It's been a while since I was on a long-haul flight. The lack of any major redemption bookings in months has led to a growing stash of miles. Throw in the paranoia of a devaluation, and I finally had my cue to do what any sensible FlyerTalker would do: book a First Class award to some far-flung destination, more than half a year ahead.
Availability was fairly generous 8 months out. I was itching to try Asiana's new A380, but I had flown with the Korean carrier in the not-too-distant past, and something equally lucrative was available: ANA First, on the exact date I was looking for.
I wasn't entirely sure if I even could make the trip at that point, but pulled the trigger nonetheless. What can I say? I like living my life dangerously
I eventually worked out a pretty satisfying routing:
KUL-BKK-HND//NRT-LAX, with TG and NH in F, save for the first segment which only has a 2-class service.
Of course, expecting TG to stick to the schedule several months out is a little naive. As *A regulars would know, TG's only consistency lies within its inconsistency. I wasn't the least surprised when I found out TG had brought forward the departure time for the BKK-HND segment, only to push it back by 30 minutes after a few days. What did surprise me, however, was the aircraft swap from the suite-equipped 74N to a two-class 773 with their regional Business product. In short, I was downgraded. But I wasn't annoyed.
Just as one door closed, another opened, in the form of NH's new F service to SIN. The early morning departure from SIN to NRT was swapped from a 787 to a 77W, with F. More importantly, award space was wide open. Without a hint of hesitation, I picked up the phone, and had my ticket reissued with an even better routing:
SQ107 KUL-SIN J
NH802 SIN-NRT F
NH006 NRT-LAX F
With the flights fixed and hotels booked, all that was left was to was get a wardrobe revamp, in hopes of being at least semi-presentable on the streets of Beverly Hills.
***
Tuesday
I'm NOT a morning person. I try avoiding morning flights as much as I can, but SQ doesn't have many flights a day out of KUL. SQ107 with a 0955 departure is the only SQ flight for the next 8 hours or so. Although my flight to NRT leaves at 0550 the next morning, I wanted to maximize my time in SIN without having a stopover. I have family there, so there's never a shortage of things to do.
And that is how I ended up at Kuala Lumpur's Sentral station, waiting for the 0700 express train to the airport.
Ever since the line was extended to KUL's new LCC terminal (KLIA2), the trains have become a lot more crowded, without an increase in frequency nor capacity. Not that I know of, at least. This means standing-room only if you're among the later ones to board. Not the most comfortable thing to do for the half-hour ride.
By 0735, slightly over 2 hours before departure, I was at the SQ counters, where I was checked-in by a lady who quite evidently enjoyed mornings no more than I do.
I tried my luck and asked if the boarding pass for tomorrow's NH flight could be issued, and was met with the familiar "it's another airline, we can't touch their flight" excuse, before realizing she'd mistaken NH for MH.
Red and blue boarding passes in hand, I thanked her and headed airside.
My appetite was starting to kick in, so I went straight to SQ's SilverKris Lounge.
A SilkAir flight was about to leave , so the lounge was rather empty. A stark contrast to the last time I was here, prior to an SQ flight on a Friday evening when it was standing-room only.
There was an adequate selection of hot food and drinks, though the lounge itself was really showing its age.
As with most other lounges in KUL, there's a decent view of the tarmac. Today's departure was from gate C2, which was still occupied by an MH 772.
For the past 18 years, the 772 has been a beautiful, reliable workhorse for MH. It's a real shame that it became the icon of the airline's misfortunes. Some of my fondest memories of MH were on their Triple Sevens.
My flashbacks were interrupted by the arrival of my chariot for this morning, looking ever so classy under the morning sunlight.
Eager to get onboard, I left the lounge before the boarding call was made and made my way to C2, just 3 minutes from the lounge.
Today's 30 minute hop was operated by 9V-STR, a 2010 addition to the SQ fleet.
Flight: SQ107
Dep: Kuala Lumpur 0955
Arr: Singapore 1050
Aircraft: A330-300 9V-STR
Seat: 14A
SQ's A330s are equipped with the airline's regional 2-2-2 product also found on some 777s. With 30 angled-flat seats it's a perfectly decent product for short hops around Asia, but I wouldn't be too thrilled if I'm on the red-eye Australian or Japanese flights that can be as long as trans-Atlantic flights.
(The next two pictures were taken on a flight earlier this year)
The pre-departure rituals were carried out in typical SQ efficiency, a little more relaxed than usual thanks to the light load. Unsurprisingly, I was addressed by name at every interaction.
There's only so much that can be achieved on a flight that's only slightly longer than a Seattle - Vancouver hop, but SQ still manages to serve a decent sandwich, which is already a scaled-down version of the pre-2008 days when the Business cabin was actually sold as First. International First, not US domestic "First".
At 5 years old, this aircraft can be considered middle-aged by SQ standards, though I was a still bit surprised to find an obvious sign of wear.
You know a flight is short when the aircraft doesn't get a chance to climb to its cruising altitude before beginning its descent.
An on-time arrival at SIN's Terminal 3 marked the end of an uneventful flight on my most-flown route. True to the airport's stellar reputation for efficiency, I was out of the arrival hall 10 minutes after the aircraft doors opened, leaving me with plenty of time to head for my lunch appointment at Orchard Road.
Next up, a pre-dawn flight to Tokyo on ANA First!