Rejuvenated

Introduction

While spring (or fall in the Southern Hemisphere) has kicked off into it's second month, it just amazes me of how quickly time flies by. With such a preoccupied schedule and no time to think about other things, I can see why. Before I even realize it, a brand new future with opportunities would arise. This time around, it is the opportunity to embark on yet another corporate trip assignment.

It indeed has been a tedious time on my part over the past 10 months. Tons of workload as well as the need to travel from here to there has left me with very little amount of time for relaxation. The situation this time around was no different as a company schedule on the latter part of April had me and my colleague packing for another 10 day journey.

Quite a straight forward corporate task as far as difficulty and quantity is concerned. Stressful and workload was not a major concerned and I was relieved. In between, we were also able to allocate some spare time for leisure and sightseeing activities.

As far as the assignments are concerned, they are merely sales calls that need to be conducted at two different destinations consecutively. Not much of a big issue when the only significant journey time is in between the two destinations themselves. The only problem is that the two destinations, London and Auckland, happen to have an gigantic gap in between them - 11,400 miles to be exact.

This coupled with the need to fly the 5,440 miles from Los Angeles to London at the starting point of the journey would make for an exhausting but interesting and gratifying trip. So from Southern California to Mighty Brit to a chow down transit at Changi, and down under to Kiwi Land, this odyssey would have its share of raves and rants. Also for time around, I will be having a colleague to accompany me on this trip.


My colleague and I arrived curbside at LAX’s terminal 2 at 3:15 pm on a cloudy and overcast condition. Traffic along the roadways (aka World Way) on the departure platform was moderately light for this Saturday afternoon but abruptly turned into the usual mess once we stepped inside into the terminal building. Turning right and heading east after entering through the sliding doors, the nearest flight monitors gave us the signal that our flight is scheduled for an on time departure as we continued to march towards the Virgin counters located at the second to last situated at the eastern edge of T2.

As we walked pass the two escalators heading up towards security, we noticed that many of our fellow passengers had already checked-in as many of the folks lining up were in possession of a VS boarding pass. Just as we were about to enter the surroundings of counters, we were stopped by an airport staff who demanded that we show him our passports and tickets before granting us access to the queues. He was not particularly surly like many of my past encounters with LAX employees but at the same time never smiled nor made much eye contact with us as we presented our documents.

The queues for Upper Class, Premium Economy, and Economy were laid out in the respective sequence from west to east. PE and Economy sections were already stretched out. UC on the other hand, with two lines opened, was relatively minimal in length. After lining up to the one on the left behind a family of four with two children, we reached the counters and was promptly assisted by a lady standing behind the desk. Friendly and welcoming, she smiled and greeted us as we presented her with out tickets & travel documents.

We proceeded to place our luggage on the weight scale while she began processing our records. Our boarding passes were printed out and handed back to the palm of our hands along with our documents and other related paper materials. Vacating the counters as we headed back to where we originally came in from, the line heading up the escalators into the security and departure boarding platform continued to pile up as we entered the queue.

As I mentioned earlier, there were two escalators heading up and with both running and moving in an upward direction, why on earth do they have to direct everyone to only one? The one to the right hand side was totally empty and off limits, while we were all dumped to the one on the left. Plenty of inspector staff around the terminal during the present time and many were just standing and staring around like a third grader daydreaming inside the classroom being bored to death by the teacher’s lecture. It was without wonders why the queue was extended to an unnecessary length.

Another round of passport/boarding pass inspection was conducted before reaching the final steps leading to the escalator. Security after the escalators brought us up to the airside platform was the typical US TSA procedure – pockets being emptied, while bags, keys, wallets, and shoes all dumped into a little tray box and into the x-ray machine. God knows what type of additional inspection they’ll implement in the future. Regardless, I certainly hope it doesn’t involve the removal of socks into the x-ray.

Upon security clearance, we headed up into the mezzanine level and made our way into the Air New Zealand Lounge. AS VS does not have a clubhouse of its own at LAX, they have contracted with NZ to direct their Upper Class passengers into a lounge facility. Their contract with the NZ lounge has only been effective for about a week so I guess the timing on our behalf was perfect. ^ In the past, they have allocated UC passengers to the adjacent Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and I could not be more pleased with this move.

The NZ lounge is a much better option as its interior design, amenities, and spacing is much more elegant, plentiful, and spacious compared to the AC MLL. After being greeted and inspected by a receptionist at the entrance from the moment we stepped inside, we were treated to a facility draped in wool carpets, gray couches, and windows facing north giving us a stretched view of the tarmac connecting T1-T2-T3. Food selections on the other hand were rather poor with mini cold bites, chips, fruits, etc. But on the pleasant side, they had plenty of New Zealand wines which were quite descent and gave us an advanced preview as the Land of the Kiwi will be one of our destinations on this trip.

One of the key highlights of this lounge were the posh shower facilities and we took full advantage of that feature to freshen our body. Around 4:30 pm after we had just changed back into our regular clothes from the showers, we decided to head back down into the main boarding platform. A short walk over to Gate 23 followed afterwards where our flight will be boarding and departing from.

Utter mess was the theme surrounding the boarding area at Gate 23. No announcements have been made with regards to boarding but nonetheless, people standing around, sitting & lying on the floor as it was apparent all the seats in the area were already taken. Children tagging one another in a game of “who’s in” as it was apparent that they were permitted by their parents to roam around. With the seemingly holiday spiritual mood that most of the passengers were in despite summer school holiday still a good two months away, I guess I can’t really fault them. Boarding was eventually commenced at 4:40 pm. Two lines have been set with one exclusively for Upper Class and the other for PE & Economy. Being an UC passenger, we were among the first to be called after those requiring wheelchair assistant were directed into the cabin. A brief wait in the queue, our boarding passes were submitted to the gate agent who returned the stub portion back to us.


Saturday April 22, 2006
Virgin Atlantic Airways
VS 8: Upper Class, Seat 7K
Boeing 747-400
Gate: 23
Departs: Los Angeles (LAX)
Arrives: London Heathrow (LHR)
Scheduled Departure Time: 5:20 pm
Actual Departure Time: 5:22 pm
Scheduled Arrival Time: 11:45 am April 23, 2006
Actual Arrival Time: 11:15 am April 23, 2006

Crossing through the aerobridge, we landed through the opened doors of Tubular Belle G-VHOT which happens to be the 744 registration that will be operating our sector this afternoon. A male FA named Robert greeted us at the entrance with a sizable grin and a “Welcome to Virgin Gentlemen” gesture before escorting us to the front of the cabin. Walking past the bar and the galley, I arrived at my seat 7K which was one of two seats (the other being 7A) located on the second row from the nose of the aircraft. My colleague on the other hand was seated on the suite behind me at 8K.

My first impression as I bypassed through several rows of the UC suites and eventually landing into one of my own was rather odd. Unlike your typical business class seat that one is accustomed to by virtue of them facing forward and parallel to the windows, the VS UC seats are pointed towards a 45 degree angle from the window (or towards the window for rows 15-18 that contain two additional seats in the middle section). This was a first encounter of such layout design on my behalf and one that I was not expecting.

There is also a foot pedestal (aka ottoman) unconnected to the seat located on the outer front. According to the demo introduced to us by one of the cabin crew after we stored away our carryon on the above overhead compartment, it has been implemented as a the foot rest when the seat is laid flat or as an extra seat for someone traveling together with you so as to socialize or dine together because even if two people traveling together are seated next to one another, the white divider enclosing the seats to the right & left (which BTW is where the 10.4 inch PTV screens are mounted and can be popped out from) will shield the them apart. In another words, if you and your boy/girlfriend are seated next to each other on adjacent UC suites, it would be impossible for the two of you to hold hands while sitting down.

As witnessed at the boarding area, it was quite a full capacity flight with all but two UC suites on the lower deck occupied (did not head to the upper deck to observe). Meanwhile, the Ozwald amenity kit was distributed to every UC passengers which included a bag and a travel wallet. The bag consisted of toothbrush, socks, eyeshades, combs, ear plugs, mints, and a lip balm while the wallet contained a pen printed with the carrier’s logo and a luggage tag courtesy of the airline itself. The normal complete set of those basics were anticipated but nothing on the fancy side to really brag about.

