Across the Pacific on 96 hours notice (PDX-TPE in SQ/UA F)
Dec 14, 2010, 1:34 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: United 1k (finally!), Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 655
(pictures in this section came out poorly, I think I'm overdue for a new camera ...)
6. Killing Time in Purgatory (Terminal Transfer/LAX *A F lounge)
After my wonderful flight deck tour, I deplaned with my duffel in tow, and made my way out into the terminal. As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid LAX as much as possible. The terminals are old, uncomfortable, and I find its like purgatory; to quote Family Guy "This isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad".
I walked towards the Baggage Claim/Exit signs to catch the inter-terminal bus, only pausing to exchange some USD into TWD (I usually do most of my currency exchange on arrival, but I like to have a little foreign currency in case that is not possible; due to my late arrival in TPE, I had no idea if the currency exchange in Taipei would be open).
As I got outside, the hot air and lack of wind made things immediately unpleasant, and it took me a few moments to find the waiting area for the shuttle bus. On board, I found a couple who were trying to get to international departures for AA, and had a lovely conversation on travel, and the destinations we were traveling to.
As all good things in life, we eventually reached the TBIT terminal and we parted ways as I disembarked making my way to the SQ check-in area. As I mentoned before, United had only been able to check me in as far as NRT, so I took the opportunity to have SQ check me in for the NH NRT-TPE flight, and to get a new boarding card on SQ card stock and also an invitation to the air-side first-class lounge.
The agent greeted me and welcomed me flying SQ, took my passport, and then asked me how many bags I was checking. The agent was shocked that I wasn't checking any, and all I wanted was to check-in for my NH segment, and print out the boarding cards. I was getting the feeling that it must not be fairly common to connect to non-codeshared flights on the same PNR, as the agent too quite awhile to figure out how to do the check-in, and then had to struggle to get the boarding pass printer to work (the one at the first class counter chose to jam the first time she printed it out). The entire process took a good 15 minutes, but the agent was extremely apologetic and made chit-chat as she worked through it.
Soon enough, I have a Singapore Airlines First Class boarding card, and a "Singapore Airlines" Business Class boarding card for my NH flight. With boarding cards in hand, I made my way to the security checkpoint. The lines were long, and it seems like there were a lot of first time/non-English speaking fliers, and no elite line. I spent a good 20-30 minutes waiting to clear security, then made my way to the airside first class lounge.
Upon disembarking from the elevator, the first thing that catches my eye is a giant poster behind the desk of the Earth taken from space, with white text in the corner saying Star Alliance/The Way The Earth Connects. Given the sheer size of *A, it was a pretty awesome thing; I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted a copy of that picture for my desktop. In a nice touch, wifi ESSID and password was also appropriately named for a Star Alliance lounge (I won't post what they are here, but it made me grin a bit).
The lounge matron took my invite for the first-class section of the lounge and escorted me to a small room off the side. I've got to say, I wasn't expecting much given that this was LAX, but the F lounge was down-right pathetic; like is this a joke pathetic? The lounge at PDX was more impressive ...
The window view left a lot to be desired ...
Now, I don't mean to sound nit-picky, but I feel if your going to have a first-class lounge, you should do it right, or not at all. The LAX *A F lounge in terms of hard product was very weak; I found the packages of instant noodles out of place, and my first thought was "Really?".
Despite my misgivings about the lounge, I proceeded to drop my bag with the matrons, and went to explore the airside terminal in search of shoelaces. Sadly, walking into all the little stores, none of them carried what I sought; I guess a shoelace isn't something commonly required when flying across the pond. A glance at security from airside told me the lines had ballooned; I guestimated the wait could easily be upwards of an hour just looking at the queue.
My quest a failure, I returned to the lounge, and retrieved my duffel bag from the matron, and mentioned in passing my plight for a shoelace. After hearing, she offered to go land-side, and check the shops on that side for me. I was going to turn her down, but she seemed like she really wanted to help, so I let her and made my way to the back of my lounge, and started to write the first section of this trip report.
After about a half an hour, the matron found me, and told me that she too had failed on the quest for a shoelace, and also informed me that SQ11 had an hour delay. I got to say, at this point, my opinion of the dinky F lounge really turned around, while the hard-product of the lounge was lacking, the customer service offered made me feel that routing international hops through LAX may not be a bad idea; I suspect in the case of IRROPS, I'd be extremely well cared for by the lounge staff.
Unfortunately, my layover in NRT was roughly an hour and change. With an hour delay, I was likely to be spending the night in Japan instead of Taiwan as originally planned. The matrons at the lounge and the SQ staff they talked to for me said that they would try and get me to my connection on time, and they felt that I still had a fairly reasonable shot at making it.
With nothing to do, I worked away at my trip report, made a few calls, and soon enough, boarding time finally came for SQ11.
Next part is the main event for many of you watching this thread :-)
6. Killing Time in Purgatory (Terminal Transfer/LAX *A F lounge)
After my wonderful flight deck tour, I deplaned with my duffel in tow, and made my way out into the terminal. As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid LAX as much as possible. The terminals are old, uncomfortable, and I find its like purgatory; to quote Family Guy "This isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad".
