FRA-LAX-NYC-SIN-NYC-SFO-FRA on a C award (a mileage run of a different kind!)
May 14, 2008, 2:20 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: DFW, 3.5 MM, AA EXP, LIFETIME PLATINUM, MARRIOTT LIFETIME PLATINUM, STARWOOD AMBASSADOR 223 NIGHTS, AND LIFETIME GOLD, HILTON DIAMOND, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE ELITE
Posts: 5,847
May 16, 2008, 2:40 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: ARN / BRU
Programs: EBG (*G), QR Gold
Posts: 653
On April 28, I went to Chinatown, saw a few temples, a market street, the buildings. Tried a chili lobster and was very surprised that the lobster didn't have claws. It seems that in Singapore, some other crustacean gets served as "lobster".
And a great trip report. I really enjoy Singapore, and this makes me want to head back there now.
May 18, 2008, 2:21 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,805
SQ22 SIN-EWR, May 2 2008
Departure: 10:50
Arrival: 17:50 (same date)
(Continued from page 1 of this thread. To reduce the loading time, I decided not to post too many pictures on a single thread page.)
As the readers may remember, I was facing a prospect of spending 17+ hours in an Executive Economy seat on my way back to EWR. While I tested the seats on my way to SIN and found them way better than any other Y seats I have ever experienced, I was still not looking forward to the experience. To add insult to the injury, traveling in Y would mean no Book the Cook ex-SIN, which I was really looking forward to.
Award seats in Y were available for every date of travel. On the day before the departure (Monday), I decided to temporarily rebook the flight to the following week (still in Y), simply to win time. I thought there might be a disruption to the usual pattern of available seats in C due to the Labor Day. Before calling the Miles&More hotline, I checked the ANA tool once again and discovered availability in C on Friday, May 2. In the previous 8 weeks, there was not a single award seat in C on SQ21/SQ22 available on a Friday. Without much hope, I asked the hotline to try rebooking me to C, and to my big surprise, Friday worked! I felt like having won a lottery
I could only get the seat 21A (over the wing), but at that point, I was just happy. I immediately phoned the SQ hotline to BTC Slipper Lobster Thermidor. After that, I enjoyed my last 3 days in Singapore without worrying about seats, classes of service and the LH hotline working hours 
I came to the airport about 2 hours before departure. This was my first time in the Terminal 3. While it was shiny new and had a nice hanging garden on the back wall, I didn't find it much different from any other modern terminal. There was no queue at the business class check-in.
Terminal 3, departure hall
After passing immigration, I first bought two bottles of water and had them put into a tamper-proof bag. I also got a mysterious advice that I could take the water onboard the plane but had to drink it out until arrival. I think they meant it would be confiscated if I tried to pass security for a connecting flight. After that, I checked out duty free stores and went to the Silver Kris Lounge. The lounge was huge, in fact I got lost looking for an exit when it was boarding time!
Silver Kris Lounge
There was a breakfast buffet with a good selection of hot and cold items and I had a light breakfast here. I spent the rest of the time in the lounge surfing the internet. I would be arriving about 17:50 in EWR and leaving JFK at 7:05 the following morning. I still needed to reserve an airport hotel near JFK and since I couldn't make up my mind, I simply used Hotwire and got Hampton Inn JFK Airport for $142 all-in.
Soon there was a boarding call for my flight in the lounge. I went to the gate which turned out to be a long walk, despite moving walkways. As I was still underway, the "final call" for my flight was announced and I began running. Fortunately, I soon passed other passengers for the same flight who had more experience with Terminal 3 and told me not to hurry.
The plane that was about to take me half a world away to EWR
The security screening happened at the gate and was very fast. At the gate, I asked if there were window seats further up front and got 20A instead of 21A. The seat next to me was free, which was good, because the controls of my assigned seat were broken. The seat controls consist of a lever that allows fully reclining the seat and bringing it back to the upright position, and individual buttons for controlling the seatback and the footrest. The lever was working fine, but the individual control buttons didn't work at all. I didn't ask to be reseated, but simply used the seat next to me except for takeoff and landing. After all, with window shades closed, the window seat doesn't have a lot of difference from an aisle seat! The laptop power was working.
Looking forward to a pleasant flight
Cabin view
I got an impression that SQ stopped maintaining the SpaceBed's on this fleet pending their replacement with the new Business Class. It's difficult to explain the large number of broken seats otherwise. This may be a sound business decision, but I pity a traveler who might get stuck in a broken seat without having an alternative.
The row 20 turned out to be less comfortable than the row 11 at the front of the plane I had on my outbound flight. Not only did the wing obscure part of the window view, but it was also noisier due to the proximity to the engines. In addition to that, and I hope the readers will forgive me such an unappetizing detail, the airflow in the cabin was directed from the front to the back. Every time someone further up front passed gas, I could smell it. In the beginning of the flight, I was tempted to walk around the cabin offering activated carbon to passengers seated in rows in front of me! Fortunately, the air quality got better after that.
The service on the flight was much better than on the flight from EWR. I was constantly addressed by name (and I was "only" in C!), the glasses were refilled and the table cleared on time. In fact the only service omission was that I didn't get chopsticks with the dim sum snack and had to ask for them, but this is a very minor issue.
Following the takeoff, we made a 180 turn over the ocean giving a nice view of hundreds of ships moored near the shore and of the Changi airport and Singapore itself. The flight path went to the Northeast passing slightly to the East of Japan, continuing East of the Kuril islands, crossing the Pacific, touching the South of Alaska and then continued across Canada and continental USA all the way to EWR. I guess it was the northmost path that didn't require payments to Russia. We were never over ground until reaching Alaska (covered with clouds), which means I didn't have to run to the bathroom with my camera every now and then (I wonder what other passengers on the outbound flight thought of me).
Ships everywhere
Last glimpse of Singapore
Flight route
Soon after the takeoff, the meal service started. First, satay sticks were served. I might have enjoyed them if I were a connecting passenger, but the day before, I had much tastier satay in the city, so I was kind of underwhelmed. I think a much better idea would have been to serve satay on the inbound, to give a taste of Singapore before arriving there.
Satay
Prawn Salad
The prawn salad was very good. It was followed by BTC Slipper Lobster Thermidor, which was delicious. I have yet to taste slipper lobster side-by-side with a real lobster, but based on my memory, I didn't notice any difference in taste. It was an excellent meal and in no way just a poor man's version of the real Lobster Thermidor. It wasn't very filling, but this left more room for trying in-flight snacks.
Slipper Lobster Thermidor
This was followed by the vanilla caramel ice cream. I didn't like it very much, but this is because in general, I only like chocolate ice cream. After that, I had capuccino. As the FA reached me a small plate with pralines, I put both my hands under it and said "thank you" without thinking. The laugher from the FA immediately brought me back to reality however and after taking one, I had to allow the remaining pralines to be shared among the remaining passengers.
I slept for a few hours (since I was going to get jetlag anyway, I enjoyed the last warm night out in Singapore and only slept about 2 hours in the hotel). After that, I pressed the FA call button and was going to order the dim sum snack, but was informed that they were going to serve dinner in half an hour. While I was not going to miss the dinner, I wasn't happy about the timing at all. To combat jetlag, I try readjusting to the destination time as early as possible. And a dinner served at 5am New York time was coming way too early
Half an hour later, cabin lights were turned on. Being very unhappy about the timing didn't prevent me from ordering the beef fillet
Not willing to get drunk too early, I first ordered OJ to go with the meal. Unlike the flight from EWR though, I got juice made from concentrate instead of a freshly pressed OJ, which smelt like the juice tetrapak has been open for several days without being refrigerated. A big disappointment; surely there is no shortage of oranges in Singapore?
The meal started with the "Tantalizing Note". I liked both canapes, but the maki was simply sensational. I could have easily eaten the maki for the entire cabin and called it a dinner
Tantalising Note
This was followed by the antipasto plate. I enjoyed everything except for the duck liver. The serving was simply too big and it, being "heavy" food for me, simply didn't mix well with the rest of the plate. And I was not going to stuff myself with countless bread rolls simply to help me consume the duck liver. I enjoyed warm garlic bread with my antipasto.
