BANGKOK to SINGAPORE in First Class on SQ 747
Having already gotten my return boarding pass I knew I didn’t need to race to the transfer desk in the short turnaround. Still, with the late arrival and large distances in this airport terminal, I didn’t have a lot of time to dally and so walked fast past the transfer desk and up to departures level.
Unlike previous visits this time I get to try out the Thai first class lounge, the entrance of which is immediately to the right of the business class lounge. The lounge is similar to the business class lounge but almost deserted (just me plus one other passenger) at this time of day in contrast to the busy business class lounge. I only have a few minutes to spare so a very quick look around before heading to the gate. There doesn’t seem to be any computers (unless I overlooked a corner) and certainly no shower – thus offering less amenities than the Thai first class lounge at old Don Muang airport. However there is a reasonable selection of nibbles and drink, as well as several newspapers and magazines and plenty of comfortable chairs. Being more spacious there is less of a fishtank feel than the similar styled business lounge.
Time to go. There is no queue at security in between the lounge and gate. At the gate they ask about departure tax and when I say I’m in transit look up the computer to confirm (wonder what they’d do if the inbound flight was not on SQ and on a separate ticket?). Boarding is then called for first class, business class, PPS Solitaire, PPS, Kris Flyer Gold Elite, *Gold and as one every passenger (a nearly full 747 load) at the gate goes to the airbridge door
They can’t all be premium passengers. Fortunately the agent does a great job keeping an clear gap for the real premium passengers to board while holding everyone else back.
On boarding I get the usual greeting and shown to my seat. At first I’m told I’m the only one in first today (lucky me!) but then someone else is shown to another first seat (an op up?). I have a couple of drinks while boarding proceeds. During this time one toddler boarding with his parents through door 1L made a beeline for the nearest skysuite – clearly has his priorities right
and a possible future FTer? I was offered yet more Krug pre-departure but I turned it down for I have lots of flying ahead of me and plenty of time for drinking.
When the lunch orders are taken I am told with much apologies that there was a mix up in catering and only one first main was loaded. I guess the other passenger either had paid for first class or had a higher status (where passengers have the same PPS or PPS Solitaire or Lifetime PPS Solitaire status, SQ ranks according to the number of years qualified). After considering my options I decided to have the starter (which they had enough of) and skip the rest of the meal (except for drink). For my troubles I was offered a voucher for Kris Shop duty free. They didn’t have any service failure vouchers onboard so they called ahead to Singapore.
We push back late and I am glad I hadn’t chosen for my next segment the flight with a 45 minute connection (right on the minimum for SQ at Singapore) and instead booked a later one. I while away the flight drinking, flicking idly through the Kris Shop magazine wondering what to buy (for I also have PPS requalification vouchers to spend) and looking out the window. On this route I often spend a lot of time looking out the window at the seascape (and landscape when we are near or over land) as well as scanning the skies for there are often other aircraft on a similar flight track to be seen. Today I only see a few aircraft and none close enough to clearly identify. However I have had flights from Bangkok to Singapore where I can see several other aircraft at once flying almost in formation for long periods.
It seems Singapore is still using only one runway so we circle around a bit over Malaysia and again in the strait to the south of Singapore before finally getting our turn. Once more it is a long taxi, this time around 3/4 of the terminal complex to a gate at the end of E pier. By now we are quite late and I would have struggled to make the earlier onward flight before the gate closes 10 minutes prior to departure, which as luck would have it was leaving from F60 gate a long walk away. Instead I head to the lounge to freshen up and relax before my flight.