Singapore_Air

Disclaimer:

The written opinions expressed below do not necessarily represent the views of Singapore Airlines Limited – a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Group – A Member of Star Alliance. The written opinions expressed below do not necessarily represent the views of Vietnam Airlines Corporation. This trip report is relatively long so I recommend a spread-out viewing. In addition, any times mentioned are times from the origin destination (London GMT, Singapore GMT +8, and Vietnam GMT 7). Names of people (e.g.: flight attendants) have been initialised for security purposes. The aim of this trip was to conduct a more-or-less full evaluation of points I thought were important and hence, the length of this trip report is in my view, probably not able to be shorter. I do apologise![/center]

I bought 3 Singapore Airlines Limited tickets in early February so that my family could fly Singapore Airlines from London Heathrow to Saigon, Vietnam via Singapore. The total cost of the tickets was £2295. The visas cost £120.

The tickets arrived in mid-March 2002. Unfortunately, they did not have any Singapore Airlines logos and the only attractive feature was the Singapore Airlines name printed in the “Issued By” box and the “SQ” flight prefixes.

Months passed and on 10 December 2002, I reconfirmed the Singapore Airlines flights. Reconfirmation is not necessary with Singapore Airlines, however, my parents wanted me to do it anyway for peace of mind, and it was a good excuse to test out the Singapore Airlines United Kingdom and Ireland London Reservations Office.

The telephone system’s sound quality is relatively poor however; the hold music is quite good. Pressing a few numbers, I was put in a queue for four minutes. I found this amount of time relatively fair considering the time was 1610.

The travel agent in London booked my parents on the same booking as they were in Q class for the LHR / EGLL), United Kingdom">LHR – SIN / WSSS), Singapore">SIN vv. sectors, and myself in Y class all the way. Q class is Singapore Airline’s class code for Economy Class – Discounted. Y Class enables KrisFlyer miles redemption.

Reconfirmation of the SQ319 flights for my parents went well. However, the pleasant reservations agent did not recall my name travelling with them. I then gave my name and I was booked on SQ317. This was most surprising and shocking. I told her that I was on SQ319. She said that the agent double-booked me on SQ317 and SQ319 and Singapore Airlines’ reservations computer deleted the SQ319. I was unimpressed however the prospect of 6 hours in Singapore was intriguing.

This was unacceptable though. The family must travel together. I told her reconfirm that we were on SQ174 from Singapore to Saigon. The news was even worse. SQ319 was retimed so that it would arrive in Singapore at 1515. However, SQ174 also was retimed to leave at 1445. I was totally unimpressed by this news. It was quite shocking and it took some seconds to sink in. I said I would phone her back.
By now, my mother had heard the news which was quite inconvenient as she gets anxious when things go wrong. I told her to leave it in my hands and she sat on the staircase. I phoned the travel agent in London and accused him of ruining the reservations. He said that it was Singapore Airlines’ fault for not informing me of the retiming and that they should sort it all out for me. He said that he would call the General Manager of Singapore Airlines United Kingdom and Ireland in London. With that, I hung up and redialled Singapore Airlines London and waited in a queue for two minutes.

After re-explaining the situation to another woman – probably in her mid 20s – she informed me that the fault is the travel agent’s. Singapore Airlines informed the travel agents in the UK of scheduling changes on 4 July 2002. Obviously, this information was not transferred from the travel agent to myself, hence the shock. On asking why Singapore Airlines doesn’t tell its passengers of schedule changes, she said that the Contract is between myself and the travel agent and not between myself and Singapore Airlines Limited. They apparently don’t even know my telephone number. I then asked her to transfer my parents to SQ317 and she said that it was full and that she could not do anything unfortunately. Her advice was to get back to the travel agent. Disenchanted, I hung up and redialled the travel agent. Again, he was still blaming Singapore Airlines and was still to call the General Manager.

By now, it was 1640 and it was time to take things into my own hands. I decided to phone Singapore Airlines London Administration – a number that I have memorised since 1999 and asked to speak to the General Manager myself. I got through to his Secretary as he was in a meeting and asked if anyone from ******** Travel had phoned to speak to him. I was unsurprised to hear not. I therefore explained to her the situation and she politely sympathised and passed me through to the head of Sales at the London office.

The Sales Executive – RL - then heard about the circumstances of the fiasco. He saw that there have been miscommunications and again told me that the travel agent was told on 4 July 2002 that schedule changes had been made and that passengers should have been informed. He realised that we wanted to be in Vietnam for Christmas and said that “it isn’t impossible” to get us on SQ317. I also asked about the times for SQ173 and SQ322. The departure time for SQ173 was changed from 1715 to 1650 and the arrival time for SQ322 was amended from 0550 to 0530. He asked for 30 minutes, in which time he would call me back with the results.

20 minute after hanging up on the Sales Executive, the travel agent called back to say that he had sorted things out. I was unimpressed and was preparing in my mind bad words to say to him when we had finished out trip. Obviously I didn’t want to shout at him now as he could cancel my reservation which is unwanted.
Shortly after, the Sales Executive phoned back and confirmed that my parents were on SQ317. It was a great relief to know the saga had ended! The reason? Travel agents had held on to seats on SQ317 since May 2002 and still had not sold them. Hence, he took the seats back and my parents on them. I asked what his name was and then thanked him for his cooperation and hung up.

He will be praised in my report to Singapore Airlines Limited (worldwide).

After having a short dinner, I phoned Singapore Airlines London again to reconfirm the flights. The result was satisfactory with all of us on SQ317 and a great 7 hour stop in the fantastic nation of Singapore! I asked for the booking to be locked from the travel agent for the reason “I wouldn’t trust them with a bargepole.” The male was bemused but told me that as the Contract of booking was between myself and the travel agent and that the travel agent can amend the booking at any time. I told him that such a policy is unacceptable by Singapore Airlines and that it is the passenger who is flying the Airline – not the travel agent. I told him that I will complain when I get back. He was polite in addressing my fake anger and the conversation ended.

Everyday since then up to the 14 December 2002 – I reconfirmed our flights with Singapore Airlines.

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Virgin Atlantic Airways: VS7317
Singapore Airlines: VS7317
9V-SMM

London Heathrow T3 – Singapore Changi T2

At 0610, we arrived at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 Pick Up Point (or in my case, drop-off). It was very cold. I was unenthused at the cold and unimpressed. With 3 heavy baggage trolleys – you’ll see why soon – we proceeded to check-in area E to be checked in at the Singapore Airlines check-in desk. As there was only us in the queue, we were asked by a delightful young woman to come and check-in at the Raffles Class desk. Incidentally, the First Class check-in was unattended. The Raffles and First Class carpets were clean and were nicely groomed. This I thought was acceptable and satisfactory.

T greeted us. She was wearing an Aviance uniform and was most warm and kind. However, I was more than unimpressed at the fact that she was using a Cathay Pacific pen to write with. This unsettled me. Nevertheless, we checked in 2 suitcases at 25kg and 1 suitcase at 21kg – an official 11kg over the allowed weight although 4kg below the unofficial allowance. Also, thankfully, she didn’t weigh our more-than-1-per-person hand luggage. 3 of which were 8 to 9 kg and two were between 3 and 4kg. She was very amicable and I thought it was appropriate to ask her for spare Economy, Raffles and First Class boarding passes. After thanking her for the excess baggage – I decided to give her my black pen. “Sorry, I think it’s more appropriate for you to use a neutral pen like this.” She smiled and thanked me as I rejoined my parents.

Terminal 3 is dark with little exterior lighting from the Sun. The non-duty-free shops are very well-known and are of high quality, although I did not waste energy by seeing what prices they charge. Walking straight to departures via a lift (elevator), took about 5 minutes. We then got a taste of Heathrow security. The wait was quite long – about 15 minutes – all the time with a woman saying in a loud voice, “Put your mobile phohhhnes in your bags please.” It got irritating after a while. While waiting, I noticed that some people got special attention and had to have their bags opened. An 11 September 2001 security measure I presume. People of all races were having the ‘special treatment’ and I thought it was quite embarrassing for them. I also didn’t see what the point was as the chances of spotting a terrorist is very small, but oh well, it looks like airports round the world are doing something.

There is a Travelex bureau de change. I exchanged about £9.75 for S$20. The S$20 would come in handy when we get to the beautiful country of Singapore. My parents then went off to World Duty Free to buy a bottle of V.S.O.P Champagne or something or other for a friend in Vietnam. Being one of the larger shops, World Duty Free and it’s smaller World News store (which stocks newspapers, magazines and some drinks) has about all the duty-free that you need with a very wide range of cigarettes (Cigarettes are bad for your health and should be banned and replaced with nicotine patches in my opinion), and alcohol. The World News also had a wide range of magazines and newspapers from around the world and includes Airliner World and Flight International for people like us. However, a bottle of water (about 750ml?) costs £0.99. I was unamused and asked the cashier,
“Is this the cheapest place to buy drinks?”
“Yes, much more cheaper than if you go into the restaurants.”
“I am unimpressed.”
I left World News and found my parents sitting in the sitting area. I can’t really call it a waiting lounge because it isn’t a lounge and it’s cramped and quite poor. The seats are uncomfortable and there is little cushioning. However, there are enough flight information screens around the area and they are updated regularly. There was still about 3 hours until the flight which was due to depart at 1100. So, I decided to explore.

Incidentally, there was quite a lot of building work going on in the Terminal. Walking down towards an even darker area of the terminal, one would pass many duty-free shops as you would expect – all of them busy with customers. I walked to the transfer counters. A whole row is dominated by American Airlines and on the left are a few others including Singapore Airlines. The Singapore Airlines transfer counter is next to the Cathay Pacific transfer counter. I found this quite strange considering the nature of the relationship between Singapore Airlines and the other airline. I approached the lady from Aviance and asked what gate SQ317 would be at as I wanted to get to the gate first. She didn’t know and said that any information would be displayed on the boards.

