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Upstairs, Downstairs! First Trip on SIA's New A380 to Sydney: SQ221/232 SIN-SYD-SIN

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  • Upstairs, Downstairs! First Trip on SIA's New A380 to Sydney: SQ221/232 SIN-SYD-SIN

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

    Since 18 December 2017, SQ221 to Sydney, and its return flight SQ232 back to Singapore, have been operated by 9V-SKU, at the time the newest A380 in SQ's fleet. And just a week ago, on 2 February 2018, 9V-SKV joined the fleet, and began revenue service on that same sector on 7 February.

    This is, in some ways, a challenging time for SQ, with the competition continuing to up their game, whether it is United with non-stops to the USA, LCC's eating into the low end, or the ever more luxurious cabin products coming from the likes of EK, QR and EY, not to mention emerging Chinese carriers.

    And recent PR missteps like credit card surcharges (Whoops! Let's drop that change...), auto-included travel insurance (Which genius thought of that?) haven't help either...

    But leaving all that aside, it is really the experience in the air that makes SQ special, and that encompasses both hard and soft product. With recent product introductions, including the A350 cabin, A380 cabin, and the upcoming 787-10...it is once again an exciting time to be flying SQ...

    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 earlier this week. In fact, this TR is being posted within 24 hours of landing. Needless to say, I had a memorable trip.

    I flew up to Sydney on SQ221 on 9V-SKU, and returned yesterday 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 in recent weeks. And couple of days ago, the baton was passed to newly delivered A380, 9V-SKV, to carry on this schedule. The only hiccup was an hours-long delay two days ago, during the Singapore Air Show, when a Korean fighter jet doing an aerial display skidded and flipped over on the runway -- but that wasn't SQ's fault, was it.

    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!

    TR INDEX

    SQ221 SIN-SYD (Economy)
    Sydney Hotels, Dining & Run
    SQ232 SYD-SIN (Suites)
    Last edited by yflyer; 19 February 2018, 09:58 AM.

  • #2
    SQ221 is an 8.40pm departure. It had just turned dark when I arrived at the airport after 7.30pm, with the sky a beautiful shade of blue.



    No queue at the KF Gold / PEY Check-in counters. I had, of course, already checked in online, and was just there to pick up a paper boarding pass (Old habits die hard...).



    I headed in and went straight to the gate, which was one of the large shared holding rooms: the right size for A380 flights, judging from the kind of human congestion you encountered at some other airports whose gate areas were clearly were not sized for A380's.



    Separate lanes for different cabin classes, with KF Gold relegated to the head of the PEY/Y line.



    Not much of a view of the plane taking us to SYD from the holding room, but I found a section of the gate area with floor-length glass and a view of the plane, and pressed my face into it to check the aircraft rego on the nose landing gear door.



    Good! Still 9V-SKU...

    On-time boarding...



    Earbud headphones by the door...they also handed them out inside, to anyone who needed them...

    The front of the main deck is now the PEY cabin, which has the same seats as other A380 and 77WR aircraft (The A350 has a slightly different seat.).





    An improvement, compared to SQ's previous A380 PEY cabin layout, is that the toilets are now just behind the PEY cabin. There is no longer a need to pass through the first Y cabin on the main deck to use the bathrooms.
    Last edited by yflyer; 19 February 2018, 10:00 AM.

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    • #3
      On the new A380, the economy cabin is split into three sections. We boarded through the door at the head of the first section, at row 41, where a large galley is now located.



      The new seats are upholstered in blue and grey...a very stylish interior. The layout is a conventional, and very comfortable, 10-abreast 3-4-3...



      Each seat comes with a pillow and blanket. The plush pillow and large blanket are the same as those handed out on 2013 Y.



      Adjustable winged headrests, that fold inwards, and also slide up and down...



      Seat width is generous. A very wide seat, comparable to the current A380 and 77WN/77WR seats in width...



      Recline is very good...the seat base moves forward slightly to cradle the body.



      Another view of recline, this time in the middle bank of seats...



      Legroom is decent as well...



      Extendable footrest.



      The footrest paddles are rectangular, which is preferable to the oval shaped ones on the 77WN/77WR that my feet tended to slide off.

      I am glad they retained the footrests. Although some people don't like them as they take up room, I, for one, find them great, and need them to rest my legs in order to sleep properly in Y.

