The Photos


I am going to start this TR with the telling of a dream I had a few months back. I thought that since this trip will be on the whale jet that it would be apropos.

I was doing a transfer at some unknown airport and walked down the ramp off an aircraft and made my way to the next gate. This next aircraft was some new fandangled monster of an aircraft that would not have been out of place in a Thunderbirds episode.
I was travelling with a friend but somehow he disappeared when it came to boarding this new plane. I boarded and settled into my First class seat. I wandered up to the cockpit (this is a dream remember) to check out what was going on up there.
We started our taxi which was up a hill like a giant ski slope. I noticed my friend running alongside the plane and I said to the pilot that is my friend. The pilot stopped and my friend was able to board through the cockpit entrance door. He then went back to his seat but I stayed in the cockpit for the take off.
This entailed travelling down the ski slope in order to gather enough speed to takeoff. Once airborne I decided it was time to head back to my seat. I sat in my luxurious first class seat and the crew member came over and offered me a drink. I of course asked for champagne and the crew member replied ‘I am sorry sir we don’t have any’.

I woke up from the shock.

I kid you not this was a real dream I had. Now on the real trip report.

As a Starwood whore I decided to stay overnight prior to my flight at the Sheraton Skyline in order to get double stays and hopefully retain Platinum for this year.
After checking out I asked about the Hoppa times as I was lugging a suitcase and didn’t feel like dragging it over to the bus stop. I then found out that now that T5 is open the Hoppa busses run to T4 and T5 every 30 minutes and one was due soon. Fabulous this saved the transfer on the Heathrow Connect service from Heathrow Central station.

The Hoppa was along shortly and I boarded with quite a few others and we made our way around to the Jurys Inn near Hatton Cross station before arriving into the bowels of Terminal 4.
I ascended the elevator to the check-in area and made my way up to the QF desks. On the way I passed the security entrance and noticed that the Fast Track line seemed to have disappeared. I queued for a few and then a queue guard asked me if I was travelling in First and I said yes. He then proceeded to track down an agent to check me in and apologised for the delay. Just was he was coming back to me one of the F desk agents became free so I stepped up to her.

I was checked in quickly and was happy to be free of my suitcase and I enquired about the Fast Track security line. At this point a wandering F concierge approached and offered to direct me. She also said if I need any assistance prior to the flight she would be in the lounge soon and would be happy to help. She then directed me to Fast Track which had switched to the left of the main security queue which was what had befuddled me earlier. It used to be on the right of the main queues.

Fast Track was just that and I was through in no time without the need to de-shoe.

I headed down to the Gate 1 Galleries lounge complex, stopping briefly on the way to grab a couple of shots of the big bird. I was greeted and invited to go downstairs for business and upstairs for relaxation. As we have been here before on this trip I won’t go into a description of the place again.
I grabbed the obligatory champagne and bacon baguette and sat to surf for a while on my laptop. The bubbles were Lanson Rose and Piper H Brut. I noticed a baby buggy in the lounge with F tags to SYD on it and my heart sank, as the baby was being quite vocal at the time.

After a long spell in the lounge it was time to stretch my legs a bit before going to the gate. I did a quick march up and down part of the terminal and then went to the gate. There were separate lines for Economy and First who both entered the aircraft through one door from the lounge and Business and Premium Economy who entered from another door that led to the upper deck.

I was standing waiting and the dispatcher asked me if I was Mr Moomba I replied in the affirmative and she asked me to step aside for a moment. She explained that the plane had a fault with some of the First seats in that the controls didn’t work. They had only been informed shortly beforehand. She offered to let me travel on a different aircraft later in the day but I was already booked into a hotel in SYD and more importantly if I switched it would not be a 380 that I would travel on.
She said that Customer Services would contact me and deal with the problem and would probably be waiting in Singapore for me. She also said that they should be able to move me to a functioning seat in F at SIN as there was a lighter load from there to SYD. I said I had purposely chosen this flight to fly the 380 and would stick with it for now. She thanked me for being so understanding and explained that another passenger had thrown a hissy fit about this even though she had been re-seated into a functioning seat. Obviously I was too far down the QF totem pole as a mere AA EXP to be considered for a move to a functioning seat.

I got back in the queue and although they were still only pre-boarding the dispatcher asked the agent to let me on board.

Flight QF032 LHR-SIN Seat 2A
Aircraft: 380-800
Departure time: 12:15

Once on board I was offered PJs, amenity kit, a drink, olives and almonds. The crew member working my side offered to show me how the seat worked and explained where the various controls were. The touch screen panel was not working on my seat so she couldn’t show me much. I tried the manual buttons under the touch screen and these did not work either.

A while later the dispatcher came on board and I asked her what exactly didn’t work and could the seat be made flat by some other means. She grabbed the CSM and he explained there are other manual buttons on the seat at the top of the divider, which they use to control the seat. He tried these buttons and the seat did move which was nice to see. Also another little flip down control under the dead touch screen has manual buttons that did work. So even though I didn’t have the full functionality of the touch screen panel the seat was able to recline and move. The dispatcher asked if I was happy and I agreed it would be fine. She said that CS would still be contacting me about appropriate compensation as the seat is faulty.

I played a bit with the IFE and noticed that they had SkyCam which is a camera mounted in the tail looking down over the monster. It was switched on and I was able to see us at the gate and watch the taxi and take off on the IFE.

The captain announced a flight time to Singapore of 12 hours and 20 minutes. The captain again came on at 12:33 and announced ATC holding us still but should be on the move shortly. At 12:36 we pushed back for the long flight to SIN. I did note with some joy in my heart that the baby was not in First and must have been attached to some QF status passenger seated elsewhere in the aircraft.

After take off the crew came around and asked for drinks order and I asked for champagne of course. Did I tell you it was the lovely Comtes de Champagne? I was in my element. With the drink came a plate containing a lovely flavourful prawn tartlet and a chicken cube on a Chinese soup spoon that was fabulously flavoured with ginger and was so juicy and it really got the taste buds a tingling. It actually surprised me how much of a burst of flavour in your mouth a little piece of chicken could produce.
The bubbly was re-filled and more of the canapes appeared which I greedily accepted.

Let us talk seat. On boarding and for take off and landing the seat faces forward in a locked position and you need to wear an over the shoulder seat belt that connects to the lap sash. The shoulder belt is an inertia reel type one like you would get in a car. This only needs to be worn for take off and landing. During turbulence the lap belt is the only one required.
The seat can be angled towards to the window so that you can look out without having to crane your neck and in this position you are also looking directly at the IFE screen. There is a buddy seat/foot stool where you can be joined by someone for your meal. The IFE screen folds away to allow the second passenger to sit on the stool.

