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

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  • #46
    88. Scoot 787 Dreamliner to Athens & Greek islands: Mykonos and Santorini (August 2017)

    Scoot, the low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Singapore Airlines Group, launched their first long haul destination, Athens, in June 2017 using newly delivered 787’s equipped for long haul, with features like a forward overhead crew rest area. But while Scoot, and other budget carriers, are well established for short and medium haul sectors, what is the passenger experience like flying Scoot on an 11+ hour long haul sector like SIN-ATH?

    Greece first appeared on our vacation radar in early August, when I was researching full service and budget airline destinations for an upcoming holiday. Scoot had just begun their new long haul SIN-ATH-SIN service – currently the only nonstop flights between Singapore and Greece. Athens was an intriguing possibility: Given that we had up to 8 days max for our holiday, Greece was just about as far as I was willing to go, plus the fact that Mrs yflyer and I had never been to Greece, a land of great natural beauty as well as historical, and philosophical, significance.

    Apart from booking air tickets, one of the first steps I took was to post a request for Greek holiday advice on SQTalk. And help came…thanks, N_Architect, SQflyergirl, kapitan and all the others for the advice, which helped shape the itinerary for this holiday. All bookings were made in the 2 weeks prior to departure, with our arrival in Greece scheduled for the end of August, the tail end of the peak summer tourist season.

    We flew up to Athens in ScootBiz...



    Mrs yflyer wears a Fitbit and uses it as a step counter, with a target of 10,000 steps a day. (I don’t wear one myself – regulars on SQTalk will know that my preferred means of exercise is a long run…). We did a surprising amount of walking on this trip…so much so that I joked that this vacation was actually a workout regime for Mrs yflyer in disguise: She blew past her 10,000 step target on many of the days in Greece, often covering 15K or 20K steps in a day…



    Now you don't have to walk so much during a vacation in Greece, but we found it a great way to see the sights, and also justify all the calories consumed (Mrs yflyer and I tend to eat a fair amount on our trips…).



    A long TR, one of my personal favourites, which I re-read myself to relive happy memories of Athens, Mykonos and Santorini...



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    • #47
      89. Qantas A330 to MEL - Yarra Run, Tapas with Friends, and Steak at Rockpool Bar & Grill (October 2017)

      In October 2017, I flew to Melbourne in Economy on Qantas for a week long work trip, where I stayed at the Westin Melbourne.

      I visited the Qantas Singapore Lounge in Changi T1 before my SIN-MEL sector..



      My QF flights were operated by Airbus A330's. While A330's arere no longer the newest types around, these aircraft, configured for international flights, were refreshed with a new business class product...



      ...and a refurbished Y seat with updated upholstery and IFE. (There are some A330's fitted with a brand new Y seat as well, but these were not fitted on the flights I was on.)...



      Qantas has also introduced some innovative catering concepts in Y...



      On this trip, I stayed at the Westin Melbourne. While this was a hectic business trip, I managed to take a little time off to have dinner at a small Spanish tapas/wine bar in Melbourne with SQTalk regulars Kyo and SQ228, go for a long run along the Yarra River, and also revisit one of my favourite restaurants, Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill, for a very memorable steak dinner.

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      • #48
        Impressions of SQ New A380 Launch Event (Programme, Catering by SATS, Goodie Bags) (November 2017)

        In November 2017, SQ launched their revamped A380 cabins in a lavish product launch. Impressions of the launch event, which I attended together with 9V-JKL, as guests of 9V-SIA, can be found here.



        90. The Airlines We Fly, the Air We Breathe: SQ A380 to India (BOM/DEL), St Regis, Oberoi (November 2017)

        A week later, with SQ's new A380 products still fresh in my mind from the recent product launch, I flew on SQ's (original v1 configuration) A380 from Singapore to Mumbai in Premium Economy...



        A few days later, I returned to Singapore from Delhi in A380 economy.



        In between the SQ sectors, I flew from Mumbai to Delhi on Jet Airways, a much loved carrier, but now no longer operating. Jet used to be my preferred carrier for domestic travel within India.



