Singapore Airlines A350 San Francisco Inaugural Trip Report October 23, 2016

[Carfield]

Singapore Airlines A350 San Francisco Inaugural Trip Report October 23, 2016




As promised, here is my brief report on another Singapore Airlines’ inaugural flight, which is the introduction of a nonstop service between Singapore and San Francisco on Singapore Airlines, and it is no doubt that it is a reaction to United Airlines’ nonstop Singapore flight launched a few months ago. I also believe this is the first scheduled A350 flight to San Francisco. This ultra long haul flight also helps Singapore Airlines to determine changes with the inflight service and other cabin services, when it will re-launch its nonstop flights to Los Angeles and New York. Of course San Francisco Airport treats this SIA nonstop flight as a major event, as you can see advertisement throughout the airport. While it is technically not a major inaugural service, this nonstop flight will be convenient to many passengers connecting to Australia, especially to Cairns, Darwin, and Perth, and to South Asia. The timing seems to work best with those flights. I saw many Indian passengers, along with a few bags tagged through to Perth. There have been plenty of professional pictures of the Singapore Airlines A350 cabin and will just give you a link to a few of them. With my iPhone 6, it is really difficult to get a good cabin shot. In terms of seat comfort, I am still not sure if I am a fan of the flip bed concept, but the A350 flip-bed is certainly an improvement over last generation. The new a la carte menu featuring midflight noodle bar and all day breakfast definitely needs work on execution, and given it was the first day of service, things were confusing to both crews and passengers. Service was slow, which rarely happened to Singapore Airlines. I am sure SQ is shooting for an Etihad and Qatar’s all-demand menu, but the crews seem to serve all the meals in this scheduled time slot. However, Singapore Airlines is one of the world’s most consistent airlines, and while it was not an extraordinary flight, it was a very good experience., and Singapore Airlines, along with Japanese carriers, JetBlue, and Virgin America, really create a good inaugural flight experience.

Full album link:
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...FOSINInaugural

Link to A350 tour by the Point Guy:
http://thepointsguy.com/2016/10/singapore-a350-tour/

Australian Business Traveler’s A350 trip report:
http://www.ausbt.com.au/on-board-air...apore-airlines

Poor shot of SQ 32 arriving into SFO that morning from my room in the Doubletree SFO Burlingame


October 23, 2016
SQ 31 San Francisco to Singapore Lv1140 Arr1910 Airbus A350-900 9V-SMF “10,000th Airbus Aircraft”

A beautiful day in SFO


Check-in was a relatively breeze at SFO, despite being a very busy Sunday morning.



The check-in area was decorated accordingly with balloons and signs about the inaugural.




The crews arrived


The agent was very detailed in explaining the festivities this morning, despite warning me that I might miss the lion dance by now. I was running late this morning, due to my two hours delay previous night on American Airlines. There was a free 30MB voucher today for business class passengers.

[Carfield]

TSA lanes were horrible as usual and I missed having TSA-Pre.

SQ 31 used gate G93 today, and it also blocked gate G91 to carry on the festivities.




I arrived at the gate when the ribbon cutting ceremony was taking place.






Gate 91/93 was filled with Singapore Airlines’ logo and signs.

[Carfield]

The lovely brand new A350 – 9V-SMF, which was just delivered a week ago… but I hate these glass windows in SFO and sorry no close up pictures!



I love the SQ’s pattern cloth in the roof.


After the ribbon cutting ceremony, I checked out the buffet, which was okay. However I still had time, so I went to the Singapore Airlines’ Kris Flyer Lounge, which was definitely showing its age and lack of modern touch. However the food spread was okay and because of the launch, the lounge was not busy, but I could picture a much different scenes when every first class, business class, and elite passengers occupied this lounge. It was interesting that the gentleman in front of me asked if this was the only SIA lounge here in SFO.

[Carfield]

However, I got my chicken congee so I was happy. I was thankful that I had two big bowls before the flight, as service was really painfully slow this afternoon.

Boarding:

Boarding began at 11:05am and there were the chaos, which were surprising. However I attributed the confusion to the lack of space, as there were plenty of podiums and tables for the press conference and buffet, as well as they moved some chairs to the side. They could not set up their usual signs.

Two SFO staffs passed out inaugural gift bags to departing passengers at the jetway.

Contents of the gift bag – I enjoyed this gift bag more than the Capital Express one. It contains an A350 model, a baggage belt, and a really lovely leather baggage tag, which had this flight engraved to it. The box was huge, but the tag was regular size. Of course there was the inaugural flight certificate.