An announcement from the captain through the PA informed us due to fact every passenger had boarded the aircraft in a timely manner; we would be pushing back five minutes ahead of schedule. A 30 minute earlier than the stated arrival time can also be expected due to an anticipated favorable tail wind to take place over the Atlantic. 5:15 pm we indeed began withdrawing away from gate 23 and taxied out towards the northern runway. After waiting for a southwest jet to make its way into the terminal, G-VHOT made the powerful push and took off into a westerly direction, giving us a brief arial view of the coast line stretching from Marina Del Rey to Santa Monica before gradually making a U turn to pursue an easterly direction as we punched through the grey clouds that have been hanging around throughout the day.

A round of drinks and olives were handed out after takeoff. Menus and sleepsuits were also distributed shortly afterwards. Cruising at a consistent altitude at the present moment, a female FA who introduced herself as Stephanie, came around to inform every passenger in the UC cabin that she is the flight’s only massage therapist and if anyone needs the treatment to please book an appointment with her as she will do her best to accommodate everyone during the duration of the flight. Being perfectly healthy and being able to maneuver at the present moment without any pain, I informed her that I’ll pass the offer for the time being.

Meanwhile orders were being taken for the coming dinner course counter clock wise from the back to the front and to the back again starting from the right hand side of the cabin. Applying towards a northeastern direction, we gradually cruised above Reno, Nevada and the Great Salt Lake. Not long afterwards, several of the crews began walking around and setting up everyone’s tables for the meal service.

A fresh sheet of white linen concealed the surfaces of my table along with a mini glass of water and a tiny oval shaped blue plate supporting another red round cylindrical dipping container on the bottom. Plastic forks and knifes were also presented much to our displeasure of not receiving the much more desirable metal ones. I guess several carriers are still slow to reintroduce metal cutlery despite the fact that UK authorities have allowed them back since last year.

First item to be presented to my linen covered table was the prawn salad which was generously portioned and had several nice pieces of sizable prawns rather than minimize the seafood and dump a major section of the plate with mostly vegetable stuffing. Overall, not a bad starter at all to get the dinner service rolling and I found it to be quite descent.

The preordered chicken breast I requested earlier when they took the order following takeoff was delivered along with a glass of apple juice soon after the salad was cleared away. The roasted breast cut was presented on a white plate accompanied by three half-cut potato wedges and several thin slices of zucchini. Took my time in eating this entrée and the taste seemed to gradually become more exquisite as I took bite after bite. Delicious main course though I did find the presentation to be quite lacking.

Not a fan of cheese or any sort, I skipped on the various cheese plate and crackers offered and pursued straight with the desert selections. As indicated on the menu above, two choices were offered and I opted for the pudding. Cylinder shaped pudding topped with cream and strawberry capped the dinner service and filled me up to the point that I did not require additional extras.

Upon clearance of our plates and tables being stored away, we headed back to the bar located behind suites 17D & G. Four seats – two facing the mirrors towards the front of the cabin and one each on the left and right hand side surround the table of the bar which had chips, nuts, and crackers laid out in baskets along with the various bottle of alcohol and spirits. Unfortunately many passengers also decided to walk over to the area and chow down, so with a limit of only four seats available, my colleague and I stood in the area for a few minutes and chatted while sipping gradually on the glass of our Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne. Atmosphere in the bar surrounding did to an extent feel like the gatherings of a formal banquet party albeit minus the tuxedos.

Returning to our suites, I decided to wind the night by pulling out the 10.4 inch screen from the suite divider and browsed through the V-Port IFE system. In comparison to SQ’s Wisemen (which I believe sets the standard and use as a measuring stick to rate an airline’s IFE), I find the range choices of movies, games, shows and programming to be relatively weak. But nonetheless, at least an updated AVOD is equipped in the system and still much better than those other airlines where an AVOD is not even available. Managed to catch a portion of “Fun with Dick and Jane” starring John Carey before calling the night.

Apparently having read my mind accurately, one female FA approached over to my suite and politely asked if I was ready to snooze into the night which exactly was what I planned on doing next. She offered to make my bed which I gladly accepted before heading to into the lavatories to change into my pajamas handed to us after takeoff. Several other crews were also preparing the suites for some of our fellow passengers who have also decided to call it a night.

A fully flat suite draped in white duvets and a red square shaped pillow had already been converted and waiting for me to lay down on top of its surface. Very attractive and appealing to the eyes for a business class bed but took an opposite turn the moment I laid down and slipped myself into the duvet. Hard, narrow, and for the most part quite uncomfortable to turn from one side to another. In all, only managed to catch three hours of sleep.

Waking up somewhere above the Atlantic with approximately 2.5 hours remaining before approaching London, I lifted up the shades to discover daylight had been shining in our present airspace. Cabin inside was still left darken with many passengers still snoozing despite the bright sunshine outside while I decided to head back into the lavatories to change from my Pjs back into my normal clothes. With time winding down towards the final stretch, I pursued the all night breakfast menu and with it being a “Order whenever you want and eat whenever you please”, I decided this would be the timing to do both.

A male FA by the name Stewart acknowledged my request, took the order, and began setting up the table in front of me. The usual white linen was placed above the surface along with two empty water glasses on the top centre, a blue circle plate supporting an empty coffee cup, and the plastic cutlery. First two items brought to my table was a plate of croissant & muffin and a plate of fresh fruit containing grapefruit and cut slices of oranges.

My order of scrambled eggs served with back bacon and several assorted mushrooms and vegetables along with a glass of orange juice was delivered shortly afterwards as I witness other passengers including my colleague began requesting the breakfast order as well. As a result, this chain of request sparked the reaction of the crews to lit the cabin lights back on. Our flight status continued to pursue an easterly direction at about 100 miles west of the Irish coast.

After finishing my plate of eggs, I declined the additional offers of cereals and toast and managed to stay put for the remainder of the flight. Descent began at around 10:20 am GMT as the crews began clearing and storing everyone’s table away while our seat belt signs lit up. We could not view much of the activities taking place below through our windows as massive thick clouds more or less blanketed the entire region and made for a bumpy landing as we glided through them for the final phase of the landing. Once below the clouds and continuing to decrease in elevation, we were greeted by a wet and soggy weather condition before our cockpit crew guided Tubular Belle to a safe touchdown at 27R. Long and slow taxiway as we exited 27R and approached terminal 3 before docking at Gate 7 located on the south side of the terminal.


Among the first set of passengers permitted to disembark, we quickly vacated the aircraft with our belongings through the aerobridge and landed inside the ever crumbling terminal 3 facility with its usual madness of walking traffic. A moderate hike towards fast track at immigration from Gate 7 lengthwise followed shortly afterwards. 10 minute wait before having our passport stamps and another 20 minute at the ground floor baggage carousel before our luggages popped out.

Out into the greeting lobby as the clock neared noon local time, we headed up the lift and crossed the walkway leading towards car park number three. Along the path on the right hand side lies the Virgin Revivals lounge built by VS themselves specifically for Upper Class passengers like us to relax and refresh after the long flight. With hotel check-in time still hours away should we head immediately into town, we thought it would be wise idea to “revive” our physical condition inside this landside arrival lounge.

The timing of our flight could not have been more perfect as the Revivals was opened for only another one and a half hour by the time we walked inside before it’s 1:30 pm closure. Greeted and escorted into the lounge by a staff at the point of entrance, we immediately observed the wonders of the indoor facility which we encountered purple carpets, while poles, weary travelers (us included), salon station, shower facilities, and a bar consisting of pastries, muffins, egg benedicts and other varieties of hot/cold breakfast bites. There were also sandwiches which we decided to grab along with a cup of cappuccino before seating ourselves on one of the tables surrounding the bar area.

With our stomachs still rather full from the inflight breakfast, the sandwiches and cappuccinos were more than plenty to satisfy our lunch meal for the day. As stated earlier, shower facilities were available for us to utilize. And still feeling rather tight from the flight earlier, we decided to bath ourselves in there before we left the lounge altogether for our HEX ride into town.

