DLATL777

Singapore Airlines Trip Report-Part 1-SFO-HKG-SIN

Well, the day was finally here. I had been waiting nearly 9 months for this moment, ever since placing that initial phone call to the Delta Partners Awards desk and securing 1 F seat on SQ1 SFO-HKG-SIN and SQ 12 SIN-NRT-LAX, respectively.

At the time of booking (as many of you already know) SQ1 and SQ12 were being operated by the 744. A few months ago, SQ switched SQ1 to the 77W with the brand new F seats. Since my seat was booked before the switch, and before the zeroing out of the award inventory, my reservation was honored in this brand new cabin. While I must admit that I was a bit disappointed at the time, I realized that these new seats were even nicer than those on the 744, and that this situation will afford me the unique experience of trying both the 77W and the 744 First Class offerings.

Prologue
A myriad of feelings begin to fill both the conscious and subconscious a week or so before departing on such a trip. Anxiousness and excitement help fuel dreams of unimaginable detail. From forgetting my passport, to my connecting Delta flights being cancelled, and even coming down with some rare form of illness not yet known to western medicine; These were all topics that filled some of the dreams that began the lead up to the biggest trip of my life thus far.

It begins; February 23rd, 2009.
Being a Monday morning, and not wanting to make the trek from Riverside, CA to Los Angeles at some ungodly hour in order to avoid the over caffeinated marathon that is early morning weekday traffic on I-10, I decided to book a room at the LAX Hilton the night before my 10:10am Delta flight to SLC. I chose a room on the executive floor which included breakfast and a king size bed, as I knew my HH Silver status was not going to afford an upgrade (I am more of a Priority Club person myself). I arrived at the hotel at about 9:30pm and was in my room by 9:45. The room was sufficient for a one night stay, but I was not impressed with the size of the bathroom, the water pressure, or the lack of consistent AC and heating (the air vent, although presenting the options of Cold and Hot, was blowing only the “house” air). I should mention it was warm in the room when I arrived, and having one of the fastest metabolisms of people I know, I tend to sweat as though I had played every minute in the 4th quarter of an NBA finals game. For $200.00 plus a night, Hilton can do better.

As is typical the night before any big trip, I attempt sleep, but typically settle for an unconscious state that I hesitate to refer to as sleep. I awake before my 730am alarm and I gradually got out of bed, took a (just sufficient enough) shower, got some breakfast in the executive lounge (adequate, but nothing to send a letter home about), and left the hotel room, not knowing exactly how many hours it would be until I found myself in a stationary bed again. The hotel shuttle (which is advertised as running about every 20 minutes) happened to be waiting right when I got curbside, and by 9pm I was waiting in the FC check in line at Delta’s home at LAX, terminal 5. Airside by 9:10pm, I proceeded to the CRC room. Knowing that technically (love this word with Delta, taken with some salt) I was not allowed into the CRC on this domestic portion of my location to the SQ gateway, with a quick show of my PM card and some nice conversion, the agent had no problem letting me in. Boarding was called promptly at 9:40am and I made my way to the gate.

Flight #1: DL1176_ LAX-SLC
Seat: 2A
Cabin: First
Equipment: MD-90
Actual flight time: 1hour 13 minutes
Load in F: 100%
Load in Y: 100%

No need to really go into this flight at all. Typically short domestic hop over to SLC. Arrived on time and made my way to the CRC in SLC.

I attempted the same strategy as I had in LAX in order to gain access, this time it was granted under the pretense of “Just this once, now.” I had about 2 hours until my next flight was due to depart, so I spent some time surfing the internet, getting a quick shoeshine, and attending to some other personal matters. As I was seated in the lounge, I noticed that most of the SFO bound flights were taking delays today, one of substantial length. A quick check of the weather revealed the massive storm front that had been pounding the pacific states since Saturday was still very much in tact. When it came time for my flight to board, a quick check of the departure board said nothing of a delay, so I packed my things and headed off to the gate, unsure of exactly what to expect.

