Thursday 5 May 2011
Morning has broken...into the F cabin.
I washed down my snack with some water, then tried to go back to sleep. This time I must've been more successful (it probably had to do with what I was dreaming), because the only way I woke up afterwards was when one of the FAs kindly nudged me awake for breakfast.
Breakfast is a fairly standard affair on many airlines, and with a few exceptions, on SQ it is no different. A selection of juices, tea or coffee marks the start of the morning meal; in my case, I opted for the freshly squeezed orange juice and a milk coffee.
Freshly squeezed orange juice in the distinctive SQ F tall glass.
First up is a plate of mainly citrus fruits.
Breakfast fruit plate - pomelo, orange, kiwifruit and a raspberry.
I followed this up with the granola, which was served slightly wet (but drained) with ricotta and berries. This was not too bad, although I could definitely see some people not liking this dish and perhaps would be hitting the call bell for some milk.
Granola with ricotta and berries.
SQ's F breakfast menu features four main plates consisting of two Singaporean selections and two Western ones, but you also have to factor in the ability to BTC (if you were savvy enough to take advantage of this before the day of departure, of course). I pre-ordered the Nasi Biryani for breakfast, which looked and tasted delicious. The only thing I didn't do was pick up the chicken with my fingers, which would probably be standard procedure if I were eating in a Singaporean hawker centre.
BTC Nasi Biryani main breakfast plate. Just check out the size of that chicken.
Breakfast plates were cleared thereafter, then I got changed back into my normal clothes. One disadvantage with seat 1B is that the closets are at either side of you, which means much foot traffic at this time of the flight.
For the whole flight I didn't use the IFE, although I flicked it on after getting changed just to have a look. The IFE certainly is showing its age as I was greeted with a menu screen which looked not unlike an amateur PowerPoint presentation slide.
The F crew as well as the purser went to each passenger in the cabin to thank them for their patronage. I remarked to the purser on the excellent conduct of the F crew and made a note that I will be sending through an email of commendation. I also asked for a second F amenity kit, however the FA informed me that they had run out of them. Rather unexpectedly, he asked me if I had a business card or similar and he assured me he would arrange to have a kit sent to me! (For the record, when I returned from this trip, indeed a new F amenity kit had been sent to me!
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Landing in Frankfurt was fairly standard, as was the disembarkation, immigration, baggage claim and customs processes (sheesh - what a boring anticlimax to such luxurious flight and pre-flight experiences!). It did take them quite some time to put the bags onto the belt, but when it finally happened, priority baggage did its magic.
Once outside, I repacked a bit before heading for the Frankfurt Airport Long Distance Train Station (Flughafen Frankfurt Fernbahnhof).
Mezzanine level of Frankfurt Airport Long Distance Train Station
There was a small differential between 1st and 2nd classes for my train ticket, so in the interests of finding out "what all the fuss was about" (so to speak, not to imply there was ever a fuss), I bought the 1st class ticket. This means I could use the DB Lounge at the station. In the end, it wasn't really much to speak of, although most of us are using an airline lounge as a benchmark. The lounge was peaceful, had comfy enough chairs, newspapers, magazines, power points for laptops, desks, beverages and wireless (which is not free, just like most of Germany).
Inside the DB Lounge
I had a couple of coffees whilst I paid for some internet (hey, it's still cheaper than most paid internet in Australia!), checked a few messages and what not before making my way down to the platform to wait for my train.
Platform level at Frankfurt Airport Long Distance Train Station
Departure board announcing my train