SQ 62
Moscow (DME)-Houston(IAH)
Tuesday July 17, 2012
Depart: 10:40 AM
Arrive: 2:05 PM
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (9V-SWA)
Seat: 1F (First Class)

I slowly made my way down the jet bridge, determined to savor every last moment, as this would most likely be my last international first class flight for at least a year. I was greeted at the door by one of the flight attendants, who directed me to turn in left. While my experience in international First Class is very limited, the brown and tan colors of the SQ First Class cabin makes it one of the most elegant and attractive cabins in the sky. After a slow walk down the aisle, I found my now familiar 1F. As I stowed my laptop bag, a lovely SQ girl, Janesis, came to introduce herself and offered me something to drink. Well, I’m coming down the home stretch in my Macabus challenge, so it was time to get serious. Janesis soon returned with a bottle of Dom and a glass to pour it in. As I slowly sipped my champagne, I couldn’t help but reflect on how incredibly fortunate I was to be sitting there. To think I was supposed to be on United BusinessFirst for this leg of the trip…

Pajamas were presented next. Unlike my previous flight, the pajamas had been removed from the plastic wrap and presented with the logo facing up and toward me. I realize this isn’t the biggest deal, but its little details that make difference. Amenity kits, socks, and slippers were distributed next. A little while later, the in-flight service manager, Ivy, drop by to introduce herself and to wish me a pleasant flight. The other two First Class passengers arrived not long after, taking up residence in 2A and 2F. The passenger in 2A was also continuing from Singapore. The same preflight rituals were performed for each of them.

Two refills later, the boarding door had closed and we were pushing back. The massive GE90 engines rumbled to life one by one, and we began taxiing toward the runway. The captain added his welcome during the taxi and announced a flight time of approximately 11 hours, which would put us in Houston nearly an hour early. I might have appreciated if I was flying in Economy, but my thinking that day were more along the lines of, Um, dude can we dial it back a couple of notches. I assure you, dear readers, my concern was purely in the interest of saving fuel.

After a S7 A320 had taken off, we hurtled down the runway and were airborne after a lengthy take off roll. Like clockwork, flight attendants got up from their jump seats and immediately closed the curtains to prepare for, as Lucky coined, “their performance”, at the 10,000 feet chime. First up, the hot towel service which was followed by post take off drinks and warm nuts. I decided to catch up on more work, as I was supposed to be back in the office the next day. Soon, the smells of the impending meal service began to fill the cabin. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the menu.

Lunch

CANAPES
Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce

APPETISERS
Marinated prawns with salmon caviar and fennel potato salad

Pickled salmon with dill and Greek style vegetables

SOUP
Veloute of roasted pumpkin and whipped cream

Chicken broth with vegetables

SALAD
Mesclun with fennel, sundried berry, bell pepper, mozzarella cheese and pistachio herb vinaigrette dressing
Thousand Island dressing

MAIN COURSES
Combination of grilled lamb chop and stuffed cabbage with lamb fondue, served with glazed carrots and fondant potato

Braised chicken with mushroom in oyster sauce, vegetables and fried rice

Salmon fillet in white wine sauce with sautéed spinach, glazed carrot and mushroom

Beef noodle soup
Rice noodle in rich chicken stock with sliced beef and leafy greens

DESSERTS
Warm chocolate cake served with rum infused raisin and espresso ice cream

Vanilla mousse with chocolate mocca sauce

CHEESES
Selection of smoked edam, paladin bavarian blue, tilziter and camembent cheeses served with grapes, nuts and crackers

FRUITS
Fresh Fruits in Season

FINALE
A selection of gourmet coffees & fine teas served with pralines

The drink menu was the same as the SIN-DME segment, but I’ll repost it for your convenience.

