[Anonymous]

[JohnHarper]

Singapore – London SQ322 Airbus A380

My business trip and Mrs JH’s South East Asian shopping expedition at an end it was time to head for home. We had a late check-out from the Shangri-La where we had spent the last couple of nights at 20.00. On my own I like to use the taxis but with the additional luggage as a result of all the shopping I booked a hotel limo.
The car was driven by a very pleasant young man who we engaged in conversation throughout the journey. I doubt a Shangri-La driver would ever initiate conversation but if you chat to them they chat back and they are usually intelligent, educated people. Traffic was quite heavy even after we joined the PIE and the journey took about forty five minutes which IME is a long time for an airport transfer in Singapore.

The driver stopped at the first class check in zone of T3 at Changi and SIA staff were there immediately to open the doors and by the time we got out of the car our bags were already loaded on to one of their trolleys. It always seems there that the men do the lifting and the women do the welcoming and a very lady who had a very pleasant smile and manner wished us a good evening and invited us to come inside to check-in. While walking she asked where we were flying to and she made some well-informed comments about going home to the cold, it was 27C at the time and a very pleasant evening. We were shown to seats in the F check-in lounge, brought cold towels and offered drinks. Our destination of LHR only was confirmed and the lady took away our documents with the luggage porters following her. The lounge is light and bright and mainly decked out in light browns and creams. It is large and there is no sense that it is ever busy or crowded.

We sat back and enjoyed a lemon tea. In minutes our SIA lady returned with our boarding cards which confirmed our previously made choice of 3 C & D, passports and luggage receipts. I had been dreading the luggage check-in after all Mrs JH’s shopping as SIA can be quite strict at times regardless of the class you are travelling in but either they ignored the excess or we were covered by their newly increased allowances of 50KG and of course our *G cards covered and additional 20KG each. She asked if we were ready to move or we would prefer another drink, we chose to move and she escorted us through the outbound formalities of a passport check, security is all carried out at the gate at Changi. We were asked if we wanted to go straight to the lounge or did we want to do anything else. Mrs JH of course had a shop or two she wished to look at so we let our escort go and Mrs JH looked but this time did not buy and I had a bit of a wander. Terminal three is a nice building and it couldn’t be a bigger contrast to another terminal three which is much closer to home. I always find some pleasure in the butterfly garden.

Mrs JH joined me and we made our way up to the lounge. Our first class tickets gave us access to The Private Room, the inner sanctum of the first class lounge which you need to be flying in F to access. At the lounge reception point our boarding passes which said ‘suites’ and a gold colour in place of the red on the F ones were only glanced at and we were shown into TPR and asked if we would like to be shown round. We’ve both been there enough times before to know where everything is so we declined.

In no time a waiter approached and we both ordered a Singapore Sling, I don’t know how SIA make them but they are just that bit special and I always enjoy one when travelling with them. The drinks came accompanied by dishes of macadamias and rice crackers. The waiter asked if he should leave us the menu or come back, we took the menu and said we would call him if we wanted to order.

The oriental menu offered:

Spare Rib and Black Bean Soup
Chicken Congee
Pho with beef or chicken
Dim Sum
Satay
A tofu dish – sorry can’t remember what

The western menu offered:

A range of salads
French onion soup
A US flame grilled burger stuffed with foie gras and topped with a quail egg
Baked Cod
Wok Fried Lobster

There’s also a line on the menu which states that if you would like something different please ask and they will do their best to meet your requirements.

On the buffet was a large selection of sandwiches, spring rolls and the like as well as steamed rice, fried rice and noodles with a choice of hot accompaniments. There was also a good choice of cheese and fruit, a wide range of ice cream, sticky rice and mango and some sort of cake as well as biscuits which are wrapped in small packs rather than placed in large jars.

I don’t have the bar menu but suffice to say you can order almost anything you can think of.
I was predictable and ordered a generous portion of chicken satay which again is one of those things SIA get just right and a Tiger Beer which I drink freely in Singapore but wouldn’t want at home as it just isn’t the same, I also had seconds of the satay. Mrs JH had a bowl of beef pho which she said was excellent. As the flight to London is so long neither of us would eat heavily in the lounge and would choose to eat on board the later the better as at departure time it is still only about 16.00 in London and that’s far too early to settle down for the night if you want to combat jet-lag. We both prefer to stay awake for about six hours after departure and then sleep.

