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SQ32/31 SIN-SFO-SIN in Y: Impressions of Post-COVID San Francisco

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  • SQ32/31 SIN-SFO-SIN in Y: Impressions of Post-COVID San Francisco

    TR Index

    1. Introduction
    2. Airport: Changi Terminal 3
    3. Lounge: SIA Krisflyer Gold Lounge in Changi T3
    4. Flight: SQ32 SIN-SFO in Economy - Airbus A359 Long Haul
    5. Impressions of post-COVID San Francisco
    6. Hotel: Marriott San Francisco Union Square
    7. Dining: Cheesecake Factory @ Union Square
    8. Run: Golden Gate Bridge to Crissy Field and Ghirardelli Square
    9. Dining: In-N-Out Burger @ Fisherman's Wharf
    10. Bar: Irish Coffee @ The Buena Vista
    11. Airport: San Francisco International Terminal
    12. Flight: SQ31 SFO-SIN in Economy - Airbus A359 Long Haul
    13. Final Reflections

    Introduction

    Twenty four hours after stepping off SQ351 from Copenhagen, I was back in Changi Airport to catch SQ32 to San Francisco. The previous day, I had flown 12 hours on Singapore Airlines Airbus A359 in Economy, and that morning, after a day in Singapore, I was about to fly another 14 and a half hours to SFO, once again in Economy on an SQ A359. That's a lot of time to spend in a Y seat. And yet, risk of DVT aside, I was looking forward to it. San Francisco was, after all, one of my favourite cities.



    On this trip, I had been looking forward to something else even more. I was originally booked to fly UA's nonstop SIN-SFO-SIN in their new Premium Plus service (The equivalent of Premium Economy) on their Boeing 787-9, but on Sunday, the day before my flight, I received a message from my travel agent that indicated my flight the next morning would be delayed more than 3 hours. Upon further checking, it turned out that UA2 that day would be delayed by 11 hours. The inbound aircraft would apparently be departing (Or had departed) SFO 11 hours late, which meant a Monday evening departure out of Singapore, rather than Monday morning.

    That delay would have messed up the schedule for my business trip, so I had to make a call to my travel agent on a Sunday to quickly cancel my UA flights (And submit them for a full refund) and rebook myself on SQ32, which was still on schedule for a 9.20am departure on Monday morning. While I was entitled to fly Premium Economy on such a long sector, PEY on SQ32 was full, so I bit the bullet and booked myself into Y. The Trip Report on United's Premium Plus would have to wait....


    Last edited by yflyer; 4 December 2022, 03:21 PM.

  • #2
    I've done UA premium economy on a NRT-SFO flight on a 787-9. I had a bulkhead seat. It was a pretty good and comfortable ride in premium economy.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by zilchster View Post
      I've done UA premium economy on a NRT-SFO flight on a 787-9. I had a bulkhead seat. It was a pretty good and comfortable ride in premium economy.
      Really glad to hear that your experience in UA Premium on NRT-SFO was good, zilchster!

      On paper, I would much prefer UA's Premium Plus on the 787-9 to SQ's Premium Economy on the A350-900.

      UA's 787-9 Premium Plus layout is 2-3-2, which is preferable to SQ's A359 PEY layout of 2-4-2.

      Also, UA's Premium Plus has differentiated meal service and tableware from Economy, unlike SQ's PEY meal concept, which is almost indistinguishable from Y.

      Of course, the proof is in the flying, and I've not done that. Not sure when I'll be heading to SFO next, but if I do, my first choice would be to try out UA's Premium Plus!

      Comment


      • #4
        My trip began at Changi T3 on the morning of Monday, 26 September...



        As I entered, I paused to admire a large model of the future Changi T5...



        Hopefully air traffic will continue on its post COVID growth trajectory...there will be a lot of capacity coming online when T5 finally opens in the mid 2030's. A good Straits Times article on T5 plans can be found here.

        The morning's flight schedule...



        The SQ Y check-in area was fairly busy at 7.15am...



        Short lines at the F and J check in counters...



        I headed to the PEY, Krisflyer Elite Gold / Star Alliance Gold Check in area...



        Longish lines there...



        I was hand luggage only (Yes, even to SFO), so I decided to skip the line and use the self-check in kiosks...



        Outbound immigration checks now consist only of a passport scan and facial recognition...



        A bustling airside area, with many shops open...



        I headed up to the lounge...

        Last edited by yflyer; 8 November 2022, 01:48 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          The new SIA Krisflyer Gold Lounge at T3 was now open. This meant that KFEG or Star Alliance Gold members travelling in Y or PEY were no longer eligible to use the SilverKris Lounge, and were now directed to the Krisflyer Gold Lounge.



          The new lounge felt airy and open...



          ...with a modern decor theme...



          The lounge had airside views along one side of the long L-shaped lounge area...



          Airside views were a little limited on account of the sun shades above each window pane...



