btang

Prelude

This is a trip report that was never intended to be written. However, fate intervened and thus I am compelled to share my experience on SQ 1 . Finishing up another semester at college, it was time to fly the all too familiar route from San Francisco back to Hong Kong. In my opinion, SQ has the best schedule for those of us who appreciate the extra day gained from it. It seemed to be another regular flight on Singapore Airlines, upholding the same high level of standards in all classes served. Nothing out of the ordinary.



Preflight

Supershuttle dropped me off at the international terminal at around 8:30 p.m., after dropping off some of my fellow passengers at their respective domestic terminals. I had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the new Terminal 2, and it was indeed quite an improvement over its predecessor. Walking into the terminal, the airiness concourse continues to impress me, especially when juxtaposing it against the third world terminals at LAX. Singapore Airlines was operating counters in Aisle 6(or was it 7?), and there were around 8 counters open. One for First, two for Business Class, one for Star Alliance Gold and Internet Check in, and the rest for Economy Class.

Luckily, there was not much of a line for economy class. I had already checked in two days ago but was unable to print my boarding pass due to some weird circumstances. The staff manning the counter was a trainee, and he was assisted by a senior manager in learning the procedures. He was quite pleasant, yet he struggled with printing out my bag tag. At the same time, he asked that my bags be placed on the scale, followed by my carryon. This caught me by surprise, as I was not checked in Hong Kong and had presumptions that the SF station would follow the same protocol. My carry-on was overweight by 3 kg, and the ground staff kindly asked for me to step aside and reshuffle some of my items . I can now confirm that SQ does take the carry-on policy very seriously. After the matter was resolved, the agent handed me my boarding pass, assured me that my A3 account had been recorded and wished me a pleasant flight.

Feeling quite relieved, I then head on towards the security check. It was a complete nightmare. The security line was separated into a priority and a normal one, yet the security staff made no effort to direct people to the right line. I am not complaining because I am not eligible in any form, but I do have one question. What is the point of a priority security line when people who are eligible for the service is directed instead to the regular lines? Anyways, I believe there was an EVA Air flight departing before us, and the majority of those waiting in line were students heading home for the holiday. To make matters worse, some of them insisted that their beauty products and bottles of coke were not a form of liquid, and thus the already long lines seemed even longer. Obviously, this was not the best beginning for a long flight ahead.

Entering the G concourse, I first walked around to survey the locations of the Silver Kris Lounge and United Red Carpet Club. I will be travelling on ANA in May and after a quick look, I found that the location was quite obvious. I then proceeded to get a bottle of Snapple from one of the stores who charged me $3 as an inelastic consumer. After all that, I picked a nice pair of seats by the window and used my laptop for a while until my flight was announced.

To be continued....

btang

At around 15 minutes past 11, a gate agent came on the speakerphone and began calling out names to approach the podium. At first, I was not paying particular attention to the announcements, and continued to focus on my episode of the The Office. I thought maybe the gate agents were just paging passengers who were on the wait list for this flight. Who cares about wait list passengers when Michael is trying to make "that's what she said" jokes in every possible conversation? However, minutes later a series of name continued to be called for an important message at increasingly frequent intervals. After maybe 10 names were called, my name was called as well. I paused my video and listened to the announcement once again. Nope I was not dreaming, the gate agent was calling my name. I rushed down the escalators and made a mad dash towards the gate area. As I approached the counters...

Gate Agent: "Mr. Tang, I am sorry but may I have your boarding pass please?"

Me: "Of course"(It was a worrying sign, was I to be bumped off because of the full flight?)

Gate Agent talking to her colleagues: "Are you sure that all economy class seats are occupied?"

Colleague replies: "Yes. Completely booked. He has the highest elite level as of now"

Me: "Is there a problem?"(pretending to be ignorant, but secretly overheard the conversation)

Gate Agent: "Mr. Tang, I am sorry for the inconvenience. We have a very full flight today and we would like to relocate you upfront. Could you double check that the name on this boarding pass is correct?"

My eyes were like a military grade camera capturing every second of her movement as she pulled out a blue boarding pass with the words "Business Class" printed on top. Is this really mine? Maybe its a prank? Maybe I'm being filmed on TV.......

