nyuboy

I'd been meaning to write a trip report for my winter vacation a couple months ago; unfortunately I kept putting it off... but finally, here goes -

I was initially going to cash in some UA miles for a trip to Tokyo to meet a friend from there, but he wanted us to head over to Phuket. Me, being from Hawaii, had no interest in going to any beach. So plans changed, and I asked my mother if she wanted to meet up in Bangkok. She'd fly from HNL, I from JFK, and we'd meet up in Narita. We agreed that if I used my miles for the tickets, she'd pay the two weeks hotel, food, and everything else. Good deal, I thought, since I'm a starving post-college young professional. Surprisingly, finding award availability was not too difficult. I got a great UA award agent over the phone named Ignacio (for whom I subsequently wrote a nice letter addressed to his reservations office). I threw out a few dates, and moving some things around, was able to get NH, TG, and SQ like I wanted.

UA 5401 JFK-IAD
Seat 4A - Economy

Since I had missed my previous flight out of JFK three weeks earlier due to arriving late, I tried my best to make this trip on-time. I hopped on the A train in the West Village, and soon enough I was at JFK's Terminal 7. Check-in at United was pleasant, and I was issued tickets to NRT, where I would have to get a BP on to BKK. I headed up to the RCC, and the very smiley door matron informed me that the United First Lounge concierge had just arrived, and would escort me into that section of the lounge. I ended up being the only one in there with her during my 20 minute stay. We chatted about the local problems with area traffic (that's why she was late for work), and she kept trying to make me eat, but I was in no mood for food at 5:30am. The offerings in the First Lounge were not very impressive anyway - just pastries, instant noodles, packaged sandwiches, liquor, Moet, and a cappuccino machine, the latter being the only thing I used during my visit.

Around 5:50am I was ready to head down to the gate, but the concierge insisted I really didn't need to go down yet. So I stayed, and funny enough, by the time I did go down to the gate, the agent said they had been paging me forever, and I was the last one they were waiting for. Wouldn't the lounge have been called/paged? Go figure...

The flight, being on United Express, was uneventful, and unfortunately pretty full. I slept most of the hour-long trip, and upon arrival at IAD, stopped by the RCC for more coffee before heading over to the ANA lounge.

NH 1 IAD-NRT
Seat 2K - First Class

From previous posts, I wasn't expecting much from the ANA Signet Lounge, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. The space was simple, clean, modern, and had a nice view of the tarmac. There were food offerings like musubi, noodles, and assorted tsukemono, which I liked. The liquor was limited, and no champagne, but again, I was still not ready to start drinking. I noticed the attendants came out from behind the desk to clean up the food area every 10 minutes or so; very impressive.

Boarding the 777 was done directly from the lounge, and upon entering the plane, the First cabin was simply amazing. I know I am in the minority, but I so much prefer when airlines have the "old" style of seating (without shells or pods) with a greater feeling of open space and legroom. It felt a bit like Lufthansa's First Class with all its legroom, but even more spacious. There were only 5 passengers in this cabin of 12, so everyone had an empty seat next to them.

There appeared to be three (very young) FAs assiting in First, and the one that was dedicated to me was awesome. I know that some people think ANA FAs are formal and not exactly personable while delivering their inarguably outstanding service. But I must have gotten the exception. Her name was Miyako (I remember b/c she gave me her card at the end of the flight to call her if I ever stop in Tokyo!), and the first thing she said after her greeting was, "I like your necklace and watch!" It doesn't get any more informal and personable than that. We actually chatted for much of the flight. Miyako presented me with slippers, the basket of ANA amenities, a pouch to put them in, and a ton of magazines.

Soon after take-off, the first meal service began. I started with Krug (and ended w/ Krug, for that matter), and decided on the Japanese Kaiseki meal.


I had all this in addition to the Oscietra caviar to start, which ANA had just recently brought back to its services. The food was outstanding, and it was neat to have such delicacies as kazunoko, mirugai, and uni on an airplane. Everything held up really well at 38,000 ft except maybe the sea urchin, which was unusually sour and bitter.

I must have had 4 glasses of the Krug by the time the lengthy meal service was over, and my body was starting to feel the lack of sleep (I had just flown in to JFK from HNL two days before turning around and heading to Asia). I reclined my ANA Super Style Full Flat Seat, and fell right asleep. The seat was very comfortable and well padded. And with the hooded cover that you can pull over your head area for privacy, I felt completely shielded.

