*RTW Part I : FMO-FRA-ICN-SIN-AKL
Jun 14, 2003, 7:36 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 201
*RTW Part I : FMO-FRA-ICN-SIN-AKL
Trip Report RTW 7.5.-21.5.03
Routing FMO-FRA-ICN-SIN-AKL-NAN-LAX-GRU-GIG-FRA-FMO
This is my second try to start a RTW trip on *A. The first one began in Germany only shortly after 9/11 and when in New Zealand the US General attorney gave a serious warning of immanent terrorist attacks in the next few days. My family was very nervous about that and so I changed my flights and instead going via LAX and JFK I went back to FRA via SIN. By the way, although this was not allowed by the rules, it only took about an hour and 75 US$ at LH and SQ offices in Auckland to change. Very empty flights during most of this trip helped a lot since it was all in coach.
But back to the recent trip:
This time I was lucky and my company spent a business class ticket.
7.5. FMO to FRA – Lufthansa flight operated by Eurowings – Class C
I started as usual at the small regional airport FMO in the north western part of Germany. The airport has two terminal buildings which are both very modern and quite new. I even had a short look into the new lounge, which is small but very nice. Drinks, cookies and sandwiches were self-served. Although not a dedicated LH lounge, entry with LH FTL (*A Silver) is possible. However, my wife and little son brought me to the airport and before leaving for a trip I prefer hugging them instead of checking out the lounges….
Most of the flights from FMO are feeder flights to FRA and MUC as well as holiday flights to the Mediterranean and some European cities. I still don’t like that they cancelled the services to AMS since LH took some shares in Eurowings which used to fly there to feed KLM.
Check in was easy and quick although I could not get the boarding pass for my first intercontinental leg to Seoul ICN. Anyway that didn’t matter too much as I had about four hours to spend at FRA. The flight on a BAe164 was only 40 minutes but even for that short time they served drinks twice and gave out a small bag with snacks (Sandwich, apple and a small cake).
Upon arrival in FRA I went to the transfer desk, but couldn’t get my boarding pass as it was still too early. I went to the LH business class lounge in terminal B where my flight was expected to leave most likely. I was surprised as I found it almost empty (at 4 pm). Obviously the SARS fear shows its results mostly in intercontinental flights, as the domestic part of the airport seemed to be as busy as usual. Anyway, I appreciated that the lounge was not as full of smoke as it used to be.
Thanks to some tips in FlyerTalk I showed up at the gate only 30 minutes prior to departure and received an operational upgrade to F! Happy me!
7.5.-8.5. FRA to INC – Asiana flight – Class F
Originally I planned to do this leg with LH at the same day (about one hour earlier), but the flight was cancelled about one week before. It took several phone calls to get OZ into the new routing because it is a fresh *A member, but as you see it is possible.
A small note at the beginning: this was my first F-class flight ever and what I knew about flying in F was mainly what the airlines show on their internet pages and magazines and of course what fellow Fters wrote (and a short and envious glimpse when I got onboard on earlier flights).
Anyway, the first impression of the cabin was a bit disappointing: 16 seats (2+2) all in front of the main deck. Seats looked a bit worn and colours were – well – one had to get used to them. Bulgari amenity kits were given out (lip balm, body lotion, after shave balm, refreshing towel etc.), as well as a pair of slippers. I thought that was going to be a pleasant flight, when a very nice Korean woman in her mid-twenties sat down in the seat to my left and we started chatting. Sadly enough, she was obviously seated wrongly and after a while the mistake was cleared and another Korean lady in her late sixties took the place. Hmmm….
The seats had full recline, but were not too comfortable. After trying a bit, I found out later that the best position for me to sleep was not fully horizontal. The PTV was quite old-fashioned and can’t even be compared to SQ’s system in coach. Headphones were standard ones. That didn’t bother me too much, as I had my own noise-cancelling headphones with me. Service was great, however in my opinion. I won’t complain that the FAs didn’t call me by name, because I wouldn’t have expected it (without having read that it seems to be an important part of the F-service for some FT’ers ;-) and I don’t care. Preflight drinks were served and the orange juice I ordered was obviously made freshly by order.
Take-off was delayed by 20 minutes, because we had to wait for some passengers.