Two and a half day in London had just gone through and the first half of our corporate assignment for this trip has concluded. The time has now arrived for us to continue onwards with our journey to conduct the second half of the assignment. So after having lunch at the Trobadour Café near Earl’s Court early in the afternoon (my favorite restaurant in town), we took a short walk down to West Brompton Station for a short underground ride return towards South Kensington Station where our hotel, the Regency located on Queens Gate and Old Brampton, was a quick seven minute walk from the tube station.

Having checked out of our rooms earlier this morning before heading out, all that was left for us to do was to retrieve our bags & belongings and load them into the cab that we have reserved. As for the cab, it arrived 5 minutes shortly after our return to the hotel lobby. Thus in no time we uploaded everything, hopped inside the black taxi, and were on our way towards Heathrow.

I seldom resort to taking a cab ride directly from town to airport or vice versa in all the numerous visits I have made here as I often op for a shorter cab ride to Paddington Station and proceed the journey from there with HEX. The idea of being stuck in the city’s traffic never fail to generate a level of anxiety. However I decided to take a different routine this time around and gave it another shot. Oh what was I horribly thinking?

The descision struct a great deal of regret upon myself as I painfully discovered soon enough. From the moment our cab entered through through Hammersmith, along King Street, passing along the edges of Gunnesbury Park, and continuing westbound on the M4, the commute crawled no quicker than 15 mph. It was not until when we thrusted through the heart of Osterley Park did the pace shows any signs of accelerating. Even then, the maximum speed that could be reached was only 35 mph.

It also did not help that our timing was in the initial stage of rush hour (2-3 pm). Regardless, the commute took almost two hours. If one can avoid the direct cab ride from town to Heathrow in the future, please do as today’s commute reinforces the painfulness one has to endure if such option is taken. At least it did on my part.

Finally our black cab guided us into the airport vicinity and yet the worst was still to come. The inner roads connecting the terminals were in total chaos. God If I thought the flow of the traffic getting here in the first place was horrendous, the number of vehicles and busses impatiently waiting to get through and pedestrians zig zagging through the crosswalk really made the earlier situation look rather tamed. Our driver had to increase his level of aggressiveness to get us curbside at terminal 3 and as he did so, I was left bracing that we did not cause any dents or dings to anyone’s limbs or properties.


At last the intensive, hectic, and stressful 120 minute cab ride came to a bitter end. We disembarked and made our way inside the ever crumbling T3 facility through the entrance door facing Zone F at approximately 3 pm where the scene inside was no different than a herd of sheep running around inside the ranch with two invading wolves chasing behind them. Spots of peeling paints off the wall were visible throughout that looked as if a feline with uncontrollable nails had left many scratches to mark its territories as we made our way towards the SQ counters situated in Zone E.

Jack-knifing through the walking crowds, we spotted the counters and immediately ran into a smack of passengers queuing in a line folded into parallel layers connected together. Fortunately to the sense of my relief, I was quick to discover that these were the groups waiting to be checked in for economy class. Business (Raffles) queue, although shorter, also had a sizable queue length. Luckily for us the First Class counters were empty at the moment and before anyone else had the opportunity to cut in front of us, we immediately made a quick dash towards it.

We were greeted by the gentlemen who stood patiently behind the counter and were immediately assisted with the check-in process. He carefully examined our tickets & passports and began punching the various datas into his computer. After having pulled out our record and noticing that we would be having a 6 hour 45 minute layover in SIN enroute to Auckland, he asked if we were interested in taking part of brief Singapore City Tour. If we were interested, he would be more than happy to take such note and send an electronic message to the desk at Changi for us to be able to participate immediately without delay upon our SIN arrival. A request I politely declined as my colleague and I have decided in advance that we would spend our Singapore layover at the Ambassador Transit Hotel and the Silver Kris Lounge.

Anyhow he understood our decline of the complimentary offer and proceeded forward to tag the two baggages (one belonging to me and the other to my colleague) all the way to our final destination AKL and also had our boarding passes printed out for both LHR-SIN & SIN-AKL sectors. The check-in process is now near complete as he handed back our documents, tickets, etc. As he was about to release the boarding passes to us, it was dejavu once again as he need to inform how critical it would be on behalf of our responsibility to constantly take a sneak peak of the flight monitors regularly.

Of course he was pertaining to the fact that the gate SQ319 would be departing from is as an unknown mystery as to why this airport, being the busiest passenger traffic in the world, is in such disarray and shambles. And as he was explaning this procedure, the frustration boiling inside my mind was focusing on nothing other than finding various ways to curse the BAA management for this routine. I am not exactly sure if this is BAA’s technique to purposely crank up passenger’s neves and level of anxiety of being clueless as to where their flight will be departing from, try to get you into airside as soon as possible, or simply their plain laziness of not wanting to display them in advance. Regardless, it is one of the stupidest and most pathetic method of organizing an airport rotation.

Having vacated the desk, we exited our way and climbed from ground to first floor through the escalators which has been built right in the middle of the check-in zones sandwiched by the counters facing across from one another. Another bizarre and ridiculous design that leaves a lot to be desired. Such layout design IMO, does nothing but clog up the already congested and narrow check-in areas. Duh…it was no surprise why everyone who lined up waiting to be checked in had to be packed like sardines.

Okay if the mess taking place downstairs on the check in ground floor was chaotic enough to uplift everyone’s temper and level of patience which succeed in doing so as far as mine’s is concered, my level of patient was not about to widen nor was my temper about to cool anytime soon. Bam! Up the escalators and we could not move forward any further and were held up. Yup after fearing the worst to come, the Fast Track queue was stretched all the way to the back. With such a long queue having been formed, it became impossible to see all the way up front to catch a glimpse of the situation taking place ahead and fearing that the line would stretch further should we move up front to observe and return back, we were not willing to undergo the risk.

A new record has gone into my books today and one that will be remembered as one of my worst encounters in a major international airport. One hour and 45 minutes have been wasted from the moment we entered the line from the escalators to the moment we exited the security check point. A definite new record as far as waiting time is concerned from all the times I have utilized the Fast Track queue. Why do they even have the nerve to call this line “Fast”? Maybe I should not be one bit surprised. After all as the lyrics of Alanais Morissette’s music would indicate “Isn’t it Ironic?”

As it turned out, only ONE x-ray machine was operating and BAA has undergone the paranoia of laptops containing explosive devices that had to extremely nit picky with such devices and demanding everyone who were carrying them to have it taken out for additional screenings. Additional or over excessive? I mean for goodness sake, the man who was standing in front of us had his wanded five separate times before they waved him through. We on the other hand had our laptops wanded more than once as well – 3X for myself and 4X for my colleague to be exact. Boy I can just imagine how much fun everyone will be having when the athletes and media come and go during the 2012 games.

5:00 pm had already struck our watches by the time we landed airside. Glancing at the nearest flight monitor, the only indication given for our flight was “18:30 Singapore SQ319 Please Wait”, as obviously the gate location is still as unknown as a wrapped Christmas present Santa has dropped through the chimney. So as we remain clueless with regards to the gate, we marched through the gigantic over priced duty free shop and made our way up towards the Clubhouse located along the corridors connecting the T section of the terminal housing Gates 13-22.

Flying on SIA first class, we were given the privelage to utilize this clubhouse as an agreement between SQ and VS and after hearing much raves and positive feedbacks, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity rather than head over to the Silver Kris Lounge. Oh me oh my were they ever dead accurate. The stairway, with its dark marble wide steps and glass side shielding illuminated by a chandelier, gave us a luxury welcome as did the lady who approached us at the top end of the stair. With an upbeat smile and warm gesture, she examined our boarding passes, acknowledged our qualifications to enter, and escorted us inside.

What a comforting and elegant location to be at after escaping all the hectic activities taking place elsewhere in the terminal. All those encounters that took place earlier at the check-in areas, security, etc were nowhere to be found here though we are still situated inside the very same terminal. Hands down this has got to be the best lounge in all of T3 and definitely one of the best overall I have ever been to.

