A Plane, a Train, and a Run: SQ A380 Economy CDG-SIN, KL 737 LHR-AMS, Thalys etc

[yflyer]

Hi Yflyer, as a SQ flyer, I love this TR. As a runner, I love this TR. As a French national, I love this TR ! wow

Thanks, Durian!

- we have redeemed AMS-SIN in Jan in F and will be sleeping at the Sheraton AMS for a 1-night connection, would you recommend any restaurant landside in AMS for our dinner ?

hmm...there were a few restaurants open in the airport when I arrived in the evening, but I just picked up some takeaway stuff from a deli counter / convenience store. There are some places with sandwiches, pizzas and hot selections, and also a few proper restaurants and bars, but I don't have a particular recommendation, as I just walked quickly through the restaurant area. You can try asking that question in the "Destination Chit Chat" room...

- the slice of foie gras is gigantic lol
- what a view from your room at the Hyatt Regency !
- where is Le Sud restaurant ? Boulevard Gouvion St Cyr, just at the foot of the hotel ?
- very nice neighborhood, avenue d'Eylau close to Place de Mexico !

Yes, huge foie gras...but between my friend and I we ate it all. Another thing I like to do is just head to a supermarket and pick up jars of foie gras there and eat it with bread...

Yes, Le Sud is at Boulevard Gouvion St Cyr, just 5 min walk from the hotel. I really enjoyed my meal there! Agree that it is a very pleasant neighbourhood!

- about the IND-PAk border, is it fenced ?

PS: what camera do you have ?

Yes, I believe the border is fenced and lit up for much of the distance of the border (As the photos indicate), and probably patrolled and guarded as well.

I just use my iPhone 6+ for most of my photos. On some rare trips, I also have an Olympus E-P2 with 14-150mm lens (This is equivalent to a 28-300mm lens on a 35mm camera), but I usually bring that only on vacations, or on just a few trips a year where I know I will be taking lots of photos. I brought the Olympus on my current trip which I am on right now, visiting Japan and the US. Some interesting pics to post from this trip in a future TR!

[Durian]

Hi Yflyer, as a SQ flyer, I love this TR. As a runner, I love this TR. As a French national, I love this TR ! wow

A few comments/questions:
- we have redeemed AMS-SIN in Jan in F and will be sleeping at the Sheraton AMS for a 1-night connection, would you recommend any restaurant landside in AMS for our dinner ?
- the slice of foie gras is gigantic lol
- what a view from your room at the Hyatt Regency !
- where is Le Sud restaurant ? Boulevard Gouvion St Cyr, just at the foot of the hotel ?
- very nice neighborhood, avenue d'Eylau close to Place de Mexico !
- I always take the same breakfast than you when in SQ Y to Paris !
- about the IND-PAk border, is it fenced ?

Thanks !
Durian

PS: what camera do you have ?

[yflyer]

Interesting, then I think we might have been on the same flight out of Mumbai that day. I arrived on the first night of the attacks, stayed near the airport, slept through it, and had meeting in my client's hotel lobby since no way to get to any office and went back to Singapore that day.

It must be quite traumatic for you to remember so many details that day.

I was there also during the 2nd Attack of the commuter trains.

Anyway, I am not based in India, but I spend up to 3 weeks in a month there, so 2-3 weekends I could be there.

I don't think I was ever in any real danger on the day of the terrorist attacks, being quite far away from where it was all happening, but days like that you don't forget.

You must be an expert on India by now! You must have eaten a lot of fantastic food! And from your other TR's it is nice to know you have taken the time to explore places like Kanchipuram, Pondicherry etc. All fascinating places.

[SQueeze]

Thanks for the advice! I might take you up on that offer when I find myself in Mumbai! I am surprised that you spend Fri-Mon in Mumbai...if I were based in Singapore or outside of India, I would usually fly up to India on Sunday night and depart on Fri evening for a Sat morning arrival...

I used to spend a lot of time in Mumbai. Not a lot recently. I used to stay at either the ITC Maratha, next to the airport, or the Grand Hyatt Mumbai. A lot of memories of stays at those places. Both are superb hotels.

I seldom stay around Nariman Point when I am in Mumbai, but all this talk of Mumbai got me reminiscing...