Finally we took off and soon after reaching cruising altitude, dinner was served.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get the menu with me, so I will try to remember as good as possible:
- Canapes
- Starters: Fois gras, prawns and two other thingies
- Soup: Beef consommé or Potato Soup
- Salad
- Main: Beefsteak, Smoked salmon filet, Duck breast and a Korean dish which name I can’t remember
- Desert: Cheese and fresh fruit
- Cake
- Coffee
I went for the beef consommé and the duck breast, but was too full to try the cake at the end of the dinner. The whole presentation was perfect, the taste was okay, but nothing to write home about.
During dinner I watched a boring movie (“Maid in Manhattan”), because I couldn’t convince my PTV to show me the movie I would have preferred….
After the dinner it was time to sleep which I did until brunch was served about one hour before arrival. With a bit of a hangover (Sorry, I forgot to mention the Taittinger Champagne and the Chardonnay for dinner..) I did not like my brunch too much.
Brunch was again Korean or European style food. I chose the European, because I really can’t eat Asian food for breakfast.
- Rolls with different kinds of marmalade and honey
- Joghurt
- Fruits
- Cereals with milk
- Pancake or seafood omelette
Good landing in Incheon on time. The airport was also very empty and between touchdown and leaving the airport building it was roughly 15 minutes, although I forgot to ask for a priority marker for my check-in luggage.
Altogether I surely won’t complain as I received this upgrade for free, but for those who paid it, I can’t imagine that it was worth the difference between C- and F-fare.
11.5. INC to SIN – Singapore Airlines flight – Class C (Raffles)
This flight was also changed since my initial booking. Instead of being a direct flight, this one had a stop in Bangkok.
The check-in again was smooth and quick, no one in front of me cueing up.
The SQ lounge at Incheon is one of the nicest I have seen so far, which doesn’t say a lot. A variety of drinks and ice-cream, sandwiches and even “real” food. I had some sandwiches and coffee, because I skipped breakfast before I went to the Airport. A lot of computers (8?), most of them free with Internet access were available.
I went to the gate just in time for boarding. My favourite seat (2A) on this 777-200 was available to me, which was no wonder as Raffles Class was only 20% occupied.
Pre-flight drinks were served and I ordered a Silver Kris Sling-Cocktail (can recommend it!) for after take-off. The variety of drinks that are offered is really astonishing. One thing I found very nice apart from the cocktails is the iced-coffee selection. Iced Moccha with a dash of Baileys is my favourite. Yumm.
This flight had noice-cancelling headphones. I am not sure about the seats. It weren’t the new
SkyBed full-flat seats, but I don’t know whether those were the Ultimo seats. Anyway, quite comfortable. I watched the first of two movies (“About Schmidt” and “Dare Devil”) during Lunch. Very nice presentation AND taste. Before the starter, Sateé sticks were served. Good.
Lunch (Seoul to Bangkok)
Starter:
- Korean style marinated octopus, flavoured omelette and smoked salmon served with Korean dressing
Main: Choice of:
- ->Onion crumbed chicken with Cabernet sauce, spinach, carrots and corn-whipped potatoes
- Bulgogi: Korean style beef with spiced mixed vegetables and steamed rice
- Stir fried sweet and sour prawns, Oriental mixed vegetables and fried rice
Cheese Board:
- Selection of cheese with garnishes
- Selection of fresh fruit
Coffee and Pralines
After that good meal, I was working a bit and having a chat with the very nice FAs. (Who addressed me by name, BTW). After arriving in Bangkok, all passengers had to leave the airplane taking their hand luggage with them (“for security reasons”). It was just a one-hour stop. The SQ lounge was very close to the gate, so I went there. A small but actually nice choice of food (including Satey) in a small lounge that could need some refurbishing.
A lot of people at this airport were wearing masks, although not many cases of SARS had been reported from Thailand. Someone mentioned that people might not trust the official figures and that the Thai authorities might follow China’s bad example on information policy.
Back on the plane, I got to my old seat. Now most of the cabin was full. The commuters between BKK and SIN seemed to be doing business as usual – or other flights were cancelled, I don’t know.
The meal that was served on the next short leg was very disappointing. Not that it wasn’t enough, but the presentation was more like economy standard and the taste was below. I had not expected that on any SQ flight. After all, I would not call this meal “light”.