Flight #2: DL5737_ SLC-SFO
Seat: 2A
Cabin: First
Equipment: CRJ-900 operated by Masaeba.
Actual flight time: 2 hours 3 minutes
Load in F: 100%
Load in Y: 60%

We boarded on time and I was surprised as it seemed as though we were destined for an on time departure. My hopes were dashed minutes later as the captain got on the horn and announced inbound traffic management would cause us a 30 minute delay into SFO. Not really concerned (I had 8 hours to kill), I put on the ol’ bose headset and tried to do anything to take my mind off just what would happen if we never made it to SFO. (Note: My anxiousness was not helped by the fact that earlier that day I had checked the status for this flight over the last 2 days and saw that it was cancelled…both days).

This was not to be the case today, and right at about 30 minutes behind schedule, we pushed back and headed off to SFO.

As is per the norm, nothing truly notable about this flight either, except for the very strange approach we took into SFO; going way out over the pacific, crossing the golden gate bridge (had a chuckle at the wording here), and making a hard right on our way to touchdown. We landed about 40 minutes late and I quickly made my way to the Aitrain, down to Bart, over to Caltrain, and down the Peninsula to one of my favorite restaurants located a block from the train station in Menlo Park, CA.

I finished dinner at about 8:30pm, and had the hostess call me a cab for SFO. I could have just as easily taken the reverse of my routing to the restaurant, but it had started to rain, and the thought of waiting out in the rain for a train, twice, didn’t sound too appealing (Ah yes SQ, you see, you not only encourage spoiled attitudes in the air, but also in the hours leading up to your flights. Shame, shame on you).Within minutes the cab arrived, and I was off to SFO to finally begin the main event.

And the main event: February 24th, 2009. SQ1 SFO-HKG-SIN.
Flight #3: SQ1 SFO-HKG-SIN
Seat: 2A
Cabin: First
Equipment: 77W (777-300ER)
Actual flight time: 14 hours 53 minutes
Load in F: 5/8 taken
Load in J: 85%
Load in Y: Absolutely no Idea

I arrived at the airport in plenty of time and made my way to SQ First Class check in. With no one in line, I had my red FC boarding pass and was on my way airside within 5 minutes. After clearing security, I made the hard right and proceeded past the UA red carpet lounge and into the SKL. I was directed to the smaller “First Class” section on the left hand side. I immediately inquired about a shower and was told the room was ready. Relieved, and desperately needing a shower, I took out a change of clothes and proceeded into the shower room.

First Class side of the SKL in SFO:


Shower room: Okay, so, whoever mentioned on FT that it takes FOREVER for the hot water, they would be accurate. It took about 10 minutes of constantly running water for it to get hot. Then, once it gets hot, it stays hot. The shower was nice, not amazing; certainly sufficient (I seem to reach for this word a lot in the first part of report…you will notice I don’t do it much from this point forward : ) ).for what I needed it for.

Feeling refreshed, I decided to take a quick walk down the boarding gate just to try and catch a glimpse of the big girl. While it wasn’t the best visual, I did manage to get a nice view of my 77W awaiting her long flight to HKG. I returned to the lounge with about 30 minutes left before boarding. Promptly at 11:15pm, 50 minutes before scheduled departure, boarding was announced and I made my way to the gate. When I arrived I was told that we were not quite ready to board. I mentioned to this particular GA that the lounge dragon (did not use that wording, specifically) had announced boarding. Seeing my red BP, he quickly turned around and asked one of his coworkers something in Chinese. When he turned back to me, all he said was “Right this way, Sir” and lead me up to the front of the First/Business Class boarding line. My BP was torn (hated this), I was handed the little red stub, and the doors were opened, inviting me to make my way down the steps and into the SQ First Class experience.

Upon entering the door, the lead FA took my boarding pass (stub) and lead me to my seat. As soon as I entered the cabin, I knew I was in for the experience of my lifetime. He showed me to seat 2A and told me to enjoy the flight. 30 seconds later a female SQ girl arrived and asked how I would like to be addressed, “Mr. DLATL777” I told her. With a smile, she repeated my name, and asked if I would like some Dom Perignon. Needless to say, I obliged. As she left, I sat in amazement and what I had below me, in front of me, next to me…you get the idea. Never in my life had I seen or experienced this level of sheer luxury, opulence, beauty, and efficient usability of space all in one place. The seat itself was just massive. I made the comment to my friend that I could have easily fit 3 of me side by side in this seat, and still not feel cramped. The TV screen was absolutely huge. Rather then just ramble, I have organized my thoughts into break-downs of specific aspects of the cabin.

Glass of Dom and FC on SQ, what else do you need?