There is something to be said for sitting in luxury staring out the window of an aircraft sipping fine champagne.

Hot towels were handed out and the menu orders taken for the lunch service.

LONDON TO SINGAPORE

LUNCH

CANAPES
Tartlet of Prawn and Aioli
White Cut Chicken with Ginger and Shallots

SALADS AND OTHER THINGS
Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Herb Cr�me Fraiche
Poached Veal and Beetroot Salad with Roast Garlic and Red Wine Vinegar
Salad of Pan Fried Wild Mushrooms with Sourdough Croutons

LIGHT, VEGETARIAN AND SANDWICH
Seared Loch Duart Salmon with Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing and Steamed Greens
Pan Fried Polenta with Braised Fennel and Olives
Roast Corn Fed Chicken Burger with Sage and Onion Stuffing*
Big Bowl of Tuscan Soup with Cavolo Nero and Borlotti Beans*
Our signature Steak Sandwich with Tomato and Chilli Relish*

SEARED LOCH DUART SALMON
Moroccan Style with Couscous and Warm Eggplant Salad
Braised Fennel with Olives and Roast Potatoes
Warm Eggplant Salad and Green Beans

GRESSINGHAM DUCK CONFIT
Chestnuts, Bacon and Vinocotto Glazed Radicchio
Thyme Jus, Slow Cooked Carrots and Spinach

LAVERSTOKE PARK LAMB RACK
Almond and Mint Sauce with Slow Cooked Carrots in Cider and Beans
Thyme Jus, Roast Potatoes and Steamed Greens
Warm Eggplant Salad and Potatoes

SIDE SALAD
Salad of Rocket, Red Chard, Mizuna and Baby Spinach with your choice of dressing

Aged Balsamic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Palm Sugar Vinaigrette

CHEESE
Hand selected blue, soft and hard cheese served with accompaniments

DESSERT
Apple and Blackberry Pie with Cr�me Anglaise
Assiete of Desserts
Whole or Sliced Seasonal Fruit*
Roskilly Organic Ice Cream Tubs*

PETITS FOURS
A selection of Amedei dark chocolates
Handmade Scottish Shortbread*
Little Lemon Cakes*
* Available anytime throughout your flight.

HOT BEVERAGES

GIANCARLO COFFEE
Caf� Latte
Cappuccino
Grinders Decaffeinated
Espresso
Flat White
Long Black
Mocha
Liqueur Coffee

T2 TEA
Experience the beautiful fragrant loose leaf tea bags from around the world, supplied by T2.
English Breakfast – A blend of finest the Sri Lankan full bodied teas produce a rich and well rounded flavour.
Peppermint – A well rounded peppermint flavour captures the sweet essence of all things ‘minty’ with a sweet, cool lingering aroma.
Chamomile – Relax and unwind with this fragrant infusion of sweet golden chamomile flowers.
Sencha – A classic green tea grown in Japan. These beautiful emerald green leaves produce a sweet, smooth grassy flavour.
Lemongrass and Ginger – Zesty and bright lemongrass contrasts the spicy flavour of ginger to create a wild taste sensation.
Other teas are available on request.

HOT CHOCOLATE

WHITE WINE
Coldstream Hills ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay 2006
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Winner of the Sydney Royal Wine Show 2009 ‘Best Show Wine’ trophy this is a beautifully refined, subtly complex, seamless chardonnay of world class. An excellent example of cool climate chardonnay. Attractive notes of citrus, pear and quince with underlying minerally, slatey notes. Finishing with refreshing mineral acids, it leaves a lingering impression of fruit and zest.

Mesh Eden Valley Riesling 2006
Eden Valley, South Australia
This wine is a collaborative effort from two of Australia’s most talented wine makers, Jeffrey Grosset and Robert Hill Smith, using fruit from a region famous for producing world class Rieslings. It has long rich flavours of citrus and minerals with a great persistence and texture, finishing crisp, clean and dry.

Giaconda ‘Aeolia’ Roussanne 2006
Beechworth, Victoria
This wine is made by Rick Kinzbrunner, winner of the 2000 Qantas/Australian Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year Competition. An outstanding example of Roussanne which arguably puts many of France’s Rhone Valley versions to shame. The aroma is a heady mix of pear, white nectarine, hazelnut and cashew. The palate is equally sumptuous, possessing a creamy mouth feel with great fruit definition and balance.

RED WINE
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2006
A decade before the Cote Rotie tradition of blending Shiraz with Viognier became fashionable in Australia, Tim Kirk at Clonakilla was busy mastering the art. Every Australian winemaker playing with blending Viognier into their Shiraz needs to buy this to see how it should be done.

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
Yarra Valley, Victoria
The Sexton Vineyard is the partner wine to the excellent Tarraford Vineyard. The dark cherry, bramble fruit, spice and earthy forest floor aromatics are highly pleasing. On the palate medium to full bodied offering plum, sour cherry, brown spices and earthy character. It has fine but slightly chalky tannins and balanced acidity. Good length. Excellent now and has the X-Factor potential for further improvement.

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
South Australia
Penfolds Bin 707 was named by an ex-Qantas marketing manager after the Boeing 707, with its first release in 1964. Bin 707 is the Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon equivalent of the Grange Shiraz. Bin 707 is an immensely concentrated style with red berry and dark chocolate fruit balanced by well-seasoned new oak and powerful, but not overwhelming tannins.

DESSERT WINE
Lillypilly Family Reserve Noble Blend 2002
Riverina, New South Wales
The 2002 is an outstanding sweet wine, deep golden in colour and smelling very complex: floral, honeyed aromas mingle with butterscotch, spices, apricot and mixed citrus peels.

CHAMPAGNE
“My only regret is that I did not drink more Champagne.” Lord Maynard Keynes, on his deathbed.
In celebration of the dynamic region that is Champagne, Qantas is proud to feature a range of Champagne styles in our program from some of the region’s finest and most respected Champagne houses including Charles Heidsieck, Taittinger, Dom Perignon and Krug. From the fresher, more delicate Chardonnay dominant or Chardonnay-exclusive ‘Blanc des Blancs’ styles, through to the weightier, more savoury Pinot Noir-dominant cuvees, our program showcases the diversity and quality for which this region is deservedly famed.

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999

My order was taken along with the various options for dressings etc including an option for Balsamic and Olive Oil instead of butter. As you may have noticed before QF offer several accompaniments with their meals and until you understand this the menu looks rather odd. In the above, for example the Duck can be served with the chesnuts, bacon etc or with the Thyme Jus and carrots.

