iluvdoco

I flew EY, SQ (SYD-SIN), and JAL's F products on a recent trip to Australia! Going to skip the fat and just post airline cabin photos. Stay tuned to which airline I think is the best all-around.

thibderoc

keeping the suspense ?

Seat 2A

This is NOT a trip report.

It's a promotion for a trip report that has no business being posted here as there is NO trip report.

The OP suggests that he/she has already flown these flights aboard EY, SQ and JL. Why not wait to post until you've actually got something to report upon?

Until then, I would hope the moderators would do us all a favor and remove these non-trip report posts.

iluvdoco

Oh that's funny, I doubt your first post here would qualify as a "trip report". Where are the photos?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18072989-post1.html

Excuse me if I can't post photos from my trip until later tonight. There's something called work.

Seat 2A

Trip reports by and of themselves do not require photos to qualify as a report.

If you'll note the timing of the post from my report that you've referenced (11:06pm) and then the subsequent posts (11:12p, 11:19p, 11:27p etc which include photos), you'll see that I had that report ready to go and posted each installment within minutes of each other.

While installment style posting (over a number of days) is both popular and accepted here at FlyerTalk, the acceptable norm is to start with an actual report. So then, why not wait until tonight when you actually have put together the beginning of a "report" worth reading? (or looking at, as the case may be)

In years past Flyertalk has had quite a few of these "teaser" type posts, hyping the promised trip report. Some come to fruition, others languish. The only thing these pre-trip hype posts contribute is a bunch of "atta boy" type posts from excited readers, which are not trip reports and generally just clog up the thread with a bunch of wasted space. The title of your proposed report looks to be an interesting subject. I'd much rather read about it than have to scroll through a bunch of "atta boy" posts before I ever get to the actual report.

Is waiting a day or two to get your initial ducks in a row really asking too much?

If the moderators truly think these pre-trip type posts are acceptable, I will refrain from further comment. Until then, this is just my thoughts on them and clearly, I'd like to see the practice of pre-trip hype posts discouraged.

iluvdoco

I recently flew Etihad Apartments on the EY 454 route from AUH to SYD, Singapore Airlines SQ 232 New Suites from SYD-SIN and Japan Airlines from NRT to ORD.

I would rank the cabins as follows:

#1 ) Japan Airlines
#2 ) Etihad tied with Singapore Airlines

Japan Airlines (best all-around)

Seat: A- (dated hard product, but still very comfortable and comes with a posturepedic pillow and airweave mattress)
Privacy: B (limited privacy, given its open seating nature)
Tech: B+ (HD monitor, Bose noise cancelling cans, free WiFi)
Service: A+ (while their English might not be the best, the FAs were well-intentioned and warm)
Food: A+++ (I don't think any other airline comes close, Air France La Premiere maybe?)
Champagne/Beverages: A- (recent downgrade from Salon 2002 to Cristal 2009, but they also have Queen of the Blue tea & Mori Izo shochu)
Home City Lounge: A- (I like the sushi station and other food items; although the main lounge can be crowded, there is a second, identical F lounge upstairs)
Amenity Kit: A (stylish and practical! I received the Porsche amenity kit + Shiseido Men's essentials kit)
Other: A (dedicated priority screening at NRT, menu printed on heavy cardstock and in color, can be kept by passenger)

iluvdoco

What pushed JAL over the top for me was its 3-Michelin star menu on flights ex-NRT. Not merely inspired by these 3 Michelin star restaurants, but actually featuring food from said restaurants. I suspect that for other people who don't like to eat as much as I do, the ranking will be different.

Seat




Here, JAL's classic 5 dish appetizer, but instead featuring dishes from Ishikawa and Kohaku. From left to right; Steamed savory egg custard with truffle accompanied by caviar (Kohaku); two-color asparagus fiddlehead fern & broadbean with Kohaku Original XO sauce (Kohaku); hair crab meat with ginger vinegar (Ishikawa); simmered sakura shrimp, bracken, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushroom & burdock (Ishikawa), glass shrimp, giant butterbur & herring roe, egg yok vinegar with butterbur bud (Kohaku)


Western entree comprising blue lobster with turnip, sauce Americaine.


Western dessert comprising "Kotoka" strawberry & rhubarb in a springlike vacherin style.


Returned to the Japanese Michelin menu for desserts. Selected sweet tamba black beans (Kohaku); Yuribari melon with rum sauce, rum jelly, raw sugar jelly & roasted walnut (Ishikawa); and truffle chocolate (Kohaku). The Yuribari melon is very pricey, so I was impressed they placed this item in an airline dessert!