Antipasto plate
This was followed by the fillet of beef, which was excellent. Juicy, with a great taste, and also a feast for the eyes. It was medium-well done with a hint of red inside. It was way better that what you get in many "steak" restaurants on the ground.
The Main Event
I continued with a chocolate cake which was exactly as I expected, followed by the cheese plate. I especially liked the French Boursin cheese which was garlic flavored. Cambozola and Cheddar are very familiar to me and were just like expected.
Cheese plate
I had a banana and finished the meal with another capuccino. For some reason, caffeine doesn't affect my ability to sleep but still helps me combat the effects of alcohol. This allows me to drink coffee at any time of the day, which comes especially handy on an SQ flight where the coffee is exceptional even when compared with the stuff you usually get on the ground.
Looking at the menu, I just couldn't believe no other meals would be served in the remaining 10 hours of flight. I asked an FA but she confirmed what I thought: without proactively ordering meals from the snack menu, I would arrive at EWR very hungry!
Keeping that in mind, I ordered dim sum a few hours later. What came was quite a standard dim sum set, very good stuff but no surprises. I only got knife and fork with it. Since I don't know how to eat dim sum with knife and fork, I had to press the call button to ask for chopsticks, which were immediately brought to me. After that, I ordered a Singapore Sling, followed by a glass of the XO cognac. All that went down quite well
Dim Sum snack
Two hours before arrival, I ordered beef teriyaki style and, as I can now recall after looking at the photo, a glass of Riesling. Now maybe I am spoiled or maybe I have no idea about Japanese food, but I expected thin slices of beef, slightly crispy and with a slight hint of smoke, covered by some teriyaki sauce but not entirely soaked with it. And I expected a warm and soft bun, at least of the McDonald's quality. What I got looked like an overcooked microwave food. The bun was hard outside but too juicy inside. The beef appeared cooked in some mystery liquid, not grilled at all. The grilled pepper (not mentioned on the menu) was the only component that was really tasty.
Beef teriyaki style
I was also not sure how to eat it. Should I put the beef inside the bun and eat it as a hamburger? The overcooked bun which was too hard on the outside made that impossible without making a huge mess. At the end I finished the beef and had some potato chips with it, but this pity excuse of a meal was no match for other excellent meals I had on this flight.
The landing was 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, but we spent these 20 minutes waiting for a gate. While we were waiting for the jetway to attach to the plane, an FA saw my now empty tamperproof bag and sternly asked me where I got it. I explained that I got it at the airport when I bought water. The FA insisted on taking the bag away from me (not that I objected). No idea what bothered her.
Summing up my experience on both EWR-SIN and SIN-EWR sectors, both these flights offer an excellent product in C. Unlike "short" flights of 12 hours or so, you don't have to make a compromise between sleeping and enjoying the in-flight offerings - you have plenty of time to have all of that! It is a real pity there is no F offering on this route
After landing, I outran most other C passengers from my flight and arrived at an empty immigration counter. No queue at all! After that, I took the AirTrain and the NJ Transit to Penn Station. I thought about using the bag storage again and eating somewhere in the town, but then decided against it. Instead I just walked to Times Square, had a look at the huge animated screens, then headed back to Penn Station and took LIRR to JFK.
On the AirTrain from EWR
A breath of fresh New York air
Times Square
The Lights of Times Square
I grabbed a bite at a Chinese food outlet in Terminal 1, then took the AirTrain to the Federal Cross station, where hotel shuttles depart. Hotel shuttles came and went and came and went, and after 25 minutes, finally the shuttle from Hampton Inn arrived. The trip to the hotel took about 10 minutes. While nearly all JFK hotels claim to be within 400m from the airport, they really mean 400m from the airport fence. It's not a walking distance from the terminals! Next door to the hotel were Courtyard by Marriott and Holiday Inn. I guess I could have taken their shuttles if I knew in advance.
Mysterious flight status display at JFK. Guess the programming language!
Since I was the only person on the shuttle, I didn't have to wait for check in. The room was clean and comfortable, with a free WiFi access (had to ask the front desk for password).
Room at Hampton Inn - perfect for a 5-hour nap
The next morning, I got up at 4:20am and after a quick shower, ran to the reception to catch the 5am shuttle to the airport. For almost 10 minutes as I waited for the shuttle, there was no one at the reception. Since my stay was prepaid and the hotel didn't have my credit card details, I didn't care and just left the keycard at the reception desk, but some departing guests were nervous.
While the shuttle only collects arriving passengers from Federal Cross, it brings departing passengers to their actual terminals. After a 15-minute ride, I was in Terminal 7 and about to take my next flight to SFO.
Departure: 10:50
Arrival: 17:50 (same date)
(Continued from page 1 of this thread. To reduce the loading time, I decided not to post too many pictures on a single thread page.)
As the readers may remember, I was facing a prospect of spending 17+ hours in an Executive Economy seat on my way back to EWR. While I tested the seats on my way to SIN and found them way better than any other Y seats I have ever experienced, I was still not looking forward to the experience. To add insult to the injury, traveling in Y would mean no Book the Cook ex-SIN, which I was really looking forward to.
Award seats in Y were available for every date of travel. On the day before the departure (Monday), I decided to temporarily rebook the flight to the following week (still in Y), simply to win time. I thought there might be a disruption to the usual pattern of available seats in C due to the Labor Day. Before calling the Miles&More hotline, I checked the ANA tool once again and discovered availability in C on Friday, May 2. In the previous 8 weeks, there was not a single award seat in C on SQ21/SQ22 available on a Friday. Without much hope, I asked the hotline to try rebooking me to C, and to my big surprise, Friday worked! I felt like having won a lottery
I could only get the seat 21A (over the wing), but at that point, I was just happy. I immediately phoned the SQ hotline to BTC Slipper Lobster Thermidor. After that, I enjoyed my last 3 days in Singapore without worrying about seats, classes of service and the LH hotline working hours I came to the airport about 2 hours before departure. This was my first time in the Terminal 3. While it was shiny new and had a nice hanging garden on the back wall, I didn't find it much different from any other modern terminal. There was no queue at the business class check-in.
Terminal 3, departure hall
After passing immigration, I first bought two bottles of water and had them put into a tamper-proof bag. I also got a mysterious advice that I could take the water onboard the plane but had to drink it out until arrival. I think they meant it would be confiscated if I tried to pass security for a connecting flight. After that, I checked out duty free stores and went to the Silver Kris Lounge. The lounge was huge, in fact I got lost looking for an exit when it was boarding time!
Silver Kris Lounge
There was a breakfast buffet with a good selection of hot and cold items and I had a light breakfast here. I spent the rest of the time in the lounge surfing the internet. I would be arriving about 17:50 in EWR and leaving JFK at 7:05 the following morning. I still needed to reserve an airport hotel near JFK and since I couldn't make up my mind, I simply used Hotwire and got Hampton Inn JFK Airport for $142 all-in.
Soon there was a boarding call for my flight in the lounge. I went to the gate which turned out to be a long walk, despite moving walkways. As I was still underway, the "final call" for my flight was announced and I began running. Fortunately, I soon passed other passengers for the same flight who had more experience with Terminal 3 and told me not to hurry.
The plane that was about to take me half a world away to EWR
The security screening happened at the gate and was very fast. At the gate, I asked if there were window seats further up front and got 20A instead of 21A. The seat next to me was free, which was good, because the controls of my assigned seat were broken. The seat controls consist of a lever that allows fully reclining the seat and bringing it back to the upright position, and individual buttons for controlling the seatback and the footrest. The lever was working fine, but the individual control buttons didn't work at all. I didn't ask to be reseated, but simply used the seat next to me except for takeoff and landing. After all, with window shades closed, the window seat doesn't have a lot of difference from an aisle seat! The laptop power was working.
Looking forward to a pleasant flight
Cabin view
I got an impression that SQ stopped maintaining the SpaceBed's on this fleet pending their replacement with the new Business Class. It's difficult to explain the large number of broken seats otherwise. This may be a sound business decision, but I pity a traveler who might get stuck in a broken seat without having an alternative.
