jacob_m

I only had a short layover in Singapore this time, but after 14 hours in the air, a beginning jetlag, and many more flights coming up I was really looking forward to some proper sleep in a real bed.

For some reason it was incredibly difficult to find any decently priced hotel rooms for the night I was staying in Singapore. As I was to arrive at 11 pm and leave again in the late afternoon the following day I was obviously not interested in paying any premium rates

Eventually the choice fell on the Swissôtel Merchant Court Hotel, where I actually stayed on my very first visit to Singapore ten years ago.
It is not a luxury hotel by any means, and honestly the room was beginning to show its age, but the staff is nice the hotel has one of the nicest pool areas I have seen in any hotel I have stayed in in the world.
The hotel is located right next to Clarke Quay and the Singapore River, and sitting in the pool overlooking the river and the Singapore skyline in the sun is just amazing. I could stay there again just for that very reason.
I don't think there are many "city resorts" that could really live up to its name like this hotel.

A late check-out was approved and I spent most of the day relaxing in the pool area enjoying my first proper day away.

jacob_m

Check-in at Singapore Changi airport



I took a taxi from the hotel and arrived at Changi airport at 4.45 pm, in good time for my evening departure.
It’s amazing how cheap the taxis are in Singapore by the way. I don’t mind using public transportation, but the 20 km ride to Changi costs absolutely no money to speak of, so taking a taxi is an easy choice.

All SQ flights to south and southeast Asia still use the old terminal 2, whereas terminal 3 is used for mediumhaul and longhaul flights.
I had some problems finding the business class check-in as the premium check-in counters are located in a separate check-in island from the other SQ check-in desks.
Eventually I found the right island, the place was deserted and I was quickly checked in by a friendly young woman.
I was happy she could check both me and my luggage to the final destination, nothing to bother about in Bangkok.

Pics
The Singapore Airlines first class and business class check-in in terminal 2
The departure board
The control tower and the distinctive Crowne Plaza Hotel seen from the skytrain between terminal 2 and terminal 3
Inside the spotless transit hall of terminal 3

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Singapore Changi terminal 3



With over two hours before departure I was very eager to see the new Silverkris lounge in terminal 3 which I had not been to yet.
A great thing about Changi airport is that you can move between all terminals airside without any boarding pass checks. There are also skytrains running between all three terminals, usually every three minutes, so moving around is easy.

The Silverkris lounge was quite a walk from the skytrain station. No problem to get in, despite being in the wrong terminal, I was just informed there would be no departure calls and that I should leave in good time before departure.

After the boarding pass check at the lounge entrance business class passengers turn left while first class passengers turn right where there is an additional check of boarding passes for the first class lounge.

My first impression of the Silverkris lounge was great. The lounge is vast and the design is modern and stylish, a major upgrade from the old lounge in terminal 2.
There are plenty of sitting areas, some of them in front of large widescreen TVs.



Food and drinks were great as well. There is a massive buffet area with hot food (both western and Asian), cold cuts, vegetables, fresh fruit, sushi and miniature desserts.
You can definitely make yourself a proper dinner in the lounge.

Soft drinks were available in the main buffet area whereas alcoholic drinks were available in a separate area. They had lovely Tiger beer on tap (with cold beer glasses in a fridge), however the selection of wine and spirits was rather limited, the only real drawback about the lounge.

I spent about 45 minutes in the lounge drinking Tiger beer and using the free WIFI in front of one of the widescreen TVs showing a golf tournament.

Pics
The entrance to the Silverkris lounge in terminal 3
Business class to the left, First class to the right
Inside the business lounge
Great widescreen TVs to enjoy
The very large self-service buffet area
Cheese and sandwiches for self service
Vegetables, selection of fresh fruits and sushi
The restaurant, cool design!
The self-service drinks area

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Singapore Changi terminal 2



A quick ride on the skytrain and I was back in terminal 2 where I made a visit to the second Silverkris lounge at Changi.

There is absolutely no competition which SQ lounge is the nicest at Changi, the terminal 2 lounge feels like an abandoned dungeon compared to the spotless supermodern terminal 3 lounge.
Otherwise the selection of food and drinks is pretty much identical in both lounges and they both have free WIFI, internet computers, TVs and a decent selection of newspapers and magazines.

After a cup of coffee and some light snacks in the terminal 2 lounge it was time to head for the gate.

