SQ: SYD-HKG-SYD
Oct 2, 2001, 1:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: SYD
Posts: 1,363
SQ: SYD-HKG-SYD
Quick report on my trip up to HKG. I don’t really have anything too knew to say, as I’ve written quite a few of these SQ trip reports of late. But nonetheless, here we go.
-------------------------
28/9/01; SYD-SIN
SQ 220; 0820/1420
747-400; 9V-SMT
-------------------------
Arrived at the airport at about 06:30 to the usual chaotic Y class queues. As *G I went up to the J class line and was ambushed by the line nazi. “EXCUSE ME SIR – this is business class check-in, can I see your ticket”. I proceeded to say I am *G, and she asked to see my card. I didn’t have it and she escorted me to the service desk to check my status on the computer. Anyway, there was no one at the J class check-in so after her approval I went over to the counter where the agent apologised for the rudeness of the Line Nazi.
I was asked if I had any knives or aerosols in my carry-on, and was given seat 33J. I wanted 62A and they said it was blocked and not available. I was directed to the service desk where they proceeded to un-block the seat, and I was given a new boarding pass. Apparently this seat is always blocked, and reserved for *S/*G members, and couples travelling together when no other seats are available together. But the service desk will always unblock it if you fit into these categories. I always wondered about that.
Security was nothing different – no frisking or anything like that. Boarding began at 07:45 for F/J/PPC/*G at gate 58. I was pleased that no one was sitting next to me, but just before the doors closed this young kid gets on, puffing, and proceeds to sit next to me. Uhh. Obviously he was running late and the seat next to me was about the last one free.
Take off was on-time. I requested a veg lacto-ovo and given the same as ever – omelette and rice bubbles. They even had real knives. The breakfast on SQ220 is very ordinary, and quite a small serving. Plus, there is no ice cream. I really think I should take the later flight when my schedule allows.
During the flight I watched Bridgette Jones’ Diary which is very, very funny. Love that blue soup!! I tried to watch a few other movies but the September choices were pretty poor. And they've taken "That 70s Show" off the Comedy Zone
Service was superb as usual. I really appreciate what a good airline they are after recently flying TG.
Interestingly, the older couple (about mid 50s) in front of me got unbelievably special treatment from the staff. At one point the leading stewardess even brought them both a piece of black forest cake from first class. I thought maybe they were PPS Solitaire or something, but prior to landing the lady couldn't even figure out how to put her seat up, so that couldn't have been it. And if they were actual VIPs, what the heck were they doing in row 61?
When we got to around Indonesia it started to get pretty rough. At one point it really got bad and the people behind me started screaming when we hit an airpocket. Cabin service was promptly stopped and the FAs sat down for the next 15 minutes. Gotta love SQ – they even make an announcement that “due to turbulent weather, cabin service will be temporarily suspended, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience”.
It was pretty rough for the rest of the flight with huge storm clouds all over the place. The pilots were literally swerving from side to side to avoid them all. It is often pretty choppy flying over Indonesia at this time of the year.
The captain told the FAs to be seated for landing some 10 minutes before touch down. But I was watching and they were still stuffing around until about 45 seconds before touch-down.
We landed about 30 minutes early at Singapore (Gate E12) and I had a few hours to kill. I checked out the Premier lounge, and must say it is nothing to write home about. I attempted to get into the Silver Kris lounge but was flat-out rejected as a lowly *G.
I went over to T1 for the first time on the Sky Train. I actually think I prefer that Terminal. The Cactus Garden, waterfalls etc… it is really very nice. The pool at the transit hotel is also great. I tell you, it's much more pleasant having a coke & cigarette beside the pool, than it is hanging out in that over-crowded Premier Lounge in T2. I should have checked out the TG and other lounges in T1, but forgot.
I actually walked back to T2. I had no idea you could actually do that - I thought you had to take the Sky Train.
-------------------------
28/9/01; SQ2
SIN-HKG; 1700/2045
747-400; 9V-SPB
-------------------------
This flight actually goes to San Francisco, so security was a little tighter at the gate (E26) where they were frisking everyone. They even opened up my wallet and started looking in all the zippers. Just as well there was nothing embarrassing in there
No pre-boarding for *G again. I was in 62A again, and the flight was only about 1/3 full, so it didn't really matter. They didn't even do the general boarding by row number.
Very pleasant flight. I recognised the Captain as the same British guy who I did SIN-TPE with in July.
Push-back was delayed for a few minutes while they were trying to find someone who was not on the plane. We ended up taking off right into a typical Singapore afternoon thunder storm. We turned around after taking off and got a great view of Changi airport before heading into the clouds.
Nothing out of the ordinary really to report on this flight. It was my first encounter with plastic knives on an aircraft. They are actually still pretty sharp and managed to get through my delicious mock-meat dinner.
It got very rough near the coast of Vietnam and my coffee proceeded to spill all over the seat next to me. I think there must have been quite a bit of storm activity in South East Asia on this particular day, as this flight and the one above, were 2 of the roughest I’ve been on in recent times.
The crew on this flight were sensational. They kept coming round, and even made a point of chatting to a number of passengers.
Landing was about 10 minutes late at HKG. I miss the old approach into Kai Tak. At the new airport you barely even see any lights before you land. As I got off the plane there were about 5 military people standing outside the plane standing at attention. It reminded me of landing at Beijing or somewhere else in China. This was my first trip to HKG since the hand-over so I was quite interested to see how it had changed.
