9V-SVB

[simonlwk]

I was on Victor-Bravo on the flight from JNB to SIN on 21 Aug 2016.

I must say it was quite an embarrassing hardware piece!

The config is as per Seatguru as 777-200ER (ver1). The Economy class is listed as having 6 toilets.

On the flight, only 2, yes, folks, you heard me right, TWO toilets of the 6 were serviceable. The 2 in service were the ones on the port side aisle, excluding the handicap toilet on the port side.

I feel totally embarrassed that SQ would send such a piece of equipment to service a route that I'm pretty confident to say fetches them literally 95% occupancy daily!! Granted that I don't know the back story behind, as the plane flew SIN-JNB-CPT before turning around to arrive in JNB where I boarded for SIN, still I am sorely disappointed that my beloved (and perceived mighty) SQ is still flying this old equipment delivered in 2001. Wish they would upgrade fully to 350-900 for all their daily flights sooner than later. I would have loved to fly the 350-900 but this trip was a last minute one for me to attend a family bereavement, so "bo bian" i.e. for non-Singaporeans, no-choice.

Anyone else flew Victor-Bravo of late or any other SQ equipment that has this kind of equipment "malfunction"?

[SilverKrisSRG]

So far I only flew 9V-SVx from SYD to SIN on SQ242, and I recall they (9V-SVC, 9V-SVG) were in sound condition although they are showing their age and not a flat bed seat such as 9V-SWx). Luckily they have been replaced by 9V-SYx nowadays, no more 9V-SVx to Aussie.

I believe they are now deploying A359, I just came back from HKG on 9V-SMC, and she was serving JNB prior.

So what a contrast between 9V-SVx and 9V-SMx on JNB route

[alian]

The 9V-SVx planes all (except 9V-SVF which has super old space bed) have the 2006 J cabin which is a lie flat. I flown on SVB and SVI in J and it is a lie flat.

I do agree the plane is rather old, but my experience was good (but then I was in J so...) yes if 3 out 6 lavs are out on a long haul that does sound pretty bad.

[SilverKrisSRG]

9V-SVB was leased to Royal Brunei Airlines a few years ago...

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/archive/...p/t-10672.html

[jaywell]

I think everyone who has flown on the 772ERs can easily say that they are in terrible condition, with their harsh and lumpy seats (in Y) and outdated IFE. I sadly have fly these planes relatively often, and none of my flights onboard these planes have gone without a problem of some sort. However, I have never encountered a problem as serious as more than half the lavatories out of operation. Did you manage to fill out a feedback form on their website? You definitely deserve some sort of compensation.

There is a possibility that some of the newer 772ERs are being refitted for the second time with newer IFE and Y seats, although this is yet to be confirmed. I also doubt 9V-SVB will receive any upgrades as it's one of the oldest planes in SQ's fleet.

[simonlwk]

It is quite unbearable that SQ "dumps" the oldest and least glamorous planes for this route, which only 2 Asian airlines services daily - CX & SQ.

Granted that they are deploying the 359s to this route, albeit only twice a week, I would really like for once hope to fly decent SQ equipment!

And btw, @alian and @jaywell, it is TWO of the SIX, i.e., not half but TWO-THIRDs of the toilets OOO is terribly bad.

I am flying back on SQ478 on 26 Aug, not sure which SVx will I get, hopefully not SVB, but if I luck out and get SVB again, I hope Maintenance would have sorted out the toilet issues on this piece of equipment!

Wish me luck guys! Who knows maybe I "heng" and I get a 359 deployed instead!"

[alian]

It is quite unbearable that SQ "dumps" the oldest and least glamorous planes for this route, which only 2 Asian airlines services daily - CX & SQ.

Granted that they are deploying the 359s to this route, albeit only twice a week, I would really like for once hope to fly decent SQ equipment!

And btw, @alian and @jaywell, it is TWO of the SIX, i.e., not half but TWO-THIRDs of the toilets OOO is terribly bad.

I am flying back on SQ478 on 26 Aug, not sure which SVx will I get, hopefully not SVB, but if I luck out and get SVB again, I hope Maintenance would have sorted out the toilet issues on this piece of equipment!