The row 20 turned out to be less comfortable than the row 11 at the front of the plane I had on my outbound flight. Not only did the wing obscure part of the window view, but it was also noisier due to the proximity to the engines. In addition to that, and I hope the readers will forgive me such an unappetizing detail, the airflow in the cabin was directed from the front to the back. Every time someone further up front passed gas, I could smell it. In the beginning of the flight, I was tempted to walk around the cabin offering activated carbon to passengers seated in rows in front of me! Fortunately, the air quality got better after that.
The service on the flight was much better than on the flight from EWR. I was constantly addressed by name (and I was "only" in C!), the glasses were refilled and the table cleared on time. In fact the only service omission was that I didn't get chopsticks with the dim sum snack and had to ask for them, but this is a very minor issue.
Following the takeoff, we made a 180 turn over the ocean giving a nice view of hundreds of ships moored near the shore and of the Changi airport and Singapore itself. The flight path went to the Northeast passing slightly to the East of Japan, continuing East of the Kuril islands, crossing the Pacific, touching the South of Alaska and then continued across Canada and continental USA all the way to EWR. I guess it was the northmost path that didn't require payments to Russia. We were never over ground until reaching Alaska (covered with clouds), which means I didn't have to run to the bathroom with my camera every now and then (I wonder what other passengers on the outbound flight thought of me
).Ships everywhere
Last glimpse of Singapore
Flight route
Soon after the takeoff, the meal service started. First, satay sticks were served. I might have enjoyed them if I were a connecting passenger, but the day before, I had much tastier satay in the city, so I was kind of underwhelmed. I think a much better idea would have been to serve satay on the inbound, to give a taste of Singapore before arriving there.
Satay
LUNCH MENU SINGAPORE>>NEW YORK
A Tantalising Note
Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce
Tasty Beginnings
Prawn with nicoise salad
Sauteed prawns with potatoes, green beans, olives, quail eggs, tomatoes and mache lettuce
Served with citrus vinaigrette or cocktail dressing
The Main Event
Wok-fried beef in black pepper sauce with garlic, french beans and dried shrimps
Served with fish noodle with bean sprouts
Exclusively created by Sam Leong of Tung Lok Group, Singapore
Grilled salmon steak
Served with stewed tomato, basil pesto and mixed baby lettuces
A healthier choice - lower in carbohydrate and calories than our main selection
Thai style red curry duck
With spiced eggplant and steamed rice
Pan seared lamb chops
Served with creamy morel sauce, stewed vegetables in tomato fondue and mashed potato
Sweet Overtones
Choice of Haagen-Dazs Strawberry cheesecake ice cream
or
Vanilla caramel brownie ice cream
Both garnished with vanilla sauce and granola
Fresh Pickings
Fruits in season
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
All served with pralines
DINNER MENU SINGAPORE>>NEW YORK
A Tantalising Note
Glazed eel and avocado maki
Parsley profiteroles with duck confit, orange and pine nuts
Seasoned crabmeat in peppered-parsley baguette
Tasty Beginnings
Antipasto
Assorted appetisers of marinated lobster with mango salsa, duckliver terrine with fig compote and mozzarella with
tomato salad
The Main Event
Chicken stuffed with ricotta and spinach with braised ceps and tomatoes, garlic mashed potatoes
Exclusively created by Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, San Francisco
Wok-fried walnut scallops and ee fu noodles
With enoki mushrooms and shredded conpoy
Grilled beef fillet
Served with mushroom sauce, roasted tomatoes and gratinated potatoes
Hainanese pork chop
A traditional Singapore favourite of crisp pork chops in a tomato based sauce served with fried rice
Sweet Overtones
Choice of peach clafoutis
or
Flourless chocolate cake
Both served with vanilla sauce
The Cheese Corner
Cambozola
One of the most popular creamy blues in America today
Farmhouse Cheddar
Silky, buttery and yet firm textured
French Boursin
Triple cream cheese using pasteurized milk
All served with quince paste, grapes, pecan and biscuit
Fresh Pickings
Seasonal fruits
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
All served with pralines
SNACK MENU SINGAPORE>>NEW YORK
Light Bites
Rice porridge cooked with shredded roast duck
Topped with Chinese cruellers
Omelette with jalapeno jack cheese
Served with Italian pork sausage, sauteed mushroom, hash brown potato and cranberry juice
Warm sweet sesame bun with teriyaki style beef and sliced tomato
Served with potato chips
Dim sum
Steamed rice sheet cake with char siew, pork siew and prawn har kow
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
COCKTAILS
Mix of the Month
Tropical Fizz
An invigorating concoction of pineapple juice and bitter lemon
Singapore Airlines' Unique Creations
Silver Kris Sling
One of our special touches made with gin, Cointreau and orange & pineapple juice, topped with champagne
Sunrise Breezer
A refreshing blend of sake and bitter lemon
Kris in Love
A delightful concoction of white wine stirred with 7-Up
Rumba
An exotic thirst quencher of rum mixed with pineapple juice and 7-Up
Skyhigh
An invigorating recipe featuring vodka, Cointreau, lemon, topped with 7-Up
Screwdriver
A classic concoction of vodka and orange juice
Apple Bliss
A tantalizing refreshment of apple juice and bitter lemon mixed with 7-Up
Awaiting the Golden Dawn
A healthy, refreshing mix of pineapple, tomato & orange juice
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix with lime cordial, given a spicy relish through equal parts of pineapple juice and ginger
ale
All-Time Favourites
Singapore Sling
Synonymous with the Lion City since the early 1900s, this classic cocktail is made with dry gin, DOM
Benedictine, cherry brandy, Angostura bitters and grenadine, mixed with lime & pineapple juice
Solitaire Dreams
A cool concoction of rum, pineapple juice, Sling mix with ginger ale
Fruit Spritzer
A simple yet delightfully refreshing mix of apple juice and 7-Up
Citrus Royale
A thirst quencher made from orange juice and pineapple juices mixed with lime cordial and 7-Up
Appetising Aperitifs
Campari
Dry Vermouth
BEVERAGES
HIGH SPIRITS
Spirits
Cognac XO Otard
Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky
Johnie Walker Black Label
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
Gordon's Dry Gin
Smirnoff Red Label Vodka
Bacardi Superior
Premium Ginjo Sake Tamanohikari
(Available on flights to and from Japan)
Liqueurs
Cointreau
Baileys Original Irish Cream
Beer
International Selection
Stout
Guinness Stout
CHAMPAGNE
Charles Heidsieck
WHITE WINES
Weinhaus Ress Riesling Kabinett 2005 Rheingau
Rudesheimer Riesling Spatlese 2006 Rheingau Balthasar Ress
Geyser Peak Winery Chardonnay 2005 Alexander Valley
RED WINES
Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Monterey
Chateau Fonreaud 2002 Listrac Medoc
PORT
Dow 2001 Late Bottles Vintage Port
Portugal
HOT FAVORITES
Tea Selection
Pure Ceylon Tea
Earl Grey
Darjeeling
Camomile
Decaffeinated Tea
Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Jasmine Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea
Gourmet Coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon
Colombian Supremo
Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Specialty Coffees
Brewed Coffee
Our exclusive blend of coffee, freshly brewed
Cafe Royal
Lightly sweetened coffee with a touch of XO Brandy
Espresso
A single shot of premium coffee, the gourmet's choice
Capuccino
An all-time favourite, espresso enriched with an abundance of foamed milk
Decaffeninated Coffee
Mocha
A delicious combination of coffee, milk and chocolate
Other Beverages
Chocolate
An ideal treat of smooth rich cocoa and milk
Milo
A nutritious drink for that extra energy
COOL REFRESHMENTS
Mineral Water
Sparkling mineral water
Non-sparkling mineral water
Fruit Juices
Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Tomato and Cranberry
Soft Drinks
Bitter Lemon, Coke, Coke Light, Ginger Ale and Seven-Up
Iced Drinks
Iced Tea
Iced Coffee
Iced Mocha
Iced Chocolate
Iced Milo
Milk
full Cream or Low Fat
A Tantalising Note
Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce
Tasty Beginnings
Prawn with nicoise salad
Sauteed prawns with potatoes, green beans, olives, quail eggs, tomatoes and mache lettuce
Served with citrus vinaigrette or cocktail dressing