The only thing I really liked about it was the “mango coulis” for dessert (one tea spoon full), the rest was somewhere between tasteless and disgusting. Even the chilli sauce didn’t help here too much.
Light meal (Bangkok to Singapore)
Starter:
- Ham with potato salad
Main: Choice of:
- Braised chicken in mustard vinegar sauce with green beans and celeriac-potato puree
- ->Wok fried lamb with ginger and spring onions, braised beancurd with vegetables and fried rice
- Stuffed squid with prawn paste in green curry served with sautéed pumpkin and egg, steamed rice
Desert:
- Sago pearl pudding with mango coulis
- Coffee
A first indication of what I would experience in usually crowded Singapore was given by lots of obviously grounded SQ aircrafts:
Arrival in Changi airport was the quickest I ever had in Singapore. The only thing that held me up, was the time that it took for the airport staff to put up the thermal health scan at the gate. After ten minutes it was allowed to leave the aircraft. Then there were no queues, nowhere. It was only walking through, grab the luggage, go out, step into the taxi and on the way to the city. Changi has always been quite effective and not too crowded (because of its size), but that was a new experience and - although welcome to the single traveller - sad if you think about it. In a related note: I stayed at the Swissotel Merchant Court, overlooking the tourist spots Clark Quay and Boat Quay from there, finding them deserted.
13.5.-14.5. SIN to AKL – Singapore Airlines flight – Class C (Raffles)
I had finished my business meetings around noon and returned to the hotel after that. I had to check out before 3 p.m. which I did and afterwards went for some shopping which got me bored quite soon. So I took a taxi to the airport at 5 already although my flight was leaving at 9. That turned out to be a good idea. The original direct flight to AKL was cancelled (which I knew well before that day) and now the replacement flight had a short transit stop in CHC. There was some confusion about the type of aircraft to be used. I thought it would be a two-class 777 which was announced and AFAIK there were always only two-class flights of SQ to AKL. At my early check-in it turned out that they were using a 747 instead. I was asked whether I’d like to sit in the First-class cabin, but with C-service. Sure I would like to! Lucky again! It was a red-eye after all, and what I have seen and heard about SQ’s F-cabin was not too bad.
Now I had some time to look forward to the flight and I went to the Silver Kris lounge. Forget about what I have written about the SQ-lounge in Seoul. This one is a must-see. I have been to Singapore quite some time but never made it to the lounge before. If there is anything that I can criticize, it is that the lounge is just a bit too dark for my taste and misses the windows. But never mind. The time until boarding went by very quickly and I had to hurry up to search the duty-free shops for a gift, before I got to the gate.
Hardly suppressing a broad grin, I went onboard.
The Sky-Suites were fabulous. Much better in reality than what you see on the SQ-Internetsite. Only 12 of them in the front of the 747. Fine leather, a big screen, wow! Sorry, I know many of you FT’lers know pretty well and might even be used to these seats, but for me it really was quite an experience. How can I only convince my boss to get me tickets for these seats on a regular base? I surely don’t want another seat anymore.
BTW, only half of the seats were occupied, when we took off. Another guy entered the machine holding his C-ticket and just said rudely to the FA, pointing at an empty seat in the F-cabin: “I know this is a two-class flight so you will sure not bother when I sit here.” Obviously, the FA did bother and the guy had – although protesting – to take his seat in C. It looks like what you really have to do is to be on good terms with the ladies that check you in
For those who like it, another menu transcript:
Dinner (Singapore > Christchurch)
Starter:
- Fresh garden salad with marinated scallops and sun-dried tomatoes
Main: Choice of:
- Salmon fillet sautéed with almonds, green beans and pappardelle pasta
- Seared tournedos of beef on black peppercorn sauce with caponata and new potatoes
- Roast duck Cantonese style in plum sauce with leafy greens, carrot and fried rice
Cheese Board:
- Selection of cheese with garnishes
- Selection of fresh fruit
Coffee and Pralines
For the dinner, I had tried the “Book the Cook” option of SQ for the first time. I thought it would be a good idea to start with something classic and chose the Slipper Lobster Thermidor. When the FA made her round to ask the pax for their choice, I had already decided to order the tournedos, because I didn’t believe that my pre-choice “survived” the change of the flight schedules. But surprise, a friendly question, whether it is right that I ordered the Lobster and voila! It was served with green asparagus and rice. The lobster itself was tasty, the rest was okay.
