matthandy

A Luxury Weekend in Singapore – BA First SYD-SIN Return & The Fullerton Bay Hotel





This Report Features


The Qantas International First Class Lounge, Sydney
British Airways First Class – 777-300ER – BA16, Sydney to Singapore Terminal 1
The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore
A few days in Singapore including: Sky Park (on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel)
The Qantas Singapore Lounge (new), Singapore Terminal 1
British Airways First Class – 777-300ER – BA15, Singapore to Sydney

Background

As some of you may know, Australia has a long weekend in June due to the Queen's birthday (a public holiday that ironically we do not get in the UK!). I had planned to take advantage of this and go with a group of friends to the Hunter Valley for a bit of wine and cheese tasting but it all got too difficult. Rather than waste the three day weekend I had the crazy idea of seeing if there were any reward flights anywhere from Sydney. There were. BA had return flights on almost every day of the long weekend except the Friday afternoon. So, 90k Avios and £667 in taxes later and I'd booked myself in First on the 777-300 service from Sydney to Singapore on the Saturday afternoon, returning on the Monday evening (arriving in Sydney at 5am on Tuesday ready for work). The ticket price of this routing was around $5500 so it was a reasonable saving.

I've been to Singapore quite a few times before and would normally stay in either the Singapore Marriott or the Grand Hyatt. I'd got a taste for luxury hotels after my Hong Kong trip last year so I spoke to my travel agent to see what offers and rates were available. I targeted the Fullerton Bay Hotel but there were some issues with booking and I was told that there wasn't availability. So, as a stop gap, I booked into the Ritz-Carlton until the issue with the Fullerton Bay could be worked out. I was quite annoyed to see that when booking the RC it was stated that they do not participate in the Marriott Rewards programme. Something to bear in mind if anyone is thinking of staying there in the future.

After about 3 days of wrangling I managed to get a confirmed booking at the Fullerton Bay for $580SGD p/n inclusive of a one tier upgrade to a premier room, late check out until 4pm and an $88SGD dining credit. It was quite a bit more than I wanted to spend originally but in the end it was worth it!


The Flight

I was really keen on getting a treatment at the Qantas First Class lounge on the way out having never been successful previously. So, I decided to travel with just hand luggage. I was only going for two nights anyway and my small Samsonite is more than enough for my regular domestic commutes so it would do just fine for the long weekend.

I found that the seat map was rather full and I was originally only left the option of a middle seat. This changed at T-70ish when I was able to select 1A or 1K as well. I'd heard that these are not great seats on the 777-300 but I felt that either would be better than a middle seat so I went for 1K.

I checked in online the evening before and then took my home-printed boarding pass to the airport with me. I took the train as I didn't fancy paying over the odds for a taxi.

I was able to use the fast track, despite not having an 'Express Path' card. I simply showed them my boarding pass, which was enough. Immigration was quick but security was not. I ended up being directed through one of the body scanners but unlike at other airports, these ones do not show a 'naked' image of the person being scanned. They picked up my watch and my cufflinks which wouldn't normally have set off the standard metal detector.

After security I made my way through the duty free maze and then up to the Qantas First Lounge. I was welcomed in and then I headed straight for the spa to book an appointment. I was able to get a 30 minutes massage about 2 hours from arriving in the lounge, which was perfect as it gave me time to have some lunch.

I sat down at a table at about 11.30am which is an odd time as they were still serving breakfast. However, they do have a few 'hybrid' items available to order after 11am and before the full lunch menu starts at 12. I told the waiter that I'd order a starter and then wait for the lunch menu to kick in before ordering anything else, which was fine.

Catching the train to the airport


A glass of Champagne (Delamotte) to start


Buffalo mozzarella, caramelised pear and radicchio


Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2012


Wild mushroom risotto with truffled pecorino and crispy sage (from the market inspirations menu/specials)


Sticky toffee pudding (from the market inspirations menu/specials)


One of SQs last remaining 747s (cargo only)


My flight


For grazing….


A380 push back

The food was excellent, as was the wine. Well, it generally always is so no surprises there. I still had a little while before my massage so I made my way towards the end of the lounge near the spa and browsed the internet for a bit. A few minutes before my allotted time I made my way to the spa and was led into the treatment room.

Here is the spa menu:

I had picked the neck and shoulder massage but in reality it was more like a shoulder and back massage. I was asked to undress my top half and there was a wardrobe for my things. The massage itself was good, not to hard or too soft. I really do love the living wall too, it becomes very relaxing when it's being watered as you can hear the droplets drip down to the bottom. The massage ended rather quickly, after only 15 minutes. This was rather disappointing given that it was supposed to be a 30 minute treatment. I was presented with a fruit juice and then allowed to get changed on my own, before heading back into the main lounge.

