jacob_m

The trip was two months long (57 days), so I had plenty of time to explore the cities and have a look around. The only exception was with the award ticket where I could not do much about the length of three of the stops, I was not allowed to stay longer than 24 hours due to ticket restrictions.
But other than that I think I had on average 3 days in every major city, in Japan I also had a 7-days Japan Rail pass which I used quite a lot to have a look around.

I have deliberately chosen not to write much about the cities and focus on the flights instead. I really have enough to write anyway and this report has already reached an amazing 104 replies without any comments about the cities.
So I can understand if it sounds like just an endless amount of flights, but it really wasn't!!

uncertaintraveler

This is an absolutely amazing trip report---it certainly gets my vote for one of the top 5 trip reports of all time! You write really well and your pictures are wonderful. Your trip would truly be (for most, if not everyone) a trip of a lifetime.

Speaking of pictures....is it just me, or does the airshow picture from your Osaka-Auckland flight make it look like Osaka suddenly become part of Australia?

henry999

Since you haven't said anything about it yet, I'm going to jump in and ask: did you know about the SQ 'book-the-cook' programme in C (J) and F? Instead of the +/- 3 or 4 entrees usually available on the flight, you can choose from 8-10 if you tell them in advance what you want.

Mrs Henry and I were in late October -- in C class, alas, not F -- on the same SYD-SIN route as you, and we connected to SQ SIN-BKK (which, I believe, goes on to NRT). On the short SIN-BKK flight, we got the full meal service of our choice, because we had 'booked the cook', instead of the 'light' meal they offered to the other business class pax on that short, first sector.

This sounds like what Tommy77 refers to as the SQ 'kiss your shoes' service. Compared to the seniority-system dinosaurs on SK long haul, I have to say: I like SQ!

cheers,

Henry

MACH81

I was going to ask the same question! the famous lobster thermidore!

Anyway, this trip report is AMAZING! I envy you! ^ ^

jacob_m

Actually there were five entrees/main courses available in F! And I was very happy with the veal, absolutely delicious!!
But yes, I know about Book the cook. There are another three SQ flights to follow, so there is a slight chance there might be something about it later...

I like Singapore Airlines as well, and this was an absolutely fantastic flight.
I'm just including some reflections, like I have done with all other airlines,
Regarding SQ there really isn't much to comment about, the service is really 100% (as most people already know), especially in F!
My only comment has already been made, that some FAs could perhaps be a bit more laid-back and not feel the need to be efficient all the time.
But it's of course all about taste, I like FAs who put a personal touch on the service.
Regarding SAS it would be a shame to even include them in a comparison, SQ would win in every single category anyway.

sporadic

jacob_m: You didn't ask any Singapore Girl to sit on your lap and take photos? Tsk tsk. Should try that. LOL.

ajthegreat

really nice report, one of my top 5 favorite! ^ ^ :-: :-:

Kiwi Flyer

Coincidentally I was reading a print out of your report and got up to this bit just as we flew past Mt Taranaki, a volcano that masqueraded as Mt Fuji in the movie The Last Samurai. For the first time in several months there was a clear view of the whole mountain - recently I seem to have only flown past it at night or when it is hidden in thick cloud. I still have to read some more on my next flight to get up to date.

TrayflowInUK

Isn't Taranaki great? I stayed at a lodge partway up the mountain earlier this year, really great.

Anyway, back OT, thanks so much jacob_m for the detailed account of SQ F service, it sounds like a fantastic voyage! This is a great trip report.

jacob_m

I actually noticed that myself as well, quite funny!
I'm not sure what they did with the map, but Osaka was definitely in the right place when we left.
Well I'm glad the captain doesn't use that map for navigation purposes!

No I didn't, but that would have been a nice photo!

jacob_m

In Singapore I stayed at the Regent hotel located at the west end of Orchard Road.
I know from previous visits to Singapore that top-end hotels there are very affordable, very good value for money, and the service is often exceptional, so I didn’t think twice about what type of accommodation to go for.
I had originally planned to stay at the Shangri-la hotel which I know is supposed to be amazing, but just a few days before I was going to make the booking they raised the prices and it ended up being too expensive for my budget.

My second choice was the Regent hotel, part of the Four Seasons group, it had also received excellent reviews on the internet.
They actually had a very good suite deal on the internet which I could not resist booking. It had to be booked some time in advance though, but that was obviously not a problem.
The suite on offer was a Four Seasons Executive Suite, 75 sqm in total!! The suite deal also included free breakfast and a complimentary upgrade to the Regent Club if staying for a minimum of two nights (and as a coincidence I was planning to stay two nights).

