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A Hundred and Sixteen and Counting! A Trip through My Trip Reports since 2012

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  • #31
    70. Three Dreamliners: NH/AI/UA 787's in Economy to HND, MAA/BOM and SFO (August 2016)

    In this TR, I covered the first 2 of 3 trips on different Dreamliners, with the final one on UA's non-stop SIN-SFO sector covered in the next TR.



    I have always had a keen interest in the Boeing 787. Apart from cutting edge carbon fiber technology, the aircraft has many features to make travel more pleasant, like the lower cabin pressure, and large, electronically dimmed windows.



    It is capable of amazing feats of endurance: the 789 can fly from SFO to SIN non-stop.

    I had flown several 787's in the past. In fact, the first TR I ever posted on SQTalk featured the JAL 787.

    Since that time, I had also flown on BA's 787 and did a short hop on QR.

    But by the time of this trip, there were so many other 787 operators -- the vast majority of which had configured their Y cabin in 9-abreast 3-3-3 layout, unlike JAL, who configured their Dreamliner Y-cabins 2-4-2. I previously had wonderful experiences in JAL’s 2-4-2 economy cabin (Including this one on JL001), but I had yet to try the now de facto standard 9-abreast 787 Y cabin on a long flight.

    What was the long haul experience like in these 9-abreast cabins? Did the new Dreamliner offer a new level of comfort for economy travellers, over current equipment like the 77W or A380? Or did the 3-3-3 layout snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by putting the squeeze on pax?

    It never rained but it poured. On this series of trips, I got to check out the ANA 789 to Haneda, and then Air India’s 788 to Chennai, as well as from Mumbai to Singapore.



    And shortly after that (In the next TR), the highlight of this series of flights was the opportunity to fly UA's 789 service on the longest route in United's network, SIN-SFO-SIN.

    All flights in economy, and all flown in the space of 4 weeks.

    This TR (and the next...) aimed to compare the 787 hard and soft products on these three very different airlines.

    On long trips like these, one also had to eat as well, and I had Mrs yflyer along with me for the trip to Tokyo, where we did a little sightseeing, including a side trip to the old Tsukiji market, now closed for good...



    There is extensive coverage of our visit to Tokyo, and also Bangalore and Mumbai...



    ... and many interesting meals along the way...

    Comment


    • #32
      71. UA1/2 Dreamliner Non-stop to San Francisco in Y (September 2016)

      SIA started non-stop service to San Francisco on 23 October 2016, operated by the newest aircraft type in the fleet, the Airbus A350-900XWB. This was something we had all been waiting for, and the excitement at the time was palpable!

      But SQ were not the first airline to start this route. In what some would consider a PR coup, United began operating SIN-SFO vv non stop in June 2016. Until SQ's SIN-SFO inaugural on 23 Oct, United 1 & 2 were the only non-stop flights to/from the USA.

      In the previous TR, I covered the Dreamliner experience on ANA to Japan, and Air India to Chennai and back to Singapore via Mumbai, but the flights I had been looking forward to most were UA's non-stop flights to San Francisco, operated by UA's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.



      This TR covers the economy class experience on UA2 SIN-SFO, and also the return flight UA1 when I headed back to Singapore.



      Extensive coverage as well of San Francisco, where I stayed at the historic Fairmont Hotel...



      ...and sampled the Cioppino at North Beach restaurant Sotto Mare...

      Comment


      • #33
        72. Two Days in Stockholm - Gamla Stan and the Vasa Museum (November 2016)

        Although this trip report starts off with a BA 767 from LHR to ARN, it is more about the destination, Stockholm, than the flights.

        On this trip, I spent two days in Stockholm. This was at the tail end of a trip to the UK (Covered separately in another TR).



        This was my first visit to Sweden, and I really didn't know what to see or do. I also didn't have a lot of time to plan or research this trip. I planned and did everything on the fly...not the least risky course of action, but these days, with the internet, Google Maps, Facebook, and SQTalk, quite doable.

        Another interesting nugget of information: I did the entire 2 day trip without ever touching a Swedish Krona. Again this was probably poor planning -- all I had with me was GBP, EUR and SGD, no Swedish currency at all...but in fact you can survive in Sweden on just a credit card. Unlike Singapore, where even at Changi Airport, you will be confronted with a taxi queue on arrival where only a subset of taxis accept cards. And without SGD, you can forget about sampling Singapore's hawker centre delights...we have so far to go to become a digital economy. In Sweden, you could wander around Gamla Stan, the old town built in the 13th century, and pay for everything with plastic...