I walked into some high-fashion Italian shop with the most ridiculous prices for clothes with no intention of buying. In one, there was a very kind sales assistant who asked if I needed anything. I said no thank you and immediately stomped out. Dixons Duty-Free is also an interesting place and the prices are significantly cheaper than on the UK High Street; a good thing too being a duty-free shop. We were sitting very close to the store anyway but there was a problem with the shop alarm system which kept sounding off quite loudly every five minutes or so.

By 1020, I was most bored and arrived at the conclusion that the flight was to be delayed. About 5 minutes later, I headed up to the Singapore Airlines counter where there was a two-person queue. I asked the lady in front whether she actually knew the gate. She said she was also there to ask. However, at 1035 Gate 6 was announced as the gate for my MEGATOP. On returning briskly, it became apparent that there was a rush to the gate as families and baggage trolleys alike sped to the departure area where the gates are located. However, we didn’t get far. In front of us was a queue of 100+ people. This was certainly not the arrival I wanted and set a bad impression.

In all, it took about 15 minutes for us to actually get to the front door of the gate where two Aviance staff members were checking boarding passes. They were relatively efficient but they didn’t smile which was a shame. I was less than impressed.
There, we proceeded to the front of the gate as there was little seating space. I looked around and in front of me in the corner was the Unaccompanied Minors area and there were four privileged children. Everywhere else, there were disillusioned passengers looking quite drab and dreary, unhappy about the gate. Because of this, I think at 1057, the Customer Services Manger – GW – announced that he is sorry that we are being delayed. The reason was because the aircraft was late in pushing back from parking – evidently, London Heathrow was a busy place at this time and he made reference to that twice. In addition, he pointed out that we have got the smallest gate in the Terminal and hence he apologised for any discomfort we may have. His estimate was for boarding to commence in ten minutes.

To try and make people happy, I kept looking around and smiled at people in the hope that they would be happier seeing me smile. I was relatively successful and I made eye contact with some people who smiled back. Whilst waiting, I heard some UMs talking to each other. One teenage girl asked a slightly younger teenage boy why he was flying Singapore Airlines. His reply was something like, “Well they always take care of me and the movies are free.” My immediate thought was this boy was going places. I was impressed however, did not brave a reply like, “Good for you.”. Around 30 minutes passed before the delightful – A – who was announcing the boarding procedures advised passenger from rows 66 to 63 to board. She was medium in height, had brown hair, wore glasses, nice legs, attractive as a whole and would make a good wife. She also announced, “If there are any First and Raffles Class passengers in the lounge, you are invited to board at your leisure”. She then said, “

The announcements continued every 3 rows until rows 35 to 37 were announced. The number of times that she said the First and Raffles Class notices were most irritating though and she said it in the same tone every time. When it was our turn, there was hardly anyone left and we proceeded quickly down the one-door gate to the MEGATOP.

There, we were greeted by the Chief Stewardess (Red uniform). I stepped onto the MEGATOP. A feeling of pride and warmth filled my body as I awoke and went down to row 35. As I reached my seat, I took the hand luggage and stowed it above in the spacious overhead compartments and took my seat. The immediate feeling was that the seating was comfortable however, the legroom was tolerable. After a minute, one of the leading stewardesses politely asked me to show her my boarding pass which I had put in my shirt pocket. She examined it and said, “You’re in the wrong seat Sir, it’s the seat on your left.” This was quite shocking as my parents were in JK while I would be moved to E – I was in 35F. I said, “Oh sorry, most unfortunate,” and moved myself and let the couple sit. All seats in the cabin are nicely presented with blanket and cushion set to one side of the seat. However, this can be annoying as the blanket takes up unnecessary space but there’s really no-where else to put it really.

We were very delayed by now and I was feeling a little unhappy for all the other passengers. When all the passengers were settled in – the safety video was shown. Now this was poor. The safety video hasn’t changed really in about 4 years if I can remember, maybe even more. A MEGATOP flies in the air and a ‘traditional-looking’ Singapore Girl with an interesting Singaporean-English accent with intriguing dictation takes passengers through the safety features of the aircraft. “Welcome onboar Singapore Airlines,” (spelling omission intended). The safety video’s video quality is relatively deficient and is quite unimpressive. I think a new video is needed. In addition, the position of the emergency exits on the “Boeing 747-400 MEGATOP” is quite hard to point out if you are not familiar with the revolutionary workhorse of the Singapore Airlines fleet. At the end, the stewardess says, “Thank you for flying Singapore Airlines”. She is joined by a stewardess of similar height and they both say, “H.” “Have a” “pl” “plea” “s” “sant” “flight”. This is something that should also be resolved. The two stewardesses should re-coordinate their efforts in saying the last sentence in the safety video. Better, the whole thing should be replaced.

Taxiing to the runway took some time and gave me a chance to investigate my lush surroundings. In my seat pocket were the following in good condition: The Singapore Airlines SilverKris December 2002 inflight magazine, the KrisShop Inflight Shopping magazine, the KrisFone user guide, the KrisWorld Inflight Entertainment Magazine, the MEGATOP safety card and a sickbag which had been unopened.

The seat pitch is 32” on board in Economy Class. The seat comfort as I said is quite good and there is a height-adjustable headrest which is easy to move while facing forward in the sitting position. In addition, I also adjusted my headrest ‘wings’ with ease. I reclined my seat twice and the seat performed this test well. The footrest has blue pads and is connected to the back of the seat in front. This is stowed in the up position. Contrary to some reports, I do not find that it takes up that much room however, all space is precious in Economy Class and the extra-tall might find something hard pressing against their leg which could provide some discomfort.

I was sitting next to an Irishman I believe, in his 50s. I started the conversation by asking him if he has flown Singapore Airlines before. Much to me pleasure, he indeed had, 22 full-routes (as in LHR / EGLL), United Kingdom">LHR – NRT / RJAA), Japan">NRT is a route via SIN / WSSS), Singapore">SIN). He asked for a copy of the Economist. He informed me that Singapore Airlines’ copies are probably a week old as they come from Singapore where they are printed. Incidentally, the classified sections are cut out to save weight and hence fuel according to the 2001 / 2002 Environmental Report. As a member of the cabin crew passed by, flight stewardess DPK – he stopped her and she smiled as he asked her for the aforementioned magazine. After about a minute, she returned with last week’s edition! Not a surprise considering that they would be printed the next day.

We finally reached the runway and the MEGATOP finally started taking off at 12:16:09 (my watch was set to GMT via BBC Ceefax) and rotation occurred at 12:16:52 – a 43 second takeoff. The MEGATOP proudly rose up amongst the LHR / EGLL), United Kingdom">LHR crowd on its way to its home – Singapore. Soon after, a strong smell of lovely food entered the cabin. Maybe the crew were heating food while we all wait for the seatbelt signs to go off.

During takeoff I had a chance to get myself acquainted with WISEMEN, the Audio and Video On Demand inflight entertainment system supplied by Matsu****a Avionics Corporation of Japan. A section on WISEMEN will be written at the end of the report.

As soon as the seatbelt sign was off, the crew walked speedily to the galleys from their crew seats. Amenity kits were given out to all passengers. DPK performed this operation well with a nice smile and graciously gave out the packs. Unfortunately, the kits did not live up to her standard. I remember these packs from ages ago. The red plastic pouches with pressable closable thingies are still here. Also, the socks are practically the same and are not even purple – the colour of Economy Class it seems. In addition, they are long but a test on board concluded that they do warm the person. In addition, the toothbrush and toothpaste set is quite poor. The toothbrush has no higher and lower bristles for better cleaning. Also, it’s grey in colour and in addition, the design has not changed. I tried the taste of the toothpaste and the flavour has not been altered. There is an absence of a night-mask too. In essence, unimpressive, old-style and lack of 21st Century features.

I was also expecting Dolby Surround Sound headphones. As by the sentence, it is now obvious that I didn’t receive any. However, these little blue earphones were handed out from a black bag with the Singapore Airlines bird on it. Again, the lovely DPK handed them out to us saying, “Would you like some earphones?” and smiling along the way. They come in a little plastic pack and you have to put the cleaned soft things on it. The wires were a little tangled though.

Everyone got into the IFE system quite quickly. As every passenger accesses KrisWorld, they are shown a comprehensive instruction video about how to use the system and the handset which is very helpful. Even so, passengers were still bemused by the operations of the system. I also noticed people playing games with the handset vertical, unlike the horizontal position required as mentioned in the video. Whether Singapore Airlines needs to make this clearer, or some passengers were just ignorant is debatable.

The famous Singapore Airlines hot towels were then served. Each hot towel is like a flannel (you wash your face with it) and has the Singapore Airlines logo on it. It is my guess that boiling water is poured all over them and they are dried slightly somehow. However, there is a very strong smell of metal as they are handed out and also when you smell the towel. I now associate that smell with Singapore Airlines. Menus were handed out soon after and the impression that I could see were that the passengers I presume who are first-time passengers were impressed that there was a professionally created menu.

Refreshments were served by DPK for my side of the aisle and by G’O for the other side. The way that G’O accentuates words with her mouth is quite amusing and nice and her diction is very good. She is also attractive and would make a good wife – as would DPK. I chose the normal Coca Cola and was served in an Economy Class-branded plastic cup. She placed ice and the drink in the cup however, as I expected, did not give me the whole can. Rumour has it that it is Singapore Airlines’ policy not to give the passenger the whole can unless requested, but the crew wish differently.

I played the ‘SIA Inflight Challenge’ – a series of 20 questions in which you can play with over 200 other passengers – thanks to KrisWorld. Yes, you can play with other people on board the flight. Unfortunately, not many people played. For the first 3 rounds, I was the lone ranger in the KrisWorld (world of Krisworld – get it? ). Special meals and baby food were served at 1328 while on the way, DPK requested politely that seats be upright.

Lunch was given to me at 1335. The menu is as follows:

Appetiser:
Smoked turkey with potato salad

Main courses:
Fillet of salmon with wilted lettuce with tomato-butter sauce and boiled potatoes (created by International Culinary Panel member – Gordon Ramsey)
OR
Stir fried chicken with cashew nuts, selected vegetables and steamed rice

Cheese:
Cheese and crackers

Dessert:
Ice cream

From the bakery:
Roll and butter

Hot beverages:
Coffee – Tea

There were also a wide varieties of aperitifs, spirits, liqueurs, beer, fruit juices, a Fruit Spritzer (non-alcoholic cocktail), soft drinks, one French white wine and two French red wines.