        I have many fond memories of flights on Jet Airways. This was, after all, the airline where I once caught a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan, or SRK, as he is known...



        Coverage as well of two outstanding hotels, the St Regis Mumbai...



        ...and the Oberoi Gurgaon.

        Last edited by yflyer; 15 June 2020, 10:26 PM.

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        • #49
          Wow, 116 TR's. I knew it was a few but would not have guessed that many.

          Thank you very much for all the time and effort you have put into every one, and especially the attention to detail. Some of them could be used as a City Guide on their own.

          I will buy you a drink as a thank you next time we hook up, which hopefully wont be too far away.

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          • #50
            Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
            Wow, 116 TR's. I knew it was a few but would not have guessed that many.
            I was just as surprised as you when I realised that!

            Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
            Thank you very much for all the time and effort you have put into every one, and especially the attention to detail. Some of them could be used as a City Guide on their own.
            Thank you for setting up this forum! It's a great place to discuss SQ and share travel experiences!

            Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
            I will buy you a drink as a thank you next time we hook up, which hopefully wont be too far away.
            Very kind of you! Looking forward to catching up over a drink some time soon...hopefully the COVID-19 travel restrictions will end sooner rather than later!

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            • #51
              91. Genting Dream Cruise to Surabaya/Bali: Mermaids, Babi Guling & a Zipline over the Sea (December 2017)

              Although an SQ A380 makes a brief cameo appearance in this TR, this report covers a cruise, not a flight. Now that we have that inconvenient little detail out of the way, I did find that the format, and conventions, of a TR lent itself quite well to a voyage on a cruise ship. I also found many intriguing parallels and points of comparison between the inflight experience and that onboard a cruise ship.

              In December 2017, Mrs yflyer, the kids and I went on a cruise on the Genting Dream, the first ship in the Dream Cruises fleet. Dream Cruises is the premium/luxury cruise arm of Genting Group, who also owns Star Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Resorts World Sentosa. The Genting Dream is a very new vessel, built and launched in late 2016.



              Our five day cruise was to Surabaya and North Bali. On this cruise, our cabin was a Suite in the Dream Palace section of the vessel, which had its own lounge, restaurant and facilities: essentially this was almost a “Ship within a Ship”, quite similar in concept to staying in the Club Level of a hotel.

              This cruise in December 2017 was also the Genting Dream’s inaugural port visit to Surabaya, and on arrival we were treated to a water cannon salute (Not unlike those given to inaugural flights…), and onshore festivities. While in Surabaya, rather than spend my time on a tour of the sights, or shopping, I headed out on foot for a run through the city. In North Bali, we indulged in a local speciality: Babi Guling, or roast whole piglet.
              Last edited by yflyer; 20 June 2020, 10:47 AM.

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              • #52
                92. A Taste of Mumbai Mary, A Run along Marine Drive: SQ SIN-DEL/BOM-SIN (Econ/772/A380) (January 2018)

                I used to travel to India very frequently for work. In recent years I have not travelled to India much, but since late 2017 my trips have resumed. Visiting Delhi/Gurgaon and Mumbai again after this long gap, I marvelled at how these cities had changed and developed over the years, and yet retained a lot of their old character.

                On this occasion in late January 2018, I flew to Delhi and returned via Mumbai on Singapore Airlines, with all sectors flown in Y. For my SQ SIN-DEL sector, rather than my usual preferred evening flight, I caught the morning flight, operated by a refitted 772.

                In Gurgaon, near New Delhi, the air quality was better than on my previous visit. No N95 mask required this time! On this occasion, I stayed at the Westin Gurgaon, and was upgraded to a Suite for my stay.

                I flew Jet Airways from DEL to BOM – while I have flown this sector countless times on Jet’s 738s, my flight this time round was operated by a long haul configured A330. Not a bad way to get from Delhi to Mumbai, even in Y!

                At the St Regis in Mumbai, I tried their signature cocktail, the Mumbai Mary.