I was in Mumbai on the day of the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi terrorist attacks in 2008. I was staying at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai the previous night, having just arrived in Mumbai from another city in India.

In the early morning of the attack, while still in my hotel room at the Hyatt, I started to receive phone calls from my family, and later on my company security, that there had been a terrorist attack, and terrorist attacks were still in progress, and I was asked to stay put in my hotel by my company security team.

To my credit (or my folly) I did not decide to leave Mumbai until I had confirmation, an hour later, from my colleagues in India that all my business meetings that day had been cancelled...

I called my corporate security team. I told them: the terrorists are in the southern end of Mumbai, at Nariman Point. The airport is in north. I am at the Grand Hyatt in the middle of Mumbai. I have a clear route to the airport. I'm going! "Yes, ok", the security team agreed.

I tried calling the SQ office in Mumbai...all lines engaged. I called SQ at Mumbai airport, and after an eternity of rings, someone picked up the phone...after explaining my situation, the cool level-headed voice at the other end told me that I could head to the airport even though I didn't have a confirmed reservation on the next flight. Thank you SQ!

I checked-out and took a hotel car to the airport, and along the way there I think I passed the spot along the road where an improvised explosive device had denoted the night before. That said, the streets of Mumbai were clear that morning. Almost no-one was on the roads. One of the few times in India I did not experience a traffic jam while travelling.

I got to the airport, and the SQ staff there gave me a seat on the plane. You cannot imagine the relief I felt as I boarded the aircraft...and at that point, I really wondered when I would ever return to Mumbai, which of course I did, months after all this happened.




Thanks! The photos in your TRs are superb too.

Interesting, then I think we might have been on the same flight out of Mumbai that day. I arrived on the first night of the attacks, stayed near the airport, slept through it, and had meeting in my client's hotel lobby since no way to get to any office and went back to Singapore that day.

It must be quite traumatic for you to remember so many details that day.

I was there also during the 2nd Attack of the commuter trains.

Anyway, I am not based in India, but I spend up to 3 weeks in a month there, so 2-3 weekends I could be there.

[yflyer]

In Mumbai: the gorgeous curve of Marine drive is perfect, and also crossing into the art deco district to the Maidan and then to the Gateway of India. The paths are pretty proper.

In Delhi: also a lot of possible routes around Rajpath. but only in the winter months.

As I am getting more and more familiar with Mumbai, Bandra area has become the preferred place to be (liveable). But i don't think it's good for a jog there. you will have to run on the roads with the cars and autos ... and the roads are narrower and lots of terrain. But the general feel of the place is very cozy. Bit like Holland V but lots more charming to me with more down-to-earth but still cosmopolitan vibe.

If you come to Mumbai, i may be there , usually on Friday-Monday crossing the weekend. then I can bring you around.

Thanks for the advice! I might take you up on that offer when I find myself in Mumbai! I am surprised that you spend Fri-Mon in Mumbai...if I were based in Singapore or outside of India, I would usually fly up to India on Sunday night and depart on Fri evening for a Sat morning arrival...

I used to spend a lot of time in Mumbai. Not a lot recently. I used to stay at either the ITC Maratha, next to the airport, or the Grand Hyatt Mumbai. A lot of memories of stays at those places. Both are superb hotels.

I seldom stay around Nariman Point when I am in Mumbai, but all this talk of Mumbai got me reminiscing...

I was in Mumbai on the day of the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi terrorist attacks in 2008. I was staying at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai the previous night, having just arrived in Mumbai from another city in India.

In the early morning of the attack, while still in my hotel room at the Hyatt, I started to receive phone calls from my family, and later on my company security, that there had been a terrorist attack, and terrorist attacks were still in progress, and I was asked to stay put in my hotel by my company security team.

To my credit (or my folly) I did not decide to leave Mumbai until I had confirmation, an hour later, from my colleagues in India that all my business meetings that day had been cancelled...

I called my corporate security team. I told them: the terrorists are in the southern end of Mumbai, at Nariman Point. The airport is in north. I am at the Grand Hyatt in the middle of Mumbai. I have a clear route to the airport. I'm going! "Yes, ok", the security team agreed.