        As always, I had a few interesting meals, and did most of my sightseeing on foot, with my running shoes on.



        A highlight of my trip was a visit to the Vasa Museum, where a fully preserved 17th century man-of-war sailing ship was on display, after it was salvaged from Stockholm harbor, where it lay for almost 400 years after sinking 20 minutes into its maiden voyage.

        Last edited by yflyer; 24 July 2020, 10:42 AM.

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        • #34
          73. Finnair A350 XWB to Helsinki (October 2016)

          I had a trip planned for Helsinki and the USA in late October 2016. This was the perfect opportunity to check out Finnair’s new A350 WXB, which Finnair began operating on the SIN-HEL sector just weeks earlier, on 17 October 2016.

          The A350 WXB replaced the A340’s which Finnair previously used on this sector. This is also the only nonstop flight from Singapore to Helsinki.



          On these flights, I learned that Finnair has one of the best designed IFE systems in the air, besting practically every airline, including SQ, in its user-friendly features..



          My onward flight, HEL-JFK, was operated by Finnair's A330. The transit stop meant that I was able to spend time checking out Finnair’s amazing Premium Lounge in Helsinki.



          My flights were all flown in economy class, with the whole itinerary SIN-HEL-JFK-HEL-SIN on a single, very attractively priced ticket, which included a stop in Helsinki on the return leg.

          There is brief coverage in the TR of New York, and a visit to the top of the Empire State Building.

          While in Helsinki, I headed outside for a couple of runs around the city, one of which was done in zero degree weather just after the first snowfall of the year.



          I also learned on this trip that Helsinki is a wonderful foodie destination, with a vibrant F&B scene.



          I took the opportunity to taste both traditional and modern Finnish cuisine in several notable restaurants in Helsinki. The usual warnings about not reading this TR on an empty stomach apply!
          Last edited by yflyer; 24 July 2020, 10:41 AM.

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          • #35
            74. SQ A380 Suites from Beijing to Singapore and a run on the Great Wall (November 2016)

            "Suites? In a yflyer TR? Has the world gone mad?", I wrote then...

            Of course here we are in 2020, with COVID-19 and other challenges upon us. Perhaps we can all be forgiven for thinking that the world is currently in a precarious place...but let us remain optimistic that good sense and the human spirit will prevail...

            Back to the TR...on this trip I flew Y: some of the best economy class flights ever, in fact, on SQ and also JL.

            But I had Mrs yflyer with me on that occasion. A few months before the trip, she asked me "Can I try Suites one day?"...and to paraphrase Eurythmics, who was I to disagree? And the opportunity to do so came up in November 2016, when I had to make a last minute business trip to China.

            "I need to go to Beijing next week. You want to come?" I asked her. The good thing about having kids old enough to look after themselves is that you can just pack up and go at the drop of a hat. "Sure!" Mrs yflyer replied.

            As a rule, I don't redeem Krisflyer miles in economy. With all the surcharges, this, to me, is a terrible waste of miles, not to mention cash. Once you factor in the surcharges, the cost of a Y redemption is quite high -- if flying Y, a paid promotional fare is often preferable, and not much more expensive than a Y Krisflyer redemption. Much better value to redeem miles on J and F, and that was exactly what I did. I did the whole trip in Y, with Mrs yflyer sitting up front in Business on the SIN-PEK leg, and in Suites on the PEK-SIN leg back home.



            I didn't head back to Singapore from Beijing...I had to fly to Tokyo, and did that on JL's 787, and spent a few days in Tokyo before flying home on SQ631 HND-SIN, operated that day by 9V-SNA, a 77WN which might just be my favourite plane in SQ's fleet right now.

            I had been to Beijing many times before, but always for work. I had never visited the Great Wall. Neither had I ever visited the Forbidden City. I would do all that on this trip.



            As usual, with Mrs yflyer there, she would be responsible for figuring out what to eat. Regulars on SQTalk will know that is always a good thing!

            Last edited by yflyer; 14 June 2020, 11:17 AM.

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            • #36
              75. SIA's New A350 XWB: SQ337 DUS-SIN in Economy (December 2016)

              This was my first long haul trip on SQ's A350. In December 2016, I went on a short trip to Germany, and returned to Singapore via Dusseldorf just in time for Christmas back in Singapore. This gave me the opportunity to check out Singapore Airlines' latest Airbus A350 XWB on the DUS-SIN sector, a route which SIA began flying earlier this year, in July 2016.

