A380 LHR - SIN Inaugural Flight 18MAR2008

[nickbot]

yes, you are right.... boo, all of the suites and even J seats are already booked. there is availability in suites for the sin-nrt route. i just sent an email to my pps coordinator to put me on the waitlist just in case something should come up.

How about a trip in Y taipeiflyer?

[KeithMEL]

How about a trip in Y taipeiflyer?

whY?!

[Howard Long]

yes, you are right.... boo, all of the suites and even J seats are already booked. there is availability in suites for the sin-nrt route. i just sent an email to my pps coordinator to put me on the waitlist just in case something should come up.

If it makes you feel any better, R was most definitely booked up a few weeks before the LHR-SIN inaugral. By sheer luck I happened to look again seven days before the flight where two suites had opened up, and I snagged one of these. Then a couple of days before the flight two more seats opened up.

On board, only seven of the twelve seats were occupied.

YMMV of course!

Howard

[SQ LPP]

To fill in the blank in the story line how I reached London to start the A380 inaugural flight, I will continue the story from post #31:

After I felt too hot to sit under the morning sun, I decided to check out the old tram F line heading to Castro. Walked around a bit and back to the city. Playing around a bit at the Apple Store, then taking BART back to the airport.
Of course as expected, carrying a pink plastic bag would not give a “first class looking” pax. After helping a traveler who struggle with his suitcases from the station to UA check-in counter, I headed to LH First check-in. The girl asked “Are you flying in First?”

LH455 SFO-FRA (will be told later)

As always, when I did not plan to stay in San Francisco, the weather was georgeous. It was pretty sad to leave the warm sunny weather. Peace and quiet with the Italian street car passing through.




Took the BART to SFO. My ticket on LH was showing SFO-FRA-ZRH and I had a separate tix for ZRH-LHR on LX. The usual confusion arouse. Yup, agent would wonder why I had to go through FRA, ZRH then LHR before heading to SIN. It's more confusing is to check all those visa requirements. But luckily I was prepared, and with the LH tix up to ZRH only, the agent just checked me in to ZRH only, to where I don't need a visa to enter the country.
She gave me a red paper for fast track security. But, as usual, at SFO, you could not find any sign for fast track. And the line for regular pax were not that long. It was amazing to observe other pax who are supposedly very frequent flyer going through security. They act like a first time traveler going through security. The line went to three different x-rays but seemed all the pax just followed one line. Thus, I just took the middle x-ray, and went through very quickly. And yet, still others would not follow me, until the TSA screamed at them to let them know there were three x-rays available for them.

Walked to the UA International First Class Lounge. And went to take shower. Alone. The usual H2O amenity kits was available. After shower, went to find the seat to repack my bag, trying to hide away the pink plastic bag and pink box of egg tarts. The lounge this time a bit crowded: UA flight to Frankfurt and also an Air China as well as LH 455. The food counter looks the same as usual. I just had a bottled water. Again, it's amusing to see LH F BP holder who seemed did not understand the announcement made. It was a simple announcement calling pax on Air China to go to the gate now.

Anyhow, I was bored, and decided to walk early to the gate. As usual, people had lined up at the gate. And once the boarding for F, C and SEN made, I was way behind in line. I saw one or two red BP holders who tried to pass the queue, but had to settle following the flow. Once I got through the door for boarding, I knew that everyone who were in front of me would go for door 1, and I know that the stairs to the upperdeck would be at door 2. I was ahead a bit. The result was I could have Laurent to pose.





The flight was completely full. I was surprised to find this time the champagne is Piper-Heidsieck "Rare" instead of "D" de Devaux Brut. Well at least I should have a try after seeing the options in the menu for the past year, but never had been served on board.




Since it was a full flight, the cabin a bit chaotic. Yes, those carry-ons that could not fit in the overhead bins and the pax insisted to have them nearby. This led to the chaotic PJs and amenity kits distribution. I got mine almost last even I boarded early. The FA apologized that she had to give me size L. She said she had to give the M to the ladies. She said that even though two ladies were clearly bigger than I, but they would rather have to have size M. I told her that I would swim wearing the L size. She again apologized, but soon enough she came back with the size M from the previous flight FRA-SFO. (It is a day flight so no PJ but just the top part.) I was delighted,of course. I went to the lav immediately, and changed. She was glad that size M was really my size. And she smiled looking at my folded PJ pants while the string is alomst all the way up to my chest.

Me in PJs peekd the curiousity of my seatmate. He is a UA 1K as well. And just recently tasted the LH F which he likes due to mainly for the caviar and the food in general. He said he never tried to wear PJs on board. (Later on he was convinced that wearing PJs on board is very comfortable. I should earn a toaster for converting one. )

Soon enough, the plane pulled out from the gate and taxiing through the familiar scenery.

[SQ LPP]

This time, the plane took off using the runway like the flights departing to Asia, i.e. to go west towards Pacific Ocean. Then a U-turned above the ocean and flew above Golden Gate Bridge. It was a blessing to seat on 84K.

[SQ LPP]

And here you go the meals on board.

[SQ LPP]

I was watching Bollywood movies and went to sleep. I must have slept like a baby next to the married man. I woke up late for breakfast service. decided to have coffee only. And it's too bad LH doesn't offer the srambled eggs with chive on this flight. Here are some views taken when landed in FRA.

[SQ LPP]

Even though, it has been years opened, but I still like the First Class Lounge at FRA. The bathroom is huge. Compare to the new SKL F shower room? Hmm I like the FCL shower at FRA.

























I wished that the SQ planner for SKL T3 had done the research thoroughly. This shower room is perhaps as big as the 6 shower room s right now at SKL F T3. And the kits are ETRO products.

[SQ LPP]

After feeling refresh and awake from the shower, I decided to have a brunch.




Of course I had the soups vegetable consomme as well as the Thai soup, but did not take any pictures because O had taken them too many times.

From here, I went to gate B30 to board the flight to ZRH. Uneventful flight. The only memorable stuff was here.
At ZRH, I was able to go to the new LX F lounge. Still the same. And I had to run to the gate because the staff forgot about me. Boarded almost last to LHR.

I was glad to arrive at LHR, and was getting anxious for starting the party, started with Hakkasan dinner first.

[SQ LPP]

Lavatory in C - right hand side of the C galley

[nickbot]

The Y-Class PAX in the photos appears to have some F PJs under his arm,...and what is he doing in the C Lavatories? SQ's standards with regard to control of wandering Economy PAX must be slipping

[SQ LPP]

...and what is he doing in the C Lavatories? SQ's standards with regard to control of wandering Economy PAX must be slipping

I was taking pictures! I remembered for the inaugural flight, I wondered about half back of the plane, upper and lower deck. Did not venture to the Suite. There was a lavatory in front of the first row of upper deck Y. It's for C pax, but it's always empty. So I went there couple of times.

[nickbot]

I was taking pictures! I remembered for the inaugural flight, I wondered about half back of the plane, upper and lower deck. Did not venture to the Suite. There was a lavatory in front of the first row of upper deck Y. It's for C pax, but it's always empty. So I went there couple of times.

Just pulling your leg SQ LPP Sounds like you all had a fantastic time on the inaugural, wish I could've been there!

[lee_apromise]

How did he scare a cabin crew that he was almost thrown a chocolate at him??

[nickbot]

How did he scare a cabin crew that he was almost thrown a chocolate at him??