The Main Event
Wok-fried beef in black pepper sauce with garlic, french beans and dried shrimps
Served with fish noodle with bean sprouts
Exclusively created by Sam Leong of Tung Lok Group, Singapore
Grilled salmon steak
Served with stewed tomato, basil pesto and mixed baby lettuces
A healthier choice - lower in carbohydrate and calories than our main selection
Thai style red curry duck
With spiced eggplant and steamed rice
Pan seared lamb chops
Served with creamy morel sauce, stewed vegetables in tomato fondue and mashed potato
Sweet Overtones
Choice of Haagen-Dazs Strawberry cheesecake ice cream
or
Vanilla caramel brownie ice cream
Both garnished with vanilla sauce and granola
Fresh Pickings
Fruits in season
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
All served with pralines
DINNER MENU SINGAPORE>>NEW YORK
A Tantalising Note
Glazed eel and avocado maki
Parsley profiteroles with duck confit, orange and pine nuts
Seasoned crabmeat in peppered-parsley baguette
Tasty Beginnings
Antipasto
Assorted appetisers of marinated lobster with mango salsa, duckliver terrine with fig compote and mozzarella with
tomato salad
The Main Event
Chicken stuffed with ricotta and spinach with braised ceps and tomatoes, garlic mashed potatoes
Exclusively created by Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, San Francisco
Wok-fried walnut scallops and ee fu noodles
With enoki mushrooms and shredded conpoy
Grilled beef fillet
Served with mushroom sauce, roasted tomatoes and gratinated potatoes
Hainanese pork chop
A traditional Singapore favourite of crisp pork chops in a tomato based sauce served with fried rice
Sweet Overtones
Choice of peach clafoutis
or
Flourless chocolate cake
Both served with vanilla sauce
The Cheese Corner
Cambozola
One of the most popular creamy blues in America today
Farmhouse Cheddar
Silky, buttery and yet firm textured
French Boursin
Triple cream cheese using pasteurized milk
All served with quince paste, grapes, pecan and biscuit
Fresh Pickings
Seasonal fruits
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
All served with pralines
SNACK MENU SINGAPORE>>NEW YORK
Light Bites
Rice porridge cooked with shredded roast duck
Topped with Chinese cruellers
Omelette with jalapeno jack cheese
Served with Italian pork sausage, sauteed mushroom, hash brown potato and cranberry juice
Warm sweet sesame bun with teriyaki style beef and sliced tomato
Served with potato chips
Dim sum
Steamed rice sheet cake with char siew, pork siew and prawn har kow
Tranquil Finale
Gourmet coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon / Colombian Supremo / Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Premium teas
Pure Ceylon Tea / Earl Grey / Darjeeling / Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea / Chamomile / Decaffeinated Tea
COCKTAILS
Mix of the Month
Tropical Fizz
An invigorating concoction of pineapple juice and bitter lemon
Singapore Airlines' Unique Creations
Silver Kris Sling
One of our special touches made with gin, Cointreau and orange & pineapple juice, topped with champagne
Sunrise Breezer
A refreshing blend of sake and bitter lemon
Kris in Love
A delightful concoction of white wine stirred with 7-Up
Rumba
An exotic thirst quencher of rum mixed with pineapple juice and 7-Up
Skyhigh
An invigorating recipe featuring vodka, Cointreau, lemon, topped with 7-Up
Screwdriver
A classic concoction of vodka and orange juice
Apple Bliss
A tantalizing refreshment of apple juice and bitter lemon mixed with 7-Up
Awaiting the Golden Dawn
A healthy, refreshing mix of pineapple, tomato & orange juice
Golden Spice
A refreshing, zesty mix with lime cordial, given a spicy relish through equal parts of pineapple juice and ginger
ale
All-Time Favourites
Singapore Sling
Synonymous with the Lion City since the early 1900s, this classic cocktail is made with dry gin, DOM
Benedictine, cherry brandy, Angostura bitters and grenadine, mixed with lime & pineapple juice
Solitaire Dreams
A cool concoction of rum, pineapple juice, Sling mix with ginger ale
Fruit Spritzer
A simple yet delightfully refreshing mix of apple juice and 7-Up
Citrus Royale
A thirst quencher made from orange juice and pineapple juices mixed with lime cordial and 7-Up
Appetising Aperitifs
Campari
Dry Vermouth
BEVERAGES
HIGH SPIRITS
Spirits
Cognac XO Otard
Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky
Johnie Walker Black Label
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
Gordon's Dry Gin
Smirnoff Red Label Vodka
Bacardi Superior
Premium Ginjo Sake Tamanohikari
(Available on flights to and from Japan)
Liqueurs
Cointreau
Baileys Original Irish Cream
Beer
International Selection
Stout
Guinness Stout
CHAMPAGNE
Charles Heidsieck
WHITE WINES
Weinhaus Ress Riesling Kabinett 2005 Rheingau
Rudesheimer Riesling Spatlese 2006 Rheingau Balthasar Ress
Geyser Peak Winery Chardonnay 2005 Alexander Valley
RED WINES
Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Monterey
Chateau Fonreaud 2002 Listrac Medoc
PORT
Dow 2001 Late Bottles Vintage Port
Portugal
HOT FAVORITES
Tea Selection
Pure Ceylon Tea
Earl Grey
Darjeeling
Camomile
Decaffeinated Tea
Japanese Green Tea
Chinese Jasmine Tea
Chinese Oolong Tea
Gourmet Coffees
Brazil Santos Bourbon
Colombian Supremo
Kenyan AA 'Kilimanjaro'
Specialty Coffees
Brewed Coffee
Our exclusive blend of coffee, freshly brewed
Cafe Royal
Lightly sweetened coffee with a touch of XO Brandy
Espresso
A single shot of premium coffee, the gourmet's choice
Capuccino
An all-time favourite, espresso enriched with an abundance of foamed milk
Decaffeninated Coffee
Mocha
A delicious combination of coffee, milk and chocolate
Other Beverages
Chocolate
An ideal treat of smooth rich cocoa and milk
Milo
A nutritious drink for that extra energy
COOL REFRESHMENTS
Mineral Water
Sparkling mineral water
Non-sparkling mineral water
Fruit Juices
Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Tomato and Cranberry
Soft Drinks
Bitter Lemon, Coke, Coke Light, Ginger Ale and Seven-Up
Iced Drinks
Iced Tea
Iced Coffee
Iced Mocha
Iced Chocolate
Iced Milo
Milk
full Cream or Low Fat
Prawn Salad
The prawn salad was very good. It was followed by BTC Slipper Lobster Thermidor, which was delicious. I have yet to taste slipper lobster side-by-side with a real lobster, but based on my memory, I didn't notice any difference in taste. It was an excellent meal and in no way just a poor man's version of the real Lobster Thermidor. It wasn't very filling, but this left more room for trying in-flight snacks.
Slipper Lobster Thermidor
This was followed by the vanilla caramel ice cream. I didn't like it very much, but this is because in general, I only like chocolate ice cream. After that, I had capuccino. As the FA reached me a small plate with pralines, I put both my hands under it and said "thank you" without thinking. The laugher from the FA immediately brought me back to reality however
and after taking one, I had to allow the remaining pralines to be shared among the remaining passengers.I slept for a few hours (since I was going to get jetlag anyway, I enjoyed the last warm night out in Singapore and only slept about 2 hours in the hotel). After that, I pressed the FA call button and was going to order the dim sum snack, but was informed that they were going to serve dinner in half an hour. While I was not going to miss the dinner, I wasn't happy about the timing at all. To combat jetlag, I try readjusting to the destination time as early as possible. And a dinner served at 5am New York time was coming way too early
Half an hour later, cabin lights were turned on. Being very unhappy about the timing didn't prevent me from ordering the beef fillet
Not willing to get drunk too early
, I first ordered OJ to go with the meal. Unlike the flight from EWR though, I got juice made from concentrate instead of a freshly pressed OJ, which smelt like the juice tetrapak has been open for several days without being refrigerated. A big disappointment; surely there is no shortage of oranges in Singapore?The meal started with the "Tantalizing Note". I liked both canapes, but the maki was simply sensational. I could have easily eaten the maki for the entire cabin and called it a dinner
Tantalising Note
This was followed by the antipasto plate. I enjoyed everything except for the duck liver. The serving was simply too big and it, being "heavy" food for me, simply didn't mix well with the rest of the plate. And I was not going to stuff myself with countless bread rolls simply to help me consume the duck liver. I enjoyed warm garlic bread with my antipasto.
