Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Star Alliance Lounge Los Angeles, Singapore Airlines Business Class Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore, ANA Business Class Lounge Tokyo

Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Star Alliance Lounge Los Angeles, Singapore Airlines Business Class Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore, ANA Business Class Lounge Tokyo

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Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks
More from this series:

Given that the reLAX lounge was nothing too exciting, I headed down to Singapore Airlines check-in at around 12:20 PM, shortly after it opened.


Bradley Terminal exterior


Bradley Terminal interior


Some of the airlines leaving from Bradley


Check-in


Business class check-in

While there were well over 100 people in the economy class line already, there was no one in the business class line. Check-in was prompt and the agent was incredibly charming, and soon enough I had my boarding passes all the way to Kuala Lumpur, as well as lounge invitation for the Star Alliance lounge. She advised me that we would be departing from a remote stand today, saying that boarding would start at 2:45PM, one hour before departure.

I was surprised at just how many police officers and security guards there were with machine guns, not just at El Al check-in, but otherwise too. I was almost scared to take pictures in the terminal.

Bradley is easily the biggest mess of a terminal out there. It’s an absolute cluster-you-know-what. At the same time, in a weird, twisted kind of way, I kind of like it just a little. And that’s simply because of the variety of airlines that fly out of there, mostly to exotic destinations. When I leave out of Bradley I know I’m headed somewhere fun.

I proceeded to the TSA checkpoint, where there was a premium line (up until a few years ago they didn’t have one), though it was basically as long as the other line, and probably ended up taking longer since it’s the same lane that handicapped people, families traveling with small children, and crews use, and they always have line cutting privileges.

The TSA agent checking IDs was so friendly and sincere that I couldn’t help but pay him a compliment, which is a first for the TSA for me.

The biggest problem with security at Bradley Terminal is that they don’t use any line dividers. So once your ID is checked it’s basically just a mob scene to get to the actual x-ray machine, as opposed to a single filed line. After a wait of about 20 minutes I was through, and proceeded to the Star Alliance lounge. While there are some decent restaurants at Bradley Terminal landside, the terminal looks like a hospital corridor airside.


Bradley terminal airside… how charming

The Star Alliance lounge can be accessed through the same elevator as the SkyTeam lounge, though is one floor higher.


Lounge elevator

While the lounge is far from spectacular, there’s still something cool about it to me, since it’s shared by several airlines. So at check-in you’re greeted by a Singapore agent, Lufthansa agent, Asiana agent, Thai agent, Swiss agent, etc., all in their respective uniforms.

I was directed to the business class section of the lounge, which is a pretty big area though always packed. The lounge is nothing special, with a few cold and warm snack options. They have olives, cheese, fruit, chips, some chicken noodle dish, instant noodles, etc. Most importantly, the wireless internet is pretty fast.


Star Alliance business class lounge


Star Alliance business class lounge


Star Alliance business class lounge


Star Alliance business class lounge snack options


Star Alliance business class lounge snack

The odd thing about the lounge is that there is a first class section with a separate entrance, though there’s a door between the two lounges that’s usually wide open. So if you wanted to use the first class lounge you could easily sneak in there. That being said, I’ve used it many times and it’s nothing special, usually just as crowded as the business class lounge.


Door to the first class lounge

At around 2:45PM I left the lounge for the gate (or bus terminal, whichever you prefer), which was maybe a 10 minute walk away. By the time I got there they were boarding coach, though they still have a priority lane. I got onto the bus, where I had to wait for about 10 minutes for it to fill up. I almost felt bad for the other passengers, because I seemed to be the only person not mumbling something along the lines of “oh my gosh, how am I going to survive the next 20 hours?”


Departure gate


Bus

While a bus ride isn’t all that much fun, I did enjoy the views, as we drove past two Qantas A380s, a couple of V Australia 777-300ERs, and an Air Pacific 747. I’ve gotta wonder, though, why does Singapore seem to leave from remote gates so often at LAX? Is it something they do to save money, or can they simply not get a gate?


Sexy Qantas A380s that I’d be flying later in the trip


V Australia 777

The remote stands at LAX aren’t your typical remote stands in that they don’t use airstairs, but instead have a remote gate of sorts, where you walk up a ramp and then through a jetbridge onto the plane.


