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The Ultimate Flake (AA F; SQ F and Suites; CX/MS/CA/MH/KL/JL J; TK Y)

The Ultimate Flake (AA F; SQ F and Suites; CX/MS/CA/MH/KL/JL J; TK Y)

Old Oct 27, 2018, 10:38 am
  #16  
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After taxiing to Shenzhen, or at least it felt like it, we finally pulled into a midfield gate, which meant a quick-ish walk to the massive line at transit security. As with all things at Hong Kong International Airport, things moved relatively efficiently and I cleared in a reasonable amount of time. Fourteen plus hours on a plane is a long time no matter where on a plane you’re seated in. With our very early arrival, I had plenty of time to stretch my legs. As anyone who’s flown out of Hong Kong can attest to, the airport is massive. A lap or two around the terminal easily nets a couple of miles.

I was thrilled to see that my flight to Jakarta was departing from gate 66, which is just a couple of gates down from my favorite airline lounge in the world: Cathay Pacific’s The Pier lounge. Before I left home, I thought I didn’t have access to The Pier because my AAdvantage number was attached to my ticket. Then I remembered midway between Los Angeles and Hong Kong I was connecting from an international First Class flight so I should golden. Indeed I was after a quick scan of my boarding pass. Since I had just enough time to pop in for a shower and enjoy a Cathay Delight and a latte, here are some shamelessly recycled pictures from a prior visit.











I left the lounge just a few minutes prior to scheduled boarding time.



Cathay Pacific Airways 777
Hong Kong (HKG) – Jakarta (CGK)
Depart: 9:10 AM
Arrive: 1:10 PM
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Seat: 11A (Business Class)

I last flew this very flight in 2015. Back then, I was amused that a Boeing 777 was operating flight 777. Today, I was very amused that an Airbus A330-300 would be operating flight 777. If you are thinking that I’m easily amused, you would be correct.

Doing the honors today is 15 years young B-HLS. This was my second flight on B-HLS, having flown it once before three years ago from Hong Kong to Bangkok. That flight was also my very first Cathay Pacific flight on which I was not seated in row 1. I remember it was quite the daunting task to make my to row 66, which I had no idea existed before that day. I did however survive. Today, I would be flying at the pointy end of the aircraft. On Cathay Pacific’s A330, that meant Business Class, which would be more than adequate for this 2,015 mile flight. This particular aircraft was outfitted in the long haul configuration, featuring the same reverse herringbone Business Class seats as Cathay’s and American’s 777-300ERs albeit a smidge narrower. The reduced width was definitely noticeable, but I found the seat to be just as comfortable as the ones on the aforementioned larger aircraft.







Service began with flight attendants offering hot towels with a smile. I should point out it was a REAL towel. Take notes, American!



Orange juice, apple juice, and water were offered next, followed by the purser warmly welcoming each passenger and distributing menus for the flight.

Despite what appeared to be a full load, doors closed nearly 15 minutes early. Equally as surprising was our quick taxi to the runway and the lack of a takeoff queue as the flight departed in the thick of the morning bank of flights. We were airborne just a couple minutes after stated departure time.

The cabin crew was dinged out their seats minutes after takeoff and got busy getting ready for breakfast. Might as well take a peek at that menu now.


Breakfast

REFRESH WITH
Juice selection

Fresh seasonal fruit

Fruit yoghurt

Assorted cereals

FOLLOWED BY
Scrambled eggs, veal sausage, shiitake mushroom,
cherry tomato and Lyonnaise potatoes

Dim sum selection
Chicken glutinous rice, conpoy vegetable dumpling,
beef sui mai, har gow

Braised rice vermicelli with chicken, beansprouts,
carrot and yellow chives

BREAD SELECTION
Assorted bread and butter

illy Freshly brewed coffee
and
JING a selection of teas

Drink List

JUICES
orange, apple, tomato, coconut water

SOFT DRINKS
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water,
tonic water, soda water and ginger ale

COFFEES
illy freshly brewed coffee,
espresso, cappuccino, caffe latte
regular or decaffeinated

TEAS
Hong Kong style milk tea
JING Ceylon breakfast, earl gray,
jasmine spring tips, Japan green
oolong, chamomile, peppermint

HOT CHOCOLATE




Service began with another round of hot towels, followed the drink cart. I asked for apple juice and a coffee.



Soon after, a flight attendant came around laying a tablecloth on each tray table. And the said table cloth actually covered the entire tray table. Yes, I’m still talking to you, American.



A cart with the (tray) table settings and the first course of fruit came down the aisle. As is the norm on Cathay, the fruit was fresh and ripe. Cereal was also offered, but I declined.



For the main course, I chose the dim sum. It was fine for airplane dim sum, and chili sauce that came with it added a very nice kick. Another flight attendant followed with the breadbasket, stocked with muffins, croissants, and white bread. I went with the croissant and enjoyed every crumb of its buttery goodness.



Everything was cleared about 90 minutes after takeoff, and it was time to settle in for the next two plus hours of flying. I had started watching Hidden Figures during breakfast on Cathay’s excellent entertainment system, dubbed Studio CX. Studio CX has a great selection of content, though a good chunk of that content is understandably geared toward Chinese tastes. The interface is intuitive for the most part, though I did find it a slightly clunkier than American’s.

Mid-way through the movie, it was pretty much near impossible to keep my eyes open. I was hoping to get through the day without any napping to combat jetlag, but it was an obvious losing proposition. So I grabbed a blanket and reclined my seat. I napped until a flight attendant gently shook my shoulder because we were in the final stages of descent into Jakarta. She came armed with a bottle of water, which I gladly accepted. Just as I had got my seat upright, the landing gear dropped.

Touchdown was firm, and after a quick taxi the engines were shut down nearly 30 minutes early. The rush of thick warm tropical air in the cabin as the cabin doors was opened was an unwelcome but not unexpected sensation. I’ve spent my entire life living in a subtropical climate, and I consider myself pretty acclimated to humidity. However, Indonesian humidity was something else, which is another reason I didn’t really care for actually staying in Jakarta. Fortunately, I just had to tough it for 60 seconds as I walked up the jetbridge into the slightly better air-conditioned arrivals hall.

The earlier than scheduled arrival in Jakarta opened up an interesting option for me. Originally, I booked myself on SQ 961, Singapore’s 5 PM departure to Singapore (ha!) as it left me a comfortable four hour cushion just in case of any sort of inbound delay in either Los Angeles or Hong Kong. Since my flight to Jakarta arrived early, I had a good shot of making Singapore’s 2PM departure. Four extra hours in Singapore, even spent in my hotel room, was far more palatable than spending extra four hours at Jakarta’s airport. The challenge was if I could find someone that was able and willing to make the change. I had been to Jakarta once, but I didn’t pay attention enough to know if there was a transit desk before immigration. The other option was to clear immigration, and then go back out to check in desks to take care of the change. One quick glance at the immigration line, and I knew option number two was out of the question



As I moved to the side to try to figure out my next move, I saw what appears to be a help desk with a number of people in a generic official looking uniform milling around behind it. Naturally, I started moving toward it, and as I got closer I spotted Singapore’s logo among a cluster of airline logos. After I explained my situation to the employees at desk, one of the employees told me to wait and he would fetch the manager. The said manager materialized a couple of minutes later. He looked all of 16 years old but wore a hardened no nonsense expression on his face. “What seems to be the problem, sir?” he asked. I give him my spiel again. The expression on his face softened, and he asked for my ticket. His eyes widened after a quick glance, and then he asked me to follow him.

