Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

A Trip down Memory Lane: SQ's Spacebeds MNL-SIN

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • A Trip down Memory Lane: SQ's Spacebeds MNL-SIN

    Background

    On one of my work trips to Manila, I had the pleasure of deciding between SQ919 or 921 for the return flight. I knew that SQ's sole Spacebed equipped 772 operated SQ921 and while some may question choosing an older product over a newer one, I thought it'd be nice to take a trip down memory lane and step into that glorious purple cabin and see what things were like in there. After all, it had been a good 6 years since my last Spacebed flight. And it's possible that soon, 9V-SVF will be retired (to the jubilation of some passengers I'm sure) and the Spacebeds would truly be history.

    The Flight

    Singapore Airlines
    SQ921
    MNL-SIN
    Boeing 777-200ER
    9V-SVF
    Seat 12A/14D

    I reached Manila's Terminal 3 just after 5pm, well in time for my 7pm departure. There is a security check before entering the terminal, and thankfully I could pull up my booking on my phone to be allowed in.


    Terminal 3

    I headed straight to the SQ counters, which, considering it was a Friday evening, were deserted.



    I approached a friendly check-in agent who with a quick glance at my passport was addressing me by name throughout check-in. Excellent service; even the agents in Singapore don't/can't do that. Up till a few hours before the flight, the seat map for my flight was still full and I was in 15K. I asked for a window seat further front, and was granted 12A, which I happily accepted.

    Immigration and security was fairly quick, and I was soon air-side.



    I noticed that in Manila they always have a booth set up nicely for SQ flights.


    Still showing the previous flight number, which had just departed a few minutes ago.

    The SilverKris lounge was up one level. Here at Manila, it was one of the new home away from home lounges launched by SQ, and opened when they shifted over from T1 to T3. The lounge is quite large, but for sure there are a ton of status passengers every flight because it has always been packed. At this point I figured I was a little early as it was only half full, but later on it filled up to the brim, and I estimated maybe 50? 60? people.. I've once traveled on the 773-operated Friday flight and I could swear there were 100 people in there.








    My my check out that long thick piece of meat.

    I was a bit hungry and so grabbed some food and a beer just to tide through till dinner on board.




    Our aircraft being turned around.

    About half an hour before departure, I was pretty restless and so decided to head down to the gate, although a boarding announcement is normally made in the lounge.


    Walking past the CX lounge.

  • #2
    Once downstairs, my boarding pass and passport were checked at the above-shown 'booth', and Business Class passengers were directed to the left. On the right was a huge seating area for Economy class passengers. Interestingly, the agents tearing the boarding passes at the booth would gather a stack of BPs, then bring them over to the counter just prior to boarding and scan them one by one. I suppose it's to expedite boarding once it begins. After waiting for about 5 minutes, a gate agent walked over to invite the few passengers on this side to begin boarding.


    Making my way down (town?)

    I've heard of people saying that a great crew can make a great flight, and you'd know it once you step on board the aircraft. This had to be one of those flights.

    I was welcomed on board by an extremely charming IFS, and directed to my seat 12A. Upon turning right into the cabin, I was greeted by a sea of purple, a sight I hadn't seen in about 6 years..


    The Spacebeds!


    Seats 12AC

    My seat mate turned out to be right behind me and we exchanged a quick smile and hello and that was that. I think everyone had had a long day at work...

    The seat was exactly as I remembered it. For a 15 year old aircraft this plane was still in good condition. In fact the signature SQ scent seemed even stronger than on other aircraft (overcompensation... perhaps?)



    The overstuffed pockets were the same, as were the faux wood paneling that we don't see anymore on SQ nowadays in the newest products.


    Seat controls

    And that magic button was still there - the one that at a single press converts the chair into a angled lie-flat bed.



    Between the seats was a socket to charge your device, the audio jack and a private reading light.


    Thoughtful holes for shoes


    Urgh. Gross!!

