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On SIA's 787-10 Dreamliner to Bangkok and Back

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  • On SIA's 787-10 Dreamliner to Bangkok and Back

    Earlier this month, I finally had the opportunity to fly SIA's Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner again, after a long period where all my flights booked on SQ's 787-10 were substituted for other equipment types, while issues with their Rolls Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines were being rectified.

    I booked these flights on SQ to Bangkok -- my third trip to Bangkok over a period of 4 weeks, with my previous trips to BKK done on TG and CX. This would be a great opportunity to compare my experience on SQ to Bangkok with the experience on these other carriers.

    I was, in fact, due to be in both Bangkok and Hong Kong that week. The ideal option would have been CX, who offered a very appealing SIN-BKK-HKG-SIN itinerary at a very attractive price. Of course, with the current uncertainty in HKG and the barest possibility of delays or even cancellations on CX and HKG, I decided to play it safe by booking two separate, and more costly, tickets on SQ: SIN-BKK-SIN and SIN-HKG-SIN, with several hours of transit time in Changi in between my Bangkok and Hong Kong trips. I would take a call on whether to head to Hong Kong on the day of my HKG flight itself. In any case, these trips would now be decoupled. This TR covers the SIN-BKK-SIN segment on SQ.



    My ticket was an economy ticket, but I made a low-ish bid for a one-way business class upgrade on the SIN-BKK sector, and a few days later, I was happy to receive an email indicating that my bid had been accepted.

    So this TR covers SIN-BKK on SQ 787-10 Business Class, and the return sector BKK-SIN in Economy Class, where I did not bid for an upgrade.

    Why didn't I bid for an upgrade on the BKK-SIN sector? A simple reason: I had never flown SQ's 787-10 economy class product before, and I was keen to fly in economy, to see how SQ's economy class stacked up against other 787 economy class cabins.

    Regulars on SQTalk might recall that the only Dreamliner Y cabin that I would unreservedly recommend was JAL's 787 Economy, which was laid out in 8-abreast 2-4-2. On all other 787's I've flown, whether UA, NH, TG, QR, AI or TR, these have all been laid out 9-abreast 3-3-3 in Y, and while many of these flights were fine, I did find the seating comparatively narrow, and not comparable to, say, A350 Y or even 9-abreast 777 Y.

    However, on a previous SQ 787-10 flight in Business class to and from Perth, I did stroll into the economy cabin to briefly check-out the Y seat there, and was amazed to find that it felt quite comfortable, even though SIA also laid out the Y cabin on the 787-10 in 9-abreast 3-3-3. I was intrigued. What kind of magic trick did SQ pull off here, that no other airline had managed to do, I wondered then? But that was too short a try-out to draw any conclusions.

    So on my return BKK-SIN sector, I would finally get to fly SQ's 787-10 Y on a full flight to see if Singapore Airlines has really found the secret to delighting economy class customers on a 9-abreast Dreamliner...

    TR INDEX

    1. Introduction
    2. Lounge - SilverKris Lounge @ Changi T3
    3. Flight - SQ982 SIN-BKK on Singapore Airlines 787-10 Business Class
    4. Lounge - SilverKris Lounge @ BKK
    5. Flight - SQ973 BKK-SIN on Singapore Airlines 787-10 Economy Class
    6. Final Reflections
    Last edited by yflyer; 1 September 2019, 11:29 AM.

  • #2
    My trip started in Changi Airport T3.



    SQ's BKK flight departed out of T2, but I was inspired by fellow SQTalker pokfur's recent Manila TR, and decided to check-in at T3, and visit the SilverKris Lounge there, before taking the Skytrain to T2 for my flight.



    While there was also a SilverKris Lounge in T2, the flagship SQ Lounge was the T3 Lounge -- a much larger and more impressive facility than its T2 sibling.



    Once airside, I headed up the escalator straight to the Business Class section of the T3 SilverKris Lounge...

    Last edited by yflyer; 31 August 2019, 11:14 AM.

    Comment


    • #3
      The Business Class section of the Changi T3 SilverKris Lounge was large and luxuriously appointed...



      The design theme was all about marble and dark wood tones...



      At the time of day I was there, just after 4pm, the lounge was not busy, but I believe the lounge could get very busy in the evening, when many of the long haul flights to far flung destinations departed.

      This probably added to the appeal of heading to the T3 lounge, rather than the T2 lounge, for shorter regional flights even if you were departing from T2, as the smaller T2 lounge would probably have been busier with more regional pax at that hour.

      Although the T3 Lounge was SQ's flagship lounge in Changi, there was no full service bar here, just a self service wine, beer and liquor selection.

      The liquor selection...



      The wine selection...





      I helped myself to a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne "La Cuvee"...

      Last edited by yflyer; 25 August 2019, 07:26 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        This being the week after Singapore's National Day celebrations, the buffet dining room was decked out in flags and decor in our National colours...



        On the wall outside, there were framed shirts autographed by famous Singapore athletes, including Joseph Schooling, Singapore's sole gold medal winner at the recent Rio Olympics.



        There was an impressive selection of Asian and International selections, both hot and cold, available...



        There were communal dining tables done in marble...



        I didn't eat at the lounge on this occasion, as I was saving myself for my onboard dinner, but some local highlights from the buffet included braised fatty pork and man tou buns (SQ should be applauded for prioritizing tradition and taste over the latest HPB guidelines, and offering this sinful but delicious dish as part of their buffet...)



        There were also DIY prawn noodles, which looked very tempting....



        This being tea time, in between regular lunch and dinner hours, the live cooking station, offering kueh pie tee, was closed...



        Instead, there was a roving trolley with coffee/tea and snacks going around the lounge...

        Last edited by yflyer; 25 August 2019, 05:16 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          There were showers in the lounge.