                And better than that, I got to meet the cocktail’s jovial and gregarious creator.

                The last day of the week I was there, Friday, was India’s Republic Day holiday, and the celebrations across the country were in full swing. In New Delhi, a huge parade took place, with our Singapore Prime Minister LHL in attendance. I was in Mumbai that day, and since it was a holiday I finally had the opportunity to go for a run along Marine Drive and Nariman Point – my first ever outdoor run in India.



                It was a memorable run, with a lot to see, although some of the sights I saw along the way triggered memories of the tragic events that took place there in November 2008.



                At Mumbai Airport, prior to my BOM-SIN red-eye, I checked out SQ’s designated third party contract lounge for KF Gold there, the so-called Loyalty Lounge, which I found to be a very ironic name, because visiting that lounge caused me to question my “Loyalty” to SQ and the Krisflyer program more than anything else in recent years. My 15 minute visit to this lounge -- that is all the time I could bring myself to spend in there -- was probably the low point of the trip.

                Of course, everything was back to SQ's usual high standards once I was onboard the small upper deck Y cabin on 9V-SKI, the SQ A380 flying us back from Mumbai to Singapore that evening.
                Last edited by yflyer; 20 June 2020, 12:26 PM.

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                • #53
                  93. Upstairs, Downstairs! First Trip on SIA's New A380 to Sydney: SQ221/232 SIN-SYD-SIN (February 2018)

                  Possibly my most memorable trip on SQ ...



                  In a much awaited product launch, SIA introduced their newest A380 cabin products in late 2017 with all-new Suites, Business and Economy Class cabins, as well as a slightly tweaked edition of its recently introduced Premium Economy product.

                  I attended one of the SIA launch events on 4 November 2017, as a guest of fellow SQTalker 9V-SIA. 9V-JKL was along as well, and we were all quite impressed with what we saw. Of course, what you see on the ground is one thing. The experience on an actual flight is something else altogether!

                  I had the opportunity to try these new cabin products for the first time on this trip. In fact, this TR was posted within 24 hours of my landing back in Singapore. Needless to say, I had a memorable trip.

                  I flew up to Sydney on SQ221 on 9V-SKU, and returned on SQ232, operated by 9V-SKV, SQ's newest plane on its fourth revenue flight. The fact that these sectors were operated by the new A380's was no coincidence: I planned my trip around this schedule. And spent many anxious days checking flightradar24.com to see if there were any equipment substitutions, which would warrant immediate action on my part to change my reservations to match the equipment...

                  In the event, the daily SQ221/232 turn has been operated like clockwork by 9V-SKU. And couple of days before my flight, the baton was passed to newly delivered A380, 9V-SKV, to carry on this schedule.



                  Regulars on SQTalk will know that I usually fly Y (But not always ...), so let us start the TR in the back of the bus, on SQ221 in Economy, before working our way forwards, and upwards, to the new A380 Suites on SQ232!

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                  • #54
                    94. Two Flights on SIA's A350: Premium Economy (MEL-SIN) and Economy (SIN-BOM) (March 2018)

                    By March 2018, SIA had 21 A350's in the fleet, operating a range of short, medium and long/ultra-long haul sectors.

                    This was an opportune time to take an objective look at what the SQ A350 offered in terms of passenger experience in Economy (Y) and Premium Economy (PEY) cabins, and how this compared with other aircraft in SQ's fleet.

                    In March 2018, the A350 from MEL-SIN on SQ208 in Premium Economy, and a few weeks later, flew SIN-BOM on SQ422 in Economy.



                    In this TR I shared my impressions of how I think PEY and Y on the A350 compared to Y and PEY on other aircraft types in SQ's fleet, specifically the A380 and the 77WR.

                    Chronologically speaking, the original A380/77W economy cabin product came first in 2006, followed by the 77WN cabin products in 2013. PEY was introduced in 2015 (A380 and 77WR), and then the new A350 cabin products (Both PEY and Y) in 2016.

                    Newer should be better, right? Well...part of the answer to this question may surprise you!