And we were off zigging and zagging down the immigration hall, shoving the occasional old lady out of the way. When we reached the immigration counters, he explained to me he was going to take me to the VIP Lounge and then work on changing my flight, but first he needed to clear it with immigration and to do so he needed my passport. The first and probably most important rule of international travel is to never relinquish control of your passport unless you absolutely have to. While it wasn’t the brightest idea, the manager seemed sincere in wanting to help me so I handed him my passport. He instructed me to wait at this spot for him, and then he disappeared into a back office. A couple of minutes later, he reappeared with a smile and asked me once again to follow him. We talked a few steps before he lifted a rope that blocked off an escalator to the departures level, and up we went. It took just a few more steps to reach the “VIP Lounge”, which was the same lounge I used while flying Cathay Pacific a few years ago.

The manager exchanged a few a rapid-fire phrases in Indonesian with the lounge dragon before leading me into the First Class side of the lounge, which looked identical to the Business Class section I used before. He then told me to enjoy myself while he went to check in counters to see if he could make the change. I know he meant well, but there wasn’t a whole lot to actually enjoy at the lounge. There was a fairly large spread of food, but it looked like it had been sitting out for a long time and didn’t look remotely appetizing. Ditto for the juices. I could have gone for some water, but all that was available was water in those small plastic cups with a peel bad lid. Thankfully, I had the bottle of water the flight attendant gave me before landing. That said, the lounge did provide me with basics. It was quiet, the seats were comfortable, and the WiFi was decently fast.

I was still uncomfortable being separated from my passport, so the wait felt like an eternity. Like any good millennial, I killed time on my phone. The lounge dragon checked on me every couple of minutes. While her intentions were certainly good, I was perfectly content and didn’t need anything so it felt a bit overbearing. Finally, the manager reappeared with a big smile on his face. In his hand was my passport and beautiful red tipped boarding pass. He explained he able to move me to the earlier flight without additional collection, as there was space available. But he warned there may not be time to load a meal for me. That didn’t bother me a bit as I just wanted to be on the flight I thanked the manager profusely, and then grabbed my stuff to head to the gate as it was nearing departure I still had security to contend with.

Last edited by dat4life; Oct 27, 2018 at 11:16 am
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Old Oct 27, 2018, 10:58 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by SKT-DK
I like your writing style, dat4life! Sounds like a great trip!

... And thanks for the reminder to not bother flying AA
Ha! Thanks! In fairness, it wasn't completely awful and it wasn't even the worst flight of this trip. But if there are better options at similar price points, American would be my last choice.

Originally Posted by 757
Thanks for sharing. Good report so far!
Thank you for reading, 757!

Originally Posted by chongl
Loving this report! 428i is single turbo by the way, albeit a twinscroll turbo. But enough with the technicalities, on with the next installment!
Thanks for reading and the correction! "Twinscroll" did throw me off, and I have to admit I had to google it to see what it was. I thought it was just a fancy BMW-ese for twin turbo.

Originally Posted by enviroian
thanks for a great report! I know you used SWU so I'm not pointing this at you but who would pay for AA F to Hong Kong when the Asian alternatives are light years above.
Exactly. You got me thinking, if I had to pay for Flagship First outright what would be my ceiling? Probably not much more than what I paid for this trip. Besides, I like Business Class more in a quite a few respects.

Originally Posted by offerendum
Would have expected a much worse flight. But guess better products are on the way��
Indeed, though this certainly wasn't the worst flight of this trip. And of course there is much better on the way!

Originally Posted by avneeshj
Loving your TR and your style of writing. Waiting for more.
Originally Posted by roadwarrier
Totally agreed!!

Looking forward to more of the same, and your photos are great by the way.
Originally Posted by Beltway2A
Thanks for sharing dat4life. I have to agree with the comments about your writing style, it makes for a great read.
I appreciate the kind words! It only took 11 trip reports to get in rhythm!
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Old Oct 28, 2018, 4:16 pm
  #18  
 
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dat4life:

Thanks for a great tr.I was curios about aa f service to hkg. I just finished a rt ord/hkg on cx. I booked it with aa miles. i thought about trying aa but decided against it. Based on your tr I made the right decision.
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Old Oct 29, 2018, 1:19 pm
  #19  
 
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As others have said, your writing style is very entertaining. Already enjoying this TR
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Old Oct 29, 2018, 6:25 pm
  #20  
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I’ve been spoiled back home with CLEAR and Pre Check. Rarely do I have any sort of issue with security. But today, my razor cartridge refills sparked a five-minute conversation with the security guys and gals in Jakarta. I never had a problem with bringing those cartridges through security at any airport around the world before, and I haven’t had trouble since. In fact, I bought another set in Singapore and brought it through security in London, Istanbual, Cairo, Phuket, and (drumroll please) Jakarta again later in my trip without issue. I quickly grew tired of arguing, so I offered to abandon the cartidges at the checkpoint. The offer was deemed worthy, and I left without further incident.

Boarding passes were scanned before entering the gate area. When the agent noticed my boarding pass, she asked me to wait a moment and called over to her colleague who then escorted me into the jetbridge. I paused for just a second to get a picture of 9V-SYL, the Star Alliance liveried Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300 taking me to Singapore that afternoon. Generally, the special alliance liveries are pretty damn boring. It seemed like Star Alliance told oneworld and SkyTeam to hold their beer while they came up with an even more boring black and white livery.



Singapore Airlines 959
Jakarta (CGK) – Singapore (SIN)
Depart: 2:10 PM
Arrive: 5:00 PM
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300
Seat: 2F (First Class)

The Singapore Girl standing at the door of the plane smiled as I approached and said, “Hello, Mr. dat4life! Welcome aboard!”

Uhhh. Did my name get tattooed on my forehead when I was I wasn’t looking?

“My name is Winnie, and I will be taking care of you. You are our only First Class Passenger today! Please feel free to sit wherever you would like.”

For no other reason than it was printed on my boarding pass, I asked to stick with 2F.

“Certainly. Please follow me.”

Winnie led me through the galley into a familiar looking cabin and to a familiar looking seat.



“Here we are, Mr. dat4life. Have you flown with us before?”

“I have, but it’s been a few years”

To be precise, it’s been five years since I’ve last set foot in Singapore Airlines First Class. My last flight in First Class was on the old SQ 62 service between Houston and Singapore, with a stop in Moscow. That flight was rather memorable for a couple of reasons. One, I can kind of sort of claim I’ve been to Russia if I squint really hard. I think ninety minutes counts, right? Two, the leg between Moscow and Houston was one of the most incredible flights of my life. Sure the seat was incredibly comfortable, and the booze was great. The food… I know we had some, but otherwise I don’t remember much about it. What I remember most is that I had the most amazing flight attendant on that flight. She was the perfect combination of professional, friendly, and attentiveness. Winnie was definitely picking up where that flight attendant left off.

“Since it’s been awhile, let me reacquaint you with some of the features of our seat. You can place your backpack under the footrest so you can reach it easier during flight”



“To your left, you’ll find the handset for television and controls to adjust your seat.”



“To your right, you will find your headphones and a powerport in case you need to charge something.”



This was a worthy re-introduction to one of the world’s best airlines and fitting for a “Five Star Airline”.

“Mr. dat4life, would you like something to drink? Perhaps some champagne?”

“Champagne sounds great.”

Winnie was back in a flash with a bottle of Dom Perignon perched on a silver tray alongside a champagne flute. She carefully placed a small coaster on the cup indent at my seat, the Singapore logo perfectly facing me. The champagne was then elegantly poured into the flute, which was set atop the aforementioned coaster. “Please enjoy,” she instructed with a signature flourish of her hand. You bet I will!



