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Holidaytravel with allegro25 jr. & sr. > SQ AMS-SIN-KIX-SIN-CGK-YOG-CGK-SIN-AMS
Part 01 Introduction
Hello everybody!
Let me first start by wishing you all a very happy christmas and a wonderfull 2009! Let us hope for all the best and hassle-free travel
This will be my first TR on this forum, i have read with many joys and smiles other peoples' reports and threads. Instead of just being a leech i decided to contribute my part. As inspiration i would like to give the credit to CGK, JJPB3, SQ LPP, SQFLYERGIRL, KEITHMEL, MAN FLYER and many others
I hope my TR will be as charming and witty written as their posts.
This year's holiday was actually carefully planned with my family but due the voice of allegro25 sr. some additional plans were made as to grab more of the festive season. The constant planning and changing also drove my niece at the travel agency nuts! Credit to her that she managed to book everything!
Our plan was to meet up with family for christmas in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. This idea got extended by a suggestion to grab new year in Japan. Ofcourse saying is easier then booking, so on a still sunny september morning i tried to price-comparison shop among tokyo, kyoto and osaka hotels during new year and found out that their rooms are then over the top priced!! 70.000yen = 600eur+ about average a night is a bit to steep for our budget but juggling with dates i found out that christmas in Japan is more affordable. Also avoiding a weekend when booking would reduce costs significantly as prices are higher, then during the week. We decided on flying into Osaka (KIX) and then go by train to Kyoto for christmas and then go to Indonsia for new year's celebrations. Tokyo will have to wait till another time.
The allegro25 family are avid SQ-fans, so naturally allegro25 sr. would prefer all legs on SQ. As he says: " there is no other way to fly then SQ (if Virgin Atlantic is unavailable)". Luckly Virgin does not fly everywhere we visit so we usually always travel SQ. YEAH!
Why we like SQ?
1) in business class they always address you by name.
2) in economy class they make regular drinks and snack rounds on long-haul flights.
3) the crew i have met are alwyas friendly, relaxed and willing to chat.
4) the stopover in SIN is a welcome relief.
5) i don't want to boast but i'm a very big eater (due to the gym) SQ-crew has always provided me with double or triple servings at mealtime, on KL i usually end up starved and bringing my own lunchbasket with me on the plane.
6) it's the service that even other airlines talk about! EK F is great but it's SQ F that makes a true refined F experience. There is a sense of dignity and ellegance onboard and everything is serene in the lounge. (EK's ground services like complimentary transfers are a nice touch but their lounges in DXB look like a mobscene at a clearance sale!)
7) once i travelled with grandma allegro25 in C, she was pampered and even escorted by 2 attandents everytime she needed to go to the toilets. I like the way they treat and help the elderly,
.
Booking SQ on their website usually is easy and straightforward but with travel during the holidayseason the ticket prices they give out are usually in the highest booking class. AMS-SIN-KIX-SIN-AMS was orginally 9000+eur in Business class on their website. Luckily my niece working at the travel agency found a more managable fare of 6000eur using Worldspan. It seems during such a busy period SQ has the knack of letting people book the highest booking class available to ensure guarenteed (high revenue)PAX travel on those flights or the other idea was that the flights were almost full and only the most expensive seats were left.
The seperated journey to Yogyakarta was orginally planned as SIN-SOC-SIN on MI with onwards a private car to YOG but unfortunatly MI flies only 3x a week. It involved some shuffling around with dates of hotelstays and such, so we scrapped that part and instead settled for SIN-CGK-SIN. We will fly Y because it is only an 1 hr flight and it's nice to sit in the back for a change! The CGK-YOG-CGK will be flown on GA. Other family will still fly in via SOC but on other dates. I'm kinda excited what to expect on GA, according to allegro25 sr. we might fly back to NL in a coffin due to GA
he's kinda spooked because GA is on the EU banned list for bad aircraft maintanance.
