I am going to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand from Newport (ONP), Oregon. There is no more Harbor Air, a small commuter line that folded, to PDX or DL to NRT from PDX. Now have to begin the transpacific trip from SFO/YVR/LAX or SEA. I’m enroute to BKK via UA shuttle #2391 EUG to SFO. There I’ll connect to SQ 1 to SIN via HNG leaving at 1:50 AM on Saturday Morning 5/19/01, eventually arriving BKK at 2:30 PM local time on Sunday May 20.

A friend drove me from ONP to EUG. The ride was a very pleasant spring Oregon day, light traffic and nice tunes. He had the latest Madonna CD and I was happy. I had obtained tickets to see her in Las Vegas on Sept 2.

The airport in Eugene is small and user friendly. Pulled in front of the terminal 45 minuets before the scheduled flight departure. The trip to SFO is in Y on UA shuttle #2391. The wait to check the bag and get a boarding pass took 5 minuets and I had time to grab several magazines and small gifts at the gift shop. Even though there is a long layover in SFO I shopped in Oregon and saved a few cents because of the absence of sales tax.

The flight was scheduled to depart at 6:35 PM. Boarding began at 6:15. I was seated in 5C, towards the front of the Y cabin. A zone system of boarding was used. The mellow folks of Eugene actually boarded when their zone was called and boarding went smoothly. The flight , the last flight of the day to SFO from EUG, was about 70% full. That made for a comfortable flight , even in Y since most passengers had a window or aisle seat.

The doors closed 4 minuets before the departure time and we pushed back 2 minuets ahead of the scheduled departure time. 5 minuets later we were airborne. I usually hate this flight to SFO since the seat pitch is miserable. This trip seemed actually comfortable since there was no one in the middle seat. Capt. just announced due to early departure and tailwinds we will arrive SFO about 10 minuets early. I just hope we don’t land and sit outside the gates waiting for a gate to open up for 30 minuets like the last time I took this trip. The cabin service was typical shuttle service. A small bag of snack food and a beverage in a plastic cup was served. The man in the window seat was going on the red eye to Boston from SFO. We both commented how comfortable the flight was since the was not another passenger in the middle seat.

So far so good on this trip to BKK. I am looking forward to flying 1st Class on SQ since I have never used their sky suite bed/seat. I hope I can sleep for 6 to 8 hours enroute to Hong Kong. 1st class is a real treat for me. I make the transpacific flight 3 times a year and when it is my money I fly J class on an Asian carrier, when possible. Since this transpacific flight is an award seat it’s up front. When I confirmed my flight with SQ, the CSA asked if I wanted to book the cook. It’s a nice concept. For the pax I know in advance what my entree will be (Crab cakes and wild rice). For SQ perhaps they don’t have to load as many meals that might be wasted if each pax “books the cook. This service is only available on 1st and business class cabins. I’ll write more after landing at SFO and checking in for the SQ flight. I worked until 4 PM today and still have my work clothes on. I plan to change and shower in the SQ lounge in the new international terminal at SFO.

Oh. I am using my new laptop, a new white Apple iBook to write this. It is light and easily fits on a Y class tray table.

Back to the trip report. I wonder if I should have taken the day flight to Asia rather than the night flight. The UA shuttle actually arrived at the gate 10 min. before the scheduled arrival time!! I had to take a hike around SFO to pick up and reticket a Delta ticket. Delta is located in the South terminal. The UA shuttle arrives in the North terminal. The hike was nice enough. The Traveler’s Aid staff told me about the short cut under the airport through the parking garage. The Delta counters were deserted but the CSA was friendly and knew exactly how to re issue the ticket. The transaction was painless and took only 5 minuets. Then I hiked back to the UA portion of the terminal at SFO and continued to the new international terminal.

Maybe because it is night but the terminal reminds me of an ultra modern airport. Wow. Any way the terminal is spacious the the crowds move easily. Unfortunately I am still out in the general land side waiting area. I saw the SQ 747 parked at the gate when the shuttle flight arrived. But I am here too early. The check in counter hasn’t opened yet so I have to wait for the shower and lounge snacks. I don’t want to eat because I want to save room for the SQ in flight meal. Pretty funny huh? Actually anticipating airline food.