I walked towards the Baggage Claim/Exit signs to catch the inter-terminal bus, only pausing to exchange some USD into TWD (I usually do most of my currency exchange on arrival, but I like to have a little foreign currency in case that is not possible; due to my late arrival in TPE, I had no idea if the currency exchange in Taipei would be open).
As I got outside, the hot air and lack of wind made things immediately unpleasant, and it took me a few moments to find the waiting area for the shuttle bus. On board, I found a couple who were trying to get to international departures for AA, and had a lovely conversation on travel, and the destinations we were traveling to.
As all good things in life, we eventually reached the TBIT terminal and we parted ways as I disembarked making my way to the SQ check-in area. As I mentoned before, United had only been able to check me in as far as NRT, so I took the opportunity to have SQ check me in for the NH NRT-TPE flight, and to get a new boarding card on SQ card stock and also an invitation to the air-side first-class lounge.
The agent greeted me and welcomed me flying SQ, took my passport, and then asked me how many bags I was checking. The agent was shocked that I wasn't checking any, and all I wanted was to check-in for my NH segment, and print out the boarding cards. I was getting the feeling that it must not be fairly common to connect to non-codeshared flights on the same PNR, as the agent too quite awhile to figure out how to do the check-in, and then had to struggle to get the boarding pass printer to work (the one at the first class counter chose to jam the first time she printed it out). The entire process took a good 15 minutes, but the agent was extremely apologetic and made chit-chat as she worked through it.
Soon enough, I have a Singapore Airlines First Class boarding card, and a "Singapore Airlines" Business Class boarding card for my NH flight. With boarding cards in hand, I made my way to the security checkpoint. The lines were long, and it seems like there were a lot of first time/non-English speaking fliers, and no elite line. I spent a good 20-30 minutes waiting to clear security, then made my way to the airside first class lounge.
Upon disembarking from the elevator, the first thing that catches my eye is a giant poster behind the desk of the Earth taken from space, with white text in the corner saying Star Alliance/The Way The Earth Connects. Given the sheer size of *A, it was a pretty awesome thing; I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted a copy of that picture for my desktop. In a nice touch, wifi ESSID and password was also appropriately named for a Star Alliance lounge (I won't post what they are here, but it made me grin a bit).
The lounge matron took my invite for the first-class section of the lounge and escorted me to a small room off the side. I've got to say, I wasn't expecting much given that this was LAX, but the F lounge was down-right pathetic; like is this a joke pathetic? The lounge at PDX was more impressive ...
The window view left a lot to be desired ...
Now, I don't mean to sound nit-picky, but I feel if your going to have a first-class lounge, you should do it right, or not at all. The LAX *A F lounge in terms of hard product was very weak; I found the packages of instant noodles out of place, and my first thought was "Really?".
Despite my misgivings about the lounge, I proceeded to drop my bag with the matrons, and went to explore the airside terminal in search of shoelaces. Sadly, walking into all the little stores, none of them carried what I sought; I guess a shoelace isn't something commonly required when flying across the pond. A glance at security from airside told me the lines had ballooned; I guestimated the wait could easily be upwards of an hour just looking at the queue.
My quest a failure, I returned to the lounge, and retrieved my duffel bag from the matron, and mentioned in passing my plight for a shoelace. After hearing, she offered to go land-side, and check the shops on that side for me. I was going to turn her down, but she seemed like she really wanted to help, so I let her and made my way to the back of my lounge, and started to write the first section of this trip report.
After about a half an hour, the matron found me, and told me that she too had failed on the quest for a shoelace, and also informed me that SQ11 had an hour delay. I got to say, at this point, my opinion of the dinky F lounge really turned around, while the hard-product of the lounge was lacking, the customer service offered made me feel that routing international hops through LAX may not be a bad idea; I suspect in the case of IRROPS, I'd be extremely well cared for by the lounge staff.
Unfortunately, my layover in NRT was roughly an hour and change. With an hour delay, I was likely to be spending the night in Japan instead of Taiwan as originally planned. The matrons at the lounge and the SQ staff they talked to for me said that they would try and get me to my connection on time, and they felt that I still had a fairly reasonable shot at making it.
With nothing to do, I worked away at my trip report, made a few calls, and soon enough, boarding time finally came for SQ11.
Next part is the main event for many of you watching this thread :-)
Last edited by NCommander; Dec 14, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Dec 14, 2010, 4:26 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AA,DL,BA,UA,SPG, and any other free trip!
Posts: 1,803
great report
great report--loved reading the booking actually---it was quite suspensful and kept me no the edge of my chair hehe
You don't work at Powell's do ya? I think I seen you before....
You don't work at Powell's do ya? I think I seen you before....