I tried calling the SQ office in Mumbai...all lines engaged. I called SQ at Mumbai airport, and after an eternity of rings, someone picked up the phone...after explaining my situation, the cool level-headed voice at the other end told me that I could head to the airport even though I didn't have a confirmed reservation on the next flight. Thank you SQ!

I checked-out and took a hotel car to the airport, and along the way there I think I passed the spot along the road where an improvised explosive device had denoted the night before. That said, the streets of Mumbai were clear that morning. Almost no-one was on the roads. One of the few times in India I did not experience a traffic jam while travelling.

I got to the airport, and the SQ staff there gave me a seat on the plane. You cannot imagine the relief I felt as I boarded the aircraft...and at that point, I really wondered when I would ever return to Mumbai, which of course I did, months after all this happened.

You have good eyes

A lot of times, good pictures are not dependent on the camera but on the photographer.

Thanks! The photos in your TRs are superb too.

[SQueeze]

Thanks, SQueeze!

I used to travel to India a lot, but always used the hotel gym, as I seldom had a good outdoor running path on the trips I was there. Maybe if I ever stay around Nariman Point in Bombay I might consider a run outside...

If you have recommendations for running routes in India, I would love to hear them!

Will probably be heading to BOM sometime later this year. I never liked the old airport much (Although I got quite used to it.). Looking forward to checking out the new one.

In Mumbai: the gorgeous curve of Marine drive is perfect, and also crossing into the art deco district to the Maidan and then to the Gateway of India. The paths are pretty proper.

In Delhi: also a lot of possible routes around Rajpath. but only in the winter months.

As I am getting more and more familiar with Mumbai, Bandra area has become the preferred place to be (liveable). But i don't think it's good for a jog there. you will have to run on the roads with the cars and autos ... and the roads are narrower and lots of terrain. But the general feel of the place is very cozy. Bit like Holland V but lots more charming to me with more down-to-earth but still cosmopolitan vibe.

If you come to Mumbai, i may be there , usually on Friday-Monday crossing the weekend. then I can bring you around.

The airport and its lounge is my current favourite - in the world (yes, in the world). It's 180 degree turn than what it was 2 years ago. And it's not just looking good, but the processes are a lot smoother (no long queues, staff is well-trained in hospitality, food is top-notch and not like lounge buffet food).

Most business trips, I just have my iPhone 6 Plus with me, and all the photos are taken using the iPhone, which has a great camera. I also find that in some airline lounges, I need to be quite unobtrusive taking photos, so an iPhone works well.

On occasional trips (Usually vacations), I use an Olympus E-P2, but that is more the exception...every photo on the LH PEY and SQ PEY TR's, and this one, were taken with the iPhone, for example.

I just use iPhoto to crop the photos, and occasionally tweak the colours/contrast (and blur out faces for privacy reasons), but otherwise no fancy effects needed!

You have good eyes

A lot of times, good pictures are not dependent on the camera but on the photographer.

[yflyer]

Another nice report enjoyed it again.

Thanks, SQflyergirl!

[yflyer]

Thanks for another excellent report. Especially appreciate the hotel reviews, which will come in handy when I need to choose my hotels. I'm usually limited to hotels that my company has corporate rates with, but occasionally I get to pick hotels that are more closer to where my meetings will be held.

Thanks, icn.sg!

My hotel books are also done through a corporate travel agent, with a list of hotels where corp rate has been negotiated, but there is usually a reasonable selection of hotels to choose from. I usually also check tripadvisor before I book hotels as they usually provide useful tips. I realize that many times, apart from location, the newness of the hotel (or date of last renovations) is a key factor in how enjoyable a stay is. A newly done up hotel room in a mid-range hotel is usually better than an old room in a luxury hotel.

Do you edit your photos before posting them? Or do you have a very good camera that produces such quality photos in all your reports? I've given up carrying a separate camera on trips since the advent of smart phones.

Most business trips, I just have my iPhone 6 Plus with me, and all the photos are taken using the iPhone, which has a great camera. I also find that in some airline lounges, I need to be quite unobtrusive taking photos, so an iPhone works well.