Since I was very happy with my stay at the Regent I thought I should give a short review before continuing with the flights.

I took a taxi from the airport and asked the driver to go to the Regent hotel.
Upon arrival at the hotel my taxi was immediately surrounded by people, they offloaded my luggage from the boot while I paid the taxi driver.
Seconds later the car door was opened and I was greeted by name and welcomed to the Regent Hotel.
I was so surprised they knew my name before I had even got out of the taxi, but apparently they had checked the baggage tag on my suitcase (which obviously had my name on it) and there was also a woman standing at the entrance with a list of today’s arrivals.
I was so impressed they managed to do that in less than half a minute. Well done!! ^

I was escorted inside the lobby to the reception desk where check-in was taken care of.
I enquired about the complimentary upgrade to the Regent club as I was staying for two nights.
Unfortunately the Regent club floors were full (not sure what they difference was anyway as I was staying in a suite), but I was told I was most welcome to use the club lounge and I was also given a key card with Regent Club printed on it which I could show to get all the extra benefits.
I was then escorted to my room, I think it was the first time that has ever happened to me, unless being escorted by a bellboy with my luggage of course, but here the luggage actually arrived a few minutes later.
I was given a “guided tour” of the suite and the nice guy also explained all the facilities in the hotel and all the extra benefits I got as a Regent Club guest.
Very nice! After checking I was happy with the suite and all the arrangements he wished me a nice stay and left, minutes later my luggage also arrived

The suite was huge, 75 square meters. It had a huge king-size bed, a sitting area, two desks, two balconies, a walk-in closet, CD-player, two TVs, and two toilets.
The latter was probably the most interesting feature, don’t we all need to have a choice when we need to go to the loo?? Well at least I had…
Overall the place was really nice and very nicely decorated. There was also an excellent selection of minibar drinks and snacks and basically every possible glass, cup or plate you may need stored in a cupboard. Plenty of complimentary coffee and tea were available as well in a nice wooden box.

In the evening I visited the Regent Club on the 11th floor which was also excellent.
Very nice lounge attendants inside who were happy to help you with anything you may need. They also had complimentary food and drinks (including alcoholic drinks) between 5-8 pm.
I asked the guy who escorted me to my room what they had on offer in the lounge, and he said mostly cocktail snacks and light food, which sounded rather unremarkable.
But in fact they had a full buffet in the evening with plenty of hot food including chicken, skewers, oysters, meatballs, potatoes and prawn cocktails (it varied day by day). There was really so much to eat (and fairly few people eating anyway) that I actually skipped dinner one evening as I was really not hungry after the lounge visit.
They had a very good selection of drinks as well, plenty of spirits and two reds and two whites on offer. Of course also soft drinks, freshly squeezed fruit juices and excellent coffee.
Two internet computers were also available free of charge, in the main business centre you had to pay for internet access.

The buffet breakfast in the morning was also very good, extremely extensive. They were even cooking pasta with garnishes of your choice if you felt like eating pasta for breakfast.
Overall the service in the hotel was superb. Every time I passed a member of staff they greeted me, it the corridor, in the lobby, everywhere! And it didn’t matter who it was, housekeeping, bellboys, reception staff, everybody!
Every time they got the chance they also addressed me by name, each time I visited the reception or the concierge for example they instantly asked for my room number so they could find the name in the reservation and address me by name.
The service was really excellent, very polished, but at the same time friendly and relaxed and not intrusive. It was just the way I like it! ^
The turndown service also worked very well, they did a very good job there!

And some pics:

Pics
The nice lobby (well a part of it)
Another photo of the lobby
The large atrium inside the Regent hotel
The atrium again, I like the cool lifts, there are four of them
The entrance to the Capers restaurant where breakfast is served

My Four Seasons Executive Suite
The sitting area
The large bed
The bed, the walk-in closet and one of the TVs
The second TV and the minibar cabinet

The entrance to the Regent Club
Inside the nice Regent Club
Free drinks in the lounge in the evening
Some of the food in the lounge

And finally a photo of central Singapore at night, after all it’s soon christmas:
Nice christmas decorations on Orchard Road

jacob_m

To the airport, and Singapore Airlines First class facilities at Changi airport

When it was time to check out of the hotel I was asked if I needed a taxi.
I said I did and my luggage was immediately taken and after I had checked out and paid my bill a taxi was waiting outside ready to leave with all my luggage loaded.
I was thanked a last time for staying at the Regent hotel before the car door was closed, the service was really superb until the very end.