I chose the chicken as I hate fish. DPK gave a big smile and handed me the tray gently after pouring me some Coca Cola with ice. Warmth radiated from this Singapore Girl. I also watched G’O serving the meals and she gave an equally stunning performance. I was satisfied that the service standards were at their highest. The tray covers 90% of the table surface. The stir fried chicken was very good and extremely delicious. The sauce was exceptional. The rice was also well-cooked and not too dry nor too watery. And the vegetable selection was very generous. All served in a porcelain casserole bowl with a plastic mini-try underneath. However, this casserole bowl is too small to eat comfortably at first as it is a little tricky to keep the food inside and not spilling over. In addition, the use of plastic cutlery makes the situation even worse and is dreadful with the vegetables. I next ate the crackers and cheese. There were two crackers and the cheese was Belgian I think. The crackers were normal as you would find anywhere (comparable to the UK’s Jacob’s Cream Crackers) however the cheese was divine…with a devilish twist – 40% ‘matière grasse’ (40% fat). Hmm. Too fattening I say but the taste more than makes up for it. The cheese was so good; I didn’t have the butter with the crackers but ate it with the bread. The bread comes from a plastic bag, full of them and they are very good although a little dry. The spreadable butter was mild in taste and was OK. The potato salad consisted of 4 medium-sliced turkey pieces which was plentiful, 1 cherry tomato and one piece of lettuce mixed with potato salad (potatoes and some potato salad sauce). Again, the taste was wonderful and is a good way to start the meal (although I had it near the end). There was then nothing left except for mineral water which was normal and chilled and a bit of pasteurised milk which again, tasted like ordinary milk that I would find in my supermarket in the UK.

As I ate, I probably watched some short TV feature on KrisWorld. Probably news or one of these TV hits. At 1448 – one hour and 13 minutes after the food was given to me, they were collected which was ample time for us all to eat while being distracted by the KrisWorld.

Seven minutes later, I made my way to the toilet for an inspection. What greeted me is similar to what I saw with previous SIA flights. In the toilet, I only produced watery excrement and hence on this flight, there was no solid excrement test to be had. However, the amenities were very interesting. There are SIA cups which are shades of blue with the SIA logo above the toilet, along with two types of tissues. In addition, there are sanitary towels. On opening, I was to be disappointed. Teahan remarked “I will never forget his posts about how he took “above average” sanitary towels from the toilets on one of his flights, you don't easily forget comments like that.” (http://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/28329/ reply 40) Not anymore. The SIA sanitary towels have not changed. For Shame! The sanitary towels are provided by Cin – Can? They smell intriguingly and have wings. However, these wings are not flexible unlike Vietnam Airlines’ (see below). An absorbency test would be carried out on both Singapore Airlines’ and Vietnam Airlines’ sanitary towels/napkins when I get home to England.

At 1522, duty free was… ‘served’. The idea was that the duty-free cart was taken through the cabin by a flight stewardess and a leading stewardess. This was hastily done. The two sped relatively quickly for Singapore Girls through the cabin announcing, “Would you like duty free? Duty free anyone?” This was certainly quite low and is now a major concern of mine. Such actions are not recommended and do not give a good impression. The same was repeated for the other aisle of the cabin. The idea of this being common practice disturbs me.

Hearing of how fantastic the noodles on board SIA are, I and my Irish diplomat decided to have a taste-test. Unfortunately, we were instead given a small sandwich snack called a Chicken Caesar Roll made by the Lintum Snack Company. It was a relatively compact submarine roll and it was noted that the bread was soft. There was one piece of lettuce – this needs to be improved by doubling the lettuce capacity of the roll. However, the chicken was very nice but the whole sandwich was not fresh.

At 1817, a snack service commenced by a male flight steward. In the basket were: the Chicken Caesar submarine rolls, a cheese submarine roll, chive and onion savouries, apples and Twix bars. I chose the chive and onion savouries and they were most fulfilling that I asked for another one and the male steward kindly obliged.

There were many water services. At first, I thought that this was a generous idea. However, it became clear that this was an anti-DVT), USA - Arizona">DVT measure than any generosity in hydrogen and water molecules on the part of Singapore Airlines.

Lights awakened the passengers as the lovely smell of cooked breakfast filled the cabin air. Hot towels were handed out at 2125 by DPK and were collected but this time she failed to say thank you to every passenger.

Then, disaster struck. While seeing what variety of games KrisWorld had to offer, I exited KrisWorld Games to the main menu. Only, the system crashed. I was very happy and this was a test that I did not foresee. I called for service and was greeted by DPK whose cheeks were smooth and looked nice. I asked her what was wrong and she asked for the controller. She kept pressing the Mode button to no avail obviously and she said that she would ask for the system to be reset, smiled, looked up for the row number and departed swiftly.

Breakfast was served and the options were as follows:

Fruit
Fruit appetiser
Light starters
Cereal

‘Wholesome beginnings’
Fried rice noodles with sliced chicken, leafy greens and black mushrooms

Or

Plain omelette with baked beans, grilled tomato and potatoes.

‘From the bakery’
Breakfast roll
Butter
Fruit preserve

Hot Beverages
Coffee – Tea

Once again, the breakfast was excellent. The cereal was by Rustlers (£0.99 in a supermarket in the UK). It was normal, nothing special though. The milk was semi-skimmed and the cereal was cornflake style. For my wholesome beginning, I chose the fried noodles. The noodles were lovely, soft and hot and the sauce in which they are cooked in was not too heavy. There was a selection of ‘leafy greens’ and this was more than sufficient, however, once again, the plastic forks failed to poke into them. The black mushrooms were soft and tasted just like home. The bread roll was just like before and was soft. The butter was again normal and hardly had any taste. The fruit preserve – a posh name for strawberry jam it seems – was nice but again, nothing special.

I sat watching FlightPath on the main movie screen as my IFE had still not been reset. This would be an interesting test as to how long it would take for them to start it up again.

I munched away when as the lovely DPK was collecting the trays in, the system came back online. Joy(!).

Nothing much really happened next as I just skipped through the TV selections watching Farscape and something else.

Descent was at 0019. Once we were below the clouds, I could see glimpses of the fantastic Singapore skyline – a proud country and rightly so – showing off the fruitfulness of economic and social prosperity. Landing was very smooth and was hardly noticeable. We landed at 0040 (0740 Singapore Time) on the Terminal 2 runway and it seemed just like Flight Simulator 2002! We taxied to the gate passing a myriad of Singapore Airlines and SilkAir planes. I had finally returned to the homeland of Singapore Airlines and it felt marvellous to be surrounded by objects and people that exude the spirit of Singapore Airlines across the world.

Disembarkation was slow as one can imagine for a full flight and we all plodded slowly along. You could go through the Raffles Class door or the First Class door and obviously I chose the latter. The walk wasn’t too long and at the gate were numerous hand luggage trolleys.

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Singapore Changi Airport. – 0745 Singapore Time

Spaciousness first entered my mind. A fantastic airport! We walked through the airport to the information desk where I asked the lady where I could find the Free Singapore Tour desk. We walked straight over to find that it would close and would open again at 0830. So my parents decided to freshen up in the toilets.

Even the toilets have ambience! Something you would never find at LHR / EGLL), United Kingdom">LHR. Marble-effect sinks and hi-tech flushing toilets. Marvellous! We brushed our teeth and headed off for somewhere to sit and relax.

For some reason we took an age. Probably because we did a whole freshen up session in there. By the time we returned to the Free Singapore Tour desk (run by WTS Tours of Singapore), there was a 10 or 15 person queue. Great(!). Anyway, it was only 0820 so we waited 10 minutes for a delightful middle-aged woman to come and ask us what times we wanted. Seats for these tours are quite limited. Anyway, she organised people into specific slots (as in, if people wanted to go on the 0930 one – the earliest trip – but had a late flight like at 1500, then they would go on the later trip). So, fortunately, we had the 0930 trip to Sentosa.

There was not much for the parents to do so I explored the airport. We proceeded to the left-baggage area where we paid S$7 for some lockers to put our heavy bags in. Again, the person at the desk was most polite and also didn’t charge us for the third locker. Changi is a different world compared to the likes of Heathrow which frankly is digusting (see why below – SQ322 (Arrival)). There’s a fantastic orchid garden and further on, a TV centre with very comfortable relaxer chairs. Each ‘station’ comprises of a thin very large widescreen TV with crystal clear pictures of channels like CNN, ESPN, BBC WORLD, CNBC Singapore and some others I fail to remember.

All around the airport – Singapore Girls – walked graciously about with smiles on their faces and black small pull up handle thingy suitcases carried behind them. One noticeable aspect was that the sarong kebaya creases around the hip/back area. Everything is so clean! I just walked about just to get the ‘feeling’. Returning to my parents, I was asked to get some water. So, I asked the information counter where I could get cheap bottled mineral water and she pointed me in the direction of the 7 Eleven 24 hour mini-supermarket. Very good.

At 0935, the tour guide came and we were given stickers and set off for immigration. This process was quick as there was no one else using immigration at this time. We walked quite a length to the outside door. The heat! It does hit you! And it was only 0940! It was like a wave of heat just slammed into you. I was unimpressed. Singapore should change the weather . The minute walk to the bus was so humid and hot. Most uncomfortable. I think we were all just happy that the bus was to be air-conditioned.