The massage room


Refreshing fruit juice

At about 2.45pm I made my way out of the lounge and towards the gate (10). I needed to grab some sun tan cream before boarding.
The gate area was relatively busy, with a few people standing near the fast track entrance. I waited patiently for boarding to start although families were invited to board first.
Two air bridges were used and the First class cabin had its own one. I asked the gate staff to re-print my boarding pass as I wanted a proper one for my collection. After I had this, I made my way down to door 1L.

matthandy

Sydney to Singapore – British Airways First Class

Flight: BA16
Carrier: British Airways (BA)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER – G-STBD
Scheduled Departure Time: 15:40
Scheduled Duration: 8h 5m
Scheduled Arrival Time: 21:45
Travel Class: First
Seat: 1K (seat plan)


Unfortunately, no-one was waiting to greet me. In the purser who did eventually meet me (somewhere in the galley area) seemed quite huffy puffy about me even being there. This really wasn't a good start. For the next 5 minutes or so there was lots of bluster in the galley about the fact that door 1 was being used and when the last passenger arrived in the First cabin a vocal ‘thank God’ could be heard. Good attitude? I think not.

Anyway, I was offered a drink and chose the Champagne. Pyjamas were handed out although not unwrapped. I was also handed a wash kit.

Lets talk a bit about the seat. I’d chosen 1K and I have to say that it really is too close to the galley for my liking. On the return flight, I was in 2K which was much better. I’d not travelled in First on a 777 before and I was pleased to note that there was a lot more foot room. It looked as though the middle seats had more still. One advantage of 1A/K is the wardrobe, it is considerably larger than the other seats and you could even fit a small suitcase in it. Another disadvantage though was that the area directly above the wardrobe was used to place newspaper upon boarding and even empty wine bottles during the service. This meant that there was a reasonable amount of traffic around the seat. Given the choice, I would not pick 1K again.

The cabin itself was well appointed, with 14 seats in First. It didn’t feel particularly cramped but the aisles did seem thin. One thing that I did not like was the placement of the toilets, at the rear of the cabin. However, if one was occupied, you’d have to pass through the Club World galley to get to the other side. This often meant going through two sets of curtains which was annoying.

G-STBD


Boarding – no one at the door


The K side of the First cabin


1K


Settled in


Seat controls


A nice glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle


The view from 1K, straight into the galley

Take off was rather quick but very rattly. I could hear all of the crockery moving around as we flew down the runway. It wasn’t really helped by the pilot’s love of keeping the nose wheel directly over the centre line.

After take off menus were handed out and then were was a drinks round. Everything was done by hand of course, no trolleys in First. I decided to go with some water, for now. The purser (who was the miserable person who greeted me at the door) came around to take dinner orders. I was addressed by name, but this was the only time during the entire flight. I decided to have the salmon and trout terrine to start followed by the lamb shank.

Here is the menu:

The CSD came around to say hello and she was lovely, quite a difference from the crew in the First cabin.

Dinner was served with my table first being laid. I was asked if I’d like any wine with dinner and opted for the shiraz, which was fantastic. I noted that the menu seamed very similar to the menu that I had ex. Sydney to Bangkok in 2011.

The amouse bouche was a bit odd, but fine. The terrine was fantastic. The lamb was ok, the vegetables were somewhat under done. I followed the meal up with a fabulous nut tart with proper cream and a glass of the Austrian dessert wine. The purser had warmed up a bit at this point and told me that she was half Austrian and was therefore able to pronounce the name of the wine properly, which was nice.

matthandy

Pre-dinner drinks


Table set up


Amuse bouche


Terrine of salmon and trout


Lamb shank with fresh vegetables


Nut tart with double cream


Green tea to follow

After dinner I was offered chocolates, although the purser almost dropped the entire box on the floor!

I sat back and watched some the unfolding sunset out of the window before deciding to get a little bit of sleep. I asked the crew to make up my bed and went to the toilets to change. Changing into PJs really isn't easy in the small toilets on the 777-300.

I dozed rather than slept as I wasn't particularly tired. I saw it as more of an afternoon nap.

Sunset


Sunset


Looking forward from the rear of the cabin – guess what film the person in 4F is watching?


Bed time

I think that I dozed for about 3 hours or so before getting changed and ready for the second service. On the Sydney sectors the second meal is rather disappointing. In this case, before arrival into Singapore, I was offered what was really just a cut down afternoon tea. A selection of sandwiches was offered, which were very nice, plus an assortment of cakes, which were again, very nice, but hardly filling.

After everything was cleared away I filled out my immigration card for Singapore and then packed everything up in preparation for landing.

A selection of sandwiches


A selection of cakes

We about 20 minutes ahead of schedule and after snapping a couple of more photos I disembarked, thanking the crew on the way out of 1L.

BA uses Terminal 1 at Singapore airport and it largely has remained the same since the first time that I ever flew into SIN. The low ceilings, bad carpet and long walks were all evident. I quickly sprinted to immigration and then passed the baggage belts on my out. I had nothing to collect since I had travelled with hand luggage only. A few minutes later and I was in a taxi on my way to the hotel.

Lamps in First


The final cabin shot


Terminal 1

Verdict

Apart from the initially frosty reception from the crew this was a good First flight. I thought that the food had improved markedly out of Sydney compared to previous trip in June 2011. The seat was comfortable but I don't think that 1K was a good choice. It's too close to the galley and it doesn't feel very private.

