The following is a report for a return trip from Adelaide to Singapore taken in late April 2000. I decided to write about this flight first as it is a less travelled route and may be of interest to people who plan to enter Australia via a more original destination.

23rd April, SQ 230 SIN - ADL A340-300 2A

The reason I was flying from Adelaide and not Sydney or Melbourne was a matter of availability. At this time the novelty factor for SQ's SkySuite was still incredibly strong and there were simply no seats. Adelaide therefore became an attractive option. Living in Canberra, it is not too far (about a 1 1/2 hours flight) to make a connection impractical.

My first flight was at 6:30 AM, departing from Canberra to Melbourne on an Ansett 737-300. I was in 4A (economy) and had all three seats to myself. The one hour flight was largely uneventful with the usual insubstantial economy meal. The next flight was again on a 737-300, from Melbourne to Adelaide, this time in seat 5F (economy). Again I had all three seats to myself. Again flying time of one hour and a 'morning refreshment' to while away the time.

And so to Adelaide. I made my way from the domestic to the international terminal on foot (they are a few hundred meters apart). I decided this course of action because it seemed like a nice idea to have a little stroll in the sunshine as the weather that day was truly stunning. I followed the yellow brick path (no joke - it is yellow) and soon got lost. Having wound my way through the car park, through the catering plant carpark and around the back of customs, I finally got to the international terminal.

To understand the nature of Adelaide International you have to understand its standing in passenger traffic terms. Adelaide gets about 1.6% of the international passenger traffic out of Australia. Sydney gets about 50% with Melbourne and Brisbane hovering around 17% each, although Melbourne has the slight edge over Brisbane. The day I was departing there had been a Garuda flight to Denpasar, a Cathay flight to Melbourne and then Hong Kong and there was yet to be my flight and then a Malaysian 777 to KL and a QF 763 to Singapore. That was it. In fact, that was its busiest day of the week, as I understand.

Adelaide International is a miniature terminal. When you walk in, there are about six check-in desks to your right. These are used by all the airlines and therefore all First passengers have the one lane. There is a small duty free store (about the size of a Tie Rack store in Terminal 4 at LHR) and a small cafeteria which is again quaint in its size. The view, however, for plane watchers is astonishing. I have a photo taken looking through the cafeteria's glass onto the tarmac, and all you can see is the fueselage and undercarriage of the MH 777. Being small and close definitely has its advantages.

There are 3 customs desks, and one Silver Kris Lounge, as well as a Qantas Club. The SK lounge is small, but comfortable. More of that later. So, I arrived from my carpark sightseeing tour and went to the First Class check-in. I went to the desk to find three staff chatting a few meters behind the desk (with their backs to me) and one agent fiddling with the computer which appeared not to be working. Nobody noticed me. I decided to wait and see how long it would take, and after about 2 minutes I gently spoke to the agent fiddling with the computer. After making no inquiry as to how long I had been waiting, he proceeded to (rather efficiently, I must say) check me in and give me my SK invitation.

Passing through customs, it was on to the Lounge. While small it has all the features of an international lounge (like the airport - just like the major ones but in miniature) with a shower, well stocked bar and very tasty finger sandwhiches. Upon entering the lounge the staff member asked me if I would like her to open a bottle of champagne, which I declined as I was keen to save the palate for the better stuff on board. She turned out to be very pleasant, telling me about her time with the airline (14 years) and the history of SQ services out of Adelaide. It would seem these services have never been terribly successful when compared to other routes, but have not yet been so disastrous as to warrant their removal. When I flew 4 services a week were offered, now it is down to 3.

When boarding came (there is only one aerobridge, which our aircraft had) I was the first on. A few initial observations. The F cabin on the A340 is indeed spacious with about 75 inches pitch. As many flyertalkers know, there are 2 rows configured 2-1-2. The middle seat has a truly huge cocktail/side table, being probably about 30 cms across. However due to the underfloor cargo capacity, the floor was raised slightly higher than other aircraft. The resulting feeling for those in a window seat is that of the walls closing in. I do not wish to sound dramatic, but over time this lack of space feels quite noticeable.

The seat is adequate with the usual electric features for back rest, lumbar support and legrest. However the headrest offered almost no support. There was a portion of the headrest that would move forward at an angle (to visualise this, it would be great if fully reclined and you wanted to read a book and needed something to support your head) but it is not all that comfortable in any other position.

As the passengers boarded, the First cabin began to fill. Overall there would be 8 F, 7 C and about 180 Y. I had an empty seat next to me and an SIA Captain in 1K also had an empty seat. Champagne was brought round and post-takeoff drink orders taken. Menus and noise cancelling headphones were distributed upon boarding. Also before takeoff the main course orders were taken. The choice of Champagne was Dom Perignon 1992 and Krug Grande Cuvee. I made sure I had tried both by the end of the journey. For this report, of course. Flying time would be 6hrs 40mins

The menu for the flight was as follows:

LUNCH

Chilled malossol caviar
(with melba toast and condiments)
Chicken and mushroom terrine
(Raspberry vinaigrette)
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Chinese seafood soup
Cream of spinach soup
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Seasonal mixed salad
(red wine and garlic dressing or
an oriental mayonnaise)
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Seabass cooked in rice paper with fragrant rice (with wasabi mayonnaise)

Braised soya duck scented with star anise, Chinese greens, cauliflower, red capsicums and egg noodles

Sauteed scallops in white whine cream sauce with julienne of vegetables and squid ink noodles

daging masak merah
(stewed beef in chilli and spices, cabbage in coconut milk, green beans in spicy sambal and steamed rice)
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selection of cheese with garnishes
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fresh fruits
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warm ginger pudding with king island cream
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freshly brewed coffee, espresso or cappuccino
selection of tea
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pralines

I had both the caviar and terrine (with reduced servings of each so as not to be too obscene about my food consumption) and found them to be a very nice combination of flavors. The seafood soup was to follow, which I found to be a broth with a few bits of seafood contained therein. The broth was too salty and the amount of seafood not nearly abundant enough. The salad was as it should be, with the lettuce being beautifully chilled and crisp, with the dressing there to compliment the flavour rather than dominate it.