Our first stop inside the enormous facility was the Deli located on the left hand side from where we entered through the lobby. Crowd inside was moderately light as the facility doesn’t appears to be very crowded at the moment. Not particularly hungry at the moment and with Dinner awaiting us onboard our flight soon after the 6:30 pm departure, we opted for a light bagel, a plate of salad, and a cup of OJ even though we had the option of ordering hot meals from the Brasserie menu.

We quickly ate and in no time, were walking slowly through the cocktail bar. Got to admit that we were also touring the various spots of the lounge to a lesser extent including the Spa and Sauna areas as we continued to march towards the shower rooms located at the other opposite end. As name of the facility indicates the purpose of what it is for, it was exactly what we did to refresh ourselves to prepare for the upcoming 12 + hour flight.

Following the shower, I took a quick glance at my watch and received the indication of 5:30 pm. With that in mind and still unsure as to which gate our flight will be departing from, we exited the clubhouse down through the very same sparkling stairway that got us into the lounge earlier. With the possibility of a long gate hike and the need to intermingle with the multiple foot traffic, we’d thought of it to be a better preparation.

Back we are inside the terminal’s main airside region as it shows how quickly the world can be turned upside down. Going from the glamour and beauty of the clubhouse and into the shambles and beast of T3’s non-lounge facility certainly made it feel like so. Still anxious to discover the status of our gate location, we walked over to the nearest flight monitor only to have “18:30 Singapore SQ319 Please Wait” stare back into our eyes. Fine if BAA is going to continue to play this ridiculous game of “Guess and Wait”, I’d thought I head over to the Gucci store to kill off further time.

So as we were preparing ourselves to walk over to the brand name store, the unthinkable took place. As I stood up after bending down to lift my bags from the floor, my eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of the same flight monitor that still showed the very same “18:30 Singapore SQ319 Please Wait” signal and while my eyes still remain fixed on the same line at the very same monitor, the status suddenly took an abrupt switch to “18:30 Singapore SQ319 Last Call Gate 1”. Yup made no mistake (on my part) as I witnessed the moment of the transition. Oh dear I gasped. An immediate transition from “Please Wait” to “Last Call” without any indications of “Boarding” had just taken place.

Screw the Gucci visit as without further ponder, we zigzagged through the crowds and sprinted towards the gate. Easier said than done as Gate 1 happens to be one of those far away distant gate located at the most southern point of terminal 3. Boy it is far and I mean far away at the very end edge of the pier which made it even more challenging as BAA’s regular routine of allocating SQ at one of the furthest gate has once again been confirmed. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! God I can’t recall how many occasions we came ever so close to either 1) crash into the body of another traveler 2) tread over someone’s foot or 3) take a tumble as the way we ran made it look like we were athletes desperately approaching the finish line of a track relay. Only did last minute reflexes and reactions prevented all the potential mishaps.

Upon reaching the vicinity surrounding the gate, I immediately discovered that boarding has even yet to commence much to our relief while the nearby monitor still had the “18:30 Singapore SQ319 Last Call Gate 1” indication showing. Screams directed to the helpless gate agent were quite evident on the other hand as apparently many passengers were just as shaken and caught in the awkward situation displayed by the monitors as we were. Meanwhile more and more anguished faces continued to appear and demanded answers creating an absolute chaotic scene at the gate with everyone seemingly gasping for air and exchanging verbal shouts.

Confident that this was the act conducted on behalf of BAA as oppose to SIA, I could not have been more accurate. Perspiring heavily due to the mad dash over to the gate, we listened carefully as an explanation conducted by the gate agent began shortly. Apologizing at the opening statement of the announcement, he informed everyone of an apparent mistake having taken place with regards to the monitors displaying the flight status. He earlier had instructed the BAA staff responsible for updating the status of each and every flight to update the status of SQ319 as the flight was planning to board soon. Rather than posting the correct status on the monitor, the BAA staff MANAGED TO SCREW EVERTHING BY HAVING DISPLAYED THE INACCURATE STATUS. Responsibility clearly upon the shoulders of BAA.

Cooler heads prevailed after the briefing and an announcement to initiate the “real” boarding procedure followed shortly. First and Raffles class were the first group to be given the green light though no segregation of queues between the two classes was formed. Economy class on the other hand had a separate queue. Ever so desperate to escape the ever nightmarish terminal 3 facility, we quickly jumped into the lines and embarked through the aerobridge after having submitted the boarding pass to the very same agent who IMO did a remarkable job of not only explaining the error caused by BAA but also maintaining his composure while dealing with the mass of infuriated heads.


Wednesday April 26, 2006
Singapore Airlines
SQ 319: First Class, Seat 3A
Boeing 747-400
Gate: 1
Departs: London Heathrow (LHR)
Arrives: Singapore (SIN)
Scheduled Departure Time: 6:30 pm
Actual Departure Time: 6:32 pm
Scheduled Arrival Time: 2:15 pm April 27, 2006
Actual Arrival Time: 2:13 pm April 27, 2006

Setting foot inside the Megatop, we were welcomed onboard by a female FA who, dressed in the typical SIA green kabaya, introduced herself as Natalie, addressed both of us by our names after taking our boarding pass stubs, and escorted us towards the front of the cabin. She directed us with a hand displaying welcome to our seats – 3A for myself and 4A for my colleague. Ah the ever glorious skysuite with its brown connolly leather, light burwood, 14” monitor that never fail to catch the eye and impress. 12 + hours in store for us and I could not wait for the opportunity to nap comfortably on its flat position. A clear indication on how attractive the skysuite really stands out to be.

While I lifted my carryon into the compartment above, stewardess Natalie caught my attention and went into her normal routine of offering me a pre takeoff drink. Acknowledging the offer, I uttered the phrase “Champagne with a preference of the DOM may I please”. Nodding as a gesture of acceptance for the request, she took my coat and hung it at the closet up front as she headed back to prepare our drinks. She and the other crews patrolling the F cabin were all very warm, patience, attentive, and seemingly able to anticipate the needs of every passenger, which BTW occupied all 12 skysuites for this sector.

My colleague stood up from his seat as he was reaching for an ipod located inside his carryon which he had already stored in the compartment momentarily before. Just before he had an opportunity to open the closed compartment, a male FA in the vicinity reached his arm out to open and hold the cover while my colleague dug into his bag. Meanwhile the gentlemen sitting across from me at 3C was also about to place his carry on into the compartment when another male FA appeared and took the honour of placing it on the above compartment. The man in front of me at 2A, with his charming British accent, began to initiate a cheerful conversation with FA Natalie after she came back to deliver my requested glass of DOM Perignon. Seemingly all the crews were in an upbeat state and willing to exchange laughs and conversations with everyone. Certainly a pleasant method to get the flight experience running on the right foot.

Dark Grey Givenchy pajama (same ones I got in February), Bvlgari Kit Bag which consisted of toothbrush, razors, combs, bottle of cologne, hand cream, and lip balm all courtesy of the Bvlgari brand name itself. Inflight menu and the basic toiletry kits such as eyeshades, socks, etc were also distributed at the same time. Pulling out the drawer located beneath the 14 inch PTV monitor, I located my burgundy writing pad along with post cards, envelopes, and also a very elegant looking Mont Blanc pen.

As I slowly began drinking away at my champagne glass, everyone more or less have settled comfortably into their seats while the captain came over the PA to welcome all passengers onboard and inform the status of the weather in Singapore which calls for mostly cloudy skies with chance of thundershowers and lightning. Flight time to Changi is projected to be close to the 12 hour 45 minute stated on our itinerary. Due to the fact every passenger manage to board the aircraft in a punctual manner, which BTW really caught me by surprise considering the mess generated by the error of the flight monitor earlier, we would be pushing back earlier than schedule.

Upon conclusion of the cockpit crew’s pre-takeoff announcements, the safety video demonstration blinked on our PTV while everyone including myself began tightening our seat belts. Doors were shut at 6:22 pm and we began pushing back slowly away from Gate 1. Taxiing out very slowly towards 27L as Heathrow is right in the midst of one its busiest traffic period of the day. Patiently waiting, the “GO” signal was delegated to us after a BA A319 managed a take off ahead of us. Aligning to a parallel direction with the runway, our megatop launched itself into full power three quarters down 27L before lifting its nose gently and rotating west towards the late afternoon overcast sky.