Up Next

The fantastic Fullerton Bay Hotel followed by two days in Singapore including the Sky Park, a wander around Marina Bay and a quick visit to Orchard Road.

vecta

Great stuff matthandy! It goes without saying, more more more

Digital01

Excellent start. Your story telling and photography was excellent as always. Look forward to the rest.

mike&co

Excellent as ever...keep them coming^

Moomba

Nice start matthandy.

It looks like BA are doing a better job of F meals these days. I suppose the steam ovens on these newer aircraft make it easier to provide more edible food.

I was in 2K on a 12 seater 777 the night before last and it has seriously misaligned windows that you really could't see out of when seated. Did this variant suffer the same problem?

FlyerTalker7654

Some really fantastic pictures there!!! Great TR!!! ^

Regarding the purser.....why it is BA have this attitude?? You are a First class passenger, regardless if you paid money or uses miles, to give you that sort of a reception is just shocking. Would you get that if you flew Singapore or Emirates??

Look forward to the rest of the TP!

Cheers

SFO777

Matt, outstanding report as usual. Wonderful pics and narrative.
But those Avios award fees? Yikes. And the attitude of your BA crew is disappointing. Love the socks, BTW.

QF Lad

Great trip report Matt. As always your photography is a joy to look at.

Although the food didn't look bad, it is fair to compare the BA product on this flight with the QF product. I had the following menu on QF to Dubai, but previously this flight went via Singapore.

If you had been flying to LHR in F with QF, you would have been offered the 10 course tasting menu featuring:

Tartlet of Beetroot and Goats Cheese
Spiced lamb Pancake Rolls with Chilli Sauce
Roasted Carrot and Thyme Soup with Dill Creme Fraiche
Yamba Prawns, Radish and Zucchini Salad with Lemon Dressing
Pan Fried Snapper Fillet with Braised Fennel and Green Shallots, Olive Patatoes and Romesco
Grass Fed Sirloin with Port Wine Sauce, Jerusalem Artichokes and Cremed Silverbeet
Salad of Baby Cos, Radicchio and Frisee with Palm Sugar Vinaigarette
Apple, Ricotta and Hazelnut Torte with Cinnamon Creme Anglaise
Blue, soft and hard cheese, hand selected by Will Studd, Maitre Fromager, Calendar Cheese Company, served with accompaniments
A selection of Cacao hand made chocolates.

When you look at this, you cant help thinking that BA could perhaps do better, especially when you point out that the ticket price for these sectors on BA was $5500.

matthandy

Thank you! I've actually already done all of the photos for this TR, so posting it should in theory be a little quicker than my last one.

Thanks Digital01.

Thanks mike&co, I'll try to post the next update shortly.

Thanks Moomba, yes the food was pretty good although, I still believe that QF does better food in J in some cases (well on the A380 anyway). Here's hoping that there will be further improvements once the A380 enters service for BA too.

Yes, the windows were a little difficult to see out of. To get that shot of the two windows I had to get up out of my seat.

I really don't know although I have had downright rude crew on Emirates on a couple of flights, worse than this purser as she wasn't directly rude to me. I personally believe that some crew get into these kinds of habits and end up working with crew with similar persuasions which only reinforces their beliefs and makes them seem acceptable. The CSD that came to say hello was lovely but I got the impression that she'd actually have difficulty dealing with the purser if she had to pull her up on her behaviour.

The crew on the way back were truly amazing though, certainly the best crews that I've had on any flight to date. They worked tirelessly and as one team and treated each passenger as an individual. Truly outstanding. I'll explain more when I get to that part of the TR.

Thanks SFO777. I suppose that us BA passengers have just had to learn to accept those fees. For the sake of a weekend away, flying F, it wasn't too much of an issue for me.

Thanks about the socks!

matthandy

Tell me about it! It's still a goal of mine to fly F somewhere with QF. As I mentioned in my last reply, I think that the food on QF is definitely a strong point. I've had exceptional food in J on the A380, better than F on BA at times.

I think that we can expect the First experience to improve further once the A380 is in service with BA towards the end of this year. Fingers crossed.

hugolover

I'm always quite shocked by BA food, especially in F. Now thankfully you booked with miles, which is good but if I were paying cash I would be seriously disappointed with a fairly cheap and ordinary menu. This F menu can easily be beaten by other carriers J, like OS. That salmon thing is something like two packs for £5 chez M&S so £2.50. The lamb shank. £8 max, the dessert £1. For me, there is nothing *F* about this food.

Nobody should fly for the food but in F it should be exceptional quality IMHO. Particularly when you remind yourself of BA F prices and other carriers configurations such as max 8 on LX.

spizzy

Excellent TR and Photos. Looking forward to photos and your thoughts on FB Singapore since we will be staying there early next year. Did you find it close enough to everything? I know taxis are cheap to get around so I guess no biggie if its a bit away from it all. Also you said matthandy that you receieved an upgrade to the Deluxe Room. Do you mean you received an upgrade to the Premier Room from a Deluxe room as the latter is the base?

Sixth Freedom

Cracking TR thanks matthandy. ^

I am looking forward to your thoughts on SIN in anticipation of my trip there in August.

Surely this must be 1K since there are three windows (i.e. 2K, 3K and 4K) behind it?