jacob_m

3.30 am and my alarm clock went off, a new day and a couple of more flights coming up.
For the first time I was actually quite happy my body had still not fully adjusted to any particular time zone and I managed to fall asleep at 9 pm the night before departure.

After a quick shower and some last packing I was down at the lobby at 4 am where I had pre-arranged an airport transfer. The bill was settled and we were off a few minutes later.
Although I absolutely hate early mornings the early departure was a major advantage in Colombo. When there is no traffic (as at 4 am) the ride to the airport can be done in 45 minutes, during the day it can take twice that time.
In fact the driver kept a good speed and we made it to the airport in just 35 minutes.

I was very happy with my stay in Colombo, it was a bit overwhelming at first, but turned better the second day. Especially the spicy food is memorable.
However today I was very excited as I had in particular two very nice flights coming up during the day.

Check-in at Colombo Bandaranayke airport



At the entrance to the terminal travel documents are checked followed by x-ray of all luggage and metal detectors for all passengers.
Although 5 am is rush hour for departures at Colombo airport it all went reasonably fast. After the security check there was a long corridor leading to the actual departure hall, which was spotless and modern.
A last check of my travel documents and I was allowed inside the check-in area.

There were two business class check-in desks at the very end of the SriLankan check-in area, only one was manned. The young check-in agent was busy checking in a woman in a wheelchair, but two minutes later it was my turn.
Economy class check-in on the other hand was very crowded.

The check-in process was very swift. My luggage was through-checked just like I wanted it and a SriLankan priority tag was attached, however she could only issue a boarding pass for the first flight to Kuala Lumpur.

I also received an invitation to the SriLankan Serendib lounge in the transit hall.

A departure card had to be completed before passing passport control (which was pretty much empty as most passengers were queuing for the check-in desks).

Pics
SriLankan business class check-in

SriLankan Serendib Lounge, Colombo





The SriLankan lounge, called the Serendib lounge, was located right in the centre of the transit hall.
The entrance is very discreet and I am sure most people who pass don’t take much notice of it. There is just a small sign saying it’s the SriLankan business class lounge and that entry is by invitation only.

The lounge was a thoroughly positive surprise, not at all what I had expected! ^

It is a spotless modern lounge, it has a fantastic apron view, it has some very comfortable armchairs, and it has a superb and very extensive selection of food and drinks.
As I said, not at all what I had expected...

The lounge was completely empty when I arrived and the staff was busy preparing the self-service area with the breakfast buffet.
The selection was very extensive. In the morning they had fresh fruits, vegetables, different garnishes, French cheeses, cereals, a nice selection of bread rolls, toast and a decent selection of freshly-made pastries.
Definitely comparable to a continental hotel breakfast buffet!

The drinks selection was also fantastic. A superb selection of soft drinks, beer, spirits and even proper champagne for self-service (can’t remember the brand).
The only negative is that the coffee machine was broken, so we had to survive with Nescafe instant coffee.

Since I had not eaten anything yet I made myself a proper breakfast and had a seat by the large panorama windows to enjoy the great view of the apron and the sunset.
There was also free WIFI so I could check my e-mails.

A few more passengers arrived a few minutes after me, but the lounge was never even close to crowded.
I left the lounge around an hour for departure to stretch my legs a bit before the flight.

Pics
The entrance to the SriLankan lounge, very discreet!
Entry is by invitation only
And here is my lounge invitation
Inside the lounge
Excellent view through the panorama windows
Several TVs to enjoy
Superb selection of drinks
Decent selection of spirits
Fresh fruits, cheese and vegetables
Excellent selection of bread rolls, toast, cereals and pastries
I just love the view
Some more SriLankan aircrafts parked at a remote stand

Colombo airport





Colombo airport is surprisingly nice. The main transit hall is slightly older, but it is connected to a new departure pier with all the departure gates which is a spotless and supermodern place.

I exchanged my last rupees and then had a walk around the transit hall.
I think they used to be very strict about taking photos at the airport (at least in the past), so I was very discreet. However in the transit hall I saw some people openly taking photos, and the airport staff did not care whatsoever, so I guess that part has relaxed a bit.

Pics
The modern transit hall
Departure board
The sun is rising for a new day of flying
The very modern departure pier, not what I had expected...

Boarding



Boarding took place at gate 9, at the far end of the departure pier. At the entrance there was a security check which was shared with a flight to Chennai.
Many passengers, especially on the Chennai-flight, seemed very inexperience with airport procedures so the security check was slow.

Boarding was announced around 25 minutes before departure and was done by seat rows.
No mention of priority boarding for business class but I boarded anyway as I wanted to take some photos of the cabin before it got too crowded.
I think most business class passengers stayed in the lounge until very last minute.

I was greeted onboard and directed to my seat by a very friendly crew (in very nice uniforms!).
Business class consisted of three rows with a 2-2-2 configuration. The seats were in a bright blue colour, reasonably comfortable, but older recliner seats.
As usual I had pre-booked 02K for the flight, which was possible to do on the SriLankan website.