On occasional trips (Usually vacations), I use an Olympus E-P2, but that is more the exception...every photo on the LH PEY and SQ PEY TR's, and this one, were taken with the iPhone, for example.

I just use iPhoto to crop the photos, and occasionally tweak the colours/contrast (and blur out faces for privacy reasons), but otherwise no fancy effects needed!

On another SQ flight from MEL-SIN two years ago, the captain of the flight (sounded Singaporean) actually requested ATC for permission to circle around Ayers Rock. I remember bits his announcement..."It's a beautiful clear day, and we will be flying over Ayers Rock in 5 minutes, so Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are seated at the left side of the aircraft, get your cameras ready... we will be circling around Ayers Rock, enjoy the view..."

I'd flown the MEL-SIN route many times, and that was the one and only time this was ever done. You can tell when a pilot truly loves his job.

Nice to read about this! You, and the other pax on the flight, were very lucky! On Qantas, I've had a pilot point out that we were flying over Ayers Rock, but never actually circling around it! I wish SQ pilots would do more of this sort of thing, even of only a minority of pax would be interested in it.

On a SIN-EWR flight on the A345 I took in 2006, we passed incredible views of glaciers and other ice and mountain features along the way, and on other flights to/from North America, we passed volcanos, some with geothermal activity in progress as well...not a word from the cockpit on any of those flights.

That's one of the emptiest looking breakfast tray I've ever seen on SQ! Well, at least they had a larger dish for the noodles.

Yes, I did think it did look a bit empty! At first I couldn't figure out why, then I realized there was no tub of yogurt there (There was a yogurt drink instead) and no plastic cup of juice. Also in the past I think SQ used to put a small empty plastic dish, which the bun was placed in. But yes, the noodle portion was quite generous.

[yflyer]

Excellent as usual!

Thanks, SQueeze!

That must be one of your most memorable runs. so spectacularly gorgeous Paris is. Do you run in India too? Haha.

Yes, one of my most enjoyable runs, although if I had more time, I would have liked to at least double the time and distance covered...so much to see in Paris!

I used to travel to India a lot, but always used the hotel gym, as I seldom had a good outdoor running path on the trips I was there. Maybe if I ever stay around Nariman Point in Bombay I might consider a run outside...

If you have recommendations for running routes in India, I would love to hear them!

Yup. Me me. End of this year.

Looking forward to it, SQueeze! Now that Etihad flies their 789/A380 from SIN to Europe via AUH, I am also looking out for an excuse to fly them, but that would be at the back of the bus of course. And I've got no FF status with Etihad, so odds of an op-up are near-zero. Excited to hear you will be trying them out up front (again)!

Over the North Sea, between London and Amsterdam, you can also see so many of these modern windmills scattered on the water on approach to Schiphol. You didnt see? May be you were on the wrong side of the plane.

I totally agree with you. I thought only architects / architecture nerds will love CDG T1 with its hard modernist aesthetics.

BOM is stunning too. One that stands out among the rest typical airports: bland steel and glass ones with curvy roofs.

MAD also. And I think MAD will be quite timeless.

My flight into AMS was at night...didn't see much at all although my face was glued to the window throughout the descent...

I really like CDG T1. I just have to remember to go there like hours in advance, because of the long queues.

Will probably be heading to BOM sometime later this year. I never liked the old airport much (Although I got quite used to it.). Looking forward to checking out the new one.

Never been to MAD. My trips to Spain have been only to BCN so far. I heard Madrid is quite a different place.

And yes, I will now look out for the Indo-Pak border.

Yes definitely worth a look out the window!

[yflyer]

I love your TRs. I always look forward to your adventures.

Thanks, sabian! Glad you enjoy reading them!

I doubt they qualify as adventures...at least not in the Indiana Jones sense...and as jammed pointed out, some topics covered are probably inconsequential in the greater scheme of things (Well one topic which is most emphatically not inconsequential is the rise of 10-abreast 777's and 9-abreast 787's...airlines need some sense knocked into them to stop that madness. Thumbs up to SQ for sticking with 9-abreast 777's).

But I do think there is a lot to enjoy in commercial aviation and travel these days, even in the context of hectic business trips...and in that sense, every trip is an adventure!!...

[yflyer]

Thanks for another wonderfully comprehensive TR

Thanks, jammed!