Champagne is a rare treat for me, reserved for the most special occasions and of course on an airplane. Even rarer is champagne of the caliber, which I pretty much get to drink only when I save up enough miles for international First Class. The only time I’ve ever had Dom Perignon outside of an airport or airplane is when I splurged for a bottle a few years back after a big promotion. Ah, it’s so good once it hits your lips! You bet I enjoyed every sip of it.

She returned with a hot towel a few minutes later.



Followed a ramekin of cashews and candied walnuts, which was placed next to my now empty glass which did not escape her sharp eye. “Let me freshen up your drink for you, Mr. dat4life."



Newspapers were offered by another flight attendant, which I declined. The purser, or “In-Flight Service Manager” in Singapore Airlines parlance, came next to welcome me aboard and chat me up about my plans. Her eyes grew big when I told her I would be flying Suites tomorrow, and she spent a good minute gushing about how much I would enjoy myself. Then came the awkward moment when she asked how long I would be staying London. “Five hours!” Convinced she was talking to a madman, she ended the conversation by presenting the menu for the flight “just in case you would like to enjoy a light lunch.

When I think “light lunch”, I think of my near daily turkey and Swiss on wheat or, if I’m feeling particularly fancy, a grilled chicken salad. What the menu described was really LUNCH, in all caps.

JAKARTA TO SINGAPORE LIGHT LUNCH

Main Courses
Nasi Padang
Steamed rice with fish curry, prawn bedado, lamb rendang, spiced potato cake and condiments

Imperial Braised Chicken with Sliced Ginseng
With seasonal vegetables and egg noodles

Grilled Beef Filet in Black Pepper Sauce
With green bean, baby carrot, and gratin potato

Dessert
Cream Cheese Dome with Rasberry

From The Bakery
Assorted Bread Rolls and Gourmet Breads
Served with selection of butter or flavoured olive oil

Hot Beverage
Coffee and Tea

A wide selection of flavors is available


Winnie returned a short while later to take my order. Whenever I fly out of an outstation, I make it a point to order the menu item that’s “native” to the departure airport. As such, I asked for the Nasi Padang. Winnie smiled and said, “Excellent choice! I will have it ready for you shortly after takeoff. “

After my third glass of Dom, I began noticing the cabin was getting a little rough around the edges. This plane was delivered brand spanking new to Singapore back in 2005, and it’s actually 5 years younger than the Cathay A330 I flew to Jakarta. But it doesn’t seem like they’ve updated it much since delivery. The leather covering of the seat was worn and had scuffmarks here and there. The carpet was fraying at the edges and ripped in some areas. Overall, the cabin just looked very tired. Of course, this is all normal wear and tear. But it was a little surprising to me that Singapore hasn’t tried to upkeep the cabin a little better. I suppose this might be why 9V-SYL is operating this quick jaunt between Jakarta and Singapore.

One big improvement since my last brush with Singapore First Class are the headphones, which have been upgraded to Bose QC 15s.



Although this aircraft was clearly equipped with an older version of Singapore’s entertainment system, dubbed Kris World, there was still an excellent variety of TV shows, movies, and music. The flight was too short to watch any sort of movie, so I went to my go to airplane show, The Big Bang Theory. While I loved TBBT when it first came out, it got pretty old after sixth or seventh season. But it’s short and good for a chuckle every once in awhile, making it perfect to kill a bit of time while flying. The IFE screen was as big as I remembered it, but the resolution was pretty terrible.



Winnie emptied the last of the bottle of Dom into my flute as we pushed back and urged me not to rush we had a long taxi ahead of us. Not wanting Winnie to have to come back while we were taxiing to collect the glass, I chugged the glass right then and there. I’m fairly certain Winnie mentally cut me off right at that moment. As for me, I was just thrilled I was able to drink enough Dom to cover my taxes and fees within 40 minutes of setting foot on the aircraft. Anything else was just gravy.

After pushback, we joined the conga line of planes queuing for take off. Thirty minutes passed before we hurtled down the runway and roared into the smoggy sky.

Mere minutes after our 777 left terra firma, the cabin crew was dinged out of their seats. A quiet symphony of clicking and clacking of seatbelts being released and service carts being un-stowed signaled chow time was imminent. The smell of food being warmed further whet my senses.

Winnie came to lay a beautiful crisp white tablecloth on my tray table.



Then she returned gingerly carrying a tray as to not to disturb the perfect placement of all of the settings and set it down just as carefully. The breadbasket followed, and it was setup as if a full cabin was being served. But today, it’s all mine! Not wanting to seem like a complete pig, I just asked for a slice of the always-delicious garlic bread and cheese jalapeno bread.



My reaction to Winnie bringing out the main course was along the line of whiskey tango foxtrot. It not only smelled amazing, but it was beautifully presented as well. The Nasi Pandang consisted of a large helping of white rice surrounded by various curries. A sprig of cilantro added another element of aesthetic appeal. Food that looks great is nice and all, but what’s more important is how it tastes. Singapore’s Nasi Padang pass both tests with flying colors. The rice was perfectly cooked, and the curries deliciously spicy. It was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten on an airplane.



My table was cleared minutes after I finished. After I exhausted the selection of The Big Band Theory episodes, we began a very choppy descent over the Singapore Straits. Rain began pelting the fuselage once we broke through the lower layer of clouds. I felt the plane level off and make a very wide turn a few minutes later. The Captain then came on the horn to announce we would be holding for another 20 minutes due to thunderstorms over the airport. On cue, Winnie came to see if I needed any else. Feeling incredibly stuffed at the moment, I politely declined and thanked her for the wonderful flight.

True to the El Capitan’s word, we began descending once again 20 minutes later. It got a bit rough on final approach, but the flight crew did a great job setting down our gentle giant on rain soaked runway 20C. It too awhile to taxi to the gate as there was quite a bit of aircraft on the move around the airport. Eventually, we pulled into gate at Terminal 2 next to a Scoot 787-9.

I thanked the Winnie again on the way out, and it was off to immigration, which was a non-event in typical Singapore fashion. I didn’t even get asked for proof onward ticket. About 20 minutes after getting off the plane, I was in a taxi bound for the Hilton Garden Inn Singapore.

After traveling for over 21 straight hours and with 16 hours to go before my flight to London, I thought some rest outside of the airport would be in order. The Hilton Garden Inn Singapore is located in the heart of Little India, which is an odd place to go to for a layover. But it cost only 20,000 Hilton Honors points, which was a bargain compared to the $220 revenue rate. It took about 45 minutes to reach the hotel from the airport.



Check in was quick, and I was on my way to my “upgraded” King Deluxe Room. I have no idea where the “deluxe” is, as my room looks a heckuva lot like a standard room.



The bed was very comfortable.



The bathroom was small but functional and clean.





There was a small but decently equipped workout room on the ground floor, which I quickly took advantage of as soon as I got changed. After sweating it out on treadmill for an hour, I went back to my room to shower and promptly fell asleep afterwards.

Last edited by dat4life; Jul 20, 2019 at 10:29 am
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Old Oct 29, 2018, 6:28 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by jmj9905
dat4life:

Thanks for a great tr.I was curios about aa f service to hkg. I just finished a rt ord/hkg on cx. I booked it with aa miles. i thought about trying aa but decided against it. Based on your tr I made the right decision.
You made a very wise decision. I'd take CX F any day over AA F, and thrice on Sunday!

