Boy, do the US airlines have a thing or two to learn…

I wonder what feedback the instructor would have for this meal that I was served:

Trip Report Index

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At the security checkpoint the line was actually substantially longer for first and business class than for coach, so we got in the coach line. Security took about 20 minutes and also a bit of arguing with the agent over answering silly questions, though we were through about 10 minutes before boarding was supposed to begin.

Past security terminal 4 is an absolute dump, since all the shops, lounges, and dining options are before security.

Gate area

Despite the crappy terminal there’s just something exciting to me about the anticipation of getting on a Singapore Airlines flight. I don’t know what it is, but there just aren’t very many airlines that I look forward to flying as much as Singapore. Tonight it wasn’t necessarily for good reason, though.

30 minutes before departure boarding was announced at gate A7, starting with first and business class. There were TSA agents on the jet bridge doing security checks, though by avoiding eye contact with them I wasn’t selected.

Plane

Singapore Airlines 25
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Tuesday, July 26
Depart: 9:25PM
Arrive: 11:15AM (+1 day)
Duration: 7hr50min
Aircraft: Boeing 747
Seat: 3C (First Class)

Boarding was through door 2L, and as soon as I showed the agent my boarding pass she directed me to my seat, 3C.

Seats 3C & 3D

Seat 3C

View from row three

View of seat 4A

View looking right

As soon as I stowed my bag the crew commenced the usual Singapore Airlines “performance.” First the leading stewardess and leading steward introduced themselves, and offered us pre-departure beverages. I asked for a glass of Krug, though was informed they were only serving Dom pre-departure. I reluctantly accepted. Oh, the horror.

Pre-departure Dom

I was then offered a hot towel along with pajamas, amenity kits, slippers, socks, eyeshades, the menu and wine list, and a bottle of water. I do love Singapore’s pajamas and amenity kits, though I slightly preferred the amenity kits they used to have about a year back with full sized bottles of Bvlgari cologne.

Hot towels

Amenity kit, pajamas, slippers, socks, and eyeshades

Pajamas

Amenity kit

Bottled water

First class menu

The cabin was still fairly empty up until shortly before boarding was complete. There was a German guy seated across from me and an older Asian lady (with an Olive Garden bag!) seated one row forward.

Olive Garden bag in first class

Shortly before boarding finished up a group of about nine ladies and a guy in a suit entered the first class cabin very loudly.

About four of them settled into first class (along with the guy in the suit) while the others had blue (business class) and green (economy class) boarding passes. I was a bit puzzled, as it hadn’t phased me who they were. The German guy seated across from me shook his head, leaned over, and said “what pigs. The people in their country are starving but they’re flying first class and drinking champagne.”

Security guard storing bags

That confused me even more, as I still had no clue who they were. As it turns out it was the first lady of Zimbabwe, and after doing some research I realized just how bad of a person she apparently is.

Anyway, as departure time rolled around the captain came on the PA to introduce himself and advise us of our flight time of 6hr40min. He advised us there would be a departure delay of about 30 minutes due to thunderstorms, but that our very short flight time should mean we could expect an on-time arrival. Singapore Airlines first class is one of the few places where I don’t want a quick flight!

I took the opportunity to change into pajamas and started watching an episode of Two and a Half Men on the KrisWorld entertainment system. In the meantime the crew took dinner orders. We were also asked whether we wanted to be woken up for breakfast, though we both declined due to the short duration of the flight.

The dinner menu read as follows:

And the wine list read as follows:

Entertainment system

My friend tried out his seat to make sure it was fully functional, though unfortunately his legrest wasn’t working. He brought this to the attention of the flight attendants, and they kind of just had a blank look on their face. They had him stand up and played around with his seat controls for about ten minutes, before advising us to move back a row to the two center seats in row four. That seems like an acceptable solution.

My friend then decided to test out his new seat, and what do you know, the recline was broken. Once again they had him stand up for about ten minutes as they played with his seat, before deciding there was nothing they could do.

They suggested we sit together in row three for dinner and then move to row four to sleep. It’s a bit disappointing when you fly an airline like Singapore and twice in a row seats don’t work, especially since the plane sits on the ground in New York for over 12 hours, so if there were any reported seat issues there would have been plenty of time to fix them.

The most disappointing part of the entire interaction was that the in-flight service manager didn’t once apologize or show any concern. He kept walking by without batting an eyelash.

Anyway, we did push back at around 10:30PM and started a fairly quick taxi to the runway, where we were number four or five for takeoff.

We had a long takeoff roll and there was quite a bit of chop on the way out, so the seatbelt sign stayed on for nearly half an hour.