Immigration did not ask me any questions about what I was doing in HKG which was nice. The arrival forms are pretty basic really. No questions about whether you have any illegal substances, and not even a question about the purpose of your trip. I thought maybe they had started using the Chinese arrival forms. I remember them from last year wanting to know just about everything about you. They even ask you if you have symtoms like diarrhoea, cough...
Customs was also a non-event as I just walked straight through to the arrival hall.
Obviously, it was also my first time to this new airport but unfortunately I was too tired to look around when I arrived, so just headed to the train. It is quite easy to buy tickets for the train as there are ticket machines everywhere, as well as a counter just after you clear C&I. The return ticket cost about HKG$160.
I must say this is the most efficient transport system I have seen. The train is just awesome. The PTVs on the back of the train are not much use, except for the news. They even have a little map telling you how far to go.
Before long I was at downtown Kowloon station where I headed to bus K2 for the quick ride to the Sheraton. Can’t say I was too impressed with this hotel. I was on the 15th floor with a view to a slummy building and a TGIF restaurant. The hallways outside the room were like those in a 2* dingy Asian hotel. As for the rooms, they were quite small and really were in dire need of a renovation. The bathroom was so small you couldn’t even swing a rodent. There was even a big hair on both the toilet seat and bathtub, and, for good measure, a used tampon in the toilet, which just wouldn’t flush down. Yuck. Guys are just not supposed to see that stuff. The lobby sure was nice though, and the staff were very efficient. Almost robotic the way they said “Good Afternoon Sir” when you were within 2 metres of them. I wondered if I stepped back and forth from them, if they would keep saying it.
I did a tour of the hotel and checked out several of the Towers rooms on the 16th floor. It was like a different hotel. The rooms were just so much nicer, and the hallways actually were the way they should be for a supposed 5 star hotel. The lounges too are very, very nice. I would deffinitely recommend the Towers floors to people coming to this hotel.
I did a bit of shopping in HKG. Managed to get a pair of AIWA noise cancelling earphones for about HKG$300. They were very, very good on the subsequent flights. For those interested, the Sony noise-cancelling headphones were just not available anywhere. I went from shop to shop asking. The price I was given for the AIWAs varied from $300 to $550. I have used the Sony and Bose headphones before, and am happy to report that the AIWAs are just as good, and considerably less expensive.
The rest of my time in HKG was spent walking around, soking up the atmosphere of the place. I absolutely love this city, and could quite easily live there. The weather was fabulous, about 32C and fine. Wasn't even too hazy.
Will post details of the return flights soon.
MD
[Edited to provide some more details]
[This message has been edited by MilesDependent (edited 10-02-2001).]
-------------------------
28/9/01; SYD-SIN
SQ 220; 0820/1420
747-400; 9V-SMT
-------------------------
Arrived at the airport at about 06:30 to the usual chaotic Y class queues. As *G I went up to the J class line and was ambushed by the line nazi. “EXCUSE ME SIR – this is business class check-in, can I see your ticket”. I proceeded to say I am *G, and she asked to see my card. I didn’t have it and she escorted me to the service desk to check my status on the computer. Anyway, there was no one at the J class check-in so after her approval I went over to the counter where the agent apologised for the rudeness of the Line Nazi.
I was asked if I had any knives or aerosols in my carry-on, and was given seat 33J. I wanted 62A and they said it was blocked and not available. I was directed to the service desk where they proceeded to un-block the seat, and I was given a new boarding pass. Apparently this seat is always blocked, and reserved for *S/*G members, and couples travelling together when no other seats are available together. But the service desk will always unblock it if you fit into these categories. I always wondered about that.
Security was nothing different – no frisking or anything like that. Boarding began at 07:45 for F/J/PPC/*G at gate 58. I was pleased that no one was sitting next to me, but just before the doors closed this young kid gets on, puffing, and proceeds to sit next to me. Uhh. Obviously he was running late and the seat next to me was about the last one free.
Take off was on-time. I requested a veg lacto-ovo and given the same as ever – omelette and rice bubbles. They even had real knives. The breakfast on SQ220 is very ordinary, and quite a small serving. Plus, there is no ice cream. I really think I should take the later flight when my schedule allows.
During the flight I watched Bridgette Jones’ Diary which is very, very funny. Love that blue soup!! I tried to watch a few other movies but the September choices were pretty poor. And they've taken "That 70s Show" off the Comedy Zone
Service was superb as usual. I really appreciate what a good airline they are after recently flying TG.
Interestingly, the older couple (about mid 50s) in front of me got unbelievably special treatment from the staff. At one point the leading stewardess even brought them both a piece of black forest cake from first class. I thought maybe they were PPS Solitaire or something, but prior to landing the lady couldn't even figure out how to put her seat up, so that couldn't have been it. And if they were actual VIPs, what the heck were they doing in row 61?
When we got to around Indonesia it started to get pretty rough. At one point it really got bad and the people behind me started screaming when we hit an airpocket. Cabin service was promptly stopped and the FAs sat down for the next 15 minutes. Gotta love SQ – they even make an announcement that “due to turbulent weather, cabin service will be temporarily suspended, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience”.