              SQ's current long haul economy class products on the A380, 77W and 77WN were already among the best I have experienced. What enhancements did SQ's latest iteration of their economy class product on the A350 offer?

              This TR compares SQ's A350 product with other A350 operators, such as Finnair or Qatar Airways, who also operate this type out of Singapore.

              Comment


              • #37
                76. First Cruise: Diamond Princess - 4 Days Malaysia (Penang, Langkawi, Port Klang) (December 2016)

                The cruise ship Diamond Princess has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately, but COVID-19 aside, this was a wonderful cruise ship that gave its many passengers over the years many good memories.

                On our cruise, the crew onboard were excellent as well, many long-time senior crew members who have made this their life career. I wish all crew onboard all the best in these challenging times, and a speedy recovery to crew or pax who came down with COVID-19 earlier this year.
                _________

                While cruises were a regular fixture of the travel and tourism scene here, my family and I had never been on a cruise.

                While exploring options for a short break at the end of December in 2016, I suggested to Mrs yflyer, "Why not a cruise? The kids have never been...it's quite fun...I think they will enjoy it!"

                Mrs yflyer was also new to cruises, but got quite enthusiastic as she did her usual thorough research, and proposed the Diamond Princess, on a 4d cruise to Penang, Langkawi and Port Klang.

                "I've always wanted to try Princess Cruises" she said. The Diamond Princess wasn't the largest ship sailing out of Singapore, nor the newest, but it was still an impressive vessel with large cabins and good catering (Important for her and our kids) and facilities, and the itinerary and dates looked ideal too, she thought.



                So this TR remains at sea level from start to finish.

                Regulars on SQTalk are probably already used to yflyer TR's taking a while to get airborne...a full ten posts into my recent TR on the SQ A350, the plane still hadn't even taken off yet ()...and here in this TR, we never even take off...

                All that said, it was quite interesting to compare and contrast the cruise experience with the flight experience.



                And as always, we not only ate well onboard, but also ventured on shore to sample a few of the culinary delights that Penang and Port Klang had to offer too.

                Last edited by yflyer; 14 June 2020, 11:18 AM.

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                • #38
                  77. United Airlines 747-400 in Economy: SIN-HKG-ORD (777) / SFO-HKG-SIN (744/777) (January 2017)

                  Beeping in the dark. Louder…more insistent.

                  “F***."

                  Blurry eyes try to focus on the clock…

                  3.30am.

                  In a recent TR on UA’s nonstop Dreamliner service from Singapore to San Francisco, I wrote:

                  “UA2 has a fairly civilized departure timing of 8.45am… by contrast, UA896 SIN-HKG-ORD remains a 6:00am departure...waking up early to check in for that flight is likely to mess up your body clock even before you reach the airport...”

                  Not a flight I would want to take…and yet my alarm had just gone off at half past three.

                  I had to make a last minute trip to America. As my booking was made just days before the departure date in early January, the only reasonably priced round trip fare I could find was on United, and that involved UA896 to Chicago via Hong Kong, a Boeing 777 service departing at six sharp.

                  Jetlagged from the get-go.

                  On the bright side, my flight home was on United 869, a 747-400 service from SFO to HKG, before connecting to UA895 HKG-SIN. Flights on a 747 are so rare these days. I was really looking forward to that.



                  United Airlines recently announced that they were retiring their 747 fleet from service in the last quarter of 2017. When I read this, I felt a tinge of sadness. Many of us on this forum would have had fond memories of flights on the 747, whether on United or any other airline.

                  Many airlines still operate the 747. BA’s 744 fleet is going strong, while Qantas still has several examples operating. But UA869 would by my first flight on a United 747-400 in a while, and quite possibly my last on United before this type was decommissioned.

                  I’ve had some very interesting experiences on UA over the years. The last UA 744 flight I took was years ago, a battleship grey 744 adorned with a Tulip logo on the tail: No seatback IFE and very mediocre catering.

                  But recent experiences on UA1/2 SIN-SFO-SIN were very positive, and I’ve only had good experiences flying UA on domestic sectors in recent times.

                  I would be travelling in Y, but I did have a look in the J cabins along the way to check out United’s hard product.

                  UA has also launched revamped F and J products, branded “Polaris”, which I thought was quite appropriately, named since opinions on United on this forum are, how shall I say it, quite polarised…

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    78. JL 787 PEK-HND and SQ 77WN HND-SIN : Is this as good as Y gets? (December 2016)

                    In this TR, I flew JAL's Dreamliner from Beijing to Tokyo Haneda, then SQ's 77WN from Haneda back to Singapore, all in Economy. (77WN is SQ's designation for their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the 2013 cabin products.)