CHAMPAGNES
Dom Perignon 2000

Krug Grande Cuvee

WHITES
Piesporter Goldtropichen Riesling Kabinett 2007
Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt

Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2007 William Fevre

RED
2004 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre Saint-Julien Bordeaux, France

Clos Vougeot 2006 Louis Jadot

Mitolo Revier 2006 Shiraz Barossa, Australia

SWEET WHITE
Chateau Filhot 2009 Sauternes

PORT
Taylor’s Twenty-Year-Old Port, Douro, Portugal

Cocktails

SINGAPORE AIRLINES UNIQUE CREATIONS
Silver Kris Sling
Sunrise Breezer
Bloody Mary
Rumba
Skyhigh
Sweetness in Darkness
Apple Bliss
Awaiting the Golden Dawn
Orange Cooler

ALL-TIME FAVOURITES
Singapore Sling
Solitaire Dreams
Fruit Spritzer
Tropical Fizz

APPETISING APERITIFS
Campari
Dry Vermouth

SPIRITS
Macallan 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky
Cognac XO-Hennessy
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whisky
Bombay Sapphire GIN
Beivedere Vodka
Bacardi Superior

LIQUEURS
Cointreau
Bailey’s Original Irish Cream
Choya Umeshu

BEER
Tiger
Carlsberg

GOURMET COFFEES
Brazil Santos Bourbon
Columbian Supremo
Jamaican Blue Mountain
Kenyan AA ‘Killmanjaro’

SPECIALTY COFFEES
Brewed Coffee
Café Royal
Espresso
Cappuccino
Café Latte
Café au Lait
Decaffeinated Coffee
Mocha

OTHER BEVERAGES
Hot Chocolate
Ovaltine
Milo
Soya Bean Milk

INTERNATIONAL TEAS
Royal Darjeeling
Muwara Ellya OP Ceylon
Earl Grey
English Breakfast Tea
Singapore Breakfast Tea
Paris-Singapore Tea
Alfonso Fruit Tea
Moroccan Mint Tea
Chamomile
Decaffeinated Earl Grey
Rooibos Red Tea

IN-HOUSE TEA SELECTION

ASIAN TEAS
Indian Masala Tea
Sencha

CHINESE TEAS
Jasmine
Oolong
Pu-Erh

MINERAL WATER
Sparkling
Still

FRUIT JUICES
Apple
Orange
Pineapple
Tomato
Cranberry

SOFT DRINKS
Bitter Lemon
Coke
Coke Light/Coke Zero
Ginger Ale

MILK
Full Cream
Low Fat

I decided to go all the way. with canapés, appetizer, soup, salad, main course, and dessert. YOLO, right? Man, I hate that accronym. Anyways...

After a refill of Dom, Janesis returned with my satay a little while later.



Satay, free flowing champagne, and a little work… Why can’t work always be this much fun? Oh speaking of champagne, I was on glass number 5 on the flight, i.e. bottle number 4, destroyed. I had to measure by glasses on this flight because my fellow passenger in 2F was drinking Dom as well. So much for being the only drunk (I don’t go to meetings) on board.

Anyways, I polished off the delicious satay in no time. Janesis returned to setup my table, soon after my satay plate was cleared. Unlike my other two SQ flights, silverware was laid on the table for me and not just delivered in the wrapped napkin. Another nice touch was the napkin service (placing it on your lap for you). It was totally unnecessary, but really nice. Ivy followed Janesis with the bread basket. I chose a piece of garlic bread and a roll. My appetizer arrived a few minutes later.


Marinated prawns with salmon caviar and fennel potato salad

I was actually a bit disappointed in the menu for this leg of the trip. While I under the main courses may not be as exciting given the fact it was a remote out station, but come on SQ we’re leaving Russia. Where’s the caviar service? That being said, the appetizer was very tasty and it did hit the spot. The shrimp were well marinated and the salmon caviar (ok who are we kidding, it’s ikura, i.e. salmon roe) gave it a nice salty tang. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine, I just expected better from SQ. This was more along the lines of what I expect to find on American’s Flagship First.

Anyways, the meal service was again very personalized. As far as I could tell, each one of us was eating at different paces. For example, I was just wolfing down what was put it front of me while the others were slowly enjoying their food. The cabin crew was able to adjust to it, with no issues. It was quite impressive, but I venture to guess it may be a little more difficult with a full cabin. My plate was cleared as soon as I finished, and I waited for a few minutes for my soup course to arrive.