Time had moved on and we were now about seventy five minutes until departure so we both moved to have a shower and make ready for the journey. I had a very pleasant shower in a bright and extremely clean shower room and was quite relaxed at the end of it. By the time Mrs JH and I met up again the boards were indicating that the gate was open for our flight and also for FRA, CDG and ZRH all of which are served by the A380 and the staff were making their way round the lounge prompting passengers to start moving. We made our way out of the lounge with every member of staff we met wishing us a safe and pleasant flight with a smile.

Security is at the gate at Changi, there was no wait and we were through in less than a minute and again wished a safe and pleasant flight with a smile by the staff, security is thorough and you feel it is effective unlike some other places. Our boarding cards were checked and we were told the first boarding announcement would be made almost immediately. The lounge was fairly crowded but the gates used for the A380 are more than large enough to cope even if it is full. We went to take a seat but before we did the pre-boarding announcements started. SIA are very strict about boarding and the announcement made that clear, passengers in Suites, Business Class, PPS card holders and *G card holders were invited to start boarding the aircraft immediately or and I like how they put it ‘at any moment of your convenience once general boarding commences’. Passengers seated in economy class who did not hold PPS or gold cards were advised to remain seated and that if they approached the gate they would be sent back until their seat row numbers were called.

Mrs JH and I made our way aboard. At Changi the A380 is usually served by three jetties and this was no exception, the first one is on 1L and only for first class, the second one is to the upper deck for business class and the third to 2L for economy class. We were welcomed with big smiles and by name at the door by two members of the crew who asked if they could take our bags and they led us to our seats. They asked if we had flown in suites before and when we said we had they asked if we were happy with the operation of the suite and features or did we want them to go over anything. We declined the kind offer. Bags were sorted and things we needed were unpacked and we settled down and drinks and hot towels were offered, the suite passed Mrs JH’s wipe with a hot towel with flying colours. We both chose champagne which on SIA is of course Krug. A choice of nuts was offered and we both chose macadamias. I was in 3C and Mrs JH in 3D. The cabin remained quiet though there was a little noise from general boarding from 2L though the area is cushioned by galleys and lavatories. While we were chatting I looked up and noted that 1L was being closed and wondered if it meant that tonight we were the only two passengers in F and it was soon confirmed by the crew that we were.

We couldn’t believe our luck. Flying in F with SIA is always special but to be the only two passengers may be even more special. Amenity kits were offered along with Givenchy comfort wear and slippers and the menus were brought out along with a huge selection of newspapers and magazines. Drinks were topped up and I realised that we may have quite a bit of Krug to get through. We told the crew that we would like to have dinner about four hours after take-off and then we would hopefully sleep. All our requests were met with a smile and an assurance that our wishes would be met. They asked us if we would like to specify the lighting levels for the cabin whenever we wanted it changing as there was no one else to please other than the two of us, again assuring us that it would be their pleasure to do whatever we wanted. I couldn’t stop grinning, people complain that SIA crew are robotic, I’ve never agreed with that and these were three of the most pleasant and charming young ladies you could wish to meet, warm and spontaneous.

The In-Flight Supervisor came along and introduced himself, another very pleasant man and he assured us of his attention throughout the flight and if we had the slightest concern he would address it immediately. We chatted for a few minutes and he told us that tonight’s flight was full in the other classes and it had led to four economy class passengers being off-loaded to SIA’s second flight of the night which leaves about ninety minutes later . Very SIA I thought, they would have off-loaded even if it meant waiting until the next day as you get exactly what you pay for and upgrades even for status passengers happen about as often as there are two moons in the sky at night. It’s good to fly with an airline that maintains the integrity of its offering and when you book a flight, you know what you will get and you won’t be surrounded by people gawping because they are getting something for free.

Through the window I could see that the jetty had been taken from the upper deck and then the one moved from 2L indicating it too was closed. The pilot made his first announcement introducing himself and the flight deck crew. SIA still employs a number of ex-pats as pilots although the numbers seem to be decreasing but the announcement was in clipped, precise and perfect English worthy of the best BA has to offer. Flying time would be long due to winds over India and Central Asia, take off would be to the north and the routing would take us up the west coast of Malaysia before crossing the Bay of Bengal towards New Delhi, Kabul, Ashgabat, Baku, on towards Istanbul, Sofia, Zagreb, Munich, Frankfurt and Brussels before finally crossing the North Sea to London. He concluded by telling us that he expected push back within a couple of minutes and was not expecting any delays to departure.