Antipasto plate
This was followed by the fillet of beef, which was excellent. Juicy, with a great taste, and also a feast for the eyes. It was medium-well done with a hint of red inside. It was way better that what you get in many "steak" restaurants on the ground.
The Main Event
I continued with a chocolate cake which was exactly as I expected, followed by the cheese plate. I especially liked the French Boursin cheese which was garlic flavored. Cambozola and Cheddar are very familiar to me and were just like expected.
Cheese plate
I had a banana and finished the meal with another capuccino. For some reason, caffeine doesn't affect my ability to sleep but still helps me combat the effects of alcohol. This allows me to drink coffee at any time of the day, which comes especially handy on an SQ flight where the coffee is exceptional even when compared with the stuff you usually get on the ground.
Looking at the menu, I just couldn't believe no other meals would be served in the remaining 10 hours of flight. I asked an FA but she confirmed what I thought: without proactively ordering meals from the snack menu, I would arrive at EWR very hungry!
Keeping that in mind, I ordered dim sum a few hours later. What came was quite a standard dim sum set, very good stuff but no surprises. I only got knife and fork with it. Since I don't know how to eat dim sum with knife and fork, I had to press the call button to ask for chopsticks, which were immediately brought to me. After that, I ordered a Singapore Sling, followed by a glass of the XO cognac. All that went down quite well
Dim Sum snack
Two hours before arrival, I ordered beef teriyaki style and, as I can now recall after looking at the photo, a glass of Riesling. Now maybe I am spoiled or maybe I have no idea about Japanese food, but I expected thin slices of beef, slightly crispy and with a slight hint of smoke, covered by some teriyaki sauce but not entirely soaked with it. And I expected a warm and soft bun, at least of the McDonald's quality. What I got looked like an overcooked microwave food. The bun was hard outside but too juicy inside. The beef appeared cooked in some mystery liquid, not grilled at all. The grilled pepper (not mentioned on the menu) was the only component that was really tasty.
Beef teriyaki style
I was also not sure how to eat it. Should I put the beef inside the bun and eat it as a hamburger? The overcooked bun which was too hard on the outside made that impossible without making a huge mess. At the end I finished the beef and had some potato chips with it, but this pity excuse of a meal was no match for other excellent meals I had on this flight.
The landing was 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, but we spent these 20 minutes waiting for a gate. While we were waiting for the jetway to attach to the plane, an FA saw my now empty tamperproof bag and sternly asked me where I got it. I explained that I got it at the airport when I bought water. The FA insisted on taking the bag away from me (not that I objected). No idea what bothered her.
Summing up my experience on both EWR-SIN and SIN-EWR sectors, both these flights offer an excellent product in C. Unlike "short" flights of 12 hours or so, you don't have to make a compromise between sleeping and enjoying the in-flight offerings - you have plenty of time to have all of that! It is a real pity there is no F offering on this route
After landing, I outran most other C passengers from my flight and arrived at an empty immigration counter. No queue at all! After that, I took the AirTrain and the NJ Transit to Penn Station. I thought about using the bag storage again and eating somewhere in the town, but then decided against it. Instead I just walked to Times Square, had a look at the huge animated screens, then headed back to Penn Station and took LIRR to JFK.
On the AirTrain from EWR
A breath of fresh New York air
Times Square
The Lights of Times Square
I grabbed a bite at a Chinese food outlet in Terminal 1, then took the AirTrain to the Federal Cross station, where hotel shuttles depart. Hotel shuttles came and went and came and went, and after 25 minutes, finally the shuttle from Hampton Inn arrived. The trip to the hotel took about 10 minutes. While nearly all JFK hotels claim to be within 400m from the airport, they really mean 400m from the airport fence. It's not a walking distance from the terminals! Next door to the hotel were Courtyard by Marriott and Holiday Inn. I guess I could have taken their shuttles if I knew in advance.
Mysterious flight status display at JFK. Guess the programming language!
Since I was the only person on the shuttle, I didn't have to wait for check in. The room was clean and comfortable, with a free WiFi access (had to ask the front desk for password).
Room at Hampton Inn - perfect for a 5-hour nap
The next morning, I got up at 4:20am and after a quick shower, ran to the reception to catch the 5am shuttle to the airport. For almost 10 minutes as I waited for the shuttle, there was no one at the reception. Since my stay was prepaid and the hotel didn't have my credit card details, I didn't care and just left the keycard at the reception desk, but some departing guests were nervous.
While the shuttle only collects arriving passengers from Federal Cross, it brings departing passengers to their actual terminals. After a 15-minute ride, I was in Terminal 7 and about to take my next flight to SFO.
Last edited by cockpitvisit; May 22, 2019 at 3:07 pm Reason: Photo hosting changed
May 20, 2008, 8:31 am
#24
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: EY-Gold LH-SEN AA-Gold HHonors-Gold National-ES
Posts: 1,520
Great report.
I was on LH 456 (FRA-LAX) in C two days before you on the 19th.
I think I also had the trout and lamb and must agree the meal was fantastic. In addition, the German Riesling they serve on board these days is fantastic.
Looking for to your next instalment.
I was on LH 456 (FRA-LAX) in C two days before you on the 19th.
I think I also had the trout and lamb and must agree the meal was fantastic. In addition, the German Riesling they serve on board these days is fantastic.
Looking for to your next instalment.
May 20, 2008, 11:11 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,928
I have enjoyed reading your report. Thanks for all the details.
BTW, you must have slept through the limited "meal service" on your United p.s. flight. A fruit and cheese plate with packaged cookies, packaged snack mix, and hot bread/butter is served.
It is unfortuante the FA's did not offer you the snack prior to landing (that's when I usually eat it).
BTW, you must have slept through the limited "meal service" on your United p.s. flight. A fruit and cheese plate with packaged cookies, packaged snack mix, and hot bread/butter is served.
It is unfortuante the FA's did not offer you the snack prior to landing (that's when I usually eat it).
May 20, 2008, 2:53 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,805
UA837 JFK-SFO, May 3
Departure: 07:07
Arrival: 10:23 (scheduled)
Before boarding, it was announced at the gate that snacks would be available for purchase onboard (without using the word Economy). To be on a safe side, I went to the counter to confirm those in business class would get served real meals
After boarding, I found myself in the seat 7D. While still comfortable, the view out of the window was not as good as in 6D due to the engine blocking part of the view. And there was only one window instead of the usual two in other rows of business.
If I recall correctly, there was a round of drinks before takeoff. What I recall for sure is the crew consistently calling their sparkling wine "Champagne". Maybe a catering mistake happened and they loaded Krug instead of the sparkling wine listed on the menu. Anyway, the sparkling wine proved to be quite OK for this flight and I consumed several glasses with an occasional glass of OJ in between. At the end the crew even insisted that I help finish the bottle!
When booking, I was wondering why the flight LAX-JFK was scheduled to take 5:18 hours, but the flight JFK-SFO was scheduled to be exactly one hour longer. I thought it might have something to do with prevailing winds, but it turned out they simply factored in the long queue for takeoff at JFK! We easily spent about half an hour waiting before being allowed to thrust off into the cloudy sky. Lots of boat activity in Jamaica Bay at this early hour. I wonder if they were planespotters?
Soon after the takeoff, the breakfast service started. As already mentioned, my choice of drinks was quite boring I chose the omelette for breakfast and found the meal to be quite good, tasty and filling. But at the same time, I couldn't help thinking I got exactly the same meal for breakfast ten years ago in Economy on a 3-hour flight ORD-EWR 
Meal service. Not bad these days.
I spent the flight half-asleep with an occasional glimpse out of the window. Towards the end of the flight, I saw something that looked like the Grand Canyon, but am not sure.
A second meal was served about an hour before arrival. I chose the buffalo chicken deli plate, and for some reason, I expected the chicken to be heated. But everything on the plate was cold and kind of dry despite the dressing, so I didn't really enjoy it. Soon after the second meal, we started descent, crossed the foggy San Francisco Bay and landed at SFO.
