kt74
Jun 16, 06, 5:19 pm
I have just done SQ F CDG-SIN-KUL and TG C/F KUL-BKK-LHR. Rather than give you a blow by blow account, let me give you some highlights of good stuff and bad stuff, focusing on the long-haul F segments. Hope you find it useful...
--- Inflight service ---
SQ inflight service is astoundingly good. I don't care that they are robots. It didn't feel like that to me. It felt like they were anticipating my every move. I didn't want for anything. Through the night, every time I even stirred, they were by my side offering to help. Whenever the credits rolled on my video screen, they were kneeling down by my side within seconds, offering me food or drink or to make my bed. They even locked all the F toilet doors, opening them whenever an F passenger came close ("sorry, Mr kt74, Raffles Class is full and I did not want them to use your toilet!"). I was of course always referred to by name - and all three flight attendants switched from using my surname to first name, when I jokingly told one of them not to make me feel so old! And all three also asked if my foot was ok - offering me ice, pillows, anything (old sports ankle injury = a few inches of tubigrip showing on my left foot... nobody on TG noticed). I know that folks complain that the SQ crews lack warmth - I dunno, I think it is partly true, but they also do give as good as they get - e.g. I was truly grateful for their efforts, and I let them know that, so they were happy to be informal and chatty and friendly back to me in return
TG simply could not compete. Even though the flight attendants are older, and possibly more genuine, it felt like they were inexperienced and always in a hurry. They could only deal with things in a certain order, and they got stressed when things slipped (e.g. I was eating slowly, and successive f/as kept trying to remove my plate before I finished my meal). Drinks glasses went unfilled for long periods during meal service - never mind outside of meal times, when the crew would completely disappear for hours. Things were grabbed out of my hand or off my table without a word (compare this to SQ's "I'm so sorry, Mr kt74, could I possibly remove this glass for you?"). Even the added glamour of trolley service (no trolleys on SQ) becomes disappointing when the trolley keeps hitting the side of your seat (yup, avoid row 2 on Thai)
--- Food & drink ---
Both are fab. I have never consumed so much Dom, caviar and lobster in such a short space of time. Thai does better "ethnic" - desserts were out of this world. SQ does better Western food. Wine is good on both, though SQ staff actually can recommend/advise on what they are serving. All in all, this is as far away as you can get from the oven dish of sloppy pasta I was offered when I was last in long haul F on UA. Nuff said
My top tip - did you know that Thai does a Book the Cook equivalent (albeit only out of Bangkok)?! Lobster and Pad Thai - my two favourite things ever! (OK, it was overcooked, but that was clearly my fault for being slow with my caviar...)
--- Inflight entertainment ---
Controversial... I think the new Thai entertainment outclasses any SQ entertainment. The screens are nice and big and touch screen. The menus are (almost) intuitive, easy to navigate, and quick to get from one option to another. Oh, and it is much easier to fast forward and rewind. About the only place where SQ had an edge is that has a bigger choice of films - well, it's not like you're going to watch everything anyway - so long as there are 1-2 good ones, I'm happy
--- Seat/cabin ---
Controversial again... I prefer Thai's new seats. Both First and Business. TG and SQ in F are both fine for sitting upright and sleeping flat, but the TG F seat definitely wins for lying back and putting your feet up. The footstool is truly excellent - big, moveable - very comfortable for a guest. I love the double sized table (the SQ sliding table may be very clever, but I can't lay out my newspaper to read at the same time as eating lunch, like on TG). The back massager actually also works! Thai has fewer seats in the 747 nose, which seems to make a big difference in terms of spaciousness of the cabin - I swear there's also more room between seat rows on Thai
Not that the SQ cabin and Skysuites are no good - it's just that they are starting to show their age
--- Goodies/freebies ---
I have a personal preference for the SQ amenity kit, pajamas and bathroom goodies, but we're really getting down to details of personal taste here...
--- Lounges/hub airport transit ---
Thai, Thai, Thai... Old BKK airport may be a tip, but the TG lounges are a wonderously peaceful haven. F customers are treated like they are truly special. An escort from the gate to the lounge and vice versa (by comparison, my SQ flight was remote parked, and the moment we were off the plane, we were herded onto the same buses as the Y folk). Table service in the lounge. Nothing is too much trouble. "Please sit down, make yourself comfortable, and we'll bring everything to you" and "You'd like some dim sum? Why don't I make you some wonton soup too?". And, like, the best head and shoulder massage ever - it lasted 40 minutes and somehow extended from my shoulders to my arms, hands and back...
Compare that to the zoo that is the SKL in Singapore...