                    Some coverage of the ITC Maratha, a Luxury Collection hotel next to Mumbai Airport...



                    ...and one of my favourite restaurants there, Dakshin...

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                    • #55
                      95. SQ32 SIN-SFO Non-stop on SIA's A350-900WXB, Comparing 1-stop vs Non-stop, & SF Dining (April 2018)

                      At the end of April 2018, I flew to San Francisco on SQ32, Singapore's non-stop SIN-SFO service, in Premium Economy. This flight, which was completely full in all classes that day, took pax from Singapore, at 9.25am, on a 14+ / 15 hour hour flight, to land in San Francisco at 9.40am the same day. (A short fifteen minute hop on the clock dial, I like to joke, where they manage to pack in 2 complete meal services and snacks in-between).



                      While non-stops to the USA are not a new thing, they do offer quite a different passenger experience from the previous one-stop services. How does SQ's service compare with UA's non-stop, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners? And within the SQ family, what was the difference between the non-stop and a one-stop service, say SQ1 SFO-HKG-SIN, operated by Boeing 777-300ER's?

                      I covered SQ32 in this TR, as well as my impressions and comparisons with UA's non-stop Dreamliner service, and SQ's one-stop SQ1, which I flew home a week later.

                      While in San Francisco, and the Bay Area, I did my usual run across the Golden Gate Bridge and also managed a quick jog around SF's colourful Chinatown, where I found tradition and kitsch side by side.



                      I also indulged in several excellent meals, the most memorable of which was at a restaurant whose name and location I did not know until I actually arrived at their doorstep…

                      That took place on the evening when I finally managed to meet HUGE AL on his home turf (Or at least one of the cities he frequently spends time in...I get the impression that "home" is, for him, an amalgamation of several great world cities...), where he treated me to a mindblowing dinner at a restaurant that I would never have discovered on my own.



                      It was a cool, windy, Friday evening when I met up with HUGE AL at Union Square.

                      “You haven’t told me where we are eating…”, I remarked.

                      “No, I haven’t…”, he replied, as we hopped into an Uber, and headed through the streets of San Francisco, towards a restaurant whose location was known only to HUGE AL and the Uber App…

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                      • #56
                        96. SQ from DEL/BOM to SIN:777 vs A380 vs A350, Mumbai Local Trains, Great Kabab Factory (May/June 2018)

                        This trip report covered several back-to-back trips I made to Delhi and Mumbai in May and June of 2018.



                        These trips gave me the opportunity to sample a range of different equipment types and flight timings for SIA’s India to Singapore services from Delhi and Mumbai, and form opinions on which were preferable and why.

                        In this TR, the writing skipped forwards and backwards in time over a 7 week period…if you find this a little disorientating, let me tell you that it was just as disorientating for me, the traveller, where I did a series of 4 round trips to Delhi and Mumbai over a period of 1.5 months, including multiple red-eyes, all in Economy and all on SQ. They all just seemed to blur into one extended journey…

                        On previous trips, I expressed both reservations and outright disappointment at the SQ lounge offerings in DEL and BOM. On these trips, I was able to explore alternative lounges, which Krisflyer Gold are also eligible to use. Did these improve the lounge situation for SQ at these two airports?

                        And of course, during these trips, I had some really great meals. Before departing from Delhi on one of these trips, I stopped for dinner at the Great Kebab Factory at the Radisson Blue Hotel near Delhi Airport. You could spend hours over dinner there, but I made this request to my friendly waiter: I needed to finish dinner in an hour, by 8pm, in order to catch my flight. Was that possible?

                        "Of course, sir!"



                        I happily braced myself for the coming kebab onslaught...and true to their word, was done in time to catch my flight home!

                        While in Mumbai, I also headed out for another rare outdoor run in India, this time in Navi Mumbai, where, at the end of the run, rather than catch a taxi or Uber back to the hotel, I was inspired by SQueeze, and caught a Mumbai Local Train back to the hotel, cooling off from my run while standing in the breeze in the open doorway of the packed train as it headed across Navi Mumbai towards my stop.