I was offered a pre-departure drink, a choice between orange juice, water, melon water and papaya juice.
International newspapers were available at the small bar counter and magazines were available at the back of the business class cabin.

There was a 65% load in business class, 12 out of 18 seats were taken, however the seat next to mine was empty.

A safety demonstration video was shown before departure. The flight time to Kuala Lumpur was expected to be around 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Pics
The Airbus A340 that will take me to KLIA
The gate lounge
The business class cabin onboard the A340
Newspapers available at the small bar counter
A glass of melon water before departure
Safety demonstration video

Colombo-Kuala Lumpur, flight UL 312 operated by SriLankan
Departure: 07:01
Arrival: 13:00
Aircraft: Airbus A340-300
Class: Business Class
Seat: 02K



Scheduled departure time was 7.01 am, don’t ask me why it had to be 7.01 and not 7.00.
However there was a problem with the checked luggage, or rather the cargo containers.
I had a look through the window and by 7.15 the cargo door was not even closed. Shortly afterwards the captain came on the PA, welcomed us onboard and apologised for the slight delay but told us they would be ready any moment.

Time passed and nothing happened. At 7.30 a very annoyed captain came on the PA:
-“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain, once again I apologise for this delay. They are still loading the cargo, I had expected that to be completed some time ago. Well apparently they got it all wrong and have to rearrange the cargo, it's important for the balance of the aircraft”.
You could almost hear him saying “oh those idiots!” when he turned off the microphone.
Outside the window I could see a very mad ground agent shouting something at the baggage handlers while pointing at his watch.

I was not amused, I had a 90 minutes connection at Kuala Lumpur, 35 minutes had passed since the scheduled departure time and the cargo doors had not even been closed, this was not a good start. My worst nightmare was that the flight would be cancelled due to technical problems.
Finally the cargo doors were closed and we pushed back at 7.40 am. The captain really excelled in time management and managed to start the engines, taxi to the end of the runway and take-off in just five minutes. We were finally airborne at 7.45 am from runway 22.

I was very happy to be on the way, I estimated there would be about an hour at KLIA which should be enough for both me and my luggage to be transferred properly.

Shortly after take-off the inflight service started. Hot towels were offered and meal orders taken for the breakfast service.

Pics
The view seconds after take-off
Flying across Sri Lanka

The menu

The menu was handed out already on the ground. A very nice-looking menu with pineapples on the cover.

Pics
The nice business class menu

Meal service



The table setting in SriLankan business class is just beautiful and the food presentation very attractive! ^
Also a big hands up that there is no meal tray. All plates, bowls and dishes are served separately, either from a trolley or directly from the galley. ^

First a continental breakfast was offered from a trolley with three types of yoghurt, nice fresh fruits, a nice selection of bread rolls and two types of preserves. I had a lemon yoghurt which was very tasty!
Coffee and a wide selection of teas were also offered, they take a great pride in the tea selection they have onboard.



The table was cleared and the main course arrived. Very impressively they had four choices of main course for the breakfast service, not bad!
They had taken the meal order a couple of minutes earlier and I asked for the western breakfast with omelette.
Very nicely the FA asked “Would you like all of it?” By that she meant I was free to skip any of the items if I wished as the meals were prepared individually in the galley.
I asked to have all of it, probably I should have skipped the mushrooms as I’m not a big fan, but I didn’t think of it.

The breakfast was very nice, but honestly I rarely get overwhelmed by airline breakfasts, irrespective of class. An omelette tastes about the same no matter how nice you make it look.
The yoghurt was a real highlight though!

Pics
One of the nice FAs preparing the cabin for the breakfast service
Wonderful table setting
Fresh fruits and yoghurt
Hot breakfast

Seat and inflight entertainment

As mentioned the seat was an older-style recliner seat, so although the seat recline was decent it never got fully lie-flat.
I found it comfortable though and got a pleasant and well-needed rest onboard.
The seat pitch in business class was excellent, definitely above average for business class, there was more than enough space for each passenger.
Purple pillows were available at the seat upon boarding and blankets were handed out after take-off

The inflight entertainment system was OK but not AVOD. There were about 16 movies channels, some music channels and three interactive games.
One of the better non-AVOD IFE systems I have come across and the sound quality was perfectly acceptabe.

Inside the galley while waiting for the lavatory I got a chance to speak to the purser who was a great guy.
He had noticed I looked very impatient on the ground in Colombo, I mentioned the reason and he promised to do everything he could in case I would start running out of time.
I also asked him about the origin of the aircraft, I had noticed there were many signs in French, for example on the aircraft doors and the personal screens.
He said the aircraft had indeed belonged to a French airline, not Air France, but one of the French charter airlines. After a few seconds he remembered it was AOM, which is now a defunct airline.
However, with a very few exceptions the aircraft was still in excellent condition.