The soup was alright, but looking back on it now, I really wonder why the hell I didn’t go for the pumpkin soup. My salad was delivered soon after my soup was cleared.



After I finished the salad, I had about a 15 minute wait before my main course was served. During the interlude, Janesis came by to ask if I wanted to switch to a wine for my main course. I’m pretty unsophisticated guy. I like beer and I like liquor. And I guess you can toss champagne into that now…Ok maybe I’m not that unsophisticated, but I digress. Wine is usually not my thing but I don’t mind a glass now and then. I had really enjoyed a glass of Lynch Bages with my lamb on my CX flight, so I decided to go with the French red that was on offer, 2004 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre Saint-Julien. In the meantime, I was tired of staring at work so I decided to peruse the offerings on Kris World. I settled on Batman Begins, since The Dark Knight Rises was hitting theatres later that week. But I got a bit side tracked after I glanced out the window and saw we were passing near the beautiful coast of Finland.



My main course arrived soon after, along with my wine.


Combination of grilled lamb chop and stuffed cabbage with lamb fondue, served with glazed carrots and fondant potato

The lamb and the accompaniments were quite good. The wine was absolutely fantastic and went very well with the lamb dish. I polished it off in no time. When she came to collect my plate, Janesis inquired if I had changed my mind about cheese course. I politely said no, and with a smile, she replied I’d be in for real treat when dessert came and I should get my camera ready. 10 minutes later, she returned with my dessert and a glass of port.


Warm chocolate cake served with rum infused raisin and espresso ice cream

If I were to pick one word to describe that dessert, it would be perfect. It was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. The dry ice show and napkin art were very nice touches. And most important of all, the ice cream wasn’t frozen solid (SFO-HKG) or melting (HKG-SIN), it was just perfect: soft enough to eat, but frozen enough to maintain nice a presentation. I finished it in no time. My table was cleared soon, and another hot towel service commenced. Coffee and pralines were delivered afterwards.



I had chosen the Kenyan AA ‘Killmanjaro’. It was good though not quite as good as the Jamaican Blue Mountain I had from SIN-DME. After coffee, I went into the lavatory to change into my pajamas. When I exited the lavatory, Janesis was there with hangers to hang my street clothes. She went on to explain that she had taken the liberty of converting 1D into a bed for me and to feel free to have a lie down whenever I wished. While the same thing was done on my last flight, it was nice to see she had taken a proactive approach to it, instead of asking me first. Again, it’s the little things.

I was not quite ready to sleep at that point so I asked for a Johnny Walker Blue, on the rocks, and settled down to finish watching the Batman begins. But not long after, I was feeling a bit sleepy. So I crossed the aisle and slid under the covers. I managed to get about 2.5 hours of solid sleep. While it wasn’t a lot of sleep, it was just enough to keep me going until I made it to Houston.

I woke up with a little over 6 hours of flight time remaining. After lying around for awhile I went back to 1F, in hoping to get a little more work done. As soon as I put on my seat belt and extended the tray table, Janesis was at my seat with a hot towel asking if I needed something to drink. It took me a second to comprehend what was going on, I can’t imagine why… Anyways, she suggested some Jasmine tea. That sounded really good so I just went with that. She returned with the tea a few minutes later, just as I was settling down to read a few docs. At that time I noticed that immigration forms along with some airline goodies (pen, deck of cards, writing kit, and post cards) were artfully arranged on the shelf just under the IFE screen complete with a couple of flowers. Again, another very nice touch. I wish I had taken a picture of it, but the cabin was too dark for my iPhone to be of any use.

I managed to get a good bit done. During that time, my tea was constantly being refilled, though I hardly noticed it was being done. I guess that shows you how incredibly exciting my work is…not. I had run to the lavatory once during that time period and returned to find my bed in 1D remade, my tea refilled, headphones straightened up, and another SQ pen placed next to my highlighter and the crappy pen I was using. You’ve probably noticed I’ve commented more about the service on this flight than on any other flight in this TR. That’s because the service was flawless. The entire crew from Janesis, to Lim, and all of the other FAs I encountered was fantastic. They were all very proactive, friendly, and personable. I had thought the crews on my other flights were very good, but this crew had taken service to a whole new level. I truly felt like a king for a day.