Originally Posted by lb8001
As others have said, your writing style is very entertaining. Already enjoying this TR
Thanks!
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Old Oct 29, 2018, 10:35 pm
  #22  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,665
Originally Posted by dat4life
Ive been spoiled back home with CLEAR and Pre Check. Rarely do I have any sort of issue with security. But today, my razor cartridge refills sparked a five-minute conversation with the security guys and gals in Jakarta. I never had a problem with bringing those cartridges through security at any airport around the world before, and I havent had trouble since. In fact, I bought another set in Singapore and brought it through security in London, Istanbual, Cairo, Phuket, and (drumroll please) Jakarta again later in my trip without issue. I quickly grew tired of arguing, so I offered to abandon the cartidges at the checkpoint. The offer was deemed worthy, and I left without further incident.
Actually this is something I am also very careful of now. For some reason the travel razors (the ones in airplanes and hotels) are ok to have, but the normal razors are not. I'm sure there is a good reason for this

Originally Posted by dat4life
After my third glass of Dom, I began noticing the cabin was getting a little rough around the edges. This plane was delivered brand spanking new to Singapore back in 2005, and its actually 5 years younger than the Cathay A330 I flew to Jakarta. But it doesnt seem like theyve updated it much since delivery. The leather covering of the seat was worn and had scuffmarks here and there. The carpet was fraying at the edges and ripped in some areas. Overall, the cabin just looked very tired. Of course, this is all normal wear and tear. But it was a little surprising to me that Singapore hasnt tried to upkeep the cabin a little better. I suppose this might be why 9V-SYL is operating this quick jaunt between Jakarta and Singapore.
I suspect this maybe something to do with the upgrade programme that SQ planes are going through at the moment. I suspect your plane was one of the older B777 300s, which are going to be retired with the arrival of the A350s and 786-10s. My first class flight [you can click here for the flyertalk trip report] last year was on the Boeing 777 300ER and had the new first class.
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Old Oct 30, 2018, 12:37 pm
  #23  
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Normally I like to wait until a report is completely submitted before I read it, but I made an exception for this one. dat4life, this is one of the best reports I've had the pleasure of reading of late. Great writing, great photos, great trip so far! Thanks for a First Class effort! ^^

BTW, American's F catering looked surprisingly varied and good - even better then Cathay's
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Old Nov 4, 2018, 10:28 am
  #24  
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I made sure to hit gym again when I woke up in anticipation of what proved to be one of most indulgent flights of my life. My Uber arrived at the hotel to whisk me back to the airport at 5:30. It’s been eons since I’ve headed to the airport this early intentionally, ordinarily I could care less about missing my flight. My philosophy is there’s always another flight, and if I can’t make it to the airport in time for my flight I probably didn’t need to take it anyways. But there isn’t anything in the world I would miss a flight in Singapore Suites for… Ok, there might be a short list of two… maybe three things.

The Uber driver missed the entrance for First Class Check In and dropped me off just in front of the regular entrance to the Terminal 3. But it was just a short walk back to First Class Check In, so no big deal. Singapore’s First Class check in area resembles the lobby of a very nice hotel, albeit with check in “desks” instead of counters. An agent manned each of those desks each of which has a small seating area. At the entrance of First Class Check In were a platoon of attendants dressed in a bellhop uniform each armed with a luggage cart. Had my Uber driver dropped me off in front of First Class check in, one of the attendants would have come and grabbed my bag from the trunk. Instead, one of the attendants spotted me and ran to come get my bag. He placed it on his cart and then ushered me over to one of the desks. The agent at desk invited me to have a seat. A whole four minutes later, my bag was tagged and I had my “golden ticket” in hand. The agent gave me directions to the “private immigration area” and the lounge, and wished me a pleasant flight.

The “private immigration area” was indeed very private. In fact, it was so private that the only people there were the immigration officer and myself. I was in and out of there in less than 30 seconds, and I found myself in the Mall of Singapore. At least, it seemed like it. Singapore’s Changi Airport is routinely named as one of the best in the world, and it’s easy to see why. There is so much to see and do, from shopping to eating or even catching a movie. Hell, it’s nicer than my local mall, which is already considered one of nicest ones in the Houston area and could give the Houston Galleria a run for its money. I detest shopping and only go as a last resort. Though, if I can watch A380s take off at the Galleria, I think I would be more than happy to go shopping every weekend.





Having not eaten since my flight to Singapore yesterday afternoon, I was pretty hungry. While many of the eateries and restaurants looked very appetizing, I had a date with The Private Room. The Private Room is located inSingapore’s massive lounge complex in Terminal 3, which is really a lounge within a lounge within a lounge. To reach The Private Room, one has to walk through the SilverKris Lounge and then First Class Lounge (which I believe for those passengers flying on partner First Class flights). An attendant happily led me on the trek after a quick scan of my boarding pass.



She led me straight to a table in the immaculate dining area.





A waiter immediately came and presented the breakfast menu.





To start, I ordered a watermelon juice and cappuccino.



And then I ordered the Roti Prata, which was tasty.



After breakfast, I set out to check out the rest of the lounge. Which didn’t take very long, because it’s not very big.







As with my last visit, The Private Room certainly lived up to its name. I was the only person in the lounge until after I finished breakfast, and even then there were never more than a handful of people in the lounge. I enjoyed the peace and quiet in the lounge especially compared to the hustle and bustle of the terminal. Then I got bored and craved the said hustle and bustle after awhile. I left about 30 minutes before scheduled boarding time since the departure gate was a good trek across the terminal.

On the way, I caught a glimpse of the graceful behemoth that would be taking me to London.



Singapore Airlines 308
Singapore (SIN) – London (LHR)
Depart: 9:00 AM
Arrive: 3:40 PM
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Seat: 3A (Suites Class)

Security in Singapore is done at each individual gate. As you can probably imagine for an A380 flight, the line was long and stretched a good ways down the concourse. But the process was fairly efficient, and I made it through about 15 minutes. The flight appeared to be full or at least close to it if the packed to the gills gate area was any indication. If I was flying economy, I would probably dreading the next 14 hours with the full house. But I was in possession of a real life golden ticket that allowed me to indulge in arguably one of the finest experiences available in commercial aviation, and I was very much looking forward to it. Speaking of which, when the heck is this party getting started? Scheduled boarding time came and went without a word from the gate agents, whom looked rather busy tapping away at their keyboards. Ten minutes later, one of the gate agents made an announcement apologizing for the delay and that boarding would begin in 15 minutes. True to his word, boarding began 15 minutes later.

When the A380 entered service with Singapore Airlines in the summer 2007, I was just a lowly junior in college. Of course, I didn’t travel nearly as much then as I do now. But I was still very much an avgeek, and I followed the launch of the brand spanking new Airbus A380-800 with great interest. At the time, my interest was more focused on the plane itself. Though articles about the then new Suites product did catch my eye, and how could it not with a tagline like “A Class Above First”. My first hand experience with premium cabins then was limited to a couple of flights on China Airlines’ old recliner Business Class. I could barely comprehend lie flat seats at the time let alone a “suite” with doors on a plane. Still, I read those articles with gusto and dreamed of one day having my own experience with “A Class Above First”.

That “one day” was today. I pinched myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, and then took my first steps onto the jetbridge that led to the Promised Land.

Waiting for me the door was a gaggle of Singapore Girls all of whom broke into a smile once I was spotted. After a quick glance at my boarding pass, one of them said, “Mr. dat4life, welcome! Please follow me to your suite.” Don’t mind if I do. On the way, the Singapore Girl introduced herself as Janice and asked if I had flown Suites before. Her face lit up when I told her it was my first Suites flight, and like Winnie the day before offered to help familiarize me with the seat. Because I wanted take a ton of pictures, I declined and Janice left me to my own devices.





Just above the side table to the left was an universal power outlet, two USB charging ports, the headphone jack, and a small storage compartment for what looked like glasses.



It was cool having three windows to call my own. But since seat was actually positioned away from the window with the side table in between it and the fuselage, it was kind of tough to see out of the windows. Also obstructing the view are the A380’s windows itself, which are tiny. You would think the world’s largest airliner would have windows proportional to its massive size. But nope.