    The incredibly young leading steward came by to offer welcome drinks. I took a champagne but probably downed it so fast before I could take a picture. Hmm. Meanwhile the other crew members were busy helping passengers stow bags, while I could see the IFS welcoming status passengers on board. The smooth flow of service and genuine interactions with passengers were what struck me as unique to this trio of crew serving Business Class tonight.

    At this point it was getting cold so I unwrapped the blanket. Unfortunately it had a sour smell (or could it be my seat mate's feet??) and I had to ask for a new one. The leading steward (LS) was very apologetic about it and handed me a new one in no time.

    And then it happened.

    Suddenly my right arm rest collapsed a notch.


    Uh. What just happened?

    Ok clearly I'm getting too fat or something maybe.

    Pushing all the buttons didn't work and physical strength couldn't get it back up either. Oh well. Hopefully nobody notices it.......

    Aaaaanyway. We were soon welcomed on board by the captain. Doors were closed, and pushback commenced. Also, the safety video was so grainy I probably wouldn't feel safe if it was my first time watching it. Lol. The cabin was secured for take off (the LS very kindly helped me stow my bag on top) and soon we were powering down the runway into the night sky.


    The over-powered Trent 892s sounding lazy tonight...

    Comment


    • #3


      *Ding* the seat belt signs went off. I immediately bolted for the toilet. Hm. Must've been that glass of beer in the lounge and champagne... I bumped into the IFS who greeted me and ask if I'd like to move to an empty row 14 for more comfort. However I declined the offer as I wanted my window seat. It's rare that IFSs bother to remember passengers' names on short flights, but this very-young-for-an-IFS was already doing a fantastic job of that, and also to go one step further to offer suggestions on how to improve passengers' comfort on board.

      After my pee break, i settled back into my seat and decided to (try to) get comfy.

      However.

      Only problem was, I seemed to have gotten the seat stuck. Somehow the sunken armrest must have screwed up the mechanisms because I could only move the legrests, or the seat bottom forward. I could not get it to recline. Argh. To stay, or to move? After fiddling with the seat controls for about 5 minutes, I gave up. I figured seat comfort was more important for this 3 hour sector than a pitch dark window, and so I started packing up my things to move.

      A Miss Blue Kebaya walking by could sense something wrong and actually checked on me, so I told her my seat was stuck and I'd be moving. Without hesitation she went over to 14D and reclined the seat, to ensure that it was in full working condition. Even the sharp IFS picked up on the commotion and came over to apologize for the inconvenience. Well, I guess I should have listened to his advice and moved to 14D in the first place heh. We had a short chat about the lighter-than-expected load in Business. Apparently it was supposed to be full but many passengers who arrived earlier at the airport hopped onto the 5pm flight back to Singapore. Hm, something for me to consider next time...

      Comfortable in my new seat, I decided to put on a show while awaiting for the meal service to start. The trolley soon rolled down the aisle, and the tray was presented. Here is the menu for reference:




      Smoked duck breast appetizer

      I had a glass of chardonnay to accompany the excellent starter. Miss Blue Kebaya despite being, uh, blue, was very experienced and confident when speaking with passengers. The LS soon came around with a bread basket and i chose garlic bread of course. By this time all 4 crew (there was an extra trainee) had passengers' names (or at least mine lol) memorized by heart. I personally don't think I could do that!

      So a big problem with these old gen seats are of course the very last-generation IFE screens.



      My wide-screen movie was now puny on those square-ish screens.Effectively about 40% of the screen size was redundant. Ah welll..... at least it functioned I suppose. I mean this aircraft is ancient by SQ's standards... :sarcastic:

      The crew really were doing an excellent job, engaging each and every passenger while still keep an eye on service flow. When I had finished my dish, it was immediately cleared. It was only a short wait later before the IFS hand-delivered the main course from the galley, wishing me an enjoyable meal. For tonight, I craved something a little bit more Asian so I went for the Sweet and Sour Pork with Fried Rice.