After dinner, I finished the movie I had begun to see and then made use of the two-meter bed. Five hours later that seemed like only a minute to me the FA woke me up for breakfast.
Breakfast (Singapore>Christchurch)
Starter:
- A choice of apple, tomato and freshly squeezed orange
- A selection of fresh fruit
- Cereal with milk or Fruit yoghurt
Main:
Choice of:
- Selection of dim sum
- Grilled lam with turkey and veal, roasted tomato, button mushrooms and polenta
- -> Breakfast frittata with vegetables, chicken sausage, roasted tomato and sautéed mushrooms
Bakers:
- Assorted breakfast rolls, Butter, Fruit preserve
- Coffee, Tea
Breakfast was alright, but nothing special, except for the amazing views of the Southern Alps that were served with it. The sky over the southern island of New Zealand was almost cloudless, and the sight was absolutely beautiful. No wonder to me anymore, that this country was selected as the setting for the “Lord of the Rings” movie.
After landing in Christchurch, all pax had to take their hand luggage again and leave for another one hour transit. I took a short look around the nice airport and tried to find the New Zealand lounge to have another post-breakfast coffee. The lounge was small, quite nice and had a good view to the roll field. After checking e-mail and a second coffee it was time to get onboard for the next short flight to Auckland. A new crew had taken over.
Short after take-off a “refreshment menu” was offered:
- ->Walnut bread with smoked salmon and cucumber, leafy salad with vinaigrette
- Onion ciabatta with hoisin chicken, tomato salad
I just tried a bit, but didn’t feel like eating AGAIN. Instead I enjoyed the views out of the window. Apart from the Southern Alps, especially the northern tip of the southern Island looked magnificient. Only a two-days business stay in New Zealand (the second for me until now), but one day I will have my holidays here! Leaving the plane after about 12 hours after leaving Singapore, I thought that in SQ first class I could do another 12-hour leg without any problems. Really hope to sit in that cabin again!
To be continued....
Routing FMO-FRA-ICN-SIN-AKL-NAN-LAX-GRU-GIG-FRA-FMO
This is my second try to start a RTW trip on *A. The first one began in Germany only shortly after 9/11 and when in New Zealand the US General attorney gave a serious warning of immanent terrorist attacks in the next few days. My family was very nervous about that and so I changed my flights and instead going via LAX and JFK I went back to FRA via SIN. By the way, although this was not allowed by the rules, it only took about an hour and 75 US$ at LH and SQ offices in Auckland to change. Very empty flights during most of this trip helped a lot since it was all in coach.
But back to the recent trip:
This time I was lucky and my company spent a business class ticket.
7.5. FMO to FRA – Lufthansa flight operated by Eurowings – Class C
I started as usual at the small regional airport FMO in the north western part of Germany. The airport has two terminal buildings which are both very modern and quite new. I even had a short look into the new lounge, which is small but very nice. Drinks, cookies and sandwiches were self-served. Although not a dedicated LH lounge, entry with LH FTL (*A Silver) is possible. However, my wife and little son brought me to the airport and before leaving for a trip I prefer hugging them instead of checking out the lounges….
Most of the flights from FMO are feeder flights to FRA and MUC as well as holiday flights to the Mediterranean and some European cities. I still don’t like that they cancelled the services to AMS since LH took some shares in Eurowings which used to fly there to feed KLM.
Check in was easy and quick although I could not get the boarding pass for my first intercontinental leg to Seoul ICN. Anyway that didn’t matter too much as I had about four hours to spend at FRA. The flight on a BAe164 was only 40 minutes but even for that short time they served drinks twice and gave out a small bag with snacks (Sandwich, apple and a small cake).
Upon arrival in FRA I went to the transfer desk, but couldn’t get my boarding pass as it was still too early. I went to the LH business class lounge in terminal B where my flight was expected to leave most likely. I was surprised as I found it almost empty (at 4 pm). Obviously the SARS fear shows its results mostly in intercontinental flights, as the domestic part of the airport seemed to be as busy as usual. Anyway, I appreciated that the lounge was not as full of smoke as it used to be.
