Here is the first installment of my trip report (SBA-SFO-ICN-SIN-DPS) on SQ in F
Note: Photos to be added later
I checked in online (United) for my flight, but was unable to print a BP for my SQ flights. Got a notice to see an agent. At SBA airport, they could not issue the BP either. Seems odd since 1) its Star Alliance and 2) the ticket was booked by UA. Anyway, no drama, smooth flight to SFO. I stopped in at the SKL and they were able to issue the red BP and the first class ticket envelope. The F side of the lounge is understandably small (roughly the size of a 3 or 4 car garage). It has a nice view of the ramp area and is bright and airy. I checked out the buffet that consisted of a few pastries, some canapés (see photo), fruit and noodle cups. At about 11am, they brought out the dim sum, but it would be about another 30 minutes before it was hot. Food on offer was underwhelming. Did not matter though because the food on the flight would make up for it.
For research purposes, I went down the hall to the UA IFL. As you may recall, CGK and DeltaFlyingProfessor had a run in with an agent there who refused them entry and actually called security a couple of months ago. Well, I was armed with my boarding card as well as a copy of the rules that I had printed off the Star Alliance website. The woman who greeted me at first started to tell me that the SKL is down the hall and that was the proper lounge. As I started to speak up, the other woman told her that F pax on SQ could use the UA IFL. The first woman was very puzzled by this, and I assured her that there were many of her coworkers who did not know that rule. Now that I was in, the question on my mind was how did these two lounges compare. I had been to the IFL before, and it is a very nice set up. High ceilings, well furnished, lots of light, etc. It’s really pretty classy. Most people complain that it has just the standard food options. Actually the food on offer was much more extensive than the SKL. UA had a "mini" salad bar as well as fruits, pastries, yakitori chicken (cold), California rolls, a couple of cold salads (pasta and rice salad), cheeses, smoked salmon as well as lentil soup. I think this is a significant upgrade from what I remember when I was there about a year ago.
So, bottom line on lounges, other than the free wireless at the SKL, the UA IFL is better.
Although the SKL had about 8 pax in it, I noted that I was the only person that was informed of our gate change. The attendant approached me telling me we had been moved to gate 91. It was then that I began to wonder how many passengers would be in first class. As I recall PPS members I guess can use the F side of the lounge, and I suppose its possible that some of the pax were UA customers. Could it be that none of these pax were to join me on the flight?
Upon entering the aircraft I was struck immediately by how wide those F suites are. Seriously, they are just as wide as they appear in the advertising. It feels more like a couch than an easy chair (this is good and bad). I was immediately offered a drink (Dom was my choice) newspapers and magazines were offered next. As I sipped my second glass of champagne I finally asked if any other pax were expected. Being that F service is new on this route (previously just two-cabin service on SQ 15) it seems that the public has not yet caught on. So, yes, I was the only pax in the front cabin. Nice.
With a bit of a buzz on from the champagne (yes I am a lightweight), I slipped on the headphones as we taxied towards our runway. I clicked onto channel 9 (Adrenaline) with its thumping Euro hypnotic tunes mellowing me out. Okay, actually it felt like I was in Ibiza (minus the foam party!), but the effect was nice as we took a nice banked turn with a great view of the Golden Gate. Okay, if you do not get the Ibiza reference, ask KeithMel, or LukeGT as I am sure they must have been there and done that.
As the crew sprung back into service my champagne returned, although I seem to recall that they used to serve warm nuts with the initial round of drinks (cost cutting?). In any case, my drink was quickly followed with a selection of chicken and beef satay (chicken was more moist). The view up the northern California coast was beautiful as I settled in for the feast. For lunch, I chose to have both appetizers (details to follow), skipped the soup and salad (how much can one person eat?), my BTC Jumbo Scallops, and then what ever else I could fit in. Being the only person in F, the caviar serving was enormous. The photo is after I had two bites, and this was followed by a second serving as large as the first. The IFS informed me that the can is usually served (a tablespoon or so each) to all eight pax. Given that the product does not keep, I was more than happy to solve the dilemma for the crew! Ordinarily, the caviar is accompanied on the same plate (apparently) with some nice hunks of smoked salmon. Mine was served separately as there was no room on the plate for anything but the caviar and condiments. This was followed by the second appetizer (maybe I should say fourth, two caviar, one salmon and now the lobster?) which was a lobster tail with an avocado salsa. The entrée (Jumbo Scallops) was beautifully presented. However, the scallops were obviously overcooked and when I tasted them they were dry (very dry…almost jerky like). The IFS could see from looking at it that it did not look right and quickly came back to check if everything was okay. He replaced my lunch with the Halibut that was excellent.