For main course I had the scallops. The flavours were a little bland for my liking and the scallops too tough. However this is a very difficult thing to get right at altitude and with this taken into account it was a very respectable choice. The cheese selection was what you would expect (brie, cheddar etc) with a few dried fruits and crackers. The fresh fruits were also predictable (bananas, apples, oranges etc).

The real disappointment was the ginger pudding. This was one of those things where the chances of getting it wrong were greater than those of getting it right. Unfortunately luck was not on my side. The pudding was far too dry, to the point where it had to be forced apart. This therefore reduced the flavor and made the whole thing a big let down. As for the pralines, these consisted of a few little easter eggs (I was only given 1, which was as big as the end of a teaspoon and I am sure they got them out of a sweets packet before the flight departed). The cappuccino was a nice touch, however the biscotti was served in its plastic wrapper. Like the use of plastic cups on the ground for United, this touch was no douby complying with regulations about contact with food, however the result was to take the shine off a bit. I have to say that after this meal I felt absolutely bloated. I could not have eaten another thing. While entirely due to my own gluttony, it proved to myself that the usual approach of moderation was adopted for a good reason!

Overall I was critical of this flight and there are several reasons for my criticism. Firstly, the service. There were three staff in the cabin, the CSD, a woman of about 25 and a man of about 30. Their service was efficient but it appeared as if they were watching each other serve rather than looking after their passengers because they wanted to. Essentially the service they gave came from p. 356 of the handbook and not from their own intitiative.

I was not offered a blanket. I had put my seat back for some time and it was eventually a FA from Raffles who, coming through the cabin on the way to the forward galley, offered me a blanket straight away. I thought it was unsatisfactory that it took a FA serving in another cabin to notice what is really a basic requirement. Before people ask, there were no blankets on the seat, only a pillow. While the service was efficient, you can get that in a reputable airline's business class. The wonderful thing about that leap into First is that it has the potential to be truly special. The staff are experienced enough to be spontaneous, generous and talkative. The 25 year old flight attendant was nothing short of curt. While she would listen, there was no such thing as a smile and certainly no demeanour that said 'I am enjoying what I am doing and am willing to help in any way I can'. I do not expect great feats of human endeavour, but I do expect a warm and friendly atmosphere. This was definitely lacking. I realise that SQ training lends itself to formality, but even formal service can be genuine and done in a very magnanonomous way. However we were addressed by our first name throughout the flight which was definitely a plus.

No amenities were given. Only socks and eyeshades, not even any toothpaste. Certainly no amenity packs. I realise SQ has a policy of only giving out amenity packs for flights over 7 hours, but considering this flight was so close to that length and the cost of flying F on SQ, they could afford to put a few little goodies into a bag and distribute them. I did get one momento. I thought I would play solitaire for a while, and asked for a pack of cards. I was given two packs. It is now framed and on my mantle piece.

My third area of complaint is not to do with my inconvenience, but that of the staff. There were no places for them to go that was out of the gaze of the passengers. When going to the toilet I caught an FA reading the newspaper, while from my seat the curtain across the galley was never pulled far enough meaning I could see everything they were doing. I felt quite sorry for the staff, always under the gaze of the passengers. Certainly different to the many little conversation corners on the 747s.

The noise cancelling headphones were excellent, as was choice of movies. However I have to say that the choice of music is quite limited, and I don't feel it has nearly as much range as QF, for instance. the seats offered a generous recline and adjustable recline was certainly very comfortable.

About an hour out of Singapore the refreshment was served. It was as follows:

Warm croissant with tuna salad

Fried egg noodles with chicken and mixed vegetables
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Freshly brewed coffee etc

I had a little of both and found the tuna croissant to be very dry and chewey. The noodles were wonderfully hot (temperature wise) and had the most delicious texture. In fact I remember it as it was the only bit of conversation I got out of any of the flight attendants, where the female FA told me the noodles had a good reputation. I began to think I had offended one of the FAs but this would surprise me greatly as I really do go out of my way to be as friendly and understanding as possible. Like many before me I was a waiter once and understand what it is like to be in the service industry.

Our arrival was uneventful with a smooth approach and a short taxi. Immigration was cleared within minutes and the *A priority tags did their job like a treat.

Overall I was not impressed with this flight. I must say I can never understand why people consistently say SIA are the best. Certainly they are good, sometimes very good (than again many other airlines can be as well), but they have never (in my experience) been the best. Certainly not consistently so. This flight I found to be a very underwhelming experience. However it was more than made up for on the return. However as I have been typing here for a while I will save that for a separate post.

Cheers until next time,

Ben



[This message has been edited by robertson (edited 05-21-2001).]