Seat:


Bathroom:


Menu:



Flight:



Routing:



KrisWorld entertainment options:



Seat Controls:



Mood lighting in F:



Seat:
By far, better then any single First Class seat I have ever flown in. Now, to say that requires a bit of explanation on my part. I have only flown TRUE international first class twice prior to this, and that was UA to Sydney about 8 years ago. All my other experiences have been in Business or whatever cabin the particular US carrier feels like calling their premier service. So, let’s make the statement a bit more accurate and say the best seat I have ever sat in. Their, as easy said as done.

The sheer size of the seat is what was astounding. I did find that it was hard to get comfortable if one sat directly in the middle of the seat. It was just too wide and you almost had to lean over to rest your arms on the side. I found the best way to deal with this was to position myself on one side of the seat, so that I leaned my arms on one side (I generally chose the window side, of course). KrisWorld and the controls for the seat also were very well designed and worked flawlessly. Both seat, screen, and entire area were immaculate.

In sleeping mode, yea, this is where the true differences are noticed. It was as though I were sleeping on an incredibly comfortable double-sized bed. I will refrain from saying it was the most comfortable double bed I have ever slept on, as the only real comparison I could manifest was that of a dorm room. The seat does have to be manually folded down by the FA, but it is not much of a problem. Just ask before you go in to change into your SQ PJ’s and they will be happy to oblige before you get back.

I did not use the seat much in lounge mode to be honest. I spent the majority of my time when awake probably reclined a few inches and having the leg rest up.

Lighting: Well, the 77W does have the mood lighting, and it is very soothing. No complaints here. The personal lighting on the seat was also more then one really needed (as forewarned, no mention of mere sufficiency here!), with 2 lights on either side of the seat (which, looking back, is necessary for such a wide seat) and one bright overhead light above.

Food: What can I say, I’m glad it was vacation. I ate like a king. It took nearly 2 hours to finish the meal itself, and that was with pretty much constant consumption. (Note: New idea, on flight memory we need a MSE (Minutes/Miles? Spent Eating) chart, I have a suspicion SQ would always top it).

Amenity Kits/PJ’s: Ferragamo amenity kits; having lived in Italy, this made me feel a bit at home. Very nice and very high quality ratings for both of these.

Back to the Flight:
After a few glasses of Dom and a long boarding procedure, we pushed back 5 minutes behind schedule, about the time that mother nature decided to try everything in her power to make sure SFO was underwater by daybreak. It truly rained harder then I have seen in quite sometime. Surprisingly, we began our roll as soon as we got pushed back, without mention of delay. Unsurprisingly, we soon sat for 15 minutes. When SFO felt we had served enough of a time out, it appeared that SFO control decided to change the departure run-way. We then had to taxi the entire length of the airport to get over the other runways, which took us about 25 minutes. 3 planes (including the DL SFO-ATL red eye) were already waiting, but we came up the opposite side and were allowed to go ahead. What a powerful, loud, take off. Take off itself was quite a site, as water poured from ever single inch of the plane as we began our roll. Once air born, it took only 5 minutes to get above the clouds. The second we broke through the clouds the captain turned the seatbelt sign off (thanks SQ, I love you already) and within 10 seconds (yes, I timed them) the FA’s (or how about the Singapore Girls) had all four curtains latched and were straight back into the galley to prepare for dinner.


Dinner:

First Course


Second Course, My Book the Cook Lobster Thermador (Unbelievable!):


Dessert:



After dinner I decided it was time for bed. I went into the bathroom to change into my size M PJ’s and asked if the SG’s wouldn’t mind making up my bed. The lead male FA, dressed in a nice suite and carrying the SQ nametag (I later noticed this is the norm on SQ) made my bed for me and it was ready when I returned from the bathroom.
Asked for a glass of water (and take note DL: a GLASS of water, although thank you so much for the reminder that the Dasani mini-bottle is located in front of my face), popped
a sleeping pill, and was soon off to la-la land.

Bed in Sleep Mode:




I slept a good solid 5 hours. I tried to get more sleep, but excitement was keeping me awake. I watched a few movies, did a bit of work on this report, and decided to skip the mid-flight meal. Breakfast time came all too soon and I had the works:

First Course.


Second Course.