It was pretty rough for the rest of the flight with huge storm clouds all over the place. The pilots were literally swerving from side to side to avoid them all. It is often pretty choppy flying over Indonesia at this time of the year.
The captain told the FAs to be seated for landing some 10 minutes before touch down. But I was watching and they were still stuffing around until about 45 seconds before touch-down.
We landed about 30 minutes early at Singapore (Gate E12) and I had a few hours to kill. I checked out the Premier lounge, and must say it is nothing to write home about. I attempted to get into the Silver Kris lounge but was flat-out rejected as a lowly *G.
I went over to T1 for the first time on the Sky Train. I actually think I prefer that Terminal. The Cactus Garden, waterfalls etc… it is really very nice. The pool at the transit hotel is also great. I tell you, it's much more pleasant having a coke & cigarette beside the pool, than it is hanging out in that over-crowded Premier Lounge in T2. I should have checked out the TG and other lounges in T1, but forgot.
I actually walked back to T2. I had no idea you could actually do that - I thought you had to take the Sky Train.
-------------------------
28/9/01; SQ2
SIN-HKG; 1700/2045
747-400; 9V-SPB
-------------------------
This flight actually goes to San Francisco, so security was a little tighter at the gate (E26) where they were frisking everyone. They even opened up my wallet and started looking in all the zippers. Just as well there was nothing embarrassing in there
No pre-boarding for *G again. I was in 62A again, and the flight was only about 1/3 full, so it didn't really matter. They didn't even do the general boarding by row number.
Very pleasant flight. I recognised the Captain as the same British guy who I did SIN-TPE with in July.
Push-back was delayed for a few minutes while they were trying to find someone who was not on the plane. We ended up taking off right into a typical Singapore afternoon thunder storm. We turned around after taking off and got a great view of Changi airport before heading into the clouds.
Nothing out of the ordinary really to report on this flight. It was my first encounter with plastic knives on an aircraft. They are actually still pretty sharp and managed to get through my delicious mock-meat dinner.
It got very rough near the coast of Vietnam and my coffee proceeded to spill all over the seat next to me. I think there must have been quite a bit of storm activity in South East Asia on this particular day, as this flight and the one above, were 2 of the roughest I’ve been on in recent times.
The crew on this flight were sensational. They kept coming round, and even made a point of chatting to a number of passengers.
Landing was about 10 minutes late at HKG. I miss the old approach into Kai Tak. At the new airport you barely even see any lights before you land. As I got off the plane there were about 5 military people standing outside the plane standing at attention. It reminded me of landing at Beijing or somewhere else in China. This was my first trip to HKG since the hand-over so I was quite interested to see how it had changed.
Immigration did not ask me any questions about what I was doing in HKG which was nice. The arrival forms are pretty basic really. No questions about whether you have any illegal substances, and not even a question about the purpose of your trip. I thought maybe they had started using the Chinese arrival forms. I remember them from last year wanting to know just about everything about you. They even ask you if you have symtoms like diarrhoea, cough...
Customs was also a non-event as I just walked straight through to the arrival hall.
Obviously, it was also my first time to this new airport but unfortunately I was too tired to look around when I arrived, so just headed to the train. It is quite easy to buy tickets for the train as there are ticket machines everywhere, as well as a counter just after you clear C&I. The return ticket cost about HKG$160.
I must say this is the most efficient transport system I have seen. The train is just awesome. The PTVs on the back of the train are not much use, except for the news. They even have a little map telling you how far to go.
Before long I was at downtown Kowloon station where I headed to bus K2 for the quick ride to the Sheraton. Can’t say I was too impressed with this hotel. I was on the 15th floor with a view to a slummy building and a TGIF restaurant. The hallways outside the room were like those in a 2* dingy Asian hotel. As for the rooms, they were quite small and really were in dire need of a renovation. The bathroom was so small you couldn’t even swing a rodent. There was even a big hair on both the toilet seat and bathtub, and, for good measure, a used tampon in the toilet, which just wouldn’t flush down. Yuck. Guys are just not supposed to see that stuff. The lobby sure was nice though, and the staff were very efficient. Almost robotic the way they said “Good Afternoon Sir” when you were within 2 metres of them. I wondered if I stepped back and forth from them, if they would keep saying it.
I did a tour of the hotel and checked out several of the Towers rooms on the 16th floor. It was like a different hotel. The rooms were just so much nicer, and the hallways actually were the way they should be for a supposed 5 star hotel. The lounges too are very, very nice. I would deffinitely recommend the Towers floors to people coming to this hotel.
I did a bit of shopping in HKG. Managed to get a pair of AIWA noise cancelling earphones for about HKG$300. They were very, very good on the subsequent flights. For those interested, the Sony noise-cancelling headphones were just not available anywhere. I went from shop to shop asking. The price I was given for the AIWAs varied from $300 to $550. I have used the Sony and Bose headphones before, and am happy to report that the AIWAs are just as good, and considerably less expensive.
The rest of my time in HKG was spent walking around, soking up the atmosphere of the place. I absolutely love this city, and could quite easily live there. The weather was fabulous, about 32C and fine. Wasn't even too hazy.
Will post details of the return flights soon.
MD
[Edited to provide some more details]
[This message has been edited by MilesDependent (edited 10-02-2001).]
