Well, as it turned out, I didn’t need anything close to 6 hours for the bus transfer from Bandung to CGK. The ride took just about 2 hours, as the driver veered through traffic. The only traffic we hit was about 5km from CGK, but we arrived just past 10am, and the driver dropped me off at CGK T2.
After going through the security checkpoint, I ran up to the SQ counter, where they were still checking in people from the 11:30am departure. I asked to check in for the 2:15pm departure. The check-in agent made a call, and offered to switch me to the 11:30am flight. I tried hard to contain my excitement, as that would give me an extra few hours in Singapore and I wouldn’t have to sit around the very mediocre Esplanade lounge for close to 6 hours. I also knew the 11:30am departure had the retrofitted “New” SQ F product, compared to the decrepit recliners that would have awaited me on the later flight. At the same time, I asked for 11A on my connecting flight to HKG the next morning (the bulkhead seat on the 777-200ER.)
Almost out of nowhere, an escort was standing beside me and guided me to the premium immigration checkpoint before I had a chance to realize what was happening or to grab a picture or two. Past immigration, I was guided to the Esplanade lounge.
Well, I was very thankful for that great check-in agent, as the Esplanade Lounge was not a place I would have liked to spend more than an hour in. It was very worn down and the food offerings looked terrible. I had a Coke, then with about 40 minutes to go, headed off for the boarding gate and security.
SQ957 CGK-SIN
January 3, 2014
Scheduled: 11:30-14:05
Actual: 12:04-14:27
Seat 1F
As I walked down the jetway and caught the first glimpse of the cabin, my best wishes had come true. Even though it was a short flight, getting a short taste of the SQ F longhaul product was a bonus, considering that this flight was blocked off for Star Alliance redemptions (the only SQ F CGK flights available were ones with the recliners.)
I kept on snapping away at the cabin, admiring just how big the seat was. You could have easily seated 2 people my size in the seat with room for the side cushion. There was definitely something odd about the iteration on the regional 777-300 (not ER versions) from what I've seen before - there is a massive gap between the bulkhead and Row 1, and another gap between Row 2 and the back wall. Looks like they could have installed an extra row of seats.
After the excitement of laying my eyes on the seats and cabin, something felt very odd. Firstly, I realized that no one had said “Hi” to me yet, nor did the attendant standing by the door offer to show me where my seat was. Secondly, where was my pre-departure drink? First world problems, but I had an idea of what to expect in First Class, and this didn’t feel quite like it. I had tried a few times to flag down an attendant, who looked dazed and confused, running up and down the aisles without so much as acknowledging my existence.
Soon enough, I was able to get the attention of an attendant, and asked for some Dom, which was poured at my seat. 2 more passengers boarded, and the front doors were closed. As my glass kept getting emptier and emptier, no one came by to offer me a refill (unlike my SIN-CGK flight where the attendant didn’t let it get half-empty.) My glass sat empty for 15 minutes, and as the captain announced we were departing, one of the attendants just came by the collect the glass. Again, another first world problem, but this didn’t feel like the level of service one would expect from SQ.
One of the attendants came and presented me with the menu, having me decide what I wanted for lunch on the spot. I went with the herb crusted Gindara cod.
The pilot would announce that because of ATC delays, we would be on the ground at CGK for a little while longer. Again, during this time, no one came to offer me any more drinks, nor did anyone come to introduce themselves to me.
After takeoff, the crew came by shortly to take drink orders, and I opted for more Dom. Soon, the meal tray was also brought out.
The cod was actually very good. Despite the complaints I’ve seen about catering from CGK, the cod was moist and tender. I actually liked it more than the Lobster Thermidor from the earlier flight. It was even better washed down with Dom (which again, no one had bothered to refill.)
The fruit basket came along, and I chose a few items. I was surprised that apparently, the crew wasn’t allowed to pick the fruits out for you?
After that, the table was cleared and we had about 40 minutes to reach CGK. I reclined the chair a bit and decided to watch an episode of Two and a Half Men. Meanwhile, I was still waiting for some more Dom, which I had to chase an attendant down to refill my glass.
We landed in SIN uneventfully at T3 (which was a surprise given my CGK flight left from T2 the other day.) The crew again, didn’t do anything to acknowledge my existence. I made my off the aircraft, and through immigration in under 10 minutes (the longest I’ve ever experienced at SIN, which is still awesome!)
Verdict: Maybe I’m become more attuned to first world problems, but this flight was truly not up to snuff. I’ve come to expect such indifferent crews on Air Canada or United, but not in a SQ F cabin. The crew wasn’t rude, but they had rushed through the service, and made it almost seem like a hassle if you asked them for anything. I was surprised, given that there was at least 2 attendants working the F cabin, but with only 3 passengers in total (who from what I could see, also got the same indifferent treatment.) The hard product was very good though, and the food was better than I had expected. I would have traded the long haul F seat for the recliners if I were to get the same service I did on the SIN-CGK flight though. Overall, I just chalked it up to being a bad crew, and would love to fly SQ F again (Spoiler: I have two flights in Suites booked for April.)