SQ 77WN New-New business class to Mumbai

[SQueeze]

Background

These were one of my last flights of 2013 and they better be one of the best. The tickets were purchased at very good value USD1,655 from SGN return all-in. Pity Singapore-based pax who have to part with SGD 3,000 to fly the same and without SIN-SGN sectors. I am based in Singapore, so I repositioned to Ho Chi Minh the Friday before to take this flight. Not an issue as my partner is based in SGN so it is anyway a second home to me.

Quick run through of SGN-SIN sector flight

We arrived to a quiet TSN airport on a Sunday morning to catch SQ173. Well, may be because we were pretty late too. It was 45 minutes before departure.



Flight started with a welcome drink. This is a new drink to me. A combination of a few fruit juices (can't recall exactly, I think it was watermelon, tomato, and apple with some soda, 7up?)



Flight departed on time, and here's some views of Ho Chi Minh City. Love the place. I think I can retire there. Will try to convince the partner. haha.





Menu, as usual, had 3 choices: 1 asian, 1 vietnamese, and 1 western



I went with the chicken skewers and sticky rice. It was decent. Chicken was tender, sauce was flavourful enough. Interestingly, the skewer had been taken out. I most liked the sticky rice though. I am usually not a fan of it, but this one was good. It was mildly sticky and was not too heavy.



My other half chose the noodles with prawn. To me, this is one of the endless permutation that SQ serves of noodles, prawns, and vegetables which is available in most flights. This one was not so good. The sauce tasted rather heavy and not as bright as Asian sauces usually do.

[SQueeze]

Part 2 is the exciting part - the New-New Business Class

Flight SQ 424 is the latter of the 2 evening flights to Mumbai. It is the less popular because it arrives in BOM rather late and similarly departs from there late. Most Aussie flights also connect better to the earlier flight (SQ426/425). Business D saver fares are usually available on this latter SQ424/423 combo and not at all on the SQ426/425 flights where long wait list for the J cabin is normal. A good thing for me, not only it is cheaper but it is also of a much better product. For those not familiar, SQ 426/425 is operated by a refurbished regional 772 and it's always packed to the brim esp in J.

Flight: SQ424
Aircraft: 777-300ER
Reg: 9V-SWU
Load: 14 pax in J, 80% in Y

We arrived 15 minutes before the flight to a quiet gate



and greeted by the brand new 9V-SWU



entered into the plane which still smelled of new leather









and It's simply stunning. WOW !!!!!

the super gorgeous, super stunning, super sexy seat with such a fine leather, stylish pattern, and oh am so in love with the cushion,
And the seats have softer and better padding than the previous version. And it's super comfortable




Amazing series of buttons



Lighting at different angles and they can be adjusted in terms of intensity by clicking the same buttons. Very very easy to use and intuitive. Thumbs up!



'Huge' compartment (by aircraft standard of course). I put my passport, and a few other items here.
Below it, is a ledge for drinks with mirror which can be closed. Thumbs up times two!



New IFE console is touch screen. There are no buttons. Use your fingers to swipe left and right like using iPhone. But this console is not that intuitive. It took me awhile to figure out how to get to the different pages.



There are more compartments at the side. This is a deep compartment but not wide enough for an iPad to go in. My iPad still has no place.

[SQueeze]

And then time to enjoy the flight.
Drink orders were taken. I didn't take champagne this time. I wanted to try the red wine and coke mix. Sounded strange which is why it never occurred to me to try and it's one of the last untried cocktail. It was worth the risk. It's one of the better mix in the menu.
And then eye shades and socks were distributed.

And they are of new colour scheme. Gone is the tacky blue. They are in stylish grey now.



But the socks are still tacky design-wise !



New headset design? Didn't recall this on my TPE-SIN trip 3 weeks before in early December



and menu card



4 selections for the Main Course consisting of veg, non-veg, and Indian or non-Indian permutations




The flight left with very light load in J (14 pax as per my counting) and pretty full in Y. Christmas was around the corner. I guess a lot of NRIs were returning to India from Down Under / NZ.
The flight left the gate on time and after a rather long taxiway, we were airborne bound northwest towards India.

Demonstration video on how to operate the bed mode was then shown on the IFE screen.



Meal service started with satay



And the appetiser came slightly past an hour into the flight. It was average. And I prefer to have more leaves in a salad.