In front, was a wide footrest. There was more than enough room for a large bag underneath it.



Above that, was a large IFE screen.



To the right, was of course the entrance to my Suite.



Also to the right, were the controls for the seat as well as the controller for the IFE system.



Additional controls for the seat were on the armrest.



At the front and rear sections of the suite, are two “windows” that can be “closed” for additional privacy by pulling down on a mesh shade.



A pair of Bose QC 25 headphones was already at my seat.



Janice returned a short while later and asked, “Would you like something to drink to get the flight off to a good start?”

In real life, I can’t face any sort of booze this early with the exception of a good Bloody Mary or mimosa at brunch every once in awhile. But I’m on vacation and rules are meant to be broken on vacation! Kind of like how calories don’t count on vacation. I asked for champagne. Janice smiled and asked, “Would you like Dom or Krug?” Well, I had my fill of Dom yesterday, so I went with Krug. Janice was back in flash with a bottle of Krug and flute atop a silver tray, and I was soon enjoying my first sips of the golden liquid.



Seems like Singapore is pouring the 2004 vintage of Krug. The my only other brushes with the fine champagne came while flying Cathay Pacific First Class and EVA Business Class earlier this year. Both of those airlines poured non-vintage Krug. Perhaps my palate isn’t refined enough, but I could not tell the difference between the vintage and non-vintage. All I know is both were pretty damn good.

A ramekin of cashews and walnuts was served as well.



Next up: the swag. As with any international First Class flight on a respected airline, there’s plenty of swag. Pajamas, slippers, and the amenity kit all came in rapid succession. The In Flight Service Manager soon dropped by to say hello and present the menu. He also apologized for the delay and informed me the plane was just towed from the hangar. Since it still needed to be refueled, departure would be delayed further. An A380 can carry up to nearly 560,000 pounds of fuel. I have no idea how much fuel is needed for the 6,765 mile journey from Singapore to London, but I’d imagine a good chunk of that amount was needed. Shortly after, the captain gave his welcome aboard spiel and announced the further delay to the rest of the plane for which he apologized.

While I’m sure most of my fellow passengers groaned at the prospect of extra time spent on the plane, I was thrilled with it. I could be doing a lot worse than sitting on a comfortable seat and sipping fine champagne. Speaking of which, Janice made sure my glass never got empty, and it became very apparent I was again the only one drinking the good stuff. Before you call me a lush and judge me too harshly… Well… It’s probably a little late for that, but the point is I don’t drink this much all that often. I think… Anyways, Janice was soon emptying the last of the bottle into my glass. “Don’t worry, Mr. dat4life, we have plenty more Krug and there’s always the Dom.” Sounds like I have my work cut out for for me.

About 30 minutes after scheduled departure, the captain on the horn again. Because of refueling, we missed our takeoff slot and we would be delayed another 30 minutes. True to his word, we soared into the hazy skies exactly 30 minutes later. Taking off in an A380 is a strange sensation. Noise is probably what most passengers associate with taking off on a plane. It starts with the engines. The high-pitched whine of the initial spool up of the engines crescendos to a throaty rumble when takeoff thrust is produced. As the plane gathers speed, the roar of air rushing pass the fuselage becomes more and more pronounced. Not so on the A380. It’s almost library quiet. There is, of course, the sensation of speed and all of the sudden you’re lifting off the ground. .

Shortly after takeoff, Janice and her cohort came around to close the pull down the mesh privacy screens for each of the occupied suites.



Completing that, it was time for the main event: chow. As with any self-respecting airline, chow is preceded by liquid nourishment. While I was tempted to take advantage of the well-stocked bar, I had my fill of Krug on the ground and it was still early in the flight. I still had 13 hours to enjoy myself. So I asked for a glass of orange juice, which Janice quickly returned with. Of course, Singapore doesn’t serve Minute Maid orange juice like a number of airlines. No, this stuff was actually fresh squeezed and deliciously chilled.



“Have you had a chance to look over the menu, Mr. dat4life?”

Oh yeah, perhaps that would help.







With a departure time at 9AM, it’s unsurprising the first meal served is breakfast. Breakfast is undoubtedly my favorite meal of the day. I can eat traditional breakfast foods anytime and anywhere. But it was nearing 11AM Singapore time and I would have plenty of opportunities to have good egg based breakfasts during the rest of my trip. So I opted for the dim sum and congee main course along with the rest of the courses.

“Would you like something else to drink?”

One of things I was looking forward to on this flight was Singapore’s coffee menu, which offers a choice of coffee beans of multiple origins and roasts. On my last Singapore First Class flight five years prior, I enjoyed several cups of delicious rich Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and I was looking forward to a repeat performance. The coffee menu did not disappoint.







There was also a wide variety of teas available.





The love of a good cup of black coffee is an acquired taste for myself. Back in college, I was a barista at Starbucks. Part of the training process involved coffee tastings intended to demonstrate how coffees of different origins have different characteristics and flavor profiles. For example, coffee grown in the Latin America would be more acidic because the soil in the region has higher levels of acidity than say in Asia or Africa. I vividly remember my very first coffee tasting during which I nearly spat out my first sip. I couldn’t look bad in front of my new coworkers the first week on the job, so I choked down the rest it. Eventually, I was able to tolerate black coffee, and eventually it’s the only way I drink coffee. Perhaps brainwashing session would be a more accurate description.

Back to the present day, Janice was still patiently waiting for my decision. Let’s… go with… well… the Jamaican Blue Mountain. Why mess with a good thing, right? Janice quickly jotted down my selections and off she went to get breakfast ready.

Janice returned with a tray bearing all of the necessary items to get my tray table in shape for breakfast. First, she laid the crisp white tablecloth on the tray table and positioned it so that the overhang was even on all four sides of the tray table. She then placed the bread plate, butter dish, salt and pepper shakers, water glass, and silverware set on the tray table and double checked that each were in precisely in the proper position.



Another flight attendant followed behind her with the fruit plate starter, consisting of pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and raspberries. The colorful array of fruit was a nice contrast to the pewter edged plates. Of course, the fruit was fresh and ripe.



The breadbasket was offered next and was stocked with croissants and assorted other sweet pastries. I stuck with the croissant, which was buttery and flakey.



The next course was yoghurt with granola and berry compote, which was delicious.



Janice reappeared seemingly the second I put down my spoon from the yoghurt and made short work of clearing away my plates and silverware. She quickly returned with a Chinese spoon and a very nice pair of chopsticks, of course along with the appropriate holders for both. Both were precisely placed on the tray table. Several minutes later, the other flight attendant came with both the dim sum and the congee. This was one of the nicest presentation of dim sum I have ever seen anywhere. The quality of dim sum was also good and wouldn’t be out of place at a nice restaurant.



The congee was fine, though it required a sprinkle of salt and several large dashes of pepper for my liking.



As she cleared away breakfast, Janice asked if I would like her to “make my bed” in another Suite just in case I tire of “watching television”. I of course accepted. With a light load of 4/16, there were many possibilities where I could have my bed made. I noticed 3/4 of the center Suites unoccupied, so I could have asked for the famous double bed. Other than the novelty of the “double bed”, I really didn’t have any use for it. So I just asked for my bed to be made in the Suite behind me, 4A. Janice came back a short while later to let me know it was ready for me. In the meantime, I was enjoying the fantastic IFE system.