Prior to Arrival Meal
A good view of the San Mateo Bridge before landing
Arrival in sunny California
While the meal offering obviously didn't even match the "snacks" on SQ, the seats were fine for a 6-hour flight and the cabin crew were great. Their cheery and humorous attitude was a welcome change from the rather formal service on SQ. Channel 9 was on the whole time, which made a great entertainment for me. Apart from that, some movie was shown on a screen in front of the cabin (no individual seatback video screens were available) and there were a couple of audio channels as well.
The bags came out soon. After that, I used the WiFi in the terminal to book a hotel. One day there will be no free hotel rooms and I will sleep in the street, but I was lucky this time. Once again I had no idea where to stay and once again I used Hotwire. I booked a 4* hotel in Union Square West for $131 all-in, which turned out to be San Francisco Hilton and Towers.
I took BART to Powell Street St., walked to the Hilton and immediately got my room, despite arriving 2 hours before the official check in time. I got a room at the top floor of the tower 3 facing the inner courtyard with the swimming pool. The hotel is huge. It occupies the whole block, and the walk from the elevator to my room also felt like walking around the block. The room itself was not that roomy, with two beds, a desk but not much space beyond that. There was a wired Internet connection in the room which cost $15/24 hours. In general, I found the hotel to be nothing to write home about, but for that price it was more than acceptable. After having watched lazy people by the pool for a while, I headed out into the city.
Walking to the hotel
The hotel pool made a good illusion of good weather outside
Departure: 07:07
Arrival: 10:23 (scheduled)
Before boarding, it was announced at the gate that snacks would be available for purchase onboard (without using the word Economy). To be on a safe side, I went to the counter to confirm those in business class would get served real meals
After boarding, I found myself in the seat 7D. While still comfortable, the view out of the window was not as good as in 6D due to the engine blocking part of the view. And there was only one window instead of the usual two in other rows of business.
If I recall correctly, there was a round of drinks before takeoff. What I recall for sure is the crew consistently calling their sparkling wine "Champagne". Maybe a catering mistake happened and they loaded Krug instead of the sparkling wine listed on the menu
. Anyway, the sparkling wine proved to be quite OK for this flight and I consumed several glasses with an occasional glass of OJ in between. At the end the crew even insisted that I help finish the bottle!When booking, I was wondering why the flight LAX-JFK was scheduled to take 5:18 hours, but the flight JFK-SFO was scheduled to be exactly one hour longer. I thought it might have something to do with prevailing winds, but it turned out they simply factored in the long queue for takeoff at JFK! We easily spent about half an hour waiting before being allowed to thrust off into the cloudy sky. Lots of boat activity in Jamaica Bay at this early hour. I wonder if they were planespotters?
FEATURED COCKTAILS
Bellini
Lots of places serve this famous drink, but few use the correct ingredients - light sparkling wine and white peach puree. But that's exactly what we've done, so give this refresher a try!
Kir Royale
The Kir Royale is a contemporary cocktail mixing Cassis with Champagne for a delightfully rich and effervescent drink
TO BEGIN
Fresh from the Bakery
A selection of Danish, croissants and bagels with butter cream cheese and fruit preserves
MAIN COURSE
Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Omelette with Red Pepper Sauce
Sauteed pork sausage and flame-roasted potato medley with fresh seasonal fruit
Apple and Cranberry Filled Pancakes with creamy maple syrup
Sauteed pork sausage with fresh seasonal fruit
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Platter
For the lighter appetite, we offer a variety of fresh fruit with muesli
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Buffalo Chicken Breast Deli Plate
Cheddar cheese, grapes and vegetable batonnets with ranch dressing
Cheese Plate with Fresh Fruit
Cheddar, Pepper Jack
Walker's Shortbread Finger Cookies
FEATURED WINES
Some of these wines may only be available on selected flights. Your flight attendant will inform you of today's selections.
SPARKLING WINE
Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir NV California
WHITE WINE
Vincent Sauvestre 2006 Chablis (Chardonnay)
Quivira Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Dry Creek Valley
Liberty School Chardonnay 2005 Central Coast
RED WINE
Chapoutier Belleruche 2006 Cotes du Rhone (Grenache)
Chateau Bonnin Pichon 2004 Lussac (Merlot Blend)
Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2005 Mendoza
Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Dry Creek Valley
We apologize if occasionally your choice is not available
Bellini
Lots of places serve this famous drink, but few use the correct ingredients - light sparkling wine and white peach puree. But that's exactly what we've done, so give this refresher a try!
Kir Royale
The Kir Royale is a contemporary cocktail mixing Cassis with Champagne for a delightfully rich and effervescent drink
TO BEGIN
Fresh from the Bakery
A selection of Danish, croissants and bagels with butter cream cheese and fruit preserves
MAIN COURSE
Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Omelette with Red Pepper Sauce
Sauteed pork sausage and flame-roasted potato medley with fresh seasonal fruit
Apple and Cranberry Filled Pancakes with creamy maple syrup
Sauteed pork sausage with fresh seasonal fruit
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Platter
For the lighter appetite, we offer a variety of fresh fruit with muesli
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Buffalo Chicken Breast Deli Plate
Cheddar cheese, grapes and vegetable batonnets with ranch dressing
Cheese Plate with Fresh Fruit
Cheddar, Pepper Jack
Walker's Shortbread Finger Cookies
FEATURED WINES
Some of these wines may only be available on selected flights. Your flight attendant will inform you of today's selections.
SPARKLING WINE
Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir NV California
WHITE WINE
Vincent Sauvestre 2006 Chablis (Chardonnay)
Quivira Fig Tree Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Dry Creek Valley
Liberty School Chardonnay 2005 Central Coast
RED WINE
Chapoutier Belleruche 2006 Cotes du Rhone (Grenache)
Chateau Bonnin Pichon 2004 Lussac (Merlot Blend)
Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2005 Mendoza
Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Dry Creek Valley
We apologize if occasionally your choice is not available
I chose the omelette for breakfast and found the meal to be quite good, tasty and filling. But at the same time, I couldn't help thinking I got exactly the same meal for breakfast ten years ago in Economy on a 3-hour flight ORD-EWR Meal service. Not bad these days.
I spent the flight half-asleep with an occasional glimpse out of the window. Towards the end of the flight, I saw something that looked like the Grand Canyon, but am not sure.
A second meal was served about an hour before arrival. I chose the buffalo chicken deli plate, and for some reason, I expected the chicken to be heated. But everything on the plate was cold and kind of dry despite the dressing, so I didn't really enjoy it. Soon after the second meal, we started descent, crossed the foggy San Francisco Bay and landed at SFO.
Prior to Arrival Meal
A good view of the San Mateo Bridge before landing
Arrival in sunny California
While the meal offering obviously didn't even match the "snacks" on SQ, the seats were fine for a 6-hour flight and the cabin crew were great. Their cheery and humorous attitude was a welcome change from the rather formal service on SQ. Channel 9 was on the whole time, which made a great entertainment for me. Apart from that, some movie was shown on a screen in front of the cabin (no individual seatback video screens were available) and there were a couple of audio channels as well.
The bags came out soon. After that, I used the WiFi in the terminal to book a hotel. One day there will be no free hotel rooms and I will sleep in the street
, but I was lucky this time. Once again I had no idea where to stay and once again I used Hotwire. I booked a 4* hotel in Union Square West for $131 all-in, which turned out to be San Francisco Hilton and Towers.I took BART to Powell Street St., walked to the Hilton and immediately got my room, despite arriving 2 hours before the official check in time. I got a room at the top floor of the tower 3 facing the inner courtyard with the swimming pool. The hotel is huge. It occupies the whole block, and the walk from the elevator to my room also felt like walking around the block. The room itself was not that roomy, with two beds, a desk but not much space beyond that. There was a wired Internet connection in the room which cost $15/24 hours. In general, I found the hotel to be nothing to write home about, but for that price it was more than acceptable. After having watched lazy people by the pool for a while, I headed out into the city.
Walking to the hotel
The hotel pool made a good illusion of good weather outside
Last edited by cockpitvisit; May 22, 2019 at 3:08 pm Reason: Photo hosting changed
May 20, 2008, 4:26 pm
#27
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
The seat was flat, but sloped at an angle and not entirely horizontal. This was a minor disappointment for me. While I knew SpaceBed's were not horizontal, I expected that the "executive" business seat on the A345 would be better than a regular one and had a slight hope that it would go full horizontal. Alas, no. Maybe there were additional few inches of legroom, but I didn't find any difference to a "regular" SpaceBed seat which I once experienced.