My Main Course selection for India-bound flight is usually Indian. SQ's catering for Indian food is great. The meats are always very tender and the sauces flavourful. Also my hypothesis that stews, soups, and spicy food taste better on the plane as there is less chance of it turning dry or bland. On this flight, it is no exception. The Indian chicken was super tender and flavourful. And rajma (kidney beans) is always a favourite. I only wish there was dal makhani for me to dip my breads in.



My partner BTC-ed Chef Murata's Chargrilled Soy-flavoured Beef with Shimeji Mushroom Rice. The taste was good but I thought there was not enough sauce. The beef was tender but not juicy. I won't order this again.

[SQueeze]

Dessert was coconut ice cream which was refreshing. I loved it.



But I loved the cake more! And the cake came on a plate. Yay, finally SQ got it right. Desserts always look impressive served on a plate.



Cheese platter came next. Usually I decline, but I was then so hungry. And while the flight was before Christmas, the Chinese New Year mood had started with the mandarin oranges.



And I still had some tummy space for chocolates and tea



And then I checked out the toilet, which was stylish.



And then to bed. The bed was nice. And the best thing is that it came with a nice soft blanket. It feels so comfortable.



Unfortunately it was a short flight. By the time meal service was wrapped up, we only had about 2 hours to rest.





It took awhile to land though. Flight made holding patterns to the southwest of Mumbai due to congestion at BOM (not new news, it has always been the case).
We touched down 5 minutes past scheduled arrival time. And when it was time to leave, I wish I could stay longer.
This is certainly the best business class product out there. Not only it looks amazing, it also feels comfortable in both sitting and sleeping positions.

Thumbs up times 10 to SQ for this latest improvement in the hardware.

And here's a shot of the economy cabin. I have to say it is impressive. It feels plush and luxe. I didn't have a chance to sit and try the seats though. The flight was almost full and even if there were empty seats, someone had already laid claim to it to lie down.

[SQueeze]

This was part business trip part leisure for me. We went to Delhi and Mumbai. We originally planned to go to Jodhpur / Udaipur as a vacation side trip as well but alas, work matters were on the way and we had to just settle with the two metro cities. It was also my partner's first time in India and I had to take all care to make sure the trip was as comfortable and glitch-free as far as possible (which is super-challenging in India). Anyway, here are some images from incredible India

I love the winter weather in Delhi excepting the fog.



The throngs of humanity in Old Delhi.














And total opposite of the madness is the peace. This is what makes India so incredible. It is a mad place indeed, but it is also endowed with abundant spaces for calm refuge

In Delhi, we stayed at the Taj Mahal Hotel and what a peaceful scene from the room.



And my favourite place in the entire city is Hauz Khas village. I was pleasantly surprised to stumble into such a peaceful space in the middle of one of the world's largest city. But these photos were taken on a working day. We tried to come here on Christmas Day and it was way too congested and the jam was so bad we could not get in. We didn't manage to see or even come close to any of the monuments on Delhi either due to Christmas Day jam.

[SQueeze]

Mumbai is my favourite city in India for its cosmopolitan spirit. We stayed at my favourite hotel, the Taj Land's End.

View of the Arabian sea from the hotel room.



And the shortcut to downtown Mumbai, the Worli sealink. Saves commuters half an hour off.



And downtown Mumbai has such a dilapidated charm







Its grandeur is unmatched in Southeast Asia. Immediately one can sense the importance of India to the British Empire compared to Singapore.



Below is the Victoria Terminus train station, a World Heritage Site



And its impressive interior. A Train station styled like a cathedral.

[SQueeze]

After a week in India, it's time to go home. And we met our friend again 9V-SWU

Flight: SQ424
Aircraft: 777-300ER
Reg: 9V-SWU
Load: 20% in J, 80% in Y



Looks like it's going to be full in Y



ex-India, always so many bags



A sneak peek to First Class. Hope to try this in 2014!



For now, we are completely in love with J Class.



Menu on tonight's flight. I like Indian food but it is not something i can have every day. And flight was at midnight and the Indian selection was just to heavy for a supper so I settled with noodle soup.



Nuts were distributed. They came in packets. I thought Jet Airways method of serving nuts on a plate is more classy. SQ, please take note of your competitor.



A pretty much forgettable flavourless salad



Tanghoon soup was good option for supper - light and nutritious.



Silly "smurf socks" are back. Eyeshades were also the blue version.



And then it was time to go to bed. Since there is no bolster excepting on Suites, and I sleep better with bolster, I brought my own huggable company.



And I slept pretty well (or napped rather). Too bAd, it was a short red eye flight.




