Another excellent F experience
Feb 19, 2018, 3:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
Another excellent F experience
No, this is not a sarcastic title, so if you clicked on here hoping to read and partake in some more BA bashing, you can stop reading now. All others, you are welcome to read about yet another great F flight on BA. (It also confirmed to me that I shan't travel in CW, EVER AGAIN 
)
Flight: BA12 (For those not in-the-know this is the A380 SIN-LHR daily service 23:15-5:15)
Seat: 1A (Yes, I like the privacy)
Full Routing: BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS
Check-in
Check-in in BKK with CX was excellent and queue-less as always. Checked my carry-on BKK-SIN-LHR so I didn't have to drag it around with me when I go out at SIN.
I exited the Terminal 4 (lovely, brand new terminal with a different carper pattern). Got a taxi to East Lagoon Hawker centre (About $12) where I met a friend for some food prior to my flight. Prices are local so we paid about $15 for 20 satay sticks, $9 for two large cups of sugar cane and lemon drinks, $60 for a lovely curry crab, and about $18 for the sambal stingray. Photos do not do justice to how tasty delicious the food was!
Satay Singapore
Sambal Stingray SIngapore
Curry Crab Singapore
SIN Lounge:
Arrived back at SIN T1 this time at around 2030 local for my 2315 departure. Immigration automated with no queue and as security is done at the gate I was in the lounge within 5 min of drop-off at T1. (For premium check-in get off at Stand 2 of T1, not stand 4/5 as suggested for BA).
Lounge experience was varied. I visited the CCR Bar, but it was rather crowded and gloomy (no windows and only one table seating left. I tried the satay here as well but it just wasn't that great so decided to stick with diet coke (alas no Coke Zero). I stayed only about 30 min, then got a shower (nice and clean, no wait, better then BA Arrivals lounge at LHR).
I then moved on to QF lounge, which is much nicer with a long bar and cocktails. The food I didn't find as appealing this time (some pork bans on offer and also stir fried rice, beef curry, and a lot of salads.) I ate two desserts, azuki beans on vanilly pudding, and some taro balls with coconut cream and fresh apricots. Overall I preferred the QF lounge for the space and food and drink.
QF Lounge Desserts
SIN Gate experience:
I headed to the gate about 40 minutes before departure, it was D46 (about 8 min walk from lounge complex). The security at the gate was quick, but gate crowded and just boarded handicapped as I got there. Usual chaos near the front of the gate when people couldn't make way for Group 1. Boarding was by groups, to the extent it was announced but not enforced. I made way through the riff raff to the front and got to my plane early on, leaving the masses when I joined bridge to rows 1-4.
SIN BA12 boarding experience:
Greeted at the door by a lovely crew member who pointed to my seat. Friendly suggestion that I probably know my way, to which I replied that I shall ask if I get lost. 2 steps later I am at my seat. Caroline approaches offering slippers, pyjamas, and male amenity kit within 10 seconds. Her Scottish accent has me drooling, but I compose myself and enquire whether I could instead opt for a ladies' version. Caroline suggests she will bring me that on AS WELL. I see we are gonna get along. Claire then approaches to take bring me a menu and a couple of minutes later to take my order. I duly chose from the menu (shown below) even though I wasn't planning to eat just yet, but Claire wanted to make sure I get my choice on everything.
Lovely Irish CSD, who recognised me from a previous flight, I just knew this was gonna be a good flight. IFE worked fine, seat was clean, headset worked fine, pashmina and slippers there. Only 1 negative thought about the boarding was when I was approached by a prick (now I wouldn't normally call people such names, but I noticed this couple during my brief stay in BA CCR Bar and thought they were horrible, the kind of entitled wanna-be-royalty treated on their once-a-year trip abroad. He also was very dismissive of his disabled wife on a wheelchair and I just didn't like him.) Anyway he approaches me, clearly seeing a young face. Opens with: 'Do you like 1A?' I resisted the urge and replied in a very mellow teasing manner 'I do, It's the best seat onboard and offers the best privacy' Gent: 'So do I. I usually sit here. You wouldn't ...' I interupted: 'I am sure you will enjoy 3F tonight.' He left me alone.