Pics
Back in terminal 2
The entrance to the terminal 2 Silverkris lounge
Inside the business lounge
Sitting areas
Some of the hot food in the self-service buffet area
Bread, cheese, vegetables and spirits for self service
The bar in the lounge

Boarding



As usual at Changi boarding was flashing on the monitors nearly an hour before departure, but after many visits I knew not to believe a word of it. However as the security check takes place at the gate it’s probably a good idea to get most passengers there early.

Boarding was announced in the gate lounge 30 minutes before departure with priority boarding for business class which was strictly enforced. The distinctive blue boarding passes used for business class made this task rather easy for the ground staff.

Once onboard I was shown to my seat 12A on the second row of business class. There was a first class cabin onboard as well (two rows I think) but it was not used as first class is no longer sold on this route.
I was warmly welcomed onboard, shown to my seat and the crew offered to assist me with my hand luggage.
Pre-departure drinks were offered (bubbly!) followed by hot towels and newspapers. Magazines were available on request and the friendly FA managed to find a copy of the latest The Economist for me.
The crew noticed my glass of champagne had been emptied rather quickly and took the liberty to arrange a refill while I was visiting the lavatory.

Pics
An oasis in the busy terminal
The Boeing 777 that will take us to Bangkok, seen from the gate lounge
Welcome onboard! This is an evidence of the attentiveness of crew onboard the flight

Singapore-Bangkok, flight SQ 978 operated by Singapore Airlines
Departure: 19:15
Arrival: 20:40
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Class: Business Class
Seat: 12A



Pushback right on time at 7.15 pm, however this was a busy evening at Changi and we turned out to be number eight for take-off.
We were eventually airborne at 7.45 pm from runway 20C.

The approach to runway 02/departure from runway 20 is one of my absolute favourites. I just love watching the Singapore skyline and the massive number of ships anchored outside the city.
This was a beautiful evening without a single cloud and I got some great views during the climb. We made a sharp 180 degrees left turn and I could see the entire airport from the air. Especially the new Crowne Plaza Hotel really stands out at the airport.

Pics
Terminal 2 after pushback
Busy evening at Changi
The massive number of vessels anchored outside Singapore
Singapore Changi airport from the air

The menu

The menu was handed out at the same time as pre-departure drinks were served and this is the menu for the meal service on the flight to Bangkok:

Pics
The nice business class menu

The meal service



The menu is certainly most impressive for a two hour flight including four choices of main course and a massive selection of drinks.

Before departure drink orders were taken which were delivered after take-off with assorted nuts, another glass of bubbles for me...
For this flight I had ordered book the cook, it was easily arranged by sending an e-mail to one of the SQ reservation offices.
I had ordered “6 oz. U.S. rib-eye steak with creamy green peppercorn sauce, roasted vegetables, and garlic-mashed potatoes”, and the crew confirmed already on the ground my meal order had been loaded.

After the post-departure drinks the tables were set and the meal trays were handed out with the starter. More drinks were offered as well as bread rolls from a basket, I asked for a glass of the French red wine Chateau Lacombe-Nouillac and it was very tasty.
Next the main courses were delivered and my book the cook dish was a great choice, it was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it. One of the FAs actually approached me and asked specifically if I was happy with the way it had been prepared.

No dessert on this flight, but there was a bowl with fresh fruits on the tray which was perfectly adequate for the length of the flight, I was not exactly hungry after that main course anyway.
There was a slight delay in the coffee and tea service due to turbulence, but eventually my Kenyan AA Kilimanjaro coffee was delivered, very strong, just the way I like it.

After the meal water bottles were handed out to all passengers.

Pics
Champagne and assorted nuts
Starter
Main course
Coffee

The seat

The seat onboard was the old regional business class seat. It is nice and perfectly acceptable for a two hour flight, but nowhere near any of the newer seats available on other SQ aircrafts.
There were six rows of business class in a 2-3-2 configuration divided into two cabins with three rows in each cabin.
The load in business class was light so no lack of space.

The nice Krisworld inflight entertainment system was of course in operation during the flight with full AVOD and plenty of movie, TV and audio options.

Pics
The business class seat
The business class cabin on the Boeing 777
Seat controls

The service

Superb! Of course a light load in business class and a good mood of most passengers made this easier.
I was addressed by name several times during the flight and my glass was never left empty.

The meal service was extremely well coordinated with optimal time between the dishes, they really excelled during this flight. The crew also remembered exactly what I was drinking so I never had to remind them of for example what red wine I had chosen.