                        I end this TR with a flight on SQ421, from Mumbai to Singapore on the 10,000th Airbus...
                        Last edited by yflyer; 20 June 2020, 12:27 PM.

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                        • #57
                          97. Eating Ethnic in Oz: SQ221 to Sydney in New A380 Economy, and Qantas Biz to Melbourne (May 2018)

                          I had to make a last minute business trip to Sydney and Melbourne in May 2018. Meetings were hastily arranged and flights booked. Fortunately, despite the short lead time, it was also possible to plan a couple of informal meet-ups with several SQTalkers...

                          On this trip, I had the opportunity to revisit SIA's new A380 cabin products, this time just in the economy cabin.



                          I also flew from Sydney to Melbourne on QF's A330. While this was just a short hop, the aircraft I flew was equipped with Qantas' latest lie-flat long haul business class product, which I checked out on this 1 hour 35 minute flight.



                          In SYD, KeithMEL introduced me to a great place for cocktails near Circular Quay.





                          In MEL, I joined SQ228 and Kyo for a scrumptious Turkish meal in the suburb of Brunswick.



                          On this short trip, I also managed to check out one of Singapore's latest food exports to Australia: Hawker Chan's new outlet near the Melbourne Marriott.

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                          • #58
                            98. Crazy Frequent Flyer Asians: UA38/37 Dreamliner Nonstop to LA, Vegas & Grand Canyon (August 2018)

                            It was impossible not to encounter "Crazy Rich Asians" when Mrs yflyer and I visited Los Angeles in August 2018, after arriving on UA38, United's nonstop 787 Dreamliner service from SIN to LAX. I am referring to the movie, of course, and not the the actual CRAsians, although I am sure some of them must have been present in Las Vegas (And LA) during our trip. The movie premiered in LA the week before we arrived, and it popped up everywhere: reviews in newspapers, on movie posters in the street, discussed in overheard conversations...



                            I was headed to Las Vegas for a business convention, and I asked Mrs yflyer to tag along. Before and after Vegas, we spent a couple of days in Los Angeles.

                            In LA, we stayed at two memorable hotels, the Westin Bonaventure, and the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles. While in LA, I finally got to head out for a run along Venice and Santa Monica beaches. Timings also worked out for several wonderful meals there, including dinner with HUGE AL...who had somehow managed to juggle his frenetic travel schedule to be in LA at the designated date and time, to meet us for dinner...landing in LA just hours before dinner, then flying off again the next day to be where he needed to be...

                            Las Vegas was an amazing place, even for non-gamblers like ourselves. We had a great time, even though we didn't spend a cent at the tables or slot machines. That said, in Vegas, there were many other ways to part with your money...



                            While in Vegas, we made a side trip to the Grand Canyon. I was fully prepared to either drive or take a coach tour to the Canyon, one of the world's great natural wonders, but Mrs yflyer had other plans...

                            "Can we take a helicopter there? I've never been on one...", she asked.

                            A helicopter would save us several hours travel time as well. The helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon and Skywalk was very memorable, as was the Canyon and Skywalk itself, although this was not an activity I would recommend for anyone afraid of heights.



                            On the other hand, if vast expanses of gorgeous scenery, steep vertical drops, and staring down at the river and ground far, far below are activities that sound appealing, then a visit to the Grand Canyon Skywalk is just the thing for you...

                            It is no longer possible to fly on United's nonstop to LAX. This service ceased to operate in October 2018, which was a pity, since we were both very happy with how our flights went. Of course, UA has SIN-SFO non-stops still operating, and these have been very popular (At least pre-COVID-19...).



                            We flew these flights in economy class. I will cover these flights in detail in this TR, but at the outset let me say that after experiencing nonstops to the USA on several occasions, I feel quite comfortable declaring that nonstop is the preferred way to travel from Singapore to West Coast USA.



                            Whatever airline or class of travel, nonstop is just so much more convenient than one stop, without the hassle of landing, deplaning, going through security, and then boarding again...