So our schedule was booked and confirmed as followed:
17 dec 2008
AMS - SIN
SQ 323 J
777-200ER Seats: 16DF
Singapore hotel: Manderin Oriental
20 dec 2008
SIN - KIX
SQ 618 J
777-200 (2class regional) Seats 16HK
Kyoto hotel: Hyatt Regency
Osaka hotel: Ritz Carlton
26 dec 2008
KIX - SIN
SQ 617 C
777-200 (2class regional) Seats 16 AC
Singapore hotel: Manderin Oriental
27 dec 2008
SIN - CGK
SQ 958 Y
777-200 (3 class regional)
27 dec 2008
CGK - YOG GA C
Yogyakarta hotel: Melia Purosani
02 jan 2009
YOG - CGK GA C
02 jan 2009
CGK - SIN
SQ 961 Y
777-300
02 jan 2009
SIN - AMS
SQ 324 C
777-200ER Seats 16AC
We have booked also several BTC items, i forgot the selcetions for allegro25 sr. but for me:
1) AMS - SIN seafood special meal (to try out)
2) SIN - KIX gyu-don (hope it is coupled with the Hanagoyomi set
)
3) SIN - AMS lobster thermidore
I will try and post every segment as soon as possible, if you need anything specifically photographed or reviewed just let me know!
Here is a list of attention points i made (with credit to other writer's threads):
- legroom shots
- presentation of logo on dishware, glasses towards the PAX
- the hot towel service
- the warmth of nuts at the appetiser drink
- the fierceness of the lounge dragon
- roboticness of service
- menu cards
- lounge offerings
- smiles
- SKL lounge ambiance
- boarding call procedures
- dom perignon / krug (some people on this forum are really addicted to these bubbles)
Only 2 days to go till travel! I'm thinking or actually dastardly planning to start my drinks with pre-take off champers, an appetising Singapore Sling or a Silver Kris Sling to set the mood before mealservice. Then pick red of white wine according to the menu, port for the cheese platter and then settle with a coffee royal with bailey's. At least i'll snooze better on the Spacebed then!
Hello everybody!
Let me first start by wishing you all a very happy christmas and a wonderfull 2009! Let us hope for all the best and hassle-free travel
This will be my first TR on this forum, i have read with many joys and smiles other peoples' reports and threads. Instead of just being a leech i decided to contribute my part. As inspiration i would like to give the credit to CGK, JJPB3, SQ LPP, SQFLYERGIRL, KEITHMEL, MAN FLYER and many others
I hope my TR will be as charming and witty written as their posts.
This year's holiday was actually carefully planned with my family but due the voice of allegro25 sr. some additional plans were made as to grab more of the festive season. The constant planning and changing also drove my niece at the travel agency nuts! Credit to her that she managed to book everything!
Our plan was to meet up with family for christmas in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. This idea got extended by a suggestion to grab new year in Japan. Ofcourse saying is easier then booking, so on a still sunny september morning i tried to price-comparison shop among tokyo, kyoto and osaka hotels during new year and found out that their rooms are then over the top priced!! 70.000yen = 600eur+ about average a night is a bit to steep for our budget but juggling with dates i found out that christmas in Japan is more affordable. Also avoiding a weekend when booking would reduce costs significantly as prices are higher, then during the week. We decided on flying into Osaka (KIX) and then go by train to Kyoto for christmas and then go to Indonsia for new year's celebrations. Tokyo will have to wait till another time.
The allegro25 family are avid SQ-fans, so naturally allegro25 sr. would prefer all legs on SQ. As he says: " there is no other way to fly then SQ (if Virgin Atlantic is unavailable)". Luckly Virgin does not fly everywhere we visit so we usually always travel SQ. YEAH!
Why we like SQ?
1) in business class they always address you by name.
2) in economy class they make regular drinks and snack rounds on long-haul flights.
3) the crew i have met are alwyas friendly, relaxed and willing to chat.
4) the stopover in SIN is a welcome relief.
5) i don't want to boast but i'm a very big eater (due to the gym) SQ-crew has always provided me with double or triple servings at mealtime, on KL i usually end up starved and bringing my own lunchbasket with me on the plane.