Rising higher into various levels of elevation while bumping through the layers of the thick clouds, we made a strong U-turn and began heading east across the North Sea. Approaching close to the Danish airspace, one of SIA’s specialty starter, the ever mouthwatering satay, was served counter clockwise from 4A to 4K. Three sticks of thick chunky of meat showered with thick peanut sauce along with three small cuts of cucumber stabbed together in one medium length toothpick were delivered over to my table along with a glass of fruit spritzer I had requested. Orders for the dinner service to come were also taken at the same time.

Quality of SIA’s satay as always is juicy and tender. Today’s serving was no exception as it once again delivered the high quality in taste and in portion as expected. I have had satays onboard other asian carriers but none does it near as well as SQ. The meats on the stick as I mentioned earlier were thick and chunky.

One and half hour surpassed through the flight time, while our path continued to pursue an eastern direction above Copenhagen and approaching towards Swedish airspace. Several moderate turbulences occurred as we were bypassing the region, compelling the “on” status of the seat belt signs be prolonged until the conditions settled down above the Baltic Sea. The extensive period of the seat belt sign really triggered the reaction of three passengers to make a dash towards the lavatories situated behind my colleague’s seat at 4A once it was switched off. The crews meanwhile had a task on hand – serving and preparing all of our dinners.

A steward who introduced himself to me as Mark began the table setup in front of me. Standing besides my right hand side on the isle, he managed to cover the burwood table directly on my front with a white piece of linen which consisted of a thin blue strip on the edges. Blue and white seem to be the theme of SIA’s dining cloths and chinawares. The bread and butter plate placed on the left hand side of the table, the butter dipping plate on the top left corner, the two salt shakers on the top centre, and the rolled up napkins covering the metal cutlery placed on the right hand side all had white and blue colourings one way or the other. Two empty glasses were placed at the top right corner to cap off the table setting routine.

As the first round of appetizers were beginning to be served, I took a brief moment to switch on SQ’s ever massive collection of movies, games, shows, etc on their AVOD system – the Wisemen 3000. Knowing that my hands will be occupied shortly for the dinner meals, I decided to catch a movie as oppose to playing video games. Chronicles of Narnia: Lion Witch and Wardrobe, a story involving four children who had to be relocated into the rural areas of the country only to discover a magic wardrobe that would eventually lead them to a winter wonderland world, was a blockbuster I ended up settling for.

While I began staring at the movie’s introduction stage in front of my 14 inch PTV, my ordered appetizer plate of Malossol Caviar was presented to the centre of my table along with my favorite SIA signature champagne, the DOM of course. My colleague thinks I am nuts for having ordered the same alcoholic drink repeatedly on my SQ flights. My response and explanation can only be attributed to pure addiction.

Black caviars about the size of three spoons along with two slices of toast, a slice cut of lemon to be squeezed, and a variety of other condiments filled up the surface of the appetizer plate. A bowl of pork watercrest soup placed on top of a small plate which also supported by another sizable plate on the bottom followed after I had finished the caviar appetizer. Both appetizer and soup were well prepared and tasted excellent and were just the right items to get the dinner service going in the right direction. Plate of salad draped in thousand island followed afterwards.

Next item to be presented to the table was of course the main course event in which I had pre-selected the chicken teriyaki rice when the order was initially taken earlier. Slices of cut chicken draped with dark brown teriyaki sauce along with a rectangle cubical shaped rice chunk topped with parsley, short cuts of asparagus and carrots filled nearly the entire course plate as the portions were incredibly generous. My taste for teriyaki sauce is often judge according to its level of sweetness and saltiness in which the two should be balanced out. This main course fitted that description and criteria perfectly. Neither too sweet nor too salt, the dish turned out to be a pure delicacy. ^

The large portion of the teriyaki plate filled me up rather quickly to a certain level and I decided to skip through the cheese plate selections (which I am not a big fan of anyways) in order to make room for the desert which I immediately requested following the main entrée. Passion fruit moose covered in chocolate sauce with sizable shaped iced berries and coconuts appeared on top my plate upon delivery. Managed to slowly take spoon after spoon bite to complete this last element portion of the dinner service and the portion more or less filled my stomach to maximum capacity.

Meanwhile dark skies became the theme outside the window as we began entering the skies above the Lithuanian/Polish border. Majority of passengers including myself have virtually completed the dinner consumption by this time and the evident scene sprung the crews into more action as they began the cleaning and clearing process. Presentation of the meals BTW from the appetizer to the soup, to the main course, and to the desert were all a scene of beauty and elegance.

Still within a distant eyesight and still working ever so hard and diligently, I called upon Stewardess Natalie to conduct the turndown service and convert my skysuite into a flat sleeping bed. As she came over to my side, she said she would be more than honoured to set my bed and offered the opportunity for me to head into the lavatories to change into my sleepersuit while she conducts the setup and housekeeping work. Ah the timing and recommendation could not have been more perfect.

Upon returning to my seat in full pajama outfit, a light brown duvet covering the flat positioned seat along with a large size pillow laying inside the three sided cocoon. All set up perfectly as one would see upon entrance to a hotel room with fully furnished bed. Standing next to the masterpiece she had just completed, is no one else other than Natalie herself as she awaited and anticipated my return.

Fully aware of how hard she has worked up to this point of the flight and knowing how dead tired she really is even though her physical appearance and state is not evident, I’d thought I take over and do some of my own chore. After having lied down, I politely informed Natalie that I would tuck myself in and call the night even though she had offered to perform the routine. Covered myself neck high with the duvet, switched off the PTV, and fell into a comfortable six hour snooze.

Woke up with approximately 2.5 hours remaining before touchdown into Singapore while cruising above the Himalaya region connecting Nepal with India approaching the skies above Bangladesh. Looked out the window under bright sky condition and was treated to a spectacular view of the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains. Cabin lights on the other hand has been switched back on and everyone with the exception of the English man in front of me also began waking up.

Ah nothing better than to wake up and hear the sounds of the cutlery and trays banging against one another. A sound signal that indicates nothing other than a breakfast meal to start the fresh brand new day. Brand new day indeed it is at the current time zone of the flight location and will remain the same upon arrival into SIN.

I was immediately approached by the ever sense of awareness of FA Natalie. “Good morning Mr. Rejuvenated, would you care for an orange, apple, or tomato juice to start the morning?” as she gently greeted my morning mood in such a soft and charming tone. Took the rest of my order request momentarily afterwards and again offered me the opportunity to head back into the lavatories to change back into my regular clothes and would have my skysuite be reconverted into the regular sit up position and be ready to set my table upon my return.

Taking her clever advice, I reached over the compartment for my bags and walked into the lavs to put on my normal outfit before returning to my seat. Just like magic, the skysuite that was in its bed format had already been transformed back into its original sitting couch position. Talk about a rapid transition.

Table setup was the typical white & blue linen, plates, salt shakers, butter dipping plate just as I had described earlier along with a glass of orange juice filled three quarters to the top I had asked for and another empty water glass. Plate of fruits containing several thin slices of pineapples, kiwis, and strawberries were the first plate to be brought to the centre location of my linen covered table along with a pastry and crossaint placed over to the bread and butter on the left.

I took a couple of bites from the plate of fresh fruit as I was still rather full from the Dinner meals having not had the opportunity to exercise and burn off calories. And still with the main entrée to come, it was definitely not the appropriate moment to become greedy. Not only that, but I also manage to skip the yoghurt/cereal options.

My plate of scrambled eggs I had ordered earlier accompanied by a golf-sized tomato, pieces of tiny cut potato, sliced mushrooms, a thin slice of bacon, and two rectangular cut shaped toast was delivered promptly as requested. Nothing particularly fancy appearance wise with this entrée, but was once again decently portioned and quite rich in taste at the same token. As I dug my way through this breakfast plate, remaining flight duration reached its final 90 minutes.