Pics
The business class seat
The business class cabin
Great legroom
A reclined seat
Seat controls
The personal IFE screen
Flight map
Selection of games available through the IFE
IFE controls

Arrival in Kuala Lumpur



Our flight path took us right across Sumatra before starting the descent over the Strait of Malacca. Some very nice sceneries appeared outside the window during the last hour.
We started our descent just after 1 pm Malaysian time. Hot towels were offered as well as apple juice and orange juice.

We made most of the final descent along the beautiful Malaysian coastline and then made a sharp 180 degrees left turn to line up with runway 32L.
The captain kept rolling nearly the entire runway length to save time and we were eventually safely parked at the gate at 1.40 pm, 40 minutes behind timetable.
I had 50 minutes until my next flight, so things were looking pretty good.

As the flight was continuing to Singapore all passengers not continuing had to present their boarding passes at the gate (that were also kept by the ground staff, for whatever reason).

Pics
Flying across Sumatra
The beautiful Malaysian coastline
Final approach for Kuala Lumpur
Just landed at a sunny Kuala Lumpur international airport
The infield terminal building at KLIA

Verdict

Nice flight with a few unexpected surprises, especially the lounge in Colombo and the table setting/meal presentation really impressed me!
Four choices of main course for a breakfast service is certainly also very impressive.
Both the ground staff and the crew were friendly and courteous, I was especially impressed by the attitude and the knowledge of the purser.
The business class seat was rather nice with excellent legroom.
My only complaint regarding the flight was the late departure/arrival of the aircraft, which made the flight slightly less comfortable than it could have been. This was entirely the fault of the ground staff (I don’t know if SriLankan does the ground handling as well).

Otherwise I would not hesitate flying SriLankan again, preferably an evening flight next time to experience a dinner service.

Moomba

Another great report jacob_m. I am looking forward to the remaining entries.

jacob_m

As I got off the plane in Kuala Lumpur I had 50 minutes until my next flight, which should be more than enough.
I was not particularly worried about myself, but rather about my checked luggage, I would not have liked a delayed bag on this trip. Since I would be away for a reasonably long time and planned to do some shopping (and bring lots of airline goodies home) there was no option but to bring a checked suitcase. In fact it grew by 7 kg during the trip!

Ironically I was connecting to Singapore in Kuala Lumpur, on Silkair, and the delayed SriLankan flight I arrived on was also continuing to Singapore.
I was not aware of that when I booked the ticket, and no matter what I wanted to try another airline on the next leg. Both Silkair and Malaysian Airlines make the short 185 miles hop to Singapore, and I had not tried any of them.
I would very much have liked to fly Malaysian Airlines, to get access to their Golden lounge in Kuala Lumpur, but Silkair had the most convenient departure.

For those of you not familiar with Silkair I can mention it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. They operate mainly regional routes from Singapore (many of which were previously operated directly by SQ) using a fleet of Airbus A319 and A320.
However Silkair is not part of Star Alliance and my SAS/Star Alliance gold card was of no use on this flight, but of course I was entitled to lounge access as a business class passenger.

Inside the terminal building I followed the transfer signs that led me to the centre of the X-shaped satellite building where there was a transfer centre.
The place was deserted, but no mention of Silkair anywhere. I asked one of the agents but they told me transfer check-in for Silkair was done at the gate, so I should go there.

Pics
The very airy international satellite at KLIA

Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Kuala Lumpur



With no luck at the transfer centre I spotted the sign for the Singapore Airlines lounge (which I knew Silkair uses in Kuala Lumpur) and decided to try my luck there. It was conveniently located right between the transfer centre and the departure gate for the flight to Singapore.

The lounge agent was friendly but was not able to issue a boarding pass and directed me to the gate.
Since there was still 45 minutes left until departure, the gate was right below the lounge and the aircraft in question had not even landed yet, I asked if I could make a quick visit in the lounge first (you do get thirsty when you rush through airports).
She was a bit hesitant at first, but made a quick phone call to the gate and then let me in.

The lounge was very small but had a nice modern interior. It looked much nicer than when I visited it last time.
The view was also very nice, but again the main problem is the size as it just has enough seats to cater for a full business class flight to Singapore.

There was a small but adequate self-service buffet with some finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, soup and some hot snacks as well as a reasonable selection of drinks.

I had a glass of orange juice and some fresh fruits and had a seat by the window to enjoy the sunny weather and the apron view. A moment later I could see the Silkair A320 arrive and park right below the lounge.

Pics
The entrance to the Singapore Airlines lounge
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area
Newspapers and magazines
The Silkair A320 arriving while waiting in the lounge

Transfer check-in



After a few minutes in the lounge I proceeded to the gate where the security check also took place.
At the small transfer desk they were expecting me.
I was quickly checked in to Singapore but unfortunately there were no window seats left, I was assigned 03D. Not a major issue for a 45 minutes flight, but I do enjoy having a view, especially when travelling in other parts of the world.