Dec 14, 2010, 4:27 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
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Posts: 21,606
thanks for the next installment! I enjoyed the part where the SQ agent went to find you a shoe lace 
Dec 14, 2010, 4:46 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA2, DL2, Amtrak2, US2, SPG1, MAR2
Posts: 2,550
My check-in for SQ F at LAX in July '09 took 30+ minutes for a simple on-line SQ connection. The lines for F were long and then the printers broke down and then the replacement printer broke down. It's too bad they havent fixed the problems there yet. It's really unacceptable for the price paid.
Dec 17, 2010, 12:45 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: United 1k (finally!), Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 655
7. LAX-NRT in SQ F
I grabbed my boarding cards (pictured below), and left the lounge and into the corridors of TBIT building, arriving at my gate about 10 minutes later.
Note the boarding time takes in account the delay
Boarding for SQ11 was quick and straightforward, a priority lane took me right to the back of the F cabin, and a purser helped me locate 4F, and take some initial pictures.
(yes, there was holiday hangings in first class for the Christmas holidays!)
The flight attendants gave us our pre-departure drinks, and I began to settle in, and took an opportunity to photograph the menus for later writing (the SQ menus aren't a type you can take with you sadly :-/)
(text didn't come clean on the pic, may be slight mistakes with non-English words)
(the picture got cut off part of the menu, so the Indian Lab and clam chowder lines are a partial guess)
There was an additional section in the menu for the continuing NRT-SIN flight. As part of due diligence, here's the write up :-)
Anyway, I settled in, took some pictures out the window, and waited for my trip to start.
FL B717 seen at LAX
Los Angeles Coast
Anyway, this post has gone on long enough, I'll post the next part of SQ11 next time (and I apologize in the delay in writing this since I got back to the states)
I grabbed my boarding cards (pictured below), and left the lounge and into the corridors of TBIT building, arriving at my gate about 10 minutes later.
Note the boarding time takes in account the delay
Boarding for SQ11 was quick and straightforward, a priority lane took me right to the back of the F cabin, and a purser helped me locate 4F, and take some initial pictures.
(yes, there was holiday hangings in first class for the Christmas holidays!)
The flight attendants gave us our pre-departure drinks, and I began to settle in, and took an opportunity to photograph the menus for later writing (the SQ menus aren't a type you can take with you sadly :-/)
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 1
Our Menu
Dining Delights
For your flight from Los Angeles/Tokyo to Singapore we shall be serving lunch., light meal, and dinner. Our cabin crew will prepare your meal at your preferred time.
(Meal orders will be accepted up to two hours before flight arrival time.)
Between Meals
Snacks are available throughout the flight. Please select from our light bites menu and make your choice known to our cabin crew.
Beverages
Complement your meals with a selection of premium wines, champagnes, gourmet coffees and teas from our wine & beverage list.
Our menus feature a range of specially created dishes to enhance your dining pleasure. These include dishes prepared by our international Culinary Panel chefs and a health choice of either a low carbohydrate, low cholesterol or meatless main course. We have this available on this menu.
* - A dish exclusively created by our international Culinary Panel chef.
** - A healthier choice - lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than our main selections
*** - A healthy meatless speciality
Dining Delights
For your flight from Los Angeles/Tokyo to Singapore we shall be serving lunch., light meal, and dinner. Our cabin crew will prepare your meal at your preferred time.
(Meal orders will be accepted up to two hours before flight arrival time.)
Between Meals
Snacks are available throughout the flight. Please select from our light bites menu and make your choice known to our cabin crew.
Beverages
Complement your meals with a selection of premium wines, champagnes, gourmet coffees and teas from our wine & beverage list.
Our menus feature a range of specially created dishes to enhance your dining pleasure. These include dishes prepared by our international Culinary Panel chefs and a health choice of either a low carbohydrate, low cholesterol or meatless main course. We have this available on this menu.
* - A dish exclusively created by our international Culinary Panel chef.
** - A healthier choice - lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than our main selections
*** - A healthy meatless speciality
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 2
Lunch - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
The Finest Selection
Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel brings together some of the most celebrated names in gourmet cuisine. Drawing from the best of authentic traditional flavours and modern inspirations, they present to you this recommendation for an exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Kyo-kaiseki
Ichino-Zen
Sukizuke
Lobster, salimon roe, okma, miso, dressing
Sesame beancurd
Angelfish liver, grated turnip
Mukazuke
Seared tuna, soy sauce
Oshinogi
Udon noodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed
Rainbow sushi, pickled lotus root
Futawono(?)
Simmered monkfish with beancurd sheet, carrot, shittake, bamboo
and yam in ginger sauce
Nino-Zen(?)
Yakimumo
Grilled chicken with sesame seeds
Teriyaki style black cod, pickled giner,
Gotun
Steamed rice with seasonal mixed vegetables
Clear soup with surf clam, treroi(?), yuzu
Assorted pickles
Mizugishi
Japanese dessert
The Finest Selection
Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel brings together some of the most celebrated names in gourmet cuisine. Drawing from the best of authentic traditional flavours and modern inspirations, they present to you this recommendation for an exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Kyo-kaiseki
Ichino-Zen
Sukizuke
Lobster, salimon roe, okma, miso, dressing
Sesame beancurd
Angelfish liver, grated turnip
Mukazuke
Seared tuna, soy sauce
Oshinogi
Udon noodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed
Rainbow sushi, pickled lotus root
Futawono(?)