The guide was knowledgeable and we set off down the East Coast Road? Anyway, it was lovely and smooth with flowers down the middle. Even though my sight of Singapore were only glimpses, it was good to be back. Extremely stylish apartment buildings all around on my right and on the left the water . As we drove along, we passed some bridge and we could see Singapore’s financial centre. I think there was a HSBC building most visible. However, I saw the proud and tall blue Singapore Airlines building! That was a moment to savour. The building stands tall against the Singapore backdrop – the pinnacle of Singapore! So we went across a bridge and onto Sentosa Island. Didn’t see much, it was mostly covered with trees but we had a 15 minute stop on Siloso beach. The temperature had cooled down by now and there was loud music booming from some sort of volleyball competition. Took a few pictures and then went back on the bus where I noticed some women were asleep and didn’t actually set foot on Sentosa. Hmm. The return journey was just the same but I too fell asleep and only awakened when we returned into the Changi complex. Maybe it was a sign to wake me up.

We entered the check in area and saw the Singapore Airlines check-in desks. They haven’t changed really. Immigration was swift again, and we went to collect our hand luggage. Now I was really tired and decided to go to the gate with my parents – Gate E4. As we proceeded down the now busier concourse, I saw a plane. 9V-SVI! I was most pleased and I knew that this was the plane to SGN. 9V-SVI as some of you remember had a 10-flight-old engine failure at Copenhagen.

We sat outside E4 where some other Vietnamese people had already gathered. Outside, it was pouring down and one could see the water being blown back as the engines of incoming Singapore Airlines Group aircraft come into the gates. Because on SQ317, we sat apart, I wanted to get the tickets to link with each other so that we could sit with each other on the return legs of our journeys. So therefore, I proceeded to the Transfer Area E. And this is a horrible place. People are served by delicatessen-style tickets and the staff are horrible, rude and probably fatigued. I approached the Raffles Class counter (with no number – I didn’t know you had to get to take a number to get served), and the stupid woman rudely said, “this isn’t the ticketing desk, you have to go outside,” I replied, “For a SATS person, you are most rude.” What a *****. So I went through immigration but I couldn’t find the departures area which was obviously upstairs! I asked another kind Changi information desk person where to go and the escalator was right behind me. Ran up the escalators to the Customer Services desk and the smiling woman told me to go to Ticketing! So I had to take a trip to ticketing.

There were two people sitting at the desk – a man and a woman. The man was reading a book so I went to the woman. She was relatively kind but didn’t smile. She said she would link the two (my parent’s and mine) tickets together so that next time we would sit together. With that, it was another long trip back to gate E4 through immigration. For a major hub, Singapore doesn’t get very busy. Maybe it was just the time and day.

So tired, I couldn’t be bothered to do much so just sat at the gate and waited.

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Singapore Airlines SQ174
9V-SVI

Singapore Changi T2 – Saigon Tan Son Nhat International Terminal

It was around 1400 and a crowd was gathering. One thing has to be said though, there aren’t many seats outside the gates at Changi, leaving people to either sit on the floor or on the moving walkway’s edge-thing (I think most will know what I mean). The gate finally opened and a queue was suddenly formed. SATS Security were fairly swift and there was a sense of very tight security at the gate. There were probably four members of security for this, with one having one of those things that scan for metal and they move it around you. The gate is large and seating is above standard but not revolutionary. There’s a single TV in the room where a MediaCorp channel was playing. I also took five Vietnamese landing/departure forms. My parents took the time to fill those in at the gate instead of on the plane. Though not particularly relevant, the forms haven’t changed since I first went to Vietnam in 1994. They still need such silly information and really is a waste of time. Compared to a UK landing card, it’s hell.

Boarding commenced at around 1435, again starting with Raffles Class passengers and then Economy Class from the back forward. This would be my first flight on a Boeing 777 so it was getting very exciting. Greeted at the door by a Chief Stewardess, we carried the bulky hand luggage onto the Jubilee ER and it’s a wonderful plane! The SpaceBeds were installed and the galleys seem very large. We sat in our seats – 45HJK. There waiting in the aisle was Flight Steward – OK – who helped me with all our hand luggage. His diction in English was certainly very good and I think he was Indonesian or something – but that’s just a wild guess.

Instantly noticeable was the 6.5” TV screen with two side pockets – just like the pictures on Airliners.net. In addition, there was another design of footrest and the fact that the seat pitch had increased 1” compared with the Megatop. This does make a noticeable difference even though it is only one inch and getting in and out of seats is definitely easier.

Again, this aircraft had KrisWorld with WISEMEN and it was switched on about a minute after I boarded. Well, I had watched everything I would’ve wanted to watch and listened to the choices I liked so there was not much point in watching the stuff all over again. So I just switched on to FlightPath. At about 1445, I looked out the window. We hadn’t moved. Shame, pity! I’ve always been delayed on SQ174. Firstly in 1994 it was because of a broken nosewheel on an A310, and then it was just a normal delay.

The captain then announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ174 to Ho Chi Minh City. As you are probably aware, we are having a delay at the moment. This is because of a problem with the Traffic Collision Avoidance System and our engineers are trying to replace this facility. The Traffic Collision Avoidance System is to make sure that other aircraft do not collide with us and because SIA’s first priority is safety, we are having a delay for this facility to be replaced. We hope you have a nice flight and we apologise for the inconvenience caused, thank you.”

It was only at 1528 that we pushed back from the gate and then that safety video was switched on. Oh it’s so horrible. And the computer animation of the emergency exits on the 772? Hmm. Unimpressive. Takeoff was quite short but from here on, I can’t remember how long it took as I’ve lost my notes. On the right though, as the elegant Jubilee ER took off, I saw the immense area of reclaimed land that Terminal 3 will occupy. I shall one day return to Singapore to the ultra-modern terminal, packed with Gigatops!... or I’ll just come back on 13 January.

Shortly after, - OK – gave out the earphones. He was very good and was always cheery and smiling. Once again, I plugged in and just watched FlightPath. I browsed through KrisShop as well even though duty-free was not available.

This flight was going to be short, so the drinks came round pretty quickly. A very smiley flight stewardess who spoke delightfully offered the passengers some drinks, while – OK – served the food. The choices were chicken or fish and I of course chose the chicken, I hate fish…except for cod maybe. It tasted very nice, and the portion was the same as the SQ317 flight.

The seat itself is very comfortable. 33” pitch and the footrest, if used is Ok. I don’t see the point of the lumbar support, but it does work whatever it is. The adjustable seat height… again, what’s the point but I’m sure for the last two items, there is an ergonomic point in there somewhere.

A stewardess then collected the meals in but it was to be hard. Toilet time arrived and there was a surge in demand! Many passengers tried to squeeze through to the annoyance of the Singapore Girl, and for once I don’t blame (them) her. When I finally got to the spacious area around the toilets, there was a lengthy queue. Silence filled the area though, conversation was probably not apt.

When I finally did enter the toilet, it was quite nice. The sink is surrounded by a marble effect covering. The toilets are larger than the Megatops but the toilet itself is vacuum-flush which is always good to see. The amenities drawers slid in and out smoothly and there were the same amenities as seen on the Megatop.

We descended in to Vietnam over the Mekong Delta where one can see where the blue South China Sea meets the brown polluted waters of Vietnam (or so I assume). The descent in to SGN was quite bumpy and there were loads of clouds. We were quite low of SGN itself and it was slightly unnerving, especially when the Jubilee ER went up and down many times and swerving sideways. I think we were so low that we probably were in horizontal flight instead of constant descent for part of the approach. Needless to say, SGN is not a glamorous city and the view from above is hardly alluring.

We landed heavily on 25R (I think) and it was quite a bump! SGN was getting busy and I saw a glimpse of the terminal! Gates! We taxied to gate 3 I think and got off quickly. We were again sent on our way by the attractive Chief Stewardess.

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Saigon Tan Son Nhat International Terminal – 1625 Vietnam time.

As I just mentioned, SGN now has gates! The last time I came we had to go by bus from a parking stand. The airport is now impressive and the flooring is decent. A short walk took us to the dreaded immigration counters. There, a row of non-smiling, moody Communist faces ‘greeted’ us, and other passengers. For a first taste of Vietnam for foreigners this was hardly a warm welcome. Because my mum was carrying US$6500 on her, we were worried for her really as my dad and I carried the allowed non-declarable US$3000. On the advice of relatives in the UK in the know, we talked to a Dutch couple who had travelled Singapore Airlines from Amsterdam for a cycling tour of South Vietnam. This was so that the immigration officers wouldn’t ‘bully’ us so much so that they would not make a scene in front of the non-Vietnamese / non-Asian tourists. Unfortunately, we were made to change to a shorter queue by a cold, heartless Communist man. We also had to go individually to the counter and each person gave the officer US$5 so that he could shut up and just let us pass.

We eventually did… after spending one hour in immigration! For shame I say. The baggage reclaim areas have also been improved, however, the way that the airport workers visibly throw luggage onto the belt is annoying and I gave them a nasty stare. X-rays followed and once again, there was another queue before we got to the main arrivals hall... which is actually outside. About a thousand people were shouting and screaming outside. Obviously, this was one area where there was no such improvement, says something about the way they feel about the citizens I say.

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Vietnam Airlines VN458
VN-B212

Photograph not available

Saigon Tan Son Nhat Domestic Terminal – Quinhon Airport

With a minibus, we arrived at SGN again for a 10 day trip to Quinhon in the central part of Vietnam. A provincial city, there is only one flight a day from SGN and HAN to UIH. The domestic terminal was quite empty and there were several cancellations of flights between HAN and SGN it seemed. I also noticed the lack of male Vietnam Airlines staff and everyone was a woman except for the three security officers. Hmm. We were probably the first to check-in at the desks which too have been renovated. They are similar to the Terminal 4 ones at LHR. However, the baggage stickers are pre-numbered and the only record VN has is the baggage reclaim stickers that they stick to your ticket. Not very technological. The lady quickly checked us in and spoke quietly – not warm though and not that interested. After we left, she continued her conversation with the woman who was making the baggage tags look good. We quickly went through security up to the domestic waiting area. There’s a large duty-free shop run by SASCO (Southern Airport Services Company), full of alcohol, cigarettes and other souvenirs – reasonably priced too, though Merci (German) chocolate is very expensive.
The waiting lounge itself is not that comfortable. The chairs are plastic and have no soft padding. In addition, the TV was tuned into VTV1 (the state-run television station) and Wheel of Fortune was on. However, the volume was on so loud that one could barely hear the announcements; even my parents who obviously speak very good Vietnamese struggled to make sense of what the woman was saying.