Me: "Yes, I suppose everything is in order"(pretending to be calm, while singing Hallelujah inside my head)

After months of tireless efforts trying to search for a Star Alliance Award on Singapore Airlines Business Class, but to no avail, here I was on an award ticket, given an op-up, with little or barely any airline status. To top it off, I was given 14A, arguably one of the best seats in the house. This has to be my luckiest day ever, I should have gone to buy the lottery(or referred to as Mark 6 in Hong Kong). To all those frequent Flyertalkers, this might not seem much. However, for a young college student who flies only twice long haul and a couple short hauls per year, this was heaven. I could not restrain myself anymore, and I started to laugh, in a manner that people almost thought that I was mentally unstable. I could have sworn that I was laughing to myself all the way from the gate towards my seat!

I dared not waste time and headed straight for the boarding line on the right. The gate agent scanned my boarding pass and wished me a pleasant flight. Walking towards the jetbridge, First and Business to the left, Economy to the right. I was glad to be turning left this time instead of right. The chief flight purser greeted me at the door and warmly welcomed me onboard, and this was to be the predominant tone for the entire flight.



The Flight Begins

As I settled into my seat, people walking past me towards economy gave me this look as if they were trying to say “Who is this kid in business class? He doesn’t fit in!” Rightfully so, I did not fit in. While everyone in the cabin was either in business suits or smart business casual, I was wearing a polo shirt and pair of shorts with the initial hopes of making myself comfortable for the long flight. This awkward stare finally came to an end when one of the flight attendants came by and offered me a pre departure drink. I opted for a glass of orange juice. Moments later, another flight attendant came by and offered me a tray of reading materials. Hot towels were offered as well. The preflight service was conducted with poise and efficiency, which is amazing considering how many passengers pass through the same narrow aisle during boarding.



Before the departure, I took the time to explore my sanctuary a little bit. I feel like I have been mislead by some trip reports here on the size of the seat, and now experiencing firsthand it was HUGE. I’ve had my fair share of business class experiences, on Cathay, Emirates, Thai, but SQ is just in another league. The bulkhead seat creates an even greater enclave, and there was certainly no shortage of legroom and elbow space. Granted that the seat was beginning to show signs of wear and tear, it was still kept in a perfectly acceptable condition. Headset and menu were preemptively placed in the small closet adjacent to the table, and I was familiar with most of the gadgets in the seat within minutes.

btang

As the plane pushed back, the inflight lead purser welcomed passengers onboard once again through the speakphones. She reports that it was a full flight and wished us a comfortable journey. Flight time was approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes. During our taxi, one of the flight pursuer’s came around to take my post takeoff drink order as well as my main course selection. I decided to start the journey with a glass of champagne. To be honest, the taxi was quite a long one. About fifteen minutes later, SQ 1 departed from San Francisco and was racing through the skies.

A few minutes after take off, the distinctive “ping” sound was heard, and the crew sprang in action. They quickly organized themselves and started to prepare for the drink service as well as the main course. I had a front row seat to all this, while seating comfortably in my bulkheat seat. A so called “amenity kit” was distributed, which consisted of only a pair of eyeshades and a weird looking slippers/socks hybrid. Although expected, it was quite a disappointment, especially when SQ is considered one the best premium carriers in the world. Soon after that, Jason I think, a friendly Singaporean crew, brought my glass of champagne and informed that the first course would soon be served shortly. I initially struggled to deploy the table, but after his kind instructions, the matter was resolved.

Tonight’s dinner from San Francisco to Hong Kong

Starter
Antipasto
smoked duck, parma ham, mozzarella cheese and tomato
Main
Beef daube with baked, ricotta, baby spinach, cherry tomato
Fish Congee
Sliced Fish fillet in rice porridge with rice crueller
Warm panini with seared herbed crusted chicken, scarmoza cheese and tomato
country style parmesan potatoes
Finale
A selection from the fruits basket
Gourmet cheese with garnishes
Gourmet coffees and selection of fine teas




As you can see from the menu, supper is a quick affair to allow for passengers to jump right into their seats and rest. Mid flight snacks are also offered for those who missed dinner or were unsatisfied, and a full breakfast is offered prior to landing.

A cheerful flight attendant, Claire I think, brought my appetizer and the first meal service began. Unlike many of its competitors(when I say competitor I mean CX ahem ahem cough cough), Singapore Airlines chooses to serve its premium passengers without trays. It certainly adds a level of sophistication and enhances the setting for the meal itself. The antipasto was divine, the parma ham and everything else complemented each other perfectly with the exception of the smoked duck. It was quite tough and flavorless. The breadbasket also came around at this point and I chose garlic bread. Perfecto!


