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SQ A330 to Bangkok, the W Hotel, and the New BKK SilverKris Lounge

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  • #46
    Other buffet items included salad…



    Cheese and sandwiches…



    Savoury pastries…



    Dim sum…



    Thai green curry…



    Choice of pineapple or white steamed rice…



    I couldn’t resist a little of each…



    Always nice to see fresh condiments in a lounge buffet…



    Greens, including black fungus, carrots and long beans…

    Last edited by yflyer; 1 July 2017, 05:19 PM.

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    • #47
      Western selections included a delicious pumpkin soup…



      Roast pork with mushroom sauce…



      Pasta with chicken…

      Last edited by yflyer; 2 July 2017, 11:26 AM.

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      • #48
        Delectable looking Thai desserts…





        …and if that wasn’t enough, you had ice cream in a freezer too…



        A proper coffee machine…



        …as well as Thai milk tea…

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        • #49
          No showers in the lounge (You need to head to one of the Star Gold TG Lounges for those), but there were restroom facilities within the lounge.

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          • #50
            Overall, I thought that this was an excellent lounge, perhaps one of the nicest outstation lounges in the SQ network that I have visited so far.

            The decor and ambience in the lounge was very good.

            The buffet selection was very generous, and a full bar is always something to be grateful for.

            Nice touches included the fresh whole coconuts, smoothies and milk tea. The hot selections (both local and international) in the buffet selection were tasty too.

            Perhaps a larger selection of red/white wines, and maybe champagne or premium liquor/whisky would improve the lounge experience for the alcoholics among us, but on the whole, F&B was impressive.

            This is a much larger lounge than the previous one in BKK, but even so, I can imagine it getting quite full during peak hours on a Monday or Friday. And while the work pods were nice, there were only 5 of them, which seems to be a small number given the number of business travellers heading to/from BKK.

            At least off-peak, when I was there on Saturday evening, the lounge ambience was relaxed and uncrowded. I had an excellent lounge experience that day.
            Last edited by yflyer; 1 July 2017, 05:25 PM.

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            • #51
              The departure gate for SQ979 was right in front of the lounge…



              Dark clouds filled in the sky. Each day I was there, there were brief thunderstorms each afternoon. Typical June/July weather in Bangkok…



              Today’s flight was operated by 9V-STT, a 4 year old A330.



              Earbud headphones on the aerobridge, along with a full complement of newspapers.

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              • #52
                A warm welcome onboard…



                The economy cabin in 2-4-2 layout (This is standard on full service carriers, although LCC’s like Air Asia X configure their A330’s in 3-3-3). There is only one seating plan for all of SQ’s A330’s. You always know what you are getting. This is a very comfortable Y cabin.







                2nd cabin emex and bulkhead seats…



                Very spacious…



                Unlike some Western carriers, SQ cabin crew are still quite willing to help passengers with their hand luggage.



                Less than 2 hours flight time to Singapore today.



                At least one person on this flight is not paying attention to the safety video…

                Last edited by yflyer; 3 July 2017, 03:42 PM.

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                • #53
                  Dusk take-off to the south, with sunlight streaming in through the starboard windows…



                  Not long after take-off, dinner was served…



                  The A330 tray tables are a foldable design, which includes a vanity mirror…





                  No printed menus onboard. You were asked for your choices of main: On today’s flight the options were a western meal and a Thai style seafood curry.

                  I chose the Thai option, and was rewarded with one of the nicest economy class meals I have had ever…



                  Delicious Thai chicken salad, with a tangy sauce that had a lot of zing…



                  A wonderful main casserole that was as attractive to the palate as it was to the eyes…



                  Mixed seafood in a tasty curry, alongside fully, moist flavoured rice and vegetables.



                  Dessert was a local Asian-style pumpkin, yam and coconut dessert which was a very daring choice, because the taste was quite subtle and local…not the overly sweet cakes and jellies that our tastebuds are more accustomed to these days. A bit of a gamble, since Asian style desserts may not appeal to all passengers, but this was authentic and refreshingly different.

                  A near perfect Y meal: Very tasty and authentic, with a real sense of destination context (This was an unmistakeably Thai/Asian selection). Thumbs up!
                  Last edited by yflyer; 1 July 2017, 05:18 PM.

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                  • #54
                    Cabin ambience on this flight was very good, despite a nearly full passenger load.



                    Cabin service was exceptional on this flight. The cabin crew were genuinely warm and friendly.

                    An on time arrival into SIN…





                    Busy immigration today…thank goodness for the automatic gates for Singaporeans and residents…



                    The very green baggage claim area in Changi…

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                    • #55
                      Final thoughts?

                      I had great flights on SQ both to and from BKK. Catering, hard product and cabin service were top notch.

                      The A330 has SQ's 2006 Y products, which are not the newest in the fleet (That honor currently goes to SQ's fleet of A350s and 77WN/77WRs, with 2013 Y), but they are still a very comfortable way to fly.

                      SQ operates both A330's and 772's to BKK. The A330 Y cabin product is far superior to the 772's...if flying economy to BKK on SQ, choose the A330 flights if the cabin hard product (IFE, seat etc) is important to you.

                      As far as cabin service went, I got lucky on both SIN-BKK and BKK-SIN sectors, with cabin crew who were very professional, and exceptionally warm and friendly, even by SQ's high standards.

                      The W hotel was another highlight of the trip. A fun hotel to stay in, both for the room, as well as the F&B options, especially team at the Woobar.

                      And it is always great to meet and travel with friends, not least the incredible Kyo, who is an amazing networker and an endless source of tips and ideas on how to make a trip a) better b) more seamless/convenient c) more fun...