At that point the service slowly began, though it was almost 75 minutes before we got our first drinks, which is entirely unacceptable. I think the big issue with the flight was the in-flight service manager. Without exception on every Singapore flight I’ve been on in first class, the in-flight service manager has personally introduced himself to the first class passengers and talked to them for a couple of minutes. Not only did he not do that, but he was the most lackluster crewmember aboard. He didn’t once smile or say “my pleasure” or “your welcome.”

Anyway, about 75 minutes into the flight I was offered a Diet Coke with mixed nuts.

Diet Coke with mixed nuts

Within about 15 more minutes I was offered my appetizer, which was caviar. As usual it was beautifully presented and tasted good. Bread was offered with it, including Singapore’s amazing garlic bread.

Chilled malassol caviar

The next course was a cream of corn soup with chicken, which was tasty.

Cream of corn soup with smoked chicken and chive

Then a Caesar salad was served, which was also quite good.

Caesar salad

My friend pre-ordered the lobster thermidor through Singapore’s “Book the Cook” program, though I hadn’t pre-ordered anything.

Lobster thermidor

None of the options on the menu interested me all that much and I knew I wouldn’t be very hungry by the time the main course came around, so I ordered the spinach ricotta tortellini.

Spinach ricotta tortellini with spicy tomato, mesclun

It was definitely one of the most underwhelming meals I’ve had in international first class, and could have very well been a frozen TV dinner based on how it tasted. And I know some of you are probably saying “well what do you expect from a pasta dish?” You’d be surprised, I’ve had some really, really good pasta dishes in the sky.

Hey, at least it’s a good TV dinner…

The dessert was cheesecake with ice cream. I have absolutely zero complaints there!

New York cheesecake with vanilla ice cream and fruit coulis

To finish off the meal we were offered coffee/tea and pralines. I just went with a praline.

Praline

Overall the crew was decent. I’ve always thought of Singapore Airlines as being on a whole different level, and this flight certainly didn’t make me feel that way. The service was at a leisurely pace throughout dinner which I like, though the crew could have been a bit more attentive in providing refills.

Given the slow pace of the dinner service we had just under four hours to go until Frankfurt, so the crew made our beds. While Singapore’s first class product on their 747s is a couple of generations behind, it’s still quite comfortable, especially with the bedding. The only awkward part was the first lady’s security guard who was seated across from us and constantly glared over, given that he was “monitoring” the cabin.

Beds

I woke up about 30 minutes prior to landing in Frankfurt. I sure as heck wasn’t hungry, so just went with a glass of orange juice. Singapore serves legitimately freshly squeezed orange juice, which I wish more airlines would do.

Orange juice

While I didn’t have breakfast, here’s the breakfast menu for those of you that are interested:

At this point the captain came on the PA to advise us of our slightly delayed arrival, thanking us for flying Singapore Airlines.

The crew prepared the cabin for landing, and there was no sort of “goodbye” or “thanks for flying with us” as we descended, which is usually the role of the in-flight service manager.

As we taxied to the gate the Zimbabwe “party” was already up before the seatbelt sign was turned off, with all the people in their party from coach and business coming forward to help the first lady.

Entourage

So while Singapore was good, they weren’t great. And given that I had beyond phenomenal crews on my Lufthansa and Thai flights, it turned out to be the most underwhelming longhaul segment of the trip, especially compared to my previous Singapore Airlines experiences.

A couple of days ago I posted about the Singapore Airlines flight that left me disappointed. I flew New York to Frankfurt in first class with a friend, and we selected the two middle seats in first class so we’d be able to sit together. I’ve flown Singapore Airlines first class many times and have been blown away each time. As I’ve said a countless number of times, each Singapore Airlines flight is a performance by the crew. And despite my high expectations every time, they still manage to exceed my expectations.

My friend, on the other hand, had never flown Singapore Airlines, and I had been raving about it to him for days. So I’m guessing his expectations were even higher than mine had ever been, though I was certain he’d be equally impressed. Singapore just doesn’t disappoint. It’s part of their culture.

Anyway, on to the flight. The first class cabin had only two other passengers in it until a few minutes before departure, when the first lady of Zimbabwe and her entourage filled up half of the first class cabin. The gentleman seated across from me, a German Lufthansa HON member (their uber-top tier status) shook his head and commented to me “it’s nice to see she’s flying first class and eating caviar while half of her country is starving.” It has nothing to do with the problem I had, but just an interesting side note. It was also odd to have her bodyguard seated across from me in first class the whole flight without once reclining his seat.

The captain announced the flight time of 6hr40min, which, as usual, is painfully short for a redeye.