I have never been a fan of going to a theatre to watch movies. I’ll go if I must, but I prefer watching movies from the comfort and solitude of home. In the last couple of years, I hardly have time to watch movies, period. The only occasions I make a conscious effort to watch movies is if a new Star Wars movie comes out, which I would actually make an effort to see in theatres, or when I’m flying. I would say 90 percent of movies I’ve seen for the first time in the last few years or so I watched on a plane. When it comes to watching movies aloft, I can’t imagine a better place than from a Suite on a Singapore Airlines A380. In addition to the wide comfortable seat that can adjust to pretty much any position you can imagine, Singapore also saw it fit to equip each suite with a large (for a plane) high resolution screen with access to latest iteration of KrisWorld, which has oodles of television shows, movies, music, and other options that would keep most reasonable people entertained for hours on end. So from this great selection, I of course chose one of the finest movies to be released in 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. It was… watchable, I guess. Fortunately, I had access to an open bar stocked with some of the finest alcohol around to help make the movie more palatable.

















I suppose it would fine to indulge a bit, as it was nearing noon Singapore time anyways. After years of conditioning from flying on US flagged carriers I instinctively braced myself before I hit that call button. But instead of a burly air marshal, one of the other flight attendants was by my side in nothing flat.

“Mr. dat4life, I’ll be looking after you while Janice is on break.”

Hoping I wasn’t being judged (too) harshly I asked, “May I get a Macallen Whiskey Maker neat?”

“Certainly!” Moments later, I was savoring the subtle smoky goodness of the scotch.



Once upon time, in the not too distant past, jet lag had little effect on me. I chalked it up to my “foolproof” method of minimizing jet lag. The night before a longhaul redeye flight, I would stay awake so I can sleep as much as possible on said flight. For daytime longhaul flights, I did just the opposite: sleep as much as I can beforehand so I can stay awake on the flight. That way, I can fall asleep right away when I arrive at my destination. It worked very well. Then I made it to the wrong side of the 3-0, and it didn’t work anymore. This trip was especially bad for jetlag. When I arrived in Singapore the evening before, I had traversed ten time zones. I would cross seven more time zones by the time I land in London. Needless to say, my body clock was way out of whack. I was really hurting by the time I finished the movie. So I went to change into the standard issue Singapore Airlines pajamas, and check out “my bedroom”, which Janice so thoughtfully prepared for me earlier. It was a sight for sore eyes.



One of the more famous feature of the Suites are doors. It was cool, I guess. Though, some of my best slumbers up in the air have come on the old angled lie flat Business Class seats and in coach. *gasp* Over the years, I’ve noticed that have the hardest time falling asleep and sleep the worst in First Class. Yes, I realize that's the opposite of what it should be. But then again, I’m one weird dude.



But I didn’t have any trouble today, falling right asleep when as soon as I crawled between those crisp sheets and my head hit pillow. I slept well. The “bed” was very comfortable, and the bedding of good quality. I woke up several hours later 38,000 feet over the desolate landscape of Afghanistan.





When I returned from the lavatory, I noticed my bed had been remade and it looked exactly like found it. I wasn’t planning to sleep again, but it was a very nice touch nevertheless. No sooner did I buckle up in my “TV room” did Janice show up with a bottle of water asking if I wanted something to munch on. Maybe I’ll take a look at that snack menu now.





Craving something “soupy”, I asked for the Kway Teow noodles. Janice informed me it would take about 15 minutes to prepare. Exactly 15 minutes later, Janice carefully laid another tablecloth on my tray table and then returned with my noodles.





The noodles were a bit bland, but it did hit the spot. Afterwards, I fired up my laptop and got to work editing pictures. Perhaps the greatest technological advances in the last 25 years are digital cameras. The days of lugging around a giant camera and waiting at least an for film to be developed have been replaced by a device that fits in my pocket which can take pictures and share those pictures instantly. The only downside is the data overload from the ridiculous amount of pictures that one can take with most digital cameras these days. Case in point, I had shot several hundred pictures since the start of this trip, which required substantial time to edit and sort. Good thing I had plenty of time on my hands.

Before I knew it, we were cruising over the Black Sea and skirting deeply around Ukraine. With just over a couple of hours to go to London, Janice dropped by to remind me that last call for a full lunch was rapidly approaching. Let’s have a look at the menu one last time, shall we?









All of the main course options sounded enticing, but Janice also informed me there was a lobster thermidor available courtesy of a passenger who ordered from the Book The Cook menu but missed the flight. Hmmm…. What to do? I was eying the lobster dumpling noodle soup, but having the lobster thermidor available after forgetting to pre-order myself was a stroke of luck. So I went with the lobster thermidor. As for the rest… I mentioned earlier it had been five years since my last flight on Singapore Airlines First Class. Who knows when I’m going to have the opportunity to experience all this again. So I might as well live it up while I can! Let’s go with the works! Appetizer? The caviar of course! Soup and salad? Yep! Which soup? Oh… ummm… Jerusalem Artichoke Soup sounds interesting. We’ll figure out dessert when the time comes!

As if I didn’t have enough food coming, canaps were also served. On Singapore, that means satay. Satay is among my favorite foods hailing from Southeast Asia, consisting of well marinated bits of meat chargrilled on a skewer. Who doesn’t love chargrilled meat? And peanut sauce? That’s some great stuff! Today’s variation featured chicken and lamb. Satay is best eaten fresh off the grill, and some of the best satay I’ve eaten are from street vendors. While not quite as amazing, Singapore’s satay is still excellent especially considering it’s been sitting in an airplane galley for at least 12 hours and prepared sometime before that.



Janice setup my tray table just as precisely as she did 12 hours ago.



Then out came the caviar, which was beautifully presented. It was of course delicious, and I savored every bite of those salty little eggs.



The Jerusalem Artichoke Soup was delicious.



I love a good salad, and I have had plenty of good salads in the air. The one salad that sticks out in my mind was a Caesar salad I had on Cathay Pacific a few years ago. It had large chunks of crisp romaine lettuce, tossed in the perfect amount of dressing, accompanied with flakes Parmesan cheese and croutons. On top of all that, were several jumbo grilled shrimp. It was delicious, and I enjoyed every bite. Singapore’s salad was not remotely as good and in short it was very disappointing. While fresh, I think it’s best described as a small collection of dainty leaves with a cherry tomato and a couple of pecans.



Next up, the main event! Over the years, I’ve seen Singapore’s lobster thermidor in a number of other trip reports, and I wanted to try it ever since. I was very pleased to finally be able to try it. As with every dish on this flight, it was beautifully presented. The lobster and asparagus were perfectly cooked and not at all chewy. I also enjoyed the rice, which was very flavorful. The sauce on the lobster was a bit too salty for my tastes, but overall it was very enjoyable dish.



Stuffed beyond belief, I declined cheese and fruit. But I still had my sweet tooth to satisfy. The walnut dacquoise with praline mousse. It was delicious.



Of course all good things must come to an end. The subtle change in the rhythm of the engines from the reduction of thrust, as the last bits of lunch were being cleared away, signaled the beginning of the end of the flight. Moments later, the aircraft nosed downward ever so slightly, and the altimeter on the moving map display began counting down the waning minutes of this wonderful flight. Of course, the Suite was wonderful and among the most comfortable seats I’ve ever experienced on a plane. And the food and drinks were great. But what really made the flight great were Janice and the rest of cabin crew, all of whom were amazing. I made sure to let the Inflight Service Manager know how great the crew was. Naturally, he was very pleased with my comments and asked me to pass it along to the head honchos. Of course I did.