Push back started and as the first Trent 900 came to life the safety video started. No matter how often I fly I watch it as does Mrs JH and what they say is right, even if you fly frequently you can never be familiar enough with the cabin should something go wrong. In the previous ten days I had been on a Qatar A330, a Qatar A320, an Emirates A380, a Thai A330 and a SIA A330, the possibility of being confused at a critical moment if you do not pay attention is, I think a real risk to my own safety and that of other people. By the time the video which is thorough finished the taxi was well under way and the crew made their final checks of the cabin.
From our parking position to the holding point for 20C took us about seven minutes and once there we fell in behind a SIA 77W which almost immediately entered the runway and was gone inside a minute. The brakes were released and the four Trent 900s spooled up with an ever increasing growl, a sound that in foreign parts makes me proud to be British. There was no further hold and as the turn was established the growl increased and the slow crawl had a major change of tempo as the A380 ate up the runway before a very smooth rotation and before we knew it the landing gear was up and the climb established. I’m always amazed how quiet the A380 is on take-off, I used to be impressed by the A346 and still am but it has been beaten.

We sat back enjoying the few minutes of the dimly lit cabin and what we could see of Singapore and Malaysia below. I always have mixed feelings leaving Singapore, at one level I like it and it’s a very easy place at least for me to do business. On the other hand the level of order can drive me mad, I mean, does nothing ever go wrong there? Over many years I’ve come to the conclusion that if it does, they keep it well hidden.

Meanwhile Mrs JH was planning the flight. She had determined that we should reset our watches to UK time which meant putting them back eight hours so it was now about 16.00 and she told the crew that was the timing she would like them to work to. She proposed we have coffee and a sandwich now, drinks about 19.30 followed by dinner and we would aim to settle down about 22.00. This is what I try to do on flights back from South East Asia overnight at any time but of course the received wisdom from most people is they want to get off to sleep as quickly as possible. I find that going to sleep later means that jet-lag never really takes hold and I’m fine within twenty four hours. Of course it’s rare you can do exactly as you wish but on this occasion we could. The service on this flight is designated as a supper service so although it is very close to a dinner service there is no caviar or satay service. Just as well I had topped up on satay in the lounge. The crew were very happy with the proposal and assured us several times that nothing was a problem. It really was service with a smile.

The sandwich choices were foccacio filled with roasted vegetables and blue cheese or a croissant filled with chicken and tomato. We had one of each with a coffee and they were very tasty and so filling that Mrs JH did wonder about the wisdom of having one of each. We sat and talked for quite some time about things that are coming up, so often we don’t get the time to talk that we would like to and this was an ideal opportunity. Coffee was topped up regularly and more food was offered, we had plenty more coffee but no more to eat. I decided to get changed and as ever, as I emerged from the lavatory one of the crew was waiting with hangers to take my clothes which she did with yet another smile. I then settled down to read and put the map on; Mrs JH had chosen a film.

One of the great things about the suite is that the seat and the bed are two separate items. The seat will recline into almost any position but the bed actually folds out of the wall when you are ready to use it. The only comparable arrangement I can think of is the revamped LH 744 F on the upper deck which offers a bed and a chair side by side though of course it doesn’t have the same degree of privacy. In the suite once you close the doors and blinds it is a very private space, you could just about look in over the top of the partitions but it would be a very inappropriate thing to do. The product is unmatched even by EK and EY although the cabins are not to everyone’s taste as I understand some people prefer an open cabin.

Time passed and the crew made regular passes of the cabin at times stopping to chat. There were never less than two of them present, there are normally three plus the In Flight Supervisor but I think one had been reallocated to another cabin and the IFS though he made frequent appearances covered the meal service in Business Class. As 19.30 approached we were asked if we would like a drink and at the same time brought a hot towel. We both opted for more Krug, the crew apologised that they did not have canapés to serve but a mixture of macadamias and cashews was offered which did the job nicely.

It was time to order dinner or as the menu said supper.

