The Airlines We Fly, the Air We Breathe: SQ A380 to India (BOM/DEL), St Regis, Oberoi

[yflyer]

And just past the upper deck Business Class cabin, I had the rare opportunity to check out the Economy mini-cabin in the rear of the upper deck.



Opportunities to fly this config are becoming rarer by the day, and when the A380 refurb is complete, Y will disappear from the upper deck altogether.

On full flights, I generally prefer flying on the upper deck. The atmosphere feels quieter and more cosy, and with the smaller cabin, meals service is usually done more quickly as well.



The window seats have a side storage compartment, on account of the curvature of the upper deck cabin.



My favourite seats on the upper deck are the rear pairs...however these were already taken when I selected my seat online.



The 2006 Y seat is still a very comfortable seat for long haul flights. A very wide seat with good recline (Pictured) and decent legroom.



The emex row middle bank seats have a lot of legroom...although the trade-off is that only the middle armrest can be raised.



For comparison purposes, here is look at the new 2017 A380 Y seat...





And a comparison of seat width...

Current 2006 Y...



Upcoming A380 2017 Y...



There are also differences in the seat back and IFE...

Current 2006 Y...



Upcoming A380 2017 Y...



When I tried the new 2017 Y seat at the SQ launch, I thought seat comfort was very good...perhaps slightly more cushioned than the current 2006 Y on the A380, however the difference was not night-and-day. The 2006 remains a very good economy seat (And of course SQ's 2013 Y is outstanding as well). I think I'll need to try out the new A380 Y seat on an actual flight to draw further conclusions...

[yflyer]

Note that on some of the current SQ A380's (Maybe all of them?) the A/C power outlet is not universal: It does not fit UK 3-pin plugs. Bring an adapter just in case.

[yflyer]

Steaming hot towels prior to take-off.



Amenity kit...



...containing toothbrush and socks...

[yflyer]

A wonderful set of cabin crew today, warm, experienced and very efficient. Full marks on that front!

Full drink service to start...



I asked for a G&T, which came accompanied with a packet of muruku...



The Y menu...





International selection...



Veg and non-veg Indian selections...



For completeness, here is the SIN-DEL menu...





I ordered the butter chicken...



This was an excellent meal...

A tangy and spicy Indian appetiser...



...and delicious butter chicken served with fragrant basmati rice...



The dessert, carrot semolina pudding, was tasty as well.

[yflyer]

After all that, and a full can of Tiger Beer, I fell fast asleep and slept for essentially the full remainder of this red-eye flight until our pilot came on the PA at the top of descent...

Some folks simply cannot sleep in Economy. I am one of the fortunate few who can -- if the seat, cabin and other conditions are right, of course. And on this flight they were. A nice meal, a good, wide seat with decent recline by the aisle...those are the basic preconditions for a few hours of sleep, and SQ ticked all the boxes on this occasion. (And practically all other previous occasions too.)

We landed just before dawn, and taxied to the gate at T3, flanked by two company A350's.





And exactly the type of immigration queue I like to see when I arrive in Changi...

[yflyer]

Final reflections?

Economy

While we are all looking forward to flying the recently launched new A380 cabin products, the current A380 Y cabin product has stood the test of time well. It remains a very comfortable way to fly.

Premium Economy

I really like SQ's PEY. It is definitely a step up in comfort from economy. For any flight more than 5 hours in duration, I would either consider PEY if the price was right, or make a bid to upgrade from Y to PEY, where bidding was available.

Let's be clear about one thing: While SQ's PEY is very good, and is a competitive product in the market, it is not the best out there. The seat is more-or-less on par with other airlines' PEY, but the catering lags behind other carriers' offerings. Not a showstopper, but this gap needs to be addressed if SQ wants to be #1 in PEY. And whether they want to or not remains to be seen -- I suspect they are still afraid of cannibalising J.

All the same, I enjoy flying SQ's PEY product and will try to fly on it instead of Y whenever it makes sense to do so.

On this trip, the reason I flew PEY on the SIN-BOM sector was because my bid to upgrade was accepted. These days, my bid strategy for 5-6 hour flights is this: Whenever the opportunity to bid occurs, I will put in a minimum or low bid. If I get it, great! If not, Y is fine as well. It has worked for my last two flights from Beijing and to Mumbai. For longer flights, e.g to Australia, Europe or US, I might be tempted to bid more.

Hotels (St Regis Mumbai, Oberoi Gurgaon)

Both hotels were very impressive. St Regis is a top brand, and as SPG Platinum, I was treated really well during my stay there.

