I made sure to hit gym again when I woke up in anticipation of what proved to be one of most indulgent flights of my life. My Uber arrived at the hotel to whisk me back to the airport at 5:30. It’s been eons since I’ve headed to the airport this early intentionally, ordinarily I could care less about missing my flight. My philosophy is there’s always another flight, and if I can’t make it to the airport in time for my flight I probably didn’t need to take it anyways. But there isn’t anything in the world I would miss a flight in Singapore Suites for… Ok, there might be a short list of two… maybe three things.
The Uber driver missed the entrance for First Class Check In and dropped me off just in front of the regular entrance to the Terminal 3. But it was just a short walk back to First Class Check In, so no big deal. Singapore’s First Class check in area resembles the lobby of a very nice hotel, albeit with check in “desks” instead of counters. An agent manned each of those desks each of which has a small seating area. At the entrance of First Class Check In were a platoon of attendants dressed in a bellhop uniform each armed with a luggage cart. Had my Uber driver dropped me off in front of First Class check in, one of the attendants would have come and grabbed my bag from the trunk. Instead, one of the attendants spotted me and ran to come get my bag. He placed it on his cart and then ushered me over to one of the desks. The agent at desk invited me to have a seat. A whole four minutes later, my bag was tagged and I had my “golden ticket” in hand. The agent gave me directions to the “private immigration area” and the lounge, and wished me a pleasant flight.
The “private immigration area” was indeed very private. In fact, it was so private that the only people there were the immigration officer and myself. I was in and out of there in less than 30 seconds, and I found myself in the Mall of Singapore. At least, it seemed like it. Singapore’s Changi Airport is routinely named as one of the best in the world, and it’s easy to see why. There is so much to see and do, from shopping to eating or even catching a movie. Hell, it’s nicer than my local mall, which is already considered one of nicest ones in the Houston area and could give the Houston Galleria a run for its money. I detest shopping and only go as a last resort. Though, if I can watch A380s take off at the Galleria, I think I would be more than happy to go shopping every weekend.
Having not eaten since my flight to Singapore yesterday afternoon, I was pretty hungry. While many of the eateries and restaurants looked very appetizing, I had a date with The Private Room. The Private Room is located inSingapore’s massive lounge complex in Terminal 3, which is really a lounge within a lounge within a lounge. To reach The Private Room, one has to walk through the SilverKris Lounge and then First Class Lounge (which I believe for those passengers flying on partner First Class flights). An attendant happily led me on the trek after a quick scan of my boarding pass.
She led me straight to a table in the immaculate dining area.
A waiter immediately came and presented the breakfast menu.
To start, I ordered a watermelon juice and cappuccino.
And then I ordered the Roti Prata, which was tasty.
After breakfast, I set out to check out the rest of the lounge. Which didn’t take very long, because it’s not very big.
As with my last visit, The Private Room certainly lived up to its name. I was the only person in the lounge until after I finished breakfast, and even then there were never more than a handful of people in the lounge. I enjoyed the peace and quiet in the lounge especially compared to the hustle and bustle of the terminal. Then I got bored and craved the said hustle and bustle after awhile. I left about 30 minutes before scheduled boarding time since the departure gate was a good trek across the terminal.
On the way, I caught a glimpse of the graceful behemoth that would be taking me to London.
Singapore Airlines 308
Singapore (SIN) – London (LHR)
Depart: 9:00 AM
Arrive: 3:40 PM
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Seat: 3A (Suites Class)
Security in Singapore is done at each individual gate. As you can probably imagine for an A380 flight, the line was long and stretched a good ways down the concourse. But the process was fairly efficient, and I made it through about 15 minutes. The flight appeared to be full or at least close to it if the packed to the gills gate area was any indication. If I was flying economy, I would probably dreading the next 14 hours with the full house. But I was in possession of a real life golden ticket that allowed me to indulge in arguably one of the finest experiences available in commercial aviation, and I was very much looking forward to it. Speaking of which, when the heck is this party getting started? Scheduled boarding time came and went without a word from the gate agents, whom looked rather busy tapping away at their keyboards. Ten minutes later, one of the gate agents made an announcement apologizing for the delay and that boarding would begin in 15 minutes. True to his word, boarding began 15 minutes later.