                      As for Bang Krachao...I only saw the you across the river this time. You are the one that got away!

                      And that wraps up the TR now, but I do plan to head back to Bangkok again, in order to visit Bang Krachao. The sequel to this TR may take weeks, months or even years, but a run on Bang Krachao is now on my do-to list, and I intend to post an account of it here after I do it!

                      Thanks for reading!
                      Last edited by yflyer; 2 July 2017, 11:36 AM.

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                      • #56
                        Thanks yflyer for another memorable TR.

                        Having read other reviews of the new BKK SKL, I was looking forward to your detailed views on it. It is indeed a refreshing change from the previous lounge, and definitely one of the classiest looking lounge in BKK today.

                        I tend to go to the EVA lounge whenever in BKK, even though it is quite a trek to the SQ or TG gates. The EVA lounge was (until today) miles ahead of any of the Star Alliance lounges in BKK in terms of food, shower facilities and overall ambience (although not a fan of the neon/psychedelic lighting).

                        I am surprised at the choice of design for the lounge entrance. It has moved away from the standard gold batik design seen in the rest of the lounges in LHR, HKG, MNL etc... nonetheless, I think it looks good overall. The food selection is also impressive compared to the one in MNL - which appears to be a watered down version of the "home away from home" concept. Just based on your pictures, I must say that it has a better layout than the HKG lounge.

                        Have Y class pillows been removed from all flights to/from BKK? I seem to recall seeing a pillow on my seat the last time I flew SQ from BKK (but to qualify my statement, that was on the 9pm flight. Perhaps it depends on the departure time). I tend to fly TG to BKK - they have pillows and blankets on all flights regardless of the timing.

                        The catering on the BKK-SIN sector looks really good, in particular the dessert. I remember having a delicious Thai version of "Or-Nee with lotus seeds" on my SQ flight last year. In contrast, TG only offers western desserts such as chocolate or strawberry mousse on this sector.

                        Looking forward to more TRs from you...
                        Last edited by icn.sg; 2 July 2017, 01:08 AM. Reason: Edit

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                        • #57
                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          Thanks yflyer for another memorable TR.
                          Thanks, icn.sg!

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          Having read other reviews of the new BKK SKL, I was looking forward to your detailed views on it. It is indeed a refreshing change from the previous lounge, and definitely one of the classiest looking lounge in BKK today.

                          I tend to go to the EVA lounge whenever in BKK, even though it is quite a trek to the SQ or TG gates.
                          Yes, a very nice lounge! Not been to the EVA lounge in BKK yet.

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          I must say that it has a better layout than the HKG lounge.
                          I can't say I am a big fan of the HKG SilverKris lounge...I don't like the fact that in an airport like Chek Lap Kok, with soaring high ceilings, they put the SKL in a windowless location. I'm probably also spoilt by the CX and QF lounges in HKG, which are quite spectacular.

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          Have Y class pillows been removed from all flights to/from BKK?
                          Yes, both my flights only had blankets, and no pillows, whereas on my flights in 2015 both blankets and pillows were provided on SQ (Previous TR here. Incidentally the previous TR also has coverage of the previous BKK SilverKris Lounge -- a much smaller lounge in a fairly remote location. )

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          The catering on the BKK-SIN sector looks really good, in particular the dessert. I remember having a delicious Thai version of "Or-Nee with lotus seeds" on my SQ flight last year. In contrast, TG only offers western desserts such as chocolate or strawberry mousse on this sector.
                          Yes, one of the nicest Y meals I have had in a while. Wonder if this is catered ex-SIN or by a caterer in BKK.

                          Originally posted by icn.sg View Post
                          Looking forward to more TRs from you...
                          Thanks again!

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                          • #58
                            Originally posted by yflyer View Post


                            Yes, both my flights only had blankets, and no pillows, whereas on my flights in 2015 both blankets and pillows were provided on SQ (Previous TR here. Incidentally the previous TR also has coverage of the previous BKK SilverKris Lounge -- a much smaller lounge in a fairly remote location. )


                            Yes, one of the nicest Y meals I have had in a while. Wonder if this is catered ex-SIN or by a caterer in BKK.

                            Great report!

                            Understand that pillows are now not offered on BKK flights in economy. As for catering ex-BKK, it is by TG Catering and yes, they do produce the best economy meals!
                            My past and future travels

                            My Travel Map

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                            • #59
                              Originally posted by ycp81 View Post
                              Great report!
                              Thanks, ycp81!


                              Originally posted by ycp81 View Post
                              As for catering ex-BKK, it is by TG Catering and yes, they do produce the best economy meals!
                              Thanks for the info! I wish the catering out of SIN would have flavours which are as distinctive and adventurous.

                              I don't know what the criteria for selecting dishes is for SQ's catering operation in Singapore, but based on all these years of flying and dining on SQ's Y meals, I suspect the SIN catering operation tends to be a little cautious with flavours, which can sometimes be a little muted or inoffensive (As opposed to the bold flavours in the Thai meal on my BKK-SIN sector), as they probably need to make the meals appealing to a very diverse customer base.

                              I also think Thai cuisine can be adapted well to inflight dining, as the flavours are very intense and strong.
                              Last edited by yflyer; 6 July 2017, 01:03 AM.

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                              • #60
                                Another great TR

                                Always amazed that people can eat in the lounge then eat again on the plane!

                                It's either/or for me

                                2-4-2 will soon be history I fear (except for JL? )

                                And what about 2-3-2 on the 767? Any still flying?

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