I went to the SQ check in counter at 10 PM and was checked in with dispatch and efficiency. There were approx. 15 Y class pax in line but the dedicated check in counters for J and F were empty. The CSA was chipper and the process was completed quickly. The boarding pass is your access to the Silver Kris Lounge. The SQ lounge is pretty modest. I toured the UA Red Carpet lounge which was on the 2nd floor and spacious. The SQ lounge at SFO is hidden around the corner from the international Red Carpet lounge and you actually need to go through a service door to find the lounge. The lounge is pretty small, but with only 2 SFO departures a day I guess it meets their needs. I wonder if they should consider joining forces with *A partner UA and have a decent size lounge. The 1st class side is very small, but there is a shower and the snacks were adequate. There is clam chowder, pretty tastey, and some sandwiches that appear to have been brought in from Safeway. I had the chowder and 1/2 a sandwich. I passed on the ice cream but stashed some Petridge Farm cookies for eating later. The data ports in the lounge don’t work, I had to connect via a pay phone and the connection speed sucks. Time to go and grab that shower. I understand that the flight tonight is pretty full. My day is catching up with me and I need to hit that sleeper seat and crash across the Pacific. It’s only 11 PM and the flight doesn’t leave until 1:50 AM.

I am sitting in my SQ SkySuite watching the sun rise over the South China Sea. From the east it is getting light and the sky has ribbons of pinks, yellows and orange. Towards the West it is still dark.

This flight is really great. SQ really pampers you. The flight , SQ 1, is set for 13 hrs 15 min SFO to HNG. Departure time was 1:50 Am. The doors closed 6 min late and push back was about 18 min behind the scheduled departure. Flight should still arrive on time. This is my 1st time in SQ’s SkySuite in first class. I’m in 2A along the left side of the aircraft next to the window. There are 12 seats, and all are full. All of the window seats are singles as are the first 2 seats in the middle. The 2 rear middle seats are doubles. Even thought the flight is full, I am extremely comfortable. I think J is also full. I peaked behind the curtain and the lower level was full. I did not check the upper deck of the 747 J section.

The SkySuite is very nice. I think the bed extends 6 ft+. I am 5’4” so I’ll be able to stretch out. The noise canceling head phones actually let you hear the music or audio programing. These head phones are made by Recoton. I don’t know how they compare to the Bose or Sony’s but it is nice not having to raise the sound up to drown out the roar of the jet engines.

There was a full meal service out of SFO , but I settled on the lobster salad and crab cakes. The lobster salad was great. A 6 oz lobster tail, out of the shell, with endive lettuce, 2 wedges of avocado and a corn salsa. The crab cakes were a disappointment. The presentation was beautiful but the taste was so so. They were accompanied by some wild rice cakes that were not fully heated and dry. The crab cakes were thin and ok, but the other choices on the menu looked better, sword fish fillet, etc. I also passed on the caviar service, the soup, (carrot and leeks) , the desert and cheese etc. The pax across the aisle had a Japanese set in a bento box and it looked pretty good.

While I changed in to the airline provided pajamas by Givenchy, choice of blue, creme or light red, the FA converted the seat in to the fully flat bed. Actually she just pressed a button but then laid down a sheet and duvet. I asked to for a blanket and took the advice of others on the FF Board and slept on top of the duvet and used the blanket to keep warm. I took a mild sleeping pill and the next thing I know the flight has passed Tokyo and is about 3.5 hrs out from Hong Kong. There is a full Brunch service between HNG and SIN so for breakfast I ate fairly lightly. I had the fruit plate (3 selections of melon, a large strawberry and sprig of mint). Then I had a cup of coffee, a breakfast roll and 2 eggs that were freshly scrambled. Yummy Yummy. The passenger across the aisle also had a Japanese set breakfast.

The first class cabin has 2 bathrooms for the 12 passengers. The size of the room is a basic aircraft configuration . There are nice touches like wood trim and a porcelain sink and stone/granite like area around the sink rather than basic stainless steel. We were given, after boarding, an amenity kit with the basics: toothbrush, toothpaste, mostiurzer, mouth wash lip balm etc. The Bathroom also had most of these item so I did not use the amenity kit or the toiletries I brought on board with my carry on. The FA keeps my water glass full and also provided 1/2 liter of Evan water. This is a very easy and comfortable Pacific crossing. The staff pampers you and the result is a very enjoyable flight. At the recommendation of the FA I canceled my lobster won ton noodles on the HNG to SIN leg. I’ll have the dim sum service that is one of the choices from the regular menu. More later.