The taxi driver already knew I was going to the airport so he just asked which terminal.
I told him “Terminal 2, Singapore Airlines”. He looked at me again, the way I was dressed, and the hotel I had just checked out from and asked “first class?”.
Wow, that's quite a direct question! A little bit embarrassed I answered “yes”.
Well I knew Singapore Airlines had a special entrance at terminal 2 for first class passengers (and apparently so did he), and that’s where I wanted him to stop, so I would have had to tell him sooner or later anyway.

I checked out of the hotel at noon, I tried to get a late checkout since my flight was not leaving until 3 pm, but it was unfortunately not possible as they were fully booked the following night.
So I had to check out at noon and with a quick taxi ride to the airport (around 20 mins) I arrived at the airport almost three hours before departure. Well not the end of the world with a first class ticket.

The taxi stopped at the Singapore Airlines first class drop-off area at terminal 2 just before the main entrance, there was a large sign there marked “Singapore Airlines First class / Solitaire”.
Just after the taxi had stopped a man opened the door and asked me if I was flying Singapore Airlines in F that day, after I had confirmed I was he immediately started offloading my luggage while I paid the taxi driver.
He loaded my luggage on a trolley and then escorted me inside the terminal to the Singapore Airlines first class check-in room.
Inside the room I was greeted by a friendly woman who asked for my ticket and passport and then asked me to sit down in a nice armchair while they took care of all check-in formalities for me.
A few minutes later I was checked in and the agent approached me with my boarding pass, baggage receipts and passport. I was also given an immigration form for Malaysia and an invitation to use the fast-track immigration in Kuala Lumpur.

I exited the check-in room through another door where there was a man checking boarding passes for first class passengers from the first class check-in room.
After he had checked my boarding pass I found myself standing right in front of the passport control which was as quick as always in Singapore.
Overall the whole check-in process was completely hassle-free, very smooth, and I didn’t even have to touch my luggage at the airport, everything was taken care of for me.
Great service!! Well done!! ^ ^

Pics
The Singapore Airlines First class drop-off area outside terminal 2
The entrance to the SQ First class check-in room (sorry about the poor quality)
Inside the Singapore Airlines First class check-in room

Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge, Singapore

With way too much time before departure (still well over two hours) I took the skytrain over to terminal 1 to stretch my legs a bit and do a bit of lounge hopping, I knew there was a Thai Airways lounge in terminal 1.
It may sound a bit strange to go there flying SQ in F, but there was actually another reason why I wanted to get over to terminal 1 and the Thai lounge, since I am passing Bangkok later on I wanted to ask about the complimentary limousine transfer, if it was still available.
The female lounge agent was a bit surprised I wanted to enter the lounge, especially when she noticed I was in SQ F, but she was very friendly and told me I was most welcome to use the lounge.
Unfortunately she didn’t know anything about the transfer in Bangkok.

The Thai Airways lounge was very empty, only two people inside so plenty of space.
The lounge was OK, not spectacular in any way, but I have no complaints about it either.
They had a good self-service buffet with sandwiches and hot snacks and plenty of drinks, so not too bad after all I guess!
I spent 20-25 minutes in the lounge, they had an internet computer with free access, so I took the opportunity to check my e-mails.
The lounge attendant was just as friendly when I left as when I came, she thanked me for my visit and wished me a nice flight.

Pics
The entrance to the Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area

Singapore Airlines First class lounge, Singapore

I took the Skytrain back to terminal 2 and went to the Singapore Airlines lounge located on the first floor above the departure hall.
There were two young women standing at the entrance checking boarding passes, and with my first class boarding pass I was obviously directed to the first class lounge.

The first class lounge was very large, and not at all crowded this afternoon. I had no problems finding a seat or even a whole table to myself.
The buffet area is very large, most impressive, there really is plenty plenty to eat. Lots of hot food, sandwiches, different cheeses, ice cream, fresh fruit and probably lots of other things.
There is also a bar in the lounge, but it does not open until 3.30 pm so it was closed when I was there. They still have alcohol available at the buffet though, but it’s at the bar you’ll find the real stuff, including free champagne.
Since I had not eaten any lunch yet I had some food from the buffet and a glass of wine. There is so much (proper) food available that you can basically have lunch/dinner in the lounge and skip eating onboard.
Afterwards I had some ice cream, fresh fruit and a cup of coffee.