When the A380 entered service with Singapore Airlines in the summer 2007, I was just a lowly junior in college. Of course, I didn’t travel nearly as much then as I do now. But I was still very much an avgeek, and I followed the launch of the brand spanking new Airbus A380-800 with great interest. At the time, my interest was more focused on the plane itself. Though articles about the then new Suites product did catch my eye, and how could it not with a tagline like “A Class Above First”. My first hand experience with premium cabins then was limited to a couple of flights on China Airlines’ old recliner Business Class. I could barely comprehend lie flat seats at the time let alone a “suite” with doors on a plane. Still, I read those articles with gusto and dreamed of one day having my own experience with “A Class Above First”.
That “one day” was today. I pinched myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, and then took my first steps onto the jetbridge that led to the Promised Land.
Waiting for me the door was a gaggle of Singapore Girls all of whom broke into a smile once I was spotted. After a quick glance at my boarding pass, one of them said, “Mr.
dat4life, welcome! Please follow me to your suite.” Don’t mind if I do. On the way, the Singapore Girl introduced herself as Janice and asked if I had flown Suites before. Her face lit up when I told her it was my first Suites flight, and like Winnie the day before offered to help familiarize me with the seat. Because I wanted take a ton of pictures, I declined and Janice left me to my own devices.
Just above the side table to the left was an universal power outlet, two USB charging ports, the headphone jack, and a small storage compartment for what looked like glasses.
It was cool having three windows to call my own. But since seat was actually positioned away from the window with the side table in between it and the fuselage, it was kind of tough to see out of the windows. Also obstructing the view are the A380’s windows itself, which are tiny. You would think the world’s largest airliner would have windows proportional to its massive size. But nope.
In front, was a wide footrest. There was more than enough room for a large bag underneath it.
Above that, was a large IFE screen.
To the right, was of course the entrance to my Suite.
Also to the right, were the controls for the seat as well as the controller for the IFE system.
Additional controls for the seat were on the armrest.
At the front and rear sections of the suite, are two “windows” that can be “closed” for additional privacy by pulling down on a mesh shade.
A pair of Bose QC 25 headphones was already at my seat.
Janice returned a short while later and asked, “Would you like something to drink to get the flight off to a good start?”
In real life, I can’t face any sort of booze this early with the exception of a good Bloody Mary or mimosa at brunch every once in awhile. But I’m on vacation and rules are meant to be broken on vacation! Kind of like how calories don’t count on vacation. I asked for champagne. Janice smiled and asked, “Would you like Dom or Krug?” Well, I had my fill of Dom yesterday, so I went with Krug. Janice was back in flash with a bottle of Krug and flute atop a silver tray, and I was soon enjoying my first sips of the golden liquid.
Seems like Singapore is pouring the 2004 vintage of Krug. The my only other brushes with the fine champagne came while flying Cathay Pacific First Class and EVA Business Class earlier this year. Both of those airlines poured non-vintage Krug. Perhaps my palate isn’t refined enough, but I could not tell the difference between the vintage and non-vintage. All I know is both were pretty damn good.
A ramekin of cashews and walnuts was served as well.
Next up: the swag. As with any international First Class flight on a respected airline, there’s plenty of swag. Pajamas, slippers, and the amenity kit all came in rapid succession. The In Flight Service Manager soon dropped by to say hello and present the menu. He also apologized for the delay and informed me the plane was just towed from the hangar. Since it still needed to be refueled, departure would be delayed further. An A380 can carry up to nearly 560,000 pounds of fuel. I have no idea how much fuel is needed for the 6,765 mile journey from Singapore to London, but I’d imagine a good chunk of that amount was needed. Shortly after, the captain gave his welcome aboard spiel and announced the further delay to the rest of the plane for which he apologized.
While I’m sure most of my fellow passengers groaned at the prospect of extra time spent on the plane, I was thrilled with it. I could be doing a lot worse than sitting on a comfortable seat and sipping fine champagne. Speaking of which, Janice made sure my glass never got empty, and it became very apparent I was again the only one drinking the good stuff. Before you call me a lush and judge me too harshly… Well… It’s probably a little late for that, but the point is I don’t drink this much all that often. I think… Anyways, Janice was soon emptying the last of the bottle into my glass. “Don’t worry, Mr.
dat4life, we have plenty more Krug and there’s always the Dom.” Sounds like I have my work cut out for for me.