Simmered monkfish with beancurd sheet, carrot, shittake, bamboo
and yam in ginger sauce
Nino-Zen(?)
Yakimumo
Grilled chicken with sesame seeds
Teriyaki style black cod, pickled giner,
Gotun
Steamed rice with seasonal mixed vegetables
Clear soup with surf clam, treroi(?), yuzu
Assorted pickles
Mizugishi
Japanese dessert
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 3
Lunch - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalizing optins
Appetisers
Chilled malossol caviar
With melba toast and condiments
Pressed duckliver terrine served with rhurbarb-strawberry compote
Soups
Double-boiled chicken soup with ginseng
Dungeness crab bisque garnished with Thai style pesto and tomato
Salad
Caesar salad
Romaine lettuce with bacon, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and anchovy-garlic dressing
Main Courses
Roasted chillean bass fillet in a New England clam chowder sauce with bacon and spinach* (?)
Pan roasted chicken breast served with Madeira wine sauce, baby carrots, (?), parsnip and potato
Indian lamb shank curry with biryani rice, papadum and pickled vegetables
Truffled potato and parsley cannellonl drizzled with parmesan cream, over roasted assorted mushrooms**
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalizing optins
Appetisers
Chilled malossol caviar
With melba toast and condiments
Pressed duckliver terrine served with rhurbarb-strawberry compote
Soups
Double-boiled chicken soup with ginseng
Dungeness crab bisque garnished with Thai style pesto and tomato
Salad
Caesar salad
Romaine lettuce with bacon, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and anchovy-garlic dressing
Main Courses
Roasted chillean bass fillet in a New England clam chowder sauce with bacon and spinach* (?)
Pan roasted chicken breast served with Madeira wine sauce, baby carrots, (?), parsnip and potato
Indian lamb shank curry with biryani rice, papadum and pickled vegetables
Truffled potato and parsley cannellonl drizzled with parmesan cream, over roasted assorted mushrooms**
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 4
Lunch - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalizing optins
Desserts
Warm frangipane pear tar served with vanilla ice cream
Cheeses
Rouge et noir triple creme brie, rouge et noir le petit blue, purple moon and California goat cheese served with apricot paste, seasonal fruit, walnut and biscuit
Fruits
Fresh fruits in season
Finale
Selection of gourment coffees & fine teas served with pralines
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalizing optins
Desserts
Warm frangipane pear tar served with vanilla ice cream
Cheeses
Rouge et noir triple creme brie, rouge et noir le petit blue, purple moon and California goat cheese served with apricot paste, seasonal fruit, walnut and biscuit
Fruits
Fresh fruits in season
Finale
Selection of gourment coffees & fine teas served with pralines
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 5
Light Bites - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
Should you a fancy a snack or something more substantial in between your meal(?), make your selection known to our crew, during the flight
Noodles
Gyu soba
Buckweat noodles in light fish broth garnished with sliced beef and spinach
Vermicelli in broth served with fish balls
Vegetarian and non vegetarian instant noodles
Sandwiches
Chicken burrito
Krispy kreme doughnut
Snacks
Cashew nuts, honeyed walnuts or macadamia nuts
Chips
Cookies
Chocolate bar
Fruit yoghurt
A selection from the fruit basket
Should you a fancy a snack or something more substantial in between your meal(?), make your selection known to our crew, during the flight
Noodles
Gyu soba
Buckweat noodles in light fish broth garnished with sliced beef and spinach
Vermicelli in broth served with fish balls
Vegetarian and non vegetarian instant noodles
Sandwiches
Chicken burrito
Krispy kreme doughnut
Snacks
Cashew nuts, honeyed walnuts or macadamia nuts
Chips
Cookies
Chocolate bar
Fruit yoghurt
A selection from the fruit basket
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 5
Light Bites - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
The Finest Selections
Drawing from the best authentic traditional flavours and modern inspirations, we present to you, this recommendation for an exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Kyo-kaiseki
Ichino-Zen
Sakizuke
Lobster with sea urchin, squid, omelette with crabmeat, burdock with eel, chicken in jelly
Nino-Zen
Yakimono
Grilled egg yolk glaced salom
Duck with turnip and carrot rolled, citrus sauce
Simmered turnip with minced chicken sauce
Miso soup with mushroom, beancurd, onion
Steamed rice
Assorted pickles
Mizugashi
Japnese dessert
Drawing from the best authentic traditional flavours and modern inspirations, we present to you, this recommendation for an exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Kyo-kaiseki
Ichino-Zen
Sakizuke
Lobster with sea urchin, squid, omelette with crabmeat, burdock with eel, chicken in jelly
Nino-Zen
Yakimono
Grilled egg yolk glaced salom
Duck with turnip and carrot rolled, citrus sauce
Simmered turnip with minced chicken sauce
Miso soup with mushroom, beancurd, onion
Steamed rice
Assorted pickles
Mizugashi
Japnese dessert
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 6
Light Bites - From Los Angeles to Tokyo
Lean back and unwind with our simple yet delightful culinary selection
Appetiser
Hallan style minestrone with vegetables, basil pesto, parmesan cheese and smoked chicken
Main Courses
Quesadillas
Flour tortilla stuffed with assorted cheeses, pulled port, chipotle, cilantro, and (?)