          These were luxurious and clean, and came with amenities and towels.



          However the shower rooms included only basin, shower stall and towel/amenities, with WC's only offered in the adjoining restroom area.

          There was also a large work area...

          Comment


          • #6
            Overall, I thought the Business Class section of SQ's Flagship T3 SilverKris Lounge was a decent lounge, however it did not have the wow factor of the best airport lounges that the competition offered. This lounge wasn't even my favourite SQ lounge in their route network. There were SQ outstation lounges with an even newer decor theme, "Home Away from Home", among them the BKK SilverKris Lounge, which I would visit later on in my trip.

            Just as well that SQ is planning a full redesign and relaunch of their Changi Airport lounges. They have a lot of catching up to do vs the lounge competition, and I believe many of us here on SQTalk, and in Singapore, are eagerly awaiting the launch of the new SQ lounges at Changi.
            Last edited by yflyer; 27 August 2019, 07:45 AM.

            Comment


            • #7
              After that short lounge visit, I headed by Skytrain to T2...



              The Skytrain station was a short walk way, on the other side of T3...



              This was the Skytrain between the T3 B Gates and the T2 E Gates...





              What was nice about this particular Skytrain route was that it passed through Jewel...



              ...which meant great views of the Jewel's waterfall for Skytrain pax out of the right side windows...



              So much free entertainment at Changi Airport ...



              If I had more time on my hands, I would have done this ride back and forth a few times...





              My boarding gate was just steps away from the Skytrain stop at the E Gates...

              Comment


              • #8
                At the gate, operating SQ982 SIN-BKK today, was Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner rego 9V-SCE...



                This was a one year old aircraft delivered in June 2018...



                A very diverse selection of local and international newspapers along the aerobridge...



                A beautiful and bright J cabin, laid out 1-2-1...

                Last edited by yflyer; 25 August 2019, 03:10 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  My seat was 17K, a window seat.



                  The window seats all had aisle access, but were arranged in a staggered, alternating layout where successive rows were either closer to the window side, or closer to the aisle.



                  My seat was closer to the window, which meant that there was a console to my side, and a curved bulge to the side and front, with an opening which provided aisle access.



                  The middle bank of 2 aisle seats was similiar staggered, with pairs of seats either closer to the middle...



                  ...or by the aisle, with a pair of consoles in the centre...

                  Last edited by yflyer; 27 August 2019, 07:46 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    The seat itself was soft leather, with soft velvet padding wrapped around the upper portion of the seat...



                    Intuitive seat controls by the side panel, although I would have preferred physical buttons, rather than a touch-sensitive panel...



                    These seats could be reclined to any desired angle, including fully flat (Without having to get up to flip the seat...)...



                    This was a comfortable seat, although a key thing to note was that it was recommended to remove the shoulder strap of the 3-point seatbelt (Only required for take-off/landing), otherwise this would restrict movement and reduce comfort.



                    I would go as far as to say SQ cabin crew should go around the cabin and advise pax to remove the shoulder strap after take-off, as it improves comfort so much when the shoulder seatbelt is off. Once off, the shoulder strap retracts out of the way, into the seat.



                    There is a large (and tall) footwell, which forms part of the long sleeping surface when the seat is reclined...



                    This is the seat fully reclined...



                    The seat joins seamlessly with the footwell for a flat sleeping surface...



                    I am not very tall, and of average build. I found this seat very comfortable to sleep/rest in, whether lying flat, or on my side...

                    Last edited by yflyer; 27 August 2019, 08:01 AM.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      There was a convenient side console and shelf for storing any items you might have...



                      A/C power and USB...



                      Magazine/literature holder...



                      The gap between the console and the seat in front was not particularly wide. I had no issues getting to/from the aisle from my seat, although for exceptionally large sized individuals, it might be a slightly tight squeeze (Better to choose an aisle-side seat in that case...)...



                      The tray table extended out from under the screen...



                      ...which unfolded into a large, stable dining/work surface....



                      Electronically dimmed windows...



                      These went very dark indeed...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Bathrooms in white and grey...



                        White orchids in the bathrooms. These were plastic. Didn't they used to have real purple orchids in the distant past?



                        Facial wash, hand lotion and eau de cologne from Penhaligons...



                        Other amenities such as shavers, toothbrushes and combs were in the drawer...



                        Hand towels...

                        Last edited by yflyer; 1 September 2019, 11:31 AM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          A round of pre-departure beverages was served...



                          I indulged in a class of champagne...



                          Hot towels were handed out...



                          About 2 hours flight time to Bangkok today...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            A very quiet take-off to the southwest on Runway 20C...



                            Passing T4...



                            ...as we took off...



                            I spotted a row of Silkair 737MAX8's parked forlornly on the tarmac...



                            Over the East Coast of Singapore, with Bedok Jetty clearly visible, jutting out from the beach...



                            ...before a long left turn towards Bangkok...



                            ...with the setting sun in the West sending bright rays of orange into the cabin on this evening flight...





                            IFE was the latest Krisworld system, with a large bright touchscreen, and a very easy to use user interface, with a huge selection of movies, TV...



                            ...and music...



                            High quality noise-cancelling headphones were provided. These were very good.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Dinner was served on this flight...



                              The menu...



                              Choice of 3 main courses on the SIN-BKK sector...



                              I did not find the selection of mains on this flight particularly interesting, and was glad that I had pre-booked a BTC (Book The Cook) selection for dinner 24 hours earlier.

                              The return BKK-SIN dinner choices looked more interesting...



                              The wine list...







                              Cocktails and apertifs...



                              Liquor...



                              I was pleased to see a Japanese sake selection on the list, for this sector (And not just flights to/from Japan...)...

                              Mocktails...



                              Soft beverages...

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