Oct 2, 2001, 5:29 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seat 1A
Programs: Non-status paid F/J (best value for $$$)
Posts: 4,124
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MilesDependent:
Interestingly, the older couple (about mid 50s) in front of me got unbelievably special treatment from the staff. At one point the leading stewardess even brought them both a piece of black forest cake from first class. I thought maybe they were PPS Solitaire or something, but prior to landing the lady couldn't even figure out how to put her seat up, so that couldn't have been it. And if they were actual VIPs, what the heck were they doing in row 61?
</font>
Interestingly, the older couple (about mid 50s) in front of me got unbelievably special treatment from the staff. At one point the leading stewardess even brought them both a piece of black forest cake from first class. I thought maybe they were PPS Solitaire or something, but prior to landing the lady couldn't even figure out how to put her seat up, so that couldn't have been it. And if they were actual VIPs, what the heck were they doing in row 61?
</font>
On some airlines you can order an anniversary/birthday cake just as if you would order a special meal.
Oct 7, 2001, 8:00 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: SYD
Posts: 1,363
------------------------
30/9/01; HKG-SIN
SQ 869; 1930/2300
777-200; 9V-SQD
------------------------
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=118304
I checked out of the Sheraton at around 4pm, and hopped on the K2 bus for the 10 minutes ride to Kowloon station. It certainly is an impressive building, and it seems just like an airport with the check-in counters everywhere. I decided that I would check-in at the airport and headed down in the lift to the platform. I was quite surprised at how empty the whole place was. After a short wait, I was on board the train, off to the airport.
I was sitting next to a young western chap who spent the entire journey speaking Cantonese into his cell phone. Truly amazing – it seems like such a tough language to master, and master it he sure had.
I was a little disappointed that the train passes through a covered area while you are crossing the suspension bridge, just past Tsing Yi station. This is supposedly one of the longest bridges in the world, so I would have liked to at least see it.
Amazingly, I was at the airport only 40 minutes after leaving the hotel. The check-in area was quite deserted for SQ869. However, there was also a SQ flight at 18:30, and the check-in area there was pretty chaotic.
I was given seat 44A, the emergency exit window. I am happy to report that there was a stack of leg-room for this particular seat. I was a little worried that the front of the exit-door would take up most of my leg-room, however that was not the case. On this particular row there are only 2 seats on the side. It is definitely the best Y seat on the plane, however unfortunately the window had been sealed up, so it wouldn’t be so good if you wanted a view. Although, you could see a little through the window behind me.
They wanted to check me in for the flight to Sydney the following day, but said they could only offer me a middle seat. I passed and said I would try my luck at SIN.
The folks at HKG have a bit of a fetish of placing a sticker on your shirt when you check-in. I was given a purple SQ869 sticker and told I must wear it all times while in the airport. Apparently this is in case there is a gate change, and they need to quickly identify the passengers affected.
It is interesting looking at the people in the airport, as they all had their stickers on, so you could see where they were going. Actually, when we arrived at HKG, they were giving stickers to transit passengers.
I was quite looking forward to having a look around the airport, as it is supposedly one of the finest around. I went outside the terminal to try and find a good runway vantage point, but unfortunately you could not get too far at all. I then went back into the airport, thinking I would go to the observation area, and was surprised that there isn’t one. I looked high and low, but couldn’t find one anywhere.
A little disappointed at not finding a spot to watch the action, I headed to customs to check out the SilverKris lounge. They were checking people’s boarding passes and passports before you actually entered the secure area, and here is where I got into a bit of strife. The first thing they said to me is “where is your sticker”. I pointed to my rollerbag (where I had stuck it), and was told that I must place it on my shirt. I said I did not wish to do that, and they said that “until such time as I place the sticker on my shirt, I would not be allowed to enter this area”. Wow, Sticker Nazis. So, after being suitably chastised, I succumbed to placing the little purple sticker on my shirt, and was let through. Being the trouble maker I am, as soon as I passed through the area, I put the sticker back on my bag. Ohh. Should not have done that. I was approached by another agent enquiring about my sticker. As I was placing it back on my shirt, the original Sticker Nazi comes back and starts shouting in Cantonese to his colleague. I just walked off and that was the end of that. A lesson here, my fellow travellers: When travelling through Chek Lap Kok, be sure to keep your sticker suitably visible.
The lines for the x-ray machines were a bit of mess, zigzagging all over the place. Naturally, I chose the complete wrong line and proceeded to wait like 10 minutes, while other people were just breezing through. I ended up going straight through. First stop was the SilverKris lounge (where I proceeded to remove my sticker once more). Entry without the card was no problem, as the UA*G printed on my BP was sufficient.
I hung around the lounge for about 10 minutes, had a coffee and a few snacks, then proceeded to check out the rest of the airport.
I really wanted to find an observation area, but unfortunately, there wasn’t one in the departure area either. I must say, I was amazed at the sheer size of the airport. I made it up to Gate 40 and was truly puffed. I couldn’t imagine how long it would take to get to Gate 70. Chek Lap Kok is a beautiful airport, but I don’t think it is any better than Incheon in Seoul, or Pu Dong in Shanghai. As a matter of fact, those other two airports are considerably less crowded than HKG, and thus, maybe a little more pleasant. Design-wise, they are almost identical.