After the meal service the crew asked us to complete a survey regarding the flight. I agreed to do it and I easily gave them the highest mark on most questions.

Arrival in Bangkok



We landed right on time at 8.40 pm on runway 19R at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport.
All passengers disembarked through the front door and I was once again addressed by name as I said goodbye to the crew.
A very nice flight was coming to an end! Thanks a lot Singapore Airlines!

Pics
Seconds before landing in Bangkok, a beautiful evening!
The very distinctive terminal building at night

RTW1

Great report, and looks like a nice trip.

jacob_m

A very positive surprise at Bangkok airport was that the security check now takes place when entering the transit area, rather than when entering the concourses with the boarding gates.
It is so much nicer to have the security check done so you can relax in the lounge without having to worry about how early you need to leave to have sufficient time for security.

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Bangkok



With over two hours before the next flight I decided to try out the new Singapore Airlines Silverkris lounge in Bangkok, which I believe opened just a few months ago.
I had difficulties finding it though as many of the signs pointed in the wrong direction. Anyway, eventually I found it, in a deserted area of the A-concourse opposite the Bangkok Airways lounge.

I had read on the internet that the staff are sometimes resistant to let non-SQ passengers inside the lounge, however since I had a blue Singapore Airlines business class boarding pass to present (albeit for a TG flight) I thought it would make my situation a bit easier.
And it got almost a bit too easy, as a matter of fact the lounge dragon completely failed to notice what flight I was travelling on. Rather than writing down my flight details she wrote down my seat number, i.e. the seat number she thought I had for the flight to Singapore (the return flight of the aircraft I had just arrived on, leaving an hour later).
And on my boarding pass, where the departure gate was missing, she happily wrote down the departure gate for the Singapore flight before welcoming me inside.
I thought it was a bit funny!

The lounge had a rather interesting design with small sitting sections divided by either brown walls or tinted glass walls.
Even though the lounge is not particularly large there is no way you can see from one end of the lounge to the other.



The selection of food and drinks was particularly good though. The well-maintained self-service buffet had finger sandwiches, hot snacks, fresh fruits, and best of all, a nice selection of Häagen Dazs ice cream.
In contrast to the TG lounges I was also happy to find proper wine in the lounge.

The boarding announcement for the SQ flight was announced just a couple of minutes later around 9.30 pm, and I believe the lounge closed after that departure, so I only got a short visit in the lounge.
But it was a refreshing change at Bangkok airport, something different from the TG lounges, and I would not hesitate to go back there again.
There were also 3 or 4 internet computers in the lounge, several TVs and a decent selection of magazines.

Pics
The entrance to the Silverkris lounge
Inside the lounge, it certainly stands out from most other lounges I have been to
The self-service buffet area
The buffet counter, notice the Häagen Dazs ice cream in the background
Soft drinks, sandwiches and some hot snacks
One of the sitting areas

Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge, C-Concourse, Bangkok



After the visit to the Silverkris lounge I moved to one of the Thai Airways lounges. The choice fell on the smaller one in the C-concourse which I prefer rather than the massive one in the D-concourse. Also this lounge was just a short walk from the departure gate.

I got a beer from the fridge, some fresh fruits and then dozed off for half an hour.
The TG lounges are fine, although not spectacular. There is always a decent selection of snacks and drinks, but I do miss wine in the lounge, I don’t know why they don’t have it.

Pics
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area
The sitting area overlooking the huge C-concourse

Boarding

The departure gate was just a short walk from the lounge, it turned out to be a bus gate as the aircraft was parked at a remote stand, never happened to me before in Bangkok.

Boarding started 30 minutes before departure with priority boarding for business class and Star Alliance Gold. However at the end it made little difference as we all boarded the same bus which did not leave until it was reasonably full.

The aircraft was parked quite a distance from the terminal building. There were two stairs leading to the aircraft and business class passengers used to forward one.
I was welcomed onboard and directed to my seat 12A on the second row of business class.

Newspapers were offered followed by pre-departure drinks: orange juice, water or champagne. All passengers were also given an amenity kit and slippers.
I was (positively) surprised an amenity kit was offered on a flight of just five hours, one of the better amenity kits I have got in a green colour with the Thai Airways logo as zipper.