Silkair is handled by Singapore Airlines in Kuala Lumpur and the very friendly agent decided to try and check me in also for the connecting flight. I guess she noticed I was connecting to SQ F and that probably made some difference.
At the end she managed to check me in but had problems printing the boarding pass, it should obviously be printed on a proper red first class boarding pass.
In the meantime she prepared an invitation to The Private Room in Singapore and asked me to have a seat in the gate lounge while they made a last try with the boarding pass.

I had a seat in the crowded gate lounge with my golden Private Room invitation in my hand, with a smile on my lips (and with other people staring). This was something I was really looking forward to...

While waiting at the gate I could see the checked luggage being loaded on the flight. There was not a lot of checked luggage and I could easily spot my suitcase, I was relieved that never became a problem...

Eventually the gate agent was back and apologised they had not managed to print the boarding pass. She said she had written a message in my PNR so they would arrange it in Singapore. Certainly not the end of the world...

Pics
The Silkair A320 at the gate

Boarding



Boarding was announced 15 minutes before departure with priority boarding for business class and PPS members.

Business class on the Airbus A320 had four rows with a 2-2 configuration. The seat was wide and quite comfortable but the seat pitch was nothing to write home about.
Of course this did not matter much on a 45 minutes flight...

A pre-departure drink was offered, a choice between water and orange juice, as well as newspapers (The Straits Times and I believe the Malaysian equivalence is called Star).

Business class was pretty much full on the flight, there was only one empty seat.
A safety video was shown on the screens and the same info was provided by one of the FAs in Malay.

Just as we were getting ready to leave a male gate agent enters the cabin, he stops at my seat and asks me if I am Mr jacob_m. After confirming that’s indeed me he hands me a first class boarding pass for my connecting flight in Singapore.
Wow! They really struggled until the very end, a big hands up for that! ^ ^

Pics
The business class cabin onboard
The business class seat
Legroom and seat controls
Ready for departure...

Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, flight MI 335 operated by Silkair
Departure: 14:30
Arrival: 15:25
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Class: Business Class
Seat: 03D



Pushback right on time and we took off at 2.45 pm from runway 32R.

This was a short flight but they still attempted to perform a proper inflight service.
In business class there was a choice between a chicken sandwich and an egg and mayo croissant. Juice, coffee and water were also served but no alcohol due to the short flight time.
I had the chicken sandwich, a glass of water and a cup of coffee. Nothing spectacular, but perfectly fine for the short flight.

Very impressively the FA addressed every passenger by name when taking the meal order, of course reading from a piece of paper, but anyway... Nice touch! ^
I sat next to a French man on the flight who absolutely had no idea what the FA was saying when she presented the meal options, but he seemed happy with the flight anyway.

The crew onboard consisted of four young women, very friendly, and they really did the most out of the flight.
They were all wearing a neon green uniform which was really cool! It certainly stood out...

Pics
Inflight meal in business class

Arrival in Singapore

The flight was short and just as I had finished my chicken sandwich we started our descent to Singapore.
The tables were cleared, the cabin was prepared for landing and we touched down five minutes early on runway 20C at Changi.

Silkair uses terminal 2 in Singapore, just like Singapore Airlines for its shorter flights to south-east Asia.

Verdict

A short flight and not much to comment about really, but the inflight service was nice and the crew worked hard during the flight.
I was most impressed by the ground staff in Kuala Lumpur who struggled until the aircraft doors were nearly closed to print my boarding pass.

Next it’s time for another fabulous experience. It’s probably going to be another long instalment and I do have a large number of photos to upload.

Next stop: Singapore Airlines The Private Room and Singapore Airlines First Class on the B77W...

mjcewl1284

Cannot wait for your next update. You've done a great job so far! ^

Abidjan

Agreed. The Sri Lakan lounge view was impressive. Recently, your thread is the lone reason for me to keep checking back in with flyertalk. Nothing much going on in the AA, OW and Hilton forums these days (I did like the Colombo Hilton pics).

jacob_m

Thanks a lot!

Believe me, I am just as excited to get everything uploaded! Especially before I forget any details... And there are lots of goodies left!
Just takes so much time to type everything and sort and upload all the photos, the longer instalments are easily 4-5 hours of work.

jacob_m

Since they had already checked me in in Kuala Lumpur (and made a serious struggle to print the boarding pass) there was not much more to do in Singapore but to change terminal.
The flight from Kuala Lumpur arrived in terminal 2 and my connecting flight was leaving from terminal 3. The transfer was very easy using the Skytrain and the ride between terminal 2 and terminal 3 provides a very nice scenery of Changi airport.

The skytrain station was just a short walk from the Singapore Airlines lounge which I visited early during this trip, although at that time the business class section.