I also had another thing I wanted to sort out in the lounge, I wanted to book “Book the cook” for an upcoming flight, so I asked a lounge attendant and she directed me to the customer service desk in a separate room just by the entrance to the first class lounge.
I spoke to a customer service representative there who told me she could definitely help me to book it.
I had a printout from the SQ webpage with all the food options, but she actually had a small booklet with all the dishes available and even photos of all the dishes, there was one booklet for Raffles class and one for First class.
She gave it to me and asked me to have a look, I had already decided what to order, but I almost got seconds thoughts seeing all the delicious food inside.
I finally decided to stick to my original choice, but I have kept the booklet as a souvenir.
The woman said she had to make a phone call to arrange with the meal, so she took my ticket details and asked me to come back 15-20 minutes later to check that everything was OK.

I spent some time in the business centre where they had several internet computers with free internet. I visited the customer service desk just before leaving the lounge and the woman confirmed my meal had been ordered.
By now the monitors showed “gate closing” for my flight, but I knew all too well not to trust the monitors so I did not rush to the gate and even stopped for some last-minute shopping before going to gate.
And just as expected, boarding had not even started at the gate.

Pics
The entrance to the Singapore Airlines lounges
Inside the First class lounge
Plenty of seats in the lounge
The very large self-service buffet area
Lots of food available
The bar, plenty of alcohol!
Late lunch in the lounge
Fresh fruit, Häagen Dazs ice cream, and coffee

Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, flight SQ 112 operated by Singapore Airlines
Departure: 15:15
Arrival: 16:10
Aircraft: Boeing 777
Class: First Class
Seat: 12K

The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route is a bit strange since they offer economy class and first class but not business/Raffles class on these flights.
So it’s a good and cheap way to experience the SQ first class service (well, on the ground at least), but passengers with business class tickets or RTW tickets in C will end up in economy on these flights, which may be a bit unfair.

Two passenger bridges were in use at the gate, one for first class passengers and one for economy class passengers leading to the appropriate aircraft doors.
First class passengers could board at their leisure so I walked straight onboard the plane where I was greeted by a smiling Singapore Airlines flight attendant.
The aircraft had a two-cabin layout with Raffles class seats used as first class seats (although they change the headrests etc). The first class cabin had a 2-3-2 configuration.
I got a bit confused with my seat assignment, I had 12K, so I started walking down the aisle only to be stopped by a flight attendant who noticed I was going the wrong way, it turned out the first row of the cabin was actually row 12, so I was seated in the very first row.
My jacket was taken and I was offered a pre-departure drink, but only soft drinks on this flight.

The flight to Kuala Lumpur was quick, only 40 minutes, still they managed to perform a proper meal service in first class.
There was a choice between salmon and chicken sandwich onboard, tablecloths were also laid out on the tables and the meal was served on proper first class china (although on a tray).
I had the salmon to eat, quite good, but of course the meal service was nothing remarkable.
The flight attendants also served tea, coffee and soft drinks, no mention of alcohol though.
It is still amazing that they managed to do all of this (and quite well!) during only 40 minutes, and the first class cabin was completely full as far as I could see.
The service was really as good and attentive as it could get, and they even had time to offer more drinks before we started out descent to Kuala Lumpur.
Very impressive!! It was fascinating to see how much they managed to do during only 40 minutes with good coordination. ^

We landed at Kuala Lumpur International airport (or just KLIA) right on time.
All the international gates (or most of them at least) are located in a satellite building in the middle of the apron, so you have to take an automatic train to get to the main terminal and the baggage reclaim.
In Singapore I also got an invitation to use the fast-track immigration at KLIA which I also made use of, I was actually processed at the diplomatic counter and was through immigration within two minutes
It took quite some time before the baggage delivery started, but at least the priority tagged luggage came out first.

In the arrivals hall there were people waiting for me, ready to take me to downtown Kuala Lumpur in style.
Time for an even more fantastic hotel experience in a really spectacular hotel! But more about that in the next instalment…

Pics
Welcome onboard SQ 112 to Kuala Lumpur!
The First class cabin onboard the Boeing 777
Light meal to Kuala Lumpur
The baggage hall at Kuala Lumpur airport

jacob_m

In Kuala Lumpur I stayed in one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in, the Shangri-La!!
The service was absolutely flawless, the arrival the smoothest I have ever experienced, and the lobby was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, stunning!! ^
So I thought I should write a short review about this hotel as well and there are also some pics at the end so you can have a look yourself.