Remote gate


Ramp up to jetbridge

The one disadvantage of boarding a few minutes late is that the jetbridge line was 100 people deep, so it took a while to board.


Jetbridge

Fortunately, all of the stresses of traveling, especially through Bradley Terminal, subside as soon as you step onboard a Singapore Airlines plane.

Singapore Airlines 11
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT)
Sunday, May 15
Depart: 3:45PM
Arrive: 7:15PM (+1 day)
Duration: 11hr30min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 11A (Business Class)

At the door I was greeted by two lovely flight attendants who directed me left towards my seat in row 11.


Seat 11A


Seat 11A


Entertainment and seat controls

Before I could even settle in I was offered a pre-departure beverage of choice and newspapers and magazines. I went with champagne, which was promptly served by one of the lovely flight attendants. That was quickly followed by hot towels.


Champagne


Hot towel

At my seat already were headphones and the menu for the flight.


Menu and headphones

While this flight was initially supposed to be operated by the Airbus 380, it was downgraded to a 777-300ER due to the earthquake in Japan. In theory that was a bummer, though it meant I could secure row 11, which is by far the best place to sit in business class on Singapore. For one, it’s part of the forward mini cabin with only two rows. More importantly, however, the seat is vastly superior to the rest of the business class seats. The rest of the seats only have a cutout to put your feet in, while the bulkhead row gives you a ton of open space. The seat really isn’t that much different than what’s offered in first class.


Rest of the mini cabin


Plenty of space

Shortly before scheduled pushback time the captain came on the PA for a welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of a “quick 11 hours.” He said we would be a few minutes late as they loaded some last minute bags, but should make up for it once airborne.

The “new” Singapore safety video showed, which is probably the most boring of any airline out there. The old one at least had decent music with it.

About 15 minutes late we pushed back and quickly began our taxi to runway 24L. After holding for some smaller planes to take off, it was our turn.


Pushing back


Ready to go

The 777-300ER is one powerful beast, and I’m always surprised by how quickly it gets off the ground, even with what I assume is a near full load between fuel and cargo.

The views of the California coast on the climb out were beautiful, as it was a clear and sunny day. After a bit of chop thanks to some thick clouds, the seatbelt sign was turned off less than five minutes after takeoff.


Airport views after takeoff


Coastline views

At that point the flight attendants closed the curtains and their “performance” began. It started with socks and eyeshades being distributed. Interestingly, Singapore doesn’t have an amenity kit in business class. Instead, they have all the essentials in the lavatory.


Socks and eyeshades

Following that hot towels were served, which were quickly followed by one of the flight attendants introducing herself and asking what I’d like to drink. Unlike US airlines, it wasn’t “whaddya wanna drink, hun?” but rather “Mr. Lucky, it’s a pleasure to have you flying with us today, my name is Angel, and along with my colleagues I’ll be taking care of you. May I offer you a beverage now that we’re airborne?” I went with a Diet Coke with lime (or as they seem to call it, lemon), which was served with a small ramekin of cold nuts.

As the flight attendant noticed my ramekin was almost empty, she came by immediately and offered another one.

The KrisWorld entertainment system was turned on, and I started by watching a couple of episodes of “Two and a Half Men.” The entertainment system is fantastic, with all kinds of sitcoms, movies, and CDs.


Entertainment system

At this point the main meal service began, starting with orders being taken. Interestingly, Singapore actually has a pretty simple menu in business class. It’s not five courses, but rather an appetizer, main course, and dessert. As I always say, I’ve never been hungry on an airplane in a premium cabin, so that was perfectly fine by me.

The only disappointment for me is that Singapore no longer serves satay before the appetizer from Los Angeles to Tokyo, as they used to. Now they just serve it from Tokyo to Singapore.

The menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Starter

Seared ahi tuna, heart of romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan cheese, anchoiade vinaigrette

Main

Panroasted corn-fed chicken breast in morel sauce with wild mushroom ballotine and garden vegetables

Stir fried beef with ginger and spring onion, served with braised beancurd with eggplant and asparagus and steamed rice

Grilled seabass with artichoke tomato ragout, buttered vegetables and new potatoes

Finale

Double fudge brownie ice cream served with raspberry coulis

Gourmet cheese with garnishes

A selection of fresh fruit

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas, with pralines

For anyone interested, they also had a Japanese menu, as follows:

Dinner Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavors of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

ICHINI JYU
Sakizuke
Konbu cured sea bream sashimi salad with citrus dressing

Sunomono
Baby octopus with sesame sauce
Jelly fish with citrus sauce

Shiizakana
Japanese style omelette
Pickled mountain vegetables

Men
Cold green tea soba noodles

NINO JYU
Ha Sun
Smoked salmon rolled with radish sprout

Takiawase
Fried tofu cake with ginger sauce

Kuchitori
Assorted pickles

Yakimono
Wagyu beef with garlic sauce

Gohan
Bamboo shoot steamed rice

Tome-Wan
Miso soup with spinach, seaweed and tofu

Mizugashi
Sesame ice cream with garnishes

Lastly, the wine list read as follows:

Champagne
Bollinger Special Cuvee

White Wine
Cuvaison Chardonnay 2008 Napa Valley Carneros
Dr Loosen 2008 Riesling

Red Wine
Chateau Paloumey 2007 Haut-Medoc
Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2007

Port
Offley LBV 2005 Port
Fonseca Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage 2005

I went with the seared ahi tuna and stir fry beef.

The meal service was at a rather leisurely pace, as the flight attendants seem to be stretched rather thin when the cabin is nearly full.


Seared ahi tuna, heart of romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan cheese, anchoiade vinaigrette

The tuna was delicious, and served with Singapore’s always excellent garlic bread.

Once the starter was complete, my beef stir fry was served, which was also good. Nothing earth shattering, but good.


Stir fried beef with ginger and spring onion, served with braised beancurd with eggplant and asparagus and steamed rice

After that I was offered dessert, which was delicious ice cream. While Singapore’s desserts in first class are always works of art, I kind of wish that they’d get a bit more creative with their desserts in business class.


Double fudge brownie ice cream served with raspberry coulis

Once ice cream was served, the cheese cart was rolled through the cabin, and I went with a little bit of everything.


Gourmet cheese with garnishes

To finish off the meal I ordered a coffee.


Coffee

The service throughout the meal was typical Singapore service – efficient, detail oriented, and always with a smile.

Meal service finished with a hot towel and bottle of water.


Hot towel


Bottled water

Then it was time to relax and enjoy the great “hard” product. Singapore really must have the best business class seat out there. It reclines a good bit, but then if you want to turn it into a bed you have to get up and flip the surface over.


Seat in the reclined position

I wasn’t tired yet, so watched a few more TV shows, starting with the BBC comedy “Come Fly Wit Me.” While I’ve seen all the episodes before, there’s something fun about watching “Come Fly With Me” on an airplane. Then I watched the British Comedy “Maranda,” which was hilarious, followed by some “Modern Family.” I then got a bit of work done on my laptop, at which point we were almost half way to Tokyo.


Watching “Modern Family”


Airshow

I checked out the snack selection, not because I was especially hungry, but because I wanted to swipe a few snacks for the rest of my trip, since I’m sure we’ve all been hungry in our hotel rooms at 2AM jetlagged.


Snacks

The snacks offered included chips, Hersheys chocolate, nuts, etc. I put those in my bag, and a few minutes later asked for a Krispy Kreme doughnut. I wasn’t really hungry, but there’s just something cool about eating a freshly made Krispy Kreme doughnut on an airplane. The flight attendant came up to my seat and said “Mr. Lucky, please be so kind as to pick out which doughnut you would like and I will plate it for you.” I pointed to one with sprinkles, which was served moments later on a plate with a fork and knife. Ah…


Krispy Kreme doughnuts


Doughnut

Just for reference, the full snack menu read as follows:

Light Bites Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Should you fancy a little snack or something more substantial in between your meals, simply make your selection known to our crew, during the flight

Noodles

Rice noodles in broth served with fish balls

Kitsune udon
White wheat noodles in light fish broth garnished with sweetened beancurd and fish cake

Vegetarian and non vegetarian instant noodles

Sandwiches

Tomato tortilla wrap with chipotle pepper nayonnaise spread, smoked chicken, avocado, tomato and letture

Krispy kreme doughnut

Snacks

Assorted nuts

Chips

Fruit yoghurt

Chocolate bar

Assorted biscuits

A selection from the fruit basket

At that point I was feeling pretty tired so decided it was time to get some sleep. One of the lovely flight attendants made my bed with great care, and brought me another bottle of water while I visited the lav.