I consumed much more food on my flight, but those are the highlights.

Seat 2A

You're off to a nice start, iluvdoco! Thanks for some well taken pictures of JAL's meal service. I'm booked First Class on NRT-JFK next month and your pictures serve nicely as photographic appetizers to get me all the more excited about the journey. I look forward to the rest of your report as it develops. ^

offerendum

Post 6f. is a nice trip report, thanks for it.

iluvdoco

Thank you 2A, much appreciated.

Thanks offerendum.

iluvdoco

Etihad Apartments (aging but still practical)

Seat: A (hard product showing its age, but great privacy, mattress topper for fold down bed)
Privacy: A+ (enclosed)
Tech: A (HD touchscreen, noise cancelling cans, WiFi)
Service: A+ (all of my flights on EY Apartments have had wonderful cabin crews)
Food: B (Etihad has been cost-cutting, and it shows in the menu selections. However, I like that they still serve palate cleansers)
Champagne/Beverages: B (more cost-cutting downgrades)
Home City Lounge: B+ (stylish, but the food isn't great, and complimentary haircut service has been eliminated)
Amenity Kit: A (The new Christian Lacroix leather kits smell amazing; while not equipped with the most lavish of items, they were very practical)
Other: A (shower isn't gimmicky at all- helped me refresh before landing and The Lobby area on A380 is stylish and a nice place to relax mid-flight)





Stylish Lobby area


Bed sleeping position


Bathroom


Appetizer


Palate Cleanser


I think this was the black cod?


Raspberry tart looked a little sad

JHIN

JHIN

EY showing its age OP? Do tell how? What was the recline like? Can we lounge like a barcalounger?

iluvdoco

Singapore Airlines new A380 Suites (stylish but not as practical)

Seat: B+ (the swivel seat isn't bad, but it's not very practical. Also lack of buddy dining)
Privacy: A+ (enclosed)
Tech: A- (wireless tablet remote/Krisflyer app sync, noise cancelling cans, WiFi, 32-inch touchscreen BUT touchscreen is fairly low resolution)
Service: A+ (excellent service)
Food: A- (Book the Cook was disappointing- my rack of lamb sounded promising but was very overcooked)
Champagne/Beverages: A+ (Krug AND Dom? Get outta here)
Home City Lounge: B+ (stylish and exclusive, but food in The Private Room wasn't great, about the same as Etihad's lounge in AUH, plus the waiter forgot two of my food orders)
Amenity Kit: B (stylish but impractical! When flying to SIN, passengers get a unisex amenity kit which includes a candle and a glass fish)
Other: B to B+ (lacks a Lobby area on the A380, seat wobbling, better and more storage than in Etihad Apartments, questionable design choices that lack functionality, but overall very high quality finishes)

I ranked Etihad Apartments in a tie with SQ's New A380 Suites, but I would give a slight edge to the Etihad Apartments for having a more functional and practical design.
- SQ decided to not include a shower, but instead the bathroom has a powder room section of sorts. It's certainly very neat at first glance, but just doesn't seem very practical if you're not female.
- Lack of buddy dining
- Seat wobbles during strong turbulence (not exactly confidence inspiring)
- Need to swivel seat just to watch large touchscreen. Although the small screen in front of the seat can be used to show movies, it's tiny. I want to be able to watch movies on the 32 inch touchscreen, but I can't when the plane is preparing to land. By contrast, I can watch Etihad's large screen even if the plane is preparing to land.
- The 32 inch screen seemed to have a lower resolution than Etihad's touchscreen. I'd estimate the resolution at 720p, which is unacceptable for a 32 inch screen. I would've preferred that SQ use a higher res, but smaller screen. Also the touch functions were not sensitive as on Etihad's touchscreen.
- The fold down bed wasn't uncomfortable (some have complained that the cushioning was too hard), but SQ's decision to just cover it with a sheet seems haphazard.
- The food was disappointing. My rack of lamb was extremely overcooked. Good garlic bread though.
- Best champagne selection ever.
- Cabin temp was fine.

I do have to compliment SQ for their very high quality finishes throughout the cabin. From the thick carpeting to the details on the light sconces, it was evident and very luxurious.

iluvdoco

Some of the edges and leather surfaces seemed worn. Recline is limited, but it didn't bother me. What's a barcalounger?