The Oberoi Gurgaon really impressed me -- one of the best properties I have stayed in. A top hotel with exceptional customer service values.

BOM, DEL Airports and Jet Airways

Both these airports are modern and quite efficient. As busy airports, it is always good to arrive early to avoid peak queues, but the airport experience now is comparable, or even superior, to many airports in other countries. BOM airport has one of the nicest terminals anywhere.

I usually fly Jet Airways on domestic sectors in India, and have almost always had good experiences. I might try Vistara next time, though, just to see what they are like. I also wonder if I will ever run into SRK again...

Air Quality in Delhi that week

Someone mentioned it was equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day...not good at all. Thankfully the air has improved since the time I was there.

Regardless of what people think, and whether they stare or point (They didn't...), I am still wearing a mask any country I go to, if the air quality is bad. It doesn't make sense not to!

Thanks for reading!

[GR1]

Another excellent TR yflyer. Looking forward to the next one

[SQueeze]

Thank you for sharing about the country i have been most connected with recently Really enjoyed reading it from your point of view.

I can't agree more that the Oberoi (and also the Taj) brings luxury to an altogether different level. I have more experience with the Taj where they remember me as a person with all my weird preferences and requirements. Stepping into the hotels is like stepping to a family home. They are trained to know guests at that level.

As for the Oberoi versus Trident architectural style, they are the same. Elegant contemporary luxury - rather minimalistic but very refined. The Trident is supposed to be their midrange business hotel brand (like a Novotel). But the Oberoi really does not know how to do a mid range. It is comparable to 5* of the bigger groups. The Trident rooms will be smaller than the Oberois and they usually do not have a bath tub (midrange business hotel brand).

As for the SKL in DEL, you were critical but still rather too nice . I completely condemn that lounge. It's cramped, overcrowded, and it has become so bad that me and my colleagues including my boss these days prefer to wait in the main Hall outside. The food is the only thing that I think is quite acceptable. The LH lounge next door is much better as it has a high ceiling (double height).

The best lounge I just discovered at DEL is Air India's. It's on the mezzanine of the main hall so it has the main terminal roof structure high above and it feels spacious. The food selection is limited but very tasty. The best thing is that it has showers!

As for the new SQ J seat (2017), I am afraid to say I am very much underwhelmed. I can no longer sit crosslegged! and that's a pity. Very disappointed with the new product which is looking just quite similar to a whole lot other competitors including the many herringbones, reverse herringbones, and stagger seatings out there. It also seems awkward that the seat is forward facing but you have to sleep diagonally. I am also concerned with the folds and joints of the seat in bed mode. I would rather have a proper padding by flipping a seat rather than having an inappropriate base. What is so wrong about getting up and making a bed for a few seconds. Let us all be a little physically active.

[CarbonMan]

The Oberoi in Delhi looks really awesome, and not say the St Regis wasn't. I think in terms of value, Indian hotels are up there on the top in Asia. Thanks yflyer, great TR!

[jonleong]

Not sure how you juggle work + family + travels and yet find time to hammer out such a detailed TR but another good read yflyer

[SQfanatic]

Excellent TR as always yflyer. My dad flew the SQ A380 twice; in 2013 when SQ2/1 temporarily had the A380 from December to March (2012-2013 only for 4 months) and recently in early October, coming back from DEL as SQ403. He also said the A380 is not only quiet but very spacious and roomy.

Considering Delhi weather, recently I did hear there was a toxic cloud that hit so the air quality is definitely way worse than that; obviously worse than getting exposed to second hand smoke.

wondering when SQ will launch a better product for consumers to MAA. their MAA product is too outdated compared to the products it offers on its other india routes.

Considering SQ manages to run a full load in J and Y 75% of the week, wondering why the 77w is not serving MAA. the A330 is too old IMO

That's a great question, balajih67. Even though I might not always fly SQ to or from MAA, this is something I still wonder at least for my friends who fly this route by SQ all the time (i.e. family friends). The first question I'd ask is: 1) Is MAA "premium" enough to handle a plane with PEY, especially because pretty much all the 77W have PEY? 2) Since all the 77WR have 4 First Class seats, would there be demand to deploy a plane with F to MAA?

I remember MAA was served by a 773 at one point, and I remember flying it to and from MAA in late 2000/early 2001. IIRC, I believe after that it switched to a 772 and then A330. Honestly, I think it would be quite a treat if I had two 77WR if either I fly to or from MAA. I think for me not having flown the A330 until late last year was actually quite an upgraded treat because mostly it's been MI, and usually SQ's refurbished 773 (without the 2006 Y).