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                            • #59
                              99. Qantas A380 Premium Economy Revisited: QF2 from Singapore to Sydney (September 2018)

                              In September 2018, I made a last minute business trip to Sydney. The last two times I travelled Sydney, I flew SQ. Having sampled SQ in both Y and PEY in recent months, I was keen to reacquaint myself with Qantas’s A380 cabin products in Premium Economy on QF2 SIN-SYD, and in Economy on the return leg, QF1 SYD-SIN.

                              This would be my first Qantas A380 flight since the carrier resumed flying the Kangaroo Route from Sydney to London via Singapore, after 5 years flying to London via Dubai.



                              I had previously flown QF premium economy from Singapore to London, however that was in 2013. At the time, I was very happy with my experience. How had QF PEY evolved since then? Also, now that SQ and QF both offer premium economy on flights from Singapore to Australia and London, it would be useful to compare the two carriers to see how their respective PEY products match up.



                              I also had some unfinished business from my previous trips to Sydney: a meal at the Glass Brasserie at the Hilton Sydney, as well as a run across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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                              • #60
                                100. SQ 787-10 Dreamliner New Business Class to Perth, Margaret River Glamping & Vineyards (December 2018)

                                While many of my TR's are business trips, some of my favourites are my vacation TR's, where the sights and bites can be planned end-to-end, and it's always great to travel with Mrs yflyer and one or both of the kids. Also it's always fun to fly business class and check out new equipment types.

                                In this TR, all checkboxes were ticked...Vacation with the family, business class, and new SQ 787-10 aircraft to check out!




                                As I wrote then...

                                _________________


                                As I emerged from slumber into wakefulness, still lying in bed under a feather-soft duvet, my eyes opened into near total darkness. There was just a glimmer of early morning sunlight emerging from under the curtains and fabric covered windows. The crisp, cool air in the room had a hint of the scent of olives, flowers and fresh herbs. But what was that sound? A beautiful polyphony of insect, animal and bird calls filled the air around me.

                                It was only then that it hit home that our accommodations for the night had no walls. We were in a canvas tent, whose soft fabric sides were practically invisible, acoustically speaking: the sounds of nature and wildlife filling my ears were crystal clear, as if we were sleeping in the open, by a lake near a forest. Which in fact we were: A small lake was ahead of us, just meters away, right outside the wide panoramic glass doors. And nearby, the forest and olive tree groves of the Olio Bello Olive farm at Margaret River.



                                Apart from sprawling olive tree plantations and a wonderful cafe, Olio Bello had just 6 tent-like accommodations located on their grounds. These were large canvas tents, but built as hybrid structures, with wood flooring, electricity, air-conditioning/heating and proper bathrooms. This gave guests perhaps the best of both worlds, the romance of a flowing canvas tent, along with all modern comforts, not to mention cutting edge décor and styling. So this was what glamping was about…

                                Mrs yflyer, my younger girl Miss yflyer no.2, and I had arrived in Perth the day before, arriving at midnight on SQ215 SIN-PER, operated by Singapore Airlines’ new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.

                                We had flown from Singapore to Perth in Business Class on 3 x Krisflyer Saver redemption tickets, and spent the night at the Four Points Sheraton in Perth, before renting an SUV the next day for a pleasant 3+ hour drive down to Margaret River.

                                We spent our time in Margaret River touring the sights and wineries in the region. Apart from our stay at Olio Bello Lakeside Glamping, we also moved into the town of Margaret River for two days, which was our base for further exploration of this beautiful part of Western Australia.

                                Back in Perth a few days later, we stayed at the Westin Perth, a very impressive new hotel, just 7 months old, located in the heart of the city. We explored the city on foot, and I also managed to squeeze in a run from the hotel to Kings Park, where great views of the Perth city skyline, and Swan River, could be had.



                                We flew home on SQ216, a red-eye service, again operated by SIA’s 787-10, in business class, but not before checking out the SilverKris Lounge in Perth Airport.

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