The captain decided to join the party of good morning announcements as he came over the PA doing exactly at the beginning stage of his speech and continued on to provide us of the latest weather condition in Singapore and our descent approach which will begin rather shortly. We continued to pursue a southeastern direction above the Bay of Bengal while I was finishing the last remaining pieces of my breakfast entrée. Decent indeed began shortly afterwards and the crews began maneuvering throughout the cabin clearing, cleaning, wiping, and storing everyone’s table as we prepare for an on time touchdown into Changi.

Seat belt signs lit up and some who had walked over to utilize the lavatories began returning and settling into their seats as we inch closer and closer along the western coast of the Malay peninsula. As we continued with our descent, we finally reached above the southern tip of the peninsula and made a U turn for the final landing phase. Landing from the south towards the north, we pounced on the tarmac of Changi’s runway 2C. Local time 2:13 pm under cloudy conditions.

No requirements to stop on the exit from 2C as apparently directed by the control tower, our megatop continued onwards and quickly stationed to a complete stop over at terminal 2. Upon retrieving our belonging and bags, we walked out throught the isle while bidding farewell to the friendly, dedicated, and hardworking crews who did a splendid job of patrolling and taking care of the front cabin. Disembarked through a separate pier dedicated specifically for First and Raffles passenger and into the terminal facility.

Singapore Changi International - Airside Transit

Upon landing airside indoors, an immediate sense of opposite extreme struck us. Changi’s Terminal 2, though slightly beginning to show it’s age, is nonetheless very airy, well organized, well maintained, and ever so passenger friendly. Those dirty carpets, peeling paints, poor illumination encountered earlier at Heathrow’s T3 were no where to be found and definitely a welcomed atmosphere for us travelers who will be spending the next six and half hours resting and preparing for our next flight.

The first stop on our extensive layover at this airport is the Ambassador Transit Hotel located in Terminal 1. Now some may ask why I have reserved a room at the other Terminal’s location when there is one for our convenience at Terminal two itself where our flight had just arrived at and will be departing from again for the connecting flight later in the evening? True T2 has an Ambassador Transit Hotel itself; however, it lacks a number of amenities that the T1 branch consists of – swimming pool, gym, etc. All of which are vital distractions to prevent us from enduring the long hours of boredom.

The terminals at Changi are well connected airside and landside and the transfer for us airside T2-T1 and back was no exception. The convenience of boarding the skytrain located across Bijoux Terner shop and the quick two minute ride on it got us to Terminal 1 in no delay. Once off the train, the escalators heading up to the transit hotel was conveniently located a few steps across from the skytrain disembarkment point.

The rates of the rooms are charged on a block basis with a 6-hour time frame for each block priced at around SGD $70 and reserving only one 6-hour block was more than sufficient for our transit duration. Meanwhile the twin room we booked consisted of the basic amenities one would find in a standard room of your typical hotel – TV, coffee makers, hair dryers, and a private bathroom. We managed to pack towels, shampoos, and extra clothing into our carryons as our luggages of course were being transferred towards our connecting flight to Auckland and was not around with us during the whole transit time.

After a quick two hour nap inside our room, we decided to head over to the outdoor swimming pool to relax and enjoy the air outside after being deprived of fresh outdoor air over the last 18 + hours. As forewarned by our pilot on the flight from London, thunders were rumbling on the cloudy skies and were immediately struck by the stifling high humidity by the moment I stepped out into the pool deck. Now having been raised in Hong Kong for many years and still commuting back regularly, I should be accustomed to such conditions with all those sticky summers we get annually. But having been through the cool and damp weather the last couple of days in London and suddenly having my body adapt from one extreme to another within less than 24 hours was quite uncomfortable. Nonetheless the pool was not overly crowded and we managed to relax in the water for about 90 minutes.

Returning to our room following the swim, we decided to take a quick shower to remove all the chlorines off our bodies and laid down briefly before gathering our carryons and checking out. It was approximately 6:30 pm local time as we made our way back down into the departure level of Terminal 1 and took the quick skytrain ride back to Terminal 2. By this time of period, the number of passengers maneuvering airside in T2 have increased and undoubtedly so with evening peak departures about to take place including one which happens to be our flight.

Having disembarked into T2 from the Skytrain, we decided to spend the remaining portion of our transit time inside the Silver Kris First Class Lounge. Our upcoming flight was still more than two hours away and there was no better spot in the terminal to wind down other than the SKL itself. A short walking distance from the skytrain station to the escalator and up we went into the Lounge located on the 3rd floor of the terminal.

Walking along the branch of the path directing towards the First Class section of the lounge, an female agent, whom BTW looks very familiar from my last visit two months ago, leaned out from behind the receptionist desk to take a brief glance at our boarding pass. Without further questions nor doubts, she immediately granted us access inside after noticing our possession of our red SIA onward boarding pass. Situation inside had a moderate amount of passengers though I do suspect the volume will pick up in the hours to come as a string of SIA flights prepare themselves for departure in the evening with our flight, SQ285 to AKL, being one of them.

Managed to grab a couple of individually wrapped sushi and requested, you guessed it, another glass of DOM. Yes not only does SIA serve one of its signature champagnes onboard the aircraft, they also do so inside their home-based lounge. Took a seat in one of the pairs of light brown leather chairs facing one another separated by a mini round table in between before savoring our evening champagne as we continued to wind down towards our connecting flight.

8 pm in the evening finally arrived upon us and after gathering all our belongings, we headed out of the SKL, down the escalators, bypassing the children’s area and made the short walk over to Gate E5 where our flight down under to Auckland would be boarding from. As passenger traffic begins to pick up during this evening hour at Changi, so did the crowd at the waiting area of Gate E5. No announcement has been made for boarding though the number of passengers in the area kept on increasing as we are bracing for a potentially fully loaded 744.

At 8:15 pm an agent arrived at the podium and began the pre-boarding announcement rituals. Apparently a family with five young children needed extra assistance and attention and thus was given the signal to board the aircraft before any of us can do so otherwise. Next on line to be permitted for entrance happen to be us batch of First Class passengers. Apparently four other F passengers were quicker than us to jump into the line and board ahead of us, not that we are always anxious to be the first onboard but it does help in settling down earlier inside the cabin which to a passengers advantage, gives plenty of time to do stuff like store belongings, try out the seats just to name a few. Anyways those four passengers ahead boarded very quickly and we followed them through the aerobridge after submitting our boarding passes to the agent patrolling the gate.


Thursday April 27, 2006
Singapore Airlines
SQ 285: First Class, Seat 3A
Boeing 747-400
Gate: E5
Departs: Singapore (SIN)
Arrives: Auckland (AKL)
Scheduled Departure Time: 9:00 pm
Actual Departure Time: 9:10 pm
Scheduled Arrival Time: 10:30 am April 28, 2006
Actual Arrival Time: 10:07 am April 28, 2006

Landing ourselves into the steps of the 744, we were once again addressed by name as a FA who introduced herself as Wanda and walked us through towards the First Class Cabin upfront. She politely took our coats and hung them inside the closet as we located our seats, the same identical skysuite location as the previous sector – 3A: myself, 4A: my colleague. Judging from the crowd at the waiting area during boarding, we were expecting a full flight and thus stored our belongings on the overhead compartment as quickly as possible while the spaces were still available.

As for having anticipated the crowd volume judging from earlier scene at the gate, we were right on the money. I am not aware on how SIA usually perform with regards to F load on its AKL flights. But if tonight’s flight is any indication, then I assume they are earning high revenues from premium passengers on this route. Like the previous sector, all 12 skysuites were taken for this 10 + hour journey down under to Kiwi Land.

Reappearing from the back after taking care of several issues, stewardess Wanda came back to confirm my “Book the Cook” order and also offered us the regular pre takeoff champagne routine. Without hesitation, I immediately responded with a “DOM Perignon may I please” quote. Yes such signature Champagne has gone deep into my addiction.

Settling down into our skysuite momentarily, an announcement over the PA informed us of a slight delay that would be taking place as several connecting passengers were still making their way over to the gate. Another round of announcement followed five minutes afterwards, this time by the captain to assure that the last batch of passengers has indeed boarded the aircraft and push back is about to be performed momentarily. He continued to provide further details regarding the flight operation such as due to a potential unsettled volcanic activity in the Indonesian Island of Java, our routing would take a slight detour path to avoid flying above the region and despite the need to detour, a 15 minute earlier than scheduled arrival into Auckland should be expected nonetheless.

