CryptKeeper

Got a really cheap deal on LHR-SIN-CHC for next summer. I will be flying Y. Just wondered what it is like on such longhaul routes? Ive never flown Y on such long flights. The LHR-SIN segment is on a 744 and SIN-CHC is a 777. Do all SQ planes have Krisworld? How does it compare to Virgin's V:PORT? Is there a 34" seat pitch on both the 777 and 747? Whats the best way to go about getting an exit row seat? Is there any other seats that have increased legroom?

The outbound leg will qualify me for *Silver (BMI) so would I have any chance of getting an op UG on the return leg? What is the food like in Y? Is there much of a selection or is it chicken of fish? Can you ask for snacks during the flight if you get hungry?

I take it you are free to roam Singapore airport and not stuck in a transit lounge? I heard there was a swimming pool? Is it simple enough to enter the country while in transit for a few hours?

Anyone got any more advice for travelling on SQ? Are these flights usually full in Y?

Thanks

deee

Upgrade. No chance with SQ. Unless you use miles that you have in your KrisFlyer account.

Do all SQ planes have Krisworld?

Yes all of the ones I have been on. The problem is that with the system a lot of seats have a large box under them, which restricts legroom.

http://www.seatexpert.com/

Will give you some ideas about seats.

Food

Have a look at this website.

http://airreview.members.beeb.net/Singapore/index.htm


This will give you all the information about Changi airport. What you can do depends on the time you have available.

http://www.changi.airport.com.sg/changi/index.jsp

Kiwi Flyer

AFAIK all the SQ flights to NZ have Wisemen 3000 AVOD. Do a search of IFE or Wisemen here or on www.singaporeair.com It is a great system with literally hundreds of movies, tv programs and games.

Seat pitch is quite a bit less than 34" (maybe you are thinking of NZ which does have 34" on 747s?).

Changi is the best airport to transit through, bar none. If your layover is more than 4 hours you may be able to go on a free city tour. Regardless there is plenty of things to see and do inside the airport (see links previous post).

Also if you can befriend someone to take you into SQ lounge as a guest then you can see for yourself why it is so special.

CryptKeeper

Thanks for the info. Seatexpert doesn't seem to work that well for the Y seats on 747s. Are those seats at the back where the plane starts to curve good?

Can I check in online with SQ? I dont have a Krisflyer account, but a BMI Diamond Club account.

Thanks again for everyones input.

zvezda

Ahead of you for an OpUp would be:
Lifetime PPS Solitaire
PPS Solitaire
PPS
KF Gold
*A Gold
KF Silver

I'm PPS and I've never had an OpUp on SQ, though it reportedly does happen on occasion. For *A Gold, I think the chances of an OpUp are lower than the chances of being invited to the lavatory by one of the Singapore Girls, though both are remote. For *A Silver, the chances of an OpUp are probably lower than the chances of the aircraft being hit by a meteor.

MAN Flyer

Definitely not 34" legroom on SQ 744, more like 32". 772ER has 34" I think, whatever it is, it's much more comfortable in Y.

Kiwi Flyer

No.

stargold

Well, you can always try the trick that I use (with success) -

1. Open KrisFlyer account
2. Ask SQ reservations to replace your BD number with SQ number
3. Log-on to SQ website in order to internet-checkin
4. Receive seat assignment (preferably the exit aisle )
5. Turn up at the airport, go to counter and ask them to change your number to BD again

The last part where you change the FFP number to BD has some room for things to go wrong, but as long as your boarding pass shows your BD number, you should be able to claim your miles with no problems.

Alawyer

Well, I was last upgraded to Raffles from Y from a very very busy MEL-SIN sometime ago this year. And the very fey looking Singapore Guy was being EXTREMELY generous with the wine and giving me an invitational wink. Figured it was very rude to be renewing my KF membership a mile high when my partner is snoozing in his spacebed.

But otherwise, yes, don't expect op upgrades or crew pickups. Ever. Ever.

Phone check-ins; do one when you land in SG. Internet check-ins sucks for SQ. I just checked in for my partner's ICN - SIN flight 46 hours away. ALL the aisle seats in the front from row 34 to 42 has already taken up.

CryptKeeper

Some interesting points here. I'd just like to point out that I haven't actually booked the flight yet. Ive just read that if you book on SQ's website you can check in online. Do they have a facility that lets you enter my BD FF number?

I think the SIN-CHC leg is on a 777 althought im not sure which variety. I will be travelling domestically from EDI-LHR the day before my proposed flight date from LHR-SIN. If I go to LHR T3 and check in when I arrive from EDI, would they likely allocate me an exit row seat if I request one?

Also, the SQ site says that snacks are available onboard at any time during longhaul flights. What sort of snacks is this?

Thanks again.

Kiwi Flyer

Yes you can enter the FF number on website booking. You set up a profile and can enter multiple FF # if you want and a default. At time of booking either accept default or enter new.

The NZ services are on the 2 class 777 (or 3 class 747).

Snacks are of chippie and choco bar variety. Can also get fresh fruit and drinks.

If for any reason you dont end up checking in online, you can check in for both sectors at LHR - no need to visit transit desk in SIN for BP.

MAN Flyer

Why don't you do BD from EDI to MAN then get SQ327, the 772ER non-stop to SIN ?. This runs daily except Tue and Thu (when it's the 744 via ZRH). If you're in Y it is much better than the 744 and it also avoids the hell-hole that is LHR.

Having said that, I see that Business Traveller magazine readers voted LHR the best Airport in Europe this week ?! .

Apparently there was audible gasps from the audience .

StarG

Agree with MAN Flyer. In my opinion, all 777 types beat the 747-400 in Y seat comfort.

CryptKeeper

I will take a look at the prices. Thanks for the info again guys.

How easy is it to request exit row seats if I use telephone check-in 48hrs in advance. Will they give it to me or are they reserved for special needs and *G?

stargold

Whilst Internet Checkin is available from most stations, I believe that Telephone Checkin is only available ex-SIN. I did succeed in getting seat assignments from other stations (but not 100%), but after a while I just started using the Internet Checkin.

Exit-rows are usually handled separately because people are actually able to make an advance request for them. So the reservations system "Assigns" unnumbered exit row seats to certain reservations, for which the tally is kept so that if someone cancels their reservation, it's available for release to others too.

It's therefore quite rare that exit rows are free (maybe one or two) by the time of checkin, because most would already have been assigned by then, through the advance requests. Bulkheads, however, don't seem to apply in this case so quite often, the bulkheads are available.

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Separate (small) Q to SQ experts:

Something strange happened on my reward ticket - obviously AC puts in my Aeroplan number in FQTR (redemption) because I booked the ticket with AC miles. But instead of the usual AC number, I got the SQ number displayed instead, which I have absolutely no memory of inputting separately into my reservation. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps when I updated my Krisflyer profile to include the AC number under "partner accumulation", the SQ Kriscom automatically linked the two numbers together... In any case, even without putting in the SQ number, I was able to use the internet checkin just through an AC reward ticket. Was it a one-off or is this usually the case?