Flight:
I decided to go to sleep immediately after take off as I have just had a dinner in Singapore. Claire said it were not a problem and that I can have my dinner when I wake up. I woke up about 8:30 later over Turkey and enquired as to my dinner (I really dislike the breakfast offerings so this worked out really well). As I was getting hungry by now, and as I was hoping to eat sufficiently, I said to Claire I will have the order I made and whatever else she has left over, provided it doesn't infringe on her breakfast prep. She was delightful and at no point did she even suggest that she has 13 other breakfasts to dish out in about an hour. I spent the time whilst my dinner was cooking chatting with the SFO and Claire in the galley, the usual aviation stuff discussed. Claire then suggested she needs me seated so she can start bringing the food. So here comes the amouse-bouche, the beef soba started, the soup, the duck on rice (double portion), and both desserts (the banana cake with pear is really nice), and finally cheeses. I got stuffed. Did some work and before I realised we were ready to land. Really nice flight was head!
Amouse Bouche (BA12 Feb 2018)
Beef and soba starter (BA12 Feb 2018)
Pea and cheese croutons soup (BA12 Feb 2018)
Oriental duck with Jasmine rice (BA12 Feb 2018)
Left: Banana hot cake with pear and clotted cream Right: Trio of desserts (BA12 Feb 2018)
Landing:
Usual landing procedures were followed, small donation of various coins made, landing 20 min ahead of schedule. Unfortunately that meant the HKG and Lagos got in about the same time. As it happens Caroline and another crew members are headed as passengers to various EU places, and I am connecting, so I offer to guest them into CCR for a champagne breakfast with me, which they excitedly accept.
Arrivals experience:
Crowded train at 4:55 at terminal 5C meant I took the passages at level -4 for some exercise. Then a 50 min wait for my luggage (once again no priority whatsoever...). Back through first wing with my cabin crew to enjoy a light breakfast and chit chat in the Concorde room.
Overall judgement:
9/10
)Flight: BA12 (For those not in-the-know this is the A380 SIN-LHR daily service 23:15-5:15)
Seat: 1A (Yes, I like the privacy)
Full Routing: BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS
Check-in
Check-in in BKK with CX was excellent and queue-less as always. Checked my carry-on BKK-SIN-LHR so I didn't have to drag it around with me when I go out at SIN.
I exited the Terminal 4 (lovely, brand new terminal with a different carper pattern). Got a taxi to East Lagoon Hawker centre (About $12) where I met a friend for some food prior to my flight. Prices are local so we paid about $15 for 20 satay sticks, $9 for two large cups of sugar cane and lemon drinks, $60 for a lovely curry crab, and about $18 for the sambal stingray. Photos do not do justice to how tasty delicious the food was!
Satay Singapore
Sambal Stingray SIngapore
Curry Crab Singapore
SIN Lounge:
Arrived back at SIN T1 this time at around 2030 local for my 2315 departure. Immigration automated with no queue and as security is done at the gate I was in the lounge within 5 min of drop-off at T1. (For premium check-in get off at Stand 2 of T1, not stand 4/5 as suggested for BA).
Lounge experience was varied. I visited the CCR Bar, but it was rather crowded and gloomy (no windows and only one table seating left. I tried the satay here as well but it just wasn't that great so decided to stick with diet coke (alas no Coke Zero). I stayed only about 30 min, then got a shower (nice and clean, no wait, better then BA Arrivals lounge at LHR).
I then moved on to QF lounge, which is much nicer with a long bar and cocktails. The food I didn't find as appealing this time (some pork bans on offer and also stir fried rice, beef curry, and a lot of salads.) I ate two desserts, azuki beans on vanilly pudding, and some taro balls with coconut cream and fresh apricots. Overall I preferred the QF lounge for the space and food and drink.
QF Lounge Desserts
SIN Gate experience:
I headed to the gate about 40 minutes before departure, it was D46 (about 8 min walk from lounge complex). The security at the gate was quick, but gate crowded and just boarded handicapped as I got there. Usual chaos near the front of the gate when people couldn't make way for Group 1. Boarding was by groups, to the extent it was announced but not enforced. I made way through the riff raff to the front and got to my plane early on, leaving the masses when I joined bridge to rows 1-4.
SIN BA12 boarding experience:
Greeted at the door by a lovely crew member who pointed to my seat. Friendly suggestion that I probably know my way, to which I replied that I shall ask if I get lost. 2 steps later I am at my seat. Caroline approaches offering slippers, pyjamas, and male amenity kit within 10 seconds. Her Scottish accent has me drooling, but I compose myself and enquire whether I could instead opt for a ladies' version. Caroline suggests she will bring me that on AS WELL. I see we are gonna get along. Claire then approaches to take bring me a menu and a couple of minutes later to take my order. I duly chose from the menu (shown below) even though I wasn't planning to eat just yet, but Claire wanted to make sure I get my choice on everything.