In bed mode


Classy lavatory


Amenities

I woke up about two hours out of Tokyo as the second meal service began, starting with juice and hot towels. I went with an orange juice.


Orange juice

The menu read as follows:

Light Meal Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Starter

Salad of cajun spiced grilled chicken with boston and frisee lettuces, caramelised walnut, feta cheese, shaved fennel and dried cranberry served with chipotle dressing

Main

Malay style fried noodles with seafood and chicken satay

Enchiladas
Baked corn tortilla with pork stek, tomatillo salsa, panela cheese and red onion

Finale

Lavendar and chocolate gateau

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas

Or the Japanese menu read as follows:

Light Meal Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavors of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

Kuchitori
Egg tofu and salmon roe

Yakimono
Black cod with miso sauce

Takiawase
Seasoned and braised shrimp, shiitake mushroom
Lotus root and carrot

Sunomono
Yuzu citrus tart with seasonal fruit

Gohan
Steamed rice with seasoned cod roe
Assorted pickles

Tome-Wan
Miso soup with wheat cake, shredded egg and shiso leaf

Mizugashi

Shortly thereafter the starter, which was a cajun chicken salad, was served, accompanied by bread from the bread basket.


Salad of cajun spiced grilled chicken with boston and frisee lettuces, caramelised walnut, feta cheese, shaved fennel and dried cranberry served with chipotle dressing

For the main course I went with the fried noodles with seafood and satay, which was delicious.


Malay style fried noodles with seafood and chicken satay

For dessert was a small piece of chocolate cake, which was also tasty.


Lavendar and chocolate gateau


Airshow

About 30 minutes before landing the captain came on the PA to advise us of our on time arrival at Tokyo Narita, and advised the crew to prepare the cabin for landing. Headsets were collected and we descended into Narita as day turned to night.


On descent

After a smooth landing and quick taxi we parked right next to a United new colors 747.


United 747 next door

After bidding the crew farewell it was off to transit security, where I was the first one, surprisingly. I guess most of the people on my flight were terminating their travels in Tokyo. Security in Japan is always a pleasure – they’re so friendly, the process is so simple, and you don’t feel violated when you’re through. 😉

I took the escalator down to the ANA business class lounge, where I was promptly admitted. While I wanted to shower, I first checked my email briefly, which I always do to make sure the world hasn’t ended (or something like that).


ANA lounge entrance

The ANA business class lounge is nice with finger sandwiches, a noodle and sake bar, and all kinds of drinks, though it’s nothing special.


ANA lounge interior

After about 15 minutes I decided it was time for a shower. I love the showers in the ANA lounge because they’re very high pressure, though the only downside is that they’ve substantially deteriorated the quality of their toiletries over the years. Now you only get a tiny sample back of shampoo and body gel, which just doesn’t cut it.


Shower room


Shower room

Once I was done with the shower reboarding was already underway, so I headed to gate 41, where the plane was parked. Boarding was super speedy since almost everyone was already aboard, and I settled back into 11A.


Narita terminal


Narita terminal


Singapore-bound 777


Singapore Airlines 11
Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
Monday, May 16
Depart: 8:50PM
Arrive: 3:05AM (+1 day)
Duration: 7hr15min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 11A (Business Class)

Waiting for me at my seat, once again, were headphones and a menu. I was immediately offered socks and eyeshades, followed by a pre-departure beverage. I went with the pineapple juice (or whatever tropical juice it is that they have).


Eyeshades and socks


Pre-departure beverage

Hot towels quickly followed.

The captain came on the PA to welcome us aboard and announce our flight time of 6hr45min, anticipating we would arrive right on schedule (shed-jewel).

One of the disadvantages of sitting in the first row of business class is that you have a full view of first class during boarding. On this particular flight it was just a Japanese couple in first class, and I found it quite funny as the guy was standing up in his pajamas looking at business class with a huge grin, knowing he had the cabin to himself. Rub it in, buddy. 😀

We pushed back right on time and began our taxi to runway 16R. Singapore Airlines recently pushed back the departure time of the Los Angeles to Singapore (via Tokyo) flight, so that it leaves Los Angeles a couple of hours later and also leaves Tokyo a couple of hours later. Previously it got in at around 1AM, though now it gets in at 3AM. That’s awful, except for the fact that it leaves Tokyo later, which means that the queues for takeoff aren’t as long out of Tokyo anymore, since the evening rush has already left.

