A 77W affair (SIN-TYO-BKK with SQ and TG J)

[SilverChris]

Dinner time!







Shibuya


The infamous pedestrian crossing. Not quite a Saturday night, but it does become a nice way to while away an hour or so over a cup of coffee at starbucks



It's also the first Starbucks I've been to which doesn't offer free wifi. My iPad could detect a dozen networks but without a Japanese phone number you can't sign up for a free account - the activation code is sent by SMS or email (which they actually expect you to use 3G data to retrieve). Seriously?




On my last evening I met up with a Malaysian friend and we headed to the Tokyo tower - A 54 year old structure that's still standing strong as one of Tokyo's icons.


Much like the Skytree which overshadowed it, it also has two observatory decks. Again, we went with the main (lower) one.


A far more down-to-earth lift takes visitors to the observatory decks. I much prefer this one as it has windows.


The Skytree is visible from here

[SilverChris]

Three Japanese schoolgirls beside me were screaming (while laughing) as I took this pic. As they did at pretty much everyone else who stepped onto the lookdown window


One last look - For some reason, I had a sudden urge to visit Paris for my next holiday


It's back to the hotel to gather my bags and brave the rush-hour subway crowds to head to Haneda!

[SilverChris]

While hunting for availablity for the TYO-BKK sector there was nothing decent out of Narita. Surprisingly, the two daily flights out of HND had a fair amount of seats available. It's more sensible to fly out HND, of course, as it's half the distance from Tokyo than it is to NRT, and the overnight flights meant I could spend a whole day in Tokyo and arrive early in Bangkok. Such red eye flights would not be possible out of NRT due to the curfew.

The TG flight departs at 0020, while the NH one leaves at 0030.

So why did I leave my hotel at 1830, at the height of peak hour? To be honest, I wanted to experience the crowds, as I don't get to do that every day - at such a large scale, at least. And i'd really like to experience what's it like to be lost in translation in a busy station, not knowing which direction to walk or which train to board. Not the smartest thing to do with two roller bags and a backpack, but then again there's nothing very much i do that really makes sense to normal people

So I worked out my route: From Shinjuku, board the Yamanote Line to Hamamatsucho (spelling?) and transfer to the Haneda Monorail. Sounds straightforward doesn't it?

Take a look at Tokyo's subway network. It's just one of the 11 operators. It's probably not such a silly idea to allocate time for any potential misconnections.






With the efficient signages it's not as easy to get lost as I thought. No direct connectivity to the Monorail, so separate tickets were required.




Just like many other commuter lines in Tokyo, the Monorail has three types of services - Local, Rapid and Express. The Express goes non-stop whereas the Local stops at every station along the way. Thank goodness I missed the first monorail as it turned out to be a Local service.


Despite the clean and modern stations, the interior of the monorail looked rather dated.


After 20 minutes, I finally arrived at Haneda's new International Terminal which opened in 2010.




The alternate way from Tokyo to Haneda - The Keio Line. It's a shorter journey from Shinjuku, so I don't know why I didn't take it. Then again, I like doing many things the hard way...

[SilverChris]

My first impressions: modern, sleek and airy.


I had nearly two hours to kill before check in opened, so I went exploring






After the International Terminal opened in 2010, Haneda became a "true" international airport with new services to SE Asia, Europe and the US. Previously, the only international destinations were Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai (AFAIK).



It wasn't particularly exciting to planespot at night, but it's still interesting to witness non-stop landings from the nearby runway - a keen reminder of HND's ranking as the fifth busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.





Next, I went looking for something that had been seemingly impossible to find in downtown Tokyo.


Green tea Kit Kat! Time to check the last box of my to-do list. (It wasn't cheap - ¥1800!!)

[SilverChris]

Simple, welcoming and unmistakably purple, the TG counters are at the far end of the terminal.


Along with the most exotic airline to fly into HND - Hawaiian Airlines. The announcements even begin with an "Aloha"!


The long queues even before check-in started is a good indication of tonight's load. I was number eight in the priority line, though the line movds quickly. There was a real distinction between the economy and business lines - The former is filled with Japanese and Thai tourists with young children whereas the latter has nothing but business travelers in suits who can't seem to finish that report or business call. I suppose it's no surprise the queue minder asked only me if I was indeed queuing where I should be. Hmm, perhaps I should have gone with the suit and tie...


By 2118 the agents were literally looking at their watches, counting down the seconds till check-in time. At precisely 2120, they all bowed in unison, marking the start of check-in.

The queue minder was all smiles and extremely polite, ensuring everything was in perfect order. I was directed to an empty economy counter, and was greeted by the friendly Miss Suzuki. She started the conversation in Japanese, though it was met with a blank stare. She quickly switched to English, and asked if I was an Asian American. After presenting my Ma-ray-shia passport, she was taken aback

She seemed to be typing endlessly into the computer, which made me rather nervous, though she didn't call her supervisor over, or have a worrying expression on her face, which were probably good signs. My fears were dismissed when she printed my BP and stamped a large Star Gold logo on it. I'm not sure what purpose it serves for on a J BP, but it makes the BP look that much cooler. She also handed me a small map depicting the directions to the ANA lounge, but not a lounge invite (strangely, TG uses invites at its own home base in BKK), and confirmed that there was "no aircraft change, still 773" - it only made me more worried as the last thing I'd want is an angled 2-3-2 product for the 7 hour overnight flight.