Thanks to some tips in FlyerTalk I showed up at the gate only 30 minutes prior to departure and received an operational upgrade to F! Happy me!
7.5.-8.5. FRA to INC – Asiana flight – Class F
Originally I planned to do this leg with LH at the same day (about one hour earlier), but the flight was cancelled about one week before. It took several phone calls to get OZ into the new routing because it is a fresh *A member, but as you see it is possible.
A small note at the beginning: this was my first F-class flight ever and what I knew about flying in F was mainly what the airlines show on their internet pages and magazines and of course what fellow Fters wrote (and a short and envious glimpse when I got onboard on earlier flights).
Anyway, the first impression of the cabin was a bit disappointing: 16 seats (2+2) all in front of the main deck. Seats looked a bit worn and colours were – well – one had to get used to them. Bulgari amenity kits were given out (lip balm, body lotion, after shave balm, refreshing towel etc.), as well as a pair of slippers. I thought that was going to be a pleasant flight, when a very nice Korean woman in her mid-twenties sat down in the seat to my left and we started chatting. Sadly enough, she was obviously seated wrongly and after a while the mistake was cleared and another Korean lady in her late sixties took the place. Hmmm….
The seats had full recline, but were not too comfortable. After trying a bit, I found out later that the best position for me to sleep was not fully horizontal. The PTV was quite old-fashioned and can’t even be compared to SQ’s system in coach. Headphones were standard ones. That didn’t bother me too much, as I had my own noise-cancelling headphones with me. Service was great, however in my opinion. I won’t complain that the FAs didn’t call me by name, because I wouldn’t have expected it (without having read that it seems to be an important part of the F-service for some FT’ers ;-) and I don’t care. Preflight drinks were served and the orange juice I ordered was obviously made freshly by order.
Take-off was delayed by 20 minutes, because we had to wait for some passengers.
Finally we took off and soon after reaching cruising altitude, dinner was served.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get the menu with me, so I will try to remember as good as possible:
- Canapes
- Starters: Fois gras, prawns and two other thingies
- Soup: Beef consommé or Potato Soup
- Salad
- Main: Beefsteak, Smoked salmon filet, Duck breast and a Korean dish which name I can’t remember
- Desert: Cheese and fresh fruit
- Cake
- Coffee
I went for the beef consommé and the duck breast, but was too full to try the cake at the end of the dinner. The whole presentation was perfect, the taste was okay, but nothing to write home about.
During dinner I watched a boring movie (“Maid in Manhattan”), because I couldn’t convince my PTV to show me the movie I would have preferred….
After the dinner it was time to sleep which I did until brunch was served about one hour before arrival. With a bit of a hangover (Sorry, I forgot to mention the Taittinger Champagne and the Chardonnay for dinner..) I did not like my brunch too much.
Brunch was again Korean or European style food. I chose the European, because I really can’t eat Asian food for breakfast.
- Rolls with different kinds of marmalade and honey
- Joghurt
- Fruits
- Cereals with milk
- Pancake or seafood omelette
Good landing in Incheon on time. The airport was also very empty and between touchdown and leaving the airport building it was roughly 15 minutes, although I forgot to ask for a priority marker for my check-in luggage.
Altogether I surely won’t complain as I received this upgrade for free, but for those who paid it, I can’t imagine that it was worth the difference between C- and F-fare.
11.5. INC to SIN – Singapore Airlines flight – Class C (Raffles)
This flight was also changed since my initial booking. Instead of being a direct flight, this one had a stop in Bangkok.
The check-in again was smooth and quick, no one in front of me cueing up.
The SQ lounge at Incheon is one of the nicest I have seen so far, which doesn’t say a lot. A variety of drinks and ice-cream, sandwiches and even “real” food. I had some sandwiches and coffee, because I skipped breakfast before I went to the Airport. A lot of computers (8?), most of them free with Internet access were available.
I went to the gate just in time for boarding. My favourite seat (2A) on this 777-200 was available to me, which was no wonder as Raffles Class was only 20% occupied.