There is no IFE screen with the airshow in the lav, but I had a GPS receiver with me. We passed about 1/3 degrees to the left of the North Pole. There were no clouds, so it must have been visible from the window. But where exactly? I don't know. Contrary to my hopes, there was no Earth axis protruding from the pole. Nor did I see a Russian warship guarding this important point
sounds familiar - from the trip report of the (double) inaugural flightsAfter a few hours of course we had to stay up to see the North Pole - the flight path taking us within 1 degree of it. We nearly missed it as while we were yakking away we had made some time ahead of schedule. Luckily the cloud cover cleared away and we saw the northern ice shelf - alas no big sign saying "North Pole is here" and no candy-striped pole! Ducking back into the cabin I saw the flight path map - the aircraft symbol was spinning wildly which I took to mean we were pretty close to the North Pole and so the system couldnt work out our heading properly. Later in the flight I noticed the solid red line showing route flown was off course - presumably because by this stage the map didnt include the North Pole.
Ducking back into the cabin I saw the flight path map - the aircraft symbol was spinning wildly which I took to mean we were pretty close to the North Pole and so the system couldnt work out our heading properly. Later in the flight I noticed the solid red line showing route flown was off course - presumably because by this stage the map didnt include the North Pole.
May 20, 2008, 5:03 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,805
And I too recall the plane symbol showing wild headings
As for the pole, maybe they could install a powerful laser onboard and use it to write "NORTH POLE" on the ground sounds familiar - from the trip report of the (double) inaugural flights
May 20, 2008, 7:01 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,805
San Francisco and beyond, May 3 - May 8
One thing I couldn't find in Singapore was good sushi. The conveyor sushi places I found there were awful. Whoever invented the idea of putting mayonnaise into sushi, should be made to eat mayo with every meal until the end of his life The more upscale Japanese places I saw didn't offer a lot of variety, just tuna and salmon.
For some reason, I thought there would be a lot of good sushi places in San Francisco and asked the hotel reception for an advice. I was directed to a place almost around the corner. It was better than what I found in Singapore, but not perfect. I like freshly made sushi rolls with a dry, crispy seaweed sheet around them. Here, I could see my sushi rolls being freshly made, but for some reason, the seaweed was already moist and lost much of it's flavor.
After that, I walked towards Fisherman's Wharf. On the map, San Francisco appears very flat. There is not a single curved street or a break in the rectangular grid that could suggest hills or steep slopes. In reality, the relief can be quite challenging. On some streets, there are steps in place of sidewalks. I think if San Francisco had a vertical cliff somewhere, the authorities would have put "do not enter" signs above and below it and painted the continuation of the streets on the cliff face
The street grid is not as simple as it looks on the map
Chinatown
Steep slopes
Bay Bridge, only a small part of it
I made about 2/3 of the way, but then the jetlag took it's toll and I had to retreat to the hotel room to catch a few hours of sleep. I woke up at 10pm and went out to eat in a french place nearby. The area between the hotel and the Powell Street looked safe, with an occasional beggar but nothing more than that and with pedestrial activity until midnight. The streets to the West of the hotel however looked like a camping ground of homeless people. Not pleasant to walk even during the day, although I never felt threatened. After I returned to my hotel room, I spent a few hours planning my sightseeing for the following days.
Suddenly I heard frightening sounds emerging from the bathroom. I think a wounded elephant would sound like that! Seemed to be a problem with the water supply. The water was running, but had a deep rusty color. A call to the reception revealed they had to fix a problem with the water supply. After my complaints about the water quality, they suggested to let it run for 5 minutes. I left it running for two hours, but the color didn't improve at all. After I slept for 3 more hours, the water color returned to normal.
A shower perhaps?
I tried the hotel breakfast the following morning. There was a good selection of cold and hot items, freshly pressed juices (on order) and eggs cooked on order. The restaurant offers excellent views in all directions from the 46th floor .
Breakfast with a View at the Hilton
I stayed at the Hilton for 2 more nights, every time booking the 4* hotel in West Union Square on Hotwire On the 4th night, I decided to slum it and got the 2* Adante Hotel located nearby. While obviously not a Hilton, it was clean, efficient and offered free internet access.
My room at the Adante Hotel
On Sunday, May 4 I first headed to the City Hall area, hoping to visit the Asian Civilization Museum. After I saw a queue of people at the entrance, I decided to visit during a weekday, after all I don't go to museums for people watching. I rode the trolleybus to the Aquatic Park and walked to Fisherman's Wharf. I took a 1-hour bay cruise (included in City Pass), we headed to the Golden Gate Bridge, passed under it, then turned around, went around Alcatraz and headed back to Pier 39. I was on the open deck, it was very windy and cold there. Felt more like Chicago in November instead of sunny California
And I never thought it could be windy and foggy at the same time, but it was!
Cable car filled with tourists
City Hall
Fisherman's Wharf
Heading to the Golden Gate Bridge
Just passed under the bridge
Alcatraz
Heading back to Fisherman's Wharf
After that, I walked along Columbus Avenue to the financial district, had a close look at the Transamerica Pyramid and wondered how they clean the windows I walked back to the hotel through Chinatown.
Transamerica Pyramid
On Monday, May 5 I visited Alcatraz. The place did not quite live up to my expectations. I expected some kind of a fortress with some dark passages, but only saw a couple of barracks and a pretty standard, although famous, jail. First, there was an introduction by a National Parks Service employee telling us about the history of Alcatraz. After that, I headed to the jailhouse, where I got a nice audio guide explaining things. An interesting feature of the jail was that the armed guards were behind bars too, in so-called "gun galleries". Remembering the previous day's experience, I went to the indoor cabin on the boat ride to and from Alcatraz and found it much more comfortable there than on the open deck
After landing in Alcatraz
The prison
I continued to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It has a nice collection, not too big to make you tired. The exhibit I liked most was a video of a person making a drawing on another person's back. The second person tried to draw the same picture on a whiteboard based on what he felt on the back. The drawings turned out to be very different! Something tells me the artist was an IT project manager in his previous life
SF Museum of Modern Art
On Tuesday, May 6 I started with the Asian Art Museum, which has a very good and extensive collection mostly centered on China, Japan and India. Then I went to see the Mission Dolores church and continued to the Pacific Ocean coast. For some reason, I expected cliffs, but only saw a sandy beach. The next stop was the Golden Gate park, where I tried to visit the Japanese Garden, but came one minute after it's closing time
An exhibit in the Asian Art Museum
Mission Dolores
Mission Dolores
Pacific Ocean beach
Golden Gate Park
I attempted to visit the Golden Gate bridge and walk over it, but couldn't get there before sunset. After the sunset, I finally got to ride the famous cable car. During the day, there was a queue of tourists waiting to ride it which would have taken at least half an hour. At 10pm, I had the entire cable car to myself. It's very interesting to watch how they operate it. The person in front operates kind of a clutch that links the cable car to the moving cable and a brake. The person in the back seems to operate some hind of a handbrake at stops.
Riding the cable car. I am the only passenger.
Views from the cable car at night
On Wednesday, May 7 I rented a car and headed South along the Pacific Coast on the Highway 1. Enough windy and cold San Francisco for me! I got a mid-size Nissan for GBP 22 on Priceline, and that included a free full tank of gas(!), so that I could return it empty. I think it would be a viable business to just rent cars at these rates, siphon off the gas and return the cars immediately The car was from Dollar. I rent a Garmin nuvi GPS for an additional $12. The GPS database was disappointing however. It could find addresses but had absolutely no information about attractions or hotels. Don't know if this information is only available in European databases from Garmin, or Dollar uses a cheaper version of it. The Dollar return locations were programmed into the GPS receiver, but in a difficult-to-use way. Due to the limited length of POI names, they were all listed as Dollar San Fransic. So to find the airport return location, I had to select every one of them and look at the map afterwards.
I drove along the Pacific Coast to Monterey, visited the pretty good aquarium there and simply enjoyed the views. Not a lot of cars on the road. I went south as far as Big Sur before turning back. Stayed overnight at Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale.