I did see many aircraft though. There were numerous VN 763s and A320s and a Pacific Airlines A320 and 767. Considering VN owns Pacific Airlines (BL), I don’t see the point of the latter, but it’s probably for private owners to have a stake in an airline I suppose.

Finally, Gate 1 was announced as our gate. Passengers proceeded to the gate where the seats had cushioning! About time too! My mother tried the toilets and reported back to my dad and I that they were clean – a rarity in Vietnam I can tell you! Sanitary conditions are not a strong point.

At 1319, we were asked to go down some steps to a bus painted in Petronas colours (Petronas being a Malaysian oil company). I also saw an Eva Air 744 which was quite surprising. In the UK, I looked up the aircraft on the VN website and it showed an ATR-72. However, I couldn’t see any near us except for some Fokker 70s, so I thought we were in for a treat. In addition, a jet would make my parents feel safer.

But eventually, we went around the Fokker 70 to the left-side of the ATR-72. VN-B212 was to be our aircraft and we boarded through the rear door to be greeted by the chief purser – a woman in a red ao dai VN uniform. We settled into our seats in row 4 ABC. The seating is four-abreast with 2 on each side. The propellers started at around 1330 and we began taxiing to the runway. The safety demonstration was given by the male flight attendant (VN calls them flight attendants) – THH. He looked relatively uncomfortable but that was probably his face as he was like that throughout the flight. The English diction by the woman though was horrendous and it was difficult to hear what she was saying. I was better off listening to the Vietnamese.

A quick turn on 25R, the engines went to full throttle at 1340:21 and rotation occurred at 1340:52 (31 second takeoff). The plane was moving relatively fast but the feeling of acceleration wasn’t much. We could see the whole airport on the left-hand side and SGN.

I then investigate the area around me. The seat pitch is 32” and the seat tray was inscribed with ‘Sicma Aero Seat’. The seat was not ergonomically designed and no in-flight entertainment was installed.

About 45 minutes into the flight, the two came round with drinks. Available was orange juice, Pepsi (the Pepsi vs. Coca Cola market is very fiercely fought here), 7UP (again, from Pepsi Co I think) and mineral water. I chose the 7UP which was served in a clear plastic cup. It was of 7UP standard and was good. Not much else happened really and THH went round with a tray to collect the cups.

Before I knew it, we descended into the UIH area and unlike the SQ174 flight, it was a smooth descent. We landed at Phu Cat (Quinhon, but not Quinhon, it’s an hours drive away) and the runway is really…gravel? Well it seemed like it and it probably wasn’t good for the tyres. The landing roll also took quite long as was the taxi to the parking space.

The engines cut and mere silence filled the cabin. No one spoke and even the woman attendant was quite quiet in saying her goodbyes. The baggage car with luggage attachment soon came and bags were taken off the front of the plane where it’s stowed.

The ‘airport’ is well, not an airport. It is an elongated bungalow with sparse facilities to say the most. We walked into a room which is comparable to the size of I dunno. It was very small for an airport! And then the place where people stand and we greeted our relatives.

The baggage car came with attachment and was spectacularly disconnected so that the attachment rolled on its own inertia into the ‘baggage reclaim hall’ (empty room with one wall knocked down (the door apparently) and one large window on the left) and we scrambled to take our luggage before it got stolen.

We left the airport building within 30 seconds and went to a gravel area-cum-car park.

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Vietnam Airlines VN459
VN-B202

Quinhon Airport - Saigon Tan Son Nhat Domestic Terminal

We arrived at the airport’s departure area (remember, separated from the arrivals by a restaurant with no restaurant facilities). Check-in was an experience. There were no computers. The check-in agents had to work from sheets of paper with passenger codes, names and ticket numbers. I was less than amused. Luggage was taken from us and put through the single x-ray machine, only to be put to one side waiting for the infamous baggage car with luggage attachment.

With our boarding pass, we proceeded through security to a holding area. I counted about 70 plastic chairs similar to those found at LHR T3. Time didn’t pass that quick and the 14” TV in the corner wasn’t providing much entertainment.

Boarding commenced through a small door which a woman had struggle pushing at 1615, about 15 minutes before departure. We walked to the rear of the plane and sat in 14ABC.

Wow, this flight report is getting dry. Anyway, the seats were different but the seat pitch was the same.

The engines started up and flaps were set to 15 degrees. The safety demonstrated began, again in appalling English and good Vietnamese. On this flight, there were two female flight attendants. Takeoff was uneventful and the atmosphere was a little chilly for my liking.

The drinks service commenced soon afterwards and not surprisingly, they were the same as the ones served on the outbound flight. To spice things up a little, I decided to investigate the toilet.

Things were not good. I tried to open the door and was standing pulling the thing for about 15 seconds to open the door, I eventually did and it slammed behind me. The toilet was a little Spartan. I have noted that it showed its age. I think there were dirty marks on it (not excrement, just wear and tear marks) which made the chrome effect dull. There was also a lack of soap. Sick bags were in abundance and when I flushed, the sound was quiet. I had to dig around to find the Kotex sanitary towels. I stole two bars of soap and two sanitary towels and tried to open the door. Despite several attempts to push the door as it instructed, it wouldn’t budge. I repeatedly rammed the door with my shoulder but nothing happened. Eventually after a minute, I barged my way through and nearly fell while exiting which caused some commotion. Unfortunately, I had drawn attention to myself and I stood in front of the toilet very embarrassed. I said loudly, “as you were,” but of course none of them understood me and I sat back down with the newly branded in-flight magazine.

The flight was otherwise uneventful and we descended into SGN. We landed but the ATR 72 landed then bumped up and landed back down again. It was quite a weird experience. The aircraft parked up and we got off into a Petronas-branded bus to take us to the terminal.

However, what really made my day was seeing 9V-SVH – a Singapore Airlines Limited 777-200ER parked at the gate. That sent a feeling of pride into me. There was no immigration control and we waited at the baggage belt when a Lufthansa 747-400 came and parked next to the SIA 772ER. Again, some feeling sent shivers down my spine and there they were – two aircraft. Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa! – Member of Star Alliance! Hoorah!

Baggage was collected and we exited from the terminal. The floor is marbled.

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Singapore Airlines SQF173
9V-STF

Saigon Tan Son Nhat International Terminal – Singapore Changi T2

Well the holiday was to end! A pity really. But the real test for Singapore Airlines commenced.

We said an emotional goodbye to our families and went off into the airport terminal. Again, it looked much better than in 1997 and the floor was marbled. We put our bags through the x-ray machine and proceeded to the Singapore Airlines check in desks. I remember that four were open and there was a very elegant Singapore Airlines check in direction sign standing in the concourse which I touched.

We stood in the queue next to the Raffles and First Class check in desks for flight SQF173 (yes, SQF, I don’t know why. In addition, I noticed the lack of cooperation with VN (SQ/VN 173)). Standing next to the check in area was the Singapore Airlines supervisor. He stood around with a radio and in full Singapore Airlines ground staff uniform. When he looked at me, I smiled politely to see if he would smile back. Vietnamese people generally treat foreigners (mainly white people) much better than anyone else. The supervisor did not smile back! I was infuriated. He must be sacked. I will not stand to be disparaged. Shame on him and he must be ejected from the Singapore Airlines Group payroll. I am unimpressed and he was RUDE.


Anyway, we approached the check-in desk and gave the woman from TIAGS (Tan Son Nhat International Airport Ground Services) our tickets who said that to England, they would allow 90kg of luggage. Now we weighed everything last night and the three suitcases were 31kg each and two hand luggage at 9kg, one at 7 and one at 6 with a handbag and a camcorder sack. She let the suitcases go through but wouldn’t put the heavy hand luggage on, even after I was nice to her. I stopped smiling at her. She was a cold woman and certainly did NOT represent the service and warmth that Singapore Airlines normally exudes. We walked off with our heavy hand luggage through immigration I think and up to the departures area where we had to pay tax of US$12 per person (no wonder the airport looks nice).

There are many duty free shops and prices are nothing special. Merci (German) chocolate was US$6 for 600g I think. I was unimpressed but had to buy it anyway. We sat in front of Gate 5 eating our Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut which I purchased for US$0.50. A while later, the Malaysia Airlines flight arrived late and I saw the Singapore Airlines Limited Airbus A313 sitting looking cute.

Passengers were invited to board and I saw that **** supervisor again. I gave him an evil stare but couldn’t complain as I was afraid that he would make things difficult and make us leave some of our heavy hand luggage behind. Pity. Anyway, the gate had about 10 rows of seating and the first three rows were reserved for the First and Raffles Class passengers, much to the annoyance of some Economy Class passengers, they had to stick two TIAGS women their to stop people.

Boarding commenced through the L1 door and we were welcomed by the Chief Steward J. I didn’t catch his surname. We proceeded to our seats which were 39 DEF.

The seats weren’t wider than any other on the SIA fleet and also they weren’t especially ergonomically designed and there was no footrest. They were comfortable nonetheless. Of course, we all know that there are no PTVs on these A310s. However, there is KrisWorld Mainscreen. This is just programs on the movie screen and those little monitors that come down from the ceiling. In addition, this is also a good way for SIA to avoid advertising scams so that they can say that KrisWorld is on board every flight. Anyway, the Singapore Girls were very helpful in pushing luggage into the overhead compartments. I saw one very nice Singapore Girl who was a leading stewardess and had this exotic Arabian feel to her. S?K was always cheerful and willing to help. She was a little thin, maybe even shockingly but still, was a pleasure to observe…helping passengers.

The departure time of 1650 soon passed and hot towels were handed out by flight steward TBL at 1653. He was quite cheery and happy with a big nice genuine smile. Good for him. At the same time, the captain announced that there is a slight delay because they couldn’t close the cargo door which was not too impressive. Incidentally, the cruising altitude was to be FL340 / 34 000 ft. Flight stewardess HCE handed out the earpieces. She was very quick in doing so but her smile was too small and she was too heavy on the green eye shadow. She also collected up the towels with the not-big-enough smile.