I must have slept for half the 14-hour flight, b/c when I woke up I was hungry again! My favorite FA noticed as soon as I woke up (it's kind of embarrassing how they're right there everytime, it's like, are they watching me sleep?!), and she brought me a menu. Miyako recommended I try the miso-grilled oysters, marinated white shrimp with kelp, and fresh uni and ikura, served over rice. The shrimp with kelp was her favorite. I tried them all, and she ended up bringing me over sake, saying I had to have these food items with sake. Sure.

I read some of my books after the snack, while sipping the two different types of sake Miyako had brought me. I don't like movies, so I never really use the IFE/Avod or whatever it happens to be on a flight. ANA's 777s have really small screens anyway. I fell asleep again, and when I woke we were almost to NRT, and the FAs were serving the final meal.


While we began our descent into NRT, I looked around the cabin again and thought about how much I like this type of seat layout. With acres of legroom, you can still walk between rows when the seats are fully reclined. And without the walls of individual shells or pods, the cabin's space seems less occupied and more open. I was really sad to leave the plane, and especially my new friend Miyako, but I had to head on to meet my mother for our next leg to BKK. So it was off to the ANA First Lounge...

to be continued... I don't have the attention span to write this whole thing in one sitting!

PresRDC

Great report so far. Looking forward to reading the rest.

Seat 2A

Who does, much less the time? If you want to post the whole trip as one report, just write each portion when you get around to it and when you're finally done, then post it.

Or do it in segments.

Either way, it looks like you're off to a nice start. Have a great trip!

sftrvlr

Great start! Looking forward to the rest ...

onedog

Thanks for starting your trip report. Waiting for the rest.

Kiwi Flyer

ditto

nyuboy

Thanks, guys, for the positive feedback so far... anyway, after my ANA flight landed at NRT, an airline representative with a sign displaying my name as well as that of a fellow First passenger collected and escorted us through a couple security checkpoints, and onto the transfer desk. I'd never been to NRT before, so I was taken aback by how dull and dated the airport looked. After receiving our BPs for my Thai flight, we were then escorted into the ANA First Class Lounge. It was definitely a nice touch to be escorted the entire way.

Once in the lounge, I immediately saw my mother and our mutual excitement was hard to contain. We only see each other 1-2 times a year, and it's usually at home in Hawaii, so to be able to go on a trip together was special and long overdue. She had taken United First from Hnl, and unlike me, she was not met by any airline/airport official after her UA flight, so she had a bit of a struggle finding her way to a different terminal and the lounge . I asked her to bring me the menu from her flight, so in case you guys want to see it...

To Begin
Hot seafood brochette with hoisin chili sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato
Parma ham and asparagus roulade
Balsamic Dijon vinaigrette

Salad
Fresh seasonal greens with yellow bell pepper, tomatoes and croutons
Hot sesame garlic crusted shrimp
Asian sesame ginger or creamy Gorgonzola dressing

[B]Main Course[B]
Filet Mignon with bearnaise sauce
Chicken parmesan with smoked mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce
Butterfish with ponzu sauce
Japanese Obento selection

Dessert
International cheese selection-Brie, Gorgonzola, and New England Cheddar
Edy's ice cream with sundae toppings
Fresh seasonal fruit
Warm strawberry rhubarb cobbler

Prior to Arrival
Char siu pork with udon noodles in a curry sauce
or
Fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt

My mother had the butterfish and said it was very good, but she couldn't remember anything else from the menu, so I guess nothing really stood out. Didn't look very good to me, especially after what I ate on ANA. The UA menu items just seemed cheap to me, almost like economy food, but with more choices. I was impressed (and jealous) by the presence of Perrier-Jouet 96 and Laurent-Perrier Brut Millesime 96 as United's champagne choices. The Perrier-Jouet struck me as an expensive choice for UA, especially since they're cutting back so blatantly in other areas of food, amenities, etc. And then to also offer a vintage Laurent-Perrier... I wouldn't mind being on a UA First flight just for the champagne choices. Those are two of my favorites...