15 minutes later, I was officially out of Japan and headed to the lounge.


My presence was greeted with a series of deep bows - so sincere that it seemed rude not to reciprocate. After a quick scan of the BP, I was directed to the left side of the lounge.


It was totally packed as all the long haul flights had to leave at this hour, thanks to a government regulation.

[SilverChris]

Still, I managed to secure a table in the dining area with a view of the tarmac. Seen here is a D7 A330 being readied for the daily service back to KUL. No aerobridges for them!


I was starving and desperately in need of a shower, so I left my name with the dragons and hit the buffet which featured a decent selection of hot dishes on offer.








Booze




There was also noodle bar serving six different types of Udon and Ramen

[SilverChris]

I was given a buzzer to alert you when it's your turn to shower.


I headed to the front desk and was given a keycard in exchange for my BP. I was escorted to a designated shower room and politely asked not to take my own sweet time. The keycard is then waved over a reader to unlock the door. How cool is that?!

The shower rooms were amazing. Modern, sleek and immaculate, this is has got to be the coolest airline lounge shower room I've been to. Oh, and the toilets and showers aren't separated, which is probably the most baffling annoyance of the SKL.




A nice box of towels and toiletries were waiting on the counter. The range of toiletries was amusing as it included the usual soaps and shampoos, and face wash, moisturizing wash, moisturizer, mouthwash and even hand cream. I'm just curious if anyone actually uses them all in one go - that would be awfully excessive.


I probably spent at least 20 minutes in there, and was half-expecting the escort to knock on the door to hurry me. There's nothing more relaxing than a shower before boarding a flight (except maybe a 60 minute spa treatment), and I was feeling rejuvenated after stepping out of there. It's already half past eleven - time to bid this lounge goodbye.

106 is at the far end of the terminal, which was quite a walk from the lounge.




My heart was racing as I drew closer to gate 106. I had, unfortunately, allowed my hopes of getting the new J product run high - not the smartest thing to do when flying TG. I wouldnt mind if they sent a 747 over (it's my favorite plane, after all), but could there be an A300-600 or something equally sinister waiting for me?

Stay tuned for the revelation!

[SilverChris]

Yep! It's a 77W alright! Now the question is whether it'll be a leased Jet Airways version with the herringbone seats or TG's own brand new ones with the new staggered seats, also found on the A380. But heck, they're both 1-2-1, which is pretty much all I ask for.

Anyway, it's been a long day. All that's left is to enjoy the flight that awaits. Moments like this are meant to be savoured

Boarding is called not much later, but a long queue had long formed at the Y line. I rolled up to the priority line, but not without drawing nasty stares from those who still need to wait for their row numbers to be called. The agent scanned my BP, and to my surprise, returned it whole - CX style.

HND is another airport with split levels for arrivals and departures, so departing passengers need to take an escalator down to the aerobridge.

The guy in a suit ahead of me wastes no time - the time spent riding down the escalator is used for working on his laptop!


I'm greeted with a warm "sawadee" and directed to the correct aisle. The "wais" and "sawadees" continue as I make my past the main J cabin with 22 seats and into the slighly smaller section with 20 seats, right infront of the Y cabin.

It's a new aircraft, alright! This is HS-TKK, the first "new" 77W.


I immediately fell in love with the seat - it manages to feel private but not confined, which is awesome. Being a really skinny guy, the average seat width of 21 inches isn't a problem.


The seat controls were very responsive and quiet, and included a massage feature - though it was as good as non-existent.


Headphones, amenity kits and slippers were waiting at every seat.


REAL amenity kits with more than just eyeshades and socks.


As I settled in a steward came around to offer welcome drinks - I had a glass of bubbly to celebrate my luck


The crew were somewhat disorganized as they hurried through their pre-takeoff rituals. The first J passengers who boarded got their drinks, but the steward then heads back into the galley and returns with menus, followed by Thai and Japanese newspapers. By now, the J cabin had filled up, and half the passengers haven't been offered drinks yet. My request for an English newspaper had to repeated twice, and it was another stewardess who handed it to me as we pushed back. Not a good start.

[SilverChris]

The 9V-SYI next door was running late, as I found out from the announcements in the lounge.




The new IFE system had many nifty features as well an extensive selection of AVOD. The only notable absence was the landing gear camera, or I may have just missed it. (this pic was taken shortly before landing)


Despite the new IFE system the old safety video was shown


The English newspaper finally arrived


Despite the power of the GE90s, the pilots weren't particularly generous with the thrust and we made a long takeoff roll.