[yflyer]

Another excellent TR yflyer. Looking forward to the next one

Thanks, GR1!

The Oberoi in Delhi looks really awesome, and not say the St Regis wasn't. I think in terms of value, Indian hotels are up there on the top in Asia. Thanks yflyer, great TR!

Thanks, CarbonMan! Yes both hotels were really good, but the Oberoi really stood out for me as being one of the nicest I have visited in a long time.

Price wise, at one point 10 or so years ago there was a shortage of high-end/business hotels so prices were quite outrageous, even for mediocre places, but since then many excellent hotels have sprung up, so hotel rates in Delhi / Gurgaon are fairly reasonable now, and as you have mentioned great value.

Not sure how you juggle work + family + travels and yet find time to hammer out such a detailed TR but another good read yflyer

Thanks, jonleong! I enjoy writing them! There is always time to do things one enjoys...

Excellent TR as always yflyer. My dad flew the SQ A380 twice; in 2013 when SQ2/1 temporarily had the A380 from December to March (2012-2013 only for 4 months) and recently in early October, coming back from DEL as SQ403. He also said the A380 is not only quiet but very spacious and roomy.

Thanks, SQfanatic! Yes I remember SQ1/2 was briefly an A380 service....wish they would resume that (Esp with the new product..)

Glad your dad noticed that the A380 was both quiet and spacious. I agree on both counts. Both my outbound flight to BOM and inbound flight from DEL were completely full in Y (And the SIN-BOM PEY was full too.) These are very popular sectors.

[yflyer]

Thank you for sharing about the country i have been most connected with recently Really enjoyed reading it from your point of view.

Thanks for reading, SQueeze! I also enjoyed your TR's on India (and everywhere else, too!)

I can't agree more that the Oberoi (and also the Taj) brings luxury to an altogether different level. I have more experience with the Taj where they remember me as a person with all my weird preferences and requirements. Stepping into the hotels is like stepping to a family home. They are trained to know guests at that level.

Yes, Oberoi customer service is really impressive!

As for the Oberoi versus Trident architectural style, they are the same. Elegant contemporary luxury - rather minimalistic but very refined. The Trident is supposed to be their midrange business hotel brand (like a Novotel). But the Oberoi really does not know how to do a mid range. It is comparable to 5* of the bigger groups. The Trident rooms will be smaller than the Oberois and they usually do not have a bath tub (midrange business hotel brand).

I don't actually stay at Trident properties much, but the Trident Gurgaon (Previously Trident-Hilton Gurgaon), which is right next to the Oberoi Gurgaon, also struck me as a very impressive hotel when I stayed there previously. Very striking design, although as you have mentioned the rooms are smaller than the Oberoi Gurgaon.

The best lounge I just discovered at DEL is Air India's. It's on the mezzanine of the main hall so it has the main terminal roof structure high above and it feels spacious. The food selection is limited but very tasty. The best thing is that it has showers!

I wonder if that is a designated Star Alliance lounge, because if it is, I would much rather go there than the SQ lounge in Delhi.

As for the new SQ J seat (2017), I am afraid to say I am very much underwhelmed.

Maybe it is because you have had so many wonderful experiences on Etihad etc! For the new SQ J seat, I would actually keep an open mind. You never know about these things until you actually fly in them...

What is so wrong about getting up and making a bed for a few seconds. Let us all be a little physically active.

Someone should start a survey thread on SQTalk to find out how many of us here like, or don't like, to flip ...

[SQfanatic]

Thanks, SQfanatic! Yes I remember SQ1/2 was briefly an A380 service....wish they would resume that (Esp with the new product..)

Glad your dad noticed that the A380 was both quiet and spacious. I agree on both counts. Both my outbound flight to BOM and inbound flight from DEL were completely full in Y (And the SIN-BOM PEY was full too.) These are very popular sectors.

No problem at all. Exactly what my father reported on his trips. He flew the 772 on the SIN-DEL sector (My log and iCargo actually said he got SQJ) and he got SKG on his way back and he reported that no matter what season, the DEL sector is definitely full.

Yup that's true and I know what you mean. Back then, I was itching to fly an A380, but I did fly on EK's 380 once, and to be honest, as much as I enjoyed the spaciousness of it, the windows are a little too wide for my liking, and the Boeing 77W is still better to me. In terms of the product, I do appreciate you for sharing the new cabin products, and while they look great, I'm not badly itching to try them, I need to fly the 2013 cabin product a few more times til I really get tired of it

Keep up with the great TRs yflyer

[vish]

Great TR! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Got an upcoming stay at The Leela palace in Delhi which I will post a review on!