      Check that out!!

      100/100 for presentation. I mean, even that square block of rice was still intact!! And didn't that pile of meat look appetizing?? Taste-wise, perhaps an 8/10 simply because there wasn't enough sauce. I like my Ku Lou Yok in nice thick sauce, the more tangy the better... Nonetheless this had to be one of the more authentic meals catered from out stations. I didn't realize that due to my movie running I was actually eating really slowly and everybody else had received their dessert. Whoops!

      Eventually my tray was cleared and Mr IFS came out with desserts on his tray. There was a choice of Chocolate Brownie, or Mango Salted Caramel Ice Cream. The problem was, I'm a sucker for anything chocolate, and especially brownies - those thick gao gao kind. But I had to have them with ice cream otherwise it'd feel like something was missing!

      "Is it ok if I have both?" I asked with the straightest face I could muster.

      "Of course! Wow you still have space for 2 desserts!" replied Mr IFS with a chuckle.

      Yes of course I did eh heh.



      Presentation would've been perfect if not for that dubious-looking brown worm-like thing... Well anyway that was coffee sauce, not *cough*ahem nevermind.... Again I ate my dessert leisurely, and yes, I finished it all. And once again this had to be one of the better desserts I've had on board SQ. Sometimes in Business Class they really give out very cheapo desserts like jelly, or sponge cakes.

      Once done, I asked Mr IFS if I could have a hot chocolate. Not only did he oblige, but he also promised to use hot milk instead of water (i suppose?) to make it because 'it tastes much better that way'.

      As he delivered the hot chocolate (which really was very nice), I had a very nice long chat with Mr IFS about his life working with SQ, asked some questions about what flying would be like as a PPS member, and also shared some of my experience on board SQ with him - both good and bad. I know not all passengers bother or like it but I think it's nice to have rapport with the crew and good ones really make a good impression on behalf of the airline. Soon though he had to leave to carry on his duties.

      However.

      "Mr pokfur please allow me to reheat or make a new hot chocolate for you? I'm sure it's gone cold by now..." Mr IFS offered.

      Well if you insist.... So off went my cup of half drunk (not) hot chocolate to be reheated. Can SQ service get any better than that?? Talk about being pampered.... Even mum wouldn't do that for me...

      Mr IFS soon redelivered the (very) hot chocolate, and I went back to finishing up my movie.

      I thought it'd be fun for old times' sake to test out the comfort of the Spacebed, so after my movie was over I reclined my seat fully.


      Bed mode.

      And actually it was quite comfortable! More comfortable than I remember, for sure. I'm not sure I could've gone a whole night on this seat, but that point is moot now anyway. SQ better not randomly send this plane on a long-haul flight!! As we began our descent into Singapore I reverted my bed back into a seat. The cabin crew began their usual clean-up and checks on the passengers. I contemplated briefly about moving back to 12A for the landing, but in the end decided to just stay put and not bother the passenger in the aisle seat.

      Comment


      • #4

        14 more minutes to go.. Or was it 1h14mins??

        I feel like time drags by when sitting in an aisle seat?? I literally sat there twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do. Ok maybe I should have shifted back after all. Ah well, eventually we touched down gently onto Singapore soil and I was back home! It was a fairly short taxi to the gate, and we ended up at the furthest gate F60 from the main terminal (explains the short taxi). Unfortunately in the hustle and bustle of disembarkation Mr IFS was very busy so I didn't get to say a proper goodbye to him nor thank him for the fantastic flight and service. Well, hopefully I'll bump into him again someday on another SQ flight!