My dad was unsettled by an unsettling smell of kerosene in the cabin. I duly pressed the crew call button and up came TBL. He explained that it’s normal to smell that and after takeoff it would go away. He was very professional in calming us down (exaggeration) and went away.

The doors closed and the drop down monitors fell with the safety video commencing. This time, there were Chinese subtitles in the top left hand corner but the video was still poor as ever – this really does need replacing. Pushback commenced at 1701:37.

There wasn’t much to do. I was wishing that I had taken the Asian Wall Street Journal because I saw a picture of a tail of Hong Kong’s de facto flag carrier so I wanted to investigate it. Anyway, at 1708, TBL came back and asked if the smell had gone away which it more or less had. I was impressed that he came back and checked up on…my dad.

The 3TEN lined up on runway 25R and takeoff commenced from 1717:27 to 1718:04 local time – a takeoff time of 37 seconds.

The meal service commenced with flight stewardesses JH and LSL performing the meal and drink operations respectively. I can’t remember the meal choices because there was no menu however JH delivered my meal politely and was warm. LSL was good at serving me my Coca Cola but unfortunately she did not smile – this issue must be resolved.

The main course consisted of three slices of new potato and chicken in some kind of sauce which I haven’t noted. There were also pieces of courgette and yellow paper. The meal was very tasty and was cooked to near perfection. In addition, the chicken portion was very generous.

For desert, there was a Vietnamese thing called Chè probably some desert made with soya. I don’t normally eat it because it’s horrible, but this time I actually found it was nice, in fact, excellent. Full marks for that. There was also bread which was unfortunately crumbly with butter. The water supplied was chilled. It was a fantastic meal.

Flight steward TBL collected the trays up very nicely and at a good pace. Meanwhile, I called for the Asian Wall Street Journal. 20 seconds elapsed before LSL came and a minute later she came up with the goods. I think the article was something about fuel prices edging up and Asian airlines suffering. However, there was no Singapore Airlines picture so I just put it in the seat pocket and decided to explore the toilet.

I proceeded to the rear of the plane where I saw TBL trying to shove a cart back into the stowage position for about 30 seconds before he realised that it needed a kick and that worked. It took a while but I entered the toilet. To my dismay I was to be unimpressed. The toilet lacked cosmetics, aftershave, cologne and sanitary towels. Most disappointing. There were toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes however. The toilet is chrome in colour and has some blue flush water sitting in it awaiting the user’s arrival. The flush is relatively quiet and there was no vacuuming as I can remember. However, since the 3TENs and Celestars have been phased out of Singapore Airlines’ fleet (though more rapidly than everyone had previously thought), the fleet now has toilet commonality which is good.

Well at 1832, JH collected the earpieces which I didn’t use with a lovely graceful style and smile. The ‘entertainment’ was Smooth Jazz TV specially created for Singapore Airlines with an American TV presenter I’ve never heard of. Not my thing really.

We had to circle for a while because Singapore Changi Airport was busy, hopefully with Singapore Airlines flights. Anyway, the descent was smooth and one could see clearly the lights of Singapore harbour and the magnificent skyscrapers standing tall – a symbol of the Lion City’s strength and determination to become truly the Heart of Asia and more.

Landing was normal and durated from 1900:31 to 1901:14 – a landing roll of 43 seconds. I can’t remember what gate we were at but it was F something or other. We disembarked and were again sent off by the chief steward J.

What a lovely flight. Baggage trolleys waiting outside the gate, that’s what I like to see.

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Singapore Changi Airport – 1905 Singapore Time

Singapore Changi Airport. Oh how wonderful it was to be back at the Airtropolis. We proceeded to some area where there were some slumber seats and my parents went to the toilet while I protected our valuable hand luggage. When they came back, I went to this duty-free shop called “The Olde Market Place” or something like that. It had this English middle-age wooden feel to the place and I saw something shocking. Singapore Airlines batik Pierre Balmain uniforms labelled as “Singapore Exclusives” on sale! I was aghast in shock.

Anyway, I got my mother to buy one of the flight stewardess’s uniform and they were quite cheap at US$25 or something I think. I wanted to buy an inflatable Merlion (the symbol of Singapore, showing strength and agility and the fierce passion for success) but alas I was to be disappointed, but I did buy a solid statue measuring about 15cm in height. It sits proud on my desk looking at me with its mouth open as I type.

Anyway, I decided to go exploring in search of Singapore Girls. I walked towards the E gates when I spotted an elusive female inflight supervisor! I was most excited and asked if I could take a picture of her. She kindly obliged but she said that she was looking tired. I told her she wasn’t allowed to look tired and she happily brought in some of her other crew, a leading stewardess in green, two flight stewardesses in blue and a chief stewardess – red. They all posed while another lead stewardess who was camera shy took the picture. The photo is awaiting development.

I still stand by it – Singapore is really the world’s best airport.

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Singapore Airlines SQ322
9V-SPF

Singapore Changi T2 – London Heathrow T3

Well this is the last leg of this odyssey. At gate E4 boarding commenced at 2255. SATS security were present as always and boarding was completed slowly but logically seeing as it was a full flight. While at the gate – I also noticed the lack of non-white people there. I could only spot two Asians and my family of three who were non-white. Very interesting.

We were greeted by the chief stewardess clad in red with a warm smile. We had our seats – 45ABC. I noticed an alarming sight though. Above from rows 44 to 40 on the ABC side of the aircraft, there was dust on the plastic ceiling above them. I was unimpressed.

Leading Stewardess smiled as she walked down with the hot towels – the smell of Singapore Airlines hot water against the metal tray filling up the aroma of the Megatop. They were collected three minutes later at 2325. Anyway pushback commenced at 23:25:51 and the cheesy video graced us with its presence…or not :-P

Anyway flight stewardess HHC – whom I would get to know quite well – handed out the earphones with a kind smile but did it a little fast. Takeoff commenced at 23:41:14 until 23:42:03. The Megatop gracefully lifted itself up into the Singaporean airspace. One could see the magnificent scenery down below and the CBD I believe.

At 2355, flight stewardess YPC did something. I remember not what. Ahh yes, 12 minutes later, she delivered cool refreshing orange juice to passengers which contrasted with her warmth and grace. She was very good at being a Singapore Girl.

At 0040, we encountered heavy turbulence. My viewing of some program on WISEMAN was disrupted by a “PA IN PROGRESS”. Nevertheless, flight stewardess SC came over with dinner. It comprised of:

Appetiser:
Salad of smoked lamb with mesclun

Main Courses:
Pan fried fish fillet in mouilly prat veloute, buttered spinach and potatoes

Or

Braised chicken with ginger and tiger lily buds, Chinese greens, cauliflower, red capsicums and fragrant rice.

Cheese:
Cheese and crackers

Dessert:
Viennese chocolate cake

From the Bakery:
Roll and butter

Hot beverages:
Coffee – Tea

I chose the chicken which was very sumptuous and the portions were very munificent. Once again, Singapore Airport Terminal Services Catering has surpassed its negative image. The vegetables were also tasty despite the fact I don’t like newness in terms of vegetables. The fragrant rice was probably Thai because there was a nice weird smell to it. I then proceeded to digesting the appetiser. The red lettuce was horrible and there was one leaf of that, ditto the green lettuce which tasted bland. There was also one cherry tomato present. The lamb was interesting. Cheese and crackers were pretty normal though the cheese was very nice and the crackers were rated as ‘good’. Now, the Viennese chocolate cake – a divine and really fantastic way to have ended the meal. It was perfect and not too sweet. The best part I say. The roll was OK and the butter was a little tasteless.

Now to wine. Singapore Airlines menus state that there are two choices of red and one of white. However all I see is one of red and one of white. This I found unacceptable and I put dear SC on the spot in an unnaturally harsh tone. I asked her where the other one was. She said it was available on request and that she would get me the other bottle right away if I didn’t want the French offering available. I politely declined and she continued her business. All through, she didn’t smile which was good considering the severity of my tone so a smile would have displayed a robotic behaviour which does not exist in Singapore Airlines.

Trays were collected and I decided to watch Jackie Chan in “The Tuxedo” which was very amusing. As always, the earpieces did indeed cancel out a lot – but not all – of the Megatop’s engine’s sounds.

The flight then went smoothly and nothing much happened. Every 20 or so minutes, flight stewardess HHC would come round with a tray of plastic cups full of orange juices and water. Again, me thinks this is a DVT measure than anything else as I said in my other trip report.

After the movie finished, I tried to get into the toilet nearest to me but it was locked so I had to go all the way back to the end of the plane. The disabled / mother and baby toilets are spacious and the board where the person would but the human baby on to was firm and could carry a lot of weight. The toilet was fully kitted up with amenities and was clean. In the interest of some users, it is suffice to say that the toilet was functioning within operational parameters.

I must have dozed off but I decided to spice the night up a bit. I opened the blanket which I stowed underneath the seat in front and put it on me. I then turned my body into my side and draped myself with the blanket. Then I would make sure that only 20% of the blanket was on me and the rest on the floor or seat or armrest. So, I pretend-slept for about ten minutes before a flight stewardess (I could only see her legs) came and again walked with drinks. She stepped over the blanket which was on the floor though and again when she went back to the galley. However, at 0316 which was about a minute later, she came back to me and picked up the blanket. She straightened it out (by holding it up in the air) and then put it on me lengthwise. The Singapore Girl has passed her test. The second she walked away – I dramatically grabbed the blanket and threw it on the floor after which I stood up. She turned around and it was HHC looking slightly aghast. I said to her, “Greetings,” and walked to her. She quickly went into the galley and closed the curtain while I went to the toilet opposite. After a few seconds I went back to my seat and tuned into Swimfan (a sexually-explicit movie with a good storyline).