Cabin:
I wish I have better photo of the cabin, but will refer to this brilliant guide put up by the Point Guy.
http://thepointsguy.com/2016/10/wher...usiness-class/

[Carfield]

For this segment, I note that SQ has blocked a few J seats for supplementary crews. I am not sure if this is a permanent decision or just for the SFO routes. But those two seats – 18D & F are pretty bad anyway, so no loss. They are next to the two main bathrooms in business class, and are pretty much busy throughout the flight.

Flight:
As usual, the Singapore F/As were friendly, and was already addressing by my last name, as I got settled to the cabin. My seat 11A was pretty good, but was a bit far away from taking pictures of the wingtip.

At each seat, amenities, including pair of slippers, socks and eyeshades, as well as the business class menu and headsets, were already pre-placed at each seat.



Door was closed at 11:34am and the pilot gave us a very detailed report on the estimated flight time, which was fifteen hours and forty-five minutes and the routing would be mostly over the water, crossing the north of Hawaii, Midway, and Micronesia, and then we crossed over the Philippines, and then into Singapore.

We pushed back at 11:42am.



I noticed that some of the SFO staffs were taking picture of our plane.


An Air India Boeing 777 taking off for Delhi


Scenes after takeoff




We took off from R/W28L at 12:05pm, and we first stayed at 36,000ft, and then incrementally climbed throughout the day until reaching our final altitude of 40,000ft. The only land/cities that we crossed were Calauag, Gumarco, and Busuanga Island in the Philippines.

[Carfield]

Seat:
It was an improved version of Singapore Airlines’ business class seat and I am still not sure about the flip bed concept, but at least, they did better with the recline function. I could recline comfortably while watching TV, or using my laptop. I also like how the tray table can be raised to a higher level.

Features of the seats:
I love all the personal lightings.



Side storage including power panel & a literature/laptop storage area



Power outlet/USB/HDMI ports


Light and headset plug #1


Slot for Laptop



Forward mirror



Side storage bin

[Carfield]

Literature pocket


Tray Table


Tab to raise the try table


Seat control panel





Catering:
I was very excited to see the new on demand menu when I first browsed the specially A350 themed menu for this route. However the execution seemed to be really lacking and the F/A was not very helpful in telling me how the meal services would proceed. The F/As were too used to the standard scheduled services, so this kind of on demand menu really threw them off. In the end, they served only two main meals according to a pre-determined schedule. Of course I understood that it was the first day and the F/As definitely were not quite sure what was going on. The service was painfully slow and it was definitely not your typical SQ experience. The F/As were having troubles taking meal orders. Before going on and on, here is the transcript of the menu and wine list.

SQ 31 San Francisco to Singapore
Alfred Portale
The internationally lauded pioneer of New American Cuisine, Alfred Portale brings an innate sense of style and craftsmanship to spectacular creations bringing his aesthetic signature.

Alfred’s selection
A menu specially designed for our nonstop flight to Singapore for a complete dining experience in the sky.

Starter
Poached Prawns and Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Dried black currants, pumpkin seeds and lemon vinaigrette

Main Course
Grilled US Choice Beef Fillet with Balsamic Onion
Served with asparagus, baby spinach and crushed potato

Dessert
Coconut Panna Cotta
In tropical coulis with fresh fruit

Treat yourself to a lavish spread of food and beverage, or take your pick from our all-day breakfast. Simply inform our crew and leave the rest to our care.

A selection of canapés and juices will be served after take-off.

A la Carte
Duck Breast Antipasto
A starter of roasted duck breast with Manchego cheese and balsamic onions

*Poached Prawns and Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Dried black currants, pumpkin seeds and lemon vinaigrette

Cream of Mushroom Soup
With garlic bread

Pulled Pork Sandwich
Barbequed pork with Cajun-spiced potatoes and mixed salad

Lemon Crusted Hot Smoked Salmon with Basil Pesto Sauce
Served with cherry tomato confit, roasted vegetables and green salad

*Grilled US Choice Beef Fillet with Balsamic Onion
Served with asparagus, baby spinach and crushed potato

Lamb Biryani
With basmati rice and cucumber rita

Warm Crab Cake
With broccoli, baby carrots, asparagus and roasted potatoes

Salt-Baked Chicken
Oriental-style marinated chicken wok baked with rock salt, stir-fried vegetables and fried rice