My arrival at the lounge was quite memorable. My boarding pass had been placed in a blue business class folder (since they had no red ones in KUL), the lounge attendant noticed it and I could see she was mildly interested in my arrival.
However as I opened the folder and presented my red first class boarding pass things immediately changed. She stepped out from the podium and greeted me with a smile and a friendly “oh so how are you doing today?” It was hilarious, on the verge of being ridiculous. Haha!

Well she followed me around the corner to the next desk which was the entrance to the first class lounge where I was greeted once again by another lounge attendant, this time a bit more respectfully.
She registered me in the computer and then asked if I had my The Private Room invitation. I got it from the folder and gave it to her.
She made a quick phone call and then escorted me through the first class lounge to the entrance of The Private Room which is located at the very opposite end of the first class lounge.

Pics
The entrance to the Singapore Airlines Silverkris lounges
The lounge invitation to The Private Room and my first class boarding pass

Singapore Airlines The Private Room, Singapore



At the entrance to The Private Room I was greeted by another lounge attendant who took my invitation.
A few moments later a very nicely dressed middle-aged man arrived and instantly greeted me by name and asked me to follow him inside the lounge. He was to be my lounge attendant (or rather my personal assistant) during the visit.

He gave me a brief introduction of the lounge and then invited me to have a seat wherever I wanted, I had a seat by one of the windows overlooking the apron.
He asked me if I wanted something to drink and I asked for a glass of champagne. A minute later he was back at my seat with a champagne glass and a bottle of Charles Heidsieck which he poured elegantly in front of me.
He had also brought the lounge menu and asked me to have a look if I wanted to eat something. It all sounded delicious, but I was not very hungry so I decided to wait for a while.
He said I could order whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, so I could just tell him if I changed my mind.

I was quite happy for the time being, I used my laptop to check my e-mails using the free WIFI and got some magazines from the very extensive selection at the entrance while sipping champagne.
The lounge attendant kept a close look at my champagne glass whenever he passed and quickly offered a refill when the glass was close to empty, which I gratefully accepted.



I had a quick look around The Private Room and it is an incredibly elegant and luxurious place. ^
The lounge is quite large, surely there are larger business lounges, but for a “first class by invitation only”-lounge the size is impressive. It is very spacious and you will certainly not be disturbed or bothered by the other lounge guests.

During my lounge visit the lounge was very quiet. There were no more than five passengers in the lounge at any time during my visit.

Pics
The entrance to The Private Room
First view inside the lounge
Comfortable armchairs
Several widescreen TVs
A glass of Charles Heidsieck champagne
Sneaking a peek in the ŕ la carte restaurant
Beautifully decorated restrooms

After two glasses of champagne and about an hour in the lounge I was ready to try the food in the lounge.
I was actually not very hungry, and had a full first class dinner to look forward to, but I just couldn’t leave The Private Room without having tried any food whatsoever.

I walked inside the ŕ la carte restaurant and was quickly approached by the lounge attendant.
I told him I had changed my mind and would like to get something to eat in the lounge. He smiled and brought me the menu again to have a look.

Here is the menu in The Private Room:

Pics
The Private Room menu

I was still not prepared for a full hot meal, but they had satay on the menu which I love, so that’s what I ordered.
They had two types of skewers, marinated chicken or mutton pieces, and he asked me if I would like to try both which I thought sounded like a good idea.
He confirmed the order and said he would bring the meal to my seat, but as I wanted to get the full experience I asked to have a seat in the restaurant instead, of course not a problem.



I had a seat at the table next to the buffet where he prepared the table for me. He offered me another glass of champagne and also presented me a refreshing towel.
I also asked for some water and after checking if I wanted still water or sparkling water a small bottle of Evian was brought to my table.

The ŕ la carte restaurant is very elegant with comfortable brown leather chairs and beautiful white linen and napkins.
The atmosphere is just spectacular and while waiting for the food to arrive I just spent my time absorbing everything.

In the evening there is also a self-service buffet in The Private Room restaurant, I think it’s available from around 5-6 pm and they were preparing it while I was waiting.



After a few minutes my satay arrived with rice cubes and peanut sauce. I ate slowly and enjoyed every piece of it, it was delicious! ^
It was washed down with more Charles Heidsieck champagne.

Pics
Inside the ŕ la carte restaurant
Beautifully decorated tables
The restaurant was completely empty, except for me
Table setting
Another glass of champagne and a refreshing towel
Wonderful satay
The self-service buffet

After the meal I was happy and satisfied. The lounge attendant arrived again, asked if everything was satisfactory and if I wanted something else.
I could easily have eaten a few more dishes on the menu, but I really needed to save space for the dinner service onboard the flight. What a pity!

I told him I was very satisfied but had to leave the lounge in a few moments to catch my flight.
“Oh Mr jacob_m, but your flight is not for another 45 minutes, and the gate is right below, you have plenty of time”.
He said that without looking at any papers or monitors, he knew my name, flight number and departure time by heart. Wow! That’s really world-class service, really impressive! ^
So if I had fallen asleep in the lounge I guess he would have woken me up in good time not to miss the flight...