Midway I paused the movie thanks to the power of WISEMAN. I went to the galley and asked for a coke and this time I got the whole can. HHC was there doing whatever and I engaged into conversation with her. I asked her how Marna was (apparently well-known being “Madame Announcement”). She didn’t know as she was only inaugurated as a Singapore Girl one and a half years ago. She then asked me if I was enjoying the flight and where I went on holiday. I then told her that I was impressed that she remembered her training and put the blanket on me. She was Malaysian and she has since moved to Singapore and said she really liked being in the airline. I think she was probably about 23 or 25 years old. She was very intriguing and I would like her as a wife. While close to her, I also examined her face which was in order. SIA has given her the warm palette of colours for her make up and the perfume was not overly strong. While we were chatting, a tall man peeped through the curtain and asked for some anti-DVT socks. HHC explained to him that there were probably none left but would go find some for him. He stood outside while I was left alone. I rummaged through the galley. It’s not very colourful. Drinks are chilled by way of ice and water in some tray. I stole some SIA batik plastic tray covers (this is the white thing where they put drinks on). A leading stewardess then entered and luckily my intrigue had been satisfied so I was just standing there with a can. She was attractive and did some paperwork. We then encountered turbulence and HHC along with two other flight stewardesses entered – it was a mother’s meeting! Anyway one of them said, “Sir, could you return to your seat please? We’re experiencing some turbulence.” I obliged and pulled back the curtain without closing it. Someone had to do it behind me.

I must have dozed off. The seating was becoming uncomfortable and the 32 inches of seat pitch was not helping. A few hours later – probably at 0900, I woke up and proceeded to the galley where I found HHC again. I didn’t ask her whether she had slept but her face was good. We then talked about her experiences with SIA which were positive and the training routine she had to go through. I then asked her for aspirin which was not available on board so she offered me Paracetamol which I took for my parents. I didn’t want them getting DVT. I then went back to watch CNBC’s Asian Business Leader Awards 2002. Hmm.

At 1040, lights filled the cabin and flight stewardess SC came by with towels. She greeted everyone with “Good morning” and her smile was large. Two minutes later, she collected the towels though I stole all three that were given to the family.

Breakfast was served at 1114. It consisted of:

Fruit:
Fruit appetiser

Light starters:
Cereal

Wholesome beginnings
Fried rice noodles with sliced chicken, leafy greens and black mushrooms

Or

Chive omelette on a bed of warm salad of tomato, mushroom, pea, bacon and potatoes

From the bakery
Breakfast roll
Butter – Fruit preserve

Hot beverages
Coffee – Tea

I opted for the chive omelette seeing as I had the noodles on the LHR – IN / WSSS), Singapore">SIN flight. The fruit salad had 6 red grapes, one piece of papaya and two slices of pineapple in it. They fruit was not dry and was lovely though I don’t like papaya and hence I thought it was horrid.

The omelette was very large and was chived. , the potatoes diced and per description has some tomatoes and peas too. It was very nice though its appearance was a little poor. It was a lump of omelette. The bread was the same as before and the butter was above average. The strawberry fruit preserve / jam was nice. I can’t remember what the cereal looked and tasted like…sorry.

I then asked for a comment form. This form was bland and needs improving. I complained about the appearance of the form and informed SIA that this trip report would be with them by February 2003. They must be on tenterhooks! I also commented that all interactions with in flight personnel were recorded and names would be named and full evaluation has been completed.

When we descended into London, at 1305, HHC came by to collect the earsets which was done satisfactorily. A few minutes later, when the lights were out, she came to me with a bundle of gifts. These included a First Class pen, postcard and paper set, the same for Raffles Class, two SIA Chicago playing cards sets, a Snoopy pencil case and back and a Raffles Class eye mask. It was very heart-warming to see her generosity in action and she will be clearly remembered.

So we landed at Heathrow at 1325:00 and the landing roll finished at 1325:41. We arrived at our gate at 13:29:31 – near a Cathay Pacific plane which was a bit unnerving. So the dream ended, I disembarked the elegant Megatop and that left with a sense of disappointment that I could not have spent longer and investigated more on board my flights. I also felt that my hands were hurting.

------------------------------------------

London Heathrow Airport – Terminal 3

It was about 0532 local time. I was totally unamused. Unlike in Singapore, there were no luggage trolleys at the gate, or indeed anywhere to be seen. This is not the way to run an airport. FOR SHAME ON YOU BAA. The route from the gate was extremely long to passport control and there was a further walk. Altogether we spend 17 minutes getting from the excellence of the Megatop to the dreary and cramped area of the baggage hall with very few baggage trolleys available. Imagine hauling two 7 – 10kg bags in both hands for 17 minutes walking through a cold airport after a 13 hour flight. It’s not a nice experience. I’ll say it again, FOR SHAME BAA. There in the baggage halls they had stuck the two flights coming from Hong Kong – Virgin Atlantic Airways’ and the city’s de facto flag carrier’s flights baggage next to each other and the SQ322’s was next to the latter’s belt. Poor organisation I say.
Whilst waiting the thirty minutes it would take to get the luggage, I made an effort to pass time by whispering to the people who were waiting at the belt next to SQ322’s, “You should have flown Singapore Airlines.” I got weird looks from about ten people but I got my message across. It should be noted that the Star Alliance Gold, First Class and Raffles Class bags came off first.

We then proceeded through customs with out fresh food from Vietnam and fake plastic flowers with ease and were not stopped. So much for being scared of having our bags searched and we were picked up at the airport.

Hoorah! We now end the primary part of my trip report.

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KrisWorld:

KrisWorld: The Biggest Show In The Sky and it’s only on Singapore Airlines. The system itself is easy to use as long as you know how to actually use it. When the system begins, you do get an instructional video, however, it lacked depth when coming to games and interactive services. In addition, a help button on the KrisWorld start screen that replays the instructional video would be a big advantage. I remember flying on the SQ317 and instead of playing games by using the control horizontally; a lot were trying to use it vertically.

Only with WISEMAN is it really a gem. WISEMAN pushes the boundaries of in-flight entertainment to the highest possible level at the moment. Without it, KrisWorld without the WISEMAN add-on, it is poor!

The quality of pictures is superb and sound – well I don’t notice if sound quality is poor anyway unless it’s very noticeable. Once a passenger travels with WISEMAN and then without, they will be most disappointed.

The choices on board were had the ‘cater for all’ attitude in mind and I think that worked really. There was a lot to choose from and the blockbuster movies definitely rated up there.

------------------------------------------

Conclusions:

Singapore Airlines are really the number one airline. In Economy Class, one receives sumptuous meals, fantastic in-flight entertainment, superb in-flight service – that really “other airlines talk about” – and on Jubilee aircraft – comfortable seats.

Unfortunately, the airline is not 100% perfect. This issue needs to be seriously addressed. First, let’s start with the cons of the trip:

• Singapore Airlines Pte Limited was not perfect on my flights[/li]
• The seats on Megatop 747s need to be revamped. It is unacceptable to have differing seats to those on the new Jubilee ERs.[/li]
• The toilets on the Megatop 747s need to be revamped. It is unacceptable to have different toilet configurations and styles to those on the new Jubilee ERs.[/li]
• Aviance staff at London Heathrow need to be issued with neutral-appearance pens or pens with Singapore Airlines insignia when checking-in Singapore Airlines passengers at least. I recommend such pens being used to check in any passenger[/li]
• Singapore Airlines should take care of passengers’ wishes on the ground. Specifically, if a booking is not to be amended by the airline itself or a third-party, the passenger should have that right and that right be enforced.[/li]
• The safety video is out of date, cheesy and the part where they show the emergency exits and positions is unprofessional. This must be replaced.[/li]
• The amenity kit in Economy Class is unimpressive. The plastic wallet is shabby compared to the airline experience and the style of amenities has not changed. This shows lack of adaptability and if one does not adapt, one will be assimilated. The toothpaste needs to be improved to normal high-quality retail outlet standard. The colour of these amenities should match the colour of Economy Class – the advertised purple. The socks are of poor quality and need to be redesigned. In addition, there is no eye mask (though it is a bit understandable as you’re in the dark when sleep time comes around). In essence, the whole thing needs to be replaced.
• Singapore Airlines have a habit of pouring portions of beverage into those little plastic cups and smaller wine glasses. This is unacceptable and can convey a sense of over-dependence on Singapore Girls and/or stinginess. This needs to be rectified – specifically in the case of cans where the sharing of cans seems unprofessional and again, depicts stinginess and the passengers will be thirsty.[/li]
• The sanitary napkins / towels have not changed as have not the covers that contain them. The sanitary napkin has developed since the 1990s at least and Singapore Airlines must provide higher quality amenities of this sort to female and intrigued passengers. Such a simple design simply does not cut it in this area[/li]
• Duty-free shopping must be conducted more slowly and with more grace and charm. Calling out, “duty-free anyone, duty free?” is unacceptable. This must not happen.[/li]
• Flight stewardess DPK failed to say, “Thank you”, to every passenger when collecting hot towels on board SQ317 on 14 December 2002.[/li]
• The supervisor at Tan Son Nhat International Airport representing Singapore Airlines did not smile back at me. He was racist towards his own people and is a scar on the Singapore Airlines Group. He is to be “released” from the airline and given a negative reference. We do not have time or money to waste on such people. I am not impressed at his lack of courtesy.[/li]
• Though Tan Son Nhat International Airport Ground Services staff do not wear Singapore Airlines uniform, they represent the airline at check-in. These staff are to be retrained if Singapore Airlines continues to use them. They are cold and do not smile. They do not portray the ethos of the airline. They anger me.[/li]
• Flight stewardess LSL did not smile when delivering me by beverage of Coca Cola on flight SQ/SQF/VN173 on 13 January 2003.[/li]
• It is not acceptable for passengers who do not know of all Singapore Airlines products and services and are not knowledgeable in this area of intelligence to have to ask to see the second bottle of red wine. If there is a choice, it should be openly-made available. Hiding the other bottle and hoping people do not notice is not the way.[/li]
• Singapore Airlines in general need to improve upon the quality of bread at all airports. Bread should be soft on arrival on the passenger’s tray and not easily-broken, hard or crumbly.[/li]
• Singapore Airlines’ KrisWorld system is confusing to operate for people that skipped the instruction video of how to use the system. A button on the KrisWorld start screen should allow passengers to re-visit the video[/li]
• Singapore Airlines’ KrisWorld system’s instructional video should be in parts and contain parts to all of KrisWorld and WISEMAN. These include, how to select video and audio, how to navigate to games, how to view FlightPath, how to navigate to multiplayer games and more recently, how to use the in-seat SMS / e-mail features.[/li]
• Singapore Airlines’ comment forms distributable on board the aircraft need to be enhanced appearance-wise. These are currently bland and do not exude a feeling of warmth that should come with any compliment or complaint received.[/li]