Pics
The Boeing 777 parked at a remote stand
Newspapers and magazines are offered in the cabin
Amenity kit

Bangkok-Seoul/Incheon, flight TG 658 operated by Thai Airways
Departure: 23:05
Arrival: 06:40
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300
Class: Royal Silk Class / Business Class
Seat: 12A



Pushback was delayed due to a no-show, as this passenger had checked luggage it needed to be offloaded before we were allowed to leave.
We finally pushed back at 11.35 pm, 30 minutes late. A short taxi to runway 19L where we took off a few moments later.

Meal service

The flight time to Seoul was expected to be just over five hours, still they had two servings during the flight which I thought was both impressive and ambitious.

Straight after take-off a small snack was served with cold cuts as well as a full selection of alcoholic drinks.
About 90 minutes before landing a full breakfast service was conducted with three choices of hot dish.

I have uploaded the menu below for you to enjoy, but that’s about it. I had a very long day of travelling coming up and needed all the sleep I could get, so I skipped both the snack and the breakfast. I had eaten a proper dinner and would have the opportunity to have breakfast in Seoul later.

However my seat neighbour took full advantage of the inflight service. He had the snack, then watched a full movie, and then had the full breakfast. He must have spent the whole day sleeping...

Here is the menu for the flight:

Pics
The menu and drinklist

The seat

The seat was the new business class seat which can be made lie-flat. Already before departure I changed to my ANA sleeper suit pants and reclined the seat as soon as the seatbelt sign was switched off.
I thought the seat was pretty nice to sleep in and had no problems getting some rest, the main problem was the length of the flight rather than the seat. Thai also provides comfortable pillows and duvets and I used the eyeshades included in the amenity kit.

Pics
The business class seat
Seat controls
Inflight entertainment system
The business class cabin

Arrival in Seoul

I woke up around 6 am Korean time, at the same time as we started our descent to Seoul. I changed back to my regular clothes and passed the galley at the same time asking if it was possible to get a cup of coffee even though the breakfast service was completed.
No problem! A cup of freshly brewed coffee was waiting for me when I returned from the lavatory.

We finally landed at 6.30 am on runway 15L, slightly before timetable, and taxied to the infield terminal which is used by all foreign airlines at ICN (i.e. all airlines but KE and OZ).
Other than a landing card and a customs declaration card all passengers had been asked to complete a health declaration form which was collected inside the terminal. At the same counter there was an infrared camera checking the body temperature of all passengers who passed.

Immigration was a breeze and baggage delivery started almost straight away and my priority-tagged suitcase was the second bag to arrive. Well done!

Pics
Just landed at Seoul Incheon airport
The spotless baggage reclaim at Incheon airport

Verdict

I can’t comment much on the inflight service onboard as I slept throughout the entire flight, but the FAs were friendly and courteous and the seat was nothing but a decent business class seat, pretty nice to sleep in.
The flight was as good as it could get...

jacob_m

Thanks for the comments so far! Only 3 out of 16 airlines done though, I hardly haven't even started...

Well yes I do, I like to do things properly and I love detailed reports myself, every part is easily 2-3 hours of work.

Still wondering how I should find the energy to type all of it and upload all the photos, but be patient and I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm definitely going to finish it!

jacob_m

If you feel the next part of the trip doesn’t quite make sense I don’t blame you.
I was actually supposed to fly another routing on another ticket, in fact on Qatar Airways in business class, an airline I very much wanted to try.
They had some very nicely priced business class tickets available ex-ICN and the timetable worked very well with all the other flights I had.
Everything was planned, I was ready to book the ticket, and then at the very last minute I noticed this great first class fare...

Korean Air...

I reviewed this airline last year, a flight between Seoul and Nadi in business class.
Although I tried to be as fair and objective as possible in the report, giving both positives and negatives, it’s quite obvious the whole experience did not impress whatsoever.
Everything from check-in to landing was pretty average, the only real highlight was the business lounge in Seoul.
I thought the flight was so average that I had second thoughts about booking the upcoming flight, but it was the only flight that would fit my tight schedule.

But guys, I take it all back! If they did it all wrong on the Nadi flight, they certainly did it all right on this flight.
The whole experience from check-in and lounge to food and inflight service was just mind-blowing! I was incredibly impressed! This is the way first class travel should be like!!

Check-in



After reclaiming my luggage from the TG flight I passed through customs and headed upstairs to the departure level.
The Korean Air premium check-in was located in the eastern part of the massive departure hall, at check-in island C.