Wish me luck guys! Who knows maybe I "heng" and I get a 359 deployed instead!"

Well in the post you did mentioned the handicap lav so it seemed that was ok so assumed 3 of 6. Well any one lav down is already bad. The ratio of lav to pax is just bad and if you look at the newer 77WR it's not good either think it's 212 pax to 5 lavs

I strongly recommend you contact and complain to SQ on this to ensure it gets addressed because having only 2 functional lavs is not acceptable especially if it's a full flight of 245 pax and seek their assurance that you would not be put in such a position again.

FYI on the a350 the ratio is 211 pax to 5 lav

Too bad as I don't think there is any laws to determine the pax to lav minimum ratio. Anyone has any inputs on this?

[simonlwk]

@Alian, apologies, but you are right to assume 3 out of 6 as I did say, "excluding the handicap toilet on the port side". The reality was that that port side handicap lav was also marked out of service. Thus, it is 4 lavs OOO out of the 6.

I have just written to SQ as per your suggestion and I await their reply, will keep all in the loop.

[ycp81]

I cannot imagine the queue for the only 2 working lavatories...

[SQ228]

SVB is actually the oldest plane in the entire fleet, even older than the purple cabins. SVB has had this title for some time now. Unfortunately I'm not convinced it's going anywhere for at least another year, possibly longer. They need to come off the long hauls. CPT, CPH & FCO deserve better.

[simonlwk]

I believe that the SVx are coming off the African routes.

I just did a theoretical booking for Easter 2017, I see that the equipment type listed now is 773ER

Although, i only checked one set of dates, as such I can't be 100% certain that the pesky SVx are still "lingering" somewhere among the weekly schedules.

PS: its more than 24hours since I lodged the complaint with SQ as per Alian and still not reply.

Was hoping to get some sort of response and assurance from SQ, but no such luck I guess. (Or maybe I was just hoping for an upgrade as apology! TKK as they say in Singlish!)

[SQ228]

I believe that the SVx are coming off the African routes.

I just did a theoretical booking for Easter 2017, I see that the equipment type listed now is 773ER

Although, i only checked one set of dates, as such I can't be 100% certain that the pesky SVx are still "lingering" somewhere among the weekly schedules.

PS: its more than 24hours since I lodged the complaint with SQ as per Alian and still not reply.

Was hoping to get some sort of response and assurance from SQ, but no such luck I guess. (Or maybe I was just hoping for an upgrade as apology! TKK as they say in Singlish!)

They've been talking about doing a 359/77W mix for a while now and it keeps getting pushed back. It should happen, but JNB/CPT are the new destination of sacrifice. AMS went through it, gaining 77Ws three times only to return to 772s shortly after the first two introductions. I've never seen much evidence that SQ feels they need to try very hard on the JNB route.

[simonlwk]

@SQ228, thank you for the update. That doesn't bode very well for me then. It is surprising that despite the fact on the numerous trips I have flown the SQ, I only see but high volume flights and SQ still views it as the least desirable of their routes and deploys really old and decrepit hardware.

My return trip to JNB was on 9V-SVN and thankfully there were no lavatories malfunction issues at all. Although, my super-duper old fashion Krisworld was really quite non-responsive and slow. My footrest kept slipping down and won't stay up and the big IFE box took up about 1/3 of my footspace.

There was another passenger who raised quite a ruckus when he realized that there was no USB charging port. The various senior crew tried to placate him and eventually he calmed down. Not sure what nationality was he, but he was Asian.

I'm sure the crew that gets rostered onto the 9V-SVx planes constantly have to get lip from passengers about the state of the planes.

I don't really follow the other threads reading the eventual retirement of the 772ER, particularly the SVx's but I hope it would be sooner than later.

[FN-GM]

@SQ228, thank you for the update. That doesn't bode very well for me then. It is surprising that despite the fact on the numerous trips I have flown the SQ, I only see but high volume flights and SQ still views it as the least desirable of their routes and deploys really old and decrepit hardware.

There isn't much competition and they have good loads so they don't need to put the good equipment on that route. They put the better cabin products on routes they have competition and find it harder to fill the cabin.