6) it's the service that even other airlines talk about! EK F is great but it's SQ F that makes a true refined F experience. There is a sense of dignity and ellegance onboard and everything is serene in the lounge. (EK's ground services like complimentary transfers are a nice touch but their lounges in DXB look like a mobscene at a clearance sale!)
7) once i travelled with grandma allegro25 in C, she was pampered and even escorted by 2 attandents everytime she needed to go to the toilets. I like the way they treat and help the elderly,
.Booking SQ on their website usually is easy and straightforward but with travel during the holidayseason the ticket prices they give out are usually in the highest booking class. AMS-SIN-KIX-SIN-AMS was orginally 9000+eur in Business class on their website. Luckily my niece working at the travel agency found a more managable fare of 6000eur using Worldspan. It seems during such a busy period SQ has the knack of letting people book the highest booking class available to ensure guarenteed (high revenue)PAX travel on those flights or the other idea was that the flights were almost full and only the most expensive seats were left.
The seperated journey to Yogyakarta was orginally planned as SIN-SOC-SIN on MI with onwards a private car to YOG but unfortunatly MI flies only 3x a week. It involved some shuffling around with dates of hotelstays and such, so we scrapped that part and instead settled for SIN-CGK-SIN. We will fly Y because it is only an 1 hr flight and it's nice to sit in the back for a change! The CGK-YOG-CGK will be flown on GA. Other family will still fly in via SOC but on other dates. I'm kinda excited what to expect on GA, according to allegro25 sr. we might fly back to NL in a coffin due to GA
he's kinda spooked because GA is on the EU banned list for bad aircraft maintanance.So our schedule was booked and confirmed as followed:
17 dec 2008
AMS - SIN
SQ 323 J
777-200ER Seats: 16DF
Singapore hotel: Manderin Oriental
20 dec 2008
SIN - KIX
SQ 618 J
777-200 (2class regional) Seats 16HK
Kyoto hotel: Hyatt Regency
Osaka hotel: Ritz Carlton
26 dec 2008
KIX - SIN
SQ 617 C
777-200 (2class regional) Seats 16 AC
Singapore hotel: Manderin Oriental
27 dec 2008
SIN - CGK
SQ 958 Y
777-200 (3 class regional)
27 dec 2008
CGK - YOG GA C
Yogyakarta hotel: Melia Purosani
02 jan 2009
YOG - CGK GA C
02 jan 2009
CGK - SIN
SQ 961 Y
777-300
02 jan 2009
SIN - AMS
SQ 324 C
777-200ER Seats 16AC
We have booked also several BTC items, i forgot the selcetions for allegro25 sr. but for me:
1) AMS - SIN seafood special meal (to try out
)2) SIN - KIX gyu-don (hope it is coupled with the Hanagoyomi set
)3) SIN - AMS lobster thermidore
I will try and post every segment as soon as possible, if you need anything specifically photographed or reviewed just let me know!
Here is a list of attention points i made (with credit to other writer's threads):
- legroom shots
- presentation of logo on dishware, glasses towards the PAX
- the hot towel service
- the warmth of nuts at the appetiser drink
- the fierceness of the lounge dragon
- roboticness of service
- menu cards
- lounge offerings
- smiles
- SKL lounge ambiance
- boarding call procedures
- dom perignon / krug (some people on this forum are really addicted to these bubbles
)Only 2 days to go till travel! I'm thinking or actually dastardly planning to start my drinks with pre-take off champers, an appetising Singapore Sling or a Silver Kris Sling to set the mood before mealservice. Then pick red of white wine according to the menu, port for the cheese platter and then settle with a coffee royal with bailey's. At least i'll snooze better on the Spacebed then!
I don't recall reading many TRs covering the AMS-SIN route so that alone promises to be a good read.
)
Home is where your heart is.
!
. Officially travelagents in NL must recommend customers to fly on certified foreign carries into Indonesia. CX, MH, SQ, KL, LH, EK is what my niece from the travelagency usually recommends for her customers wishing to fly to CGK or DPS whilest following the EU guidelines.
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