The first class check-in area was roped off and a bouncer was standing at the entrance checking the travel documents before letting people inside.
I thought that was a good idea as it meant the actual check-in agents did not have to send people away and cause embarrassment in front of the other passengers.

There were three first class check-in counters open and all had large red carpets in front.
As I approached one of the empty check-in desks the young girl behind the counter immediately stood up and bowed as I arrived. She kept standing until I had reached the desk, got rid of my suitcase on the baggage belt and given her all my travel documents. Classy!
The whole check-in process was flawless and the check-in girl extremely attentive and courteous. She carefully verified the luggage had been correctly tagged and that I was happy with my seat assignment.
My luggage was also tagged with a yellow KE priority tag, but she could only issue a boarding pass for the first flight.

With the check-in formalities completed she asked me if I knew where the first class lounge was, and if I wanted an escort to the lounge.
I had a rough idea where it was, but thought it could be fun with the escort, maybe that could also mean a quicker security check.
I accepted the offer and the check-in girl immediately got on the phone and asked me to wait by the counter and someone would arrive in 2-3 minutes.

Eventually another girl arrived, warmly greeted me, and asked me to follow her.
Unfortunately no fast track security and immigration for me, she showed me to the shortest line and then said she would meet me on the other side.
To be fair it all went really fast and I was standing in the transit hall five minutes later where the girl had already spotted me and was waiting behind my immigration counter.

We continued to the first class lounge just a short walk away, located on a balcony above the transit hall. No need for me to show my boarding pass, we walked straight into the lounge, however the reception girl stood up and bowed as I arrived. Oh my!

Pics
Korean Air First class check-in

Korean Air First Class Lounge, Seoul/Incheon





Inside the lounge the girl asked me where I wanted to sit and I settled down just by the window to enjoy the nice apron view.
Once seated she asked me if I wanted “a name tag”...“a metal name tag”. I didn’t know what she meant by “name tag”, I have never been to a lounge where people are using name tags, but the KE staff seemed to know what they were doing so I told her “yes please”. She smiled and said she would be back a couple of minutes later.

I had a look inside the lounge and it was vast, spotlessly clean, and in my opinion very elegant. Very few people inside, so space was certainly not a problem and the lounge was very quiet.
Other than the reception desk at the entrance there was also a concierge desk in the lounge where the staff helped passengers with all kind of requests.

The food in the lounge was pretty good, the self-service buffet was not massive, but it was extremely well-maintained and the food was of very high quality.
Soft drinks were available in two large fridges and alcoholic drinks were available from a manned bar counter right in the middle of the buffet area.
Since I did not have any breakfast onboard the plane from Bangkok I made myself a proper lounge breakfast with French toast, frittata, salmon, vegetables, fresh fruits and some yoghurt.
A very nice breakfast and the food was very fresh and tasty.

A few moments later the girl was back at my seat with my “name tag”.
It turned out not to be a name tag, but a very nice Korean Air metal baggage tag in gold. But most impressively, when I looked at it more carefully I noticed it had my name and my newly-acquired AF Flying Blue number engraved.
Wow! Now what about that?! ^ ^

I have been a member in SAS Eurobonus for ten years, gold member for six years, and they have never given me anything remotely close to this. I was incredibly impressed!

After finishing my breakfast I asked at the concierge desk if it was possible to have a shower in the lounge, and of course it was. The shower room was very spacious and had all kind of amenities available.

A second cup of coffee and I was ready to leave the lounge, I needed to stretch my legs a bit before the next flight.
As I was leaving the lounge I said goodbye to the reception girl who immediately stood up and bowed and kept standing until she had lost me in sight.

Pics
The entrance to the KE First Class lounge
Inside the lounge
Sitting areas
The self-service buffet area
The extensive breakfast buffet
A very decent lounge breakfast with a well-needed cup of coffee
Great view from the lounge
The shower room

Boarding

I really needed to stretch my legs and get my stomach going before the flight, so I walked from one end of the terminal to the other end and back, that must be a kilometer at least. It’s a massive terminal, but very pleasant with plenty of shops and facilities. I like Incheon airport!

Boarding to Hong Kong took place at gate 6, at the very east end of the terminal building.
Plenty of people at the gate, but fortunately there was a separate exit for first class and business class passengers.
As on my previous visits to Korea, when the flight was ready for boarding all staff lined up, bowed in front of the passengers, and then the boarding started. Nice!