After a quick takeoff roll we were airborne, though this time the seatbelt sign stayed on for a while as there was some turbulence on the way out. The captain kept the seatbelt sign on for about 30 minutes.

The KrisWorld entertainment system wasn’t turned on for about 30 minutes, and even at that point there were problems with the system, so they had to reboot. It was 45 minutes into the flight before the system worked.


Entertainment system issues

Once the ride smoothed out a bit, the flight attendants quickly sprung into action. They first distributed socks and eyeshades, followed quickly by taking drink and meal orders.

The dinner menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Tokyo to Singapore

Prelude

Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce

Starter

Marinated prawns with sliced lotus root and sesame seeds

Main

Anchovy and caper crusted cod with pepper sauce, buttered vegetables and fettucine pasta

Wagu Koshi-ni
Soya flavored beef steak, sauteed vegetables and steamed rice

Roast peppered chicken with gravy, ratatouille and potatoes

Finale

Gourmet ice cream

Gourmet cheese with garnishes

A selection of fresh fruit

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas, with pralines

The Japanese menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Tokyo to Singapore

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavors of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

ICHINI JYU
Sakizuke
Bamboo shoot, udo, squid marinated with kinome miso

Sunomono
Conger eel bo-sushi, lily bulb, boiled nabana with mustard

Shiizakana
Omeltte with mountain vegetable
Burdock rolled with conger eel, ginger stick

Men
Cha soba noodle, soba sauce, egg julienne, mountain vegetables
Spring onion, seaweed, wasabi

NINO JYU
Ha Sun
Simmered baby octopus, ice fish, mountain vegetable, wrapped sea bream, grilled prawn with egg yolk, plum jelly

Takiawase
Simmered bamboo shoot and sea bream eggs
Butterbur and carrot flower

Kuchitori
Marinated radish, carrot, cucumber
with conger eel, salmon roe and white sesame

Yakimono
Grilled flounder Saikyo-yaki
Kelp roll

Gohan
Steamed rice with minced beef

Tome-Wan
Miso soup

Mizugashi
Yuzu mousse cake with citrus sauce

I ordered a Singapore Sling as my drink, and since I wasn’t especially hungry, skipped the main course.


Singapore Sling

To start was satay, which is one of my favorites on Singapore. As I mentioned before, I’m sad that they no longer serve it between Los Angeles and Tokyo. Actually, you’d think they would serve it on Los Angeles to Tokyo, which is a flight during “normal” meal hours, as opposed to Tokyo to Singapore, which is basically a redeye. Whatever. Regardless, it was as good as it’s ever been.


Satay

The starter of the prawn salad was served next, with a choice of breads. I went with garlic bread, which has never disappointed me on Singapore.


Marinated prawns with sliced lotus root and sesame seeds

The seatbelt sign went on a few times during the meal service, which meant service was suspended a couple of times. It’s a real shame, since I was dying to get some shut eye.

About two hours after takeoff my last course was served, which was ice cream. It was tasty, though it certainly wouldn’t hurt if Singapore had a bit of variety in their desserts. Service finished off with a bottle of water and some pralines.


Gourmet ice cream


Praline


Bottled water

At that point, my bed was made, and I got a solid four or so hours of sleep. Like I said, the bed is very comfortable for sleeping, and I was very tired, not to mention I had a 15 hour layover in Singapore without a hotel room.


In bed mode

I woke up as we began our descent into Singapore, at which point the seatbelt sign was once again turned on.


Airshow

The descent was mostly smooth, with the exception of a few very thick clouds, which caused quite a bit of chop.


Approach into Singapore

We touched down shortly before 3AM and had a quick taxi to terminal 3. Changi Airport is tranquil all times of the day, but especially at 3AM. While I was exhausted after flying for over 20 hours, I wasn’t tired, so I figured my wait till my 5PM flight would be survivable enough.

Conversations (27)
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  1. Jamie New Member

    Hey lucky, are you going to try the new SIA business class? It's amazing.

