Western or no breakfast, and then once you select a breakfast, whether you want to be woken for it. I woke up on final approach, feeling extremely groggy. Turning up the heat gets you to sleep, but hot recycled cabin air really takes a toll on the system. I dreaded the possibility of getting hoarded onto busses at a remote location, but for the first time, I was actually on a plane that pulled up to the terminal.

Customs at Narita was very interested in my solo trip from Bangkok. A very jovial agent was trying to get at my intentions (status run?), and went through a slew of questioning. This concluded with him holding up the single-person-travelling-from-Bangkok-one-way-ticket-haggered-looking laminated sheet of forbidden items, again in typical Japanese cartoon-like appearance. Still exhausted, I only noticed two of the eight little drawings, including one of an i.v. needle (drugs), and one of a magazine which written across the top: "Playboy". First, it was funny seeing these items as childish drawings. Second, I can’t quite figure out what to put in parenthesis for what this magazine represents. I assume Playboy is allowed in Japan (given the propensity of manga). So like standardized tests I thought, I.V. needle: DRUGS as Playboy: _______? Couldn't come up with the answer. Anyway, he let me off after I claimed to have none of these and found my self at curbside with a bag and nowhere to go. I hadn’t planned anything because I didn’t know quite how I’d feel in the morning, whether I might want to head into Tokyo for lunch. But I was so tired I just jumped on the first hotel bus that came around hoping there would be rooms available. Ended up at the Narita Hilton, Y8000 for a dayroom, and I got another few hours of sleep. Just enough time to go for a run, and I was back for my highly anticipated flight on ANA New Style.

Lights go off, and someone cranks up that thermostat to high. This was probably the hottest cabin I’ve ever sat in.

This is the one thing I really hate about ANA. Dripping with sweat doesn't make me go to sleep, it just makes me very uncomfortable and frustrated, because there's no (socially acceptable) way to cool down in a plane when they do this.

ANA FLIGHT 916 – BKK-NRT - C-Class
Lights go off, and someone cranks up that thermostat to high. This was probably the hottest cabin I’ve ever sat in. And it knocked me right out (that and the drinks).

I don't know if this is the same 763 that I was on in the past summer, or is it all the new NH 767-300ER have the same air-conditioning problem. When I put my hand near where the air suppose to come from, it only has some weak warm air came out. Complained to the FA, she didn't reply it was not functioning. Most of the passengers had to make their own "paper fan".

ANA FLIGHT 6 – NRT-LAX
Walked into the terminal and saw the check-in for Business Class & Economy but no First. I wanted the full experience curb to curb, so I wandered until I saw signs for the separate check-in area adjacent to the terminal entrance. I was rewarded for this extra diversion by a thorough security screening and a piece of candy. I had pre-reserved 2K, but asked if row 1 was available (learning on the ANA board it is usually reserved for VIPs). Sure enough, moments later I was off to immigration with my 1K boarding pass in hand. A long line later, I was in the terminal, Y8000 of complimentary vouchers from ANA because of the long connection. I am not sure if this is provided to all passengers, or just ones booked through the travel agent I used. They are relatively limited in use, a few restaurants and ANA’s small duty free shop. They also expire, so I bought some Shochu (a vodka like liquor) that isn’t readily available back in the states. The First Class lounge is a small affair, and yet even so it was pretty empty given all the flights about to depart. They have the same beer machine as UA’s RCC, which was a nice surprise. Full selection of beverages, some food like pre-packaged sushi and rice crackers. A wall of windows has computer hook-ups and there was a laptop on display for internet access. I think it was a product demonstration rather than a permanent installation, but much easier than firing up my own laptop. On the way out of the lounge, they had Sony’s LocationFree TV on display. I had played with it in L.A. days before heading out, and seems like a traveler’s dream. You can plug it into your home components, and from anywhere in the world can tune into your Tivo, or DVD player, etc. The gate was a short walk from the lounge. By the time I arrived, there was a long general boarding line, but they keep a separate line for First/Business passengers which had no wait. I was, however, pulled aside in the jetway for a secondary screening. There must be a system similar to our “SSSS” as I was searched repeatedly at NRT, but it is conducted with such politeness that I didn’t mind. Wand-“I’m Sorry”-Wand-“I’m Sorry”-Wand-“I’m Sorry.

It was hard to hold back a smile as I entered the cabin and headed to my seat. My first impression is that it was a little more industrial looking than Singapore’s comparable product. The cabin is arranged with 5 suites down either side, with two in the center. Two clocks on the rear wall display both local and destination times. There was a pillow and blanket stashed in the suite’s footwell, and a menu and drink list was presented in a black folder. Mine was entirely in English, whereas from past flights I remember they gave the same pre-printed menu to everyone which was half in Japanese and half in English. Nice foresight. Soon thereafter a flight attendant came up and greeted me, and offered their sleep suit, but I didn’t feel like going through the hassle of changing. A few moments later, the purser came up and introduced herself, letting me know if there was anything I needed during the flight to please let her know. The cabin only had three of us in it, and it felt as if I had the whole thing to myself. Shortly after take-off, my meal choice was taken and I ordered a glass of champagne. There was an insert in the menu describing the caviar shortage, which in its place had been substituted a sashimi assortment. The flight attendant apologized for this, but asked if I’d still like the sashimi in addition to the Kyodo course. As the “caviar” selection was offered as part of the Western menu, I didn’t realize I could get both. Perhaps on a full flight this isn’t an option. Champagne quickly arrived accompanied by a miso-grilled oyster. It was time to play with the AVOD system. The screen is very large by plane standards, though I watched an entire movie before realizing to adjust contrast, which I could barely see with the cabin lights on. Like the previous flight, there is far less selection than SQ, but far more than what I’m accustomed to. Also, wanting to get some sleep at some point, probably best that there wasn’t too much to entertain. Meal service began shortly, and each of the seven or so courses was brought out individually, and perfectly timed. I finally have a menu to share, as I nabbed it off of ANA’s website.