About 30 minutes after scheduled departure, the captain on the horn again. Because of refueling, we missed our takeoff slot and we would be delayed another 30 minutes. True to his word, we soared into the hazy skies exactly 30 minutes later. Taking off in an A380 is a strange sensation. Noise is probably what most passengers associate with taking off on a plane. It starts with the engines. The high-pitched whine of the initial spool up of the engines crescendos to a throaty rumble when takeoff thrust is produced. As the plane gathers speed, the roar of air rushing pass the fuselage becomes more and more pronounced. Not so on the A380. It’s almost library quiet. There is, of course, the sensation of speed and all of the sudden you’re lifting off the ground. .
Shortly after takeoff, Janice and her cohort came around to close the pull down the mesh privacy screens for each of the occupied suites.
Completing that, it was time for the main event: chow. As with any self-respecting airline, chow is preceded by liquid nourishment. While I was tempted to take advantage of the well-stocked bar, I had my fill of Krug on the ground and it was still early in the flight. I still had 13 hours to enjoy myself. So I asked for a glass of orange juice, which Janice quickly returned with. Of course, Singapore doesn’t serve Minute Maid orange juice like a number of airlines. No, this stuff was actually fresh squeezed and deliciously chilled.
“Have you had a chance to look over the menu, Mr.
dat4life?”
Oh yeah, perhaps that would help.
With a departure time at 9AM, it’s unsurprising the first meal served is breakfast. Breakfast is undoubtedly my favorite meal of the day. I can eat traditional breakfast foods anytime and anywhere. But it was nearing 11AM Singapore time and I would have plenty of opportunities to have good egg based breakfasts during the rest of my trip. So I opted for the dim sum and congee main course along with the rest of the courses.
“Would you like something else to drink?”
One of things I was looking forward to on this flight was Singapore’s coffee menu, which offers a choice of coffee beans of multiple origins and roasts. On my last Singapore First Class flight five years prior, I enjoyed several cups of delicious rich Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and I was looking forward to a repeat performance. The coffee menu did not disappoint.
There was also a wide variety of teas available.
The love of a good cup of black coffee is an acquired taste for myself. Back in college, I was a barista at Starbucks. Part of the training process involved coffee tastings intended to demonstrate how coffees of different origins have different characteristics and flavor profiles. For example, coffee grown in the Latin America would be more acidic because the soil in the region has higher levels of acidity than say in Asia or Africa. I vividly remember my very first coffee tasting during which I nearly spat out my first sip. I couldn’t look bad in front of my new coworkers the first week on the job, so I choked down the rest it. Eventually, I was able to tolerate black coffee, and eventually it’s the only way I drink coffee. Perhaps brainwashing session would be a more accurate description.
Back to the present day, Janice was still patiently waiting for my decision. Let’s… go with… well… the Jamaican Blue Mountain. Why mess with a good thing, right? Janice quickly jotted down my selections and off she went to get breakfast ready.
Janice returned with a tray bearing all of the necessary items to get my tray table in shape for breakfast. First, she laid the crisp white tablecloth on the tray table and positioned it so that the overhang was even on all four sides of the tray table. She then placed the bread plate, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, water glass, and silverware set on the tray table and double checked that each were in precisely in the proper position.
Another flight attendant followed behind her with the fruit plate starter, consisting of pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and raspberries. The colorful array of fruit was a nice contrast to the pewter edged plates. Of course, the fruit was fresh and ripe.
The breadbasket was offered next and was stocked with croissants and assorted other sweet pastries. I stuck with the croissant, which was buttery and flakey.
The next course was yoghurt with granola and berry compote, which was delicious.
Janice reappeared seemingly the second I put down my spoon from the yoghurt and made short work of clearing away my plates and silverware. She quickly returned with a Chinese spoon and a very nice pair of chopsticks, of course along with the appropriate holders for both. Both were precisely placed on the tray table. Several minutes later, the other flight attendant came with both the dim sum and the congee. This was one of the nicest presentation of dim sum I have ever seen anywhere. The quality of dim sum was also good and wouldn’t be out of place at a nice restaurant.
The congee was fine, though it required a sprinkle of salt and several large dashes of pepper for my liking.