      How comfortable was the seat to sit on?

      Very comfortable. A definite step up from the 2006 Y seat that current SQ A380's are equipped with, which are good, but a little on the firm side. These seats are a little softer in cushioning, but have a contoured shape that coddles the passenger quite nicely. Subjectively speaking, the new seat feels lighter than the SQ 2013 Y seat. In terms of seating comfort the new 2017 Y seat on the A380 is comparable to SQ's 2013 Y seat on the 77WN/77WR, which I consider one of the best Y seats around.
      Last edited by yflyer; 13 February 2018, 12:35 AM.

      Comment


      • #4
        The new seats come with a revamped seatback and IFE screen.



        The new IFE user interface is similar to what you get on the A350/77WN/77WR, but has been tweaked and upgraded with new features.



        You can sign in to unlock personalized features...



        3D maps...



        USB charger and headphone socket, as well as small carrying slot that can just fit an iPhone X.

        One remarkable thing about the headphone socket...while SQ supplies two-pin plugs, if you stick a regular 3.5mm headphone mini plug in there, you get stereo. Now that's progress!

        Foldable tray table...





        There is also a fold-out cup holder.



        A/C power under the armrest of the seat in front, close to the seat pockets...



        The armrests go all the way up...



        And the aisle side armrests also go all the way up, if you press the button at the base, on the underside (That is a well kept secret not many people know about...use that knowledge wisely!)...



        Overall, a very comprehensive design that checks all the boxes for what a state-of-the-art Y seat should be. An excellent Y seat overall, and better than SQ's previous A380 2006 Y seat.

        Is it better than SQ's 2013 Y on the 77WN/77WR? At least based on initial impressions on this flight, I would say they were about equal. The SQ 2013 Y seat feels a little more solid, the cushioning a little more plush, the seatback design a little less cluttered and more pleasing to the eye. In the new seat's favour, the new seat is very comfortable to sit and recline in -- every bit the equal of 2013 Y. The new seat has better footrests, and updated IFE, and the overall cabin ambience feels more stylish and modern.

        And at least it is not a step backwards. When other full service carriers are cramming 9-abreast on Dreamliners, and 10-abreast on 777's, it is nice to know SQ's new A380 Y seat remains one of the nicest ways to travel in long haul economy.

        All that said, it is not a great leap forward, evolution rather than revolution, and the new Y seat doesn't set any new benchmarks for design. For that, we need to look upstairs on this plane...more on that later!
        Last edited by yflyer; 5 March 2018, 09:42 AM.

        Comment


        • #5
          More on the economy cabin layout...

          Here are the bulkhead seats, with screens mounted on the wall in front of you...



          No issue with recline in the last row of each cabin section. There is adequate space between the seat and the wall that everyone will be able to recline.





          If SeatGuru, SeatExpert or any of the other seating plan websites warn that the seat "may have limited recline", you can safely ignore these warnings. All these seats recline perfectly well.

          The row 59 emex exit doors are flush with the wall -- no protrusions. These have 3 seats -- all preferred seats.



          In other sections of the cabin where the emex door protrudes, there are a pair of emex seats (Rows 41 and 70)...



          ...and a space where the window seat should be, which means the next row window seats (Rows 42A/K and 71A/K) have the best of both worlds...a window, as well as unlimited legroom and aisle access...



          For these seats, the screen is folded into the armrest, with A/C power and USB under the seat.



          Seat width by the window for this "emex" row window seat is fine...the same as regular seats...



          Overall quite a decent main deck Y layout. I like the fact that, compared to the old layout, there are now 4 "missing" window emex seats with two sets of 2-seaters on each side, with the next row window seat having additional legroom and emex aisle access. These are at rows 41/42 and 70/71. The Row 59 emex row is a conventional 3-seater having the emex door flush with the wall.
          Last edited by yflyer; 13 February 2018, 12:39 AM.

          Comment


          • #6
            The decor in the bathrooms has been updated. There are now white tops, and dark-toned faux wood panelling...



            Amenities in the bathroom...

            Comment


            • #7
              While boarding was still in progress, I took the opportunity to take a brief peek in the J cabin. I headed up the rear stairs...



              I thought the new J cabin ambience was quite good...



              The new J seats were laid out 1-2-1, similar in layout to the previous A380 seating plan, even though the seats themselves were completely different.