I placed my order and went for a wander upstairs to check out the business lounge. There is a very red set of lounge chairs where the business class passengers can mingle. Also there is a self service station offering some wine and snack food options.

I went back to my seat and then the table was set for lunch.

The crew member working my side was pleasant enough but was very forgetful and messed up the meal service quite a bit. She didn’t fill my balsamic and olive oil bowl for the bread until after I had eaten my starter and already had some bread.

The salad was delectable and the juicy veal made a surprisingly good accompaniment to the beetroot salad.

Next up the main course was delivered at which time the lack of balsamic and oil was noticed and dealt with. No salad arrived to accompany my main course lamb even though it was ordered. This was proving to be a less than stellar performance by the crew member. My water and wine glasses were re-filled often though. The 707 was luscious and bold and went down a real treat with the lamb main course.

Next up I opted for some cheese and continued to drink the 707 with this course.

Finally I decided I could squeeze in the assiette of desserts which consisted of a lemon tart, chocolate cake and a berry cake. All were lovely. I asked for a cappuccino to go with the dessert but was told the machine was inoperative so I went with a long black instead.

One thing I did note about my crew member which really grated was that she did not know the word sorry. Even when she noticed that lack of balsamic and oil there was no apology just an 'I will get it for you'. Same with the non-functioning espresso machine, no apology was given. Pretty sloppy behaviour for a First trained crew member.
That plus the partially operating seat was not making this the best flight to remember my first 380 ride.

Not normally one to take photos of the inside of lavatories on planes I decided to break with tradition and show you the lovely leather covered toilet seat. Not sure it sits comfortably between two sets of meal photos in my photo set though.

Sleep was of the order next. I didn’t bother getting the crew to do the whole shebang with sheep’s wool under-blanket etc and I just reclined and asked for a duvet instead. I had a great sleep and woke up 6 or 7 hours later and pottered around on the IFE for a while.

Around 1 and a half hours out of Singapore a hot towel was delivered to my seat and the breakfast orders taken.


BREAKFAST

Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Tomato Juice
Sunraysia Pear Liquid Fruit
Sunraysia Mango Liquid Fruit
Passionfruit Energiser Drink

Fresh Fruit Salad
Bircher Muesli
Toasted Muesli
Cereal Selection
Yoghurt and Honey

Toast
Croissant
Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Savoury Muffin
Strawberry Jam, Orange Marmalade, Honey, Vegemite

Free Range Scrambled Eggs
Holdshott Farm Organic Sausages
Organic Dry Cured Bacon
Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon
Roast Vine Ripened Tomato
Sauteed Mushrooms
Potato Cakes
Braised Beans

Leek and Brioche Tart with Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon and Dill Cr�me Fraiche


I opted for some fruit and yoghurt with toast and vegemite and the passionfruit drink.
I followed this up with some bacon, scrambled eggs, tomato and potato cake which was served with more delicious sour dough toast.

I spent most of the time listening to my own playlist of album whist watching us fly through the air from the tail camera. It was great fun watching this view of the flight. One of the greatest things about the newer IFE systems is that you can listen to your own music whilst watching the flight map. I get so peeved on older systems where you are limited to no music or the radio channels as your options. One nasty habit of the QF system though is that when an announcement is made the music doesn’t automatically re-start when the announcement stops.

After breakfast I returned to civilian clothing and prepared myself for the landing.

The CSM dropped by my seat and informed me that the captain would be letting us know some bad news shortly and that we would be delayed into SIN.

Sure enough a couple of minutes later the captain announced that due to weather issues in Singapore we were having to divert to Kuala Lumpur to re-fuel before heading on to Singapore and assured us there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.

It was rather a half arsed attempt at explaining why we needed to divert and I was quite confused as to the need. Anyway we then sat in a holding pattern for a while half way between KUL and SIN whilst the unscheduled stop was organised by KL Authorities and QF and ATC.

We eventually touched down at KUL at 08:25 and used the whole length of the runway to pull up. We then turned and taxied to an outstand. The CSM explained we would not be able to get off the plane in KL and asked us to be patient. He explained that the captain would let us know more once we had parked.

I don’t suspect KUL staff get to see one of these birds very often and we became the local curiosity. There were many people outside snapping pictures of the plane on their mobile phones.

The captain announced we would be on the ground for over an hour and that we should leave our seat belts unfastened whilst on the aircraft was being re-fuelled.

I was asked if I would like something to drink. I said it was now my birthday and could I be cheeky and have some champagne. He came back a little later with the glass and I said am I the only lush this morning? He said no not to worry there were others as well.

There was a little more to the story to be had before we left KL as there was a sick passenger upstairs who was treated by KUL medical personnel. She was later offloaded in KL and taken away in an ambulance.

After around 90 minutes the captain announced that we were ready to go but needed an engineer, who is A380 certified, to sign off the aircraft before we could depart. He was assured by KL ground staff that an appropriate engineer was on his way.

One empty bottle of Comtes de Champagne later we were ready to depart for Singapore.

We pushed back at 10:40 and took off at 11:03 for the short 30 minute flight to SIN.

We touched down at 11:45 after the flight and headed to our gate where our scheduled stop was originally supposed to be 90 minutes.

The CSM apologised for the seat problem again and thanked me for my business. I said thanks to the crew and departed the aircraft. What no CS representative waiting for me to bow and scrape? Oh dear.

I made my way to the lounge where I grabbed a shower before the expected rush of transit passengers. I then waited in the lounge for the next exciting episode.

So too will you have to wait as this is already a mammoth tome and I am tired of typing.

Be back soon with the SIN-SYD sector.


The Photos

Out of all of the wonderful trip reports that you have written... this is the best.. I also had a like experience after a recent SYD-LAX-SYD trip in the A380 in first.. The food was excellent.. I thank you for bringing back such great memories...

Thanks for the praise RTW4.

My second sector to SYD had a much better crew I am glad to say. The report will be up shortly.

The Photos


After drinking lots of water in the lounge and checking emails, FT etc an announcement was made in the lounge for the flight at 12:50.
I made my way down to the gate where there was now no queue for security. I unloaded my laptop and baggie that now contained my QF F amenity kit Payot liquids and was through in no time.
My passport and BP were checked by officials and then my BP was swiped by the lounge agent. The machine beeped and she re-printed a BP with seat 4A on it. I presumed this was going to be a working seat.

Boarding had already commenced and I joined the end of the queue.

Flight QF032 SIN-SYD Seat 4A
Aircraft: 380-800
Departure time: 09:40

I was on board by 13:00 and was immediately offered an amenity kit, PJs and a drink.

My champagne was delivered along with some almonds. Hot towels were passed around on the ground prior to our pushback.