As she cleared away breakfast, Janice asked if I would like her to “make my bed” in another Suite just in case I tire of “watching television”. I of course accepted. With a light load of 4/16, there were many possibilities where I could have my bed made. I noticed 3/4 of the center Suites unoccupied, so I could have asked for the famous double bed. Other than the novelty of the “double bed”, I really didn’t have any use for it. So I just asked for my bed to be made in the Suite behind me, 4A. Janice came back a short while later to let me know it was ready for me. In the meantime, I was enjoying the fantastic IFE system.
I have never been a fan of going to a theatre to watch movies. I’ll go if I must, but I prefer watching movies from the comfort and solitude of home. In the last couple of years, I hardly have time to watch movies, period. The only occasions I make a conscious effort to watch movies is if a new Star Wars movie comes out, which I would actually make an effort to see in theatres, or when I’m flying. I would say 90 percent of movies I’ve seen for the first time in the last few years or so I watched on a plane. When it comes to watching movies aloft, I can’t imagine a better place than from a Suite on a Singapore Airlines A380. In addition to the wide comfortable seat that can adjust to pretty much any position you can imagine, Singapore also saw it fit to equip each suite with a large (for a plane) high resolution screen with access to latest iteration of KrisWorld, which has oodles of television shows, movies, music, and other options that would keep most reasonable people entertained for hours on end. So from this great selection, I of course chose one of the finest movies to be released in 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. It was… watchable, I guess. Fortunately, I had access to an open bar stocked with some of the finest alcohol around to help make the movie more palatable.
I suppose it would fine to indulge a bit, as it was nearing noon Singapore time anyways. After years of conditioning from flying on US flagged carriers I instinctively braced myself before I hit that call button. But instead of a burly air marshal, one of the other flight attendants was by my side in nothing flat.
“Mr.
dat4life, I’ll be looking after you while Janice is on break.”
Hoping I wasn’t being judged (too) harshly I asked, “May I get a Macallen Whiskey Maker neat?”
“Certainly!” Moments later, I was savoring the subtle smoky goodness of the scotch.
Once upon time, in the not too distant past, jet lag had little effect on me. I chalked it up to my “foolproof” method of minimizing jet lag. The night before a longhaul redeye flight, I would stay awake so I can sleep as much as possible on said flight. For daytime longhaul flights, I did just the opposite: sleep as much as I can beforehand so I can stay awake on the flight. That way, I can fall asleep right away when I arrive at my destination. It worked very well. Then I made it to the wrong side of the 3-0, and it didn’t work anymore. This trip was especially bad for jetlag. When I arrived in Singapore the evening before, I had traversed ten time zones. I would cross seven more time zones by the time I land in London. Needless to say, my body clock was way out of whack. I was really hurting by the time I finished the movie. So I went to change into the standard issue Singapore Airlines pajamas, and check out “my bedroom”, which Janice so thoughtfully prepared for me earlier. It was a sight for sore eyes.
One of the more famous feature of the Suites are doors. It was cool, I guess. Though, some of my best slumbers up in the air have come on the old angled lie flat Business Class seats and in coach. *gasp* Over the years, I’ve noticed that have the hardest time falling asleep and sleep the worst in First Class. Yes, I realize that's the opposite of what it should be. But then again, I’m one weird dude.
But I didn’t have any trouble today, falling right asleep when as soon as I crawled between those crisp sheets and my head hit pillow. I slept well. The “bed” was very comfortable, and the bedding of good quality. I woke up several hours later 38,000 feet over the desolate landscape of Afghanistan.
When I returned from the lavatory, I noticed my bed had been remade and it looked exactly like found it. I wasn’t planning to sleep again, but it was a very nice touch nevertheless. No sooner did I buckle up in my “TV room” did Janice show up with a bottle of water asking if I wanted something to munch on. Maybe I’ll take a look at that snack menu now.
Craving something “soupy”, I asked for the Kway Teow noodles. Janice informed me it would take about 15 minutes to prepare. Exactly 15 minutes later, Janice carefully laid another tablecloth on my tray table and then returned with my noodles.