Well as much as I enjoyed the place I actually wanted to stretch my legs before the flight and he naturally accepted that.
He warmly thanked me for my visit and wished me a nice flight, although he also said next time I should arrive earlier and try some more dishes on the menu.
I asked him what he recommended and he said the menu changes every two weeks, with the exception of a few dishes that are always on the menu. A top favourite on the menu is obviously the lobster.





Well I seriously hope I get a chance to come back some other time. It’s such a nice place!
A quick visit to the beautifully designed restroom and I waved goodbye to The Private Room.

Pics
The departure board
A last view of The Private Room before leaving

Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge, Singapore terminal 3



Well a second reason for leaving slightly early was to have a quick look in the regular Singapore Airlines first class lounge, which I had to pass through anyway.
It’s also elegant, but definitely more of a standard lounge. There were also far more people in the lounge than in The Private Room.

I think the difference is that The Private Room is only available to SQ F passengers (previously only paid SQ F, but now also award tickets give access) whereas the regular first class lounge is available to all Star Alliance first class passengers.



I only spent about 2-3 minutes in the first class lounge, making a quick tour and taking a few photos, so I can’t really give any comments on the lounge.
However there is a very sizeable restaurant part with proper seating and a very large self-service buffet with all kinds of food. You can easily make yourself a proper meal in the lounge.

Pics
Inside the first class lounge
The self-service buffet with plenty of food
More food, soft drinks and ice cream
The bar counter
One of the sitting areas in the lounge

Verdict

The Private Room is a truly great place with a very elegant interior, a world class personalised service (I was always addressed by name) and a superb selection of food and drinks.
I hope I get the chance to come back one day...

Thor3

Just reading your adventures with food has made me hungry.

micke100

Give us more, fast!

This is the most interesting trip report I´ve read so far.

Cant Wait!

jacob_m

This was another flight I was very much looking forward to. I was incredibly satisfied when I managed to include Singapore Airlines “New First Class” on the Boeing 77W in the itinerary.
The flight also departed conveniently at 5.50 pm which would mean a full dinner service.
Unfortunately my destination this evening on SQ 2 was only Hong Kong, I would have loved to continue all the way to San Francisco. But I should not be complaining...

Boarding

As always in Singapore security took place at the gate, however in the new terminal 3 there is a shared security check for five gates (E1-E5) which makes the process slightly quicker as there are more x-ray machines in use.

Boarding had already started 35 minutes before departure and there was a separate line for premium passengers which meant I got to pass pretty much the entire line and walk straight onboard.
Both security and boarding were completely hassle-free.

I was very excited when I turned immediately left for the forward passenger bridge and door 1L, the entrance to my home for the next 4 hours.
I was warmly welcomed at the door by a male FA and shown to my seat 02F on the second row of the first class cabin where I got rid of my hand luggage and made myself comfortable for the flight.

A few moments later a female FA arrive at my seat, introduced herself and welcomed me onboard. From that moment and throughout the entire flight I was addressed by name.

-Mr jacob_m, would you like something to drink before departure? A glass of champagne maybe?
She knew exactly what I was thinking and I just nodded.
-Certainly, would you prefer Krug or Dom Perignon?
Hmmm, I should have thought about that earlier, I actually had problems making up my mind as I think they are both equally great, just different, and eventually she made the decision for me.
-I’ll get you a glass of Dom, and you can have some Krug later if you want.
Brilliant! Mind-reading is good and I was about to settle with a glass of Dom anyway...



I had a look around the cabin and the “New First Class” certainly stands out from most other cabins I have seen. It is a very elegant cabin with the interior in mahogany and light brown colour.
The first thing you take notice of is the TV in front of every seat. The black supermodern 23” widescreen LCD TV looks just like the TV most people have at home and really shows this is a modern and very recent cabin.
The second thing you take notice of is the seat, it is completely different from everything I have tried before. What you immediately notice is how wide it is, I basically only used half of it.

A moment later the FA was back with my glass of chilled Dom. It is such a nice champagne, very fruity and so much taste!
I was also offered slippers, eye shades, socks and excellent noise cancelling head phones.



There were two FAs who mainly served in first class. A young woman from Singapore, I would guess in her mid-30s, and a slightly older man who I believe was from Indonesia based on his looks and accent (although I am by no means an expert judging these things).
I had most contact with the female FA who was friendly but a bit reserved and distant at first but became much more easy-going by the end of the flight when we had a nice chat about airlines and destinations.

First class was not completely full on the flight, there are eight seats in First and I believe five were occupied during the flight.

