Singapore to Tokyo Narita (SIN-NRT) Raffles (Business) Class on SQ 747

As usual in Singapore the screens show final call and gate closing ridiculously early, so as usual I ignore them and head out from the lounge 20 minutes before scheduled departure - giving me 10 minutes to traverse the terminal before the gate closes. As I approach the gate there is a long queue down the pier - due to only one WTMD being in operation. Fortuitously, the second one opens just as I reach the entrance, meaning I am quickly through.

Boarding has not yet started (but commences in another minute or so). Since the flight is very full (again checking availability it had been showing all zeroes, even for paid full F, for several days) the gate lounge is full and I can see we wont be pushing back on time.

I settle in to my upper deck exit row seat once more. Boarding is surprisingly quick and doors close only a few minutes late. But we have missed our slot so sit near the gate for 20 minutes. In contrast to the earlier flight the captain's announcement is much briefer although warns there may be some turbulence close to Japan due to Super Typhoon Yagi which is churning out to sea.

By now I'm very tired and struggle to stay awake long enough to tell the FA I want my meal as breakfast not supper. It seems most other passengers prefer this too. For on these short red-eye flights there is a single meal with the choice of being served shortly after take off or about 90 minutes before arrival.

I get a deep short sleep and get woken up for my book the cook breakfast. For those unfamiliar with Singapore Airlines, first and business class passengers have the option of pre-ordering a special meal (called BTC aka book the cook) - only available from certain cities. Generally these meals are a bit better than the regular meals and there is a wider selection. Naturally Singapore is one origin for BTC, but so far Auckland is not.

While having breakfast I finish off the last of the program I missed on the prior flight, and figure I have just enough time to watch a short movie. Again I was wrong and missed the last 10 minutes of that one too. There is no view outside due to a solid sheet of cloud. However the sun is reflecting nicely off the engines below and behind me. The expected turbulence does not eventuate and several coffees later we are flying low over green fields and villages on approach to Narita.

Since the opening of the southern part of the terminal back in July, the taxi for SQ is much shorter (it used to use the furtherst gates on the furthest satellite).