Appetisers:

Seared Tuna with avocado cream, grapefruit and a chilli salsa or
Iberico Ham with roasted vegetables and a white balsamic dressing

Soups:

Corn Chowder with peppers and fingerling potatoes or
Pea & Ham Hock

Mains:

A warm beef sandwich with pickled onions, horseradish cream and vegetable chips
Lobster L’Americaine
Singapore Chicken Rice

Followed by:

A choice of cheeses and seasonal fruit

Compared to the full dinner service the meal was light but it was as much as we would eat at home. Just to complicate matters we had both pre-ordered a Lobster Thermidor from the Book the Cook service. The crew assured us that they had the Lobster Thermidor and four of each other choice so we could order whatever we wanted.

We started out with the appetiser, Mrs JH had the tuna and I had the Iberico Ham, we found both to be excellent. Champagne was topped up and breads offered both then and at very regular intervals during the meal. The crew remained perfectly friendly even though I did realise by then that their body clocks were probably telling them it was 04.00 as in some ways were ours. We decided to continue to drink the Krug, so apologies, I have no recollection of the wine list.

Again with the soups we had one of each, my corn chowder was perfect and Mrs JH pronounced the pea and ham as good as her own which is praise indeed.

The lobster thermidor was served in due course. Throughout the meal two crew served us in perfect unison one from each aisle so just as in the best restaurants we were able to eat at precisely the same time. I often order the lobster when I travel on SIA, I’ve never yet been disappointed and on this occasion I wasn’t either, it was cooked to perfection as was the accompanying asparagus. I could have eaten two of them and while there was another lobster dish on the main menu I doubt I would have slept if I had eaten any more. Mrs JH had not had the thermidor before and only ordered it because I’ve enthused about it so much. Fortunately she approved of it so my life is still worth living.

Dishes cleared the cheese was brought out. I thought it was time to leave the Krug behind and move on to the Taylors 20 year old tawny port that SIA serve in first, it is one of my favourites. The cheese board offered brie, an emmental, dolcelate and a very strong Australian cheddar. The fruit on offer included grapes, bananas, oranges, kiwis, mango, dragon fruit and a couple of other things. The crackers were Arnotts which I think are some of the best you can get. I took a little of each cheese and some grapes.

Meanwhile the crew asked if we would like 2 C & D made up as beds or would we prefer two window seats to be made up. We opted for 2 C & D as we do like the centre seats when we travel together. The crew busied themselves making up the beds while we finished our cheese. We both declined coffee although there are about eight options to choose from but opted for a hot chocolate which is my habit at that point of the flight. That served, it was bed time and the cabin lights were finally dimmed and then put out.

We both settled down and slept very soundly. Although there were only the two of us, we closed the suite doors for the additional privacy and it was as always very cosy. I’ve never sat in a middle seat when travelling alone but there is a substantial partition in case you don’t know the person in the other seat.

Landing time was expected to be 05.50 so as agreed with the crew they woke us at 04.45 for breakfast which is a big improvement on the usual ninety minutes to two hours before.

On waking the offered a hot towel and a choice of juices, we both chose orange. There was also a choice of tomato or pineapple.

The breakfast menu was as follows (to the best of my memory as I didn’t record this at the time):

A fruit plate

A choice of cereals and yoghurts

Eggs either scrambled, baked or boiled with ham slices, tomatoes and mushrooms
Congee
Pancakes with maple syrup and autumn berries
Various breads
Coffee or tea

Mrs JH opted for scrambled eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms and I had again booked the cook and had ordered Nasi Lemak. We were both more than satisfied with our breakfast and the crew were again attentive throughout.

Breakfast over it was time to get changed and with that intuition that SIA crew have one of them appeared with the hanger with my clothes almost exactly at the moment I wanted it. By the time we had changed 2 C & D were tidied away and we gathered up our belongings. The customary pilot’s announcement of thirty minutes to landing had been made while we were changing.

The seatbelt sign was already on when we returned to our seats and as we started to descend it was bumpy. We made a very usual approach over Clacton and down towards Canary Wharf and up the Thames, there was no delay on approach and barely a bump as we landed on 27L. Brakes were applied and we left the runway with just a short taxi to one of the T3 A380 gates. The usual arrival announcement was made and the crew came to say that 2L would be opened but not 1L because of an issue with the jetty.