I booked a “value rate” on the Shangri-La webpage which gave a lot of extra benefits such as free airport limousine transfer (roundtrip), breakfast, late check-out, unlimited laundry, free local calls and broadband in the room.
And believe it or not, in spite of all these extra benefits and the standard of the hotel I did not may more than 150-160 USD per night including all taxes!! Amazing!! ^
Just the airport transfer itself was well worth it, after all the airport in Kuala Lumpur is located a good 60 km outside the city centre, that’s quite a distance!
With such a cheap rate in such a great hotel I could almost have stayed a few more days just to enjoy the hotel.

The booking was made on the Shangri-La webpage, and a few days before arrival I contacted the hotel by e-mail to confirm the airport transfer and make sure they had my details (flight number, arrival time etc).

At the airport there was a young woman standing in the arrivals hall with a Shangri-La sign, I approached her and she asked me if I was Mr jacob_m.
Shangri-La had a desk at the airport, and after signing a paper at the desk they called for the car (the cars are not allowed to wait outside) and the nice girl kept me entertained until the car had arrived outside the terminal. She was quite friendly and very charming, but it took some time before I got used to the Malaysian accent.
The driver was also very pleasant and spoke perfect English. The car was spotlessly clean and inside the car there was a hot towel, a newspaper and a bottle of cold water waiting for me. Excellent!!
The ride to Kuala Lumpur took around 45 minutes, surprisingly quick considering the distance and the time of the day (late afternoon=rush hour).

When the car finally stopped at the hotel a young woman opened the door and immediately greeted me by name and welcomed me to Shangri-La.
I was very surprised she didn’t even ask for my name, she obviously knew well who I was and it soon became clear that the only reason why she was standing there was to wait for me to arrive!!
I was told we would check in in my room so we walked straight into the hotel and to the lifts, no need to stop at the reception since she had all the papers with her. I didn’t even get a chance to say good-bye to the driver.
Inside my room on the 12th floor I was checked in. She asked for a credit card and my passport and wrote everything down on a form. When the paperwork was completed she asked me if I had any questions and then wished me a nice stay and left.
Wow, what a welcome!! That was the smoothest hotel arrival ever in my life and I was absolutely fascinated by how well it worked and how well it was prepared. ^
I was so overwhelmed that I started thinking if I even got a key, but the key was actually on the desk, together with a personal welcome letter with my name on it signed by the front desk manager. Nice!
A few minutes later the luggage also arrived.

The room was quite nice, nicely decorated, but actually not that large. On the other hand I had a corner room, and based on the emergency exit map the corner rooms seemed to be smaller than the other rooms, but in return they offer a much better view. I was quite happy after all and the view from my room was great, I loved the view at night.
They also had a very good turndown service at the hotel which worked very well. A towel and slippers were placed on the floor by the bed and they also placed a bottle of water on the bedside table. The cover was also removed and they adjusted the ligting and closed the curtains. Everything was really prepared so you could go straight to bed when you came back to the room in the evening.

The hotel itself is also very beautiful, well not the outside, but the inside.
The lobby is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, awesome! The bar was also very nice and some evenings of the week they offered live music, and funnily they had a small stage on top of the bar. I have never seen anything similar before!
The hotel also had several restaurants, a bakery, a shopping arcade, a large business centre, an outdoor swimming pool, a beauty saloon, and an excellent fitness centre.
The breakfast was served in the Lemon Garden restaurant and it was easily the largest and most extensive breakfast buffet I have ever seen. I thought I had seen a lot when it comes to breakfast buffets, but this one was absolutely enormous. They could have kept the buffet and used it as lunch and dinner buffet as well, that’s how much food there was.
A fun feature of the breakfast buffet was also a chocolate fountain where you could dip things in chocolate, the children obviously loved it, and actually many adults did as well.

Overall it was a fantastic hotel experience, one of the best ones I have ever had. The service was flawless and the hotel had so much to offer that you hardly needed to leave it.
On top of that it was very incredibly affordable, I still can’t believe how little I paid considering everything I got.
I warmly recommend the hotel and I really hope I will get the chance to experience more Shangri-la hotels in the future.