It’s the little things on SQ that make the difference. I had a moment while I was standing in the aisle of the Raffles cabin before departure and one of the attendants was organizing the magazines. She looked up and showed me a copy of Sports Illustrated asking if I would like to take it to my seat. To be honest, I could not care less about the magazine, but I was charmed and gladly accepted. I have seen people ask (here or on FT) about “chatting up” the crew, and personally, I see that no special effort is required. They are naturally chatty, especially when they have the time on such a lightly booked flight (1 in F and 21 out of 42 in J). The charm and sophistication of the crew always seems so natural to me. It seems impossible to train such attributes.
After a short break for digestion my desert arrived. The Leading Stewardess apologized as the ice cream was very soft. None the less its flavor was wonderful as was the crème brulee. Although I love cheese, especially with a nice port, my stomach said otherwise. So I moved on to a nice cup of Jamaican Blue Coffee (advertised as the Champagne of coffee) and 4 or so (who’s counting?) pralines “to end on a sweet note”. I must say, however, that the pralines “to end on a sweet note” were not mentioned on the menu. Perhaps these are being phased out.
A second round of hot towles was offered along with a bottle of water in preparation for nap time. I asked the FA to set up the bed in 1F (I was sitting in 2F) so I could move there when I was ready.
Seriously, I am beginning to feel like royalty on this flight. Its’ crazy.
Consumption so far:
1 Bottle Dom Perignon
Caviar for 8 persons
1 Lobster tail
1 Halibut Filet
Enough Desert for a whole meal
Two cups Jamaican Blue Coffee
4 or so (!) pralines.
Now I am informed of the mid flight snacks as well as the fact that another meal will be served one hour prior to alanding. Ugh….I have eaten enough for a week!
So, I have this whole cabin to myself. 1F is my bed, 2F is my dining room, 1C is my place for light snacks and my office. Something is missing. Oh yes, no home is complete without a library. 2C is the library. NO Mr. CGK, the rest of the cabin is not for dot dot dot!
So, after being in bed for an hour or so I realize that its simply too early to sleep (only 6pm California time) so I get up and step into the galley and ask if I may have that cheese course that I skipped earlier. Not that I am hungry mind you, but I do love chese with a nice glass of port. In true SQ fashion, this simple request is preceeded by a hot towel, fresh linen in my dining room, followed by a generous serving of each of the cheeses.
Knowing that I have had a stressful few months (from our earlier conversation), the IFS suggests that after the cheese I have a hot chamomile tea with honey to relax. It was perfect. He then returned with an ice cream sandwhich. Okay stop!
continued below....
Note: Photos to be added later
I checked in online (United) for my flight, but was unable to print a BP for my SQ flights. Got a notice to see an agent. At SBA airport, they could not issue the BP either. Seems odd since 1) its Star Alliance and 2) the ticket was booked by UA. Anyway, no drama, smooth flight to SFO. I stopped in at the SKL and they were able to issue the red BP and the first class ticket envelope. The F side of the lounge is understandably small (roughly the size of a 3 or 4 car garage). It has a nice view of the ramp area and is bright and airy. I checked out the buffet that consisted of a few pastries, some canapés (see photo), fruit and noodle cups. At about 11am, they brought out the dim sum, but it would be about another 30 minutes before it was hot. Food on offer was underwhelming. Did not matter though because the food on the flight would make up for it.
For research purposes, I went down the hall to the UA IFL. As you may recall, CGK and DeltaFlyingProfessor had a run in with an agent there who refused them entry and actually called security a couple of months ago. Well, I was armed with my boarding card as well as a copy of the rules that I had printed off the Star Alliance website. The woman who greeted me at first started to tell me that the SKL is down the hall and that was the proper lounge. As I started to speak up, the other woman told her that F pax on SQ could use the UA IFL. The first woman was very puzzled by this, and I assured her that there were many of her coworkers who did not know that rule. Now that I was in, the question on my mind was how did these two lounges compare. I had been to the IFL before, and it is a very nice set up. High ceilings, well furnished, lots of light, etc. It’s really pretty classy. Most people complain that it has just the standard food options. Actually the food on offer was much more extensive than the SKL. UA had a "mini" salad bar as well as fruits, pastries, yakitori chicken (cold), California rolls, a couple of cold salads (pasta and rice salad), cheeses, smoked salmon as well as lentil soup. I think this is a significant upgrade from what I remember when I was there about a year ago.
So, bottom line on lounges, other than the free wireless at the SKL, the UA IFL is better.
Although the SKL had about 8 pax in it, I noted that I was the only person that was informed of our gate change. The attendant approached me telling me we had been moved to gate 91. It was then that I began to wonder how many passengers would be in first class. As I recall PPS members I guess can use the F side of the lounge, and I suppose its possible that some of the pax were UA customers. Could it be that none of these pax were to join me on the flight?