Oooh so many. Now the positive aspects!:

• Sales Executive RL in London was very understanding and went out of his way to satisfy the customer. This must be noted and praise given officially by the company.[/li]
• T from Aviance at London Heathrow was very kind and friendly. She also smiled when conversing with us. This must be noted and these details passed on to Aviance. Please remind her of the need for neutrality or pro-SIA pens when checking in SIA passengers[/li]
• Flight stewardess DPK on SQ317 on 14 December 2002 was impressive and performed her duties very well taking care to smile and make eye contact with passengers. She was warm.[/li]
• Flight stewardess G’O on SQ317 on 14 December 2002 seemed to be doing well and had a medium-large smile when serving passengers. This was impressive.[/li]
• The lunch served on SQ317 on 14 December 2002 was fantastic. The portions were generous and I was impressed by the quality. The bread was dry.[/li]
• Singapore Airlines’ regular snack service is very convenient and the range of snacks is good.[/li]
• Regularly water and orange juice rounds are welcome[/li]
• The seat comfort on board Singapore Airlines’ MEGATOP 747 is relatively comfortable. The ergonomic headrests are very convenient and seat cushioning provides some long-term comfort during the flight. However, the seat pitch needs to be improved.[/li]
• Fight stewardess DPK on SQ317 on 14 December 2002 promptly reset my KrisWorld system after it crashed. She had to finish serving breakfast first before she could attempt this though.[/li]
• The seats on the Jubilee ER aircraft are very comfortable and the one inch increase in seat pitch to 33” does make a difference. Singapore Airlines must integrate this seat onto all of the fleet when times are less hard.[/li]
• The 6.5” screen is much better than on the MEGATOP 747s. However, certain competitors have installed 9” screens and Singapore Airlines must adapt and use this new larger size screen. A smaller screen is unacceptable[/li]
• Flight steward OK’s diction of English on SQ174 on 15 December 2002 was astounding and he was very concerning and professional. He also helped many people in the cabin stow hand luggage.[/li]
• Leading stewardess S?K on SQ173 on 13 January 2003 was extremely helpful and warm. She delivered baby food and her height assisted her in helping passengers to stow overhead luggage. She also bought baby food to a passenger promptly and kindly.[/li]
• Compliments must go to flight steward TBL on SQ173 on 13 January 2003 who showed great skill and compassion when dealing with my father’s fuel-smell query. In addition, his after-response is the sort of things Singapore Airlines is made of. Kudos to him[/li]
• In my opinion, Singapore Airport Terminal Services Catering in Singapore has brushed off it’s negative image and the food provided on all my flights (London, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City) were excellent and portions where liberal. However, the plastic utensils need strengthening. The food was stunning on all flights for an Economy Class meal.[/li]
• Flight stewardess HHC on SQ322 on 13 January 2003 stands out among my interactions with flight crew. She was very endearing and her delivery of service was extremely virtuous. She remembered her training and though was a little shocked when I threw the blanket on the floor, she did indeed drape it over me. In addition, she conversed with me very well and was in no way robotic as some users here generalise Singapore Girls. Kudos to her.[/li]
• Flight stewardess SC on SQ322 on 13 January 2003 was very professional and kept cool under pressure as in interrogated her about the disappearance of the second red wine bottle under Singapore Airlines’ silly “ask if you want it” mentality. She also was very warm-hearted and impeccable service delivery was attained.[/li]
• KrisWorld with the WISEMAN add-on is a godsend. By allowing the passenger to pause, fast-forward, rewind, stop and play audio and visual choices – Singapore Airlines has brought in-flight entertainment to a level above every other airline and has allowed control for the passenger. In addition, innovations like multiplayer gaming, in-flight SMS and e-mail and the Nintendo Gateway games are a very positive influence on the passenger’s entertainment and the Airline should continue to work and enhance in-flight entertainment along with Matsu****a Avionics Corporation. Singapore Airlines must hasten the installation of WISEMAN on all the fleet.

------------------------------------------

Sanitary napkin absorbency test:

Tested were the Singapore Airlines’ sanitary napkin and the Kotex brand sanitary napkin provided by Vietnam Airlines.

The Singapore Airlines’ sanitary napkin absorbed 0.25 pints / 118.25ml of water. The Kotex brand Vietnam Airlines sanitary napkin absorbed 0.3125 pints / 147.81ml of water. Hence, the Singapore Airlines sanitary napkin has failed against its competitor. It should also be noted the inflexibility and lack of wings on the former napkin compared to the latter. I also noticed that when I squeezed the Singapore Airlines napkin, some kind of translucent gel came out. It went all over my hands. I was not amused!

So here after a total of 36 pages in Microsoft Word, editing time of 2001 minutes, 302 paragraphs and 15890 words, you have come to the conclusion of my trip report!

------------------------------------------

The bottom line – Singapore Airlines is definitely a great way to fly with service even other airlines talk about. Take the opportunity to fly the world’s greatest airline and experience what I have.

This trip report is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Cheong Choong Kong who has since retired from Singapore Airlines Group after 29 years of dedicated service. Singapore Airlines fans and employees alike will always remember what he has done to get the Airline where it is today. Thank you Dr. Cheong and God Speed.

[This message has been edited by Singapore_Air (edited 06-18-2003).]

B747-437B

Khoa, let me be one of the first to thank you for posting this highly unorthodox but still incredibly fascinating trip report on Flyertalk.

jongar

words fail me - a most interesting trip report

Now the rest of you slackers - Carfield, Tfung - absorbancy rates of the napkins is what we need - dont mess around any more with this crap about how flat the beds are and what the food is like. From now on TR's must only be submitted with the follwing details

method of booking - detail all info
pens - what pens do agents checking you in - your prefrance, ink colour, fountain, rollerball, biro
and finally absorbancy rates of towels

Swanhunter

Most remarkable....

milehighj

encore!

Sweet Willie

WOW!

------------------
Visit FlyerTalk Dining http://flyertalk.com/diningfr.shtml

AH-64D

Very good report, but there are a couple of note for those going to SGN the next time.

The brown water you see in the Mekong Delta is a by product of every thing that came down the river beginning in China. It is the same every where in the world where the river meets the ocean.

Where else in the world can you get through custom with suitcases full of cigarettes, liquors, and medicines for US$5/person? Be happy that they save you time for only $5. I have spent hours at US custom for bringing in nothing, yet they want to search by baggage any way. $5 is cheap for saving time and making a connection.

My next trip on SQ will be end of this July in First PHX-EWR-AMS-SIN-SGN and return. My report will not be as comprehensive, but I will have many pictures to share.

Altaflyer

?

AS Flyer

"The sanitary napkins / towels have not changed as have not the covers that contain them. The sanitary napkin has developed since the 1990s at least and Singapore Airlines must provide higher quality amenities of this sort to female and intrigued passengers. Such a simple design simply does not cut it in this area[/li]"


ARE YOU SERIOUS??????????????????????? I'm just amazed. What else can one say? Who else is intrigued with the feminine products on board airplanes????

This is a new low.



[This message has been edited by AS Flyer (edited 06-21-2003).]

couscous

????

JeremyZ

Singapore_Air, I can't figure out if you're David Sedaris or Hunter Thompson. This was, by far, the funniest thing I've ever read on FT.

Edited to add one of my favorite quotes:

[This message has been edited by JeremyZ (edited 06-21-2003).]

vander555

"In the toilet, I only produced watery excrement and hence on this flight, there was no solid excrement test to be had."

Very disappointed about this!! No trip report of this detail can be complete without the excrement test can it. At least you didn't miss the sanitary napkins.

flamboyant 1

We finally reached the runway and the MEGATOP finally started taking off at 12:16:09 (my watch was set to GMT via BBC Ceefax) and rotation occurred at 12:16:52 – a 43 second takeoff. The MEGATOP proudly rose up amongst the LHR / EGLL), United Kingdom">LHR crowd on its way to its home – Singapore.

Sanitary napkin absorbency test:

Tested were the Singapore Airlines’ sanitary napkin and the Kotex brand sanitary napkin provided by Vietnam Airlines.

The Singapore Airlines’ sanitary napkin absorbed 0.25 pints / 118.25ml of water. The Kotex brand Vietnam Airlines sanitary napkin absorbed 0.3125 pints / 147.81ml of water. Hence, the Singapore Airlines sanitary napkin has failed against its competitor. It should also be noted the inflexibility and lack of wings on the former napkin compared to the latter. I also noticed that when I squeezed the Singapore Airlines napkin, some kind of translucent gel came out. It went all over my hands. I was not amused!

So here after a total of 36 pages in Microsoft Word, editing time of 2001 minutes, 302 paragraphs and 15890 words, you have come to the conclusion of my trip report!


--- very precise!

--- absolutely stunning work. Publish this somewhere to share the reading fun. This is FT Hall of Fame quality! Great! You should be paid for your work!

alexwuk

Wow!

I'm very impressed by the sheer scale of this! Do tell me if you ever happen to be flying the same plane as me; I'm sure I'd enjoy the experience.

Ahh; the pleasures (and exactitudes!) of youth

Regards,
Alex

PS: You should join bmi's Diamond Club: Star Alliance Gold status requires only three LHR-SIN economy SQ roundtrips in a twelve month period. Think about it: Raffles Check-in, Raffles Lounge @ LHR, SATS Premier Lounge in SIN, and business check-in & lounge on all Star Alliance flights.

Singapore_Air

Thank you all for your positive replies.

I have another trip report coming up. ETA December about a July trip!