[Anonymous]

[MarcusUK]

I flew on the so called “Refurbished 773 down from SIN to SYD 17th Sept 09. This was highlighted by BT, & a few people asked me to leave my comments…

SQ have made serious mistakes here…!

The aircraft is clearly old, very noisy, & the cabin seemed poorly insulated from the engine noise, despite me sitting 2 rows before engines in Business, row 15. I could not hear the passenger speaking next to me as we took off at all! the windows were vibrating through the whole 7 hrs flight, as was the shell of my seat.
It was truly the most noisy plane i have taken in years…

Then this Regional seat!
Its NOT angle lie flat i can tell you. Its in 3 pieces that don’t fit comfortably to sleep. The lower leather foot rest falls at a 45^ angle down from your knee to be about 2 inches of the floor. The other 2 cushions under yr hip have a big gap in the middle when stretched out big enough put put yr fist inside & are at a lesser steep angle than yr legs & feet.
I had to roll up a blanket to “Plug it” into the gap, to even make it remotely join.
So you have 3 sections, with yr knees at one angle of 45^, impossible to sleep on yr side or turn as yr feet will lie unsupported in the air!
Nice leather cushions but completely impractical, you slide constantly down, & the leg position will pressure yr circulation in the leg, so a hazard for DVT.

There is little privacy to the seat next to you, the shell badly designed so even when you are reclined, if the person next to you turns towards your side, you will get his breath in yr face! No privacy or space.

The side of the seat when reclined, has a gap again you can easily make a fist in-between on the R a little less so on the left. Anything you drop goes down between the seat & the sealed shell & you have to climb out of yr seat to retrieve it from the front- what a stupid flaw!

Bizzarely so, the whole cabin seating is very low set in the cabin & , with the head rests not covering the back of yr head! If you were more than 6ft tall, you will not have a proper head support. Several other passengers were very unhappy, one man stating that the seats were so small, that he has to look Down at the video screen creating a poor sight angle, & he has to sit & watch not only his screen but the next person in front & the one further along. Such is the low seating you catch parts of the screen of passengers in front for several rows, very annoying.

There is noise pollution in the whole cabin, carrying all around from all of the seats & rows in one section of Business class. The man 3 rows in front of me on the other side, every time he turned his newspapers page everyone else could here it, as conversations, Toilet doors opening at the back of the cabin, crew movements etc.
Light is the same with no private level of seating blocking out the whole cabin light or noise as a break, it just penetrates the whole of the cabin.
The aisles are also pretty stupidly designed as you arrive at the front of the cabin where the galleys start, & then 1st is situated.
Before we even took off, a passenger literally bumped into a crew member & knocked her to the ground!
The curtains & gap into the cabin are small, & you have to walk Diagonally one step each way to move right then left to get between. Several crew & passengers hit their shoulders & legs arms during the flight, it is really too small, too angled & a safety hazard. Its this angle /, & the curtain hides the inner part making it impossible to see ahead.
I have never seen this with such a small space or angle on any other aircraft, it is totally impractical.

A very badly designed cabin, foolish use of the space height wise, seats that are too low, awkward uncomfortable, flaws in the gaps of between sections of the seat & at the side, & a 45 ^ angle from the knees down to the floor. This is NOT a lie flat angle seat in any sense of the word. I would rather use the old style Raffles seating that at least operated at one angle, without gaps in the cushions, & some, comfort & privacy.

To top it all, SQ now give you a printed menu on the overnight flights (on this 773 SQ231 service leaving at 00.30hr daily arriving to Sydney 11am, with an 8 hr schedule flight), offering you your ONE meal for either dinner or breakfast!!! One course too…
Not much point if you haven’t eaten that eve, or want breakfast as well, & certainly my “Book the cook” green peppercorn beefsteak, not a good breakfast option! there are no other food or snacks on board.

My beefsteak came 2 hrs before landing having had absolutely no sleep, badgered by noise & light all night, only to find it was a 60% lump of grissle from the centre. Really disgusting.
2 other passengers found the same & it was sent back by all, so we had nothing to eat as a main meal for this flight.

I also noted that many of the foods on selection in the buffet in the Silver Ikris Lounge at T3 Changai, were poorly stocked. hey had no milk, few desserts even though they had empty dishes, 3 pieces of cheese which were quickly snapped up, & a few off pieces of fruit.
Visibly people were not happy. I was there for 3 hrs, & this only got worse when the lounge was full with the several hundred passengers for flights worldwide, around Midnight. Truly a great drop in standards,.

I HIGHLY advise anyone who needs to take an overnight trip on this regional seating to completely avoid this aircraft, or i believe the A333 on the Brisbane or Perth routes that were also mentioned by another BT reader.
In all aspects it is a completely un-sutiable aircraft & cabin for an overnight flight 7+ hr flight, & in my view a complete waste of money. This 773 is old, noisy from outside to in there seems little shell to insulate, & inside its far from private or quiet with the poorly designed cabin & complete waste of height space. For one of the main flights overnight this is not a suitable cabin design.