Arrived in HNG at the gate at 6:45 AM, only 5 min behind schd. The time on the ground was only 1:15 min so I deplaned to stretch the legs and to check out the new HNG airport and the SQ lounge. This airport is massive and beautiful. Even this early in the morning there is a bustle of activity. There were the typical Duty Free shops plus cameras, luxury goods like Bally, Gucci, etc. There were PC cards for rent for wireless internet access in the airport.

The 1st class lounge was easily 10 times larger than the lounge in SFO. There were tasty treats laid out like egg rolls and sui mai. There were trays of sandwiches, a full bar and a large selection of soft drinks. There was also a small freezer full of Hagan Das ice cream and an assortment of cookies. There were 2 international phone booths and 4 spots for the web surfing crowd. Three of the spots were power and phone jacks and the other spot had an iMac set up to send and retrieve e-mail.

The time on the ground passed quickly and then the flight was called for re-boarding. As usual the P and Y class door had no line while the Y class door snaked out into the main corridor near the gate. Incoming to HNG the flight was full in F and J and had 311 pass in Y, only 4 short of capacity. The load out of HNG is lighter. Only 5 of the 12 P class seats are occupied. The FA says Y is very full and J has 4 empty seats.

The new crew had been briefed by the old crew that I did not want the lobster wonton noodles. The attractive FA asked in a chipper voice as she took my beverage order, fresh squeezed orange juice, when I would like to have my dim sum service. I said any time and she said ok, how about 45 min after take off.

The flight pushed back at 8:10, only 10 min late. The delay was because a Y passenger, Mr. P. Singe had not boarded. The crew had to locate his bags and remove them before we could leave. I think I’ll have my meal and then sleep for a bit. Flight time is 3:15 from HNG to SIN.

Arrived in Singapore pretty much on time. After flying 1/2 way around the world a few min one way or the other doesn’t seem real important. I deplaned at 11:40. As usual SIN is a great airport. I wish I had more time to spend but my last leg, SQ 64 SIN to BKK leaves at 1:05 PM . I made my way to the Silver Kris lounge. It had been remodeled since the last time I was here. There is 1 lounge entry and the passengers are directed to the J portion or the P portion, depending on the class of service they are flying. There had been discussion on lounge access elsewhere on the board. The *A folks were directed to the Business Class section of the lounge while the 1 st class area seemed to reserved exclusively for 1st class passengers and SQ PPS members. The whole airport is wired. There are numerous internet cafes and it’s possible to use dial up modems, ethernet connections or wireless. There is great shopping mall with prices not exceeding what the store sells the product for in town, cafes, internet access, gardens and an airside hotel. Modern, orderly, clean, shopping and dinning options, what more could a guy want out of an airport?

But back to the lounge. I left the attendant at the desk some business cards and she made me some luggage tags to pick up when I left. The lounge is huge. There is a full bar and some small cafe style tables with white table clothes to sit at near the bar. There are at least 15 internet access stations, both with a computer or for those traveling with a lap top internet access. There is a great spread of food. There were trays of sushi, steamed Chinese goodies, 3 kinds of soup and at least 8 different sandwiches available. There was a Hagen Das ice cream station and a full tilt salad bar with different lettuces and spinach plus all the extras a person would want. I had some OJ, a few pieces of shrimp sushi and checked my e-mail. Then it was off to the shower so I would be presentable when I arrived in BKK. There were at least numerous small individual shower rooms stocked with shaving supplies, large fluffy towels, and toothbrushes. There was soap and shampoo. After a change of clothes and a shower I felt like a new man. I had to leave since the flight was due to leave in 20 min.