                    I flew all these trips in Economy class. While trips in F or J are the most memorable, these flights on JL and SQ were good examples of how to do Y the right way.

                    The right way? What do I mean by that, you ask?

                    These days, most airlines operate the 787 with a 9-abreast Y cabin, and a frightening number of airlines now operate the 777 with a 10-abreast Y cabin. These cabin layouts suck. I avoid them if at all possible.

                    By contrast, JL's 787 economy cabin is currently a spacious 8-abreast 2-4-2. The difference is immediately noticeable!



                    And SQ has a wonderful new 2013 economy product on their 77WN that still retains the 9-abreast 3-3-3 configuration. To me that is half the battle won.



                    And apart from the seat, SQ and JL offered catering, IFE and cabin service which were quite outstanding, at least on these sectors and on this occasion.

                    Is this as good as the Y experience will ever get?
                    Last edited by yflyer; 14 June 2020, 05:18 PM.

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                    • #40
                      79. CX A350 to Hong Kong, the Mira Moon Hotel, and a Run to Victoria Peak (March 2017)

                      At the start of the week-long March school holidays in 2017, Mrs yflyer and I were part of the mass exodus of Singaporeans (And residents of Singapore) who headed overseas for a short vacation.

                      While many travelling that week planned their trip way in advance, ours was planned at the very last minute, with bookings made online less than 48 hours before departure.

                      Of course flights out of Changi at the start of the holiday weekend were hard to come by, which is why our outbound sector was a points redemption on CX Business Class. CX Economy was full -- probably overbooked, in fact.



                      I also reached into my stash of SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) points to book a hotel in Hong Kong.

                      When browsing SPG redemption options, I chanced upon the Mira Moon, part of the Design Group collection of hotels, a fairly new hotel which I had not heard of before.

                      Design Hotels group, which has a collection of boutique hotels across the world which the Mira hotels in Hong Kong are part of, has recently partnered with Starwood to allow SPG point redemptions for stays. This has opened up very enticing possibilities for SPG point redemptions, even if some SPG Platinum perks aren't available at the Design Hotels properties.



                      Mrs yflyer had, over the years, compiled a list -- a very long list -- of restaurants and local eateries in HK that she wanted to try. This would be an opportunity to check a few items off her to-try list, and revisit old favourites as well.



                      I was initially quite sceptical of being able to get any kind of satisfying run out of a trip to the urban jungle that Hong Kong appeared to be, but to my delight, I found that there were quite a few running opportunities in Hong Kong, and one of the highlights of my trip was a run at Victoria Peak, which didn't turn out quite the way I planned, but was probably more memorable as a result.



                      So apart from checking out Cathay Pacific's new A350, this trip is probably best summed up as calories in, calories out...
                      Last edited by yflyer; 22 August 2020, 02:36 PM.

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                      • #41
                        80. SQ 772ER to Hanoi in Economy: A Taste of Vietnam (March 2017)

                        In March 2017, I spent two days in Hanoi. This was my 3rd trip to Vietnam's capital city, but it was the first visit where I actually had time to look around (And run around...).



                        I flew there and back on SIA in Economy, with both flights operated by refitted 772ER's.

                        I stayed at two different hotels: The Hotel de l'Opera on the first night, and the Hilton Hanoi Opera on the second night. Why did I have to stay in two different places? The hotels that week were chock full, and I could not book the Hilton for the whole stay.

                        Regulars on SQTalk will know that I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. When he was in Hanoi, he had dinner with President Barack Obama at a bun cha restaurant there, while President Obama was on a state visit to Vietnam in 2016. It turned out this restaurant was not far from the Opera House (Less than a kilometer away). How could I not take the opportunity to go there...





                        Apart from business and leisure travellers (Lots of tourists this time of year), Hanoi hosted official visits from several different countries in the week I was there, including a delegation from Singapore which included our Prime Minister.

                        By coincidence, our PM was departing Vietnam after his visit on the day I was due to depart.

                        Barack Obama probably flew Air Force One on his visit, but since Singapore doesn't have an equivalent aircraft, our PM and the Singapore delegation flew commercial on SQ. More on that towards the end of this TR...

                        Last edited by yflyer; 14 June 2020, 05:19 PM.

