amolkold

I had 2 bags to claim: 1 my own, the other sent ahead by my parents when they found out I could take more bags than they could. Theirs was heavier.

Yes, my parents were flying TK/LH Y, but only because they were incredibly inflexible on dates where J was available. Also, I sent Ma on an F/J trip to India 4 months ago, including TG 77W F/BKK Spa/ANA 77W F suites. So there.

Never reveal baggage allowances to relatives looking to save money on shipping. I would have interlined them all the way to BKK but I was afraid the complexity of it traveling the way they did would just send something in the system haywire. Ma has lifetime AA Platinum but all of a sudden refuses to fly OneWorld and prefers LH, yet wonders why I get elite benefits when I fly and she doesn't. I've set her on course for A3 *G, but she keeps asking me why her ticket isn't crediting to United. The problems FTers have ...

Anyway, EK was just about to send out a direct flight to DXB when I arrived, so the check-in counters were still open. I stood in front of the First carpet waiting for one of the desk agents to call me over, but none did. In fact, as soon as I arrived, the sole First desk agent left. I approached the agent at the Business desk and asked if I could check my bags for EK 385. She responded that check-in for that flight wasn’t open yet.

“But I just landed at HKG and am connecting to this flight. I really want to get these bags off my hands so I can go into the city for a bit.”

“Are you in economy or business?”

“First.”

Sometime during the progress of our conversation, check-in magically opened. I got my bags off my hands but was told the lounge would be closed for cleaning from 6pm to 7pm. No problems, as I was headed out to meet up with a friend from school. He wouldn't be in the city for my actual visit in a few weeks time and suggested the area around Kowloon station since it was a shorter Airport Express ride. Happy hour was upon us.


EK check-in counters at HKG


My first revenue First!

After a couple of hours of catching up with my friend and regaling of my experiences in Frankfurt/Zurich/Swiss First, I convinced him I needed to head back to HKG. I knew I wouldn’t care for the lounge but I wanted to board as early as possible to check out the suite. Back on the airport express … luckily a same-day return is the same price as a one-way ticket.


Kowloon, with the ICC on the right


CX's new ads for Prem. Economy in the HK Airport Express ... "it's all right to turn right." Maybe from door 1L

Once back at HKG, I quickly went through exit immigration. Like I mentioned, this isn't my first time at HKG, but I still have the same feeling about how it was designed as when I first experienced it. I think this meeting took place sometime in the early 90s:

1) "We need to build a new Hong Kong Airport."
2) "Well, I have the blueprints for a gargantuan shopping mall."
1) "Good enough!"

I made my way to the upper level and through the labyrinth of lounges there, noting that the EK space is right next to the United Club and F lounge I've heard so many good things about. I'd visit that lounge in a few weeks time on a TG F ticket.





The Emirates lounge at HKG is pretty vanilla. It's as if there was a DL SkyClub there and they just plastered some gold panels on the walls. Limited food/drinks/space. No separation between First & Business class either. While that may not bother most people (myself included), I find it peculiar for an airline that has private suites in their First Class cabin. Just don’t expect a similar lounge experience ex-HKG (or ex-BKK for that matter).


Part of the food selection. There was more near the drinks area, but a busy lounge meant things weren't as available.

There is a roaming lounge attendant who'll find a seat/table for you and bring you a drink at first. Once the lounge gets full, she'll begin to seat solo travelers with other solo travelers. I spent about 20-25 minutes in there to send some emails, then headed out the door to Gate 62 to get a glimpse of my first Emirates and first A380 ride.

Mrshnn

Great report,looking forward to next part

ORDnHKG

Definately not me, even though UA's food maybe subpar, but new F is way better than LH old F. LH old F have tiny PTV screen and no AVOD, no privacy at all. And since it is a day flight, you will only get PJ top but not PJ bottom.


Isn't DL prohibit its members to redeem F on skyteam partners ? All you are going to get is J right ? I don't know if the rules had changed or not, but a friend of mine switched from DL to UA just because of that reason.