Pics
The gate area
The Boeing 777 at the gate in Singapore
A first impression of the first class cabin on the B77W
First class seat 01F
A glass of Dom Perignon 2000 before departure
The first class cabin nearly ready for departure
Safety demonstration video

Singapore-Hong Kong, flight SQ 2 operated by Singapore Airlines
Departure: 17:50
Arrival: 21:35
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (B77W)
Class: First Class
Seat: 02F

I was offered a refill of my Dom before it was time to close the doors and prepare the cabin for departure.
A safety demonstration video was shown on the monitors and the same info was repeated by one of the FAs in Cantonese.

We pushed back five minutes early at 5.45 pm and took off a few minutes later to the south from runway 20C.
The initial climb provided a wonderful view of the Singapore skyline and the massive number of ships anchored outside the city.



After the seatbelt sign had been switched off the curtains were closed, and more drinks were offered accompanied by assorted nuts. They also offered hot towels.
The drink and meal orders were taken already on the ground and I asked for a glass of Krug this time. I still have a hard time to decide which one is my favourite.

Pics
Pushback from terminal 3
The Singapore skyline
An amazing number of ships anchored outside the city
A glass of Krug after take-off

Menu

Menus were handed out already on the ground placed in an elegant leather binder.
The menu included both the dinner service between Singapore and Hong Kong as well as the meal services between Hong Kong and San Francisco.
The same menu was also printed in Chinese.

The menu was very extensive and included signature dishes by Sam Leong in Singapore and the very famous British chef Gordon Ramsay.

At the back of the menu booklet there was a very impressive drink list that should keep even the most discerning traveller satisfied.

Here is the menu for the flight to Hong Kong:

Meal Service

It was not an easy decision deciding what eat but eventually I ordered the full five courses meal.
I was seriously wondering how I should manage to finish all of it, but flying Singapore Airlines in first class is certainly not something I do every day and the food just sounded really delicious.
From previous flights in first class I have learnt the only thing to do is to eat slowly and drink plenty of water.

My glass of Krug was refilled and my table was prepared for the dinner service.
The table is well hidden below the screen and was slightly hard to extract, but I got some help from the crew.
The table setting is in my opinion incredibly elegant with a white and grey china and I just love the cool water and drinks glasses they use.

A selection of bread was offered, I chose some garlic bread, and then my choice of appetiser arrived.
I had ordered the assorted Asian appetiser with chicken, lobster and tofu. Delicious!



Soup was next, the cream of cauliflower with tomato confit.



Next some salad with Singapore dressing.



And finally the main course, I was nearly bursting by now.
I had ordered the grilled beef fillet with red cabbage and roasted potatoes and it was excellent. The beef was just perfect.
I had asked for some red wine with my main course and the choice fell on the Griotte-Chambertin 2004, a young and fruity red wine.



The FA convinced me to have another glass of red wine and after leaving my stomach in peace for a few minutes my table was cleared and I was offered a dessert.

Very nicely they had prepared both options which were presented to me at the seat.
Basically there was an Asian option (pumpkin puree) and a western option (coffee cake with ice cream).
The blueberry coffee cake with lemon and yoghurt ice cream was absolutely exquisite.



I was seriously quite happy the meal service was now over, as much as I liked the food I would not have managed another course.
I asked for a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountains coffee and was offered chocolate pralines from a chocolate box.
I just love how you can choose coffee bean for the coffee on Singapore Airlines. As a coffee lover and addict this is heaven for me!
There are four coffee beans to choose between that are nicely presented in the menu with ratings of aroma, body and acidity.
According to the menu the Jamaican Blue Mountains is sometimes called “the champagne of coffee”, I have tried it before and it is indeed a full bodied and very strong and tasty coffee.

My table was cleared and to finish off a splendid dinner I asked for a glass of Johnnie Walker, they have the nice blue label onboard.
It was meant to be with just a little bit of ice but was delivered on the rocks. Well it was nice anyway.

Pics
Another glass of Krug, I like the cool glasses!
Beautiful table setting
Appetiser
Soup
Salad
Main course
Dessert
Jamaican Blue Mountains coffee and chocolate pralines
A glass of Johnnie Walker blue label

The seat



Some words about the seat.
It is very different from all other seats and suits I have tried. In particular it is extremely wide, 35” according to the Singapore Airlines webpage, and supposedly the largest and widest in the sky. I could have managed with just about half of it.
To compensate the width they have provided a square-shaped pillow in the same grey colour as the seat which can be used as an extra armrest.

In front of the seat you find your personal 23” widescreen TV. The two ends of the TV can actually be opened and contain mirrors.
Below the screen there is what looks like a shelf. When the seat is fully reclined this “shelf” becomes part of the bed, when in an upright position it can be used as a foot and leg rest.
Since there is no overhead storage in first class all hand luggage has to be stored on the floor below the screen.



There are a few more features in the seat including two reading lamps, a small personal litterbin, power socket and USB port and a rather nice panel with the seat controls well hidden under the armrest (which also has a "do not disturb"-button).