Rarely have I been on a flight to London Heathrow that wasn’t sent in a holding pattern before landing. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those flights, and my hopes of prolonging the flight for a few minutes were dashed when the Captain announced twenty minutes to landing. We were vectored straight in overflying downtown London. Landing was perfectly smooth, and after a lengthy taxi pulled into a gate at Terminal 2.
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Last edited by dat4life; Jul 20, 2019 at 10:43 am
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Old Nov 4, 2018, 10:33 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by SQTraveller
Actually this is something I am also very careful of now. For some reason the travel razors (the ones in airplanes and hotels) are ok to have, but the normal razors are not. I'm sure there is a good reason for this

I suspect this maybe something to do with the upgrade programme that SQ planes are going through at the moment. I suspect your plane was one of the older B777 300s, which are going to be retired with the arrival of the A350s and 786-10s. My first class flight [[url=https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1867046-there-canada-back-again-premium-cabins-sq-ba-cx.html]you can click here for the flyertalk trip report] last year was on the Boeing 777 300ER and had the new first class.
Yeah, I'm far more cognizant about razors after my experience in the Jakarta. Thanks for the info, SQTraveller!


Originally Posted by Seat 2A
Normally I like to wait until a report is completely submitted before I read it, but I made an exception for this one. dat4life, this is one of the best reports I've had the pleasure of reading of late. Great writing, great photos, great trip so far! Thanks for a First Class effort! ^^

BTW, American's F catering looked surprisingly varied and good - even better then Cathay's
Looks can be deceiving, but you're absolutely right it looked better than expected. I appreciate the exception to your rules, and the exception was probably wise given my one year writing schedule!
Thanks for following along, Seat 2A!
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 3:19 am
  #26  
 
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What a truly wonderful report... is it just me, or are you spending more time on the plane then the ground?
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 2:17 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by fotographer
What a truly wonderful report... is it just me, or are you spending more time on the plane then the ground?
Thanks, fotographer! Yes, up to this point of the trip I was traveling pretty much non-stop. But I'll have a good chunk of time on terra firma as you'll soon see.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 2:21 pm
  #28  
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With six hours to kill before my flight to Istanbul, I thought about ringing my London friends for dinner. But they live near Stansted, and I would feel bad if they schlepped across to town with an infant in tow during the peak of rush hour just for a quick dinner. Plan B was to book a 65 room at the Hyatt Place London Heathrow so I could rest a bit, maybe workout in at the gym, and get another night toward Globalist requalification at a reasonable price. The flaw with plan B was that the hotel was a decent haul away from the airport, and the bus schedule would only give me around an hour at the hotel. So onto Plan C, which was to find some way to kill time at the airport.

While I was playing around with the Priority Pass app, I noticed there was a Plaza Premium Lounge in the arrivals area of Terminal 2, which both Singapore and Turkish Airlines use, that seemed to have private resting rooms. I went to inquire about the room after I cleared customs. They did indeed have rooms at a somewhat hefty cost. For my three hour stay, I was quoted a price around $100. But the convenience couldn’t be beat, so I forked over my credit card and bit bullet. The attendant led me to one of the rooms right behind the reception desk. While small, the room was clean, quiet, and comfortable.



There was a small bathroom with a shower attached as well.





After a shower and power nap, I was ready to go. And go I did to the massive line for the shared Star Alliance check in counters right above the lounge. While I certainly appreciate the improved efficiencies the shared check in counters provide for the for the airlines, it is terrible experience for customers traveling at peak hours. Maybe it would help if I had some sort of elite status. Oh wait, I do! Thanks to my Marriot Platinum Elite status, I am a proud United Airlines Premier Silver status holder, which bestows Star Alliance Silver status. Per Star Alliance’s website, “Silver Status recognizes that you have shown a good degree of loyalty to Star Alliance member airlines and earns you two privileges that can make your journey smoother.” Oh man! Two privileges! WOW! How unbelievably generous of them! So… what are these two privileges?

Star Alliance Silver status holders “enjoy the first benefits of Star Alliance loyalty”, which consist of:

- Priority reservation waitlist. *
- Priority standby.

*Not applicable to award tickets.

Not even flipping priority check in. As a point of comparison, even holders of oneworld’s lowest status rung, Ruby, are allowed to access Business Class check in.

TL;DR – Star Alliance Silver is completely worthless.

It was a solid hour before I was able to check in and get my boarding passes. Of course, I could have avoided all of this by checking in online. But Turkish’s website threw a fit and error’ed out each time I tried for whatever reason. Anyways from there, it was off to the massive line at immigration then the massive line at security. By the time I managed to make it airside, I had just enough time to grab a drink at the surprisingly nice airside Plaza Premium Lounge before heading to the gate just down the hall.

It’s hard to get excited about flying economy class on a flight equivalent to a short midcon redeye back home, especially after just stepping off a flight aboard Singapore Airlines Suites Class. Believe it or not, I was actually quite excited for the next couple of flights. For starters, these two flights on Turkish Airlines kicked off a series of flights on four new airlines for me. The first time I ever heard of Turkish Airlines was back in 2010 when I read trip report that covered their now defunct First Class service. At the time, Turkish leased several Boeing 777-300ERs from Jet Airways that featured First Class suites with DOORS. It looked incredible and planted a seed in my mind to fly Turkish one day. This wasn’t quite how I pictured my first experience with Turkish, but Economy Class will have to do.



Turkish Airlines 1984
London (LHR) – Istanbul (IST)
Depart: 10:15 PM
Arrive: 4:05 AM
Aircraft: Airbus A321-100
Seat: 29C (Economy Class)

Operating this evening’s flight was the two-year-old TC-JSS, one of the newer Airbus A321-100s in Turkish’s fleet. The seats seem to be exactly the same model as what the legacy American A321s are equipped with. In terms of comfort, the seats were fine but nothing to get excited about. Seat pitch was acceptable. Fortunately, I picked an aisle seat, as the flight was completely full.



Each seat was equipped with access to Turkish’s very good entertainment system, which had a wide variety of content.



My plan for the flight was to sleep as I had grand plans in Cairo the next day. I was so tired that I pretty much passed out as soon as I buckled up. Some time later, I woke up to what sounded like inflight service under way. Wait, is that clinking of silverware I hear? And it smells like food. Ah, it’s probably just the meal service in Business Class. Wanting to maximize sleep, I kept my eyes shut and tried to get back to sleep. Hold up, why is the smell coming from right next to me? I opened my eyes to this:



On this short redeye 1,565 mile flight, Turkish Airlines sees it fit to serve a meal in economy class. Last year, I flew a redeye of similar length from Seattle and Houston on United in First Class. All I got was cold nuts and a cookie. Turkish even staffed with this flight with one of their onboard chefs, complete with a white chef’s coat and floppy hat. I had previously thought that the onboard chefs were reserved for longhaul flights, but I was obviously incorrect.



So what is Turkish cooking up in economy class? “Chicken or pasta?” an expressionless flight attendant asked. Whoa, a full dinner? I sure wasn’t expecting this. I was even more surprised when I peeled back the foil on my meal. Holy moly this looks delicious. There were two decent sized grilled chicken tenderloins accompanied by mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. It looked far more appetizing than many meals I’ve been offered in premium cabins. Better yet, everything tasted leaps and bounds better than many meals I’ve had in premium cabins. The chicken was delicious and didn’t taste at all processed. The mash potatoes definitely did not come from a box. Both the grilled vegetables and salad, composed of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese, were fantastic. Bread was offered from a basket, and it too was good. Dessert was a mango mousse, which was light and delicious. A choice of drinks was offered, and I went with the very tasty cherry juice.



After dinner, I fell asleep again and woke up as we touched down rather firmly in Istanbul. This flight was a fine introduction to Turkish, and I really looked forward to my onward flight to Cairo. What wasn’t fine was Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which was not a very nice facility to put it mildly. Though as I understand it, Ataturk is slated to be replaced in the very near future. Perhaps things are a little nicer in a lounge. Though I lack Star Alliance Gold status, I did have a choice of three lounges through Priority Pass. I chose the lounge with the most impressive name, Primeclass CIP Lounge. Unfortunately, the lounge wasn’t nearly as impressive as its name. The shower room was small, smelly, and not very clean. The rest of the lounge wasn’t any better, and to characterize the staff as “surly” would be a compliment.