As others have mentioned, the ANA First Lounge is nothing special. It was small, clean, and well-staffed, but lacking in amenities, or anything to keep you busy, for that matter. The window shades were down and couldn't be pulled up, so you couldn't even look outside. There was a single massage chair and single laptop to check e-mail. There were limited snacks like musubi, sandwiches, candy. Everything was served by the friendly staff.

We went to the gate early and it was a madhouse. People were crowding around the gate even though boarding hadn't been called yet. When they did call for First and Business passengers, everyone rushed the gate. Airline staff actually had to stand side-by-side to kind of block passengers from trying to board out of order. I never understood this phenomenon - I fly economy a lot and I'm never in any rush to get on the plane. Who knows?

TG 677 NRT-BKK
First Class - Seats 3J, 3K

I knew our flight would have the old configuration with 18 slumberette seats, but I was very happy with the cabin. We were greeted and shown to our seats, and immediately offered a drink. I asked for a glass of the Veuve Grande Dame 95 (you rarely see this one on a plane), but the purser said they had to look for a bottle of it since they only had the Dom 96 out. So I said don't bother and I drank the Dom. We then received our amenity kits which were generic and nothing special. Too bad b/c I read they recently started offering Hermes and Bulgari in First Class! The sleeper suits were nice, though. Guy Laroche and Elle, and they felt soft and of good quality. We took off a little late, and meal service began soon after.

First Course

Oscietra Caviar with Garnitures
Hors-d'Oeuvre
Shrimp Wonton Soup

Main Course

Washoku - Shokado Bento (Japanese Box Meal) Eel Kabayaki
Australian Beef Stew Japanese Style
Fillet of Salmon in Yellow Curry Thai Style
Deep-Fried Breaded Chicken, Coleslaw, Steamed Rice, Tofu, Vegetables

Assorted Breads, Crackers, Butter
Cheese and Fresh Fruits

Dessert

Green Tea Cake
Tea, Coffee
Espresso, Cappuccino

I was glad to see caviar again, but whereas ANA served it in an individual tin, Thai had it in a large tin and the FA used a spoon to put it on your plate. There were only 7 out of 18 seats filled, so the FAs were very generous with the caviar. Everything was served from a cart (which I love), so you could pick and choose. The center island in the cabin was also set with wines and some of the food, so it was a really nice way to have a meal. My mother had the salmon and said it was delicious. I ordered the bento and the FA said they did not have that. (But it was on the menu and the guy in front of me had just received it). The FA then said it was a business class meal, and she went to get me one. Huh? Anyway, maybe a miscommunication, but I ate it and it was good. The FA had also brought out the Veuve for the meal, so I got to drink both champagnes. After the meal, my mother went to sleep and I moved back into the empty 4th row to read and not disturb her with the light. Thai's old First Class seat doesn't recline into a bed, but the cushioning is so comfortable that I could easily sleep in the cradle position. The legrest goes very far up, almost flat, so that helps the cause, too. The only thing is that the legroom is severely cut when all seats are reclined. If you weren't traveling with someone you knew, it might be awkward to get over to the aisle when your seatmate is sleeping.

The most interesting thing of the flight was that the FAs disappeared after the meal. It's a 7-hour flight, yet once the lights were dimmed, they really didn't come around. I personally didn't care b/c they stocked the center island with all the liquors and wines, so me being seated in 3J, I would just reach to my left and fill my glass with Veuve or Dom. The other passengers had to serve themselves, too. I even saw an FA peek out from the galley and see one of the First Class passengers standing up to serve himself some cognac, and the FA didn't even come over to assist. Weird, huh, for an airline like Thai that's known for legendary service? Again, I actually liked them not coming around, b/c I could drink at my own pace without feeling like a lush or having to wait for them to refill my glass. I drank the whole bottle of Veuve myself and half the Dom, then also had a Hennessy Paradis Extra! Needless to say, I had a headache once we landed.