Moroccan Couscous and Beetroot Salad
Steamed couscous, roasted vegetables and slow-baked beetroot salad in pesto dressing, with your choices of:
Baked Chicken
Roasted Cauliflower

*Coconut Panna Cotta
In tropical coulis with fresh fruit

Petite Patisserie
Assortment of mini desserts

Selection of fresh fruits and cheese to complete your meal
Gourmet pralines with your choice of hot beverages

*Designed by ICP

All Day Breakfast

Classic American
Parsley omelette with chicken sausage, buttermilk pancakes and baked beans, accompanied with freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh fruits, yogurt, and bakery

Oriental
Prawn dumpling, pork dumpling, yam cake, char siew pastry and seafood congee, served with fresh fruits. Accompanied with Chinese tea.

Wholesome
Baked spinach and goji berry frittata with hot smoked salmon, roasted beetroot and avocado salsa, accompanied with fresh fruit, super juice, Granola in Greek yogurt, and bakery

Continental Breakfast
(Served up to 1.5 hours before arrival)
Cold breakfast plate, yogurt, fresh fruits, freshly squeezed orange juice and bakery

Mid-flight Noodle bar
A selection of bee hoon, kway teow or egg noodles with a choice of:
Pork ribs and Chinese greens
Chicken slices and shiitake mushrooms
Prawns and leafy greens
Lettuce and black mushrooms

Snacks
An assortment of light treats available throughout your flight:
Assorted nuts
Potato crisps
Flavored Popcorns
Butter cookies
Chocolate bar
Fruits and cheese

Wine List
Champagne
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Champagne, France

White Wines
2015 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
2014 Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards Chardonnay, Central Coast, USA

Red Wines
2012 Chateau Belle-Vue Cru Bourgeois Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France
2013 Robert Oatley Shiraz, McLarren Vale, Australia

Port
Dow’s Ten-Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal

In reality, the service was pretty identical to what I experienced on the nonstop SIN to EWR flight, but with a smaller second meal service. Back in the days, you got two full four courses meals, and now you got some weird scheduled meals.

Champagne and dry ice



I love the new canapé service, and the three canapés were roasted pumpkin topped with mushrooms, smoked fish canapé, and paprika-flavored chicken salad canapé.



Then we got the usual lunch service after takeoff, and by the time the linen was placed on our trays, it was almost 2pm. Our table was set individually for the first meal like first class, along with the usual bread basket featuring some new bread.

[Carfield]

I like the quartet roll – oats, wheat, plain, and sesame seed. Other choices are garlic bread and naan bread.


I had the Alfred Portale’s appetizer, and as usual, sauce was added to the appetizer from a silver boat.


I ordered the Hainan Chicken Rice from the Book the Cook menu, which was delicious as usual.



For dessert, there were choices, but only the mini dessert was offered, along with a special chocolate box – Varda Chocolatier, to celebrate this launch.






It was 3:51pm by the time bottled waters were passed out.

Then there was a second main meal, which was served mid-flight. But it was an hour between orders was taken and the trolley rolled out. This time, they used a tray for the setup, but I was not sure if I was supposed to pick a starter plate. I just got an empty tray. When the F/A took order, she referred passengers to the a la carte menu again but no one pointed out the all-day breakfast menu would also apply at this time. I chose the noodle, since it was noted as the mid-flight noodle bar. I regretted it because at that time, I featured out I would get a breakfast prior to arrival.

At 8:28pm, they passed out the rather empty-looking tray with bread baskets making its round again.




Entrée was not served till 9:10pm, but my noodle dish had to wait another 17 minutes. I had a feeling that the F/As expected that you to order from the a la carte and all-day breakfast menu.

[Carfield]

For this meal, they rolled out the cheese and fruit trolley after the trays were collected, which was lovely.
The choices for cheese are Blue, Camembert and Cheddar, along with grapes, walnuts, and Carr’s crackers.




Fruit basket features cantaloupe, melon, grapes, bananas, apples, pears, and strawberries


More chocolate after the meal, and this meal took about an hour and fifty minutes to serve. Compared to the old daytime ultra nonstop flight, this second meal did not have the signature satay service, and did not have a proper appetizer – not sure if passengers are expected to pick another starter again. I saw it as a cutback, rather than an enhancement.



Around 1:40am, the F/A passed out some chicken wraps, and at that time, we were about two hours and thirty minutes away from Singapore. I got a feeling that there was no more scheduled meal service, or else, which would they pass out a substantial snack item at that moment?


