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As an SQ TPP member of long standing, this was a rare chance to fly another airline from my home port to SQ's home. It occured as a client booked the journey for a project in Singapore. The fare was cheap at under A$3000 for J return.
Did not see the F loading but J about 10% full and Y not more than 33% occupied so if you like space, this is the place for you. Seating 2-3-2 in J on a new 777-300ER. Departed 30-mins late at 1830 but arrived about on-time at 2345 local. This service compliments a daily non-stop to Dubai and another 0300 departure to KUL.
Used the EK pick-up service from home and went through the airport formalities without any dealys at all as the Internationa terminal is especially quiet after the various Asian evening departures around 1700.
What I liked most - The lounge in MEL. Not sure if it was a combined F/J lounge as I did not see a seperate entrance for F but located near the QF F lounge above Gate 11 with a fantastic all round view of both runways and international and QF domestic gates. Plenty of choice for food and drink and good service with a seperate dining room, work space and expansive lounge as well with all the normal amenities including internet, reading material and showers.
The service was pleasant and attentive for all of 10 premium customers in a lounge that can cater for 100 or more. Really makes the SQ MEL Lounge offering seem rather pathetic - dark, cramped with limited catering and facilities.
On-board, there was an amenties kit handed out but no newspapers or magazines offered. The catering surpassed the SQ menu. A choice of starters, 5 mains, including a vegetarian course, two sweets, cheese and chocolates. Moet was served to start as well as a couple of good reds and whites - Australian and European served by a very multi-national crew. Not as attentive as SQ but no complaints.
The IFE was the latest model with so many choices that you could fly several times a month without becoming bored. I got to watch 4 episodes of a UK series 'Outnumbered' and I liked the idea that the episodes ran continuously without having navigate and watch the same ads before every episode as on SQ.
What I did not like - The seats were cramped and quite narrow for a standard body size. Seat 8C stuck out into the aisle so I quickly moved to 8A - a bulkhead row. While the seat did lie flat and there was 'sort of' a massage function, I do not think it was completely straight and I will reserve judgement for sleeping until my return in 3 weeks where EK404 operates overnight. There was a distinct lask of seat-side storage for all that stuff you need during the flight and the reading lights could not be moved and only illuminated the top of my head until I put the seat well back after take-off.
The IFE was quite hard to navigate with both a standard cabled unit that serves also as a phone (in-flight calls allowed from this unit and your mobile) but there was also a removable touch screen module that I just could not navigate, especially as the battery kept going flat. The same module also operates other functions such as the seat, massage and lighting. I just found it confusing and went back to the traditional model.
The music options were very good including full soundtracks of Broadway shows, the flight track included cameras (not much use on a night flight except for the the final 15-secs), the star field cabin ceiling a relaxing idea and even the window shades were electric.
A downside is arriving at SIN Terminal One with all the re-building, the crowds and a long walk from Gate C23.
To summarize - an excellent opportunity to compare a sector I take several times a year and the EK offering stood up well now that SQ has so much traffic ex AUS that they have really reduced the service levels over the last couple of years. If I was on a personal journey without having to consider onward connections (except thru DXB), I would certainly consider Emirates. Not a 380, but competitive none the less.
Did not see the F loading but J about 10% full and Y not more than 33% occupied so if you like space, this is the place for you. Seating 2-3-2 in J on a new 777-300ER. Departed 30-mins late at 1830 but arrived about on-time at 2345 local. This service compliments a daily non-stop to Dubai and another 0300 departure to KUL.
Used the EK pick-up service from home and went through the airport formalities without any dealys at all as the Internationa terminal is especially quiet after the various Asian evening departures around 1700.
What I liked most - The lounge in MEL. Not sure if it was a combined F/J lounge as I did not see a seperate entrance for F but located near the QF F lounge above Gate 11 with a fantastic all round view of both runways and international and QF domestic gates. Plenty of choice for food and drink and good service with a seperate dining room, work space and expansive lounge as well with all the normal amenities including internet, reading material and showers.
The service was pleasant and attentive for all of 10 premium customers in a lounge that can cater for 100 or more. Really makes the SQ MEL Lounge offering seem rather pathetic - dark, cramped with limited catering and facilities.
On-board, there was an amenties kit handed out but no newspapers or magazines offered. The catering surpassed the SQ menu. A choice of starters, 5 mains, including a vegetarian course, two sweets, cheese and chocolates. Moet was served to start as well as a couple of good reds and whites - Australian and European served by a very multi-national crew. Not as attentive as SQ but no complaints.
The IFE was the latest model with so many choices that you could fly several times a month without becoming bored. I got to watch 4 episodes of a UK series 'Outnumbered' and I liked the idea that the episodes ran continuously without having navigate and watch the same ads before every episode as on SQ.
What I did not like - The seats were cramped and quite narrow for a standard body size. Seat 8C stuck out into the aisle so I quickly moved to 8A - a bulkhead row. While the seat did lie flat and there was 'sort of' a massage function, I do not think it was completely straight and I will reserve judgement for sleeping until my return in 3 weeks where EK404 operates overnight. There was a distinct lask of seat-side storage for all that stuff you need during the flight and the reading lights could not be moved and only illuminated the top of my head until I put the seat well back after take-off.
The IFE was quite hard to navigate with both a standard cabled unit that serves also as a phone (in-flight calls allowed from this unit and your mobile) but there was also a removable touch screen module that I just could not navigate, especially as the battery kept going flat. The same module also operates other functions such as the seat, massage and lighting. I just found it confusing and went back to the traditional model.
The music options were very good including full soundtracks of Broadway shows, the flight track included cameras (not much use on a night flight except for the the final 15-secs), the star field cabin ceiling a relaxing idea and even the window shades were electric.
A downside is arriving at SIN Terminal One with all the re-building, the crowds and a long walk from Gate C23.
To summarize - an excellent opportunity to compare a sector I take several times a year and the EK offering stood up well now that SQ has so much traffic ex AUS that they have really reduced the service levels over the last couple of years. If I was on a personal journey without having to consider onward connections (except thru DXB), I would certainly consider Emirates. Not a 380, but competitive none the less.
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