9:02 pm and the safety demonstration recording once again began playing on the screens of our PTV as we began to gradually pull from Gate E5. Lights still bright inside our cabin while several passengers began closing their eyes for either 1) they are ready to sleep and call the night or 2) simply they can’t bear to watch an aircraft perform the takeoff routine function. Regardless of the purpose, I’ll wait for my nap till the first meal is done and over with.

We taxied out during a relatively light traffic condition at Changi as the bulk of flights heading out to Europe will not depart till the 10-midnight hour. After being held up at a holding point in the middle, we proceeded to make the turn towards our designated runway. Generating as much power and speed as possible, we accelerated down the length of 20L and performed a smooth airborne into the night skyline.

This time around unlike the previous sector, our goodies were distributed not long after takeoff. Same Bvlgari Kit with the exact same amenities inside the bag. Basic toiletries items also identical. Only difference witnessed was the light grey colour of the Givench Pj as oppose to the dark grey ones. With this flight far exceeding the 7 hour minimum duration requirement, all F passengers were entitled to receive a Pj set of their own.

As we climbed into extra heights in elevation, we pursued a southeasterly direction several miles off the coast of Sumatra. Meanwhile several passengers decided to head over to the lavatories and change into their Pj outfit just as the moment the seatbelt signs were blanked out. Dinner on the other hand was about to be served.

A male FA named Danny approached by my side and gave the friendly indication that he would do the honour of my table setup routine. As I sat back, I witnessed the same technique being deployed. White linen with blue strip on the edges along with similar coloured pattern salt shakers on the top centre, butter dipping plate on the top left, bread and butter on the left, metal cutlery rolled up in napkins to the right, and two empty water glass on the top right.

The same malossol caviar along with a different second option as appetizers were available. Having gone with the caviar on the previous sector, I’d thought I sample something different and went with the alternative which turned out to be duck liver.

Two slices on thin cut light brown liver with purple edges served along with an array of mini vegetables partially showered under mustard became the appearance of this appetizer. Following the appetizer, my ordered cream quail egg mushroom soup and spicy salad with olive dressing were delivered in the described sequence. Known as an individual who seldom consume liver dishes regardless of animal type due to its high level of cholesterol, I found the appetizer to be quite descent in taste albeit the cholesterol played a major factor in the richness of the taste. Soup and salad were also very satisfying in both quality and quantity.

As promised earlier by Wanda, my “Book the Cook” request of the Lobster Thermidor was delivered following the completion of the first three element of the dinner service. Anticipating a high level of expectation on this renowned special dish, it did not disappoint one bit. Half cut opened fully cooked red shelled filled with generous chunks of white lobster meat covered in butter sauce along with two round pieces of ball tomato and a spoonful of yellow saffron rice was a sheer delicacy. Absolutely phenomenal.

I opted for a regular glass of sprite to accompany my main entree as oppose to being overly crazy with my favorite SIA champagne. The need to hop into my rental vehicle and drive towards the hotel upon arrival in AKL would be best that limit my consumption of any alcohol drinks the rest of the way. In addition to limit the amount of alcohol, it was also quite vital that I manage to squeeze a couple hours of descent sleep. With that in mind, I ended up forfeiting the desert offering as I was quite full regardless and was in no mood to consume additional amount of meal.

As I begin to make my way towards the lavatories to change into my night outfit once again, I requested the turndown service to be performed as I spotted FA Wanda in the vicinity. My request was immediately acknowledged and the sheer elegance of the flat positioned skysuite bed was in full proper form with the duvet and pillow laid out on the surface. Slipped myself through the duvet, laid my head comfortably on the leather pillow and dozed of for the next 4.5 hours.

Apparently reading my movements carefully, I woke up to find Wanda standing on my side with about 2 hours prior to landing. A good morning gesture greeting followed by “Would you care for porridge, sausage, or eggs along with coffee, juice, or tea?” as tone of her calm voice while taking my order got my morning wake on the right foot. She like Natalie on the previous sector warm warm, approachable, dedicated, and attentive. :tup:

To no surprise, Wanda once again took the honour of doing the task in front of me. This time around was the table set up for the breakfast service as our flight began its cross on an southeasterly direction above the Tasman Sea having just vacated the Australian airspace above Queensland.

My plate of fresh fruit, a cup of requested espresso was delivered to my table setting along with warm piece of cinnabon placed gently to the bread and butter plate on the left. An ordered bowl of cornflakes filled with milk near to the top was delivered on the next round of sequence and my bowl of chicken porridge came in to conclude matters of the breakfast service. All done in a neat, timely, and organized display. SIA certainly knows what it takes to deliver a refreshening breakfast routine with the right amount of materials and touches.

As the crews began the clearance and cleaning routine of the final meal, we received another warm morning welcome from the cockpit crew who provided details of our descent process into Auckland. Quite a turbulent approach into AKL as the clouds thickening the skies around New Zealand’s northern island caused a lot of unsteadiness of the aircraft’s normal balance while we were making our descent through them. Once under the clouds, we were greeted by a moderate downpour of showers as we continued to decrease in elevation before peforming a safe an early touchdown at 10:07 am local time.


As I carefully watched the movement taking place outside, I spotted a NZ 763 jet exiting its taxiway after having apparently landed right before us. Having slowed down considerably, an announcement over the PA conducted by the cabin crew welcoming us to New Zealand and informing everyone to have filled out their arrival cards properly and to declare all fruits and food items as a mandatory inspection of everyone’s bag will be conducted prior to exit (I’m assuming this is MAF). Failure to do so will result in such items being confiscated and subject to hefty fines.

We came to a complete stop and docked at what I recalled to be Gate 6(?). Given first priority as F passengers to disembark, we gathered our belongings while Wanda retrieved our coats from the closet located at the nose of the cabin, handed them back to us and bid us farewell as well as a joyful stay in New Zealand. Rain waters were dripping through a narrow opening at the midpoint cross through the aerobridge before we landed inside the terminal facility.

As we walked towards the point where the walkway turns left near a Duty free shopping outlet, there lies an airport personel officer directing the flow of the walking traffic. “New Zealand & Australian passport holders, please turn left at the next opening and all others please proceed forward down the escalators towards passport control” she yelled out. Following orders, we continued to move forward. As the escalators took us downward into the lower platform, we immediately ran smack into a long queue of foreign travelers who apparently have just arrived from their flights slightly earlier than we did. I mean it was stretched all the way to the wall. I am not sure if 10:15 am is one of the peak international arrival hours into AKL, but the scene today was quite chaotic.

Took 45 minutes to pass through passport check point and another 10 minutes to reclaim our luggages at the carousel. Proceeding forward moments later, we arrived into the MAF screening facility and another sizable queue had already been formed. As we waited for our belongings to be inspected, two immigration officers holding a leash of sniffing dogs seem to be conducting wonder circles while the dogs began sniffing and barking at the bags of an Indian man though the sniffing and barking did not warrant an immediate “pull over to the side”

As we approached the x-ray machines two MAF staff began lifting our bags and sliding them through. A request for the opening of our bags was conducted after exiting the x-ray. They (MAF) manage to open every single one of our bags (checked & carryon) though not a fully thorough “digging deep inside” was performed. All in all 90 minutes was required to get from plane to the public arrival halls before we exited into the rain and picked up our rental car.
An entirely free day in between sales calls was up in the air for us to enjoy so we decided to relax and explore this Kiwi metropolis and its surrounding. After all, it was something I failed to take advantage of the last time I visited in November due to the lack of leisurely time. Boy was that ever so regretful that I was not about to allow it to take place again.

To maximize and utilize the full day to our advantage, we woke up at approximately 9 AM, took a quick morning shower, got dressed, and headed down to the lobby of our hotel. As for the accommodation, we were staying at the Esplanade Hotel located in the northern shore Village of Devonport. A very charming and classic hotel we enjoyed very much. The harbourview suite we slept in had stunning and breathtaking views towards the city. I can’t recall how many times I kept staring out the window the night before.