  2. legoboyvdlp Member

    Hey!
    You don't like icecream? Or you don't want it twice?! :P

  3. lucky OMAAT

    @ Steve -- They're usually among the first to be assigned, though they're not blocked in advance so I'd suggest requesting it as soon as possible.

  4. Steve New Member

    Hi Lucky - how did you request for the seat with the bassinet? I am on a A380 all business upper deck config later this year and would like to get the 17ish Business class seat if possible

  5. C Guest

    I experienced the same problem with the entertainment system on an HK to SG flight. I didn't particularly mind as the inflight crew got it speedily resolved. Better still and much to my surprised delight, they presented me with a $200 KrisShop voucher (no minimum spending required!) as compensation at the end of the flight. Considering I was in Economy Class and was (well, am) just a teenager, that was very nice of them!

  6. lucky OMAAT

    @ choi -- Did you read my introduction post, which explains exactly how I got the seats? You can find it here:
    https://onemileatatime.com/four-continents-and-37000-miles-in-two-weeks-introduction/

  7. choi New Member

    the thing about these reports I dont like is the blogger never tells us how he got the ticket in the first place or ways he got himself in business class seats.

  8. lucky Guest

    @ ORDnHKG -- I didn't have the time to visit both lounges. I might have mixed it up since I usually use the first class lounge, where the amenities are nicer.

  9. ORDnHKG Guest

    You mentioned about the NH lounge in NRT had their showers amenity substantially deteriorated over the years to a tiny sample back of shampoo and body gel. What did you have before ? I know that for a fact, since they open that lounge in T1, it was always one time use packets, never had anything better unless you are in the F lounge which has Loccitane kit. (though I don't know what their shower...

    You mentioned about the NH lounge in NRT had their showers amenity substantially deteriorated over the years to a tiny sample back of shampoo and body gel. What did you have before ? I know that for a fact, since they open that lounge in T1, it was always one time use packets, never had anything better unless you are in the F lounge which has Loccitane kit. (though I don't know what their shower amenities like when they were in T2, or that is what you are talking about ?) If you read the flyertalk thread about the shower amenities between RCC and NH lounge, you should know by now we all have a similiar conclusion, it is to shower in RCC and get to NH lounge for food. As NRT RCC from the beginning already offer little bottles of Molton Brown > Aerosense > SoMo > Nomad kit > H2O kit > Plegria > Murad kit.

  10. lucky Guest

    @ Tom -- @ Glenn is right. When Singapore first rolled out the seats one of the complaints was that the seat was too wide (talk about a good problem to have), so it was awkward to position your arms since you couldn't reach both armrests. Therefore they added the little leather cushion type thing so you can rest your arms comfortably.

  11. Glenn Diamond

    it's to give you something to lean your elbow on because the seat is so enormously wide

  12. Tom Guest

    Great report
    I have one question. What are those leather-upholstered block things on the right side of the seat.

  13. Glenn Diamond

    that looks so cool. I really need to get on one of their planes with those giant business class seats one of these days.

  14. mike Guest

    Great stuff
    if you or any of your readers are willing to help I'm building a web airline encyclopedia and need people to write articles on things such as: Airline reviews for first class, premium economy, etc, details on what product the airline provides
    Email me at [email protected]
    The website is seatrate.net.ms

  15. lucky Guest

    @ chitownflyer -- First of all, keep in mind this is a 24 hour flight. That being said, it's still a lot of food. The fact is, I didn't eat all of it, and I don't eat a whole lot on the ground when traveling.

    @ Other Ben -- Thanks!

    @ Ken 747-400 Denver -- The nuts were indeed cold. Hey, for business class I found the service to be quite good. I'm sure there...

    @ chitownflyer -- First of all, keep in mind this is a 24 hour flight. That being said, it's still a lot of food. The fact is, I didn't eat all of it, and I don't eat a whole lot on the ground when traveling.

    @ Other Ben -- Thanks!

    @ Ken 747-400 Denver -- The nuts were indeed cold. Hey, for business class I found the service to be quite good. I'm sure there are slightly better meal services out there, though the overall experience is unbeatable.

    @ Andy Bluebear -- Indeed, I'd say it's better than *most* first class hard products. The center seats are actually decent for people traveling together. Yeah, there's a bit of distance since the seats are so wide, though that's probably a good problem to have.