After so many yrs and so many trips, I still fall back on the threadmill in the hotel, maybe it's my snobbery and my itinerary typically involves developing countries. But the beautiful pics of yr dawn run inspires me to rethink

In some countries, where the air quality is too bad, or it is too unsafe to go out, I use the hotel gym too...but in places like the US, Europe and Australia or NZ, and even Dubai (When it isn't burning hot...) I find heading outside for a run to be much more rewarding!

Thanks for educating me on the Indo-Pak border, have never known abt that. And leads me to wonder how the 38th parallel look at night, but I'm sure no civilian planes overfly after KAL 007

Hmmm...good point! I don't think too many commercial airliners, if any, overfly North Korea. It doesn't appear necessary for most of the SQ routes, I think.

On a related topic, I've never been on a flight where the flight has been escorted by military aircraft, and I've also never seen military aircraft out of the window. The closest was taking off at Changi Airport at the same time that an RSAF F16 was taking off on the parallel military runway 20L/02R...

[SQflyergirl]

Another nice report enjoyed it again.

[yflyer]

Excellent TR again Yflyer!! I was on the A380 SQ return flight SIN-CDG last summer. I have to agree that the Y class is still a solid product compared to other airlines.

Looking at your Paris photos made me really miss my work assignment in Paris! I used to run close to Etoile! And yes i ever seen that Hyatt Regency hotel standing tall from the main boulevard. Keep it up!

Thanks, Hajimbo! Nice to know you also go running in Paris.

I think the Hyatt is a great choice of hotel for work trips...not too far from the business part of Paris, and yet close enough to the old city and attractions...

[yflyer]

I love your trip reports! Always so informative and educational. I especially liked reading about the Pakistan-India border. Lit up in orange: who would've thought? Fascinating.

Thanks, eminere! Glad to know you enjoy reading them!

[icn.sg]

Thanks for another excellent report. Especially appreciate the hotel reviews, which will come in handy when I need to choose my hotels. I'm usually limited to hotels that my company has corporate rates with, but occasionally I get to pick hotels that are more closer to where my meetings will be held.

Do you edit your photos before posting them? Or do you have a very good camera that produces such quality photos in all your reports? I've given up carrying a separate camera on trips since the advent of smart phones.

In some ways, it is more interesting to pass through an iconic old terminal like this one, circular, with a central atrium criss-crossed with moving walkways, than many of the gleaming new super-airports, which may offer more space, but are somewhat devoid of character.

You are absolutely right about CDG. I remember being amazed by the criss-cross moving walkways from the movie Airport 79 - The Concorde. Back in those days, they looked futuristic.

This time, there was no denying it. There were cities and streets below, but as we flew closer to the border, the street lights below faded away into darkness, and what remained was a very distinct orange illumination zig-zagging perpendicular to our flight path. Yes! This really was the border between Pakistan and India, fully illuminated in bright orange, along much of it’s length.

Yes, that's the India-Pakistan border. I remember one of my SIN-LHE flights on the SQ A343 many years ago. The captain made the announcement telling us that we would be able to see the border if we looked out of the windows on the starboard side! It was dusk, and the sun was setting, so the border lights were clearly visible and we could still see the surrounding areas clearly. It was an amazing sight...

I have seen this sight a couple more times over the years on my flights to Europe.

On another SQ flight from MEL-SIN two years ago, the captain of the flight (sounded Singaporean) actually requested ATC for permission to circle around Ayers Rock. I remember bits his announcement..."It's a beautiful clear day, and we will be flying over Ayers Rock in 5 minutes, so Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are seated at the left side of the aircraft, get your cameras ready... we will be circling around Ayers Rock, enjoy the view..."

I'd flown the MEL-SIN route many times, and that was the one and only time this was ever done. You can tell when a pilot truly loves his job.

Noodles were not on the menu, but I asked the cabin crew if any were available on this flight. “Let me check, sir”….”Sorry, there were, but they have all been eaten by other passengers”. Oh well…

It was either not loaded, or the crew had kept it for themselves.

I chose the noodles…

That's one of the emptiest looking breakfast tray I've ever seen on SQ! Well, at least they had a larger dish for the noodles.