Sunrise over the pacific:


Sunrise over the seat(ha):


Sunrise in the cabin(I’m sensing a trend here):


With about 14 hours behind us, the captain came on the horn and let us know we would soon be beginning our (behind schedule) decent into HKG. I realized the longest flight of the trip was soon ending, and I grew slight disappointed. I think this is about the time I pulled out my dictionary to insure that under insanity there was no mention of being disappointed in flights that failed to amount to more then 16 hours. Okay, good, nothing there.

Almost in Hong Kong:



We landed in Hong Kong almost 45 minutes behind schedule. I had mentioned to the FA over 5 hours before landing if I would be able to take a quick shower in the F lounge at HKG before returning for the remaining leg to SIN. He said he didn’t think so. Well, as soon as we landed and the door opened, he rushed back to me saying “Mr.DLATL777, I have spoken with ground crew and they will let you take a shower in the lounge. Enjoy.” Surprised but thankful, I grabbed my things and hurried through transit customs and up to the lounge. The lounge dragon saw my boarding pass and got a funny, concerned look on her face. She said in a very discouraging tone, “I’m sorry Mr.DLATL777, but the light in the shower room is flickering, is that going to be okay for your shower?.” Feeling a sigh of a relief, fearing from her initial reaction that my onward flight might be cancelled or something of equal severity, I smiled, told her that was fine, and she escorted me through the F lounge to the shower room.

First Class shower room in the SKL at HKG:


First Class food spread in the SKL at HKG:



February 25th, 2009.
Flight #4: SQ1 HKG-SIN
Seat: 2A
Cabin: First
Equipment: 77W (777-300ER)
Actual flight time: 3 hours 18 minutes
Load in F: 6/8 taken
Load in J: 85%
Load in Y: Absolutely no Idea again

After a refreshing shower, I was no sooner out of the room when boarding was announced. I made my way back to the 77W and was greeted by the new crew with a “Welcome back Mr.DLATL777.” Now, here is time for my ONLY complaint on these flights: The meal from HKG-SIN is the EXACT same as the breakfast served on the initial flight in from SFO. So, this meant no lunch today. A bit disappointed, I requested some coffee, fruit, and a croissant in order to keep me feeling full (stuffed).


The big girl getting ready for her onward flight to SIN:




Second breakfast:


Working on this report:


On Approach to Singapore:




Singapore A380:




The flight was uneventful and before I knew it we were landing in SIN. I thanked the cabin crew for all their help, and made my way into Changhi international. The funniest thing about SIN (this was my first time through), and I will tell you this is what stood out to me first, is that there is no “international terminal” per say, I don’t think it would be possible to have a domestic Singapore flight. For this reason, you can come right off the plane and into the concourse if you have a connecting flight. Makes this process extremely quick and easy, and as I had a 4 hour layover before my flight to DPS, I was thankful.

Thanks SQ: SIN-DPS back up in J
Now, here is where things got interesting. Megatoplover has written and others have experienced the problem with obtaining intra-Asia business class through the DL awards. My ticket was no exception and both legs of my Indonesia flights were in whY. But, as Megatoplover has discussed, he has found that some ticketing agents in the SKL’s will actually clear you into J. It is vital however to have DL put a notation in your PNR stating that ample miles were withdrawn for F. Backed with the knowledge and confidence (I think this is often key with dealing with the airlines) I proceeded to the SKL located in my next departing Terminal; 2. When I arrived, I immediately showed the lounge dragons (they sure do guard the lounge like dragons in SIN) my inbound F boarding pass. For those that don’t know, SQ only uses lounges for departing purposes. Because of this, I was merely showing my boarding pass for purposes of credibility. They saw it, and reacted as though I had just taken out a blank sheet of paper, asking me immediately for my outbound boarding pass. As I was taking this out, I explained to them situation, making sure to say the entire story before letting them see the green “Economy Class” boarding pass. I also made sure to use sayings like “waitlisted for business class”, “Spoke to SQ”, “Problem, need to see ticketing agent” in order to help things along. After a bit of further explaining, it was clear that either the dragon wanted to get this fixed for me, or had just had enough of me. Either way, I was then led to the ticketing agents in the SKL.