KE J is ok, the food is average, OZ is much better when it come to food and service.

noniron

What a fantastic trip, very well written and am looking forward to reading the rest.

amolkold

(Or, in honor of Macabus, "1.5 bottles of Dom from HKG-BKK on EK in F")

EK 385
HKG-BKK, 3h00m
Airbus A380-800 (A6-EDQ, according to the brilliant IFE)
Suite 2K, F

I’d never flown EK, had never flown a proper suite, and had never flown the A380, so I left the lounge with plenty of time to head to Gate 62.

I went to the window to take some shots of my first A380; a gate agent approached me and told me to go back in line, until he saw the big block letters starting in F and ending in IRST on my boarding pass. “Sir, please, come to the front of the A line.” Okay, I will be a gate louse, but only if you insist.

My excitement was palpable. Also, I was in dire need of a shower, having had my last one 20 hours prior in Zürich and before walking through Kowloon on a muggy night. So there was that.


A horrible night shot of A6-EDQ


All alone in the boarding queue. I guess the Suites signage is reserved for SQ.

Rather than announce boarding and invite a throng of passengers to start a mob at the gate, they quietly opened the door and allowed me in. I’d have first crack at this behemoth. Most excellent.

I stepped inside the mausoleum of flight and handed the FA my boarding pass for suite 2K, on advice from FTers than row 1 is narrow and windowless, while 3 and 4 are closer to the galleys. I was escorted to my suite and asked what I’d like to drink, thinking that something other than champagne would be inadequate for this momentous occasion.


Suite 2K


The goodies in the suite, minus the seat


The view behind


I could get used to this

Not knowing how full F would be, I also requested my shower then, so that I could get it out of the way. “After takeoff, sir.” Well, yeah, what’s the fun in taking a shower on the ground? I requested to have it as soon as possible.

I sat in my seat and had a look-see around me. Just one word came to mind: “wow.” In the past 2 days, I had experienced my first 3 international first class products. The United 747 F suite was okay, reminding me of those “Trade Up to a Ford” commercials. Perfectly adequate. It’s comfortable but not very customizable. Limited service. A lot of storage space for the things you probably don’t have. An in-dash screen that has just recently come up to date. Fits 12.

Then there’s the Swiss A340 F. An older Audi, it has a style and grace to it, with the delight that architects and Type A’s find in the now-defunct Saab. Functional 4-engine Quattro, great service; while not as popular or refined as its Lufthansa/Mercedes counterpart, nevertheless a fantastic way to speed through the air.

Then there’s this. The Emirates A380 F suite. The Gold Cadillac Escalade. With 28-inch rims. That spin. It lets the world know that you are on top. You can’t be bothered to close all 3 of your window shades, you must have a button that does it automatically in one touch! The driver has a touchscreen remote control the size of a small TV for the entertainment that’s already at his fingertips – why? Because he damn well pleases. Welcome to Nouveau Riche Bling Airways, and by god, I love it.

The champagne arrived, at first Moët. I randomly commented, "Oh, I thought Emirates served Dom onboard," having read several TRs that mentioned that. I'd say the same thing if I received Dom instead of Krug on CX F, having read so many of those TRs here and just knowing what to expect. I really didn't care for the difference, but the purser noted that they indeed did have Dom, and would bring that instead.

The 2003 Dom soon arrived, just as business class passengers were entering the doors and turning right. Cheers, mates. The funny thing is that I was looking to book J on this leg but it was plum full once I decided to finally buy the ticket. Hurrah for my procrastination.

With the sheer number of buttons available within the suite, I did the only imaginable thing a human with a Y chromosome can do – I started pressing all of them. One unmarked button called the FA, and before I could deactivate it, I had a lovely Australian at my beck and call.

“Sorry, I didn’t know what that button did.”