First class and business class passengers used the forward passenger bridge to door 1L and I was warmly greeted at the entrance and shown to my seat 02H, a window seat on the second row of first class.

A moment later two of the female FAs in first class came to my seat, introduced themselves, addressed me by name and expressed their delight having me onboard.
They were both absolutely delightful and also spoke perfect English, language was absolutely not a problem on this flight.
They asked me if I wanted something to drink and I asked for a glass of water. Newspapers and magazines were also offered.

A few minutes later the purser came to my seat to introduce herself, it went something like this:
“Mr Jacob_M, very welcome onboard, my name is...and I am the purser on the flight. I heard you arrived from Singapore this morning, you must be really tired!! Well please make yourself comfortable and let us know if there is anything we can do for you”.

WHAT? How on earth did she know I had arrived from Singapore in the morning? I arrived on a separate ticket, my luggage had not been interlined and I had not discussed my travel arrangements with any of the KE staff.
The only thing I can think of is that the KE check-in agent must have looked up my landing card where my last destination was written. But even if she actually did that, then going through all the extra work communicating this to the crew onboard so they could make a good impression.
Well I was speechless, but delighted of course by what she said, it was very honest and genuine, and they did live up to it. ^

For a few minutes I was the only passenger in first class, just trying to absorb all the experiences so far. Eventually a young Asian girl arrived and settled in seat 02A, she slept most of the flight. A Korean family of four also arrived and occupied four seats on the first row, two rather grown-up children and their parents.

Pics
The departure board, busy morning at Incheon!
The gate area
The Korean Air Airbus A330 that will take us to Hong Kong
Welcome onboard!

Seoul/Incheon-Hong Kong, flight KE 613 operated by Korean Air
Departure: 10:10
Arrival: 12:45
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Class: First Class
Seat: 02H



Pushback pretty much on time, but a long taxi followed to the other end of the airport where we took off at 10.40 am from runway 16.

The menu

After take-off the curtains between first class and business class were closed, more drinks were offered and the menu and drink list were distributed.

Pics
The menu and drink list

Meal service





I don’t know if a five courses lunch qualifies as a “light meal”, as written in the menu.
Anyway, the food sounded very appetising and the drink list was quite impressive.

After a few minutes the FA was back at my seat to take the meal order, she also asked me when I wanted to eat.
As I was still pretty tired I asked to have lunch an hour later which was certainly not a problem. I reclined my seat and got an hour of well-needed rest. A pillow was already available at the seat and the FA got a blanket for me and also made sure all window shades in the cabin were lowered.

At noon the FA came out from the galley, asked if I had a good rest and was ready for my meal, I told her yes.
My table was prepared and the table setting was just beautiful. The table cloth and the napkin were in light grey colour and the porcelain used was a white one with blue flowers.
She specifically folded my napkin and placed it elegantly in front of me on the table.

I had asked to have the full meal onboard, with the exception of the soup. No alcohol for me this time, even though the drink list looked interesting, I was very happy with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
The first course was a tuna dish, served with wasabi dressing. Anyone who has eaten sushi knows this is not for the faint-hearted. But I liked it.
Next a fresh salad was served, I had asked for the Italian dressing. Bread rolls were also served, a very extensive selection including rye, walnut, onion and Chinese bread.

As for the main course I had chosen the stir-fried chicken, it was very spicy. I like spicy food and this dish was great, but I did appreciate the frequent refills of water.

My table was cleared and the FA asked me if I wanted coffee or tea, I asked for a cup of coffee and it was surprisingly tasty.
Häagen Dazs ice cream was served as dessert, a choice between vanilla or strawberry. The ice cream was really hard though, they should have got it much earlier from the freezer, that’s my only tiny complaint about the meal service, other than that everything was great.

Pics
Beautiful table setting
Appetiser
Salad
Main course
Icecream and coffee

The seat

The seat on the aircraft was an old style recliner seat. It reclined pretty decently though, I had a comfortable rest onboard and have no complaints whatsoever about the seat comfort on the flight.
However a fully-horizontal first class suite it is not, Korean air has at least two newer first class seats than this one including the “Cosmo suite”. Obviously these are used on longer more important routes.
There were two rows of first class on the flight in a 2-2-2 configuration. With a light load in F there was more than enough space for every passenger.

IFE was unfortunately just an old-style non-AVOD version with about 12 TV/movie-channels and a few audio channels. Nothing I made much use of during the flight anyway.