The captain came on the horn and gave a far better explanation that the previous one of why the diversion to KUL was required. The weather that had been around SIN earlier was not predicted and seemed to come out of the blue. The amount of fuel loaded is based on the weather conditions. The fuel load for specific weather conditions is mandated by aviation authorities. The unexpected bad weather and these rules meant that we did not have enough fuel to legally proceed to SIN and thus the diversion was necessary.

Pushback was at 13:25 and as usual with QF in F the safety demonstration was performed both manually by the crew and on the IFE system.

We took off slowly at 13:40 and ran down the runway for a bit. The guys up front then put the pedal to the metal and the aircraft noticeably picked up a lot of speed. Quickly thereafter we were climbing into a cloudy SIN sky as I watched it all on the tail cam view.

After the belt sign was switched off the crew came around and asked for a drinks order and handed out the menus. I decided not to buck with tradition and ordered the champagne. Who knows how long it will be before I get to taste some of the nectar of the gods again?

The CSM announced a flight time of 6 hours and 50 minutes to SYD. This meant we still had a decent amount of slack before the 23:00 SYD curfew.

There was a bit of turbulence during the drinks round which required the crew having to take their seats but this was short lived and soon my bubbly was being re-filled and all was right with the world.

Each one of the F crew members introduced themselves and the crew member working my side explained it was an all day dining service and to choose whatever I wanted from the menu. He suggested he could make my bed and he would save my required choice of meal for later if I wanted to sleep now.

I said I would eat right away as it had now been quite some time since breakfast was served on approach to SIN/KUL 7 hours earlier.

SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY

LUNCH

BRUNCH
Berry Energiser Drink
Fresh Tropical Fruit with Lime Wedges
Croissant with Selection of Condiments
Blueberry Pancakes with Fresh Mango and Honeycomb Butter
Warm Corn Bread with Slow Roasted Tomatoes and Sauteed Spinach

SALADS AND OTHER THINGS
Broccoli Soup with Garlic Croutons and Parmesan
King Prawn Salad with Spicy Soy Dressing
Peking Duck and Baby Leaf Salad with Cucumber

LIGHT, VEGETARIAN AND SANDWICH
Big Bowl of Tuscan Soup with Cavolo Nero and Borlotti Beans
Roast Corn Fed Chicken Burger with Sage and Onion Stuffing
Our signature Steak Sandwich with Tomato and Chilli Relish

SEARED SNAPPER
Chinese Style with Crab Sauce, Egg Noodles and Baby Choy Sum
Fresh Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing and Steamed Greens

CRUMBED PORK SCHNITZEL
Fresh Lemon, Potato Puree and Sugar Snaps
Aioli and Steamed Greens

ROAST BEEF FILLET
Asian Mushroom Ragout, Rice and Gai Lan
Aioli and Potato Puree

SIDE SALAD
Salad of Baby Leaves with your choice of dressing

Aged Balsamic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinaigrette

CHEESE
Hand selected blue, soft and hard cheese served with accompaniments

DESSERT
Banana and Chocolate Tart with Cr�me Fraiche
Golden Syrup Sponge Cake with Mascarpone and Pineapple Compote
Roskilly Organic Ice Cream Tubs
Sliced Fresh Seasonal Fruit

PETITS FOURS
A selection of Amedei dark chocolates
Coconut Raspberry Slice
Vanilla and Cinnamon Stars

HOT BEVERAGES

GIANCARLO COFFEE
Caf� Latte
Cappuccino
Grinders Decaffeinated
Espresso
Flat White
Long Black
Mocha
Liqueur Coffee

T2 TEA
Experience the beautiful fragrant loose leaf tea bags from around the world, supplied by T2.
English Breakfast � A blend of finest the Sri Lankan full bodied teas produce a rich and well rounded flavour.
Peppermint � A well rounded peppermint flavour captures the sweet essence of all things �minty� with a sweet, cool lingering aroma.
Chamomile � Relax and unwind with this fragrant infusion of sweet golden chamomile flowers.
Sencha � A classic green tea grown in Japan. These beautiful emerald green leaves produce a sweet, smooth grassy flavour.
Lemongrass and Ginger � Zesty and bright lemongrass contrasts the spicy flavour of ginger to create a wild taste sensation.
Other teas are available on request.

HOT CHOCOLATE

WHITE WINE
Coldstream Hills �Reserve� Chardonnay 2006
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Winner of the Sydney Royal Wine Show 2009 �Best Show Wine� trophy this is a beautifully refined, subtly complex, seamless chardonnay of world class. An excellent example of cool climate chardonnay. Attractive notes of citrus, pear and quince with underlying minerally, slatey notes. Finishing with refreshing mineral acids, it leaves a lingering impression of fruit and zest.

Mesh Eden Valley Riesling 2006
Eden Valley, South Australia
This wine is a collaborative effort from two of Australia�s most talented wine makers, Jeffrey Grosset and Robert Hill Smith, using fruit from a region famous for producing world class Rieslings. It has long rich flavours of citrus and minerals with a great persistence and texture, finishing crisp, clean and dry.

Giaconda �Aeolia� Roussanne 2006
Beechworth, Victoria
This wine is made by Rick Kinzbrunner, winner of the 2000 Qantas/Australian Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year Competition. An outstanding example of Roussanne which arguably puts many of France�s Rhone Valley versions to shame. The aroma is a heady mix of pear, white nectarine, hazelnut and cashew. The palate is equally sumptuous, possessing a creamy mouth feel with great fruit definition and balance.

RED WINE
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2006
A decade before the Cote Rotie tradition of blending Shiraz with Viognier became fashionable in Australia, Tim Kirk at Clonakilla was busy mastering the art. Every Australian winemaker playing with blending Viognier into their Shiraz needs to buy this to see how it should be done.

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
Yarra Valley, Victoria
The Sexton Vineyard is the partner wine to the excellent Tarraford Vineyard. The dark cherry, bramble fruit, spice and earthy forest floor aromatics are highly pleasing. On the palate medium to full bodied offering plum, sour cherry, brown spices and earthy character. It has fine but slightly chalky tannins and balanced acidity. Good length. Excellent now and has the X-Factor potential for further improvement.

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
South Australia
Penfolds Bin 707 was named by an ex-Qantas marketing manager after the Boeing 707, with its first release in 1964. Bin 707 is the Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon equivalent of the Grange Shiraz. Bin 707 is an immensely concentrated style with red berry and dark chocolate fruit balanced by well-seasoned new oak and powerful, but not overwhelming tannins.