“You know, we have a guide to the suite here,” as she pulled out a 24-page booklet on how to operate the suite from the suite's magazine rack. “You can read it on the way to Bangkok.”

“But I’m illiterate.”

“Oh, so you won’t be requiring a newspaper or magazine?”

I could tell I was going to like this crew.

A young Thai couple soon arrived to occupy 1D and 1K. That was it though, just 3/14 on this sector in F. Another FA, a Hong Kong native, welcomed me on board and asked if it was my first time on the A380 (I guess my constant photo snapping was giving it away). I explained it was not just my first A380 but also first Emirates flight. She asked if I was going to DXB before I explained I was just going to BKK and then heading to India on SQ. She then asked if I was a Hong Kong-er as well, and I responded that I was connecting from a flight on LX and specifically came through here to try out Emirates since I’d never flown with the airline.

“Well then, I have to show you a good time, so that you know that Emirates is better than Swiss and Singapore.”

Her first task: refill the Dom. A good first step. My meal order was also taken, which I believe was before takeoff only due to the short flight time.

My wish for a delayed departure went unanswered and our flight time of 3h00m was somehow reduced to just 2h45m when the captain made his remarks. With my early boarding, I did have enough time on the ground to soak in the bling.


Why hello there.

While a lot is hunky-dory with the EK F suite, there are a couple of things that bothered me a bit, not much for a 3-hour flight, but would be annoying on a longer sector. The power port for computers/mobile phone chargers is located right next to the mini-bar on the side, so if you have an Apple-style laptop charger (with the “brick” that plugs directly into the wall), it won’t fit and won’t charge your device. You can avoid this by bringing the 3-prong U.S. extension, but I don’t like to travel with excessive things. Also, a lot of the input functionality for the suite works through the smaller touchscreen device to the side, which controls seat adjustments, IFE, suite doors, and more. While it is a fine-looking device, it can be slow to load, especially while on the ground. Since it is a wireless device, you can't take it out during taxi/takeoff/landing. The ex-9W 77Ws had older but better functioning style devices on my later TG F sector. Lastly, the windows are at such an angle that it can be difficult to look out.


The fact that the plane has engines is unknown to most F pax. This photo took a bit of acrobatics.

But that’s just in retrospect. I was having a blast in the present. The other 2 passengers must have gone light on the champers, as my new favorite FA came by and asked if I wanted to finish off the bottle before takeoff. Don’t mind if I do.



The Emirates cabin crew is definitely the most diverse bunch of folk I've seen man an aircraft, including my later short segment on Qatar. I've flown plenty of foreign carriers, and most are just a set of FAs from the home country plus one or two from the flight destination/origin country for language purposes. Not this flight - they all could have starred in a Benetton ad (save for the beige uniforms).

The announcements begin in Arabic, then in English, rather than the other way around. The purser mentions the list of languages spoken by the crew on each flight, and both of my EK flights could have been staffed by UN translators.

While I’m still partial to the 747 (and hope to fly the 748 soon), this A380 is something else. I turned on the tail-cam for my taxi/takeoff entertainment, as the windows on the upper deck are small to look out (and there’s a glass partition between the seat and window, making looking out a bit tough). After the quietest takeoff roll ever, we were up above Kowloon, ready to make the turn back toward Suvarnabhumi.

-----

Shortly after takeoff, I was told one of the most peculiar yet grandest things I’ve heard on a plane: “Sir, your shower is ready.” I grabbed my bag. And because I was planning a TR, my camera as well.


Water feature between the two shower lavatories

What else can be said about the A380 "shower spa" that hasn’t already been said? What a feature. The room is basically a 3/4-bath, larger than the bathroom I had in my house growing up. Immediately behind the door is the shower: 5 minutes, with an on/off button that allows you to control when you get water. There’s a meter on the wall that shows how much water is available. The water shuts off when 1 minute is left, as a warning. While it doesn’t sound like much, it’s more than enough. Just turn off the water while lathering.