Stuffed hotcake with ricotta cheese and blueberries served with maple syrup
Dessert
Raspberry panna cotta
Finale
A selection of gourmet coffees
Lean back and unwind with our simple yet delightful culinary selection
Appetiser
Hallan style minestrone with vegetables, basil pesto, parmesan cheese and smoked chicken
Main Courses
Quesadillas
Flour tortilla stuffed with assorted cheeses, pulled port, chipotle, cilantro, and (?)
Stuffed hotcake with ricotta cheese and blueberries served with maple syrup
Dessert
Raspberry panna cotta
Finale
A selection of gourmet coffees
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 7
Dinner - From Tokyo to Singapore
Yoshihiro's Choice
A respected authority who has helped shape Japan's culinary cuisine, Yoshihiro Murata draws on European influences without compromising on the authenticity of traditional Japanese cuisine. He brings to you his recommendation for a most exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Yoshihiro's Choice
A respected authority who has helped shape Japan's culinary cuisine, Yoshihiro Murata draws on European influences without compromising on the authenticity of traditional Japanese cuisine. He brings to you his recommendation for a most exquisite dining experience in the sky.
Kyo-kaiseki
Sakizuke
Cod milt curd with dashi jelly, salmon roe
Red yam jelly with spring onion tossed with mustard miso dressing
Marinated yellowtail fillet, turnip tartare, ponzu jelly, wasabi
Mukozuke
Snapper with carrot, prawn with cucumber, salmon with turnip,
mustard-egg yolk dressing
Oshinogi
Chilled udonnoodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed
Mackerel sushi, pickled giner, marinated chrysanthemum leaf and flower
Futamono
Braised kuro buta pork belly in black vinegar, beetroot puree,
leek julienne, carrot
Nino-zen
Yakimono
Miso flavoured Spanish mackerel confit, yuzu miso sauce
Deep fried sesame crusted "ebi" yam, anglerfish liver with pickled gourd
Gohan
Egg white fried rice with mullet roes, sesame seeds
Clear soup
Assorted pickles
Mizugashi
Sakizuke
Cod milt curd with dashi jelly, salmon roe
Red yam jelly with spring onion tossed with mustard miso dressing
Marinated yellowtail fillet, turnip tartare, ponzu jelly, wasabi
Mukozuke
Snapper with carrot, prawn with cucumber, salmon with turnip,
mustard-egg yolk dressing
Oshinogi
Chilled udonnoodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed
Mackerel sushi, pickled giner, marinated chrysanthemum leaf and flower
Futamono
Braised kuro buta pork belly in black vinegar, beetroot puree,
leek julienne, carrot
Nino-zen
Yakimono
Miso flavoured Spanish mackerel confit, yuzu miso sauce
Deep fried sesame crusted "ebi" yam, anglerfish liver with pickled gourd
Gohan
Egg white fried rice with mullet roes, sesame seeds
Clear soup
Assorted pickles
Mizugashi
Originally Posted by SQ Menu 7
Dinner - From Tokyo to Singapore
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalising options
Canapes
Saty
Within onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce
Appetisers
Chilled matossol caviar
With melba toast and condiments
Spanish Iberico air dried ham garnished with fresh fig, mixed salad
Soups
Chicken consomme with quail egg, enoki mushroom and orzo pasta
Carrot soup with crabmeat, fennel and orange
Salad
Mizuna lettuce with baby spinach, shaved turnip, carrot, cucmber, oven toasted beat root and walnet
Umeshiso dressing
Creamy French dressing
Main Courses
Grilled wagyu beef fillet served with cafe de paris butter, carrot puree and gratinated potato
Katsu curry
Japanese style chicken cutlet served with curry, pickled vegetable and steamed rice
Steamed fillet of black cod with gremolata, pickup cherry tomato and saffrion(?) potato
***Warm four cheeses quiche served with mixed baby lettuces, roasted pear served with balsamic dressing
Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalising options
Canapes
Saty
Within onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce
Appetisers
Chilled matossol caviar
With melba toast and condiments
Spanish Iberico air dried ham garnished with fresh fig, mixed salad
Soups
Chicken consomme with quail egg, enoki mushroom and orzo pasta
Carrot soup with crabmeat, fennel and orange
Salad
Mizuna lettuce with baby spinach, shaved turnip, carrot, cucmber, oven toasted beat root and walnet
Umeshiso dressing
Creamy French dressing
Main Courses
Grilled wagyu beef fillet served with cafe de paris butter, carrot puree and gratinated potato
Katsu curry
Japanese style chicken cutlet served with curry, pickled vegetable and steamed rice
Steamed fillet of black cod with gremolata, pickup cherry tomato and saffrion(?) potato
***Warm four cheeses quiche served with mixed baby lettuces, roasted pear served with balsamic dressing
FL B717 seen at LAX
Los Angeles Coast
Anyway, this post has gone on long enough, I'll post the next part of SQ11 next time (and I apologize in the delay in writing this since I got back to the states)
Last edited by NCommander; Dec 20, 2010 at 11:26 am
Dec 18, 2010, 9:42 am
#25
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Dec 18, 2010, 9:59 am
#26
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: United 1k (finally!), Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 655
I believe they were collected after the meal service (I'm not 100%, I fell asleep shortly afterwards, but I'm glad I took pictures so I could type them up afterwards).