The noodles were a bit bland, but it did hit the spot. Afterwards, I fired up my laptop and got to work editing pictures. Perhaps the greatest technological advances in the last 25 years are digital cameras. The days of lugging around a giant camera and waiting at least an for film to be developed have been replaced by a device that fits in my pocket which can take pictures and share those pictures instantly. The only downside is the data overload from the ridiculous amount of pictures that one can take with most digital cameras these days. Case in point, I had shot several hundred pictures since the start of this trip, which required substantial time to edit and sort. Good thing I had plenty of time on my hands.
Before I knew it, we were cruising over the Black Sea and skirting deeply around Ukraine. With just over a couple of hours to go to London, Janice dropped by to remind me that last call for a full lunch was rapidly approaching. Let’s have a look at the menu one last time, shall we?
All of the main course options sounded enticing, but Janice also informed me there was a lobster thermidor available courtesy of a passenger who ordered from the Book The Cook menu but missed the flight. Hmmm…. What to do? I was eying the lobster dumpling noodle soup, but having the lobster thermidor available after forgetting to pre-order myself was a stroke of luck. So I went with the lobster thermidor. As for the rest… I mentioned earlier it had been five years since my last flight on Singapore Airlines First Class. Who knows when I’m going to have the opportunity to experience all this again. So I might as well live it up while I can! Let’s go with the works! Appetizer? The caviar of course! Soup and salad? Yep! Which soup? Oh… ummm… Jerusalem Artichoke Soup sounds interesting. We’ll figure out dessert when the time comes!
As if I didn’t have enough food coming, canapés were also served. On Singapore, that means satay. Satay is among my favorite foods hailing from Southeast Asia, consisting of well marinated bits of meat chargrilled on a skewer. Who doesn’t love chargrilled meat? And peanut sauce? That’s some great stuff! Today’s variation featured chicken and lamb. Satay is best eaten fresh off the grill, and some of the best satay I’ve eaten are from street vendors. While not quite as amazing, Singapore’s satay is still excellent especially considering it’s been sitting in an airplane galley for at least 12 hours and prepared sometime before that.
Janice setup my tray table just as precisely as she did 12 hours ago.
Then out came the caviar, which was beautifully presented. It was of course delicious, and I savored every bite of those salty little eggs.
The Jerusalem Artichoke Soup was delicious.
I love a good salad, and I have had plenty of good salads in the air. The one salad that sticks out in my mind was a Caesar salad I had on Cathay Pacific a few years ago. It had large chunks of crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in the perfect amount of dressing, accompanied with flakes Parmesan cheese and croutons. On top of all that, were several jumbo grilled shrimp. It was delicious, and I enjoyed every bite. Singapore’s salad was not remotely as good and in short it was very disappointing. While fresh, I think it’s best described as a small collection of dainty leaves with a cherry tomato and a couple of pecans.
Next up, the main event! Over the years, I’ve seen Singapore’s lobster thermidor in a number of other trip reports, and I wanted to try it ever since. I was very pleased to finally be able to try it. As with every dish on this flight, it was beautifully presented. The lobster and asparagus were perfectly cooked and not at all chewy. I also enjoyed the rice, which was very flavorful. The sauce on the lobster was a bit too salty for my tastes, but overall it was very enjoyable dish.
Stuffed beyond belief, I declined cheese and fruit. But I still had my sweet tooth to satisfy. The walnut dacquoise with praline mousse. It was delicious.
Of course all good things must come to an end. The subtle change in the rhythm of the engines from the reduction of thrust, as the last bits of lunch were being cleared away, signaled the beginning of the end of the flight. Moments later, the aircraft nosed downward ever so slightly, and the altimeter on the moving map display began counting down the waning minutes of this wonderful flight. Of course, the Suite was wonderful and among the most comfortable seats I’ve ever experienced on a plane. And the food and drinks were great. But what really made the flight great were Janice and the rest of cabin crew, all of whom were amazing. I made sure to let the Inflight Service Manager know how great the crew was. Naturally, he was very pleased with my comments and asked me to pass it along to the head honchos. Of course I did.
Rarely have I been on a flight to London Heathrow that wasn’t sent in a holding pattern before landing. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those flights, and my hopes of prolonging the flight for a few minutes were dashed when the Captain announced twenty minutes to landing. We were vectored straight in overflying downtown London. Landing was perfectly smooth, and after a lengthy taxi pulled into a gate at Terminal 2.