To make a long story short, I explained the situation one more time, and within 5 minutes had a confirmed business class seat SIN-DPS. They even let me use the First Class side of the lounge. I asked whether they could do something about the return leg from DPS, they said no, but that they would be sure to put a note in their for me. I had 3 hours left before my flight and I knew what I needed to do; Shower, then to the nap room. The lounge itself was very nice, and I enjoyed the fish tanks, free wifi, and large food selection. The showers were also plentiful and immaculate. The rest rooms, eh, they were okay. The nap room chairs were not the most comfortable and I spent the majority of my time in there relaxing and playing solitaire on my Iphone.

First Class SKL, Terminal 2 shower room:


First Class SKL, lounge and food spread:

DLATL777

The shorter hops mid-trip. SIN-DPS-SIN and SIN-KUL-SIN in J

February 25th, 2009.
Flight #5: SQ947 SIN-DPS
Seat: 14A
Cabin: Business
Equipment: 772 (777-200)
Actual flight time: 2hours 14 minutes
Load in J: 40%
Load in Y: 85-90%

Uneventful flight. Light meal was served and we were on time. The seats were the old style business seats and were fine for such a short flight. With that, I was soon in Bali. The next 2 days were all about R and R.

Crossing the equator enroure to Bali.



Conrad Resort and Spa in Bali:


Sunset at DPS:



February 27th, 2009
Flight #6: SQ946 DPS-SIN
Seat: 14A
Cabin: Business
Equipment: 772 (777-200)
Actual flying time: 2hours 8 minutes
Load in J: 70%
Load in Y: 85-90%

The most incredible thing about this day was the fact that I managed to talk the ticketing agent in DPS to put me in J. I was very surprised this worked, as other have reported that in DPS they couldn’t care less. It did take a lot longer then in SIN, and more phone calls were made, but in the end I am glad I did it. The lounge in DPS was very nice (minus the bathroom facilities), with the most beautiful observation deck looking out over the ocean. Note to others: Make sure you have your inbound J boarding pass handy in DPS if you are in a similar situation. When I showed this to the ticketing agent, it seemed to speed things along.

First Class lounge at DPS:


Flight itself was same as the one 2 days earlier, besides being a little more crowded. Arrived on-time, cleared customs within minutes, and was in my Mercedes Taxi bound for the Intercontinental Singapore within 20 minutes of disembarkation.

March 1st, 2009.
Flight #7: MI334 (SilkAir) SIN-KUL
Seat: 3A
Cabin: Business
Equipment: Airbus A320-100
Actual flying time: 34 minutes
Load in J: all but 3 taken
Load in Y: 95%

Normal, short flight. I am still impressed the crew is able to get a meal out on these short hops.

Petronas Towers in KL:



Flight #8: SQ KUL-SIN ***Brand new A330-300 Cabin****
Seat: 14A
Cabin: Business
Equipment: Airbus A330-300
Actual flying to: 42 minutes
Load in J: 90%
Load in Y: Close to 100%

After a full day sightseeing in KUL, I headed back to the airport, got checked in, and made my way to the abysmal SKL lounge in KUL. There is not much of anything there, and I actually ended up leaving to go eat somewhere else.

The flight back was in the brand new A330-300 J cabin, and while 42 minutes isn’t exactly enough time to savor the experience, I must say these seats are very comfortable; Probably one of the most comfortable business class seats I have ever been in (now this comment doesn’t not need any further validation or explanation). I have included some pictures:

A330-300 Bathroom:


A330-300 Seats:

DLATL777

March 2, 2009.
Flight #9: SQ12 SIN-NRT
Seat: 2A (Switched to 2F)
Cabin: First
Equipment: 744(747-400)
Actual flight time: 5hours 54 minutes
Load in F: 50% 6/12
Load in J: 100%
Load in Y: Absolutely no Idea….again

The day began with a 6am wakeup call. I gathered my things and made my way down to the lobby where my requested Mercedes was awaiting me for my short drive to Changi international one more time. When I arrived at the First Class specific check in area, I was greeted by 3 lovely Singapore airlines employees, my luggage was taken, and I was escorted into the check in area. The room was very nice and if I had to wait to be checked in for some reason, I would certainly be fine doing it in this room. Just for the heck of it, I thought I would ask if they could put me back on the same flight I came in one (honestly, to see if they would do it). They said they would take care of everything and I had a seat in one of the many plush lounge chairs in the check in area. As expected, 5 minutes later, the agent checking me in came over and very apologetically told me it couldn’t be done since this was an award ticket. Not surprised, I thanked him for looking. From here, I had my boarding pass within 5 minutes and made my way through the private first class security and customs check. Once cleared, I headed straight up the stairs and into the beautiful T3 First Class lounge. It was busy this morning, but the lounge is so big it did not seem that way. I sat down at the cook to order station and had an omelet for breakfast. After breakfast I checked out the beautiful shower facilities (and by check out, I mean I couldn’t resist another shower), and sat down to watch some football before heading down to the gate. I must say, this was the best SKL I have been in. To you SKL experts, this is the best one, isn’t it?