Dec 18, 2010, 1:30 pm
#27
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On OZ they don't even have a nice folder to hold the menus inside, but they still take away the menus to reuse as each particular menus would not change choices for 3 months.
Dec 22, 2010, 9:21 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: United 1k (finally!), Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 655
7. LAX-NRT in SQ F (part 2)
Singapore Airlines really makes quite an impression just from the cabin
I'll be honest, right off the bat, I was impressed. The cabin had the holiday hangings and the attentive FAs really was nice; when they saw I was taking pictures, they took the previous picture of me in the seat.
After enjoying my drink, I took through fiddling with the IFE.
I had read on the Singapore forums that the KrisWorld system was kinda 'slow'. I think 'painful' would be a better word. I had trouble navigating the system, and every key press was extremely lagged. Sometimes I would hit the key, and nothing would happen more, other times, it would register twice.
I took some pictures, but most of them didn't come clearly; I was fairly impressed with the number of movies available (including some classics like Rocky).
I also found it interesting and semi-amusing they had GameBoy Color games available for play; sadly, most of the games available were not ones ideal for playing on a flight with no saves; Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: The Link's Awakening were the two that stuck out in my mind. I was also disappointed, having Tetris available would have probably kept me occupied long into the night.
Shortly after we hit ten-thousand feet, the FAs took our meal orders; I choose the Japanese meal option as it sounded more interesting. An hour or so after takeoff, meal service began.
Seared tuna, soy sauce
Udon noodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed, rainbow sushi, pickled lotus root
Simmered monkfish with beancurd sheet, carrot, shittake, bamboo
and yam in ginger sauce
Grilled chicken with sesame seeds Teriyaki style black cod, pickled ginger
Steamed rice with seasonal mixed vegetables, clear soup with surf clam, treroi(?), yuzu, assorted pickles
Close-up of the clear-soap with clam
The cheese plate which I took in place of the traditional dessert
Rouge et noir triple creme brie, rouge et noir le petit blue, purple moon and California goat cheese served with apricot paste, seasonal fruit, walnut and biscuit
The meal service was well timed, and the crews were quick to replace each empty plate with another, and the quality (if you can't tell from the pictures) was excellent. In addition, I find the pajamas were wonderful and fairly comfortable (though I have to wear a t-shirt under the top they gave me).
In terms of soft-product, SQ is possibly the best. The hard-product is however a different matter all together.
The seat itself was extremely hard yet comfortable; I also felt the design of the tray-table is extremely innovative; being able to slide it out of the way to get up helped reduce the claustrophobic feel of most airline seats. In addition, having a normal 110AC plug available is a real boom for those trying to work on their laptop.
That being said, I found the placement of the seat controls very awkward; they're on the armrest, but whenever I would rest my arm from my period of typing on my laptop, it would nudge the seat in a direction and it got to the point I had to consciously remind myself not to hit the control panel.
In addition, I also found the lie-flat mode to be extremely hard with pressure-points in places; I had trouble falling asleep due to the hardness of the seat. I only managed to sleep on my stomach, and poorly at that.
In short, I found that while SQ F was nice, and while the hard-product on the 747 is weak, the soft product is exemplary. In short, I find that while SQ has a good product, its overrated, at least on the 747. Until SQ allows redemption in premium cabins on the 77W or the A380, I suspect the vast majority of my TPAC redemptions with be on other carriers.
In short SQ F LAX-NRT:
Hard-Product: B-
Soft-Product: A+
IFE: D
Terminal Facilities at LAX TBIT: B+ (points deducted for no priority security lane, and poor F lounge)
Overall: B
(and I know I will get flack for this rating, but its my honest opinion)
As we arrived in NRT, the following drop unread into my INBOX. Had I seen it at the time, I was sure a four letter word would have followed.
So there it is. SQ F weathers the untested writers skills. I realize that the pictures aren't the best ever, and I need to take some practice on making sure everything comes clear. If anyone has any opinions on how I can improve these reports (and the following sections on this one), I'm all ears.