A few interesting aircraft and airlines spotted, such as China Eastern, China Southern, China Yunnan, Angel Air, several Cathay 777s, A330s, A340s and 744s, and the hybrid Qantas plane (going to MEL), which I also saw when I landed. Apparently this plane is used almost exclusively on the SYD/MEL-HKG runs. In case you don’t know the one I mean, I have included a link to a photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=179209
Boarding began at around 18:50. As mentioned above, there was only one seat next to me today, and it was occupied by a very serious European gentleman who was not into any small talk.
Push back was at 19:30, and we took off shortly there after. We were treated to an amazing view of downtown Hong Kong and I got a perfect view of the night skyline of both Kowloon and HK Island. Absolutely beautiful.
Happy to report a perfectly smooth flight for a change, with hardly a bump the entire way. Except for some kids behind me who were bumping my (and my seat mate’s) seat somewhat. However, a few stern words from my serious buddy, and they kept quite the rest of the flight. Not entirely sure what he said, but if I was 6, I think I would have been scared of him regardless of what he said.
I attempted to watch 2 movies (Knights Tale and Angel Eyes) with my groovy new headphones, but they were just terrible. Instead, I put the headphones on and read my Michael Connolly novel (A Darkness More than Night). As a sidenote, I would thoroughly recommend his books. I’ve now read all 10 of them and with the exception of “Black Ice” they are all excellent. Most of them are about this LA Homicide Detective named Harry Bosch. They have excellent twisting plots, and are well written, unlike a lot of similar trash in the "police detective" genre. Once you've read a few, I guarantee you’ll absolutely love Harry Bosch. (OK, book plug over).
Before too long we were descending into Singapore. Unfortunately, at this point my ears decide to play nasty guy with me, and I got that terrible pressure pain. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but about every 15 flights or so, my ears and just above my eyes feel like it is going to explode. To the point where I had tears streaming down my face. Anyway, it didn’t last too long, and we landed in Singapore with a beautiful view of the skyline to the left.
As soon as we landed I went to the Transfer Desk to check in for my flight tomorrow morning. I was after 62A/K or 63A/K, but these were not available, and I was given 49C (emergency exit aisle) instead. Well get to that in a bit.
With just 10 hours in SIN I wasn’t too sure the best place to stay. Normally I fly through the night which I loathe, but seeing as this was a leisure trip, I thought I would overnight and take the day flight out the following morning. I decided to stay at the Sheraton Towers, which is about the only place I’ve ever stayed at in SIN. Once I did stay at the Four Seasons, a very luxurious property, but a little “snooty” for my tastes.
To save a few bucks, I grabbed a shuttle to the Sheraton for S$7. I would recommend this service to everyone, it’s about S$7 cheaper than a taxi (taking into account the airport fee the taxis hit you with), and only has enough seating for 5 people, so it’s not as if it takes much longer.
As soon as I checked in at the Sheraton they knew that I was a relatively frequent guest of the hotel (stay number 6), and provided me with the same room as I have always stayed in, 2006. They then enquired about my flight time and arranged a cab for the following morning, and to top it off, ordered me some complimentary hot chocolate from room service. They really know how to treat their guests at this property. Although, I would have been super grateful if they had thrown in a free breakfast as well The complimentary Newsweek magazine says on the front “Sheraton Tower Singapore – Welcome Home”. Very true – it felt good to be back at this property.
I pretty much went straight to bed, and was up at 7:30 to catch SQ 219 to Sydney.
------------------------
1/10/01; SIN-SYD
SQ 219; 0930/1845
747-400; 9V-SMJ
------------------------
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=144722
As I already had my boarding pass, I headed straight through C&I to the SilverKris lounge. I actually forgot I couldn’t get in, and realised as soon as I went through the door. Unfortunately it was the same person who told me to “bugger-off” last time. He said to me with a sly smile on his face “No Sir, we haven’t changed our rules yet, but you can feel free to use the Premier Lounge”. Pass.
It was about time to board at this stage, Gate F56, miles away. The flight today was completely full. I am happy to report than pre-boarding for *G is as it should be.
I was a little curious what 49C would be like, as I think I have only ever had 62A or 63A on the SQ 744s. 49C was awesome. A stack of legroom, and the windows were not covered. However, you should note that SQ have 2 different layouts for their 744s. SMA-SMI, where the lavs are right near 49C, and SMK-SPQ, where the lavs are forward at about row 38. (I should also say, technically, SMA-SMH are also different as they have the old F seats). I imagine 49C on SMK+ would be even better, as you wouldn’t have to deal with the crowds at the lavs. Both layouts have 49C right next to the galley.
Pushback was pretty much on time, and before we took off the Captain gave us a full briefing of the flight. He really focused on the safety aspects saying that “SQ take your safety very importantly, and you can be sure that we have done everything possible to ensure you will be safe today”.
It was a little strange being in 49C, as you have 2 stewardesses sitting directly opposite you.
Something a little different happened on this flight: Just as the Captain powered up for take-off down the runway, something went BANG in the galley and gallons of water proceeded to spill everywhere. As we lifted off, it made its way into the aisle, and was running right through to the back of the aircraft. I imagine a lot of people’s baggage stored under their seat got pretty wet! As the FAs were seated, there was nothing they could do at this point.