DESSERT WINE
Lillypilly Family Reserve Noble Blend 2002
Riverina, New South Wales
The 2002 is an outstanding sweet wine, deep golden in colour and smelling very complex: floral, honeyed aromas mingle with butterscotch, spices, apricot and mixed citrus peels.

CHAMPAGNE
�My only regret is that I did not drink more Champagne.� Lord Maynard Keynes, on his deathbed.
In celebration of the dynamic region that is Champagne, Qantas is proud to feature a range of Champagne styles in our program from some of the region�s finest and most respected Champagne houses including Charles Heidsieck, Taittinger, Dom Perignon and Krug. From the fresher, more delicate Chardonnay dominant or Chardonnay-exclusive �Blanc des Blancs� styles, through to the weightier, more savoury Pinot Noir-dominant cuvees, our program showcases the diversity and quality for which this region is deservedly famed.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1999

I was quite hungry so decided to start with the soup, which in my experience is always a safe bet in the air. Mind you this was QF I was flying and with a couple of rare exceptions I have never been disappointed with any choice I have made on their F menus.

My table was set, olive and balsamic were delivered and bread offered along with the soup. I switched over to the lovely Bin 707 wine for the meal. I do love soup and despite appearances this was delicious. I suppose if you have an aversion to broccoli you might think otherwise though.

Next up I opted for the beef fillet with the Asian accompaniments which was served with the side salad with OO&BV dressing. The beef was tender although a tad too cooked for my liking.

I decided to decline any more food for the moment and settled it to watch some episodes of Mad Men and listening to my music selections whilst watching the world go by. Not at the same time mind you.

Oh I forgot to tell you that my new seat did indeed function correctly and I was able to see what didn�t work on the previous seat.
There is a touch screen control panel that controls all functions of the seat movement including many that were not available to me in the broken seat.

These included head rest height adjustment, lumbar support, massage function, raising and lowering the arm rests, a tracking function to move the seat closer to the table and the ability to control the shades on the windows from my seat. These were electronically controlled via buttons on the windows as well and you could drop an opaque shade to cut glare but not all light or you could have a complete blackout shade. Very nifty.

Around an hour out of Sydney one of the crew came around and asked if I was hungry and wanted any more food. I asked for the steak sandwich. The table was set and I was offered more wine and I of course chose the 707 again.
The sandwich was a good as ever and really hit the spot.

The crew on this sector were much more efficient and my name was used more and nothing was missed or messed up. All the F crew stopped by my seat at some point and wished me a happy birthday. One of them let slip that the previous crew had left a note to this effect in the galley for them.

Not long before landing on of the crew came to my seat with a bottle of the 707 and presented it to me as a birthday gift. I chatted with him for a while about the big bird. He said he had been working it for 12 months now and that the crew needed to commit to a two year stint on the bird if they wanted to fly her.

On approach the crew set the cabin in readiness for landing and also informed us that we would have to wait on the plane for a bit as quarantine were coming on board to check on a passenger who had been violently ill upstairs.

We landed at 22:21 and taxied to our gate. Once the doors were open the quarantine people quickly checked the passenger and then gave us the all clear to leave.

I thanked the crew on the way out and walked down to the immigrations area where the waiting agent processed me quickly. I then went to the baggage hall to wait for my bag. The bags were already coming out as they didn�t have to wait for the quarantine people. Mine was out quickly and I was ushered through the customs section without the need to have the bag x-rayed.

I grabbed a cab to the Westin and was checking in to my upgraded suite by 23:01.

Next up some QF domestic J flights.

Oh and I am still waiting for QF to contact me about the duff seat on the first sector. Who said Customer Service is dead in this day and age!


The Photos

Great stuff Moomba!
It's like we're riding along on the buddy seat...!
Thanks! ^^

I was quite happy to give flying a bit of a miss for a year or so till I made the mistake of reading this.

Cheers Moomba - another excellent TR as usual. ^

Thanks jetfan. There is a little more fun to come this year before a hiatus so get ready to buckle into the buddy seat again soon.

Oh dear is my addiction a contagious condition? Perhaps I should stop writing these.

The Photos

I left the hotel way too early as usual and grabbed a cab to the QF domestic terminal at Sydney airport. There were long queues of cars leading to the drop off area. However I had left my suitcase at the hotel and was only travelling with hand baggage only and was able to jump out and walk rather than wait.

Inside the terminal building I made my way to the Business class check-in desk located to the far right. There was one agent who was dealing with a group of three people and there was obviously some problem. Another agent showed up a few minutes later and attended to the gent who was in line in front of me. The other agent finally dispensed with the group and called me over. She asked where I was heading and said Perth and handed over my Passport. She said �and you are travelling on to Adelaide�? I said yes. She said do you want to go direct? No thanks.

She printed both boarding passes and sent me on my way through security. The lines were very short and there was no need for any fast track here. No baggie problems for domestic travel, my laptop was at the hotel so I was through in no time.

I turned left and headed for the Qantas business class lounge which was a short walk away and up the escalators.

The business lounge angel saw the word Business printed on my BP and welcomed me inside. The business lounges are only available to business class passengers and OW Emeralds. OW Silver and Qantas Club members could use the Qantas Club which was located further down the hall.

The lounge was quite spacious and had various seating areas, Mac and PC computers, printers etc, several coffee stations with automatic espresso machines and tea, biscuits available. There was also a main eating area with a buffet with various breakfast pastries, fruit, cereal, toast, juices etc. A barista was on hand to make coffee to order as well.
I spent some time reading and having a lovely coffee and some toast and vegemite.

It was soon time to head down to the gate for my flight to Perth. At the gate a boarding announcement was soon made for those with children and those needing extra time to board.

After this boarding was announced for Business, and OW elites at which time I walked up and had my BP scanned and went on down to the plane.

Flight QF575 SYD-PER Seat 4A
Aircraft: 330
Departure time: 08:10

On board I was directed to my seat where I extracted my book and iPod from my bag and placed it in the locker overhead and took my seat.

The plane quickly filled up with all but two of the business class seats occupied by the time we pushed back. The captain announced a flight time of 4 hours and 40 minutes.

On the ground a pre-take off juice or water was offered as the cabin was made ready for take off.

We pushed back at 08:20 and the crew did the safety demonstration both manually as well as it being shown on the IFE.
We took off at 08:35 and the CSM announced that once we were stable lunch would be served. Hmm bit early for lunch bucko.

Once the belt sign was switched off the crew went about the business of serving the meal. A hot towel was given out before the meal.

On offer for �lunch� this morning was Muesli or Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms. We were offered Orange Juice, Apple Juice or Water and were told coffee and tea would make the rounds soon.