Mrs JH and I were prepared when the engines stopped to gather our things together and with a final smile from the crew and good wishes for the day we left behind one of the most amazing travel experiences we’ve had. Economy class passengers were held behind the curtain and must have been for several minutes as we were well clear of the jetty before there was any sense of people behind us. Immigration was quiet but we now always use the egates as they are more pleasant than the LHR immigration staff, there was no queue and we were through in minutes.

We knew we were home because the baggage carousel wasn’t even listed when we arrived in the hall just SQ322 Wait on the screen. After some fifteen minutes a carousel was listed and as we walked towards it, it started. I have little faith in priority delivery at LHR but SIA do usually get it right and the first six bags out were ours so something worked that morning and with just a walk through customs our driver was waiting and we were soon in the car and on the way home.

SIA operate four times a day between London and Singapore using a mixture of A380s and 77Ws. The A380 offers what I think is the best first class inflight experience of any airline by a country mile, on the 77W it is way above average but not comparable though the 77W does offer the latest SIA business class seats which are only a matter of months old. The service is invariably perfect, the food and beverage options at the top of the range and the Krisworld, the inflight entertainment system is a match for Emirates ICE and the two lead the market. This flight, partly because we were the only two passengers in F was an unmatched experience and I’d quite like it to happen again sometime!

[CityRiskBoy]

Excellent trip report! Enjoyed it very much and was great in giving every tiny detail perfectly without it dragging out. Can I ask you what line of work you are in?

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Sounds Horrible JH!!! 😉

Cracking Review. No doubt having F to yourself enhanced what would still ordinarily be a very good experience. I would be happy to give the Business Class a try at some point let alone First. I very rarely hear anything bad about SQ in the Premium Classes.

[SimonS1]

Wow. That’s all you can say really. Doesn’t get any better by the sounds of it.

[MartynSinclair]

A fantastic report.

I have read other reports on here when the poster + 1 were the only passengers – but the one part that stands out as being simple but “novel” was how the crew offered to maintain the lighting to suit both Mr and Mrs JH. Never seen or heard that before. I realise with a fully loaded cabin, that could never be offered, but it sounded a very nice touch.

[judeghl]

!WOW!….Every single penny well spent!

Thank-you very much, John, for sharing with us your five-star treatment
and positive experience with SIA!

Weiil, it has always been my dream to fly F on board SIA´s A380 on a
long haul flight!

[openfly]

Wow….good one. Bet you regret not flying BA First!!!

[TiredOldHack]

Enjoyed that. And you’re so right about the safety announcement – all aircraft differ in some respect, but they all look alike, and there are times when I’ve not been sure whether I’ve been in a B737, A319 or A320.

Ignoring the safety briefing is for show-offs and the foolish.

[JohnHarper]

Thank you for the comments everyone.

I guess I had always thought it would be great to be the only passenger in F, the only thing that made it better than that was having Mrs JH with me. I really don’t think it gets any better.

Martyn, you were right, the lighting really was special, so simple and so obvious really. Those three young ladies were exceptional and they thought of everything.

openfly – let’s say SIA met and exceeded my expectations, I had no regrets whatever 😉 I somehow think the carrier you mention might not have met my expectations unless I was expecting business class!

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Simply superb!

I am also a big fan of the butterfly garden.

[NNoah16]

Great report JohnHarper.
Very accurate!
Love the product and the airline.
I was on my own on a SIN-SYD sector and they setup the middle two suites as a bed for me in addition to my suite.
Fantastic service, always exceeds expectation.

[judeghl]

It’s not surprising that SIA is continuously voted the Number ONE airline in the world!

Honestly, most of the major American & European airlines can certainly
learn a thing or two from SIA like providing good service!

[FormerlyDoS]

Fantastic report John, shows why SIA have such a good rep.

Thanks for taking the time to go into such detail, although I’ll be unlikely to fly SIA F, it’s really nice to know the inside track.

It clearly blows the European airlines out of the water.

[CXDiamond]

Excellent report John. I don’t really think you can compare the airlines of South East Asia with those from other parts of the world in terms of service and the thoughtful attention of the crew.

I have once, several years ago been the only passenger in F on Cathay and it was superb too. If only it would happen again…

[Author]

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