After takeoff my friend tried to recline his seat. While the footrest worked fine, the seat wouldn’t recline in the slightest. Instead there was just a constant thud noise as he pushed the recline button.

We brought this to the attention of the crew, and they had us stand there for about 10 minutes as they tried to fix it. Now, it’s worth noting all three first class flight attendants were trying to fix the seat, so it delayed the service in the rest of the cabin (which is a bit problematic on a short redeye for people looking to sleep).

After 10 minutes they decided there was no way to fix his seat. Fortunately the row of two seats behind us were the only two other seats available, so we were able to move to them. It’s closer to the galley meaning there’s more light, but that was perfectly fine given the situation.

My friend tried to recline his new seat again, and this time it worked. Then he tried to put the footrest up, only to find nothing happened. At this point the flight attendants once again have us stand up as they try to fix his seat, which lasts about 15 minutes. They decide they can’t fix that seat either.

So at this point we’re almost an hour into a 6hr40min redeye not having eaten at all with nothing more than the flight attendants shrugging their shoulders.

The flight attendants suggested we go back to our original seats for dinner (without my friend being able to recline), and then offer to try and manually recline the seat in the other row into bed mode.

Fine, mistakes happen. I think it’s totally unacceptable that two seats in a row are broken in first class, but I suppose it happens, and it’s certainly not the crew’s fault.

But that’s not even my main complaint. If you’ve flown a foreign carrier you’ve probably noticed the role of the “in-flight supervisor.” In the US you have pursers, though that title means nothing. Those are people that get paid an extra dollar an hour to do the paperwork. At international airlines, in-flight supervisors have a totally different role — they’re actually supervisors, and supposed to personally welcome aboard each first class passenger, deal with any issues, and make sure all the other flight attendants are doing their job. As a matter of fact I’ve found the in-flight supervisors at Singapore Airlines to be among the most engaging, and without exception have had them stop by my seat for a few minutes to talk just after takeoff and just before landing when seated in first class.

But this in-flight supervisor was so indifferent that I was floored. He never greeted a single first class passenger, and while he provided service, he didn’t say a single word to either of us. Not once. He would plop down drinks, and whenever I said “thank you” he would just look at me.

The other flight attendants were fine (they were the leading steward and leading stewardess — yes, the three highest “ranking” cabin crew were working first class), though this in-flight supervisor couldn’t have come across as more indifferent. Having a first class passenger with a broken seat twice is a huge service failure. My friend wasn’t looking for any sort of compensation, but you’d think an in-flight supervisor would at least apologize profusely for such a situation. As a matter of fact, none of the flight attendants made any effort to apologize. They shrugged their shoulders and tried to find solutions, but that’s it.

So my friend got off his first Singapore flight rather disappointed and tired (thanks to the short flight time and hour wasted right after takeoff due to them trying to fix his seat and not serve dinner).

So no, even Singapore isn’t perfect… I’m guessing that means the end of the world is near.

I’ve long been frustrated by the fact that Singapore Airlines refuses to release award seats in their “new” business class (which isn’t all that new anymore) to Star Alliance partners.

Well, I’m not sure if it’s a fluke or intentional, but award space is wide open in Singapore Airlines business class on the Airbus 380 between Singapore and Sydney through September or so.

I’m hoping this is intentional as Singapore Airlines probably isn’t filling all their premium cabin seats between Singapore and Sydney given the amount of capacity and competition on the route.

It’s worth noting that the space only shows up on aeroplan.com since ANA’s website systematically blocks any premium cabins on Singapore’s Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus 380s, and Airbus A340-500 aircraft.

Regardless, it’s a fantastic product and well worth the miles if you can start in either Singapore or Sydney. I flew Singapore’s new business class on the 777 just recently (it’s the same product), and that review can be found here.

(Tip of the hat to harry0233 on FlyerTalk)

Trip Report Index

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Given that the reLAX lounge was nothing too exciting, I headed down to Singapore Airlines check-in at around 12:20PM, shortly after it opened.

Bradley Terminal exterior

Bradley Terminal interior

Some of the airlines leaving from Bradley

Check-in

Business class check-in

While there were well over 100 people in the economy class line already, there was no one in the business class line. Check-in was prompt and the agent was incredibly charming, and soon enough I had my boarding passes all the way to Kuala Lumpur, as well as lounge invitation for the Star Alliance lounge. She advised me that we would be departing from a remote stand today, saying that boarding would start at 2:45PM, one hour before departure.

I was surprised at just how many police officers and security guards there were with machine guns, not just at El Al check-in, but otherwise too. I was almost scared to take pictures in the terminal.