I was a bit disappointed that the October movies were not loaded on the plane, and I was stuck with the horrible September choices again. I guess they don’t get the new movies on until about the 2nd or 3rd of the month.
During the flight I started to watch Bridgette Jones’ Diary again, but it didn’t hold my interest the second time. Interestingly, it was a different version on this flight, to the one I watched from SYD-SIN. This version was edited quite significantly. Maybe it has something to do with this flight departing SIN, whereas the other one was going to SIN.
We managed to pick up a jet stream so the flight was pretty quick. At one point we had a tail wind of around 150km/h.
Not too much out of the ordinary to report. Sitting right near the crew, I was amazed at how hard they worked during the flight. I never saw them sit down once - they were always on the go.
Meals were exceptional as usual. Service was fabulous, with all the FAs being extremely friendly and helpful. This was quite surprising as in the past I have found SQ to be a little below par on full flights.
I was sitting next to 2 English ladies who were visiting Australia for the first time. I gave them a whole lot of ideas for things to do, and really enjoyed talking to them.
We began our descent into SYD at around 17:40. The Captain forecast a few bumps on the way in, but he said “as long as we have our seatbelt fastened, everything will be fine”.
We came in to the South, and over the water onto 32L. It was extremely windy and stormy in Sydney, and you could feel the plane being blown around. And when we touched down, everyone certainly felt it. We hit the runway so hard, the lights flickered off for about half a second, and there was another very loud crashing noise from the galley . A joke came to mind, of this old lady walking off a plane and saying to the pilot “Sir, did we land or were we shot down”
Anyway, full credit to the pilot. I looked on ATIS when I got home and the wind was around 24MPH, so that would not have been easy to deal with.
Customs was easy. I had 2.5 times the allowable cigarette limit, but was waved straight through the red channel. They seemed to be picking about 1 in 3 for a full baggage search.
So ends another little adventure.
Hope you enjoyed reading about it.
MD
30/9/01; HKG-SIN
SQ 869; 1930/2300
777-200; 9V-SQD
------------------------
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=118304
I checked out of the Sheraton at around 4pm, and hopped on the K2 bus for the 10 minutes ride to Kowloon station. It certainly is an impressive building, and it seems just like an airport with the check-in counters everywhere. I decided that I would check-in at the airport and headed down in the lift to the platform. I was quite surprised at how empty the whole place was. After a short wait, I was on board the train, off to the airport.
I was sitting next to a young western chap who spent the entire journey speaking Cantonese into his cell phone. Truly amazing – it seems like such a tough language to master, and master it he sure had.
I was a little disappointed that the train passes through a covered area while you are crossing the suspension bridge, just past Tsing Yi station. This is supposedly one of the longest bridges in the world, so I would have liked to at least see it.
Amazingly, I was at the airport only 40 minutes after leaving the hotel. The check-in area was quite deserted for SQ869. However, there was also a SQ flight at 18:30, and the check-in area there was pretty chaotic.
I was given seat 44A, the emergency exit window. I am happy to report that there was a stack of leg-room for this particular seat. I was a little worried that the front of the exit-door would take up most of my leg-room, however that was not the case. On this particular row there are only 2 seats on the side. It is definitely the best Y seat on the plane, however unfortunately the window had been sealed up, so it wouldn’t be so good if you wanted a view. Although, you could see a little through the window behind me.
They wanted to check me in for the flight to Sydney the following day, but said they could only offer me a middle seat. I passed and said I would try my luck at SIN.
The folks at HKG have a bit of a fetish of placing a sticker on your shirt when you check-in. I was given a purple SQ869 sticker and told I must wear it all times while in the airport. Apparently this is in case there is a gate change, and they need to quickly identify the passengers affected.
It is interesting looking at the people in the airport, as they all had their stickers on, so you could see where they were going. Actually, when we arrived at HKG, they were giving stickers to transit passengers.
I was quite looking forward to having a look around the airport, as it is supposedly one of the finest around. I went outside the terminal to try and find a good runway vantage point, but unfortunately you could not get too far at all. I then went back into the airport, thinking I would go to the observation area, and was surprised that there isn’t one. I looked high and low, but couldn’t find one anywhere.
A little disappointed at not finding a spot to watch the action, I headed to customs to check out the SilverKris lounge. They were checking people’s boarding passes and passports before you actually entered the secure area, and here is where I got into a bit of strife. The first thing they said to me is “where is your sticker”. I pointed to my rollerbag (where I had stuck it), and was told that I must place it on my shirt. I said I did not wish to do that, and they said that “until such time as I place the sticker on my shirt, I would not be allowed to enter this area”. Wow, Sticker Nazis. So, after being suitably chastised, I succumbed to placing the little purple sticker on my shirt, and was let through. Being the trouble maker I am, as soon as I passed through the area, I put the sticker back on my bag. Ohh. Should not have done that. I was approached by another agent enquiring about my sticker. As I was placing it back on my shirt, the original Sticker Nazi comes back and starts shouting in Cantonese to his colleague. I just walked off and that was the end of that. A lesson here, my fellow travellers: When travelling through Chek Lap Kok, be sure to keep your sticker suitably visible.
The lines for the x-ray machines were a bit of mess, zigzagging all over the place. Naturally, I chose the complete wrong line and proceeded to wait like 10 minutes, while other people were just breezing through. I ended up going straight through. First stop was the SilverKris lounge (where I proceeded to remove my sticker once more). Entry without the card was no problem, as the UA*G printed on my BP was sufficient.