The eggs and bacon were served on a tray with a bowl of fresh fruit. I was offered toast or pastries to go with the meal. The meal was quite filling and tasty to boot. The plunger coffee that came long next was also very nice considering the muck some airlines serve on their domestic / intra-Europe flights.

I spent the time reading, staring out the window and listening to music and the crew did a couple of drinks rounds with trays of water. At around 1.5 hours out of Perth the crew came out with some biscuits and more tea and coffee were offered.

The flight was quite smooth, the crew were cheerful and I was not left wanting so I suppose you could say it was a good flight.

We touched down in Perth at 11:18 local time and I was quickly on my way out and up to the Qantas Club.

There is no Business Lounge in Perth although there needs to be. The joint was heaving. It was standing room only up there.

The lounge is upstairs from the main concourse and looks out over the tarmac, if you can get near the windows that is. The bar doesn�t open until 14:00 which meant no drinkies for me at this watering hole. There was a food bar with soup, salads, breads and sweet treats but I abstained.

I managed to find a seat in a relatively quiet area and sat and read until it was time for the next instalment.

I went down to the gate early, as usual and heard an announcement that a delayed Melbourne flight was now ready for boarding. This elicited a cheer from the crowded departure hall.

The gate number assigned to my next flight led me to believe that it would not be an air bridge gate. I was correct in this assumption as when my flight was finally called at 13:15 I had my BP checked and walked down a corridor and out into the lovely warm Perth air. I strolled across the tarmac and boarded the plane through a set of stairs at door 1L

Flight QF595 PER-ADL Seat 1F
Aircraft: 737-400
Departure time: 13:25

Once on board I grabbed my essentials again and put my bag in the overhead locker.

There was already someone in my seat and I explained I was the window and he moved to the aisle seat for me.

My neighbour was a real ocker bloke dressed in shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops and his feet stank!

The crew came around with juice or water and the captain announced a flight time of 2 hours and 30 minutes and the tug pushed us back at 13:43. The crew did the safety demonstration and we were quickly making our way into the glorious blue Perth sky. I could see Perth off to the starboard side and the Burswood dome not far from the airport. There were some great views to be had out my window on the way over to Adelaide, well before we started to fly over the bight that is.

A hot towel was given out before the meal.
Then the crew came around offering lunch after the belt sign was switched off. On offer today were Ham Salad, Chicken with Mashed Squash and Beans and Lamb Cutlets.

I opted for the chicken dish which was served on the tray with a Greek salad on the side. My seat mate wanted the Lamb Chops thanks Mate.
I was offered wine with the meal and there was a choice of Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon or Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc. I opted for the Cabernet; my seat mate asked �Have ya got any spirits? Can I have a Bourbon and Coke?� I know I am a snob.

The meal was served with a choice of bread or rolls and more bread and wine were offered during the meal. Just after my glass was filled again my seat mate downed the rest of his drink and asked for another Bourbon and Coke. I think he was afraid he was going to miss out on the re-fill.

The chicken was tender and the vegetables were al dente and it had some flavour to it so no complaints from me on that score.

After the main was cleared there was an offer of ice cream or cheese and fruit. My seat mate wanted both but was politely refused as they only cater for those on board. He chose the ice cream and I noticed the cart head back to the galley with some cheese still on there and had a giggle to myself.
More wine was offered with the cheese course along with tea and coffee oh and another Bourbon for my mate.

After the meal I sat and supped and watched the water go by noticing how rough it was down below. The weather on approach to Adelaide was nowhere near as serene as that in Perth.

A couple of more Bourbon�s later it was time to land which we did at 18:05 some 25 minutes late.

I am not even going to tell you how much I drank over the weekend I spent with my friends in Adelaide so we will move on to the next chapter in this little snippet.

My friends dropped me off at the airport and I joined the business queue. I was quickly processed and then went through security in a jiffie. I made my way to the lounge and found a seat in the no mobile phone section of the lounge. I grabbed a glass of wine and some nuts and sat and read for a while. The lounge has a manned bar with self serve wines off to the side, food in the form of nibbles and a more substantial offering down the other end where there was soup, salads, breads etc.

There were many, computers available in the lounge as well with printing facilities.

A woman proceeded to have a conversation without a handset over skype or the like in the lounge just behind me. Ah so no mobile phones means you can still annoy people by having a VOIP conversation that the whole place can hear. Nice.

I moved on to check some emails etc in the computer area before heading down to the gate. Boarding had just started and I joined the shorter queue and had my BP swiped in no time.

Flight QF766 ADL-SYD Seat 1F
Aircraft: 330
Departure time: 08:10

On board juice was offered again prior to take-off and by the time we pushed back I realised I had no seat mate this time.

We pushed back at 17:50 and take off was a quick 8 minutes later. Don�t you just love these compact airports.

After take off dinner was served; this was a choice of Beef Salad with balsamic dressing or chicken with polenta, beans and carrots.
A hot towel was given out before the meal.

I chose the chicken again and it was served on a tray with some salad leaves in a bowl and balsamic dressing. Bread was offered and wines which were the Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon or the Mad Fish Semillon. I opted for the red again and there were plenty of re-fills and more bread offered during the meal. The chicken was served with a tomato and olive sauce which was very tasty indeed.

Coffee and tea were offered after the meal but there was no dessert or cheese course on this flight.

After the meal I asked if they had any single malt and was told unfortunately not. I opted for a scotch and dry ginger ale instead. This was served with some nuts in a foil bag.

I went to the loo and the CSM asked if I wanted another scotch and dry. I said yes and remembered I had gotten out of the habit of ordering scotch and dry as most people in the rest of the world stare blankly at me if I don�t say dry ginger ale.

We landed at 20:33 and taxied to the gate. I thanked the crew and made my way out to the taxi rank and had a short wait before cabbing it to the Westin again. I was reunited with my suitcase and I went up to my, non-suite this time, room.

After a night in a heavenly bed I made my way up the lounge for the first time in these two stays and had a lovely breakfast of bacon, eggs, and roasted tomatoes and a lovely cappuccino. It was back to the room to pack my case and down to yet another cab to Sydney airport.

A similar story to the last time I there with a quick check-in and security and venturing up to the business lounge. The lounge was not as crowded as the previous Friday and I arrived just as the food was switching over to the lunch menu that consisted of soup, salads, mini pizza slices and meat pies. I couldn�t resist having a pie and a glass of wine for my lunch and some biscuits and coffee to finish with.

It was soon time to go down to the gate where the usual children and extra time passengers were invited to board first then a general boarding was made.

I had my BP swiped and was on my way down to the plane in no time.

Flight QF435 SYD-MEL Seat 4A
Aircraft: 767-300
Departure time: 13:00

I must tell you that this flight is not part of the RTW as it is now parked in Sydney awaiting my return sometime next year.

