Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

SQ978 SIN-BKK and LH772 BKK-SGN

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • SQ978 SIN-BKK and LH772 BKK-SGN

    SIN-BKK
    Flight SQ978
    Thursday 8th May 2008
    Departure time: 18:00
    Arrival time: 19:25
    Distance: 880 miles
    Scheduled flight time: 2hrs 25mins
    Aircraft type: B777-200
    Seat: 1F

    Flight SQ978 to BKK was just boarding by the time I arrived at gate E4. I tried to smuggle my favourite drink onboard, a carton of soya bean milk, but security at the gate caught me so I quickly drank it before boarding. Once the doors were closed the captain welcomed us onboard and apologised for the slight delay in boarding owing to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft. I sat back and began to catch up on the news back home with a selection of the previous day’s British newspapers as we prepared for take-off. Flight time was estimated at just under 2hrs.

    Leading stewardess Anidah brought me my Singapore Sling accompanied by roasted walnuts soon after take-off. On the menu this evening was a delicious Thai green papaya salad with shrimps and garlic chilli sauce to begin followed by a choice of three entrees; Beef Wellington, Thai style fish curry or braised duck in a soya sauce served with yam rice, braised egg and peanuts. I had booked the cook and chosen the duck with yam rice but I needn’t have done so. When one of the cabin crew informed me that the BTC option didn’t have all the extra accompaniments as the normal menu option I was offered to have the one on the menu if I preferred and so I did. The duck was nice but I couldn’t finish it all as I wanted room for dessert which was a selection of fresh fruit – I absolutely love all fruits - and they were all yummy. I could have eaten the whole fruit basket if I wasn’t so full!









    During the latter part of the meal service I was chatting to Anidah and eventually the topic came round to SQTalk. She asked me what it was and I explained. Then we got chatting about SQ and its competitors, aircraft fleet and loads of other interesting stuff including which routes had the grumpiest pax! Anidah, I am sorry if I distracted you from serving the other two F pax but honestly I do love to talk to crew whenever I can. I hear others sometimes say SQ cabin crew can be a bit “robotic” but I have never experienced this. I am always myself whichever class I happen to fly in. I never act differently just because I happen to be flying in a premium cabin. Over the years I have seen passengers expecting to be treated like royalty… in business class…lol!

    We landed into BKK on schedule and parked up at gate D02 or D03 (can’t remember which). Thank goodness this is only a short walk to immigration. I was dreading we were going to land at a gate further away and having to walk a mile to get to arrivals. Service onboard was just exemplary from the whole First Class crew. Thank you so much for a wonderful flight Anidah, you were a star!

    BKK-SGN
    Flight LH772
    Friday 9th May 2008
    Departure time: 15:05
    Arrival time: 16:40
    Distance: 446 miles
    Scheduled flight time: 1hr35mins
    Aircraft type: B747-400
    Seat: 83K (upper deck)

    I arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport exactly 2hrs before my flight. Usually I wouldn’t arrive so early for a short flight like this but I wanted to check out the Thai Airways Royal First Lounge. Check-in was quick and my bag was priority-checked to SGN. Immigration was fairly quick and I was airside in a matter of minutes. I had checked the Lufthansa website to check the status of my flight before I arrived at the airport and it was showing on time and due to depart from gate D02 so that was good. There are two TG First Class lounges at BKK and I made my way to the one nearest my gate. And wow, what a lounge! I’ve used the Royal Silk lounge before and it’s nothing special, but this was truly beautiful. There are individual slumber rooms, private lounges with large LCD TVs, a sit-down restaurant (with private dining room), a smoking lounge with real leather seats and beautifully-appointed shower suites and toilets with L’ Occitane products. Soothing music flowed throughout the lounge.















    Last edited by UK flyer; 10 May 2008, 05:46 PM.
    My SQ A380 photos

  • #2
    As I wasn’t hungry I didn’t eat anything during my visit. The fruit looked gorgeous but I had had a lot for breakfast already. As soon as I sat down I was greeted and asked if I would like a drink. Heavens above! I must have been greeted about ten times already as I arrived and walked through the lounge - I ordered a cappuccino – just look at the presentation!



    That was the first of three cappuccinos I had. I was going to ask what champagne they served but didn’t quite feel like it. I took my second shower of the day – Bangkok was boiling hot when I left for the airport around lunchtime - before I left the lounge to go through security. Wonderful lounge, wonderful service.

    Now, I had a small Swiss army knife with me in my wash bag which I had forgotten I brought with me. This showed up on the x-ray and I was made to surrender it. Somehow it had passed through security in my hand luggage at LHR, SIN, HKG and SIN again during the past week before being spotted here at BKK.



    Gate D02 is less than a minute’s walk from the lounge. I boarded and was shown to my window seat upstairs and welcomed with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck "Rare"



    Before the doors closed the head purser came over and introduced herself to me and said we were just waiting for one passenger to board. I was presented with a First Class amenity kit together with slippers and socks (not usually available on this short sector).