The 747 parked on the tarmac and we had to board busses. First Class passengers were ushered off and a Thai employee instructed the driver to close the door and drive off - it did no good in the end since the other busses caught up to us and we all reached the terminal at the same time. First Class passengers were escorted through customs, too, which was nice, and soon my mother and I were down at the baggage carousel. Thai even provides luggage assistance for First Class, so we had a young boy take our bags and bring them out to our car we arranged through the Peninsula. I didn't know if Thai's free limo service applied to Star award tickets, but it didn't matter since the Peninsula included a car transfer with our rate. So over 24 hours after leaving New York, I had finally arrived in Bangkok.

to be continued... Peninsula BKK, Four-Seasons BKK, SQ First, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, NH First still to come...

mad_atta

I think we must have been separated at birth!!! That's pretty much my reaction to first class and free-flowing premium champagne. Glad to hear you made the most of the experience! ^ ^

This sounds like it was a truly superb trip - looking forward to hearing more.

peter11

Yes, more please. Fantastic report. I will be following in your footsteps this summer so I am hanging on every word. Dont keep us waiting too much longer.

Fliar

Great report! You're staying at some hotels I've just returned from

One suggestion, you may want to delete the name here "Her name was XXX (I remember b/c she gave me her card at the end of the flight to call her if I ever stop in Tokyo!)"

I don't know if you're a male but if you are it could get her into trouble in the unlikely event someon from NH reads this board.

Looking forward to the rest ^

nyuboy

Thanks, Fliar, but I'm one step ahead of you... her name wasn't really Miyako . From working in hotels, I'm all too familiar with this service industry paradox - management encourages all employees to tell the guest/passenger your name, do anything for him/her, but don't become too friendly, because then you could lose your job. Believe me, it's a hard line to not cross, especially if you genuinely like getting to know your guest.

Peninsula Bangkok

The Thai First Class baggage attendant brought us all the way to the curb outside baggage claim, at which point our Peninsula Mercedes was waiting. The driver offered bottled water and magazines for the ride, but since there was no traffic this late at night, the trip was quick and we chatted for most of the way. We drove up the long driveway to the Peninsula's grand entrance, and were greeted by a couple doormen and a lobby manager. Check-in was smooth, and we got a room on the 9th floor. Although not high up, it still had a view of the river and pool. We had a sitting area which was nice, and the marble bathroom had a separate shower/tub, as well as the typical Peninsula TV over tub.

My mother loved the Peninsula. She enjoyed everything about the river - having breakfast along it, watching it from the room. For me, the Peninsula was luxurious, but I wasn't in love with it. There was nothing I could fault with the service, but it wasn't very personal. No one ever remembered us, even though we were served by the same staff each morning. The pool was very crowded and one time I couldn't get a chair. And the place was always filled with incentive and tour groups. I just didn't get to know the soul of the place, I guess.

Four-Seasons, Bangkok

We split our stay between two hotels because I had wanted to try the Peninsula, but the F-S offered an irresistable $139 weekend rate. So with my mother sad that we were leaving the river, the Peninsula car took us through horrendous mid-day traffic over to the Four-Seasons. I know most of you FT'ers will be surprised, but I liked the F-S so much more than the Pen. As soon as we arrived at the door, whereas the Pen staff had been cordial and obliging, the F-S staff was eager and seemed genuinely friendly. We were whisked to check-in, where three front desk agents awaited. While the one was completing our registration formalities, the other two came over and chatted with us. These are the small details that I found so impressive with this hotel. Throughout the stay, these same front desk agents always remembered us.

Our room was not as luxurious as at the Pen. We had a decent view over the pool and gardens, a small sofa area, and the granite bathroom was large, with separate tub/shower. What I really loved about the F-S was everything outside the room. The restaurants were so good, we felt guilty about not eating out on the town more. We ate in the hotel's Biscotti (some of the best Italian I've ever had), Shintaro (expensive Japanese with fish flown in daily from Japan), and Spice Market (very good Thai). We also sat in the lobby quite a bit, and like the F-S website claims, its lobby truly is a meeting point for Bangkok society. With the live music playing every afternoon, we had drinks there, even had a late meal one night. Everything food wise was perfect. I also went to the pool everyday, and the young boys there always remembered me, even what beer I preferred. I went out each night, and when I'd return, no matter how late, the doormen would remember me and ask how my night was. One morning, I came back so late at 10am (partying with the new friends I had met in BKK), that the doorman said he'd already seen my mother wandering around the lobby earlier. He escorted me to look for her until we found her in the restaurant having breakfast. He thought it was funny I had come back that late and now had to start a new day with no sleep; my mother didn't think it was so funny.