Upon entering the aircraft I was struck immediately by how wide those F suites are. Seriously, they are just as wide as they appear in the advertising. It feels more like a couch than an easy chair (this is good and bad). I was immediately offered a drink (Dom was my choice) newspapers and magazines were offered next. As I sipped my second glass of champagne I finally asked if any other pax were expected. Being that F service is new on this route (previously just two-cabin service on SQ 15) it seems that the public has not yet caught on. So, yes, I was the only pax in the front cabin. Nice.
With a bit of a buzz on from the champagne (yes I am a lightweight), I slipped on the headphones as we taxied towards our runway. I clicked onto channel 9 (Adrenaline) with its thumping Euro hypnotic tunes mellowing me out. Okay, actually it felt like I was in Ibiza (minus the foam party!), but the effect was nice as we took a nice banked turn with a great view of the Golden Gate. Okay, if you do not get the Ibiza reference, ask KeithMel, or LukeGT as I am sure they must have been there and done that.
As the crew sprung back into service my champagne returned, although I seem to recall that they used to serve warm nuts with the initial round of drinks (cost cutting?). In any case, my drink was quickly followed with a selection of chicken and beef satay (chicken was more moist). The view up the northern California coast was beautiful as I settled in for the feast. For lunch, I chose to have both appetizers (details to follow), skipped the soup and salad (how much can one person eat?), my BTC Jumbo Scallops, and then what ever else I could fit in. Being the only person in F, the caviar serving was enormous. The photo is after I had two bites, and this was followed by a second serving as large as the first. The IFS informed me that the can is usually served (a tablespoon or so each) to all eight pax. Given that the product does not keep, I was more than happy to solve the dilemma for the crew! Ordinarily, the caviar is accompanied on the same plate (apparently) with some nice hunks of smoked salmon. Mine was served separately as there was no room on the plate for anything but the caviar and condiments. This was followed by the second appetizer (maybe I should say fourth, two caviar, one salmon and now the lobster?) which was a lobster tail with an avocado salsa. The entrée (Jumbo Scallops) was beautifully presented. However, the scallops were obviously overcooked and when I tasted them they were dry (very dry…almost jerky like). The IFS could see from looking at it that it did not look right and quickly came back to check if everything was okay. He replaced my lunch with the Halibut that was excellent.
It’s the little things on SQ that make the difference. I had a moment while I was standing in the aisle of the Raffles cabin before departure and one of the attendants was organizing the magazines. She looked up and showed me a copy of Sports Illustrated asking if I would like to take it to my seat. To be honest, I could not care less about the magazine, but I was charmed and gladly accepted. I have seen people ask (here or on FT) about “chatting up” the crew, and personally, I see that no special effort is required. They are naturally chatty, especially when they have the time on such a lightly booked flight (1 in F and 21 out of 42 in J). The charm and sophistication of the crew always seems so natural to me. It seems impossible to train such attributes.
After a short break for digestion my desert arrived. The Leading Stewardess apologized as the ice cream was very soft. None the less its flavor was wonderful as was the crème brulee. Although I love cheese, especially with a nice port, my stomach said otherwise. So I moved on to a nice cup of Jamaican Blue Coffee (advertised as the Champagne of coffee) and 4 or so (who’s counting?) pralines “to end on a sweet note”. I must say, however, that the pralines “to end on a sweet note” were not mentioned on the menu. Perhaps these are being phased out.
A second round of hot towles was offered along with a bottle of water in preparation for nap time. I asked the FA to set up the bed in 1F (I was sitting in 2F) so I could move there when I was ready.
Seriously, I am beginning to feel like royalty on this flight. Its’ crazy.
Consumption so far:
1 Bottle Dom Perignon
Caviar for 8 persons
1 Lobster tail
1 Halibut Filet
Enough Desert for a whole meal
Two cups Jamaican Blue Coffee
4 or so (!) pralines.
Now I am informed of the mid flight snacks as well as the fact that another meal will be served one hour prior to alanding. Ugh….I have eaten enough for a week!
So, I have this whole cabin to myself. 1F is my bed, 2F is my dining room, 1C is my place for light snacks and my office. Something is missing. Oh yes, no home is complete without a library. 2C is the library. NO Mr. CGK, the rest of the cabin is not for dot dot dot!
So, after being in bed for an hour or so I realize that its simply too early to sleep (only 6pm California time) so I get up and step into the galley and ask if I may have that cheese course that I skipped earlier. Not that I am hungry mind you, but I do love chese with a nice glass of port. In true SQ fashion, this simple request is preceeded by a hot towel, fresh linen in my dining room, followed by a generous serving of each of the cheeses.
Knowing that I have had a stressful few months (from our earlier conversation), the IFS suggests that after the cheese I have a hot chamomile tea with honey to relax. It was perfect. He then returned with an ice cream sandwhich. Okay stop!
continued below....
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