Singapore Airlines really makes quite an impression just from the cabin
I'll be honest, right off the bat, I was impressed. The cabin had the holiday hangings and the attentive FAs really was nice; when they saw I was taking pictures, they took the previous picture of me in the seat.
After enjoying my drink, I took through fiddling with the IFE.
I had read on the Singapore forums that the KrisWorld system was kinda 'slow'. I think 'painful' would be a better word. I had trouble navigating the system, and every key press was extremely lagged. Sometimes I would hit the key, and nothing would happen more, other times, it would register twice.
I took some pictures, but most of them didn't come clearly; I was fairly impressed with the number of movies available (including some classics like Rocky).
I also found it interesting and semi-amusing they had GameBoy Color games available for play; sadly, most of the games available were not ones ideal for playing on a flight with no saves; Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: The Link's Awakening were the two that stuck out in my mind. I was also disappointed, having Tetris available would have probably kept me occupied long into the night.
Shortly after we hit ten-thousand feet, the FAs took our meal orders; I choose the Japanese meal option as it sounded more interesting. An hour or so after takeoff, meal service began.
Seared tuna, soy sauce
Udon noodle, spring onion, wasabi, seaweed, rainbow sushi, pickled lotus root
Simmered monkfish with beancurd sheet, carrot, shittake, bamboo
and yam in ginger sauce
Grilled chicken with sesame seeds Teriyaki style black cod, pickled ginger
Steamed rice with seasonal mixed vegetables, clear soup with surf clam, treroi(?), yuzu, assorted pickles
Close-up of the clear-soap with clam
The cheese plate which I took in place of the traditional dessert
Rouge et noir triple creme brie, rouge et noir le petit blue, purple moon and California goat cheese served with apricot paste, seasonal fruit, walnut and biscuit
The meal service was well timed, and the crews were quick to replace each empty plate with another, and the quality (if you can't tell from the pictures) was excellent. In addition, I find the pajamas were wonderful and fairly comfortable (though I have to wear a t-shirt under the top they gave me).
In terms of soft-product, SQ is possibly the best. The hard-product is however a different matter all together.
The seat itself was extremely hard yet comfortable; I also felt the design of the tray-table is extremely innovative; being able to slide it out of the way to get up helped reduce the claustrophobic feel of most airline seats. In addition, having a normal 110AC plug available is a real boom for those trying to work on their laptop.
That being said, I found the placement of the seat controls very awkward; they're on the armrest, but whenever I would rest my arm from my period of typing on my laptop, it would nudge the seat in a direction and it got to the point I had to consciously remind myself not to hit the control panel.
In addition, I also found the lie-flat mode to be extremely hard with pressure-points in places; I had trouble falling asleep due to the hardness of the seat. I only managed to sleep on my stomach, and poorly at that.
In short, I found that while SQ F was nice, and while the hard-product on the 747 is weak, the soft product is exemplary. In short, I find that while SQ has a good product, its overrated, at least on the 747. Until SQ allows redemption in premium cabins on the 77W or the A380, I suspect the vast majority of my TPAC redemptions with be on other carriers.
In short SQ F LAX-NRT:
Hard-Product: B-
Soft-Product: A+
IFE: D
Terminal Facilities at LAX TBIT: B+ (points deducted for no priority security lane, and poor F lounge)
Overall: B
(and I know I will get flack for this rating, but its my honest opinion)
As we arrived in NRT, the following drop unread into my INBOX. Had I seen it at the time, I was sure a four letter word would have followed.
Hi Michael,
SQ 11 arrived at NRT and will disembark at terminal 1.
Your connecting flight, NH 1083 NRT to TPE is currently ON TIME, departing terminal 1 at 19:00 JST.
You have 14m to make your connection.
For help/changes: US Airways 1-800-428-4322; Singapore Airlines 1-800-742-3333
For the latest flight status information, or to open your full itinerary, view your trip:
*censored*
Happy Travels,
TripIt Pro
SQ 11 arrived at NRT and will disembark at terminal 1.
Your connecting flight, NH 1083 NRT to TPE is currently ON TIME, departing terminal 1 at 19:00 JST.
You have 14m to make your connection.
For help/changes: US Airways 1-800-428-4322; Singapore Airlines 1-800-742-3333
For the latest flight status information, or to open your full itinerary, view your trip:
*censored*
Happy Travels,
TripIt Pro
Dec 23, 2010, 9:09 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Nice report.
Can't say I'm a fan of their new kaiseki set-up - the new dishes and plates look very boring. The old set-up was very colourful. I wonder what they were thinking?
Their choices of "snacks" for F class have always been pretty bad - a burrito, instant-quality noodle soup and a doughnut? They need to consult with ANA to see how it's done properly. They've had the same snacks for YEARS.
The seat controls in the armrest was not a good design idea - I do the same as you and it becomes very annoying after you've done it a dozen times in a flight.
You're lucky they were friendly with your picture-taking, as I have not found that to be the case on occasion.
Can't say I'm a fan of their new kaiseki set-up - the new dishes and plates look very boring. The old set-up was very colourful. I wonder what they were thinking?