Going South on Highway 1
Cannery Row in Monterey
An excellent rendition of the kelp forest in Monterey Aquarium
Bixby Bridge
Surprisingly large room at Country Inn & Suites
On Thurstay, May 8, I drove to the SFO airport and returned the car. I hoped to drive across the Golden Gate bridge, but my plans were thwarted by the traffic jam in both directions. Since I had 3 hours to kill and the Lufthansa check-in was not open yet, I headed back to the city, visited the Grace Cathedral and bought several pairs of cheap polarized sunglasses.
Grace Cathedral
Inside the Grace Cathedral
Inside the Grace Cathedral
After returning to the airport, I went online and checked the weather in Frankfurt. I immediately got homesick after I learned it was 25 degrees C, while I was freezing here in the "sunny" California.
One thing I couldn't find in Singapore was good sushi. The conveyor sushi places I found there were awful. Whoever invented the idea of putting mayonnaise into sushi, should be made to eat mayo with every meal until the end of his life
The more upscale Japanese places I saw didn't offer a lot of variety, just tuna and salmon.For some reason, I thought there would be a lot of good sushi places in San Francisco and asked the hotel reception for an advice. I was directed to a place almost around the corner. It was better than what I found in Singapore, but not perfect. I like freshly made sushi rolls with a dry, crispy seaweed sheet around them. Here, I could see my sushi rolls being freshly made, but for some reason, the seaweed was already moist and lost much of it's flavor.
After that, I walked towards Fisherman's Wharf. On the map, San Francisco appears very flat. There is not a single curved street or a break in the rectangular grid that could suggest hills or steep slopes. In reality, the relief can be quite challenging. On some streets, there are steps in place of sidewalks. I think if San Francisco had a vertical cliff somewhere, the authorities would have put "do not enter" signs above and below it and painted the continuation of the streets on the cliff face
The street grid is not as simple as it looks on the map
Chinatown
Steep slopes
Bay Bridge, only a small part of it
I made about 2/3 of the way, but then the jetlag took it's toll and I had to retreat to the hotel room to catch a few hours of sleep. I woke up at 10pm and went out to eat in a french place nearby. The area between the hotel and the Powell Street looked safe, with an occasional beggar but nothing more than that and with pedestrial activity until midnight. The streets to the West of the hotel however looked like a camping ground of homeless people. Not pleasant to walk even during the day, although I never felt threatened. After I returned to my hotel room, I spent a few hours planning my sightseeing for the following days.
Suddenly I heard frightening sounds emerging from the bathroom. I think a wounded elephant would sound like that! Seemed to be a problem with the water supply. The water was running, but had a deep rusty color. A call to the reception revealed they had to fix a problem with the water supply. After my complaints about the water quality, they suggested to let it run for 5 minutes. I left it running for two hours, but the color didn't improve at all. After I slept for 3 more hours, the water color returned to normal.
A shower perhaps?
I tried the hotel breakfast the following morning. There was a good selection of cold and hot items, freshly pressed juices (on order) and eggs cooked on order. The restaurant offers excellent views in all directions from the 46th floor .
Breakfast with a View at the Hilton
I stayed at the Hilton for 2 more nights, every time booking the 4* hotel in West Union Square on Hotwire
On the 4th night, I decided to slum it and got the 2* Adante Hotel located nearby. While obviously not a Hilton, it was clean, efficient and offered free internet access.My room at the Adante Hotel
On Sunday, May 4 I first headed to the City Hall area, hoping to visit the Asian Civilization Museum. After I saw a queue of people at the entrance, I decided to visit during a weekday, after all I don't go to museums for people watching. I rode the trolleybus to the Aquatic Park and walked to Fisherman's Wharf. I took a 1-hour bay cruise (included in City Pass), we headed to the Golden Gate Bridge, passed under it, then turned around, went around Alcatraz and headed back to Pier 39. I was on the open deck, it was very windy and cold there. Felt more like Chicago in November instead of sunny California
And I never thought it could be windy and foggy at the same time, but it was!Cable car filled with tourists
City Hall
Fisherman's Wharf
Heading to the Golden Gate Bridge
Just passed under the bridge
Alcatraz
Heading back to Fisherman's Wharf
After that, I walked along Columbus Avenue to the financial district, had a close look at the Transamerica Pyramid and wondered how they clean the windows
I walked back to the hotel through Chinatown.Transamerica Pyramid
On Monday, May 5 I visited Alcatraz. The place did not quite live up to my expectations. I expected some kind of a fortress with some dark passages, but only saw a couple of barracks and a pretty standard, although famous, jail. First, there was an introduction by a National Parks Service employee telling us about the history of Alcatraz. After that, I headed to the jailhouse, where I got a nice audio guide explaining things. An interesting feature of the jail was that the armed guards were behind bars too, in so-called "gun galleries". Remembering the previous day's experience, I went to the indoor cabin on the boat ride to and from Alcatraz and found it much more comfortable there than on the open deck
After landing in Alcatraz
The prison
I continued to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It has a nice collection, not too big to make you tired. The exhibit I liked most was a video of a person making a drawing on another person's back. The second person tried to draw the same picture on a whiteboard based on what he felt on the back. The drawings turned out to be very different! Something tells me the artist was an IT project manager in his previous life
SF Museum of Modern Art
On Tuesday, May 6 I started with the Asian Art Museum, which has a very good and extensive collection mostly centered on China, Japan and India. Then I went to see the Mission Dolores church and continued to the Pacific Ocean coast. For some reason, I expected cliffs, but only saw a sandy beach. The next stop was the Golden Gate park, where I tried to visit the Japanese Garden, but came one minute after it's closing time
An exhibit in the Asian Art Museum
Mission Dolores
Mission Dolores
Pacific Ocean beach
Golden Gate Park
I attempted to visit the Golden Gate bridge and walk over it, but couldn't get there before sunset. After the sunset, I finally got to ride the famous cable car. During the day, there was a queue of tourists waiting to ride it which would have taken at least half an hour. At 10pm, I had the entire cable car to myself. It's very interesting to watch how they operate it. The person in front operates kind of a clutch that links the cable car to the moving cable and a brake. The person in the back seems to operate some hind of a handbrake at stops.
Riding the cable car. I am the only passenger.
Views from the cable car at night
On Wednesday, May 7 I rented a car and headed South along the Pacific Coast on the Highway 1. Enough windy and cold San Francisco for me! I got a mid-size Nissan for GBP 22 on Priceline, and that included a free full tank of gas(!), so that I could return it empty. I think it would be a viable business to just rent cars at these rates, siphon off the gas and return the cars immediately
The car was from Dollar. I rent a Garmin nuvi GPS for an additional $12. The GPS database was disappointing however. It could find addresses but had absolutely no information about attractions or hotels. Don't know if this information is only available in European databases from Garmin, or Dollar uses a cheaper version of it. The Dollar return locations were programmed into the GPS receiver, but in a difficult-to-use way. Due to the limited length of POI names, they were all listed as Dollar San Fransic. So to find the airport return location, I had to select every one of them and look at the map afterwards.I drove along the Pacific Coast to Monterey, visited the pretty good aquarium there and simply enjoyed the views. Not a lot of cars on the road. I went south as far as Big Sur before turning back. Stayed overnight at Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale.
Going South on Highway 1
Cannery Row in Monterey
An excellent rendition of the kelp forest in Monterey Aquarium
Bixby Bridge
Surprisingly large room at Country Inn & Suites
On Thurstay, May 8, I drove to the SFO airport and returned the car. I hoped to drive across the Golden Gate bridge, but my plans were thwarted by the traffic jam in both directions. Since I had 3 hours to kill and the Lufthansa check-in was not open yet, I headed back to the city, visited the Grace Cathedral and bought several pairs of cheap polarized sunglasses.
Grace Cathedral
Inside the Grace Cathedral
Inside the Grace Cathedral
After returning to the airport, I went online and checked the weather in Frankfurt. I immediately got homesick after I learned it was 25 degrees C, while I was freezing here in the "sunny" California.
Last edited by cockpitvisit; May 22, 2019 at 3:10 pm Reason: Photo hosting changed