First look


Wow


"ARE YOU SERIOUS" - my reaction in person and most friends/family when I show them this picture.


View from the shower (don't worry, that shirt is the one I'd change into, so I'm still clothed while taking the pic. In case you needed to know ...)


The location of my first airborne shower


The set of "Relax" bath products. I took the "Revive" products before the pictures.


More shower spa amenities


A 4-minute shower


The amenities next to the sink. The shower spa also acts as a regular lavatory when the one at the rear of the cabin is occupied.

(continued below due to 20 photos/post limit)

amolkold

I quickly took my shower, all the while amazed at how far aviation has come. From the Wright Brothers, to the jet age, to flat-beds, to in-flight showers. What’s next?

I soon returned to my seat and was greeted by new favorite FA within a few seconds. “How was the shower?” Sublime.

As soon as I sat down, my meal service began. Given the short sector, this probably isn’t indicative of a normal EK meal, but still miles better than anything you’ll find on a similar U.S. flight. For example, HKG-BKK is 1050 miles, shorter than LAX-DFW, MIA-JFK, and DEN-ATL.

I was also asked what I’d like to drink with my meal. I perused the wine menu but wasn’t really a fan of any of the selections. NFFA stated, “we have another bottle of Dom, in case you’d like to have that.”

Hey Lucky, I think I have a competitor for your favorite SQ FA.

I obliged. While the meal isn’t the best in the world, it’s still great for such a short flight. In fact, it was better than any meal I had on my two 11-hour UA F segments on this trip. Below is the menu (I took pics but they're tough to read if I don't post them at maximum resolution).


Table setting, with the logo facing myself.


Salmon appetizer. I don't know what it is about salmon on airplanes, but it's always a good selection. The salad was a bit dry (even with some vinaigrette) but the main appetizer was delicious in all ways.


I would visit restaurants with this setup. It took some fiddling with, but I was finally able to remove the seat controller a while after takeoff - massage functions, suite door controls, secondary airshow (when on the dock), lighting controls are all on there.


Prawn entrée. A good amount of spice, especially for an airline meal.


Private meal.


Raspberry gâteau. Small but tasty.


An unexpected box of Godiva

Service was quick, with a flight attendant walking down the aisle every so often to quickly clear plates and refill water/Dom.


Yes, Mr. Martin and Co. This could be Para, Para, Paradise. And Mr. Flo Rida (né Dillard), if you want a Good Feeling more than sometimes, I recommend booking an EK F ticket.

After the 40-minute meal service, we had just about an hour before reaching BKK. NFFA invited me to follow her to the full-service bar at the back of the J cabin. I obliged, and it is definitely something to be seen. I didn’t spend much time there, because at the moment, I was scheduled for a J return a few weeks later (I later upgraded to F but that's another part of the story ... and more pictures). Placing F and J together on one deck is also something that invites a much different experience; with Y fully on the lower deck, it gives an almost “full-premium” feel to the aircraft. The bartender offered up quite a selection, including some Moët. No thanks, I have some other good stuff awaiting me up front.


Packed forward J cabin with staggered setup. If I were a single traveler, definitely an A/K seat with both window and direct aisle access (set away from the aisle). For a couple, definitely E/F since it's direct aisle access but set away from the aisle as well.


Smaller rear J cabin. Closer to the bar but not as vast. I was booked for 23A (bulkhead window) on the return at the time, which seems to be a good selection.


For those who jumped on the ex-RGN F fares ... position using EK F?


Full J = full bar


Bar bites


I'm not a club kind of guy, but I wouldn't mind dressing up and ordering bottle service on an A380.

I returned to my suite and loaded up the IFE. What a selection. I can see why people rave about it. I told many friends I’d fly EK on this trip, and each one of them raved about the airline, particularly the IFE, even though all flew in Y.