I also noticed the room labeled “Private Room” in the back that had a few passengers with escorts being lead in there. I asked about it and was told this was by invitation only. Again to the SKL experts, is this room for Suites and Full Fares only?

With my gate being waaaayyyy down at the other end of the A gates, I left myself plenty of time and headed down to the gate about 50 minutes prior to departure. When I got to the gate boarding was already in full swing so I just joined the masses (even on the J/F side), and proceeded on board. I then had the privilege of stepping on board my first SQ 744, and in F!

The flight itself:
The lead SG came over to me, looked at my boarding pass, again addressing me by name and lead me upfront to seat 2A. After taking my coat and stowing my things, I began to get a feel for the cabin. The cabin, while very spacious, was certainly not as private or as nice as on the 77W. It also felt a little bit worn, with scratches on some of the screen, some of the wood was chipped, and some of the overhead panels were beginning to droop. The bathroom also has nothing on the 77W. But what am I complaining about, I am in the nose of a 744! At 10:00am I declined the Krug/Dom, but did have a nice glass of orange juice as I watched the masses continue to file into the plane through the jet bridge. As I waited, I decided to go ahead and turn on the KrisWorld flight tracker, as I like having this on during takeoff. As soon as I touched the remote, I knew there was going to be a problem. The screen started flickering and the remote seemed very sluggish. Noting the cabin only had 6/12 seats occupied, and the identical seat on the other window side (2F) being open, I decided I would probably just switch after take off.

Boarding completed right on time and we made our short taxi over to the runway. We were just about to head over the waiting line when we stopped suddenly and sat for over 10 minutes. The pilot came on the horn to let us know that reason we had stopped was due to “other aircraft operations in the area” whatever that meant. A few minutes later we passed over the line to the active, throttled up with no delay, and airborn less then a minute later. As I did with the first flight, I will break-down the key observations.

Seats in First Class cabin on the 744:




Seat in Lounge Position:


My Seat:



First Class cabin on the 744:



Seat: Very comfortable, certainly the 2nd most comfortable F seat I have ever been in (behind the one a week ago, of course). The space was fine, I would say it lacks about 1/3 of width on the 77W seat however. The recline position was comfortable, as was the sleeping position. With the mattress pad down, comfort wise I felt very little different between the 744 F seat and that on the 77W. The biggest surmountable different was the width. The width on the 77W was unbelievable and the 744 was not wide enough for me to curl my legs when sleeping on my side (I’m 6’1) while the 77W allowed me to do this comfortably.

Food: Same as SQ1, perfect, and filling.

Cabin crew: Amazing, only behind the initial SIN-HKG crew.

Amenity kits: Surprising also Ferragamo, also with the same Givenchy PJ’s as handed out on SQ1.

Complaints: My only complaints were with my initial seats IFE not working (which would have been a bigger problem had the cabin not been so empty), and that the bathrooms are located right between J and F as is typical on the 744. The problem is that while these bathrooms are labeled “F Only” this was not enforced and J passengers would often just come up and use them anyway. This was very different then on the 77W where the bathroom was located in the very forward galley area and was used by no more then 3 people (the 3 of us on the left 3 seats in the F cabin) the entire flight.


Back to the flight:
10 minutes after take off the lead SG came over and knelt beside me to confirm that my BTC 8oz steak had been loaded. As she was leaving, I drew her attention to the screen not working. A very worried look came over her face and she vowed to fix it immediately. After about 5 minutes (and apparently having re-set it manually through the system) she returned to see if the system had fixed itself. Seeing it had not, she was quick to ask if I wouldn’t mind moving to 2F. Having already expected this, I was ready to go and moved my things over there. 2 things that impressed me immensely then happened. The first was that the lead male FA came over to me, addressed me by name, and apologized profusely for the seat malfunctioning, saying it was “embarrassing” and “unacceptable”. I thanked him and he returned to the galley area. 5 minutes later the lead SG came back over to my seat and asked me if my new seat was fine. When I said yes, she replied that she will send a message to the ground staff at NRT to not only block seat 2A, but also to insure I had this seat the entire way to LAX, so as not to “inconvenience” me in anyway by having to move to another seat in the massive F cabin : ). I thanked her and she too returned to the galley.