    @ Mal -- Enjoy your trip!

    @ GoAmtrak -- It was surprisingly easy. Stay tuned!

  16. A. S. Guest

    @Gary makes a good point: it is a testament to SQ that their C product looks so good that people forget it's C and start judging it by F standards! I can't speak to cost-cutting as I've never flown this route, but in and of itself, everything looks outstanding for C.

    I flew SQ from CAI-DXB-SIN a few years back and enjoyed pre-ordering their lobster thermidor online. Sadly, though, they were flying the regional hard...

    @Gary makes a good point: it is a testament to SQ that their C product looks so good that people forget it's C and start judging it by F standards! I can't speak to cost-cutting as I've never flown this route, but in and of itself, everything looks outstanding for C.

    I flew SQ from CAI-DXB-SIN a few years back and enjoyed pre-ordering their lobster thermidor online. Sadly, though, they were flying the regional hard product, so the seats sucked big-time. Not sure what they fly on that route these days...

  17. GoAmtrak Gold

    Bravo for the epic report, as always.

    I'm very eager to hear how one manages a post-Transpac 14-hour layover without devoting at least a few hours to sleep!

  18. Plane Snake Guest

    I have to agree about SQ desserts. I've done dozens of trips on SQ business class and always found the dessert disappointing. I've also had a very bad breakfast pancake coming into AKL on the SIN-AKL 777W. It was so dry and tasteless it was almost inedible. I do, however, think SQ still has the best mains.

  19. Dan Guest

    When I fly, I always take the chip off my shoulder before I leave home.

    Coins said "The TSA agent checking IDs was so friendly and sincere that I couldn’t help but pay him a compliment, which is a first for the TSA for me".

    Advice to readers, TSA is ok if you approach without a chip on your shoulder.

  20. Gary Gold

    For folks complaining about the catering, geez, this is BUSINESS CLASS. Wow, it's actually beautifully plated and looks appetizing even! And if you want more food, lucky reproduced the snack menu... Seriously, this looks like a great flight all around!

  21. caelus Guest

    The catering on the LAX-NRT leg looks pretty average to me....... :-o

  22. Mal Guest

    Thx for this lucky. I really wanted to see a good review of the new 388/733 seats for SQ as im flying them in September (on the 388 thankfully). Looks good. At least ill know now where to go to get my amenity kit stuff :D

  23. Andy Bluebear Guest

    Well, it looks like they sacrificed quantity in their meals, but the quality is still there. I got hungry just from those pictures alone.
    And damn Lucky, that's a seat! It probably beats a few first class seats on other airlines. Though, not very good for people traveling together, I imagine.

  24. Ken 747-400 Denver Guest

    re: SQ11 LA to Nrt

    Thanks for all the detail and great pics. Appears they have gone thru cost cutting with inflight food: mixed nuts (looks like 80% peanuts & not heated?), very small salad, no satay (I thought was their trademark), and cuppachino in mug? no cup/saucer. UA now uses those mugs & makes me feel like I'm in a truckstop cafe. I think they're now over rated by travel mag. surveys.
    I...

    re: SQ11 LA to Nrt

    Thanks for all the detail and great pics. Appears they have gone thru cost cutting with inflight food: mixed nuts (looks like 80% peanuts & not heated?), very small salad, no satay (I thought was their trademark), and cuppachino in mug? no cup/saucer. UA now uses those mugs & makes me feel like I'm in a truckstop cafe. I think they're now over rated by travel mag. surveys.
    I would have missed their 5-6 courses they had maybe 1 yr. ago. Thai Air in Royal bus. class, last Jan., still had satay & 5 courses for dinner on BKK to LA route.

  25. Other Ben Guest

    Your nickname is very appropriate, Lucky. Doing UF proud!

  26. chitownflyer Guest

    An excellent report as is customary from you. I do wonder, how are you able to eat so often when traveling? I find myself limited to maybe one meal or eating half the portions of two meals.

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Jamie New Member

Hey lucky, are you going to try the new SIA business class? It's amazing.

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legoboyvdlp Member

Hey! You don't like icecream? Or you don't want it twice?! :P

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lucky OMAAT

@ Steve -- They're usually among the first to be assigned, though they're not blocked in advance so I'd suggest requesting it as soon as possible.

0
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