Each gate at SIN has it’s own security station and the process went smoothly. The line was less than 5 min long. I had passed through security at EUG, SFO, HNG and SIN on this trip. None of them asked to inspect the lap top that was inside the carry on bag. The premium class passengers boarded 1st. The aircraft was a 747-400, just like the transpacific aircraft. I was expecting an Airbus or a reconfigured 747 but this one had the sky suites. There were 5 pax in 1st and, as usual ,service was friendly and professional. Before take off I was offered the menu, a drink, a mint and hot towel. As my order was taken the FA reminded me I had pre ordered the lobster thermadore. The flight pushed back 8 min late but arrived 5 min early. The flight time was 1 hr 45 min. A short hop. There was an amazing appetizer that could have been a full meal. Smoked salmon with assorted pickled items. Then the lobster arrived. This was a full size lobster, served with a buttered rice and an adornment of baked vegetables. Wow!! I wonder what was being served in Y??. I tried to pass on desert but I was held down by the FAs and forced fed a light crepe stuffed with soft banana in a very light brown glaze. For the 1st time on this trip I felt stuffed.

Landing in BKK introduced me to a new SQ service. I had arrived BKK in 1st on TG and this service was offered, but this was the first time it happened on SQ. The 1st class pax were met by 2 CSAs who took our passports and walked us through the airport to immigration. There, she ushers us past the inspector and we wait while the inspector stamps the passport and returns them to the CSA who distributed them to the passengers. Only 3 of the 5 pax used the service but it beat waiting in line. Alas reality hit when I had to join the regular world and wait at the carousel for my bag and walk past the customs agent like everyone else. I did not see them stop and search any one in the Green channel, nothing to declare line, like in the past when there were seemingly random stops to inspect the luggage. I must have arrived BKK at least 40 times over the years and only twice was I stopped and actually had the contents of the bag inspected. US customs does the search every fourth arrival. I exchanged $100 at one of the bank booths and exited the arrival area. There were my friends waiting for me. The bags were loaded in to the Pajero and the vacation was officially beginning.

Looking back on the flight, it will make me sad to travel in J again after being pampered like the staff at SQ provides in the front cabin. As a 1st class passenger the travel experience was as easy an effort as flying 9000 miles can be. I was well fed with pretty good food. There was plenty of it and there was always a wide assortment of drinks. I was whisked from one point on the trip to the next. There were comfortable lounges to wait for the flights in and there was rarely if ever a line to wait in. You are regularly addressed by your name and made to feel very special. This is a very, very good product, the first class service and Sky suite of Singapore Airlines.

Great report. Sounds like you had a nice flight.

Great report, thanks!

What brand are to goodies in your amenities kit?

Absolutely sensational report. You have given us the essence of a flight on SQ. I took SQ in first from JFK-FRA two years ago and the service was not as good as you describe. Thank you

I too occupied 2A on SQ1 in June continuing on to BKK. Had a great flight. Enroute home out of Hong Kong, Pavarati (sp?) sat across from me. Interesting looking fellow and I'll leave it at that.

The kit had Glide dental floss; Rembrandt mouthwash; Trybol ( a Swiss brand) toothpaste; Hermes body lotion and fragrance; Neutrogena Lip moisturuzer and a refresher mist by London based Aromatherapy Associates.

Sign me up...makes me want to take off.

Great trip report; thanks for taking the time and effort to write it!

I just booked my vacation to Singapore in February in F. I'm on SQ001 out of the US and SQ002 on the way back. Given what I have read about SQ in F, I honestly cannot wait for the flight.

That plus the fact I'm actually going on vacation. WOOHOO!!!

Jeff

Great report !! Glad to hear they have expanded the pyjamas color selection, I have to add that red pair to my collection...

I was on the counterpart flight from LA on 10/5 and returned on 10/15. On that flight, the pajamas were all blue and the amenity kit was Bulgari. Flight wasn't full though, LAX-TPE-SIN was 9 out of 12 in F (including a family of 5 - wow big bucks). On the way back was 6 out of 12. I'll have to try the flight from SFO next time since HKG stop is probably better than TPE. Anyways, it was amazing service. Great use of 130,000 DL miles

You know, I just noticed something.

You say that SQ1 departed SFO at 1:50am, but I've got an 11:55pm departure arriving HKG at 6:40AM. Did SQ change the departure time? I notcied that the flight time changed dramatically, it's 14:45 now according to the SQ website.

Jeff

Great trip report.

Gives me encouragement and incentive to continue saving my DL miles.