Conclusion: SQ's New-New Business Class is the apex in business class design. In my opinion, it is the best of the best and no other carrier comes close to matching it. All the main complaints of the previous version has been addressed: better softer padding, better recline, and more compartments.The design is very stylish, the colour scheme soothing and classy, and the blankets have been improved a thousand times better. Well done SQ for staying on top of the game in its J offering

[CarbonMan]

Nice TR, SQueeze! love the Mumbai pics.

[yflyer]

Great TR, SQueeze! I used to travel to India a fair bit, but haven't had the opportunity to do so recently. Always enjoyed the food there, whether in Delhi, Mumbai or elsewhere.

Haven't tried the new SQ cabin products yet, but as you have said, they look really good!

[9V-SIA]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing

[vsepr]

After a week in India, it's time to go home. And we met our friend again 9V-SWU

Flight: SQ424
Aircraft: 777-300ER
Reg: 9V-SWU
Load: 20% in J, 80% in Y



Looks like it's going to be full in Y



ex-India, always so many bags



A sneak peek to First Class. Hope to try this in 2014!



For now, we are completely in love with J Class.



Menu on tonight's flight. I like Indian food but it is not something i can have every day. And flight was at midnight and the Indian selection was just to heavy for a supper so I settled with noodle soup.



Nuts were distributed. They came in packets. I thought Jet Airways method of serving nuts on a plate is more classy. SQ, please take note of your competitor.



A pretty much forgettable flavourless salad



Good enough for a light supper



Silly "surf Socks" is back. No new eye shade and socks on this flight



And then it's time to bed. Since there is no bolster excepting on Suites, and I sleep better with bolster, I brought my own huggable company.



And I slept pretty well or napped rather since it was a short red eye flight.




Conclusion: SQ's New-New Business Class is the apex in business class design. In my opinion, it is the best of the best and no other carrier comes close to matching it. All the main complaints of the previous version has been addressed: better softer padding, better recline, and more compartments.The design is very stylish, the colour scheme soothing and classy, and the blankets have been improved a thousand times better. Well done SQ for staying on top of the game in its J offering

Still no amenity kits even for long haul Business Class. SilverKris Lounges worldwide is no match for Cathay Pacific's lounges in Hong Kong.

[coffeeblack]

Nicely done sir! Now my trip report feels a little pathetic in comparison

[rlarosa]

Great report! Thanks for sharing. Those new seats look amazing.

I was just in Mumbai in December and stayed at the Taj Lands End too. It's an amazing hotel, I really like it. Great bar in the lobby too We also got upgraded to a club room and I think it may well be one of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in!

[SQueeze]

Great report! Thanks for sharing. Those new seats look amazing.

I was just in Mumbai in December and stayed at the Taj Lands End too. It's an amazing hotel, I really like it. Great bar in the lobby too We also got upgraded to a club room and I think it may well be one of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in!

They have two types of rooms. About half, I think, are renovated. These are amazing rooms, remind me of SQ Private Room. All the club rooms are renovated so this is what you've got. You don't have to be in the club room to enjoy these. I always asked for "request for renovated rooms as usual". But the Club is great. I always wish for an upgrade to that level to enjoy the classy space.

The Taj is my benchmark to judge other hotels and they have set the bar ultra high. And it's not just the hardware, the software too. I have been surprised by their recognition of me after an absence of 6 months and before checking their computers and I never told them the time of my arrival. They just knew I was a long lost guest that they had not seen for awhile as I stepped out of the revolving doors. Impressive. I also checked out at 5pm at my last stay and nobody rang me constantly to chase me out.

Try the Masala Bay if you have a chance to stay there next time. I thought it was one of the best Indian restaurant in town.

[UMD]

Conclusion: SQ's New-New Business Class is the apex in business class design. In my opinion, it is the best of the best and no other carrier comes close to matching it. All the main complaints of the previous version has been addressed: better softer padding, better recline, and more compartments.The design is very stylish, the colour scheme soothing and classy, and the blankets have been improved a thousand times better. Well done SQ for staying on top of the game in its J offering

Having just experienced this myself, I almost agree with this statement. I really love the new design as well and it is probably the best C seat in the industry. It is incredibly private as well. The only problem is that the tray table when fully out for use is too close to the seat and that anyone with a round belly such as myself will have a problem using the tray table without getting his belly stuck to (or touched) the table unless it is geared towards the side. I will post some of the photos later here (I hope it is fine with you). This is of course the only issue with the new seat but this is a non issue with the current seat.