Nickbots visit SE Asia on SK, LH, EK, TG and (last but not least!) SQ

[jjpb3]

Having said all that I slept through much of my SIN-MNL flight , one of the rare occasions I'm flying SQ F - but not before copious amounts of DP with breakfast.

'But not before' -- or should that really be 'because of'?

[nickbot]

'But not before' -- or should that really be 'because of'?

Well spotted jjpb3

I daren't tell you how much champagne I drank on our SQ F legs (well, I will tell, but that's for a later installment!)

[DeltaFlyingProf]

Great TR so far!! But now I am left hungry for more!!!
So, Mr nickbot, get on with the typing!!

[nickbot]

Great TR so far!! But now I am left hungry for more!!!
So, Mr nickbot, get on with the typing!!

Yes Sir, Professor Sir! Next installment or two over the weekend

[SQflyergirl]

SK looks pretty good for Y. Just checked the website and it DOES offer Economy Extra, with extra seating comfort with a 38'' pitch.

The 38" economy seat is only for Long haul on the 330/340. The intra europe Economy Extra is nothing more than seats at the front of the economy cabin where the food is free instead of BOB.

[nickbot]

The 38" economy seat is only for Long haul on the 330/340. The intra europe Economy Extra is nothing more than seats at the front of the economy cabin where the food is free instead of BOB.

I think, also, they adhere where possible to the business class seating arrangement of blocking the middle seat -this is from a limited sample of 1 and a less than full load factor, but from observation people seemed to be sat in that arrangement.

[nickbot]

ARN Ground Experience Part I

After our relatively short sleepover, checkout was extremely prompt (simply leave your keycard on the front desk - think the reception chap multitasks, so he was possibly cleaning rooms at the time!) we headed back over through SkyCity towards check-in for our LH flight to Frankfurt, departing from Terminal 5.

Now, I had been set another task by SQflyergirl (in advance of her similar routing) to scout out the facilities and treatment of F class pax travelling ARN-FRA (in J, as LH only operate 2 class service on the route). There were hints that there might be something special, perhaps an escort through security etc., so we were hoping this would be the case for our inaugural F check-in experience!

The Business and First check-in desks were located past the Y desks on the way to security check - despite little or no queues at the J desks, we made the extra effort to go to the single F counter right at the end of the row (as I've said previously, if we were doing F, we were DOING F!) All desks were operated by SAS, i.e. no LH ground staff present.

Business Class counters (F desk out of shot to the RHS, but identical)



Now, I'm not quite sure what I might have been expecting, but I was certainly expecting something a *little* more special for our F check-in experience. There was not a scrap of red carpet for me to walk down, no rose petals gently scattered in front of my path by a brace of virgins, no check-in agents cowering on their knees at my presence - not even a string orchestra announcing my arrival at the desk,...nothing! I would have thought they could at least have laid on some indoor fireworks or perhaps some confetti falling gracefully from the ceiling above, but no - the F counter was exactly the same as its (inferior of course) J and Y brothers. All that hinted to others that this pair of travellers were extra special was the wording on the CRT screen above the desk - humph!

As we checked in, the agent asked if there were was another member of our family travelling that day, which puzzled us before it clicked -when we rang LH to select seats for both legs to HKG, for the ARN-FRA segment the only two seats we could have "together" were across the aisle from each other, thus we opted to have window seats, but one row apart (something like 4K and 5K). The agent had spotted this and obviously wondered why we didn't want to sit together (a pattern that would be repeated later on in the trip!); he soon fixed this and we were allocated 7A/C. He then handed us our passports and BPs and once again I felt a little short-changed when I saw they were the same SAS style BPs we had been given for the LHR-ARN sector the previous night - I was really hoping for the LH F ticket wallets, the whole works, but this was what we got:

Plain paper SAS BPs



Obviously, none of this matters a jot, for the check-in experience was quick and painless and we knew that the experience at FRA would be the main ground service event of the day, but we were hoping for a little glimmer of F treatment to start the day

A quick trip through security (again, going out of our way to proceed through the priority section, despite the fact that neither had any queues!) and we were airside. It then dawned upon us that we had no idea where the lounge was located -this took a little bit of finding as it didn't seem to be signposted particularly well, in fact we took a wrong turn by heading right as soon as we were airside (towards the gates) and walked quite some distance before realising we should've turned left. So there's our tip for SQFG, hit the shopping section and turn left! Lufthansa's website indicates that there are two lounges in terminal 5 (*Gold and Partner), but I'm suspicious that these are one and the same -I may be wrong (or navigationally challenged), but we could only find the SAS lounge on the way to gates 11-24:

SAS Lounge, ARN T5 (up the stairs/lifts to the RHS)



As the lounge wasn't due to open until 05:45, we had about 15 or so minutes to wait. Our flight to FRA was due to depart at 06:40 (boarding 06:20), so we knew this would be a brief visit only.