    Pushback at exactly 15:00 and we took off at 15:11 with an estimated flight time of 1hr 5mins. Cabin announcements were made in German, English and French with a pre-recorded announcement in Vietnamese.





    As soon as the seat-belt sign came off the head purser returned and asked me if everything was alright so far, addressing me by name all the time. Service commenced soon after with another drink followed by a three-course cold meal. For the actual meal service I was looked after by a different member of the cabin crew who was professional and friendly and I took the opportunity to chat with her during the flight. For such a short flight the quality of the food and presentation in First Class is truly of a high standard. Here’s what I enjoyed:


    BBQ prawn kebab with a sweet chilli dip


    Smoked chicken breast, horseradish cocktail sauce and tomato salsa


    Coconut bread and butter pudding with vanilla sauce and fresh fruit

    Towards the end of the flight the head purser came back to my seat and asked if everything had been okay. I beamed at her and said how everything had been perfect. We descended into Tan Son Nhat airport ahead of schedule and landed at 16:20 local time.



    This was my first time arriving in the new International T2. All very modern and quite a relief from the old non air-conditioned terminal. Immigration was fairly quick and by the time I reached baggage reclaim my bag had appeared on the belt. As usual I was met with a frenzy of taxi drivers as I exited customs into the humid arrivals hall outside the terminal. It took me a good 40 mins to finally reach the Renaissance Riverside, traffic was that bad!
    My SQ A380 photos

    Comment


    • #3
      Great TR! Thanks for sharing UK flyer! The cappuccino really looks good!

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks UK flyer. I am indeed surprised with LH service on the short BKK-SGN hop. Wow!

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks for sharing SQFan great report

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by SQflyergirl View Post
            Thanks for sharing SQFan great report
            An error there? Too much diet coke tonight? Thanks for the report UK flyer. I am assuming it's part of burning BD miles? Make me longing for another LH F soon...
            Cheers!

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by SQ LPP View Post
              An error there? Too much diet coke tonight? Thanks for the report UK flyer. I am assuming it's part of burning BD miles? Make me longing for another LH F soon...
              Cheers!
              Mein Gott! Too little blood in my diet cokestream!

              Sorry UKFlyer! Sorry SQFan! Thank you for the TR UKFlyer....

              Comment


              • #8
                What a combination. SQ regional F, TG F ground services, and LH F inflight experience (without the dependence on the anemic IFE ): all bring back fond memories.

                Very nice TR, UK flyer.
                ‘Lean into the sharp points’

                Comment


                • #9
                  Good morning from the Club Lounge here at the Renaissance Riverside where I am enjoying a leisurely coffee this Sunday morning.

                  Apologies once again for not being able to do a trip report for the outbound trip but I fly home on Monday via SIN so I will do another trip report for the A380 soon. I promised Anidah that I would anyway, she's so lovely!

                  Originally posted by SQ LPP View Post
                  I am assuming it's part of burning BD miles?
                  It sure is!
                  My SQ A380 photos

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Excellent report thank you UK flyer Look forward to reading more from your return leg!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Great TR and fantastic pics - the onboard food all look good and the TG F lounge is stunning !
                      J. my own dear wife J.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Nice report!. I do like the BKK-SGN leg of LH772. Were you the only one in F ?. Last time I flew it there was one other person upstairs. The crews like it as well as it's just a BKK-SGN-BKK turnaround (a la the popular ZRH-MAN-ZRH of yesteryear on SQ) and with almost 5 hours on the ground in SGN they tend to just have a sleep on board!.

                        Originally posted by UK flyer View Post
                        Good morning from the Club Lounge here at the Renaissance Riverside where I am enjoying a leisurely coffee this Sunday morning.
                        I was there a few weeks ago. One of the girls in the lounge commented that I don't stay as often as I used too. When I explained that my corporate rate was increased 3 times last year so it's getting difficult to justify the cost, she pointed out their wages hadn't gone up in that time.

                        Many of the Hotels in Saigon have increased prices substantially in the last 12 months.
                        Last edited by MAN Flyer; 13 May 2008, 05:24 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
                          Nice report!. I do like the BKK-SGN leg of LH772. Were you the only one in F ?. Last time I flew it there was one other person upstairs. The crews like it as well as it's just a BKK-SGN-BKK turnaround (a la the popular ZRH-MAN-ZRH of yesteryear on SQ) and with almost 5 hours on the ground in SGN they tend to just have a sleep on board!.
                          There were just two other passengers on my flight, sitting in the front row. So yes, very light load. The crew flew into BKK from FRA the previous night and were doing the shuttle run to SGN and then returning to BKK and overnighting there for a further 2 nights before flying back to FRA.

                          Well, I landed at LHR this morning at 05:35 and I'll post my trip report on SQ322 as soon as I can.
                          My SQ A380 photos

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            The LH presentation looks so much nicer !

                            Comment

                            Working...
                            X