SQ 67 BKK-SIN
First Class - Seats 3C, 3D

With great sadness, we took a F-S car to the airport, leaving behind our wonderful stay in Bangkok. SQ's First Class check-in at BKK was nothing special, just a tattered red carpet and friendly agent. Soon enough, we'd paid the departure tax and were off to find the Thai First Class Lounge. I'd read about Thai's lounge projects, and I was very impressed by what we experienced. I don't know which of the lounges we entered, since Thai has more than one First Class Lounge, but we were greeted at the door and escorted to the seats of our choice. They had food on display, as well as stuff you could order. I was starving, so I had a spicy Thai noodle soup (great for hangovers!), some dim sum, and a drink. The lounge was very new looking, and it felt warm, plush, and soothing. I checked out the showers and got the L'Occitane amenity kit I wanted. The only thing I didn't like about this lounge was that there were no windows, so no views.

After some shopping, we headed to the SQ First Class Lounge. It was a small space, with a good selection of food, but the decor was simply shabby and dated. At least there was a good view of the tarmac and runway, and we got to see our 747 arrive at the gate. Soon it was time for boarding, and after donating the rest of our Thai Baht to one of the airport's tsunami collection bins, it was down to the gate.

We were escorted to our seats in the middle of the First Class cabin. Menus were passed out, and I ordered a Krug before takeoff. Only 5 out of 12 seats were filled for the flight, so the cabin felt extra spacious. I know some FT'ers feel SQ's SkySuites are getting a bit worn, but our plane was just fine. Since the flight would be only a bit over 2 hours, the meal would take up most of the time.


appetisers
Wanton Soup
Shrimp pork dumplings in rich pork broth garnished with flower mushroom

main courses
Braised pork cheeks in red wine-anise with carrot, baby spinach, glazed shallots and horseradish-mashed potatoes

Stir fried beef fillet with spring onion and ginger in oyster sauce served with braised beancurd roll and fresh straw mushrooms, steamed rice

Pan roasted prawns served with creamy garlic sauce, olive oil flavoured eggplantt puree and new potato


dessert
Assorted Thai dessert with vanilla jackfruit ice cream

from the bakery
Oven fresh rolls
with a choice of extra virgin olive oil or butter
Garlic bread

hot beverages
Freshly brewed coffee
Espresso or cappuccino
Selection of tea

This was an amazing selection for such a short flight, especially with a full wine/champagne/liquor listing as well. My mother had the pork and loved it. I had the prawns, which were huge in size. But since I had eaten in the lounge, I barely touched my food. One of the male FAs came over and said, "What... you don't like my cooking?" My mother thought that was the funniest thing ever, and the three of us ended up chatting for much the rest of the flight. The FA ended up giving me a list of places to go out in Singapore. One long meal service and 4 glasses of Krug later, we landed in SIN.

Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore... w/ a night at the Oriental

SQ 67 couldn't have parked further away from baggage claim, because it took forever to walk the distance. Then when we finally got there, it still took almost 20 minutes for our bags to come out. Not a good first impression of Changi (that would change upon departure, when I was able to buy up the Chanel counter at ridiculous prices).

We took a taxi to the Ritz, where we were met by an army of hotel staff. There must have been 8 people who greeted us at the door, including doormen, bellmen, and Guest Recognition coordinators. Once we got to the front desk, though, the PM Manager approached and asked my mother if he could speak to her in private. Weird, huh? He took her over to the lounge and, as I would soon find out, informed her that the hotel was oversold and they didn't have a room for us. I know this kind of thing happens, so oh well. The only question/request I had was if we could go to the Four-Seasons, but the PM Manager replied that the F-S was sold out as well, as was the Fullerton, Raffles, et al. The only place left was the Oriental next door, but not to worry, since the Oriental had just renovated. The Ritz would pay the night, of course, and they were also giving us a free night for future use. A generous offer, I thought.

So back into a car (this time the Ritz') and over to the Oriental. And what a dump it was. I don't think their refurbishment touched the lobby, because does anyone know the New York Marriott Marquis? Yeah, apparently they have identical lobbies. It was dank, dark, and downright depressing. Our check-in took 20 minutes, even though there was only one person in front of us the whole time. The room we were given was tiny and dark like the lobby. The marble bathroom looked striking, but when I went to take a shower, there was no hot water and the floor got all flooded. And to add insult to injury, our view looked right back across at the Ritz. Haha!