Pre-flight drinks were served and I ordered a Silver Kris Sling-Cocktail (can recommend it!) for after take-off. The variety of drinks that are offered is really astonishing. One thing I found very nice apart from the cocktails is the iced-coffee selection. Iced Moccha with a dash of Baileys is my favourite. Yumm.
This flight had noice-cancelling headphones. I am not sure about the seats. It weren’t the new
SkyBed full-flat seats, but I don’t know whether those were the Ultimo seats. Anyway, quite comfortable. I watched the first of two movies (“About Schmidt” and “Dare Devil”) during Lunch. Very nice presentation AND taste. Before the starter, Sateé sticks were served. Good.
Lunch (Seoul to Bangkok)
Starter:
- Korean style marinated octopus, flavoured omelette and smoked salmon served with Korean dressing
Main: Choice of:
- ->Onion crumbed chicken with Cabernet sauce, spinach, carrots and corn-whipped potatoes
- Bulgogi: Korean style beef with spiced mixed vegetables and steamed rice
- Stir fried sweet and sour prawns, Oriental mixed vegetables and fried rice
Cheese Board:
- Selection of cheese with garnishes
- Selection of fresh fruit
Coffee and Pralines
After that good meal, I was working a bit and having a chat with the very nice FAs. (Who addressed me by name, BTW). After arriving in Bangkok, all passengers had to leave the airplane taking their hand luggage with them (“for security reasons”). It was just a one-hour stop. The SQ lounge was very close to the gate, so I went there. A small but actually nice choice of food (including Satey) in a small lounge that could need some refurbishing.
A lot of people at this airport were wearing masks, although not many cases of SARS had been reported from Thailand. Someone mentioned that people might not trust the official figures and that the Thai authorities might follow China’s bad example on information policy.
Back on the plane, I got to my old seat. Now most of the cabin was full. The commuters between BKK and SIN seemed to be doing business as usual – or other flights were cancelled, I don’t know.
The meal that was served on the next short leg was very disappointing. Not that it wasn’t enough, but the presentation was more like economy standard and the taste was below. I had not expected that on any SQ flight. After all, I would not call this meal “light”.
The only thing I really liked about it was the “mango coulis” for dessert (one tea spoon full), the rest was somewhere between tasteless and disgusting. Even the chilli sauce didn’t help here too much.
Light meal (Bangkok to Singapore)
Starter:
- Ham with potato salad
Main: Choice of:
- Braised chicken in mustard vinegar sauce with green beans and celeriac-potato puree
- ->Wok fried lamb with ginger and spring onions, braised beancurd with vegetables and fried rice
- Stuffed squid with prawn paste in green curry served with sautéed pumpkin and egg, steamed rice
Desert:
- Sago pearl pudding with mango coulis
- Coffee
A first indication of what I would experience in usually crowded Singapore was given by lots of obviously grounded SQ aircrafts:
Arrival in Changi airport was the quickest I ever had in Singapore. The only thing that held me up, was the time that it took for the airport staff to put up the thermal health scan at the gate. After ten minutes it was allowed to leave the aircraft. Then there were no queues, nowhere. It was only walking through, grab the luggage, go out, step into the taxi and on the way to the city. Changi has always been quite effective and not too crowded (because of its size), but that was a new experience and - although welcome to the single traveller - sad if you think about it. In a related note: I stayed at the Swissotel Merchant Court, overlooking the tourist spots Clark Quay and Boat Quay from there, finding them deserted.
13.5.-14.5. SIN to AKL – Singapore Airlines flight – Class C (Raffles)
I had finished my business meetings around noon and returned to the hotel after that. I had to check out before 3 p.m. which I did and afterwards went for some shopping which got me bored quite soon. So I took a taxi to the airport at 5 already although my flight was leaving at 9. That turned out to be a good idea. The original direct flight to AKL was cancelled (which I knew well before that day) and now the replacement flight had a short transit stop in CHC. There was some confusion about the type of aircraft to be used. I thought it would be a two-class 777 which was announced and AFAIK there were always only two-class flights of SQ to AKL. At my early check-in it turned out that they were using a 747 instead. I was asked whether I’d like to sit in the First-class cabin, but with C-service. Sure I would like to! Lucky again! It was a red-eye after all, and what I have seen and heard about SQ’s F-cabin was not too bad.