After this they began what I thought was lunch:
Starter:


But apparently not. This was the strange thing about this flight. They did not start the one lunch meal service on this flight to NRT until almost an hour and a half into the flight. I had intentionally not eaten since breakfast and was quite hungry, so the wait seemed longer then it actually was. Finally, my table was set and the meal commenced.

Glass of White with a view:



Course 1 (served about an hour later):


Course 2:



Course 3: My 8oz Filet


After lunch I worked a bit more on this report and before I knew it we soon began our accent into NRT. As we taxied to the gate, I noticed a DL 757 in the parking area near the east end of the runway. I assume this is just a NW plane in DL colors?

DL Plane:


As I deplaned, I thanked the cabin crew and made my way towards transit security. Before I reached security, I rounded the corner to a sign with my name on it and a mention of SQ12. I looked at her and gave her a sort of smile, indicating the passenger in question was myself. “Mr.DLATL777, we received the air message about your seat. Here is your next boarding pass, I am so sorry for the inconvenience, and have a pleasant flight. The ANA first class lounge is right around the corner from security on the left.” You did it again SQ, you did it again!

After clearing security I rounded the corner and headed into the very nice ANA F lounge that SQ lets it’s passengers have access. I showed by BP and was led into the lounge where my drink order was taken. I opted to just have a beer and a bit of sushi as I did not want to spoil my next meal.

My 744 taking fuel/supplies during short layover in NRT:


30 minutes later, boarding was recalled and I made my way back to SQ12 for the final leg, and the final flight for this trip, on SQ. Again, upon entering the flight, I was greeted with a welcome back and lead to my seat. This time I did opt for a few glasses of Dom and enjoyed what was left of sunset as we continued to board. Push back was right on time and a short taxi later we were airborne over Japan and heading for the (normally) turbulent air of the north pacific.

About 30 minutes after take-off, dinner began:

Course 1:


Course 2:



Course 3: My BTC Sea Bass


Course 4:


After dinner I opted for a Baileys on the rocks and finished up what was left of “Slumdog Millionaire" before changing into my PJ’s and having my bed made up.

Bed made up in sleep position:


I slept for probably 2 hours as it was quite turbulent across the north pacific tonight, and I was awoken by the lead SG with exactly 2 hours left in the flight for breakfast. Still feeling full from the massive dinner, I decided I would commit to stuff myself as it would be sometime before I would find myself again in SQ F.

Course 1:


Course 2:



Just as I completed breakfast, our decent began into Los Angeles. After freshening up in the bathroom, I return to my seat and road out the rest of the flight in silence, just reflecting on my trip and on the whole experience itself. Touchdown in LA was 5 minutes early and we were soon at the gate, and all too soon the SQ First Class experience would have to come to an end.

Rant: Okay, so as we were landing a thought came to my mind. After experiencing such great airport handling, whether it be NRT, KUL, or SIN, every international airport I had been to on this trip, or even recently with other airlines, (DXB, PVG, etc), they always handled the jet bridge correctly; hooking the first ramp up to L1 for F/J and the second one towards the rear for whY passengers. The pessimistic thought that popped into my head was watch LA screw that up. Sure enough, as though they had heard me through the air, LA was ready to drop the ball. As we were pulled in, the women working the first jetway (which I watched in utter astonishment through the window) acted as though she had never operated a jetway before…let alone anything with a mechanical aspect to it. She had the thing going all over the place, and never getting any closer to our door. The FA’s in F were equally astonished and felt quite embarrassed. Willing to give the woman the benefit of the doubt, I assumed there was a problem with the jetbridge. Well, within 3 minutes she had made no progress and I could hear the scurry of passengers through the closed curtain in J, signifying that the rear door was already open. A bit annoyed, as I had a very close connecting train (can I even say that on here when referring to one from a plane to train?) I needed to catch over at Union Station, I began to head back towards J. Just for the heck of it, I decided to look over my shoulder to see how ms. Jetbridge was doing with the wild bull. What I saw didn’t help matters. She had been removed by another women, who had quickly put the jetbridge in the correct position, and just about the time everyone in J was already out, L1 was opened…..come on LAX, seriously? Apologetically the FA’s stepped out of the way and offered us in FC to use the door. I thanked them for a great flight and headed into the bowels (literally, this construction is not going quick enough) that is Tom Bradley international terminal at LAX.

