As I sipped on after dinner coffee, Jacinta came round and told me that she had already made the bed in the adjacent, unoccupied suite so I could retire to sleep whenever I was ready.
I then changed into my pyjamas and pretty much sleep soundly for the next 8 hours without any interruption. I am 100% I would have snored, so I hope that this annoyed that Singaporean couple a few rows behind me. The CIA agent in 2A was already fast asleep.
I woke up just northwest of the Thai coast.
As soon as my feet hit the deck, Jacinta appeared and wished me good morning. I asked for some orange juice and a coffee. After changing back into civilian clothes, both drinks were already there in 2F waiting for me with a hot towel.
Here’s the breakfast menu:
Breakfast:
To start with: choice of apple/orange or tomato juice
Fresh fruit plate
Cereal/corn flakes or yoghurt
“wholesome beginnings”
Bee hoon soup: Rice noodles with sliced chicken and greens in broth
European breakfast with mortadella sausage, pork sausage, provolone and cambozola cheese, eggs prepared on board.
Warm French toast with a berry compote and mascarpone cheese
Fresh eggs (baked, boiled or scrambled) served with bacon or chicken sausages, tomato and mushrooms
Gourmet pastries
I skipped the pastries and cereal to start off with fruit, followed by the bee hoon noodles.
This was just delicious and full of flavour; really hit the spot. The chillies also gave it the perfect kick. Again, really fantastic Singaporean food.
Jacinta then came back and as she cleared the tray, we chatted about Singapore and Melbourne. She lives not far from where I grew up in Singapore, in Tai Keng gardens. Most of the SQ crew seem to know Melbourne well, given the relatively high frequency of 3 flights a day. They usually stay at the Crown Plaza near the casino.
After a quick descent and a short taxi, we pulled into gate B8. As I arrived at the gate, there was already an army of ground staff with a list of connecting flights, gate numbers as well as temporary tables with new boarding passes printed out for onward connections that may have been missed as a result of the delay. Astounding efficiency. Really just so impressive to watch.
Thankfully, my flight on SQ 217 was located just next door at gate B8. I figured I had time to grab a quick shower in the lounge before heading back o the gate.
A final glance at 9V SKB:
The final leg of the journey was in J class on the B777-300ER. I will skip most of the details except to say that I had finally reached my lobster threshold and gave up my BTC lobster thermidor for a bowl of prawn noodles again. Here are the pics:
9V SWT
East coast on take off
Balik Salmon Nicoise salad:
Amazing Prawn Noodles
Chendol with coconut ice cream
And a snack of Chicken satay before landing (a much more generous serving than before!)
We landed in Melbourne a little early at 7.30 with t he help of strong tailwinds despite the slightly delayed departure due to Changi congestion. So good to be home.
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed this epic journey. As you can see, SQ still shines in all it’s premium cabins. The exceptionally high level of personalised, efficient service and consistency is hard to beat. I am amazed that on every sector, pretty much every crew member addressed me by name without exception. The seats in J are getting a little worn around the edges, but the Suites are still the most glorious and private cabin in the skies today. I love the subtle tones of wood and leather; infinitely classier than Emirates’s horrible tacky gold trim in their first suite.
Feedback is more than welcome and I hope you enjoyed my report as much as I enjoy reading all of your reports out there.
Cheers,
Qantasclub.