Pics
Seat controls
The first class cabin
The IFE controls

Arrival in Hong Kong



Before landing each of the FAs who had been serving in the first class cabin came into the cabin, bowed in front of every passenger and thanked each of us individually for flying Korean Air.
A few moments later the purser came into the cabin and did the same thing, addressing every passenger by name.
I congratulated her on a wonderful flight, she had seen how tired I was when I came onboard and could see I was now in a much better mood.

We finally landed at 12.50 on runway 25R enjoying a very nice descent over Hong Kong.
After the seatbelt sign had been switched off the FAs rushed inside the cabin to block the aisle between first class and business class so first class passengers could get off first.
A smiling crew bowed and thanked us once again for flying Korean Air as we got off the plane.

Pics
Very nice final approach
Just landed at Hong Kong airport
The KE A330 seen from the terminal

Verdict

Well Korean Air exceeded my expectations in every possible aspect. ^ ^
When I got on the plane in Seoul I was actually feeling quite miserable. I was tired, jetlagged, I had unfortunately burned myself a bit in the sun in Singapore, and worst of all my stomach was not in the best mood.
When I got off the flight in Hong Kong I was feeling happy and energetic. I had been well taken care of, I got a relaxed, quiet and comfortable rest and afterwards a great meal.

All the staff I interacted with were absolutely wonderful and went out of their way to assist me. Then all these extra touches such as the lounge escort, the luggage tag with my name engraved, and the staff checking my travel history to determine what shape I would be in.

I don’t know if the Korean Air management has pulled any strings, but this was so far from my experience last year. I know that flight was in business class, but even when taking that into consideration the experiences were miles apart.

Anyway, I would certainly not hesitate to fly Korean Air first class again!

Abidjan

Excellent update. I've never flown KE before. The lounge looks fantastic.

RTW4

Your report is one of my favorites ever read on FT.. I thank you...

Flyingfox

Jacob,

You've hit the holy grail of airline foods, better than caviar, better than chocolate mousse -

BANG BANG CHICKEN!^

(on the Beijing to Singapore flight)

Congratulations!

Great report as usual and thanks!

mjcewl1284

Nice TR so far, thanks for sharing.

Sounds like big brother... just kidding.

beta1607

Nice report!

jacob_m

Inside the terminal building there was a board with all connecting flights and what transfer areas we should proceed to if we needed to collect boarding passes
My next flight was there, I was easily the only passenger on the flight making that connection.

The transfer desk for my connection flight was at the other end of the terminal, I could have sorted it out later, but I needed the walk anyway and thought it would be nice to get all the formalities done straight away.
The friendly male agent at the transfer counter actually managed to print boarding passes for both upcoming flights, he was actually surprised about that himself.
My baggage tag number was entered in the reservation and I received directions to the lounge.



With over 7 hours until my next flight I decided to make a brief visit to central Hong Kong.
The airport express train is very quick, making the rather long journey from Hong Kong airport to Central on Hong Kong Island in just 24 minutes.
There are also nicely priced tickets for the train if making a same day return, just HKD 100 for a same-day return ticket to Hong Kong Station.



The weather in Hong Kong was a bit too hot for my taste, especially as I had hand luggage to carry around.
But it was nice to stretch my legs for some time. They are greatly refurbishing the area around Hong Kong station at the moment, which I heard is for the upcoming Asian games.

jacob_m

I was back at the airport around 4 pm, it was now considerably busier than when I left a few hours earlier and passport and security check took a bit of time.

Pics
The vast departure hall at Hong Kong airport

I still had nearly four hours before my next flight, so decided to do some lounge hopping. The first stop was the Singapore Airlines lounge, very conveniently located just a short walk from the passport control.

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Hong Kong



The Silverkris lounge has been recently refurbished and now has the same lounge design as the lounge at Singapore terminal 3. Definitely a major facelift from the old interior which was starting to show its age.

On the negative side there is no longer a proper first class lounge.
There is a separate room though, that (according to the sign) is “reserved for suites and first class passengers and Solitaire PPS Club members”.
However during my visit no one made use of it, the seats in the “first class section” were exactly the same as in the main lounge and there is nothing extra in terms of food and drinks.