After finishing up my appetizer, my main course was brought out piping hot. I chose the beef as it was specially designed by Suzanne Goin from Los Angeles. The ricotta cheese was not quite as I had expected, but the beef was beautifully cooked. It was thoroughly nice and tender. As my main course was collected, cheese and fruit were offered on a flat top cart. I chose to have some grapes and a little bit of everything on the cheeseboard. I also ordered the Chateau La Garde to pair with the cheese. To be honest, the wine was nothing special, adequate but not particularly enjoyable. The cheese was quite good though, and the fruits were refreshing.



Finishing up my dessert, one of the flight attendants came to collect the remaining dishes. I now understand how Singapore Girls anticipate people’s demands. It’s because they constantly poked their heads and peered into the cabin! When I say constant, I mean a little too excessive. I can speak with some authority because the moment I put down my fork and my cheese plate seemed empty, the flight attendant rushed out and kindly asked if I was finished. I actually quite like this type of service. Anyways, after a glass of champagne and red, I was all set for the night.

Well not quite…..It’s not everyday you get op-up’ed, and its not everyday you get to experience the Singapore Business Class service and amenities. I turned on the Kris World system and browsed through the extensive selection. I eventually settled on “Planet of the Apes”, but after watching maybe 20 minutes, I was not interested at all. At the same time I was starting to feel very tired, and thus deployed the bed of this award winning seat. The seat was surprisingly easy to set up, and an extra pillow for me to sleep on is a plus. I put on my pair of eyeshades, and dived right in. Wait! It was then I realized that the blanket was too short, and therefore either my feet were cold or my body was cold. In this aspect, CX’s duvets were absolutely superior to those of SQ’s. The bed itself was so wide that it was a little hard to adjust at first. Eventually, I managed to find the sweet spot, and I dove off for a couple of hours.

SFO777

LOL.
Looking forward to the rest of your report.

btang

Waking up a couple of hours later, I was feeling a little unsatisfied(like that’s ever possible on SQ). Well…. I had to make up an excuse for myself to try out some of the items on the snack list. The Krispy Kreme Doughnut caught my attention because I thought it was only served on the LAX-NRT route. I went to the galley and asked for some, to which one of the flight attendant gave me this look that she doubted if they loaded any onboard. I was rather disappointed, but nevertheless she offered to search through the carts and kindly asked that I return to my seat.

Around five minutes later, another flight attendant soon came by with a snack tray, which I took to be a gesture from the crew to offer me something else instead of the doughnuts. I took a bag of chips and asked for a glass of cold apple juice. This request was quickly obliged. To my surprise, the flight attendant that was searching the galley for my doughnut soon came to my seat. She was pleased to report that they did indeed load doughnuts. YES! The doughnut was served piping hot, and I was extremely satisfied. I must commend the staff for their efforts in locating the doughnuts. Not only did she take the time to go through the galley, but she also managed to know where I was sitting, without ever asking my seat number or my name. Bravo!


For those of you who are curious, this was the entire snack list.

Light bites menu
Should you fancy a little snack or something more sybstantial in between your meals, simply make your selection known to our crew, during the flight
Noodles
Vegetarian and non vegetarian instant noodles
Sandwiches
Croissant with creamy chicken and tomato
Sandwich with roasted vegetables and cheese
Snacks
Assorted nuts
Cookies
Potato chips
Chocolate bar
Krispy kreme doughnut
A selection from the fuit basket



After the nice and warm snack, I tried my luck once again with the Kris World system and eventually settled upon a couple of episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I also informed one of the crew of my breakfast selection, so I could sleep straight until just before breakfast time. I was quite worried that she might forget my order, but I later found out that this uncertainty was unwarranted. It was now almost 7 a.m. San Francisco Time, and whilst watching one of the episodes, I unconsciously fell asleep.

A light turbulence over the Pacific helped with the sleep, and at around 2 hours before landing, one of the flight attendants came to my seat and gently woke me up.

Flight attendant: “Mr. Tang, did you have a good sleep?”