Now I had some time to look forward to the flight and I went to the Silver Kris lounge. Forget about what I have written about the SQ-lounge in Seoul. This one is a must-see. I have been to Singapore quite some time but never made it to the lounge before. If there is anything that I can criticize, it is that the lounge is just a bit too dark for my taste and misses the windows. But never mind. The time until boarding went by very quickly and I had to hurry up to search the duty-free shops for a gift, before I got to the gate.
Hardly suppressing a broad grin, I went onboard.
The Sky-Suites were fabulous. Much better in reality than what you see on the SQ-Internetsite. Only 12 of them in the front of the 747. Fine leather, a big screen, wow! Sorry, I know many of you FT’lers know pretty well and might even be used to these seats, but for me it really was quite an experience. How can I only convince my boss to get me tickets for these seats on a regular base? I surely don’t want another seat anymore.
BTW, only half of the seats were occupied, when we took off. Another guy entered the machine holding his C-ticket and just said rudely to the FA, pointing at an empty seat in the F-cabin: “I know this is a two-class flight so you will sure not bother when I sit here.” Obviously, the FA did bother and the guy had – although protesting – to take his seat in C. It looks like what you really have to do is to be on good terms with the ladies that check you in
For those who like it, another menu transcript:
Dinner (Singapore > Christchurch)
Starter:
- Fresh garden salad with marinated scallops and sun-dried tomatoes
Main: Choice of:
- Salmon fillet sautéed with almonds, green beans and pappardelle pasta
- Seared tournedos of beef on black peppercorn sauce with caponata and new potatoes
- Roast duck Cantonese style in plum sauce with leafy greens, carrot and fried rice
Cheese Board:
- Selection of cheese with garnishes
- Selection of fresh fruit
Coffee and Pralines
For the dinner, I had tried the “Book the Cook” option of SQ for the first time. I thought it would be a good idea to start with something classic and chose the Slipper Lobster Thermidor. When the FA made her round to ask the pax for their choice, I had already decided to order the tournedos, because I didn’t believe that my pre-choice “survived” the change of the flight schedules. But surprise, a friendly question, whether it is right that I ordered the Lobster and voila! It was served with green asparagus and rice. The lobster itself was tasty, the rest was okay.
After dinner, I finished the movie I had begun to see and then made use of the two-meter bed. Five hours later that seemed like only a minute to me the FA woke me up for breakfast.
Breakfast (Singapore>Christchurch)
Starter:
- A choice of apple, tomato and freshly squeezed orange
- A selection of fresh fruit
- Cereal with milk or Fruit yoghurt
Main:
Choice of:
- Selection of dim sum
- Grilled lam with turkey and veal, roasted tomato, button mushrooms and polenta
- -> Breakfast frittata with vegetables, chicken sausage, roasted tomato and sautéed mushrooms
Bakers:
- Assorted breakfast rolls, Butter, Fruit preserve
- Coffee, Tea
Breakfast was alright, but nothing special, except for the amazing views of the Southern Alps that were served with it. The sky over the southern island of New Zealand was almost cloudless, and the sight was absolutely beautiful. No wonder to me anymore, that this country was selected as the setting for the “Lord of the Rings” movie.
After landing in Christchurch, all pax had to take their hand luggage again and leave for another one hour transit. I took a short look around the nice airport and tried to find the New Zealand lounge to have another post-breakfast coffee. The lounge was small, quite nice and had a good view to the roll field. After checking e-mail and a second coffee it was time to get onboard for the next short flight to Auckland. A new crew had taken over.
Short after take-off a “refreshment menu” was offered:
- ->Walnut bread with smoked salmon and cucumber, leafy salad with vinaigrette
- Onion ciabatta with hoisin chicken, tomato salad
I just tried a bit, but didn’t feel like eating AGAIN. Instead I enjoyed the views out of the window. Apart from the Southern Alps, especially the northern tip of the southern Island looked magnificient. Only a two-days business stay in New Zealand (the second for me until now), but one day I will have my holidays here! Leaving the plane after about 12 hours after leaving Singapore, I thought that in SQ first class I could do another 12-hour leg without any problems. Really hope to sit in that cabin again!
To be continued....