Overall, of course, I'm just nit-picking... I love both carriers in F. The US and European carriers that I'm used to simply pale into comparison. I never want to fly any other airline or class of service again! Somehow, I don't think that's going to be possible though...
--- Inflight service ---
SQ inflight service is astoundingly good. I don't care that they are robots. It didn't feel like that to me. It felt like they were anticipating my every move. I didn't want for anything. Through the night, every time I even stirred, they were by my side offering to help. Whenever the credits rolled on my video screen, they were kneeling down by my side within seconds, offering me food or drink or to make my bed. They even locked all the F toilet doors, opening them whenever an F passenger came close ("sorry, Mr kt74, Raffles Class is full and I did not want them to use your toilet!"). I was of course always referred to by name - and all three flight attendants switched from using my surname to first name, when I jokingly told one of them not to make me feel so old! And all three also asked if my foot was ok - offering me ice, pillows, anything (old sports ankle injury = a few inches of tubigrip showing on my left foot... nobody on TG noticed). I know that folks complain that the SQ crews lack warmth - I dunno, I think it is partly true, but they also do give as good as they get - e.g. I was truly grateful for their efforts, and I let them know that, so they were happy to be informal and chatty and friendly back to me in return
TG simply could not compete. Even though the flight attendants are older, and possibly more genuine, it felt like they were inexperienced and always in a hurry. They could only deal with things in a certain order, and they got stressed when things slipped (e.g. I was eating slowly, and successive f/as kept trying to remove my plate before I finished my meal). Drinks glasses went unfilled for long periods during meal service - never mind outside of meal times, when the crew would completely disappear for hours. Things were grabbed out of my hand or off my table without a word (compare this to SQ's "I'm so sorry, Mr kt74, could I possibly remove this glass for you?"). Even the added glamour of trolley service (no trolleys on SQ) becomes disappointing when the trolley keeps hitting the side of your seat (yup, avoid row 2 on Thai)
--- Food & drink ---
Both are fab. I have never consumed so much Dom, caviar and lobster in such a short space of time. Thai does better "ethnic" - desserts were out of this world. SQ does better Western food. Wine is good on both, though SQ staff actually can recommend/advise on what they are serving. All in all, this is as far away as you can get from the oven dish of sloppy pasta I was offered when I was last in long haul F on UA. Nuff said
My top tip - did you know that Thai does a Book the Cook equivalent (albeit only out of Bangkok)?! Lobster and Pad Thai - my two favourite things ever! (OK, it was overcooked, but that was clearly my fault for being slow with my caviar...)
--- Inflight entertainment ---
Controversial... I think the new Thai entertainment outclasses any SQ entertainment. The screens are nice and big and touch screen. The menus are (almost) intuitive, easy to navigate, and quick to get from one option to another. Oh, and it is much easier to fast forward and rewind. About the only place where SQ had an edge is that has a bigger choice of films - well, it's not like you're going to watch everything anyway - so long as there are 1-2 good ones, I'm happy
--- Seat/cabin ---
Controversial again... I prefer Thai's new seats. Both First and Business. TG and SQ in F are both fine for sitting upright and sleeping flat, but the TG F seat definitely wins for lying back and putting your feet up. The footstool is truly excellent - big, moveable - very comfortable for a guest. I love the double sized table (the SQ sliding table may be very clever, but I can't lay out my newspaper to read at the same time as eating lunch, like on TG). The back massager actually also works! Thai has fewer seats in the 747 nose, which seems to make a big difference in terms of spaciousness of the cabin - I swear there's also more room between seat rows on Thai
Not that the SQ cabin and Skysuites are no good - it's just that they are starting to show their age
--- Goodies/freebies ---
I have a personal preference for the SQ amenity kit, pajamas and bathroom goodies, but we're really getting down to details of personal taste here...
--- Lounges/hub airport transit ---
Thai, Thai, Thai... Old BKK airport may be a tip, but the TG lounges are a wonderously peaceful haven. F customers are treated like they are truly special. An escort from the gate to the lounge and vice versa (by comparison, my SQ flight was remote parked, and the moment we were off the plane, we were herded onto the same buses as the Y folk). Table service in the lounge. Nothing is too much trouble. "Please sit down, make yourself comfortable, and we'll bring everything to you" and "You'd like some dim sum? Why don't I make you some wonton soup too?". And, like, the best head and shoulder massage ever - it lasted 40 minutes and somehow extended from my shoulders to my arms, hands and back...
Compare that to the zoo that is the SKL in Singapore...
Overall, of course, I'm just nit-picking... I love both carriers in F. The US and European carriers that I'm used to simply pale into comparison. I never want to fly any other airline or class of service again! Somehow, I don't think that's going to be possible though...