What was nice was that the Ritz car picked us back up at 10am the next day. The same army of staff was at the door again, but this time our butler, Elena, was also amongst the group and took us straight up to our room, 3209, on the same floor as the club. This was impressive, since it's not easy to turn the rooms that early in the morning coming off a sold-out night. Registration was done right in the room while Elena showed us its features and gadgets. We had large twin beds, a nice sitting area, and of course, the infamous bathroom with the tub by the window. Although we didn't overlook the marina, we had a nice view of the city, and got to see the other side from the lounge, anyway.

I'm still not sure if I loved the hotel or not. We got a bit unlucky with the club because the renovations weren't quite done yet. It was open, but the lounge was a truncated version of what was to be. There were no sofas or cozy sitting areas; only restaurant-style tables and chairs. The service was perfect, with everyone remembering our name, but the food on offer was more limited than any other Ritz Club Floor I've been on. The room was nice, but I didn't like the lobby. It was always packed, and I mean packed! And I was really disappointed by the pool area. It's kind of subterranean, and I kept feeling like I was underground in some dank bunker. Overall, since I've read reports that the new Club Lounge is fabulous, I'd like to try the hotel again. But if I weren't staying on the Club, I think I'd go for the Four-Seasons next time.

to be continued... SQ First, NH First

UA 882

Very nice report!

I know how you feel about the Mandarin Oriental (which is not to be confused with the Marina Mandarin ) I had a friend stay there and was apalled by the overall quality. It wasn't a very 'warm' hotel - the staff really weren't as courteous and welcoming as I would have liked, and the rooms were nothing special either.

Considering that they spent a horrendous amount of money on the renovation, I don't understand how they couldn't have done any better - the architect must have had an infactuation with the color black (you probably know what I mean)

I really, really didn't like it....

jef7

"I just didn't get to know the soul of the place, I guess."


Can't wait for the next episodes nyuboy ^ . But I thought what you said was very interesting because indeed, there are times when some places you visit just don't connect with you. You physically get there, but somehow it never touches you, and then you leave and it becomes distant past. It is unfortunate when this happens because, to fully enjoy the place you really do need to see/embrace its soul. But I could tell you had a blast with this trip so keep on writing. Thanks.

nyuboy

Leaving the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, you get a really nice view of the hotel as you drive to the airport. It was a quick ride, and we were soon being dropped off at Singapore Airlines' First Class check-in. An SQ porter unloaded our bags, then a young lady escorted us to the private lounge where check-in is done. The room was very quiet and we were the only passengers checking in. The whole process was completed while we sat on one of the sofas. The nicest part was exiting the check-in lounge and directly passing the security line to enter the terminal.

We headed straight to the Silver Kris Lounge, where we were directed to the First Class section on the right. My first impression was that the lounge was very large, but also very sparsely decorated. I guess I expected the space to be more flamboyant, like the First cabins themselves. It seems like SQ likes to flaunt the cache of its products in every other area (seats, amenity kits, sleeper suits, champagne types), that the lounge appeared uncharacteristically dull in comparison. No big deal, though, since the Krug was flowing. My mother and I sat down in front of the TV in the back (so I could watch the Australian Open), and we had a couple drinks. There was a good amount of food on offer, and I sampled the satay and some sushi. The lounge was very quiet when we entered, but in a half hour, it was almost full. Interestingly, when I went to use the restroom, the attendant was so nice - he struck up a conversation with me and asked if I'd like to take a shower. I declined, and he then opened up a drawer and asked if I wanted to take any amenities he had in there (I think he's been conditioned by all the FT'ers that pass through the lounge ). I politely declined again. After e-mailing the new friends I had met in BKK, my mother and I headed downstairs to do some shopping. I had heard Changi was great for shopping, but boy was I still surprised! I may have lucked out because I was able to find so many things at such good prices. My greatest weakness has got to be skincare and any sort of "products," including cologne, the latter of which I've had a collection since the 7th grade. I ended up buying tons of stuff, including almost all of the Chanel counter. I don't think 24 is too young to start using cellulite cream, do you? My mother got some leather goods at Coach for my brother's girlfriend back home, and then we were off to the gate. Although the flight had been flashing final call forever, we ended up waiting quite a while once we reached our plane.