Their choices of "snacks" for F class have always been pretty bad - a burrito, instant-quality noodle soup and a doughnut? They need to consult with ANA to see how it's done properly. They've had the same snacks for YEARS.
The seat controls in the armrest was not a good design idea - I do the same as you and it becomes very annoying after you've done it a dozen times in a flight.
You're lucky they were friendly with your picture-taking, as I have not found that to be the case on occasion.
Last edited by Flyingfox; Dec 23, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Dec 31, 2010, 2:57 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: United 1k (finally!), Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 655
8. Hundred Meter Dash to NRT-TPE in NH C
As I alluded before, due to the delays at LAX, my layover was a pitiful 14 minute. As I grabbed my carry-on bag, I had resigned to the fact that I'd be staying overnight in Tokyo, but as the first cabin began to unload, I saw a female NRT employee holding a sign with my name on it. I waved to her, grabbed my bag, and she took off running down the jetlag. I donned my 45 lbs. duffel bag on my back and took off after her.
She ran up and down staircases without slowing down, while sheer kept me going; I was having flashbacks of my service as a recruit in the fire departments with the amount of weight I was carrying. At least two flights of stairs and several corridors later, we reached a security checkpoint, and the rep hurried me into the crew lane. With amazing speed, I managed to get my laptop out, and I was through the checkpoint in record speeds. I grabbed my bag again, and we tore off down another flight of stairs; and before I knew it, we had reached the gate with only a moment to spare. The gate agent took my NH boarding pass, and wheezing, I made my way down the jetway and onto the plane.
I must have looked like a disaster because the NH crew immediately brought me a serving of green tea, and asked if I wanted anything else. I just shook my head, and took a moment to relax. Less than a minute after I took my seat, the jetway pulled away, and we pushed back from the gate. I was simply satisfied I made the connection and wasn't dead from the effort.
We took off on time, and about 15 minutes after getting airborne, meal service began. In my exhaustion, I failed to grab the menu, although I did grab a picture of the December selection.
I choose the salmon.
Time flewby, and soon enough, we landed in Taipei.
(I apologize in the delay in updates, the holidays have left me extremely busy and running around like crazy, but I will try and have this report done before the end of January. Also, I'll have a new report starting soon on my misadventures with holiday travel, and traveling back to Portland in a non-conventional way.)
As I alluded before, due to the delays at LAX, my layover was a pitiful 14 minute. As I grabbed my carry-on bag, I had resigned to the fact that I'd be staying overnight in Tokyo, but as the first cabin began to unload, I saw a female NRT employee holding a sign with my name on it. I waved to her, grabbed my bag, and she took off running down the jetlag. I donned my 45 lbs. duffel bag on my back and took off after her.
She ran up and down staircases without slowing down, while sheer kept me going; I was having flashbacks of my service as a recruit in the fire departments with the amount of weight I was carrying. At least two flights of stairs and several corridors later, we reached a security checkpoint, and the rep hurried me into the crew lane. With amazing speed, I managed to get my laptop out, and I was through the checkpoint in record speeds. I grabbed my bag again, and we tore off down another flight of stairs; and before I knew it, we had reached the gate with only a moment to spare. The gate agent took my NH boarding pass, and wheezing, I made my way down the jetway and onto the plane.
I must have looked like a disaster because the NH crew immediately brought me a serving of green tea, and asked if I wanted anything else. I just shook my head, and took a moment to relax. Less than a minute after I took my seat, the jetway pulled away, and we pushed back from the gate. I was simply satisfied I made the connection and wasn't dead from the effort.
We took off on time, and about 15 minutes after getting airborne, meal service began. In my exhaustion, I failed to grab the menu, although I did grab a picture of the December selection.
Originally Posted by "NH NRT-TPE menu
For December
Assortment of appetizer
Quick-seared globefish, kombu kelp-cured salmon sashimi and seared scallop sushi
Wasabi flavored shrimps and brown sugar-roasted port
Main course
Buttered salmon and mushrooms with aromatic miso sauce
Steamed rice
[466 kcal]
or
Broiled chicken thihg with piquant yuzu citron pep(?)
Steamed rice
[467 kcal]
Daikon radisk and baby fish salad
Miso soup
Petit chestnut pound cake
Assortment of appetizer
Quick-seared globefish, kombu kelp-cured salmon sashimi and seared scallop sushi
Wasabi flavored shrimps and brown sugar-roasted port
Main course
Buttered salmon and mushrooms with aromatic miso sauce
Steamed rice
[466 kcal]
or
Broiled chicken thihg with piquant yuzu citron pep(?)
Steamed rice
[467 kcal]
Daikon radisk and baby fish salad
Miso soup
Petit chestnut pound cake
I choose the salmon.
Time flewby, and soon enough, we landed in Taipei.
(I apologize in the delay in updates, the holidays have left me extremely busy and running around like crazy, but I will try and have this report done before the end of January. Also, I'll have a new report starting soon on my misadventures with holiday travel, and traveling back to Portland in a non-conventional way.)