Then I asked the F/A if there was a breakfast service, since it was listed in the menu. Then she told me that there was no more formal meal service, but I got pick anything from the menu if they were available. Of course, there were nothing available, except the new wholesome food items, aka healthy food, and not even the continental breakfast, which was stated to be served as late as 90 minutes prior to arrival, was available. I just settled for another bowl of noodle and the kind F/A got me a mini fruit bowl.






My feeling about the new menu was that Singapore Airlines, while, has introduced new items like canapés and more healthy food choices, the new on-demand menu was just flawed in terms of execution. The menu should have provided more guidance about what is available at what times. The F/As were confused, which was the culprit for the unusual slow service.

I feel that Singapore Airlines really needs to make a decision for its future super long haul flights at the end of this experiment. There are honestly three options. First, let just go back to the old meal schedule – two full meals and then an on-demand snack menu but just enhanced it with more real food choices. Instead of limiting passengers to just one full snack, please just give them a few more options. Second, Singapore Airlines just goes with a full on demand service like Etihad and Qatar. Just start the flight with a canapé service and then for the rest of the flight, everything is on demand. Third, Singapore Airlines just follows what JAL has done. They can serve a full main meal service with all the bells and whistles after takeoff, and then just do an on demand dining for the rest of the flight. JAL offers heartier tray meals, along with substantial hot snack plates. I can see Singapore Airlines offering a variety of heartier meals and lighter items, like noodle soup, sandwiches, burgers, dim sums, and snacks. The All-Day breakfast is a good idea for an on-demand menu. However, they really need to give some training to the F/As because they are obviously not doing enough as of this point.

Bedtime:
I actually napped for four hours after lunch service, and stayed up for the rest of the flight. The new flip bed was comfortable and the blanket was nice. Here are a few pictures of the seats in various recline positions, and then flat bed position.

[Carfield]

Entertainment and WIFI:
Singapore Airlines has one of the strongest entertainment systems among all airlines, but I miss the “Voice whole season” package. Krisworld is filled with variety of Asian and international movie, television programs, and games. The new TV was sharp and the control was pretty intuitive. It was not a touchscreen TV, but the control console was pretty easy to use.



WIFI was available and here is the pricing for the WIFI. Please note that they no longer have a data limit. The free 30MB pass was really nothing and I used up those 30MB in thirty minutes.


Descent began at 6:35pm Singapore local time, and the pilot told us that the flight time was longer than expected due to strong head wind. However, we were placed in a ATC hold so we ended up even later.





We landed on a very wet R/W2L at 7:17pm and parked at gate A1 at 7:23pm. Sorry no more pictures, as it was really dark and raining outside.

[Carfield]

Bags came out at 7:45pm, which was a bit slower than what I expected in Singapore Changi Airport.


In conclusion, it was an interesting inaugural flight but sixteen hours nonstop in the air were pretty tiring, no matter where you were in the plane. I hope SQ would bring back the onboard bars/lounges on its A350-1000s. I would rate this flight as your typical Singapore Airlines flight. The F/As basically did everything that they were told to do, and was personable at most times. It did not have the extra “Oomph” but it was a good flight. I sort of felt bad for the F/As at the end of the day because first, the A350-900s are not quite designed to handle these ultra long haul flights, especially in terms of galley spaces to begin with, and second, they really do not receive enough information about the execution of the new a la carte menu. SQ needs to give them more training especially they are launching something really brand new. Nonetheless, I am sure Singapore Airlines will figure it all out eventually and the new ultra nonstop flights to LAX and New York will definitely feature something innovative and good. Looking at the load factor on my flight and there is no doubt that this flight will be a success! I hope you enjoy this trip report!

Carfield

[loldude333]

Great TR, carfield! I enjoyed reading that!

[thelongroad]

Great TR as always Carfield, thank you!

[yflyer]

Great TR, Carfield!

That BTC Hainanese chicken rice looks fantastic!

Interesting observations about the catering format on this flight. I hope they iron out these teething issues.

...sixteen hours nonstop in the air were pretty tiring, no matter where you were in the plane.

Yes, 16 hours is a long time. I personally wish SQ31 would be a late night departure (like UA1's 10.55pm departure), because I find that time seems to go by quicker on an overnight sector for these long flights.

[CarbonMan]

Great TR, Carfield! Thanks for the pics.