        Conclusion

        I think this flight was nostalgic in more ways than one. The old cabin brought back memories of when I was a young boy, and when 777s were new and Trent 800s were the biggest things I had ever seen hanging off an aeroplane wing. Also, the on board service was top notch and completely natural by all cabin crew. Nowadays some (thankfully it's only a minority) of the younger crew don't seem to have their heart in the right place when it comes to service. Also in a bigger J cabin such as on the 773s, quite a lot of the passenger interaction is lost, naturally, but today's flight made up for that for sure.

        A special shout out goes out to Mr IFS and his crew, whom I have already complimented via SQ's online feedback. I think I will remember this flight for quite a long time - it certainly raised the bar quite high!!!


        pokfur

        Comment


        • #5
          Great TR pokfur! Really do miss the spacebeds when they were regulars on the AMS, CPH and MAN runs...
          God must have been a ship owner, he placed the raw materials far from where they are needed and covered two-thirds of the earth with water...

          Comment


          • #6
            Very nice TR, pokfur!

            SQ's J seats have really evolved over the years, from the Ultimo J seats to Spacebeds, and then to the 2006 / 2013 products in fully flat 1-2-1.

            I think having a good team of cabin crew, like you did on your flight, really does make a difference to the overall experience. I also make it a point to send complimentary feedback via the SQ website when I encounter cabin crew like that.

            Comment


            • #7
              Great TR, pokfur!

              Nice to see pictures of the Spacebed. I am going to miss it. I remember the first time I sat in it on a 744 from AKL to SIN, when it was still new. That was an exceptionally comfortable J seat compared to what I was used to in those years, and I found it great to be in for 10 hours.

              Comment


              • #8
                Very enjoyable report! Really enjoyed your style of writing!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Pinkfloyd!

                  Thanks! Well but I bet you wouldn't want SVF to sub you on those routes nowadays eh?

                  Hello yflyer!

                  Thanks! Yes indeed, I think they really do appreciate it and it makes a difference to them. I've sent another for another flight stewardess i had on a SGN-SIN sector. She was brilliant and really bubbly while being professional at the same time. Really should be promoted to a Green ASAP!!

                  As a small boy I've flown the recliners as far as Vancouver on the A343. I really loved those birds. I remember thinking we were 100% gonna crash when we refused to lift off the runway at ICN!! That take-off roll.....

                  Hello SQGamespeed

                  Thanks as well! Yeah the Spacebeds were quite a novel idea back in the early 2000s. But then BA came up with the full-flat and I suppose SQ had to one-up the competition. Let's see what 2017 and the new A380s entail.

                  Hello banoffi!

                  Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks for the TR, Pokfur.

                    T3 is a much more pleasant terminal to be in, compared to T1. The Silver Kris lounge is definitely a nice place to spend time in, especially if you manage to secure a pod to catch up on your work. The lounge is also conveniently located a level above what appears to be SQ's 'dedicated gate'.

                    I recently flew PR from NAIA T2. It was a nightmare. Snaking queues everywhere. While T2 is a PR dedicated terminal, it was bursting through its seams. Air side was chaotic with basic amenities unable to cope with the afternoon peak.

                    Originally posted by pokfur View Post

                    Urgh. Gross!!
                    I cannot understand why people do that in public. Was this person a middle aged tall, slim caucasian male? Nonetheless, nice Paul Smith socks.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hello icn.sg

                      Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                      Thanks for the TR, Pokfur.

                      T3 is a much more pleasant terminal to be in, compared to T1. The Silver Kris lounge is definitely a nice place to spend time in, especially if you manage to secure a pod to catch up on your work. The lounge is also conveniently located a level above what appears to be SQ's 'dedicated gate'.
                      Thankfully I've never had the pleasure (?) of passing through NAIA T1. I heard the lounge situation there was dire as well! I've never been able to secure a pod in Manila. I guess I just don't make it to the airport early enough But that's not a big issue for me as I haven't been wow-ed by the new Krisflyer lounges so in general I just aim to spend as little time as possible at the airport pre-flights (even in SIN...) It turns out I found out from subsequent travel that Gate 115 is not SQ's 'dedicated gate'. My last trip I departed from gate 109 or something and it was a long walk through a stifling hot aircon-less terminal!