              I headed back down the rear stairs back to my seat in Economy...

              Comment


              • #8
                My seat on this flight was 71K. A wonderful seat, with aisle access via the space between the front 2-seater and the emex door, as well as a window.



                A round of hot towels...



                The new safety demo, showcasing various sights and landmarks in Singapore...



                ...including the old Capitol Theatre, recently restored...



                The fold-out tray table...



                Amenity kits were distributed. These were in a new shade of grey...

                Last edited by yflyer; 13 February 2018, 12:41 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  A smooth take-off into the night sky....

                  Not long afterwards, cabin service began with a round of drinks...



                  I asked for a Singapore Sling...



                  Ample legroom (and aisle access) at seat 71K.



                  This came with a packet of mixed nuts...



                  There was a great selection of movies, TV and music on Krisworld, including a remake of Agatha Christie's classic, Murder on the Orient Express...



                  ...and not just the new Blade Runner 2049, but also the 1982 original...



                  Some of the television options...



                  Later on, I watched Murder on the Orient Express...



                  A very watchable movie with talented actor/director Sir Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot...



                  And Daisy Ridley, of Star Wars fame, also a member of the cast...



                  ...still recognisable despite a different hairstyle, and missing a lightsaber...
                  Last edited by yflyer; 12 February 2018, 08:43 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    There was also a wonderful live concert recording showcasing the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Lan Shui performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with Gil Shaham on the violin.





                    If you don't feel like watching the whole concert, just fast forward to the 41st minute of the program to hear Gil Shaham in a delightfully played 5-minute Bach encore that brought smiles to the faces of some of the SSO musicians seated close by.



                    Some of the music available...




                    Both video and sound quality were very good on the IFE. An impressive system that should keep you well entertained.

                    Onboard internet is available, although the price plans, which have both a time and data element, aren't exactly the cheapest around. Why didn't they just offer a flat rate plan (without data limits)?



                    You can also link the IFE with your device (You need to have the SIA mobile app for it so work, though)...



                    After which your phone becomes your remote...





                    Last edited by yflyer; 11 February 2018, 10:03 AM.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      It was soon time for meal service...



                      Today's menu...





                      A choice of two mains...



                      Continental breakfast prior to landing...



                      For dinner, I ordered the fish fillet...



                      Note the real metal cutlery, but the absence of a real glass for dinner service.

                      The starter was mediocre (I didn't care too much for the turkey ham and pale looking lettuce, and the portion of potato salad was a little small), but the main course was attractively presented and fairly tasty.



                      I had a glass of white wine together with my fish.

                      Some of the wines served on this sector...



                      Dessert was a very satisfying cup of Double Chocolate Ice Cream..



                      A glass of whisky to round off dinner...



                      And finally a G&T as I watched the rest of the movie...

                      Last edited by yflyer; 11 February 2018, 10:06 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Cabin ambience on this overnight flight was good. Both spacious seats and a spacious cabin...



                        I slept for some time before being roused fom my slumber for a pre-arrival breakfast.

                        Nothing quite like a hot towel after waking up in Y...





                        A continental breakfast was served...



                        Perversely, on the breakfast tray was a real glass. What was one to do with it? If they had to load a real glass onboard for only one of the two meals, why not use it for dinner service?
                        Last edited by yflyer; 11 February 2018, 08:18 AM.

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                        • #13
                          Approaching Sydney...



                          Sunlight streaming in the windows, on a bright clear morning. Note the huge amount of room at shoulder/eye level from the curvature of the A380 cabin wall...





                          Turn and final approach over North Sydney and various suburbs, before landing...





                          Landing in SYD...



                          Overall, a wonderful flight, with a strong new hard product and very attentive cabin service as well.

                          I would spend the next few days in Sydney where I stayed at the Hilton Sydney first, and then the Sheraton on the Park. I also ate several memorable meals, and explored an incredible new running route around Sydney.

                          Or if you can't wait and just want to cut to the chase, you can go straight to the return sector SQ232 SYD-SIN here!

                          To be continued!
                          Last edited by yflyer; 18 February 2018, 04:30 PM.

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                          • #14
                            The romance of travel still shines through in your TRs. Even in Y! Well done!

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                            • #15
                              I will be on SQ 232 in a couple of hours. Can't wait.

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