The plane might have had a couple bottles of Dom as well

With less than a half-hour to BKK, NFFA came by and asked how the flight was. “Incredible,” I responded. “I need to make an excuse to come to Dubai soon with Emirates.” I also need to figure out a way to accumulate a ****load of AS or EK miles to do so, but I didn’t say that. There's no AS chart out yet, but it costs 210K KE via UR miles to fly F USA to Dubai rt, so I don't have high hopes for a longer mileage redemption.

She also brought along the rest of the 2nd bottle of Dom and left it with me. It was good for about 1.5 more flutes. As soon as I finished, it was collected for landing.


When you turn down the lights, the amount of bling goes down.


BKK landing

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a flight to not end. Sure, the crew wasn't as formal as TG or CX or SQ, but they loved their work and the attitude was contagious. It also helps to have an amazing hard product. Would I fly EK again? Definitely, if I needed to go from North America to the near Middle East. Otherwise, I'll stick with the Asian carriers I've come to enjoy for trips further east.

We made a quiet descent into BKK and landed shortly after midnight. A quick deboard (with J pax held back for the 3 F pax to go first) and I was at immigration, the priority pass not needed. My bag arrived first, so “Priority First” actually means something on EK.

My SQ flight to SIN wasn’t until 9:40am, so I found a cheap airport hotel that provided free shuttle services. The 1.5 bottles of Dom hit me as I entered my room, perfect for a 6.5-hour siesta.

imm2b

Wow! EK F rocks.

Nice report. You've inspired me to look at EK F HKG-BKK then AK to RGN for next year. Too bad the one-way ($700) ex-HKG priced almost as much as roundtrip ($950). But that's a small price to experience EK F. Two bottles of DOM is about $300-400?

Danile_Cher

i think you bought some segments and redeem some segments.
Which airline program did you use for redeem the trip.
I will experience the UA 747-400 F from Sfo-icn

N830MH

Wow! Another fabulous TR! I'm glad you flew on A380 from HKG-BKK but, it just a short flight. Your flight was so successful! More enjoyable for your flight. Keep it up the good work!

Danile_Cher

great
finally I figure it out you maximize the utility of miles.
Bought the tickets
Han-bkk, hkg-bkk-hkg
others costed you 150kmiles and 30kmiles for your sister.

I am going to fly my way back to China,but I am in Miami,which outbound would cost me more than 2segments.
Mia-clt-sfo(22hoours layout)-icn(stop)-pek(22hourse layout for family visiting )-xmn(top 10beautiful city in china,which is my hometown)

Then xmn-bkk-fra-zrh(17hourse layout)-Mia
All In first lass but only with TG suite and Swiss A333 I think would be better.

Btw,I am arriving FRA at August 20th at night, take the FRa-zRH at same day, then fly back to Mia with LX F at August 21st, am I able to get into the FCL at FRA?

Best
Daniel^

amolkold

Thanks Mrshnn. First EK flight is up. Will be a bit before the second EK flight (the return) with more pictures.

While LH old F has an old PTV, I can always figure out ways to entertain/occupy myself during a flight. I brought a laptop with me with enough tv/movies plus a few books (which I ended up reading during ground transportation in India and Vietnam). After having experienced a variety of *A F products, I'd take any foreign carrier over UA F, just for the friendlier and/or more thorough service. Also, west coast to Europe are all redeyes, so wouldn't you get full PJs for an 11-hour flight?

And yes, DL members can only redeem for J. However, they are well set up for redemptions to many places, such as Australia and Europe. Plus, I really like DL's domestic product ... most of my flights have great AVOD and I'm treated well by staff on ground and in planes as a GM. Their mileage program sucks, but there's more to them than just the miles.

Thank you noniron.

It really does! I was actually looking for a one-way on EK and then Avios for CX in F/J on the return. However, the round-trip made much more sense. I bought mine in Hong Kong Dollars, but I think that a full F round-trip was a bit less than what you're seeing, only by a little bit. Perhaps it was my dates.