I didn’t stay but a few minutes, as the depressing terminal was a far more pleasant place to be. There was still a good bit of time to kill before departure. Thankfully, the Turkish Airlines operations looked out for me and provided me with plenty of entertainment by assigning my flight a gate in furthest corner of the airport.

Turkish Airlines 690
Istanbul (IST) – Cairo (CAI)
Depart: 6:35 AM
Arrive: 7:50 AM
Aircraft: Airbus A321-100
Seat: 31D (Economy Class)

Another Airbus A321 operated my flight to Cairo, but it seemed to be far older. Perhaps one of the early builds of type, if its 1990s style was any indication. It wasn’t as a quick check of the registration showed, this particular aircraft was delivered new to Turkish back in 2009, which is still relatively young by aircraft standards. While it was equipped with an IFE system at every seat, the screens were tiny by modern standards and looked like something out of the 1990s. The old school cabin design did have one huge positive: the seats. The seats were the old school type before the bean counters got their grubby hands on them. In other words, the seats actually had (some) padding and were actually reasonably comfortable.





A few minutes after scheduled departure time, our A321 was racing down the runway, screaming its little guts out. The reddish orange hues of the rising sun made for a beautiful backdrop as the plane clawed skyward. Inside at seat 31F, I relaxed and enjoyed the extra space as I had the entire row to myself thanks to the light load. I was tired, but I wanted to stay awake for the meal after my experience on my flight from London. Fortunately, the flight attendants had the same idea and they were soon hustling down the aisle serving breakfast.

Breakfast was a choice of scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs. Good thing I love scrambled eggs. I like my scrambled eggs creamy and slightly runny, and Turkish delivered. The eggs were perfect for my tastes. A couple of toast points and a roasted tomato accompanied the eggs. Both were good. The small salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives was fresh and crisp. Back home, I would never consider having salad with breakfast. But I found it very refreshing and very enjoyable this morning. Another cup of that delicious cherry juice washed it all down.



I nodded off as we sped over the beautiful craggy mountains of south Turkey and went feet wet over the Mediterranean Sea.



I woke up not far outside of Cairo to the flight attendants running one last coffee, tea, and water run. With a long day ahead of me, a double coffee was in order. The coffee was surprisingly good.

Before long, we were descending into Cairo crossing the Nile River and the city on the way down.





The famous Pyramids of Giza came into view in the latter stages of descent. As I tried to get a picture, the plane banked hard to the left presumably to line up with the runway as the landing gear dropped after the wings were leveled. Touchdown was smooth, and the taxi to the gate short. Unsurprisingly, planes clad in EgyptAir’s very attractive blue and white livery dominated the landscape. Unfortunately, I would soon learn the livery was the best part of the EgyptAir experience.





Despite the obvious, I thoroughly enjoyed both of my flights on Turkish. The most memorable part of the experience was of course the food, presumably due to the legendary DO&CO catering. Service was fine. Everyone I interacted with was polite, but not overly attentive of friendly. Then again, I was flying Economy Class so take that with a grain of salt. I look forward to my next opportunity to fly Turkish.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 2:29 pm
  #29  
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Location: BTR/MSY
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Posts: 1,257
Egypt’s visa on arrival process was straight forward enough. Slip someone behind bulletproof glass exactly $25 US dollars in crisp bills, get a giant sticker slapped in your passport, and voila welcome to Egypt! At the arrivals area, my friend’s cousin was waiting for me. Let’s call him Alex, which may or may not be his real name. After loading up his Peugeot, we were off like a rocket straight into Cairo traffic, which would be accurately described as cluster and then some.



It took a couple of hours for us to reach our first stop: the Great Mosque of Muhammed Ali Pasha.



As impressive as it looked on the outside, the mosque was even more splendid on the inside.













There was a nice view of the city from the courtyard.



While the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali dates back to the 19th century, the Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque just next door dates back to the 14th century. It isn’t as ornate as the Great Mosque, but the Al Nasir Muhammad Mosque was impressive in its own right especially considering when it was built. The curator was an older gentleman who was very eager to talk about the history of the mosque. I’m sad to admit I didn’t retain much of the information, but I truly enjoyed his enthusiasm and knowledge. He encouraged me to walk around and take pictures, which of course I did.













The hand carved wood ceilings were particularly impressive.





On the way out, the curator thanked us for visiting with a warm handshake. Apparently, they don’t get a lot of visitors these days. I don’t quite understand why, as it’s a fantastic little gem of history.

And back we went into Cairo traffic on the way to The Egyptian Museum. My first recollection of learning about Egypt in depth was in Coach Spitz’s sixth grade history class. I suppose the curriculum was pretty run of the mill and covered ancient civilizations beginning the Bronze Age, Mesopotamia, and finally Egypt. The chapter on Egypt was a favorite of mine as many remnants of the ancient world still exist today, and of course I hoped to see it for myself. And what better way to begin my immersion in the ancient world than the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.





















The museum itself isn’t very large physically; however, there were a ton of exhibits crammed in there. I spent the rest of the day exploring the exhibits, and I didn’t leave until shortly before the museum closed. I was completely beat by the time we got back in the car. While incredibly enjoyable, the last couple of days were rough and the short redeye flight the night before didn’t help. So I opted to head to the hotel, which was just across the Nile from the museum. On the way, we passed through Tahir Square, where the some of the first sparks of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution flew.



The hotel was probably 2 miles from the museum, if that. But traffic was horrendous, and it took a solid thirty minutes before we pulled up to the Conrad Cairo.
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Old Nov 8, 2018, 2:32 pm
  #30  
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Posts: 1,257
There was a metal barrier in front of the driveway of the hotel, but it seemed to be a prop for security theatre as the stern looking guards lowered it after Alex had a quick conversation with them. I bade Alex farewell for the evening, and headed into the hotel. But before I could get through the front desk, my bags were run through a x-ray machine and I went through a metal detector.



Now off to the front desk to get my keys… Not so fast.

I booked a Standard King Room with a partial Nile River View for a very palatable $90 per night. Because of my Hilton Honors Gold status, I was upgraded to a King Executive Room with a full Nile View and access to the Executive Lounge. Not bad for a status I have just because I have a credit card. Anyways, because of the upgrade I had to check in at the lounge. C’mon guys. I just want to get to my room.

To her credit, the front desk agent was super friendly and chatted with me the whole way up. She ushered to one of the seating areas and took my passport and credit card to take of business. In the meantime, one of the lounge attendants offered me a drink. The attendant recommended the strawberry and mango juice, which was apparently the hotel’s signature drink. That sounded amazing. It was more of smoothie than and juice, but technicalities aside the drink was refreshing and delicious.



Finally, I had my keys in hand, and I didn’t have to go far to my room since it was just at the end of the hallway. The first impressions were good. While clearly an older property, the room was spacious and clean.















The view of the Nile from the balcony was particularly nice at sunset





A bellman came with a welcome gift of fresh fruit and sweets along with a letter from the general manager.



Not wanting to deal with trying find a place to eat outside of the hotel, I settled for room service. I ordered a grilled lamb dish and a lime mint juice. It was served with a massive bowl of rice, hummus, and well-stocked breadbasket. The food was excellent, and the prices were very reasonable for room service at least by American standards.



I hit the sack shortly after dinner in anticipation of the early start the next day. Deprived of meaningful sleep the last couple of days, I knocked out pretty much as soon my head touched one of the big fluffy pillows
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