After about 2 hours, I was pretty much finished with work so I packed up and turned on Kris World once again, and decided continue with my Batman marathon with The Dark Knight. Not long after I put on my headphones, the male FA, who had been working the galley, came to ask if I wanted something more fun to drink. “Some Dom, perhaps,” he said with a smirk. Hells to the yeah. He returned with a bottle and a glass a minute or two. Oh yeah, this is the stuff. He then asked if I wanted something to eat. I responded, “Dude, did you see how much food you fed me a couple hours ago?” We shared a good laugh, and he left me to my own devices.

After 2 more glasses of champagne, we were in Canadian airspace with about 2.5 hours to go. Janesis dropped by to ask what I wanted for the pre-arrival meal. With great sadness, I took a glance at the menu one last time. And sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the menu, so y’all are just going have to live with my ineloquent descriptions. I told Janesis I could eat anytime, and to just bring it as whenever it was most convenient for them. Hey, it was the least I could do after such a fantastic flight.

A little over 2 hours out, Janesis came to set my table one last time. Again, Ivy followed her with bread basket and inquired if I had enjoyed the flight, to which I replied I definitely did. I chose a piece of the delicious garlic bread again. Another flight attendant came by with a bottle of Dom and fresh glass. My soup arrived a minute or two later.



The soup was very very good. It was tangy, creamy, and a little spicy all at the same time. I chose the braised beef for the main course.



The beef was ok, but not particularly good. However, the vegetables were cooked just right and were rather fresh. I ended up finishing the vegetables and leaving most of the beef. As she cleared my plate, Janesis once again told me to get my camera ready for dessert.



I was treated to another dry ice show with my raspberry sorbet, which was very light and refreshing. Afterwards, I declined all offers for coffee and tea, and headed to the lavatory to change back to my street clothes. After I returned to my seat, the male FA came to ask if I wanted to finish off the bottle of Dom I had started, as there was just enough for another glass. After some thought, I answered yes. That would put another 5 glasses in the books and bring my final tally to 5 bottles killed. Macabus, your record is still intact, despite my efforts.

After I finished that glass, with about an hour and 20 minutes to go. The cabin crew began tidying up the cabin at that point, and I resorted to drinking water to somewhat rehydrate before we landed. I passed the time by watching a couple episodes of Come Fly With Me, which was stupid, but entertaining. I noticed Janesis coming around the cabin to have a final chat with each passenger. She got to me last, saving the best for last no doubt, as we began our descent at Louisiana/Texas border, near Natchitoches, LA. Not surprisingly, she started off by asking about how I enjoyed the flight. There may have been a bit more adjectives and superlatives thrown in there, but the gist of my reply was that this was most fantastic flight I’ve ever experienced. Janesis was humble and said they try to please. Offhandedly, she mentioned another passenger who was very pleased with her service on a recent Singapore to Tokyo flight. That statement clicked for me, even in my Dom soaked state. So I asked if this passenger’s name was Ben. She laughed and said, “ Yes, how did you know?” I laughed and said, “So you’re the famous Wong Chin.” She then explained that she did not have her English name tag on that flight, thus that’s why she was identified as Wong Chin. We shared a good laugh and chatted for a while little about FT (why I was taking pictures) and the airline industry in general, especially about SQ’s U.S. based competition. At the end, Janesis asked me if I’d be willing to email SQ customer service email instead. Of course, I was willing.

The 20 minutes to landing announcement was soon made by our captain, and the cabin crew began making their final preparations. Ivy, the in-flight service supervisor, then dropped by to say farewell. Janesis had told her about our conversation, so I reiterated some of what I said to Janesis and chatted about a few other things. If there was ever a flight I didn’t want to end, it was this one. So I wasn’t complaining if we had to go around. Heck, I was halfway considering marching up to flight deck to ask if they minded turning to the north and dropping me off in Dallas. But something tells me that wouldn’t be the smartest idea… Soon we were making our final descent into Houston from the east, flying straight in toward runway 9R. Touchdown was smooth, and I was back in the land of the free and the home of the brave.