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                        • #42
                          81. Jakarta to Singapore on SQ's Boeing 773 (Refitted) 9V-SYI with 2006 Y (April 2017)

                          This was a short JKT-SIN flight on an older Boeing 777-300 that had been refitted with the 2006 Economy Class product. This was a flight out of the old Terminal 2D at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, with its local, tropical-style architecture, before SQ moved to Terminal 3.






                          82. Three Generations of the Emirates A380 Y Seat and More Barcelona Dining (February 2017)

                          Emirates, the largest operator of the Airbus A380, has at least 3 generations of Economy cabin products in their fleet. On this series of flights to and from Barcelona, via Dubai, I got to experience three of them, including one of their newest, which was fitted on aircraft A6-EUA (MSN 211), then a year old and one of the newest in the EK fleet.





                          As usual in Barcelona, I did my favourite run along the waterfront, watched FC Barcelona play at Camp Nou, and ate at old favourite restaurants and bars, and at new ones as well.

                          One of the new places I visited was tapas bar Quimet y Quimet, whose walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with bottles...






                          83. SQ SIN-LHR/CDG-SIN in Y: Concorde Spotting, Ibis Hotels, and Runs in Reading and CDG (July 2016)

                          In July 2016, I flew to London for a short work trip. I spent the week in Reading, near London, before returning to Singapore via Paris CDG.

                          I flew SQ318 to London on SQ's 77WN (3-class 777-300ER with 2013 Y) and returned to Singapore on SQ335 operated by an A380 (With the 2006 Y product).



                          Although this was a work trip, I had my Olympus E-P2 with me, with a telephoto lens, which meant I was better equipped to take pictures out the window on the daylight segments of these flights.



                          I stayed at Ibis hotels in Reading and Paris CDG. While Ibis is a value/budget brand, I had very satisfactory stays at both properties which met and even exceeded my expectations.

                          On this hectic trip, I managed only two runs. An excellent one in Reading, and one of the least satisfying ones ever in Paris CDG, although even that run had one redeeming feature.

                          I encountered a couple of Concordes on this trip -- not in the air (I regret that I never had the opportunity to fly in one), but on the ground.



                          As rumours swirl around of impending cost cuts affecting SQ's Y product, this TR hopefully provides a point-in-time snapshot of what the SQ economy class experience was in mid 2016.
                          Last edited by yflyer; 24 July 2020, 10:42 AM.

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                          • #43
                            84. SIA A380 Premium Economy from Beijing to Singapore on SQ807 - "To Bid or Not to Bid" (May 2017)

                            In May 2017, I flew Singapore Airlines to Beijing for a short business trip, and flew SQ's PEY on SQ807, an A380 service from Beijing to Singapore. This was a good opportunity to revisit SQ's PEY product, and offer an opinion on what this cabin class has to offer on a medium haul sector like PEK-SIN.

                            I was originally booked in SQ's excellent economy class both ways, but a few days before my trip began, an email from SQ arrived in my inbox. The subject of the email: "Get Upgraded on your Singapore Airlines flight".

                            My outbound flight, SQ806 SIN-PEK was operated by a 77W with no PEY, so no upgrade was possible. However, my return flight, SQ807 PEK-SIN was an A380 service with a Premium Economy cabin...I had the opportunity to bid for an upgrade to PEY.

                            On this non-redeye 6 hour sector, I did not have a compelling reason to upgrade, but decided to bid anyway, with a low bid, just to "test the waters".

                            I placed my bid, a low S$105, just before the cut-off time for submitting an upgrade bid, 50 hours prior to departure. Results of the bidding would be out at 48 hours prior. I would know very soon if my bid succeeded.

                            About 2 hours later, an email arrived in my inbox: "Upgrade Successful for SQ807". Yes!



                            Coverage, as well, of the excellent Conrad Beijing...



                            85. Gibsons, Ostra, and Flying Flat on a One Hour Flight: AA Transcon Airbus 321 BOS-JFK (October 2016)

                            In October 2016, I spent a week in Chicago, Boston and New York, spending just a day or so in each city (Covered in a previous TR). On that trip, I got to check out AA's transcon configured A321, which must be one of the most pleasant A321's to fly in anywhere in the world. I flew AA's three-class transcontinental A321 from BOS to JFK.



                            This busy route has 15 or so nonstop flights a day, operated by AA as well as JetBlue and Delta. This sector has a scheduled time of around 1 hr 25 min. The flight time is less than an hour, making it quite similar to SIN-KUL in profile.