Pics
The entrance to the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
The beautiful lobby!
Another photo of the gorgeous lobby
The reception and the concierge
The nice bar
The bar in the evening with live music (notice the stage on top of the bar!)
The two girls entertaining in the bar, they were pretty good!
The bakery in the hotel
The enormous breakfast buffet in the morning, this is just a part of it!
The chocolate fountain in the breakfast buffet
The swimming pool

Inside my room
The view from my room, quite nice!

And finally:
The famous Merdeka Square and the two (actually three) towers at night

jacob_m

I had a transfer booked from the hotel at 2 pm (again included in the rate) and I arrived at the airport around two hours before departure.
I checked in at the Singapore Airlines first class counter, there were two first class desks open and both of them were empty, so no wait at all.
The check-in agent was very nice and pleasant but got a bit confused with my rather strange routing, it took a little while before she understood where I was going and how many ticket coupons she should use.
My luggage was checked all the way to Bangkok and I also received boarding passes for both legs that she put in a nice red SQ first class folder.
She also checked the immigration rules for Thailand, and I didn’t need a visa (I had already checked) but she said I needed a passport-sized photo for immigration.
I didn’t know that, and I was pretty sure I didn’t have any, so the next thing would have be to look for a photo booth. Although just before I left the check-in counter I suddenly remembered I had some photos in one of the suitcases (well I packed the suitcases several weeks earlier, so not too strange I had forgotten about them).
Fortunately she had not sent my bags away so I had a look in one of my suitcase and actually found them, nice, problem solved!

Next I was off to passport control, I had been given an invitation at check-in to use the fast-track line (just like when I arrived) and it was completely empty so I was quickly processed.
I then took the skytrain from the main terminal building to the satellite where the gate and all the lounges are located.

Pics
The International transit hall in the satellite at Kuala Lumpur airport

Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge, Kuala Lumpur

I had read on the internet that the Thai lounge was supposed to be nice and worth a visit, this is where all the star golds are directed as the Singapore Airlines lounge is a dedicated first class lounge.
The young girl at the reception seemed very bored and spent her time texting messages to people. She was friendly though when I arrived and let me in without a comment.
The lounge was actually surprisingly nice, just like I had read. A nice pink interior, comfortable chairs, and a nice view of the apron. It was also very empty with only 5-6 people inside.
There was a self-service buffet available with some light snack: sandwiches, yoghurt, fresh fruit and some pastries. They seem to offer some hot food as well, perhaps later during the day.
I had some light snacks to eat before heading over to the Singapore Airlines lounge.

Pics
The entrance to the Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge
Inside the nice lounge
Light snacks to eat

Singapore Airlines First class lounge, Kuala Lumpur

The Singapore Airlines lounge was right opposite the Thai Airways lounge, only a few meters walk.
Even though it is a dedicated first class lounge (no star gold access) there were plenty of people inside and the lounge ended up being very crowded closer to departure.
It is really too small considering all the people who use it and the last passengers who entered the lounge had problems finding empty seats.

The lounge had a small self-service bar with sandwiches, pastries and some hot snacks. It had a good drinks selection as well with wine and plenty of spirits, but no champers.
As the lounge was so small and crowded I think the Thai lounge is actually a better choice. OK, it isn’t a first class lounge, but it’s nicer, has roughly the same amount of food and drinks, and it is far less crowded. But it was nice to visit both lounges so I could compare.
While in the lounge I also visited the reception desk to ask if I could change the seat for the flight, I had an aisle seat but would prefer a window seat.
She said it was unfortunately not possible since the flight was full. Well no big deal, it was only a short flight anyway.

Pics
The entrance to the Singapore Airlines First class lounge
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area
Light snacks and red wine, and the nice SQ First class folder I got

Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, flight SQ 113 operated by Singapore Airlines
Departure: 17:00
Arrival: 17:55
Aircraft: Boeing 777
Class: First Class
Seat: 15H

In Kuala Lumpur the security control takes place at the gate, just like in Singapore. It took some time to get through, and there was no priority line available.
At the opposite end of the gate area there were two doors to the aircraft leading to the two passenger bridges in use. First class passengers were allowed to board at their leisure, so I walked straight onboard through the left door.

I was greeted onboard and shown to my seat. My jacket was taken and I was offered a pre-departure drink, only soft drinks though so I had some orange juice.
A man next to me asked for a glass of beer before departure, and he actually got some, so they seem to have alcohol onboard, but you need to ask for it.