SQ 998 SIN-NRT
First Class - Seats 3C, 3D

This flight was the most full of my trip so far. The gate area appeared to have many Japanese tourists heading back home. First Class initially had 8 of the 12 seats filled, but right after the doors were closed, they brought someone up from Raffles to sit in First. He slept for the entire flight. Even though the departure was right before midnight, most of the First passengers stayed up for the light meal, thus the mood was relatively lively and festive. I appreciated that since I wanted to drink, drink, drink, and it's always weird for me to be up and drinking when the rest of the cabin is dark and asleep. I decided on Dom for this flight, since my next flight would have only Krug .

light bites
Wild mushroom pizza served with roasted beef salad

Japanese style prawn and vegetable udon soup
White wheat noodles in light fish broth garnished with prawn and mixed vegetable fritters

hot beverages
Freshly brewed coffee
Espresso or cappuccino
Selection of tea

My mother had the pizza and it looked much better than the noodles that I had. But I wasn't hungry anyway, so I just sat back and enjoyed the champagne. Even though the service on the last SQ flight was extremely good, this crew was even better. My mother and I were mostly served by the two male stewards, and occasionally by one of the females. All of them were just so personable and made great efforts to chat and converse. I didn't feel tired after the meal, and since I had been talking with the younger male FA earlier, we started up again in the galley after I used the lavatory. We talked about the new EWR flight, living in SIN, the routes he traveled, etc. The next thing I knew, the older male FA told me to have a seat with them in the galley and they were all going to have some cappuccinos. I told them I bet I could make a pretty mean cappuccino myself. They obliged, and I ended up making each of them one of my famous caps (working as a kid in restaurants from the Ritz to the Mandarin has its benefits!). Eventually I did get tired, but before I headed back to my seat, the younger male FA jumped up and told me to wait. He ran back into Raffles, and came back with a bag full of goodies. He had given me an extra amenity kit and threw in a full-size bottle of the Bulgari cologne they have in the lavatories - awesome since that's the scent I typically wear. I thanked him profusely, especially grateful since the amenity kit has the Bulgari Blu line, which I don't like, but now I had the original scent (the one from the lavatories).

Back at my seat, I got to test out the SkySuite for the first time in flat mode. Although I found the pillow and blanket to be of high quality, the bed felt really hard to me. I couldn't quite get comfortable. No matter, because it was a short flight, and almost time for breakfast.

international selection

juices
A choice of apple, tomato, and freshly squeezed orange

fruit
A selection of fresh fruit

light starters
Cereal
with low fat or full cream milk

or

Reduced fat yoghurt
Plain or fruit flavoured

wholesome beginnings
Seafood congee
Rice congee cooked with prawns, scallops and sliced fish and topped with Chinese cruellers

Freshly prepared eggs
Baked, soft boiled or scrambled egg on toast served with lemon pork sausage or ham

from the bakery
Assorted breakfast rolls
Butter, jam, marmalade or honey

hot beverages
Freshly brewed coffee
Espresso or cappuccino
Selection of tea


kyo-kaiseki

Kobachi
Semi dried baby sardine with grated radish and ginger

Sakizuke
Slow poached kabu turnip with miso sauce

Takiawase
Simmered toji beancurd skin with yuzu

Yakimono & Ashirai
Grilled semi dried tilefish, fukusa omelette, seasoned lotus root

Gohan or Okayu
Steamed rice or rice porridge

Kounomono
Pickles

Shiru
Red miso soup with shrimp cake

Ocha
Green tea

My mother decided to sleep through breakfast, and I tried the Japanese selection. It wasn't quite ANA quality, but the fish entree was very moist and flavorful. The presentation was done in two tray courses, all very nicely dished. When my mother finally woke up, we had a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee together, then it was time for landing.

Deboarding was chaotic, as all classes pushed and shoved together to get off the plane. My mother and I weren't in a rush, so we just kind of drifted with the ebb and flow of the pushing. Somehow an airline representative found us at the gate and attempted to lead me to the transfer bus to get to my ANA flight departing from the other terminal. But I wanted to wait with my mother as long as possible, and she was departing with United from Terminal 1. Since neither the UA nor SQ lounges were open yet, we sat in a very desolate Terminal 1 for almost an hour. Nothing was open, just CNN playing on a couple televisions.