                            Being yflyer, my ticket was of course an economy ticket. Read the TR to find out how I ended up flying flat!



                            A couple of notable restaurants covered as well: Gibsons Steakhouse in Chicago, and Ostra in Boston.

                            Last edited by yflyer; 21 August 2020, 02:02 PM.

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                            • #44
                              86. SQ A330 to Bangkok, the W Hotel, and the New BKK SilverKris Lounge (June 2017)

                              “Where are you going?”, the man asked, as I jogged down the narrow lane between wooden homes towards the Chao Phraya River.

                              The road ahead was a dead end. It was obvious, from the way the residents in the makeshift homes lining the lane looked at me, that few outsiders found themselves down this path, in a small riverside community on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, just a few kilometers south of central Bangkok.

                              Google Maps on my cellphone had gotten me this far, but no further. I would have to rely on the locals for help.

                              “I want to cross the river to the other side, is there a boat?”, I replied.

                              “Yes, but not this way, you have to go that way…”

                              He pointed back the way I came, and walked me up to a narrow alley which could not have been more than 1 meter wide, lined on both sides with makeshift homes, with open doorways and laundry hanging outside...

                              “Go down this way to the river, then turn right…”

                              I pressed on down the narrow alley, and emerged in a clearing where a small canal led to the riverbank, where a couple of kids were playing. I could see across the Chao Phraya river.

                              On the opposite bank, the trees of Bang Krachao, a island in the middle of the Chao Phraya, also known as the “Green Lung” of Bangkok, across the waters of the river. It looked so close...but how would I get to the other side? There was a small jetty not far off, with a few boats moored to the pier, but this was a private pier, with no ferry service or water taxi’s in sight…

                              I pressed on along the road just inland of the river bank, and entered into a large trailer parking lot with trucks and trailers. Several stray dogs began barking and approached fast...it seemed I was encroaching into their territory...

                              I jogged quickly out of the trailer park and headed further east along the dirt road, and wondered where the road would lead.

                              As I jogged along the dusty road, with the sun high overhead, it occurred to me that it was a long way back to the W Hotel on Sathorn Road, and I might have to rethink my route back to the hotel, in time to check out, then head to the airport for my flight home to Singapore. For perhaps the briefest instant, I felt something close to panic: was I lost?
                              ____________

                              This was a memorable trip to Bangkok where, on the last day of my trip, I headed out for a city run, planning a route from the W Hotel to Bang Krachao...alas it was a destination too far...

                              On the outbound SIN-BKK flight, I was joined by Kyo, who by sheer coincidence was also heading to Bangkok that day.



                              In this TR, coverage of the amazing W Hotel in Bangkok...



                              ...and the new SQ SilverKris Lounge in BKK...

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                87. SQ A380 to FRA, AB to TXL, and Berlin Christmas Markets after the Terror Attack (December 2016)

                                I was in Jakarta when I heard the news of the terror attacks in a Christmas market in Germany. On 19th December 2016, a terrorist rammed a truck through one of the main Christmas Markets in central Berlin. A reprehensible act that drew condemnation for the perpetrator, and sympathy for the victims, from across the globe.

                                The next day, 20th December, I was scheduled to fly out of Jakarta back to Singapore and spend a couple of hours in transit in Changi Airport before flying out to Berlin, via Frankfurt, for a business meeting.

                                My boss emailed my colleagues and I, and urgently asked us to check the latest travel security guidance. "I assume it recommends to cancel", he wrote.

                                The guidance from the travel risk management and safety outfit did come down: Avoid the area around the Christmas Market, and expect heightened security...but no blanket ban on travel was advised.

                                So the decision was ours, and no-one would have objected if we had decided to cancel. But of course we didn't.

                                "Looks like we are going ahead, unless advised by our client", I replied.

                                "Agree - planning on meeting unless the client decides to postpone," my US-based colleague chipped in.

                                And so off we went...

                                The flight out was SQ26 to Frankfurt...



                                I will miss Air Berlin, an airline no longer operating. They had a great inflight product and wonderful cabin crew. I flew FRA-TXL on an AB A320, landing at the old Berlin Tegel Airport...



                                In Berlin, I had meetings in an old office building with a unique architectural feature, and also had just enough time to head out for a brief city run, covering the Reichstag, Philharmonie Concert Hall and Checkpoint Charlie...



                                After our meetings, we also had time to listen to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the world's best, and of course visit the Christmas Market at Schloss Charlottenburg...

                                Last edited by yflyer; 14 June 2020, 05:23 PM.

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