Me: “Yes I did. Thank you”

Flight attendant: “Excellent. Would you care for a hot towel? We will be serving breakfast soon”

Before touch-down Menu

Prelude
A choice of apple, tomato or freshly squeezed orange juice
Sliced fresh fuit
Starter
Choice of cereals or youghurt
Cornflakes with milk or granola with yoghurt-berry compote
Plain or fruit youghurt
Main
Stir fried rice vermicelli with prawns, fish fillet and vegetables
French toast with maple syrup, veal sausage, mushrooms and marinated tomato
Tomato omelette with chicken sausage, roasted tomato, mushrooms and potatoes
Bread
Assorted breakfast rolls
Butter – Fruit preserve
Berverages
Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas

Another flight attendant also came around and offered me a choice of fruit juice, to which I chose a glass of orange juice.



While somewhere over the vicinity of northern China, a nice fruit platter was served to start the breakfast service. It was certainly nice and refreshing. The breadbasket also came around and I chose a croissant. It was hot and flaky, just how I like it. Cereal and Museli was also offered, but I declined the offer. Instead, I asked for a cup of English breakfast tea.



I chose the omelette beforehand but I was worried that maybe the flight attendant forgot about that request. This uncertainty was further fueled by the sight of numerous main courses delivered to the passengers behind me. Alas, my omelette was delivered to me beautifully presented and visually inviting. The taste was quite good, but I suppose by that time I was not too hungry and was unable to finish the entire plate. At the end of the breakfast service, flight attendants came around to distribute a final round of hot towels and Hong Kong landing card.



Around thirty minutes before landing, the captain came on the PA and announced that we were beginning our initial descent into Hong Kong. It was also the appropriate time for me to change from my sleeping gear back to my normal clothes. The lavatory was very spacious, and it was immaculately maintained, as evident in the spotless floor. I also noticed the fact that linen towels were also available apart from the normal facial tissues. The side mirror was a plus, but it was of no use to me.



The descent was quite a smooth one. At 6:45 A.M. SQ 001 touched down at HKIA and a very short taxi led us up to one of the closer to immigration gates. As the plane came to a complete halt, I was one of the first to leave the aircraft thanks to my bulkhead seat. The crew was at the door and wished me a pleasant stay in Hong Kong.

Although my bags did not carry a priority tag, it came out in one of the first batches right behind the ones tagged with Star Alliance priority tags. My golf bag also came out from the oversized carousel fairly quickly. I am not sure whether the upgrade had anything to do with it, probably not. The entire process from disembarkation to collection of my bags took only 20 minutes. At around 7:10 A.M., I was out of the airport and heading into the city.



Conclusion

The trip was certainly unexpected, one that became unordinary because of the upgrade. I was able to experience the award winning business class service first hand, and it certainly lived up to its expectations. The seat itself was unbeatable, and I managed to sleep comfortably for hours. I cannot imagine what it’s next product will look like when its current one is already up there at the top. The food was exquisitely designed, and it goes to show how much effort SQ puts into the thought process. Of course, I must applaud the exceptional service delivered by the crew. Their service was impeccably and gracefully executed. This is an aspect of service in which the Middle eastern carriers such as EK still lag behind, despite their attempts to improve the hardware. I will be travelling on SQ again in August, this time sampling its regional offers in business class. Thanks for reading my very, very long trip report, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

mad_atta

Congrats! I don't think even the most seasoned FTer would consider an op-up on SQ as "not much".

SFO777

What a treat! Congratulations on the OP-UP. I'm enjoying the read.

It's great have status, any status.^

halfcape

I have enjoyed your report so far and am looking forward to the rest. Your excitement about the upgrade is a pleasure to read.

zitsky

Thanks for the trip report. Very enjoyable. Keep posting! Glad you got the upgrade!

kaysquare

Very nice btang that you maanged to score an opup on a pretty long haul flight.

That makes your ration much much better than mine. I'm pretty sure you enjoyed the

econometrics

Awesome story! Congrats on the op-up! ^

as219

Getting opped-up as a *S is pretty impressive. Well played, sir! ^

tcl

Congrats on the upgrade

I was however disappointed to hear that the amenity kit was only a pair of socks. Do they still pass out gifts?

`X'

All the amenities are actually provided in the Bathrooms for you to get if need be. So there isnt really an amenity kit as such but your still provided with all the amenties you will need.

btang

Thanks for all your comments! I hope to finish the final installment for this trip report within the next few days. Stay tune!