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SQ A350 Regional J to MEL: Melbourne is Open for Business! (And Leisure!)

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  • #91
    Breakfast options were quite generous, with hot and cold options available across Western and Asian selections.

    Cold cuts, salad, fruit, and yogurt...



    Sandwiches...



    Breakfast cereal...



    Hot selections included sausages...



    ...and scrambled eggs...



    Chicken kariage, hash browns and French toast...



    On the Asian front, you had noodles...



    ...and self service DIY Nasi Lemak...



    ...which really hit the spot!



    There was also steaming hot dim sum...



    ...which I could not resist either...

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    • #92
      Given this was Melbourne, a city of coffee connoisseurs, there was, of course a proper expresso machine...



      ...and barista...



      ...who did really excellent coffees...



      Mrs yflyer was so inspired that she prepared herself an Irish coffee, with the available ingredients, including ice cream and whisky...



      A self service coffee machine was also available...



      ...along with instant noodles...



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      • #93
        Overall, I thought this lounge was ok, with highlights being a good F&B selection and helpful staff.

        ​​

        On the down side, the lounge was not large, and could get busy at peak periods. Decor wise, I thought the lounge lacked wow factor, and was due for a makeover.

        I would definitely visit for a drink and a snack, and perhaps a shower, but it was not the kind of lounge that would get me excited about visiting.

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        • #94
          Mrs yflyer was quite content to stay in the SilverKris Lounge until it was time to board, but I decided to check out the other option available for SQ / Star Alliance pax, which was the Air New Zealand Lounge, located just one level below the SQ lounge...

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          • #95
            Don't recall seeing a barista there on my previous visits to the SKL. Only a DIY coffee machine near the food are.

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            • #96
              Originally posted by SQ218 View Post
              Don't recall seeing a barista there on my previous visits to the SKL. Only a DIY coffee machine near the food are.
              There was a Barista when we visited..maybe he/she's there only during certain hours...

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              • #97
                Continuing with the TR...

                From the SilverKris Lounge, I made my way down the escalator to the Air New Zealand Lounge just one level below the SilverKris Lounge. This was also a Star Gold Lounge.



                I'll not mince words, between the SilverKris Lounge and the Air New Zealand Lounge, I much prefer the Air NZ Lounge at MEL, for several reasons.

                For one thing, the lounge is HUGE. Maybe it is because of the SQ flight timings compared to Air NZ flight timings, but at the time I was there, the lounge was nearly empty. There might be peak periods where the lounge is full, but whenever I have been there prior to an SQ flight, whether in the morning, or the evening, the Air NZ Lounge has been almost completely deserted -- in other words, this lounge has been paradise...



                At 8.40am in the morning that day, this large lounge only had a handful of guests.



                I found the modern, almost minimalist decor in the lounge very striking and very pleasant. Perhaps it was more functional than luxurious, but exuded a futuristic and stylish vibe which I really liked.

                There were several quieter seating areas, with translucent partitions...



                If you wanted some peace and quiet, these spots would fit the bill...



                The dining area was well integrated into the main lounge...



                There was a large breakfast spread laid out...



                Hot selections included sausage...



                ...and scrambled eggs...



                OK so there wasn't nasi lemak or dim sum. The SQ lounge catering options were certainly more appealing -- probably the only area where the SilverKris Lounge trumped the Air New Zealand lounge.
                Last edited by yflyer; 14 August 2022, 05:44 PM.

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                • #98
                  Hot and cold beverage stations...



                  There was also a coffee bar, although it was not manned when I was there...



                  The wine and liquor selection was more-or-less on par with SQ...



                  Refrigerated section for beer and white wines...



                  Dulcet Sparkling Wine from NZ...



                  Soft drinks on tap...



                  ​​​​​​​

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                  • #99
                    There were many shower rooms available...



                    These were beautifully fitted out...

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                    • While the SQ lounge had practically no views to speak of, the Air New Zealand lounge might actually be the best place to go if you wanted close-up views of aircraft on the tarmac...



                      Indeed, the best view of our SQ A359 taking us to Singapore was from this Lounge...



                      Overall, this was a very impressive lounge, and one that I greatly preferred to the MEL SilverKris Lounge. For folks travelling on SQ who have only visited the SilverKris Lounge, I would strongly recommend giving the Air New Zealand Lounge a try, if only for a change of scenery compared to the SQ Lounge.

                      After a whirlwind tour of the Air New Zealand Lounge, I headed back to the SilverKris Lounge to fetch Mrs yflyer and we both headed to the gate area to await boarding.

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                      • Boarding was announced, and we headed down the aerobridge to board 9V-SHV, an Airbus A350-900XWB, in SQ's 2-class medium haul configuration. The aircraft was just over 1 year old, having been delivered to SQ in February 2021.



                        A very warm greeting at Door 1 Left...



                        This was the same regional business class configuration as our outbound flight, laid out in 1-2-1 format...

                        Last edited by yflyer; 15 August 2022, 03:32 PM.

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                        • As on the outbound, the window seats alternated between seats closer to the window, and the console by the aisle...



                          ...and seats where the console was by the window, with the seat closer to the aisle...



                          An example of middle seats with the seats close together in the middle, and consoles by the aisle -- good for couples travelling together...



                          ...and in the alternate rows, middle seats with the consoles in the middle, which meant that the seats where further apart, by the aisle...


                          Slippers, socks and bottles of water were placed at each console...



                          Amenity kits were the same as the ones on the inbound flight. There were handed directly to pax by the cabin crew.

                          As this was a daytime flight, rather than choose a pair of middle seats for myself and Mrs yflyer I opted for window seats, so that we could both enjoy the view. Mrs yflyer would be in the window seat directly behind me...



                          The view from my seat, looking across the aisle, right across to the other side of the cabin...


                          Last edited by yflyer; 16 August 2022, 11:51 AM.

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                          • We were among the first to board, so I had time to snap more pics of the seat, and even check out the seat recline during the boarding process...

                            Note that the shoulder seatbelt strap is detachable. You should use the shoulder seatbelt for take-off and landing...



                            ...but take it off during the flight, with only the waist seatbelt on...it is much more comfortable that way...



                            Seat recline was controlled by buttons on the side of the seat...



                            Semi reclined position...



                            Fully reclined (No need to get up to flip the seat!)...



                            The pigeonhole for the feet was fairly generous...



                            Height of the cubby hole was more than adequatee...



                            ...although this was no match for the huge space offered at the bulkhead seats.

                            Space below the foot cubbyhole for shoes...



                            Large, soft blanket provided.



                            Sturdy foldout tray table...





                            Last edited by yflyer; 11 August 2022, 10:48 PM.

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                            • There were no pre-departure beverages served as standard, but I requested a glass of champagne, and the cabin crew were kind enough to serve me one! Thumbs up!



                              The cabin ambience in the J cabin was very serene and peaceful...



                              Pushback...

                              Next to our plane was a beautifully painted MAS A330...



                              Other aircraft on the ground included this JAL 787-8 Dreamliner...



                              ...and an Etihad 787...



                              An SQ 777 had just arrived as well...



                              We turned onto runway 27...



                              A very smooth and quiet take-off, with the Control Tower and Melbourne city skyline visible in the far distance...



                              What a beautiful day to be flying...

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                              • I tracked our progress on the the Air Show map...



                                A round of beverages was served after departure...



                                More champagne...



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