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Short and Shorter: Intra-Asia on SQ Economy (MNL, BKK, KUL)

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  • #16
    My most recent short trip, just last week, was to Kuala Lumpur.



    On a previous visit to KL, I stopped by Satay Club, in the airside area of the Satellite Terminal.

    This place serves fantastic satay.







    Perhaps not as great as the ones Kyo had on his amazing Quest for Satay, but a wonderful pre-flight meal, especially since there is no catering onboard KUL-SIN if you fly Y.
    Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 03:49 PM.

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    • #17
      My flight SQ117 KUL-SIN in early August was operated by 9V-SSC, a brand new A330, which was delivered to SQ in July and which first landed in Changi on July 26th, according to SQ228.

      This two-week old A330 still had a whiff of that "new plane smell" when I boarded.



      I hadn't looked up the rego yet when I entered the plane, but everything did look spanking new.



      My seat was in row 31, bulkhead seat in the first row of Economy.

      While the cabin hard product is essentially similar to the earlier A330's delivered, there were subtle differences, including the shape of the first row armest, and other minor cosmetic changes to the seats.

      The sure-fire way to assess how new a plane is, of course, is to open the in-seat tray and look in...the level of dust and other debris in there is a great indicator of age. This one was spotlessly clean, and looked fresh out of the factory!



      Time for a round of "spot the difference...."





      A/C power for all seats, as well as A/V connectors and USB charging.



      Full AVOD was also available for this short flight. I almost wished it was a longer flight than 55 minutes.



      No pillows, blankets or headphones supplied on this flight. However, IFE was on, so you could watch the programmes and/or listen to music if you had your own headphones and headphone adapter.
      Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 03:49 PM.

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      • #18
        While taxiing for take-off, I had great views of the new KLIA 2, the dedicated low-cost terminal used by Air Asia. A very impressive looking terminal.



        MH A330 on take-off roll....



        The other indication of a new plane is that the paint on the engines is polished to such a sheen that you can actually see the reflection of the fuselage in it!

        Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 03:50 PM.

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        • #19
          Just juice, coffee or tea on this short sector.



          At least they use proper cups for coffee and tea...

          Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 03:50 PM.

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          • #20
            Silky smooth landing at Changi, and a short taxi to the gate at T2.



            Verdict? Even for a short 55 min flight...I think the additional comfort of an A330 widebody makes a (small) difference).

            For those interested in a comparison with other carriers on this route, you can check out SIN-KUL-SIN on MH's new 737-800's, covered here.
            Last edited by yflyer; 5 July 2020, 03:50 PM.

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            • #21
              Overall impressions? SQ Y on intra-Asia flights remains very impressive.

              All flights ran like clockwork, with the only delay being a short weather-related delay as a storm passed over Suvarnabhumi.

              Service was consistently excellent to all three destinations. I've heard that short sectors like BKK (and JKT) are not easy for the cabin crew because of the need to serve a full cabin of meals in a very short time, but the cabin crews on these flights did this quite effortlessly and cheerfully.

              In terms of hard product, the 777 MNL-SIN was clearly a "classic" product but the aircraft was well maintained, and there is something to be said for a 9-abreast 777 for comfort.

              SQ's A330's are really comfortable, and I can't really say that there is much difference between flying the A330 in Y and flying on an A380 or 77W (apart from cabin noise level).

              Even for short flights, I think I would take a slightly less convenient flight timing to get onboard an A330 rather than an older 777 (whether "classic" or "refitted").

              Not the most exotic destinations or flights covered in this TR, but I hope this has been of interest to folks travelling within the region and deciding on a short haul carrier, or connecting to a regional flight from long haul.

              Thanks for reading!

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              • #22
                Thanks for sharing

                In Y, A330 2-4-2 is preferable to 777-200 3-3-3 for me regionally

                It's a bit hard to get out from the window seat on the 777.

                In J, I prefer the 777-200.

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by 9V-SIA View Post
                  Thanks for sharing

                  In Y, A330 2-4-2 is preferable to 777-200 3-3-3 for me regionally

                  It's a bit hard to get out from the window seat on the 777.

                  In J, I prefer the 777-200.
                  Thanks, 9V-SIA!

                  Yes, I like Y on the A330's too.

                  Except for the 77W's which are great, I am not too keen on Y on the 772's and 773's these days, even the refitted ones, because the IFE selection is limited compared to the newer planes.

                  I also can't help thinking that the refitted 777's with the 2-2-2 regional J seats are not an efficient use of space on a 777.

                  I am heading to KL tomorrow on Silkair's new 738...would be interesting to compare this with the other equipment flying SIN-KUL...

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