We were the first ones in the SQ lounge when it opened. Nice food selection, and we sat there sipping drinks until I had to leave for Terminal 2. I gave my mom a big hug goodbye, and headed down to the transfer bus area. Once at T2, I got a bit lost and couldn't find the ANA First Class Lounge. I finally located a Signet Lounge, and someone from there escorted me to the right place. I must have been at a really small ANA First Class Lounge, as it was tiny! Just a desk, small food counter, and a couple sectioned off sitting areas. The space was immaculate, had a nice view of the tarmac, and there was a hushed tranquility to it - very relaxing. Boarding was soon called.

NH 10 NRT-JFK
First Class, Seat 3A

It was a long walk to the gate, and the flight seemed to be very full, as the queue to board was snaking around the departure area. The First Class cabin was absolutely buzzing when I walked in. FAs shuffling around, passengers storing their bags. I was shown to my seat, but no one offered to store my bag or hang my coat. No matter. I took a look around the cabin; all 10 seats were taken. Let's see... who had my 2A/2K like I wanted? Some old guy and a young Japanese pop star looking dude. Oh well, 3A was fine, just a little close to the middle seats. In fact, maybe because all the seats were taken, but the cabin felt really crowded, and more interestingly, very cluttered. The "New Style" First Class seats are so large and wide, with such high walls, that they absolutely shrink the feel of the cabin. The lead purser (a relatively older female) came around after most passengers were settled to introduce herself and present menus. She was very nice, but also seemed frazzled and hurried already, before the flight had even begun. We took off a little late, and the drink/meal service began right away.













The meal was very good. It was exciting for me to try the fugu, albeit just the liver part. I enjoyed the IAD-NRT food better, but I think that was just a matter of items on the menu, and not the quality. Of course, I had lots of Krug to drink, but I noticed the FAs were slow to refill my glass. Maybe b/c the cabin was full and they were busy, or they weren't used to someone drinking so much , but either way, I felt weird having to ask each time for more champagne. The IAD flight's FAs couldn't stop refilling my glass, but maybe that was due to a light 5 out of 12 load. Who knows?

I was so tired by the end of the meal. No dessert, just sleep. The lead purser noticed I was heading to bed, and she offered to make up the seat, complete with padding. The bed, in terms of comfort, did not disappoint. It was soft and well-padded. Definitely the widest bed in the air, as ANA claims. With the arm rests lowering down to become part of the bed, there's acres of space side to side. But I didn't like the tall walls surrounding you. The very thing that creates privacy made me feel closed in and trapped. Just a personal opinion.

After a few hours sleeping, I was woken by the heat of the cabin. It felt like the heat was on. I'm sure the high walls of the bed didn't help circulation. I got up, started to read, and decided to have a snack. I tried the Cantonese-style noodles in shark's fin soup (very bland), and Grilled saba (mackerel) sushi and kani (crab) miso soup. The sushi was really good. After reading a bit, I dozed off again, and didn't wake up until a couple hours before landing, when the last meal was being served.



This light meal was my favorite of the flight. The yellowtail was delicious. Again, the service was very good, distant, but professional. The cabin was back to buzzing for pre-landing. Before I knew it, we were on the ground, and I was one of the first off the plane. Customs at JFK was a nightmare. They wanted to know why I went to Asia alone. I said I met my mother in NRT b/c she lives in Hawaii. They asked me again, why'd I go to Asia alone. This went on for a while before they let me go Anyway, I guess the paradox is that these people who work at the airports never get to go anywhere. It must be tough, so I never get offended or frustrated when they put me through their interrogations.

I don't know if it was the let-down of the trip ending, but I was pretty disppointed with my ANA New Style flight. I was expecting something pretty spectacular, but I didn't like the cabin, the seat I found no better (in comfort) than the old seat, and the service was very rushed and impersonal. Ultimately, though, I think it was just that I had enjoyed the first few flights so much that the last one didn't measure up for whatever reasons. But of course, I'd be happy to take any one of them again tomorrow. I'm already saving my money and points to get back to BKK as soon as possible.

Fliar

Great report ^

The trick with the SQ Skysuite (learned it from FT) is to put a blanket on the bed first, and then use a second one as your actual blanket.