I hung around the lounge for about 10 minutes, had a coffee and a few snacks, then proceeded to check out the rest of the airport.
I really wanted to find an observation area, but unfortunately, there wasn’t one in the departure area either. I must say, I was amazed at the sheer size of the airport. I made it up to Gate 40 and was truly puffed. I couldn’t imagine how long it would take to get to Gate 70. Chek Lap Kok is a beautiful airport, but I don’t think it is any better than Incheon in Seoul, or Pu Dong in Shanghai. As a matter of fact, those other two airports are considerably less crowded than HKG, and thus, maybe a little more pleasant. Design-wise, they are almost identical.
A few interesting aircraft and airlines spotted, such as China Eastern, China Southern, China Yunnan, Angel Air, several Cathay 777s, A330s, A340s and 744s, and the hybrid Qantas plane (going to MEL), which I also saw when I landed. Apparently this plane is used almost exclusively on the SYD/MEL-HKG runs. In case you don’t know the one I mean, I have included a link to a photo:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=179209
Boarding began at around 18:50. As mentioned above, there was only one seat next to me today, and it was occupied by a very serious European gentleman who was not into any small talk.
Push back was at 19:30, and we took off shortly there after. We were treated to an amazing view of downtown Hong Kong and I got a perfect view of the night skyline of both Kowloon and HK Island. Absolutely beautiful.
Happy to report a perfectly smooth flight for a change, with hardly a bump the entire way. Except for some kids behind me who were bumping my (and my seat mate’s) seat somewhat. However, a few stern words from my serious buddy, and they kept quite the rest of the flight. Not entirely sure what he said, but if I was 6, I think I would have been scared of him regardless of what he said.
I attempted to watch 2 movies (Knights Tale and Angel Eyes) with my groovy new headphones, but they were just terrible. Instead, I put the headphones on and read my Michael Connolly novel (A Darkness More than Night). As a sidenote, I would thoroughly recommend his books. I’ve now read all 10 of them and with the exception of “Black Ice” they are all excellent. Most of them are about this LA Homicide Detective named Harry Bosch. They have excellent twisting plots, and are well written, unlike a lot of similar trash in the "police detective" genre. Once you've read a few, I guarantee you’ll absolutely love Harry Bosch. (OK, book plug over).
Before too long we were descending into Singapore. Unfortunately, at this point my ears decide to play nasty guy with me, and I got that terrible pressure pain. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but about every 15 flights or so, my ears and just above my eyes feel like it is going to explode. To the point where I had tears streaming down my face. Anyway, it didn’t last too long, and we landed in Singapore with a beautiful view of the skyline to the left.
As soon as we landed I went to the Transfer Desk to check in for my flight tomorrow morning. I was after 62A/K or 63A/K, but these were not available, and I was given 49C (emergency exit aisle) instead. Well get to that in a bit.
With just 10 hours in SIN I wasn’t too sure the best place to stay. Normally I fly through the night which I loathe, but seeing as this was a leisure trip, I thought I would overnight and take the day flight out the following morning. I decided to stay at the Sheraton Towers, which is about the only place I’ve ever stayed at in SIN. Once I did stay at the Four Seasons, a very luxurious property, but a little “snooty” for my tastes.
To save a few bucks, I grabbed a shuttle to the Sheraton for S$7. I would recommend this service to everyone, it’s about S$7 cheaper than a taxi (taking into account the airport fee the taxis hit you with), and only has enough seating for 5 people, so it’s not as if it takes much longer.
As soon as I checked in at the Sheraton they knew that I was a relatively frequent guest of the hotel (stay number 6), and provided me with the same room as I have always stayed in, 2006. They then enquired about my flight time and arranged a cab for the following morning, and to top it off, ordered me some complimentary hot chocolate from room service. They really know how to treat their guests at this property. Although, I would have been super grateful if they had thrown in a free breakfast as well
The complimentary Newsweek magazine says on the front “Sheraton Tower Singapore – Welcome Home”. Very true – it felt good to be back at this property.I pretty much went straight to bed, and was up at 7:30 to catch SQ 219 to Sydney.
------------------------
1/10/01; SIN-SYD
SQ 219; 0930/1845
747-400; 9V-SMJ
------------------------
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=144722
As I already had my boarding pass, I headed straight through C&I to the SilverKris lounge. I actually forgot I couldn’t get in, and realised as soon as I went through the door. Unfortunately it was the same person who told me to “bugger-off” last time. He said to me with a sly smile on his face “No Sir, we haven’t changed our rules yet, but you can feel free to use the Premier Lounge”. Pass.
It was about time to board at this stage, Gate F56, miles away. The flight today was completely full. I am happy to report than pre-boarding for *G is as it should be.
I was a little curious what 49C would be like, as I think I have only ever had 62A or 63A on the SQ 744s. 49C was awesome. A stack of legroom, and the windows were not covered. However, you should note that SQ have 2 different layouts for their 744s. SMA-SMI, where the lavs are right near 49C, and SMK-SPQ, where the lavs are forward at about row 38. (I should also say, technically, SMA-SMH are also different as they have the old F seats). I imagine 49C on SMK+ would be even better, as you wouldn’t have to deal with the crowds at the lavs. Both layouts have 49C right next to the galley.