Anyway, back on board I was offered juice or water whilst on the ground and the cabin quickly filled up with a full house in Business again.

We pushed back at 13:04 and the captain announced a flight time of 1 hour and 5 minutes. A hot towel was given out before the meal.

The meal options for lunch were Malaysian Lamb with Rice and Vegetables or a Chicken, Spinach and Feta Salad. The wines were Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon or a Mad Fish Riesling.

My lamb was served on a tray with a side salad and balsamic dressing. The chicken salad was served on a tray with a small chocolate dessert.

I really enjoyed the lamb but was hankering for that choccie dessert though. Oh well you can�t have everything can you.

I got to watch some spectacular scenery below as we skirted the NSW coast for a while before cutting in over the Great Dividing Range. There was snow to be seen in them there mountains and I got a glimpse of my home town as we pulled in for the final approach from the North.

We touched down at 14:23 and taxied to a gate closest to the terminal entrance. Once off the aircraft I made my way down to the baggage hall and only had to wait 5 minutes or so for my priority tagged bag to arrive.

That is it for now my friends. I will return soon when I have the energy to type up my trip back to the UK.


The Photos

Great updates once again Moomba ^ Even though I haven't yet read the latest few reports, the pictures speak volumes and I'm looking forward to having a good read when time allows.

Incidentally, the links in your initial post to each part of the trip report are not all linking to the correct pages/posts.

Thanks Genius1.

The links all seem to work for me. Which ones do you believe are incorrect?

It may just be me, but the links in Post 1 don't go to the correct pages within the trip report. For example, the Part 2 link goes to Page 1 and not Page 2 where Part 2 is. The Part 13 link goes to Page 3, and not Page 6 where Part 13 is! The other links to each part also go to the wrong pages. Hope that makes sense!

Hmmm you learn something new every day. I suspect the way I have linked them is dependent on the number of posts per page you have selected. I have mine set to 40 posts per page.

I will change the links so they link directly to the post and hopefully this will fix it.

Edit: Should be OK now.

The Photos


After an all too brief interlude in Melbourne with friends and family it was time to drive myself to the airport again where I handed over the keys to my father�s car back to him. I said my goodbyes, yet again, to my folks and wandered inside to find the SQ check-in desks.

There was already one person at the suites desk and a free business class agent waived me over. She typed away for a while and asked me if I wanted my bags checked all the way to LHR. I confirmed this, even though I had an overnight stay in SIN.

Let us pause a bit as no doubt the astute members of my esteemed audience will notice I said the 'suites desk' was occupied. Let me explain how I managed to wangle this little feat.
As one of those FTers who makes plans for these trips well in advance I was able to secure a BMI miles and cash redemption in F on SQ from MEL-LHR which because of the availability meant a stop overnight in SIN. I booked these flights based on my desire to be in Oz around my birthday. I did this back in Jan which was two months before I purchased my AONE ticket.
It does help to plan ahead.
Yes I was telling you about the suites. Now when I booked the award flights both were showing as 747 equipment. A few weeks after the ticket was issued the SIN-LHR was swapped to a 77W. Result!
Then, miracle of miracles, the flight I was booked on from MEL became an A380 about 4 weeks prior to my flight date. The icing on the cake was that this was actually the inaugural MEL-SIN A380 flight. Chuffed is an understatement.

Funnily enough I had a call from SQ that morning saying that they could put me on the 77W service out of MEL later that evening which would then connect with the SIN-LHR flight. I thanked them for the generous offer but decided to stay with my A380 flight and an overnight stay in SIN.

So, back at the ticket desk, hmm, ah, hmm the system doesn�t seem to be letting me print a boarding pass for you Mr Moomba. Why don't you fill in this emigrations form whilst I get on the phone and sort it out. I did just that as I heard comments along the line of �I can see the ticket number in there but I am getting this message�. A bit more chatting and few more keystrokes and finally a BP was issued for this flight printed on Suites stock and a second one for the SIN-LHR on F stock.

The agent then informed me that this was the inaugural flight of the A380 and gave me an invitation to a gate party. She wished me a pleasant flight and sent me on my way to emigrations and security.

Both of these were quick, although I got caught at the final hurdle and was selected for the random secondary search.

On through the terminal I went and down to the SQ lounge facility at MEL.
I was welcomed inside and directed to the F side of the lounge. I was the only one there for a while and I was able to grab the first glass of Dom 1999 that they had in the ice bucket. The lounge had various hot and cold nibbles and top shelf liquor to indulge in.

It was quite a small lounge but as there were only 4 in Suites today it didn�t get too crowded. As I was sitting in the lounge one of the agents came over and asked to see my onward BP. She duly stamped this with an invite to the Private Rooms at SIN for the next morning. I don�t know why she did this as award flights on SQ don�t normally garner entry to the Private Rooms. I wasn�t going to question it though.

After a while I decided to wander up to the gate and check out the gate party. I showed my invite the check-in agent had given me and was let inside. There was a jazz quintet playing and they had oodles of Hanging Rock Pink Sparkling Wine and chocolate cake. I grab a glass of the champagne and took two sips before disposing of it in the nearest bin. Dom 99 it wasn�t! I've been spoilt for life drinking all this fine F class chamagne.

There was a queue of people waiting to have their photograph taken in front of the big bird. I joined the queue and eventually made it to the front. I stood next to a lovely SQ Girl and the photographer took our picture with the big bird out the window behind us. I took a couple of photos myself and then headed over to the desk to pick up my souvenir of the flight.

I sat down and listened to the band for a while and finally some staff started to check BPs against passports in readiness for the departure. The finally opened the gate and I wandered on down to the lower level and had my BP passed through the scanner and onboard I went.

Flight SQ228 LHR-SIN Seat 2A
Aircraft: 380
Departure time: 15:50

I was escorted to my seat and my sweater was hung in the closet by the crew member who asked me if I would like a drink. I said Krug please.

An amenity kit was handed out and I was asked if I would like large or extra large PJs. I said I think large fit me.

I was busy taking photos of the seat when one of the crew asked if they would like to take a photo of me in the seat. I declined. In the next few minutes every member of the crew in Suites class had offered to take photos of me.

We were informed of a flight time of 8 hours for this flight. Too short if you ask me. The first of many hot towels came around whilst I was sitting sipping my Krug on the ground. An order was taken for my after take off beverage as well. No prizes for guessing what I asked for.

We pushed back at 15:47 and I noticed the QF9 flight still sitting at the gate, even though they had started boarding calls a long time before our flight.
We taxied up to the northern end of the north south runway and took off towards the south at 16:01.