But keeping that aside the new lounge is very nice, in fact it looks much nicer than the old SQ first class lounge, which I had visited on one previous occasion.
As the previous first class and business class lounges have been merged the new combined lounge is vast with an attractive design, very comfortable armchairs, and plenty of food and drinks. The only thing missing is some natural light, the lounge is completely windowless.

There is a very large self-service buffet area in the lounge with all kinds of food including proper hot food, hot snacks, plenty of sandwiches, salad bowls and fresh fruits.
I was also happy to find a freezer with plenty of Häagen Dazs ice cream!

There is a fridge with soft drinks in the main buffet area, however most drinks are available in a separate drinks area, almost by the lounge entrance, where there is also a smaller selection of food, mostly sandwiches.
The drinks selection was quite OK with beer, wine and spirits. In the fridge I also managed to find Sunkist cans. I used to love Sunkist when I was a child.

I got some light snacks from the buffet, a well-needed cup of coffee and surfed the internet and watched an interesting documentary on one of the TVs in the lounge.
Free WIFI was available in the lounge and there were also internet computers in the lounge for passengers not bringing personal laptops.

Pics
The entrance to the Silverkris lounge
Inside the vast modern lounge
Selection of magazine and newspapers
The first class section in the lounge
The self-service buffet area with hot food and snacks
Sandwiches, vegetables and fresh fruits, and in the background a decent selection of soft drinks
The self-service drinks area
The smaller self-service buffet area next to the drinks

United Airlines First Class Lounge, Hong Kong



After an hour in the Silverkris lounge I took the skytrain and made a visit to the United Airlines lounge located in the west concourse, on a balcony above the shopping area.
The United lounge is divided into a business class section and a first class section.

I showed my boarding pass at the reception desk and was warmly welcomed and escorted inside the first class lounge by one of the lounge attendants. She was very nice and gave me a brief tour of the lounge, showing me the facilities, the buffet and the à la carte menu with proper food available for order.
I thanked her for the introduction but said I wanted to get some rest for the moment, but that I might be interested in eating something later on. She just smiled and said I could approach her anytime if I wanted something.

The lounge was a big surprise, I have never been particularly impressed by UA lounges, but this was definitely an exception. The UA lounge is easily the nicest Star Alliance first class lounge in Hong Kong.
The lounge was completely empty when I arrived, that’s why I could take so many photos that have been uploaded.

I had a glass of champagne (Charles Heidsieck!), a nice mango fruit juice and had a seat in one of the comfortable armchairs. I turned on some music and eventually dozed off for about an hour.
There were two attendants responsible for the first class lounge and they kept checking the lounge every 5-10 minutes in case I had any requests or wanted to order anything from the menu. All that hassle just for me! What a great service! ^

An hour later I was feeling a bit better. Around 6 pm more passengers started to arrive in the lounge from the UA flight that had just arrived from Chicago and the lounge got slightly more crowded.

I had another glass of champagne and then decided to have a look again in the à la carte menu.
This is what they had on offer in the lounge:

Other than the à la carte menu they had a very nicely-stocked and well-maintained self-service buffet with some hot snacks, canapés, spring rolls, sushi, sandwiches, fresh fruits, cookies, pastries, and cheese and crackers. I think I got it all...
The drinks selection was very nice with champagne, wine, beer, and an excellent selection of soft drinks and spirits.
Most impressive! And everything looked fresh, well-maintained and appetising.

A few moments later the lounge attendant entered the lounge and I ordered the tandoori chicken sandwich. She confirmed my order and said it would take around 15 minutes to prepare.
As promised 15 minutes later she was back with my warm tandoori chicken sandwich, served with crisps. She also fetched the champagne bottle and kept my glass filled until it was time for me to leave the lounge.

All-in-all a really great lounge! Friendly staff, attentive service, excellent food and drinks, and a nice and spotless interior with comfortable armchairs.
There is also free WIFI in the lounge, a very extensive selection of magazines, and two immaculate shower rooms (that also work as toilets for lounge guests).
For aviation enthusiasts there is also a decent apron view from the lounge to enjoy.



Pics
Inside the very nice United Airlines First Class lounge
Snacks and sushi
Hot food and canapés
The very nice à la carte menu
The drinks counter
Champagne, beer and soft drinks
Wine and spirits
Excellent selection of newspapers and magazines
Great view from the lounge
Hong Kong has a really decent selection of airlines

NordicLane

Crazy trip! ;-)
Nice report :-)

FetePerfection

I think I have jet lag just reading this...but wow thanks for sharing!