Location wise, the hotel was also a quick short walk across from the ferry terminal. With that in mind, we decided to take advantage of the convenience and hopped onboard the Fullers Ferry to cross our way into town. For around only NZD $6, this 10 minute ferry ride across the Harbour offered spectacular panoramic views of the Auckland skyline as well as the surrounding Waitemata Harbour and Harbour Bridge. Cheap, convenient, quick, and scenic.

The conclusion of the ferry journey docked us at the Ferry’s Building . Upon disembarkment and out into the streets, we turned right and walked along Quay St before making a left on Hobson St. Heading south on Hobson, we marched towards our first stop of the day – the Skytower.

Yet to have our breakfast, we decided to op for a Sunday brunch at the Fortuna Buffet Restaurant located on the tower’s second floor. Well in reality, they were serving buffet breakfast when we arrived at our tables but nonetheless we treated it as a brunch by having skipped the early breakfast and the upcoming lunch in the upcoming noon hour. Selections were vast and food very descent and mouthwatering. For around NZD $18, it was a well worth experience.

With a full stomach upon us, the next item on the agenda was to explore the tower upwards. For an additional $3 from the regular $18 admission price, we decided to go higher into the sky deck. The choice was not a regretful one and the highest observation level of the tower gave us a gorgeous 360 degree view of the city’s surroundings including distant outlook towards the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Island.

Now I for one am not an adventure sport type of individual and the idea of sky jumping would do nothing but strike fear into my heart. Mind you that I am an acrophobic and being unenclosed at such a lofty location heading downwards is a stunt I would never attempt. So I definitely must admire my colleague for his courage to not only perform the stunt, but undertake such passion and enjoyment for a dare devil sport which was what he decided to do after we came a few storey down from the sky deck. Oh I can’t describe how much thrill and fun he had as I observed him plummeting 192 meters down. Who knows and if he ever decides to perform the stunts featured on “Fear Factor” in the near future, I would not be one bit surprised. Only if I was that brave.

At around 12:30 pm after spending adventurous moments at the tower’s facilities, we headed back to our hotel on the north shore across the harbour by virtue of the same Fullers Ferry that got us across in the first place. With the second half of the day still to come, we hopped into our rental car and drove north for a scenic drive along the eastern coast of the north shore. Scenic and breathtakingly gorgeous was it ever. The drive, which we made short stops at Long Bay, Shakespear, Wenderholm, and Tawharanui, gave us an up-close view of the natures and wonders taking place along the Hauraki Gulf and was how we spent the whole afternoon hours before returning to our Devonport hotel in the early evening hours.

Overall we had a wonderful moment during our stay in the city of sails and its surroundings - both during business activities and the free day. Devonport, the location of our accommodation, was a true gem for a seaside village with its beaches, cafes, and antique style shops that really made for a nice place to wind down the evening after a full day’s corporate assignment. Pity that Auckland does not receive as much recognition like it’s counterpart across the Tasman Sea as I really enjoyed the city much more than the previous visits I made to Sydney in the past. More scenery, more charming and more adventurous than the Aussie metropolis as I have discovered it to be. And last but not least, I find the citizens of New Zealand to be very friendly and welcoming. ^


LAX: Well I was relieved that VS operated from T2 as oppose to the absolute dreadfulness of the TBIT. But T2 was only slightly better in terms of spacing, crowd, and layout from its terminal counterpart. Has remained to be one of my most despised airport and will remain so until major upgrades and renovations take place. God knows when the city will get its act together and take corrective actions.

VS Upper Class: It was my first encounter with this Virgin premium product and the experience drew in mixed reviews. Despite having experienced poor catering ex-LAX on other carriers I have flow in the past, I thought the meals I got for this sector were quite tasty (in particular the chicken breast) and the set of crews handling the UC section were very attentive and quick in anticipating the needs of the passengers. However despite reading several positive reviews in regards to the comfort of the suite bed, my experience dictates the contrary. Yes it did lay flat and was 180 degrees parallel to the floor but to my discomfort, I find it to be shockingly hard and narrow and felt very cramped while I was hopelessly lying down trying to sleep to no avail. Choices and variety of IFE were also limited. Nonetheless, it was a rewarding experience and definitely nice to have sampled something new and I was very impressed with both their clubhouse and revivals facility at LHR.

LHR: If BAA continues to operate the way it did on my encounters for the departure process, I remain curious as to how the athletes and media will react once they pass through the facilities in particular terminal 3 for the 2012 games. Near two hours to complete security at Fast Track upon departure, the mystery revolving the departure gate of your flight and the nerve wracking experience of seeing your flight status abruptly turn from “Please Wait” to an immediate “Final Call” and having to run the length of the mile distant just to reach it is plain ridiculous and irritating. My most hated airport in all of Western Europe.

SQ First Class: What else is there to say? Two longhaul segments and two near flawless services once again. I was curious if they would be able to duplicate the marvelous encounter I had with them in February and they did not disappoint at all. Hard working & pleasant cabin crews in particular Natalie and Wanda who are true valuable assets to the SIA cabin crew team. The sheer luxury of the skysuite that has to be regarded as the best designed first class sleeper seat ever created by an airline in terms of comfort and appearance. LHR-AKL is not an easy trip to pull off in terms of comfort and time killing regardless of the routing. But Singapore Airlines did whatever it took for me to have a comfortable, relaxing and stressless journey. If anything else, they have certainly captured the heart and appraisal of this MPO Diamond member (aka myself). SIA has truly defined and set the standard of what First Class service and product is all about and for other airlines to follow. My experience with them this time around once again reinforces the fact that their First Class product is without a doubt the best there is out there. ^ Definately better than CX's First Class product

SIN: Clean, efficient, passenger friendly. Certainly one of my preferred airports to transit through.

AKL: Other than the long queue through Immigration, baggage, and the MAF screening, I thought the architectural structure of the Airport was quite interesting especially with regards to the sail architecture on the exterior despite hearing remarks on how awful the overall experience of the airport tends to be.

Gotta Requalify

Great Report. Thank you. It had all the details that I like in reading trip reports.

How are you getting back to LAX?

fumitani

Nice trip report took me 30+ minutes to read it

ajthegreat

well written report! i really enjoyed reading it, thanks!

Kiwi Flyer

Nice report. Yes mid-morning is a busy time at AKL with wide-body arrivals from SIN (SQ and NZ), HKG, NRT and NGO/KIX, KUL, BKK, TPE, etc all within a short period - plus any late arrivals from US and south pacific.

das

What an awesome trip report - well done and definitely enjoyed - especially since I'm taking VS Upper on SYD-HKG in a few week.s I'll try SQ First for the first time (fingers crossed) in August...

Where is AKL-LAX???? :-)

Coathanger

Thank you for that higly descriptive and enjoyable report! I was particularly fascinated by your SQ F experience, and am glad it lived up to expectations yet again. I've been grounded of late and really can't wait to get back on an SQ flight, even though I can only fly in Y

RTW4

I have read and written many trip reports in the past... This is by far the most comprehensive and detailed report. I shall refer to it for many years...

Strawb

Thanks for a quality report. I was amused by the fact that you decided to leave the LHR Clubhouse a whole hour before the scheduled departure time. You could easily have checked the flight monitors near the entrance in the lounge - or asked a member of staff, or even waited for the boarding announcement.

And remember, "last call" never means "last call" on the flight monitors at LHR.

celmed

Sprite with lobster thermidor? Tisk, tisk.
Thanks for the enjoyable report!

onedog

Excellent trip report. Thanks for sharing.^

Seat 2A

Were that we could all fly between LA and Auckland in such style.

Thanks for this excellent report!

More Champagne Sir?

Unbeilevable report... BRILLIANT!! So you like LHR Terminal 3 then?

HarryBA

Excellent report, A very enjoyable read. Thank you for sharing your experience

Fraser

Nice report ^

Seems from your reports on here and 'elsewhere' you've been really hitting SQ F pretty often recently between LHR & SIN...