It's in my (long-winded) intro: 120K US for LAX-HKG and return. 30K US for BKK-BOM-HAN open-jaw. Paid ticket for EK F (~$900 rt ... Y was $300rt, J was $640 rt) and QR Y (~$115 one-way, cheaper than AirAsia with baggage). I've never paid that much for a 6-hour roundtrip, but you only live once! Plus EK's product is far better than TG's or CX's on this route.

I also used 30K for my sister for BOM-HAN one-way. She was on a DL open-jaw award from my miles (ATL-AMS-BOM on DL Y, open-jaw, HAN-CDG-IAD-ATL on VN J/AF J/DL Y) for 100K DL miles.

Thank you! Yes, the HKG-BKK flight is very short, but something is better than nothing. It was still an experience and well worth the $300 premium per direction over Economy. Emirates runs a similar SYD-AKL flight, about 45 minutes longer, but the prices for that in F are a bit higher than for this. Also, HKG-BKK F and J passengers don't get the chauffeur service that other passengers do (including on SYD-AKL). However, with the Airport Express in HK and Airport Rail Link in Bangkok, that point is moot.

Must be same day FRA-ZRH flight as ZRH-MIA. If your LX flight is on Aug 21, you must fly FRA-ZRH on Aug 21 as well. I think that MIA flight is at 1pm from ZRH, so you could fly that morning to ZRH. I'd probably spend more time in the FRA FCT, though the dinner at ZRH was great.

Danile_Cher

I did not realize I could not use the FCT at FRA
And I have paid $150 to change my itinery once because I need to back home early,so I gave up LH F.What a pity.

But anyway,you give me a bit inspiration and I would try something new next award ticket.hopefully.

Thanks for sharing

amolkold

In retrospect, I should have booked this on TG rather than SQ, since TG J pax get access to the Spa for 30-minute massages while SQ pax don’t. However, despite decades of relatives flying SQ, I myself have never flown the airline, nor have I ever transited Changi or visited Singapore. Plus the best-timed BKK-SIN flight for my needs was SQ 973, as I wanted to maximize my time in the city before my late-night flight to BOM.

I reached BKK about 8:15am and checked in at the SQ counters. With a premium lane pass, I was through security and immigration in no time. Like the Preferente security line at SCL, the premium lane drops you off just in front of where normal security is, and it’s obvious that those passengers have a much tougher time through the process. Hooray for miles. And status.



I began to make the long walk to the SQ SilverKris lounge. While the lounge is nice and quiet, it was a bit of a walk, especially when I later realized a delay and gate change placed the aircraft right across from the TG lounge. The food selection here wasn't that great either.



With the SQ staff predicting a delay, I set up a notification on my phone for when the inbound flight arrived. Once it did, I made my way to the TG lounge to check that out, before seamlessly heading to the gate.


A loooooooong lounge. I got an awkward buggy ride through this hallway on a later visit to the F lounge, with J/*G pax looking on. But more on that later...


A bit better food selection than the SQ lounge


Yumm ...

I saw the words “Go to gate” on the FIDS and did just that. I was excited to board my first Singapore Airlines flight, though not as excited for the EK flight the day before. Part of it was that I knew it would be the old J product. Perhaps if SQ wants to start Dom service in J, the buzz can inspire some elevated eagerness.

SQ 973
BKK-SIN, 2h05m
Boeing 777-200 (old J)
Seat 14A, J


777 for two hours. Better than a CR7

But anyway. Boarding was called for Business Class and I made my way to the jetway for Door 1L and eventually seat 14A. The aircraft doesn't have a 13th row because of superstition, but people in the 14th row, you know what row you're really on. Luckily, I’m not one of those superstitious types. Unless a sports team I love needs some divine intervention. Now where’s a ladder I can walk under?


Old J seat. Still plenty comfortable, and much more comfortable than the garbage AA 762 J seats for 5-hour transcons

Pre-flight drinks and hot towels were passed out, though I wonder why hot instead of cold. It was burning up outside.