SAS Lounge entrance, awaiting the entrance of extra special VIPs!



We were the first visitors of the day, and due to the early hour, there were only about half a dozen pax in the lounge in total. It's a fairly plain and simple lounge, with not exactly much in the way of food and beverage offerings.

General lounge overview



We grabbed a coffee and pastry before sitting down on some of the blue chairs to the RHS of the photograph below:

Main seating area, bathrooms through door to far LHS, window over check-in area to RHS



From here, one could look through the window and down to the minions below (now, where's the evil grin icon?!?)

View from lounge internal window



F&B offerings I



F&B offerings II



F&B offerings III

[nickbot]

ARN Ground Experience Part II

(sorry, too many photos for one post )

General work area



Internet workstations



Free WiFi is provided throughout the lounge by obtaining a code from reception - I briefly logged onto SQTalk over breakfast and PMd SQFG to let her know what to expect as an LH F pax

Soon enough, it was time for us to leave, but always time for a few more photos on our way out:

Children's play area



Lounge entrance and front desk (IIRC there was an SAS only area to the LHS of the desk)



Seating area opposite front desk, with tarmac view



The lounge was fine, but I would've liked something a little more substantial for breakfast -again, no complaints because we knew we were going onto better things!

[jjpb3]

I think, also, they adhere where possible to the business class seating arrangement of blocking the middle seat -this is from a limited sample of 1 and a less than full load factor, but from observation people seemed to be sat in that arrangement.

That's true, and that's why I prefer the right-hand side of the plane when I travel on SK in C.

The lounge was fine, but I would've liked something a little more substantial for breakfast -again, no complaints because we knew we were going onto better things!

IME, food isn't the strong suite of SK lounges. But the use of the space and the choice of decor are. Even when crowded, they don't feel stressful ... unlike the SEN lounges in FRA (and LHR) and the LX Business Lounge in ZRH.

Am thoroughly enjoying your updates, nickbot.

[SQ LPP]

Also mustn't let all that Krug and DP go to waste... Having said all that I slept through much of my SIN-MNL flight , one of the rare occasions I'm flying SQ F - but not before copious amounts of DP with breakfast.

'But not before' -- or should that really be 'because of'?

Well spotted jjpb3

I daren't tell you how much champagne I drank on our SQ F legs (well, I will tell, but that's for a later installment!)

It's really entertaining to read! I could imagine early boarding.. one glass.. and asked for refill, then even while taxiing, still had almost full glass...
Once taking off, hmm can't count how many...
And may be sleeping during the flight is not because of teh DP or Krug but from what had happened in those two beds for three at St. Regis?


Hmm I thought you did not have a great flight onboard SQ.

Actually, I think I'd have done the same thing as yous did if it's also my first time FCL experience.

Could you remember what you did for your first F experience?

[Lobster]

Come on we need more. I can't wait to find out whether the dynamic duo will thwart the plans of the evil mastermind CGK

[jjpb3]

Now, I'm not quite sure what I might have been expecting, but I was certainly expecting something a *little* more special for our F check-in experience. ...
we were hoping for a little glimmer of F treatment to start the day

F treatment on SK, which don't offer F. That was a much needed dose of optimism for a too-jaded traveller like me, nickbot. The world needs more of that.










Yes, I hope the tired excuse of being jaded will exempt me from spotting the irony in your prose ... no?

[nickbot]

F treatment on SK, which don't offer F. That was a much needed dose of optimism for a too-jaded traveller like me, nickbot. The world needs more of that.










Yes, I hope the tired excuse of being jaded will excuse me from spotting the irony in your prose ... no?

Ahhh, but we were travelling on LH that day,...SK were merely providing the ground experience - I was hoping that they would offer some F lovin' to us by way of proxy for LH

[jjpb3]

Ahhh, but we were travelling on LH that day,...SK were merely providing the ground experience - I was hoping that they would offer some F lovin' to us by way of proxy for LH

Ah, so you would expect, say, TG at BKK (just providing ground service) to provide you some F lovin' by proxy for SQ the same day?

And remember that TG at least offer F.

[nickbot]

Ah, so you would expect, say, TG at BKK (just providing ground service) to provide you some F lovin' by proxy for SQ the same day?

Fair point, but in that specific case, SQ check-in at BKK has the famous red carpet