Singapore Airlines are losing their grip!
Running now only one A380 a day with the new 1-2-1 business seating, , one old 747 with Raffles 2-3-2 seating, this 773 with regional seating, & a 773-ER with the new business (A380) seating, its a mess SIN – SYD.
My aircraft was changed from the ER to this regional aircraft, & I will not be using it again, it simply was not worth the money paid & does not meet the suitability for travelling overnight.

I shall be putting this in writing to SQ IN Sydney, & having my flights changed to travel on the new business service as i originally booked (A380 & 773-ER). I shall also include all comments made & observations by fellow passengers, there was a distinct annoyance & disatisfaction of those in this totally full C class cabin.

It’s a rip off to provide this aircraft & cabin, & pathetic meal service for up to an 8 hr flight, for SQ, & degraded their image & reputation for service.
They really must get their act together on what business class they offer on what route, not variations with every one of the 4 flights.
I will not use them down to Sydney in future or Australia.
This experience really did bring home how badly things have gone at SQ, & in my view they don’t any longer have the in-varied reputation they once did, it is not consistent from any angle that is was a few yrs ago.

Sorry its long guys, but you wanted a detailed account, done my best.

[Hess963]

Hi everyone!!

First of all Mark Roberts9 thank you for your post and sharing of your recent experiences with SQ. Especially the part of not having a meal on board a C class cabin of SQ was a very bad revelation indeed!
I am just dumbstruck! This is definitely not the SQ
I have experienced a few months ago, when I travelled from UK to Oz. It was the great, relaxing, exclusive flights all the way. Food, service and seats(long haul C class suites) are working and exceptionally good.
I am baffled and keep asking myself, how could SQ make a very stupid and beginners’s mistake on refurbishing these regional C seats. Have not they learned from their recent highly praised C class suites? They are for example the sliding and the gaps or parts of the seat itself. 7-8 hours flight could be considered by SQ as regional but it is still a long period of time on board. Especially when they demand a nice premium price for it then it is only fair for the pax to experience the best seating and service which is SQ is renowned in the industry. What happen to the good quantity of food and the second service or at least small snacks?? This 4 different configuration for flights to Oz are not the right approach. And why use slick leather in a angled lie flat seat, a huge daftness?? The Silver Kris lounge experience in SIN in terms of food quantity and quality was very good. I had a lot of choices when I transited there, the staffs were very attentive even fulfilling every requests if possible.
The lounge is actually big enough to cover the midnight runs to Oz and Europe? I still got a seat and have my peace.
What is going on in SQ at the moment?? They should correct the seat angle to full flat like the existing long haul C cabin. I experience lately that the hors-d’oeuvre is often a small portion but if you have a decent main course and the dessert/cheese .. it is still satiable. I am still baffled and asking myself, I am writing these things over SQ right..???
Definitely SQ have to do something about these at once! Or lose premium pax for it indefinitely. The reputation as a world class and leading airline in the industry is at stake, if ignore these awful matters, pax quickly lose their faith and with the big competition out there—then SQ you really have a big problem!!

[ChrisFreeman]

Encountered the same problem with CX last year on HKG-SYD and I understand that they received many complaints. All J class passengers want is a CONSISTENT product and service. To be fair to Qantas, you always get their current seat on all international J class sectors north of Sydney. Am going on SQ next month to SIN and then HKG. I suspect that I will be dealt the same treatment by SQ.

The key question is why do (almost) all travel journalists praise SQ- why aren’t they on to this. It is about time that the journalists at Business Traveller said something about it.

[MarcusUK]

It seems these days that BT are more concerned with Cuddling up to BA rather than advocating or prompting discussions with Airlines, or asking Consumer questions.
All we hear about is BA BA BA…via their mouthpiece Vintage Krug…!

I am writing to SQ i Sydney whilst here, & i shall raise these points with them. I shall also indicate to them comments on here relating to them. I will post a response.

Needless to say perhaps we should all Review on Skytrax, this aircraft & Regional configuration, & any other sites where we can leave an independant experience of these mis-matched services.
Bare in mind, that we have a Raffles class 747 /2-3-2 in Business, an A380 & a 773-ER with the new seat 1-2-1, and a 773 (OLD & noisy), with regional seating.

It seems that SIN- SYD overnight services, have ONE meal service for up to an 8 hr flight. Dinner or breakfast, if you want yr salmon or steak for breakfast on “Book the cook”. I would like to “Shoot the cook”, for my lump of grissle of a steak that was sent back, with other meals from other passengers!
What a waste of money SQ has become, & very over-rated.
& very sad but rapid demise recently.

[Hess963]

Hi everyone!!

