SFO777

Starting the long trek home...


We departed the The Oberoi at around 8:15pm and arrived at the beautiful new terminal just over an hour later.















To the Singapore counter.





Our Peirce & Leslie then escorted us to the premium security area where we were the only two pax. After passport control, into the departure concourse.











Apparently, no airline has its own lounge at BOM. Everyone shares the same lounges... either a contract Business Class Lounge or a contract First Class Lounge. Not sure what the deal is by our P&L said that the lounges are run by GVK, who apparently built the terminal.



Pleasant enough lounge with a blingy Indian-style decor. Even the blingy EK has a more understated lounge. Not sure how much time I could spend here.













There is a dining area, that is actually roped off... not sure who gets to sit in there as presumably all pax here are F pax.



Lots of serve yourself food options, although nothing that looked all that exciting. Maybe I'm just tiring of Indian food.









At around T-45, we headed out for the 5 minutes walk to our gate.

SFO777

Mumbai to Singapore
Singapore SQ 432
777-300ER (scheduled maintenance swap from A380-800)
11:35p-7:25a +1 (sked)
11:35p-6:40a +1 (actual)
February 23, 2016
Suites 2CD

Boarding started just as we arrived at the gate. When I originally booked this flight, SQ was using an A380-800. However, scheduled maintenance for the A380 caused an old 77W to be swapped for two weeks, including our departure date. Since it was only a 4h40m flight, just like a LAX-JFK flight, not that big a deal.













Today's menu.















And wine list.







Pre-departure beverages were limited to non-alcoholic as FA claimed that they could not serve alcohol on the ground in India.









Once in the air, I decided to watch Premiers Crus, an entertaining wine-related French movie set in Burgundy.



While Mrs. SFO headed to sleep shortly after take-off.



But not me. I'm always up for some food and drink.



Except that my seat controls and then IFE crapped out. Our FA and purser had to reset it 4 times before it finally took. Yeah, this looks like modern technology. Ha.



Showtime.





To start, the Tandoori Spiced Lobster with chili grape chutney and dahi kachumber. Very good.



The the Indian Style Creamy Carrot soup. Meh.



For my main, I went with another starter, the Trilogy of Asian Prawn. OK, not so good. Couple of bites and I was done.



I finished my movie and then slept for a couple of hours before we began our descent to Changi, where we pulled into Gate B10 at the end of the B concourse. While SQ provides great in flight service, its premium ground service is pretty much non-existent. No car service (like AF), no buggy service (like TG), just a long, long walk to the Sliver Kris Lounge and The Private Room.









About 15 minutes later, we were finally at the Silver Kris Lounge.

SFO777

Finally, we arrive at the escalator to the Silver Kris lounges. Some pics from last month.







Up to the SilverKris Lounge. One glimpse of our First Class boarding passes and we were welcomed and escorted thru the First Class (Star Alliance) lounge to The Private Room.





















Today's breakfast menu.



I had scrambled eggs.



While Mrs. SFO had the Vietnamese Pho with Beef which I had last month.







At around T-50, we headed downstairs and the 7 minute walk back to Gate B4 and more SQ non-premium treatment. Changi has security at the gate or gate clusters. Unfortunately, it's every pax for him or herself with no priority or premium line. So it took 7 minutes in line to clear security. Not so good SQ.

SFO777

Thank you very much CHOPCHOP767. It's amazing how poor the ME3 and SQ ground experience is, in contrast to their inflight service. Yeah, we saw Indian wines on the wine lists but I guess I wasn't that adventuresome.

Nothing new with me and AA. Still disgruntled and still a Free Agent. But this will almost definitely be my last hurrah as an EXP.

naswi

naswi

Hello. Where did you buy those Santoni? Looking to upgrade my canvas Sperry shoes. Thank you

Speedbird84

Odd. Delhi had the same sort of setup with common-use lounges for a good chunk of time at T3 after it opened, but only until all the various airlines had finished construction on their own lounges.

offerendum

I really have to do India

CHOPCHOP767

Ditto, SFO777 re EXP status for me as well. I'm thankful though because that means more exotic TRs for me to look forward to as I'm largely confined to domestic short hops these days

TPJ

Fabulous report!

BTW... last time when I flew to JAI-BOM in C, Jet gave me a me a meal voucher in lieu of lounge access, but it was for a restaurant located before security. I realized it in the last moment when I was just about to put my stuff on X-ray machine

palermo

How is that so different now in Delhi? I fly often BA, Qatar, EY and they all use a common lounge

HMPS

Go offerendum go. ^
You will love it.

1P

First paragraph of that SQ menu definitely written by someone whose first language is not English. Amusing!

SQTraveller

This is interesting SFO777 --- have they stopped providing the 2004 Dom Perignon?

Speedbird84

There are a number of independently operated lounges there. I mainly use * to Delhi, and there're the two LH lounges, one SQ lounge as well as the 2 AI ones. I believe Jet and EK have their own as well.

Oneworld was using Kingfisher's lounge initially until they shut down.