We departed right on time, and just like the previous flight there was a meal service onboard, despite the short flight time.
On this flight there was a choice between chicken sandwich and beef sandwich, I had the latter. It was once again served on proper first class china accompanied by crisps and salad. It was really a proper meal this time and I was feeling quite full afterwards.
They also served coffee, tea and soft drinks onboard.
I was once again impressed by how much they managed to do during only 45 minutes. ^

Due to a lot of inbound traffic to Singapore it took some time before we were allowed to start our approach and we ended up landing ten minutes late despite an on-time departure.
First class passengers were once again allowed off first through the front door.

Pics
Welcome onboard flight SQ 113 to Singapore
Light meal to Singapore
The First class cabin onboard the Boeing 777

Singapore Airlines First class lounge, Singapore

I had plenty of time before the next departure, well over two hours, so I went to the nice Singapore Airlines first class lounge again.
On this visit the bar was open and manned, so I asked for a glass of Dom Perignon.
There was of course still plenty to eat as well, but since I expected a full meal service on my next flight to Bangkok I only had some fresh fruit and some lovely Häagen Dazs ice cream to eat. I think there might have been a second glass of champagne as well
Even though I did not have a lot to eat in the lounge and only got a light meal from Kuala Lumpur I was starting to feel quite full, I guess the champagne might have had something to do with it as well.

Pics
The entrance to the lounge, the bar to the left and newspapers to the right
Inside the lounge
The aquarium in the lounge
The very extensive buffet area
The bar, open and manned this time
Light snacks to eat and a glass of Dom Perignon

After checking my e-mails I left the lounge and walked around the terminal for a while to see if I could find anything nice to buy in the many tax-free shops before finally proceeding to the departure gate.
Just like last time the monitors indicated the gate was closing for my flight already 45 minutes before departure, but naturally I didn’t believe a word of it.

Pics
Plenty of shops in the transit area

Singapore-Bangkok, flight SQ 632 operated by Singapore Airlines
Departure: 20:35
Arrival: 22:00
Aircraft: Boeing 777
Class: First Class
Seat: 01F

As always in Singapore the security control took place at the gate.
As the flight was continuing from Bangkok to Tokyo it had a nice mix of people onboard and the man in charge of the security control had a hard time communicating with people, many passengers spoke virtually no English.
Boarding had already started so I could walk straight onboard after security.
Two passenger bridges were in use, first class and business class passengers used the left one and economy class passengers the right one.

Once onboard I was shown to my seat by a young female flight attendant and my jacket was taken.
Shortly afterwards the purser came to greet me, and he then asked me if I had a favourite seat onboard. I thought that was a strange question to ask after I had just come onboard, but I told him I didn’t really know, I had pre-booked 01F and was quite happy with that seat.
And then the surprise came, he told me I would be the only first class passenger onboard to Bangkok, so obviously I could sit wherever I wanted!!!
Wow, a whole cabin to myself!! That had actually never happened to me before, and when it finally happened it was onboard Singapore Airlines in first class, can it get any better??
And consequently I soon realised there would be a Singapore Airlines girl just serving me!!

I was asked if I wanted anything to drink before departure and I decided to go for a glass of Krug.
Top-ups were also offered and I actually had second glass, but with all the champagne in the lounge before the flight I felt I had had enough afterwards and declined further top-ups.
I could not help feeling a bit bad about asking for champagne and then only drinking two glasses, after all they opened a whole bottle just for me. Same thing about the wine later.

Soon the doors were closed and they started preparing the cabin for departure, still nobody else in first class except for me, a very strange feeling!
There are 12 seats onboard the Boeing 777 in first class, two rows with a 2-2-2 configuration, but it was all empty.
We took off right on time and headed to the north and to Bangkok.

After the seat belt sign was off they closed the curtains between Raffles class and first class and the inflight service started.
I was offered nuts and more drinks and I asked for some red wine, four glasses of champagne is really enough.
On this flight I had ordered Book the cook, the chicken dish with spinach, and the flight attendant confirmed my meal was onboard.
Still I was given a menu and there were three main courses on offer, and all three had been loaded onboard just for me, even though I had ordered Book the cook.
The flight attendant specifically told me I was allowed to change if I wanted something else, but I was actually happy with my meal choice.
Amazing!! So I basically had four choices of main course!! They really must waste so much food in first class…

I have no menu from this flight to post, the flight attendant removed it after the meal and there was actually no point in keeping it anyway.
The appetizer was salmon, the main course was Book the cook, and then they served fresh fruit.
The drink list was exactly the same as the Sydney-Singapore flight, even the wines were the same.
The salmon served as appetizer was very good, and I was very happy with the main course as well (Book the cook), the only problem was that I was so full at that time that I could not finish all of it.
They didn’t serve any dessert onboard, but they offered a good selection of fresh fruit.
I was definitely not familiar with all the fruit on offer as there were a lot of local Asian fruits in the basket, but the flight attendant happily explained what it was and how to eat it.
Since she was obviously not in a hurry she really took some time to explain which I appreciated, I always enjoy trying local food.