Pushback was pretty much on time, and before we took off the Captain gave us a full briefing of the flight. He really focused on the safety aspects saying that “SQ take your safety very importantly, and you can be sure that we have done everything possible to ensure you will be safe today”.
It was a little strange being in 49C, as you have 2 stewardesses sitting directly opposite you.
Something a little different happened on this flight: Just as the Captain powered up for take-off down the runway, something went BANG in the galley and gallons of water proceeded to spill everywhere. As we lifted off, it made its way into the aisle, and was running right through to the back of the aircraft. I imagine a lot of people’s baggage stored under their seat got pretty wet! As the FAs were seated, there was nothing they could do at this point.
I was a bit disappointed that the October movies were not loaded on the plane, and I was stuck with the horrible September choices again. I guess they don’t get the new movies on until about the 2nd or 3rd of the month.
During the flight I started to watch Bridgette Jones’ Diary again, but it didn’t hold my interest the second time. Interestingly, it was a different version on this flight, to the one I watched from SYD-SIN. This version was edited quite significantly. Maybe it has something to do with this flight departing SIN, whereas the other one was going to SIN.
We managed to pick up a jet stream so the flight was pretty quick. At one point we had a tail wind of around 150km/h.
Not too much out of the ordinary to report. Sitting right near the crew, I was amazed at how hard they worked during the flight. I never saw them sit down once - they were always on the go.
Meals were exceptional as usual. Service was fabulous, with all the FAs being extremely friendly and helpful. This was quite surprising as in the past I have found SQ to be a little below par on full flights.
I was sitting next to 2 English ladies who were visiting Australia for the first time. I gave them a whole lot of ideas for things to do, and really enjoyed talking to them.
We began our descent into SYD at around 17:40. The Captain forecast a few bumps on the way in, but he said “as long as we have our seatbelt fastened, everything will be fine”.
We came in to the South, and over the water onto 32L. It was extremely windy and stormy in Sydney, and you could feel the plane being blown around. And when we touched down, everyone certainly felt it. We hit the runway so hard, the lights flickered off for about half a second, and there was another very loud crashing noise from the galley . A joke came to mind, of this old lady walking off a plane and saying to the pilot “Sir, did we land or were we shot down”
Anyway, full credit to the pilot. I looked on ATIS when I got home and the wind was around 24MPH, so that would not have been easy to deal with.
Customs was easy. I had 2.5 times the allowable cigarette limit, but was waved straight through the red channel. They seemed to be picking about 1 in 3 for a full baggage search.
So ends another little adventure.
Hope you enjoyed reading about it.
MD
Oct 7, 2001, 6:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Medford, OR
Programs: UA1K/3MM, AA & DL 1MM, *wood Plat, Hertz Pres.
Posts: 588
Great report. This year I have been through
HKG six times -- and I agree I could live there. I like the people, the weather could use some work, but I feel comfortable there.
I also agree on your SQ comments, I was on SQ1 from SFO to HKG two weeks ago in Business and had a superb flight.
------------------
UA1K,Plt. AA, M/M DL,
Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plt, Starwood Plt.
HKG six times -- and I agree I could live there. I like the people, the weather could use some work, but I feel comfortable there.
I also agree on your SQ comments, I was on SQ1 from SFO to HKG two weeks ago in Business and had a superb flight.
------------------
UA1K,Plt. AA, M/M DL,
Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plt, Starwood Plt.
Oct 7, 2001, 9:52 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Santa Clara CA USA
Programs: CX SL, SQ SL
Posts: 276
Awesome trip report! I truly enjoyed reading it. I flew SFO-SIN-MAA-SIN-SFO in July/August on SQ and I must say they were great overall.
Chek Lap Kok is definitely a great airport, and I did have my (SQ001) sticker in full view at all times, so I didnt encounter the sticker nazis I've another flight with them (LAX-SIN-BOM-SIN-LAX) coming up this winter.
BlrGuy
Chek Lap Kok is definitely a great airport, and I did have my (SQ001) sticker in full view at all times, so I didnt encounter the sticker nazis
I've another flight with them (LAX-SIN-BOM-SIN-LAX) coming up this winter. BlrGuy
Oct 12, 2001, 1:19 pm
#7
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
Programs: Lord of Malbec & all Wines Argentine. AA EXP / Marriott Lifetime Silver / Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 35,681
MD, superb reports. Great writing and great detail. The line Nazi attitude reminds me of the treatment SQ gives some if its business class pax...
Oct 12, 2001, 1:58 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: TXL
Posts: 827
A pleasure to read. Especially since Ive done the same route just some days ago, albeit in the different direction.
Visited SYD for the first time and am still amazed what great people Ive met there. I will come back for sure.
Good you praised the Sheraton in SIN as I havent found "my" hotel there yet I will give it a try next time. Last week I stayed at the Westin Plaza and although I slept "heavenly" (these beds are really great) I found the whole experience only so-so.
Stephan
Visited SYD for the first time and am still amazed what great people Ive met there. I will come back for sure.
Good you praised the Sheraton in SIN as I havent found "my" hotel there yet I will give it a try next time. Last week I stayed at the Westin Plaza and although I slept "heavenly" (these beds are really great) I found the whole experience only so-so.
Stephan