Lovely Irish CSD, who recognised me from a previous flight, I just knew this was gonna be a good flight. IFE worked fine, seat was clean, headset worked fine, pashmina and slippers there. Only 1 negative thought about the boarding was when I was approached by a prick (now I wouldn't normally call people such names, but I noticed this couple during my brief stay in BA CCR Bar and thought they were horrible, the kind of entitled wanna-be-royalty treated on their once-a-year trip abroad. He also was very dismissive of his disabled wife on a wheelchair and I just didn't like him.) Anyway he approaches me, clearly seeing a young face. Opens with: 'Do you like 1A?' I resisted the urge and replied in a very mellow teasing manner 'I do, It's the best seat onboard and offers the best privacy' Gent: 'So do I. I usually sit here. You wouldn't ...' I interupted: 'I am sure you will enjoy 3F tonight.' He left me alone.
Flight:
I decided to go to sleep immediately after take off as I have just had a dinner in Singapore. Claire said it were not a problem and that I can have my dinner when I wake up. I woke up about 8:30 later over Turkey and enquired as to my dinner (I really dislike the breakfast offerings so this worked out really well). As I was getting hungry by now, and as I was hoping to eat sufficiently, I said to Claire I will have the order I made and whatever else she has left over, provided it doesn't infringe on her breakfast prep. She was delightful and at no point did she even suggest that she has 13 other breakfasts to dish out in about an hour. I spent the time whilst my dinner was cooking chatting with the SFO and Claire in the galley, the usual aviation stuff discussed. Claire then suggested she needs me seated so she can start bringing the food. So here comes the amouse-bouche, the beef soba started, the soup, the duck on rice (double portion), and both desserts (the banana cake with pear is really nice), and finally cheeses. I got stuffed. Did some work and before I realised we were ready to land. Really nice flight was head!
Amouse Bouche (BA12 Feb 2018)
Beef and soba starter (BA12 Feb 2018)
Pea and cheese croutons soup (BA12 Feb 2018)
Oriental duck with Jasmine rice (BA12 Feb 2018)
Left: Banana hot cake with pear and clotted cream Right: Trio of desserts (BA12 Feb 2018)
Landing:
Usual landing procedures were followed, small donation of various coins made, landing 20 min ahead of schedule. Unfortunately that meant the HKG and Lagos got in about the same time. As it happens Caroline and another crew members are headed as passengers to various EU places, and I am connecting, so I offer to guest them into CCR for a champagne breakfast with me, which they excitedly accept.
Arrivals experience:
Crowded train at 4:55 at terminal 5C meant I took the passages at level -4 for some exercise. Then a 50 min wait for my luggage (once again no priority whatsoever...). Back through first wing with my cabin crew to enjoy a light breakfast and chit chat in the Concorde room.
Overall judgement:
9/10
Feb 19, 2018, 3:39 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
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Posts: 32,146
Nice review, and glad that went well.
Personally I couldn't envisage being able to eat all that food at one sitting, but it all looked delicious [with the possible exception of the beef starter, which looks more like a main course already!]
Personally I couldn't envisage being able to eat all that food at one sitting, but it all looked delicious [with the possible exception of the beef starter, which looks more like a main course already!]
Feb 19, 2018, 4:20 am
#8
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Feb 19, 2018, 5:59 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
I've been pondering whether to do the same tonight, food wise. I always do it when flying out east, basically eat in the CCR then sleep and have lunch. The fact that I have a full work day tomorrow is making me re-consider, but we'll see how hungry I am when I get on board.
Feb 19, 2018, 6:15 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
I've been pondering whether to do the same tonight, food wise. I always do it when flying out east, basically eat in the CCR then sleep and have lunch. The fact that I have a full work day tomorrow is making me re-consider, but we'll see how hungry I am when I get on board.
Feb 19, 2018, 6:26 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,262
Thanks for posting! Can't believe someone would approach you and ask a seat change without a valid reason - not even to be near a loved one - but because it's their "normal seat" !
Also, last F back from SIN in F I waited almost an hour for bags which kept my pick up waiting - so did the crew.
Also, last F back from SIN in F I waited almost an hour for bags which kept my pick up waiting - so did the crew.