To begin (in place of caviar)
Selection of seafood delicacies (fresh sea urchin roe, salmon roe and botargo with toasted baguette)

Zensai
Savory pink shrimp Marinated salmon Soft-steamed baby abalone
Fried squid with rice crackers Miso-grilled chicken Green soybean dumpling

Otsukuri
Tai (sea bream) sashimi and grilled matsutake mushroom with wasabi and special soy sauce

Kobachi
Hoshigaki (cured persimmon) and chrysanthemum salad with Tosa vinegar

Takiawase
Assortment of simmered seasonal vegetables with salmon roe

Dainomono
Nodoguro (Japanese red perch) simmered in special soy sauce
Sesame-flavored pudding
Yuba (tofu crepe) simmered in light soy sauce

Steamed Rice, Miso Soup, Assorted Pickles


Desert
Kyoho grape sorbet
Pumpkin mousse with crisp almond tuile biscuit
Warm apple strudel with custard sauce

A selection of Fresh Fruit

I’ve got to say it was one of the best airplane meals I’ve ever had. There is also a selection of different sake’s, and they are poured from wine-sized bottles. In past biz-class flights, ANA gives a small individual bottle. The downside is that over several pours, knowing that nobody else was sharing the bottle, you really see the damage. Though, one more couldn’t hurt. They have several little bites you can accompany your sake with that are paired with each type. I just wanted to try one, but they brought out several.

They included:
Marinated white shrimp with kelp
Yakitori (skewer-grilled free-range chicken and vegetables)
Polpo affogato (octopus ragout Neapolitan)
Oden (hot pot with fishcakes and vegetables)
Assorted Japanese pickles

It was time for a quick look around the plane, and I headed back through business class to the onboard bar. It is not like the old Super-Style, where there were several bar stools available. But there were mid-flight snacks, amenities and bottles of wine laid out. There was a business class menu, and several of the dishes overlapped with what I had eaten, though there were fewer courses, and from past experience it is presented on two or three trays. I’d say the new business class actually looks slightly warmer, as it has faux-wood paneling on the seatbacks. A really great looking business class cabin. Returning to my seat, I chatted with the flight attendants in the galley. The service was really on-the-ball. In comparison to SQ, they were older, but more professional, and extremely friendly. I ordered a glass of Red Wine, and they were able to describe the differences in length between the choices. It was very professional. I returned to my seat, and was offered a taste before the pour of the wine that was recommended. Excellent. I was offered more food, but tried to use my conversational Japanese to express that I was full. Perhaps I used the wrong term and said I was starving, because she didn’t’ seem to understand. Either way, the wine was just enough to put me to sleep. It was probably the best sleep I have had on a plane. The bed is extremely comfortable, and the heat was not cranked up to unbearable levels. I awoke to daylight on final approach with a fresh cup of coffee. Moments later this great adventure was over. The only downside about this cabin is that there is no landing camera in the FC cabin. It only makes it onto the business and coach screens. But this is a small sacrifice for a great flight. The transition between the two night flights is definitely not the easiest, and in retrospect I’d pay the slight surcharge for the UA codeshare in the morning from Bangkok.

Excellent report! Thanks for sharing. I'd also be interested in roughly how much the ticket is from BKK.

Thanks for the report..good to know you're in flying company isn't it!

I wonder just how many of us on here fly to places just to maintain status..I'm flying LHR-IAD-BOS in January for two reasons - one is that I hope to try UA Business Class with my *A upgrade certs and two is to get the double UA miles as well as a good helping of transatlantic status points.

Do you think I actually need to go to Boston - absolutely not! But looking forward to seeing the city all the same. I'll only be out of the UK for 48 hours!

Good report..keep up the flying!

ANA FLIGHT 6 – NRT-LAX
The transition between the two night flights is definitely not the easiest, and in retrospect I’d pay the slight surcharge for the UA codeshare in the morning from Bangkok.

i rarely comment on trip reports, but found yours truly exceptional. very impressed!

question: where did they put you up in nrt? i've always wondered if f-class passengers get better rooms than those standard shoeboxes.

Moondog-
Thanks for the feedback. ANA didn't put me up at NRT, I just got a day room at the Hilton. Though I would think it would make sense if they put up full fare F (which I wasn't) passengers in the ANA hotel right by the airport.

And neilyork, I agree completely. It is really nice to know that I'm not the only one crazy enough to fly half way across the globe for a few SWU's. Enjoy Boston.

Sftrvlr- I p.m.'ed you the price as I didn't know if was appropriate to post here. If anyone else is interested, I'll do the same. But needless-to-say, a really great fare to make this worthwhile.

Between the guy on the plane glaring at my passport, and now someone thinking we all were like the dysfunctional cast of this television show, I was feeling rather ashamed of my homeland.

Excellent report!

By the way, why would you be ashamed of your country because (1) the guy next to you on the plane was a jerk and (2) the lady asked if you were from the O.C., meaning she enjoyed and respected American culture?

If I were in this situation, I think I would (1) glare back at the jerk or ask him if he had something to say and (2) be proud that people in other countries enjoy U.S. culture so much. Certainly nothing to be ashamed about.

The guy on the plane next to you should be the ashamed one, not you.