Refering to my recent posts and to MarkR9.
Regarding my night flight from SIN-SYD. I had supper (BTC) and had the lamb meal. It was good but not overall outstanding. My fellow pax was not so happy with his steak meal. It looked tiny than the 6 oz size advertise in the homepage. Although he said explicitly to have it medium rare, the steak came absolute dry. But it seems to me that even the absolute outstanding carriers for decades now are struggling to maintain this high level of service attentivness. Coming back to my meal experiences. Before landing we were offered a piece of papaya and some croissants/marmelade and hot beverage for breakfast. When I asked for any eggs or sausages or similar to hot brekkies. The answer was plainly a “no”. Only a kind of refreshment is served. I was a bit surprised and annoyed about it. Luckily I had a connecting flight to New Zealand and I could at least raid the buffet there. So does it mean now that SQ is not only inconsitent in the level of offering 4 different kinds of C class seating, now they are inconsistent of offering or not offering any hot brekkie meal in an overnight 8 hours flight to SYD? So I should consider myself lucky to have been offered a piece of papaya as a meal at all?? OH, dear what happened to the good old time of perfect Asian service with SQ…….!!

[Hess963]

Refering to ChrisFreemann.

If you have been offered by an airline to seat in their premium cabins and enjoy all the premium benefits for nothing. That will be great isn’t ??And the only thing they want from you is to write some sentences in how grand and absolutely outstanding their product is to make the premium paying pax jealous and be allured of those ” want to be competent traveller experience writer” to fly their premium cabins.
I could only refer to other pax that they have to inform themselves properly and experience it on their own.
Regarding BT not writing about it….I think Mark has commented it already–we do not want to over expose are prime sponsor of this platform.

[Airpocket]

From what I gather from my Singapore-based friends, SQ are keen to keep customers happy and have been known to bend over backwards to do so. So, it would be interesting to see how they respond to complaints. I think the old “I will now switch my company’s long-haul carrier to a rival airline” line usually elicits a positive response. If not, I’m sure substitutes to SQ could be found on the SIN-Oz routes?Maybe connecting through KUL wouldn’t be so bad if the quality of service on MH is better.

[bombayteddy]

I’m only hoping this horror doesnt find its way onto the 777’s serving BOM-SIN-BOM. The old Biz-class, though dated and a little claustrophobic, is at least reasonably comfortable (though if you have a tummy like mine, getting the tray to lie flat when unfolded is touch-and-go!). There’s so much competition now from Jet Airways and Kingfisher offering superior Biz-class products on this route that SQ cannot dare afford to rest on its laurels.

[Airpocket]

Lets not forget Air India and Indian! They may not offer a comparable product but they sure do win on their fares.

[bombayteddy]

Air India and Indian??? Not at ANY price!!!

[Airpocket]

I must admit, I,too, am hesitant when it comes to flying AI and IC for more than a few hours (in other words, I just stick to flying them domestic) but, credit where it’s due, at least neither airline charges for seat selection and pillows and blankets! Not bad for Third World airlines in an era when First World airlines are nickle-and-diming passengers.

[austline]

At last people are waking up to SQ, I am a qualified PPS and have stopped flying with them. The lounge in Singapore is dark and dingy the catering is poor. The food and wine on board has been downgraded, one meal on a flight from South Africa I couldn’t even eat it. . The A330 J seats on Per and Bne route are very ordinary. I am now locked in with QF and enjoying my flights. Great FIRST lounges in Mel and Syd and food wines and seating tops.

[travelswithmybriefcase]

A liitle while ago I posted a thread on another forum that pointed out that, for all their faults, this could NEVER happen on BA

BA’ single biggest strength is that on every long haul flight, regardless of route, date or aircraft – 747/777/767, even the 318 out of LCY, you are GUARANTEED a Fully Flat Bed

I am both an SQ PPS and BA Gold Card holder and I will only fly SQ if the aircraft has a fully flat bed ( so A380 and 777 ER)

If not I will pick BA or someone else with a flat bed offering

In fact the risk of SQ switching euipment at the last minute – a far from rare occurrence – makes me very reluctant to travel wit them

On BA the “worst” that can happen is that your 747 gets replaced with a 777 or the 777 with a 767 but always with a flat bed

For a flight like SIN – SYD teh SQ new offering is not acceptable – equivalent to LHR – BOS or Toronto and BA will guarantee you a flat bed

We all know BA is not perfect but I think in this aspect thaey are streets ahead

[Hess963]

There is a good point for BA here !!
There are other highly appraise airlines like TG which are famous for spontaneous changing of aircrafts and still using seatings in older aircrafts which I think should have been retired earlier or refurbished.

I could only think of few airlines who offer consistently a full flat bed in C cabin in all long haul aircrafts and segments from UK to Oz.
That will be BA, VS, EY, NZ……

But the problem is not only having fantastic and sleepable seats but there have to a be the same level of great corresponding meal service to it. You can’t just sleep the whole journey from UK to Oz without any proper meals on board ?? Well, there will be some of us who can…………

[Author]

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