          Still, it was nice to be able to look outside, rather than be in a windowless lounge.



          Here is a pic from the far end of the lounge, looking down the full length of this L-shaped lounge.


          Comment


          • #6
            Common table and bar style seating was available...



            Table seating on the shorter-side of the L shape...



            Booth-style sofas...



            Several work desks...



            Comment


            • #7
              There was a full buffet breakfast spread, with cold and hot selections...

              Comment


              • #8
                I headed to the buffet to check it out...



                Steaming hot dim sum...



                Har Gao and Siew Mai...



                Vegetarian dumplings...



                Traditional Chwee Kway...what a treat!



                I couldn't resist sampling some of the dim sum and the chwee kway...all were delicious!



                Plain fried bee hoon...



                Self service laksa, with quails eggs...



                This also hit the spot...



                Meatball congee...



                Also very delicious!



                Not everyone has their pork meatball congee with cut red chilli and soy sauce, but I do...yum...


                Comment


                • #9
                  There were also international selections, including bread pudding...



                  Scrambled eggs...



                  Corn...



                  Sandwiches, cheese and yogurt...

                  Last edited by yflyer; 7 November 2022, 11:53 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    The liquor selection...

                    One red and one white wine on offer...



                    I sampled some of each...



                    Not bad...



                    No champagne or sparkling wine though. If champagne was not within budget, why not at least offer Prosecco?

                    A smallish liquor selection...



                    Beer on tap...



                    Canned beer, mixers and soft beverages...



                    Coffee...



                    ...and tea...



                    Comment


                    • #11
                      There were showers in the lounge...



                      Rain shower...



                      ...as well as towels, toothbrush and other amenities.



                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Overall, I thought this was a decent lounge with pleasant decor, a spacious, airy feel, and good F&B. The decor was pleasant, rather than inspired. In terms of catering, I thought the Asian breakfast selection was better than the Western/International selection. On my wish list would be a larger selection of liquor and wine, including sparkling wine, and perhaps ensuite WC's in the showers.

                        Comparing this lounge to what was available in the T3 SilverKris Lounge, it was clear that the SilverKris Lounge was the flagship lounge, and the offerings here were a notch below the SilverKris Lounge.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I left the SQ Gold Lounge and headed to my gate.

                          As I waited to board, I caught a glimpse of one of SQ's baby 737 MAX 8's, which I would only get to try for the first time a month later, from Hanoi to Singapore.



                          At the gate, 9V-SJD, was being prepped to operate SQ32 SIN-SFO. This was SQ's newest A350, the 61st in the fleet, first delivered just over a month ago, on 21 August. Coincidentally this was the same plane that flew SQfanatic's dad to and from SFO a month not long after delivery.



                          After flying an older A359 (relatively speaking), 9V-SMK, on my SIN-CPH-SIN sectors the week before, it was nice to be on a brand new plane on this flagship service to SFO.

                          It was soon time to board...

                          At the door, a beautiful sight of green, red and blue...

                          Last edited by yflyer; 10 November 2022, 10:23 PM.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I passed through the J cabin, with the 2013 Y product, laid out 1-2-1...



                            Those would have been really comfortable seats for this 14.5 hour flight, but as I mentioned, I was just passing through...

                            I continued through the SQ PEY cabin. This was laid out 2-4-2.



                            While I had a great flight to SFO in PEY in 2018, in general I am not a big fan of SQ's PEY on the A359 for two reasons: First, the 2-4-2 layout feels too similar to Y (By contrast UA's 787-9 Premium Plus is laid out 2-3-2), and on SQ, the PEY meal concept is essentially Y, whereas almost every other airline, including United, offers an enhanced PEY meal service.

                            For this reason, I am usually very reluctant to upgrade from Y to PEY on SQ's A359. On SQ's A380 and 77WR, the seat frame is different, and the PEY cabin more spacious. I much prefer the PEY hard product on SQ's A380 and 77WR, although I still wish SQ would revamp their PEY catering concept to be more competitive with other carriers.

                            For my next SIN-SFO flight, if I were to choose between SQ A359 Premium Economy and United 787-9 Premium Plus, it would be a no-brainer for me to try United, to see if the actual experience matches up to this paper comparison, which is clearly in United's favour.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              My seat was in the Y cabin, laid out 3-3-3.



                              After my SIN-CPH-SIN flights where the A359 cabin product was the older 2013 Y seat, it was great to be able to fly in the latest Y seat, first introduced in 2017.



                              The Emex seats on this flight are usually very popular...



                              ...especially the window seat directly behind the Emex row, without a seat in front of it...



                              Bulkhead seats, with IFE mounted on the wall...



                              My seat was in the rear of the Y cabin...



                              On this long flight, I picked the last row aisle seat, so I wouldn't have to worry about anyone behind me when reclining...



                              This last row seat had decent recline...



                              ...similar to the recline for regular seats...



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