geminidreams

I always looks closely at the seat maps and usually book an aisle seat at the back with an open seat next to it. I also mainly fly PEK - SIN - BNE and return which on my usual flights are not fully loaded. I asked and was told by the flight attendendants that the return legs are usually busy, but whom am I to complain.

nanyang

Another interesting opinion! Thanks for sharing - goes to show that people have different priorities.

I think OP talked about lack of amenity kits - I usually like to use socks / slippers handed out by the airline, but any other stuff is more or less wasted.

So far I have flown on 236 airlines ( ) - and in terms of hard product, service etc. I'm quite impressed by SQ:
- J seat is good and offers some privacy
- Things just generally work out well both at the airport as well as during the flight (and any issues are sorted quickly if you have to contact SQ)
- Generally good selection of food
- Crews generally do a great job vs. most airlines out there
- IFE fine

lokijuh

Bottom line: each to their own. No point arguing opinions, they are just that.

Personally I really love how wide the SQ J product is, and I do miss it now I rarely fly SQ J any more. The seats are a little hard, granted, but I can always arrange the cushions to be very comfortable, and I really don't mind the 20 seconds or so it takes to set up the bed on a long flight.

Having flown LX J recently, which is a very long, but much narrowed seat. I have a theory that the LX arrangement is optimal for those who sleep on their back (or front). For those that sleep on their side, slightly curled, the SQ seat is much better.

SirJman

I find SQ, like most offices/malls/busses/trains/ect in Singapore way way way way...too cold.

I also never enjoyed the food they serve, I find it overly oily, and go out of my way to order a fruit/veg meal when flying SQ.

Also, they wake you up far too early for 'breakfast' on the inter-asia redeyes. Lights out 2-3 hours after departure, and lights on for meals 2 hours before arrival, make the 6-7 hour redeyes to Korea and Japan unbearable.

I've gone out of my way to avoid SQ in recent years.

nanyang

Interesting - which airlines do you prefer vs. SQ?

In terms of waking people up for breakfast - flying ET LHR-ADD, the cabin crew woke me up after dinner to ask whether I wanted to be woken up for breakfast in the morning.

lokijuh

Whilst I agree with regarding offices etc .... (a SIN based - female - colleague who is a native of HKG once remarked, rather disparagingly that the reason offices etc are so cold in SIN, is so people can where winter fashions

On the planes, you can't please all the people all the time. I actually find SQ is often too hot. Like to have a bit of cool air so I'm not sweating all over the seats and I can actually use the blanket/quilt.

geminidreams

Last trip I stripped all my thermal underwear of when I arrived in Beijing and had most of back on by the time I arrived in Brisbane. Then again in cold climates I find rooms are way overheated.

nanyang

Just did SIN-ZRH on SQ last week. Woke up at some point during the flight as the cabin was way too warm.

demue

That part I also hate. On my last KIX flight in J they woke me up close to 2hrs:45mins before touch down on the overnight flight (SQ618) after I barely napped for 2.5hrs (and no I did not eat the supper at 2am). Really pi**ed me off. It is idiotic and if you tell them off about it the crew actually get quite defensive (while staying polite of course) referring to procedures and all that. Yah sure if you make people put their seat upright and retract leg rest as soon as descend starts from cruising altitude while still being over 200+ miles away from the destination then you need the time to finish the meal service. Ridiculous and super annoying to me.

SirJman

I take OZ to Korea and NH to Japan to avoid this. Since I'd be redeeming J with partner miles, missing the SQ A330 seat isn't that big of an issue.

lokijuh

I've been a few overnight flights to/from MEL over the last few years (24 in business class on SQ 227, 237 or 218) and have NEVER been woken by the crew. Not ever. A couple of times the clinking sound of cutlery and crockery from fellow pax have woken me though. I always turn the do not disturb light on (where it is available) and/or tell the crew not to wake me for breakfast and not once have been woken. I don't know what sort of bad luck you are all having!

SQueeze

Inferring from your statements, it seems that you have not tried SQ J, right? Just walked through and all that.

Then how do you know it's not comfortable? And may be you rarely sleep onboard because you never have a better bed and the coffin-like stagger layout is not suitable?

Before I ever sat on herringbone, I thought it was not comfortable but I was wrong, I think it is good enough. I have no qualms about it. Before I ever sat on stagger, I thought it was not comfortable and I still think it is rubbish.

Try it then you judge whether it's our fantasy or is reality.

You cannot shoot down the product until you try and test it.

Rcfl1967

Slightly off the original topic but I agree that no one airline is great at everything. With the travel that I have done - according to British airways, I have spent more than 11 weeks in the air with them over the last 5 years. I am guessing that means that I have spent between 15 and 20 weeks in total. I need to get another job but that is a topic for another time!

Best service - sia
Best seat - I like the sia seat when it is flat, I hate it for the flipping over thing cos it is pretty uncomfortable if you want to sit up. The new CX, AA seats are probably the best compromise
Best snack bar - BA larder. Ironically, I think the Asian airlines are really lousy with this. Sia is particularly bad - if I see another cheesy Doritos, it will be too soon
Best ice cream offering - any us-based airline. You can't beat lashings of chocolate sauce, hot fudge sauce etc
Best hot food snack - Asian airlines - I love the instant noodle thing. Special mention to Anna's ippudo ramen
Best starters - has to be sia's satay
Best main courses - I would say that they are all generally not great. But 1st class in sia and EK is usually good. I did just try the BA taster menu offering and I was really quite pleasantly surprised. If that one experience is their new standard, that could well have been the best for me. Small helpings so that you don't feel bloated by the smorgasbord that they throw at you on the plane. But very tasty.
Best loos - sia look after the loos really well but ek's first class has to be the best. One question to all the other airlines, why can't you make the sink bigger so that you can actually use it without flooding the floor. Or is that just me

On amenity bags, I keep all of mine to give them to charity for the homeless along with the pj's. It is not as perverse as it may sound. In the winter, they stay in charity shelters and a set of clean pj's and a two night supply of the stuff in the kit goes a little way for them (at least that is what the charity tells me). At a personal level, I don't need sia to give me my own bag - I can find everything in the loo.

KACommuter

I have not figured out why SQ and other Asian airlines with 6-7 hour redeye flights do not do as BA does across the Atlantic - run a sleeper service.

mitwg

Ironically enough, the 6-7 intra asia redeyes on SIAs do have menus called 'sleeper' service.

Except all it does it lets you choose to either have dinner or breakfast and they still turn the lights on for the whole cabin...

I frequent on SQ603 and every time I get around 3 hours sleep max and the angled bed doesn't really help either.