I found the seat to be very comfortable, especially in a slightly reclined position watching a movie and using the “footrest”. Since this was an evening flight I never got to experience the bed (the seat can be made fully horizontal).
The design is also quite attractive in mahogany and light grey colour. I also found the seat to be fairly private.

Pics
The first class seat
Great legroom!
Seat controls
Plenty of space for hand luggage
One of the reading lamps (there are two)
The table hidden under the screen
The comfortable (and nice looking) pillow
Power socket and USB port
Your private waste bin

Inflight entertainment



The Krisworld inflight entertainment system was great as usual with plenty of audio and video on demand (AVOD).
However the design of the menu was completely different from all other Singapore Airlines aircrafts I have been on.
The new menu is much more modern with a new attractive design and an easier overview of genres and choices. However I did find it a bit slow at times.

The inflight entertainment system is enjoyed on the 23” screen, which apparently should have the highest resolution in the sky, 1280x768 pixels.
I can attest that the resolution was very sharp and the sound quality perfect through the noise cancelling head phones provided in first class. It was a very pleasurable experience!



I watched Mission Impossible III during the flight and also listened to some music. Similar to Emirates the audio section contained the 10 most played songs every year during the past 50 years.

Very nicely the IFE control had a small display showing the movie or song title, elapsed and total time of the movie, and remaining flight time to destination.
I found it very useful as it meant I could plan my use of the IFE. It is such a pity when you have a few minutes left of a movie and then the system is turned off for landing.



Pics
The inflight entertainment system
Inflight entertainment in the cabin
IFE remote control
Mission Impossible III
UK top 10 singles

Arrival in Hong Kong

Around 9 pm we started our descent to Hong Kong. I made a quick last visit to the very modern and spotless lavatory (it’s not often I make comments about lavatories, but it was nice) before returning to my seat for landing.
We finally touched down 15 minutes early at 9.20 pm on runway 25R and taxied to gate 15 which is conveniently just a stone’s throw from immigration.



Safely parked at the gate the curtains between business and first class were closed so first class passengers could get off first.
While waiting in the galley I took the opportunity to thank and congratulate the crew on a very nice and enjoyable flight, and they seemed happy to hear that.
There was to be a crew change in Hong Kong so they were also getting off and were going to spend the night in an airport hotel.

The young guy in seat 02D, right next to me, seemed to be some kind of VIP. He was met at the gate by two men and escorted to immigration where I believe he used the diplomatic channel.
I have no idea who he was, he did not make a lot of fuss during the flight.

Immigration was quick, baggage delivery had already started and my luggage was among the first on the belt in the arrivals hall. Very nicely my SriLankan priority tag was apparently also accepted by Singapore Airlines.

Pics
The flight map showing final approach to Hong Kong
18 minutes to go
Nice lavatories
The cabin prepared for landing
Just landed in Hong Kong

Verdict

A flawless flight, nothing whatsoever to comment about.
Great food and a wonderful drink list, beautiful food presentation and a very attentive and polished inflight service.
I was always addressed by name and Singapore Airlines have an amazing ability to keep track of meal and drink orders, which they clearly showed on this flight.
You never ever have to repeat for example what champagne or wine you were drinking, you tell them once and they will take care of the rest. They really have 100% control of everything.

I found the crew to be excellent and really enjoyed seeing a more personal side of the female FA who served me. The SQ FAs can sometimes be a bit too polished and professional.

The seat was very comfortable and I just loved the widescreen TV and the superb sound quality.
Turn on a movie on that TV, recline the seat, and order a glass of chilled Dom and there are few places in the world where I would rather be.

All-in-all a perfect and delightful flight! Well done! ^

Kiwi Flyer

I can't believe I've missed this report until now. Great stuff jacob_m ^^ I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

uavking

Really great report and a nice look at a few carriers I haven't managed yet. Almost could taste the coffee on SQ again...

hur88

You are living my DREAM!!! Reading that last part about SQ F had me drooling. I can't wait to see what else you have to post!

zebcal

Thanks! Great report!! I'm looking forward to your next post!

jacob_m

I had a short overnight stay in Hong Kong before my next flight the following day.
There are two hotels at the airport. The Regal Airport Hotel, connected directly to the airport terminal, and the Marriott hotel, located a five minute drive from the terminal.
The Regal Airport Hotel was quite expensive, not at all what I was prepared to pay for a short overnight stay. The Marriott hotel on the other hand had a very nice deal at about HKD 1000, the only requirement was advance payment, which I did not mind.

The Marriott Hotel was surprisingly nice, usually airport hotels are nothing to write home about, but this was actually a very nice hotel.
The lobby was modern and spotless and my room was well-appointed and very spacious and also had an extremely comfortable bed. There were also as many as five restaurants and bars in the hotel.
In the basement there was a full spa, a nice swimming pool and a very well-equipped gym which I made use of in the morning (thank heaven for hotel gyms after all these first class meals).
The service was very friendly and efficient.

A free shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes to the airport and to the nearby Tung Chung MTR station.