                      Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                      I cannot understand why people do that in public. Was this person a middle aged tall, slim caucasian male? Nonetheless, nice Paul Smith socks.
                      Oops. Was that you? Yes he was middle aged, tall and caucasian. As for slim.... Hmm.. Not by my standards! Well, later on in my new seat I noticed two others doing it too

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by pokfur View Post
                        Hello icn.sg



                        Thankfully I've never had the pleasure (?) of passing through NAIA T1. I heard the lounge situation there was dire as well! I've never been able to secure a pod in Manila. I guess I just don't make it to the airport early enough But that's not a big issue for me as I haven't been wow-ed by the new Krisflyer lounges so in general I just aim to spend as little time as possible at the airport pre-flights (even in SIN...) It turns out I found out from subsequent travel that Gate 115 is not SQ's 'dedicated gate'. My last trip I departed from gate 109 or something and it was a long walk through a stifling hot aircon-less terminal!
                        You are right that 115 isn't SQ dedicated. But 9 out of 10 times, it is 115. There was only 1 time when I had to walk a distance to the arrival immigration after disembarkation, whereas with 115, once you step out of the aerobridge, you are at immigration!

                        I don't bother with KFG lounges in Changi. They are a disgrace. But I tend to spend a longer time in SKL MNL, because:

                        a) I don't trust the traffic from Makati to the airport. My rides to the airport tend to range from 10min to 1.5hour, depending on day and time of the week, and weather conditions.
                        b) there's really nothing else to do once you've cleared security.


                        Originally posted by pokfur View Post

                        Oops. Was that you? Yes he was middle aged, tall and caucasian. As for slim.... Hmm.. Not by my standards! Well, later on in my new seat I noticed two others doing it too
                        Of course it wasn't me... I don't travel J.
                        It was probably the same caucasian man that I've seen in SKL MNL then. I noticed him because he was wearing P.Smith socks. (Just to be clear, I don't have a fetish for socks ).
                        Last edited by icn.sg; 9 April 2017, 10:51 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          You are right that 115 isn't SQ dedicated. But 9 out of 10 times, it is 115.
                          On my most recent trip i arrived at 112 and departed 109, so yes it does happen once in a while that 115 is not allocated to SQ!

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          I don't bother with KFG lounges in Changi. They are a disgrace.
                          Ha. The KFG is definitely a disgrace. But I don't find the Business Class lounges a whole lot better either. Nowadays I just grab a lovely kaya toast from Yakun before departure!

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          But I tend to spend a longer time in SKL MNL, because:

                          a) I don't trust the traffic from Makati to the airport. My rides to the airport tend to range from 10min to 1.5hour, depending on day and time of the week, and weather conditions.
                          Do you take the skyway? I find it to be consistently fast (so far) if I take the skyway. I'm at the airport in half an hour or less. The old roads can be slow...

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          b) there's really nothing else to do once you've cleared security.
                          Lol! True.

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          Of course it wasn't me... I don't travel J.
                          It was probably the same caucasian man that I've seen in SKL MNL then. I noticed him because he was wearing P.Smith socks. (Just to be clear, I don't have a fetish for socks ).
                          Ah. I see. Well it very well could be. I think MNL is one of those routes where you'd always see the same people traveling back and forth.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thanks pokfur for bringing back memories.

                            I still remember the early 2000s when I was always looking forward to fly the SV-series 772s and would go out of the way to do so.
                            How times have changed and today, we avoid it as much as possible.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by pokfur View Post

                              Do you take the skyway? I find it to be consistently fast (so far) if I take the skyway. I'm at the airport in half an hour or less. The old roads can be slow...
                              Always. It's the roads leading to the Skyway that are inconsistent. Travel time is largely dependent on which part of Makati you set off from.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X