Reflection:
What an experience. All I have to say. SQ really does set the bar for premium international travel. I have not experienced CX or EK in F, I hear they are also quite good, but SQ has certainly accomplished its goal in setting the bar extremely high. For every one of the SQ employees, to the ground staff, to the Singapore Girls, to the other FA’s onboard, I have to thank all of you for making these the greatest trips of my life, and continuing (furthering) my love for air travel.

Thanks all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

matthandy

Bloody great report!
Thanks for posting this. Looks like you had a fantastic time.
I'm very jealous of all you lucky people that get the chance to travel in F. Only J for me so far. Was amazed to see the size of the F bed on the 777, looks absolutely massive, no excuses for not getting a good night's sleep.

Hopefully you'll have more F class travels in the future to write about....I'll look forward to reading about them.

broadwayboy

GREAT REPORT! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Two questions, please...

"Now, here is where things got interesting. Megatoplover has written and others have experienced the problem with obtaining intra-Asia business class through the DL awards. My ticket was no exception and both legs of my Indonesia flights were in whY. But, as Megatoplover has discussed, he has found that some ticketing agents in the SKL’s will actually clear you into J. It is vital however to have DL put a notation in your PNR stating that ample miles were withdrawn for F"

I have JFK-LAX-SIN-DPS-SIN-LAX-JFK soon and when I called DL twice to have my PNR noted that I am redeeming F for this award (for the SIN-DPS-SIN portion), none of the agents knew what to do. "You're redeeming F award already. What other notation do you need?"

How did you ask the agent to put additional notation in the PNR?

When you checked in at DL counter in LAX, were they able to issue all SQ boarding passes and interline your checked luggage all the way to DPS?

anaggie

did you get PJ's on the SQ12 flight? I am asking that since this is a day flight, I do not know if SQ will hand out PJ's.

lucky9876coins

Beautiful report with great pictures! Sounds like an incredible experience.

DLATL777

I actually got 2 different set of PJ's on SQ 12. One for the SIN-NRT leg and one for the NRT-LAX leg.

ylwae

HKG-SIN is supposed to be brunch (and not breakfast), so shouldn't have exactly the same menu choices as SFO-HKG. I wouldn't be surprised if there are many similarities, especially with the egg dishes.

The Private Room is generally limited to paid F or R passengers.

Interesting report--glad you enjoyed your first real F experience .

alpineadventures

I think this is the plane DL/NW uses for the NRT to BKK route as it is now a 757

DLATL777

Ask them specifically to place a note in the PNR that enough miles were withdrawn for First Class. That should be enough. If they give you trouble, tell them that a coworkers of yours or someone you know were allowed into business class by SQ cause a similar note was in their PNR.

I did not check baggage, and because my layover in SFO was 8 hours, the option to check in through to DPS was not there (further, I didn't want to even if I had check baggage as I wanted to get the proper Red FC BP for SQ )

EK_Flyer

Thanks for the TR Enjoyed reading it and the pictures were great !

And yeah I love the Red F BPs too although all of mine are usually EK's

Must try SQ once ...

Cheers,

Nick C

Great TR! Enjoyed reading it. Have got to try F one of these days. Been collecting blue and green BPs maybe I should add a red one to the collection.

aSiAnRiCk

Wow! Great report and pictures! ^

Can you tell me if the same crew from SIN-NRT also worked the NRT-LAX segment?

Flyingfox

Very nice report and pictures.

I do find it especially ANNOYING when the crew "decide" to close all the window shades on day flights - why on earth do they do this? Do they want passengers to sleep so they'll have less bother?
I see that on your SIN-NRT SQ 12 they did it. They should leave the windows open. I know that I will keep mine open and tell them that I prefer it open because I do not want to disrupt my sleep cycle (especially relevant if you are disembarking at Narita!).