After the belt sign was extinguished the crew came around with a glass and the bottle of Krug and offered me cashews or pecans or a mix. I asked for some cashews only.
Menus were handed out closely followed by another hot towel service.

Dinner from Melbourne to Singapore:
Appetisers:
Chilled malossol caviar with melba toast and condiments
Galantine of guinea fowl with onion jam, mesclun and hazelnut oil dressing

Soups:
Chicken and sweetcorn consomm� with smoked chicken dumpling
Oriental thick soup with tofu, chicken and black mushrooms

Salad:
Salad of fresh baby cos, curly endive, raddichio, shaved fennel, shaved parmesan, dried cranberry, assorted tomato
Balsamic and extra virgin olive oil dressing
Mustard cream dressing

Main Courses:
Salmon-trout with salted cod-brandade and sauce vierge, fine mesclun and haricot vert

Thai style red curry roast duck served with selected vegetables and steamed rice

Grilled beef fillet served with bordelaise sauce, carrot, asparagus, shimeji and saut�ed potato

Char Siew Mee
Egg noodles in rich pork broth with sliced honey glaced pork, chye sum and mushroom

Penne arrabiatta with saut�ed vegetables and arugula lettuce

Desserts:
Lemon cream and strawberry salad, almond praline, balsamic-vanilla reduction

Vanilla ice cream with sesame tuile, strawberry salad

Cheeses:
Selection of assorted cheeses served with grapes, nuts and cracker

Fruits:
Fresh fruits in season

Finale:
A selection of gourmet coffees and fine teas with pralines

Wine List:
Champagnes:
Dom Perignon 2000

Krug Grand Cuvee

White Wines:
Pentaluma Chardonnay 2006 Adelaide Hills, Australia

Rudesheimer Riesling Spatlese 2006 Rheingau Balthasar Ress

Red Wines:
Chateau Cos d�Estournel 2004 Saint-Estephe

Mr Riggs The Gaffer Shiraz 2005 McLaren Vale, Australia

Port:
Dow�s 20 Year Old Tawny Port Portugal

International Teas (TWG):
Royal Darjeeling
Nuwara Eliya OP Ceylon
Earl Grey
English Breakfast Tea
Singapore Breakfast Tea
Paris-Singapore Tea
Alfonso Fruit Tea
Moroccan Mint Tea
Chamomile
Decaffeinated Earl Grey

In House Tea Selection:
ASIAN TEAS
Indian Masala Tea
Japanese Green Tea

CHINESE TEAS
Jasmine
Oolong

Gourmet Coffees:
Brazil Santos Bourbon
Colombian Supremo
Jamaican Blue Mountain
Kenyan AA �Kilimanjaro�

I was asked if I would like vodka with my caviar and said why not.
The caviar was not a nice as I remember and I am not sure of the correct accompaniments but SQ never seem to add a dollop of sour cream that the other carriers do. I do miss that little bit of tang when enjoying the caviar service on SQ. Gosh listen to me, it sounds like I do this all the time!

My soup was delish and came out very hot. The chicken dumpling was a challenge to eat given the utensils supplied. I was glad I had on the PJs.

Whilst on the subject, who models these things for SQ? The large were tiny and the crotch was around my knees or the legs would have ended just below my knees. The sleeves ended just below my elbows. Note to self. Extra Large on SQ.

The salad was up next and this was when I found SQ crew aren�t infallible. The salad came out with the mustard dressing and not the balsamic one. I didn�t complain as it was still quite tasty and besides I tend to always order balsamic as you may have noticed.

Next up was the beef fillet which tasted as good as it looks in the picture and was only slightly over done for me.
I switched over to the Mr Riggs Shiraz for the main course and it proved to be a memorable as the last time I tried it on SQ.

I was offered some dessert but asked to sit for a while before making a decision.

After a spell a crew member came back and asked if I was ready for dessert. He suggested the ice cream and I went along with that recommendation.
I also ordered a cup of the Blue Mountain coffee to accompany the sweet treat.

After dessert my nose had a hissy fit and a lot of sneezing and snorting was emanating from my suite. A crew member appeared with a box of tissues for me to keep at my seat. Now that is service with a capital SQ.

I asked for another coffee and this was soon delivered with a praline.
Once I had finished the meal a hot towel was delivered to my seat.

As usual all the alcohol and food turned Mr Moomba into Mr Snoozer. The F purser noticed my inability to keep my head upright and asked if I would like him to make up the bed in 2C for me. I said OK and watched as he folded the seat down and then brought the bed down from the wall. He then laid the sheets and duvet and tuned back a corner inviting me to hop in. He also gave me a bottle of water before sliding the doors closed and wishing me a good sleep.

I slept for a good couple of hours and in a more common occurrence of late for me I actually remembered by dreams. Oddly enough I was dreaming about flying on an A380.

I awoke around 1.5 hours out of SIN and went back to my seat where a crew member instantly appeared asking if I would like something to drink. I asked for a mint tea which was delivered a little while later along with yet another hot towel.

I was asked if I would like something from the refreshments menu.

Refreshment:
Light Bites:
Wok fried rice noodle topped with braised sliced beef, leafy greens and mushroom

Seafood ravioli, vierge sauce and steamed asparagus

Finale:
A selection of gourmet coffees and fine teas


I opted for the noodles and beef and sat and watched the sunset out my window.
The noodles were delivered with some water but I abstained from anymore alcohol for now as I knew I would be doing the SQ F thing all over again in 12 hours.

After I finished my meal the lead F crew member offered to take me on a guided tour of the aircraft. I quickly changed back into my civvies and he escorted me around the plane. Behind the suites is the suites galley and then economy right to the tail. Here we went up the spiral staircase to the upper deck. The back portion of this deck is also economy and further forward is the Business cabin. Right at the front of that cabin is the stairway that leads down to the suites. This was roped off at the bottom of the stairs and the crew member let me through. I thanked him for the tour and took my seat ready for lading.

We landed at 22:01 and I thanked the crew and made my way to immigrations where there I was the only person in the hall. I was quickly through and walking out and up to the Crowne Plaza Hotel which was where my bed for the night was waiting.

Catch you next time for the final leg of this portion of my RTW journey back to the UK.


The Photos

Yes it does pay to plan ahead. More on this in my own TR.

That rule changed recently and now all SQ F pax, whether paid, award or upgrade have been able to use the private room lounge within a lounge at SIN. It is still not available to other *A F pax or SQ pax who are able to use the F lounge by virtue of their PPS status.

Great photos Moomba!

So did you prefer the SIA A380 suite or the QF A380 in First? Which did you think was better? And food and service?