Goodbye, Tokyo! I'll be back, someday




The menu revealed a rather pleasing affair - sushi for supper! And yes, there were two meal services, supper AND breakfast.

Haneda - Bangkok

First Serving
Assorted Sushi
(Salmon Sushi/Rolled Sushi with Egg and Eel/Red Snapper Sushi)
Cha Soba

***

Second Serving

First Course
Fresh Fruits
Yoghurt

Main Course
Boiled Rice with Snapper and Garnitures

or

Mushroom Omelete
Panfried Chicken Sausage
Roesti Potatoes and Grilled Cherry Tomato

or

Yaki Soba with Shredded Pork and Garnitures

The friendly and professional Khun P comes round with supper


To my surprise, most passengers didn't knock out immediately and also had supper. With the full J cabin served, P walked down the aisle to check on her passengers. Not once did I spot her without a smile on her face, and she eventually made her way towards my seat. We made eye contact, and she paused to make small talk.

"Excuse me, are you a Thai?"
"Oh no, I'm a Malaysian"
"Ah, because my colleagues thought you speak Thai so we thinking you are Thai! You on holiday?"
"Yes, I'll but I'll only be in Bangkok for a day this time. But I've been to Bangkok many times"
"You enjoy holidaying in Thailand?"
"Oh yes, especially the islands!"

So, in a few hours I've been mistaken as a Japanese and Thai, and I'll take that as a compliment. She eventually excused herself and tells me to "please take your time" and even asked if there was anything else she could get me. Amazing! One moment I thought this was going to be a "miss" set of crew, but they've quickly turned into a "hit"

[SilverChris]

The sushi was delicious, and wasn't too filling which made it a perfect meal for supper, IMO.


I watched The Amazing Spiderman, then decided to get some shut-eye as I'd been awake for 20 hours by then. The seat reclined into a fully flat bed and was pretty comfortable for sleeping. I slept for about four hours, which was probably the best sleep I've had on a plane in a long time. I woke up shivering, for some reason. Before I could even fully open my eyes, P was by my side, presenting me with a hot towel. "Ready for breakfast?" she asked with a smile. I was speechless, really.





Fruits to begin with


Followed by the main course of a cheese omelete, sausage and potatoes, all of which were delicious.


Cabin view after breakfast. That's P on the other aisle


By now we were in Cambodian airspace.


With an arrival time of 5am there was no sunrise to be witnessed, but I was on the wrong side of the aircraft anyway.


One thing about TG that amazes me is that their crew don't take their seats until 2-3 minutes before touchdown. Even after the gears were lowered, the crew were still returning jackets back to passengers which meant they had to literally run to their jump seats.

We made a rough touchdown at Bangkok Su-wa-na-phom at exactly 0500LT, and parked the far end of the terminal, which meant a long trek to immigration though at least we didn't park at a remote/domestic gate.


The economy passengers were even more eager to disembark than the business passengers, which meant the crew had to (politely) shoo them back. I don't blame them for being in such a hurry to disembark in an airport known for its immigration queues, but a steward insisted that it shouldn't take long at this hour.



I bade farewell to the crew, and for the first time ever, was *reluctant* to step off a TG flight. As much as I wanted to take my time, there was someone waiting for me outside. On the bright side, it's nice to be back in the tropics away from the dark and cold winter.



So having sampled both TG and SQ on flights with similar timings, products and durations, it's time for a head to head comparison. These are purely my opinions, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Seat - SQ
I was privileged to try out both airlines' latest long haul J seats, and was impressed by both. On one hand, 11K was much wider, had tons of space, featured a larger bed and was more akin to F on other airliners, though that's due to the fact that it was a bulkhead seat, but the TG seat was more comfortable for relaxing. It also felt a tad more private although it was a bit on the narrow side. Both were excellent, but I'd have to go with SQ. Though if only non-bulkhead seats were available, I'd certainly consider TG's new seats if I had a choice.

Food - TG
Needless to say, TG blew SQ away as far as catering was concerned. The latter served two delicious meals, unlike SQ, though some might argue that the first meal is a waste as most passengers sleep after takeoff. As mentioned, an optional midnight snack service would be appreciated, but other than biscuits and cup noodles there wasn't much on offer on SQ.

Amenities - TG
Branded amenity kits were given out on TG, and were non-existent on SQ - a real shame for an airline that claims to be the best.

Service - TG
I was more impressed with TG because I expected little more than a smile from the crew, though P was simply amazing, possibly the best TG FA I'd come across so far. While the SQ girls did live up to their name, they weren't spectacular by any means.

So, in my books, TG is the winner here, BUT, luck was on my side. I lucked out with the TG equipment lottery, which could have been your average 773. There could have been a set of crew who couldn't bother cracking a smile, but thankfully, that wasn't the case. In terms of consistency, I'd still go for SQ, even though they might fall short in certain aspects.

Thanks for reading and do drop a comment!

[B727]

"Excuse me, are you a Thai?"

Khun Thai na kaa