Okay, one cannot talk about their first experience on SQ without mentioning the crew. The J cabin was replete with Singapore girls as well as one male crew member. This crew seemed rather robotic at first but over the course of 4 flights with SQ, I realized that their FAs deliver a solid and reliable service. You get into the groove after a just a couple of flights.

I was offered a boarding drink, of which I took some sort of juice. I think it was the Tropical Fizz, a mix of pineapple and lemon juice. Whatever it was, it was cool and refreshing.

I perused the menu and found one dish that looked interesting. Unfortunately, I later realized it was for the SIN-BKK sector ... SQ prints one menu for both outbound and return sectors. Nothing interested me in the BKK-SIN menu. However, an FA came by and asked if I had ordered a Hindu meal. I didn't recall doing so, but ended up taking it anyway. I was also asked what I wanted to drink and asked for a cup of Indian Masala Tea, only to be told those are only served on flights to/from India.

Then why is it on the BKK-SIN menu? I ended up just going with a Diet Coke.

Here's the menu for both sectors. Not bad for a 2h flight, though I prefer the menu for the inbound flight:

In the end, I received my Hindu meal, which I wasn't in the mood for and ate only a few bites. I was looking forward to the hawker centres in Singapore.


Meh ...

I knew that the TV screen for the Krisflyer IFE was hiding somewhere and finally realized it was under the armrest. Seat 14B had a hefty American who decided to take up both his armrest and mine, and it took a few taps on his arm to get him to move out of the way. Hey buddy, it's not like you're in the middle seat.


Small IFE and my remote barely worked


Not a fan of any business class with a middle seat

Before the mediocrity of this flight could get to me, we began our descent into SIN. It's a short flight, barely 2 hours, and much better than any 2-hour flight back home in the States. A 777, a full meal service, wonderful crew ... can you really ask for more?

One thing I will say about SQ, and pretty much all foreign carriers, is I love how they stick to a script for announcements. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Singapore, and to all Singaporean residents, a warm welcome home." If I were a Singaporean resident, that would warm the cockles of my heart. Just following a script makes for a more pleasant experience and gives me the information I need in a quick format. None of the "umm" and "we do ask you to..." stuff we get in the States. If you're a frequent flyer, you can drown out the script if you want to, since it's been engrained in your head as well.


In with the new, out with the old ...

Even with the 30 minute delay, we ended up landing right on schedule, 1:05pm. Our gate was at the end of the concourse and it was a long walk to the SQ SilverKris Business lounge. I checked my emails, loaded up some iPhone maps over the wifi, and headed out to immigration to catch the MRT into the city for the day.


I love this table in the corner of the SKL

amolkold

I passed through immigration, full of "Death to Drug Smugglers" signs. While I don't partake, I found it funny that I was visiting Singapore on April 20. Google it if you don't get it.

The MRT offers day long passes for S$10 (about $8 US), but you have to put down a S$10 deposit on the card and only cash is accepted. Considering that it was an incredibly warm day (about 34ºC), I figured I'd maximize my use of the air-conditioned train system.

I forgot to mention that I watched the Singapore episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “The Layover” a few days beforehand, and found it to be a great guide to visiting the city for just a day. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.


Maxwell Road Hawker Centre. I just realized there's a pic of Bourdain on the side.


Chicken rice. That chili sauce is amazing.


Raffles Hotel. "Seen it, done it."


The Merlion.


How 'bout some Instagram action? Facebook values this at $1 billion. How did their IPO go ...?


The Marina Bay Sands.


Nasi Lemak on Arab St. Delish. And for only $1.20 US!


Arab St. Café


View from the top of the Marina Bay Sands -- S$20 / US$16. But couldn't access the cool roof infinity pool.

But then it was time to head back to the airport, again on the MRT.


But what's the fine?

Jimgotkp

You will enjoy breakfast on a plane when flying F with CX.