Needless to say the service onboard was excellent, it really could not have been more attentive, for obvious reasons.
Still it was a bit awkward being the only passenger in first class, the flight attendant wanted to be just as attentive as they always are onboard, but at the same time she didn’t really want to stand looking at me eating and pass my seat every two minutes in case I wanted something.
But she did it just right, the service was very attentive without being intrusive. Just like on previous flights they have an amazing ability on Singapore Airlines to figure out when you have finished eating and when you need top-ups of water and whatever else you are drinking.
The purser also passed several times and asked if everything was OK. Since I was the only passenger in F basically the entire crew in the front cabins knew my name, and everybody kept smiling at me whenever they passed. It was quite fun!!

All too soon we started out descent into Bangkok, the flight time to Bangkok was just a little over two hours.
Before landing the purser came a last time to check that I was satisfied with the flight and the service, I naturally said yes, I really had no reason to say otherwise.
I also took the opportunity to ask if they had the writing kit onboard, which they indeed had. It’s always nice to have an extra Singapore Airlines first class pen to bring home as a souvenir.
The flight attendant also offered me a bottle of water since “it could be a long taxi ride to Bangkok”. Well an extra bottle of water is always good to have so I happily accepted it.

We landed right on time at the new Suvarnabhumi airport, I was quite excited to see what it would look like inside, the flight attendant had not been there before either.
After being safely parked they did the usual first class arrangements, even though I was the only first class passenger. The curtains between first class and business class were closed and were not opened again until all first class passengers had left the plane, i.e. until I had left the plane.
I chatted a bit more with the crew while we were waiting for the passenger bridge to be positioned. We talked about Japan and our favourite places there (they were continuing to Tokyo an hour later) and also a bit about the new airport in Bangkok.
The purser had been to the new airport before and he said that things work quite well now, but in the beginning there were lots of problems.

Soon the gate staff knocked on the door to indicate it was safe to open and I was the first passenger to leave the plane.
The new Bangkok airport looked quite nice, sure it is not as “cosy” as the old Don Muang, but I had expected it to be a lot worse after all the negative comments I had read.
There was no line at immigration and they didn’t need a photo either as I had been told in Kuala Lumpur, it was actually very smooth.
The baggage delivery started fairly quickly with the priority baggage out first, I noticed my bags even had two priority tags, one first class tag and one standard red *A tag.

Pics
The First class cabin to Bangkok, a whole cabin to myself!!
Red wine to drink after take-off
The table setting
Appetizer
Main course
Fresh fruit from Asia
A cup of coffee
Inflight entertainment, "Travel and Living" about Pays de la Loire in France
Did anybody say priority? My very priority-tagged suitcase!!

In the arrivals hall I was as always approached by several people asking me if I needed a taxi. Since I was quite properly dressed and had first class tags on my luggage I guess I was an attractive target.
I naturally didn’t believe a word of it and just ignored them, but finding the real taxi stand turned out to be very tricky, there were hardly any signs and I had to ask an airport employee to get directions.
It was actually located one floor below the arrivals hall, well that explains why I did not find it.
The taxi stand was not the most impressive of places, there was basically a desk there with some handwritten signs, that’s about all the information we got. I hope that was only a temporary solution until they can make proper arrangements.
At least the staff were very friendly and they explained to all people in the queue the different taxi charges and also asked us where we were going and wrote down the destination in Thai on a piece of paper.
When the taxis arrived they also helped passengers with the luggage and wrote down the registration number of the taxi on a receipt.
It is very unlikely you will be overcharged with all these arrangements, I actually paid less than I had expected to get to the hotel, which was nice!!

Pics
The taxi queue at the new airport in Bangkok

Next it’s time for Thai Airways in First class and a test of the First class facilities at the brand new Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok…

SMART51

Please Jacob 2 questions for you:
1) What is that fruit in the Plastic container?
2) Where is the picture of the F/A