Bradley is easily the biggest mess of a terminal out there. It’s an absolute cluster-you-know-what. At the same time, in a weird, twisted kind of way, I kind of like it just a little. And that’s simply because of the variety of airlines that fly out of there, mostly to exotic destinations. When I leave out of Bradley I know I’m headed somewhere fun.

I proceeded to the TSA checkpoint, where there was a premium line (up until a few years ago they didn’t have one), though it was basically as long as the other line, and probably ended up taking longer since it’s the same lane that handicapped people, families traveling with small children, and crews use, and they always have line cutting privileges.

The TSA agent checking IDs was so friendly and sincere that I couldn’t help but pay him a compliment, which is a first for the TSA for me.

The biggest problem with security at Bradley Terminal is that they don’t use any line dividers. So once your ID is checked it’s basically just a mob scene to get to the actual x-ray machine, as opposed to a single filed line. After a wait of about 20 minutes I was through, and proceeded to the Star Alliance lounge. While there are some decent restaurants at Bradley Terminal landside, the terminal looks like a hospital corridor airside.

Bradley terminal airside… how charming

The Star Alliance lounge can be accessed through the same elevator as the SkyTeam lounge, though is one floor higher.

Lounge elevator

While the lounge is far from spectacular, there’s still something cool about it to me, since it’s shared by several airlines. So at check-in you’re greeted by a Singapore agent, Lufthansa agent, Asiana agent, Thai agent, Swiss agent, etc., all in their respective uniforms.

I was directed to the business class section of the lounge, which is a pretty big area though always packed. The lounge is nothing special, with a few cold and warm snack options. They have olives, cheese, fruit, chips, some chicken noodle dish, instant noodles, etc. Most importantly, the wireless internet is pretty fast.

Star Alliance business class lounge

Star Alliance business class lounge

Star Alliance business class lounge

Star Alliance business class lounge snack options

Star Alliance business class lounge snack

The odd thing about the lounge is that there is a first class section with a separate entrance, though there’s a door between the two lounges that’s usually wide open. So if you wanted to use the first class lounge you could easily sneak in there. That being said, I’ve used it many times and it’s nothing special, usually just as crowded as the business class lounge.

Door to the first class lounge

At around 2:45PM I left the lounge for the gate (or bus terminal, whichever you prefer), which was maybe a 10 minute walk away. By the time I got there they were boarding coach, though they still have a priority lane. I got onto the bus, where I had to wait for about 10 minutes for it to fill up. I almost felt bad for the other passengers, because I seemed to be the only person not mumbling something along the lines of “oh my gosh, how am I going to survive the next 20 hours?”

Departure gate

Bus

While a bus ride isn’t all that much fun, I did enjoy the views, as we drove past two Qantas A380s, a couple of V Australia 777-300ERs, and an Air Pacific 747. I’ve gotta wonder, though, why does Singapore seem to leave from remote gates so often at LAX? Is it something they do to save money, or can they simply not get a gate?

Sexy Qantas A380s that I’d be flying later in the trip

V Australia 777

The remote stands at LAX aren’t your typical remote stands in that they don’t use airstairs, but instead have a remote gate of sorts, where you walk up a ramp and then through a jetbridge onto the plane.

Remote gate

Ramp up to jetbridge

The one disadvantage of boarding a few minutes late is that the jetbridge line was 100 people deep, so it took a while to board.

Jetbridge

Fortunately, all of the stresses of traveling, especially through Bradley Terminal, subside as soon as you step onboard a Singapore Airlines plane.

Singapore Airlines 11
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT)
Sunday, May 15
Depart: 3:45PM
Arrive: 7:15PM (+1 day)
Duration: 11hr30min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 11A (Business Class)

At the door I was greeted by two lovely flight attendants who directed me left towards my seat in row 11.

Seat 11A

Seat 11A

Entertainment and seat controls

Before I could even settle in I was offered a pre-departure beverage of choice and newspapers and magazines. I went with champagne, which was promptly served by one of the lovely flight attendants. That was quickly followed by hot towels.

Champagne

Hot towel

At my seat already were headphones and the menu for the flight.

Menu and headphones

While this flight was initially supposed to be operated by the Airbus 380, it was downgraded to a 777-300ER due to the earthquake in Japan. In theory that was a bummer, though it meant I could secure row 11, which is by far the best place to sit in business class on Singapore. For one, it’s part of the forward mini cabin with only two rows. More importantly, however, the seat is vastly superior to the rest of the business class seats. The rest of the seats only have a cutout to put your feet in, while the bulkhead row gives you a ton of open space. The seat really isn’t that much different than what’s offered in first class.

Rest of the mini cabin

Plenty of space

Shortly before scheduled pushback time the captain came on the PA for a welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of a “quick 11 hours.” He said we would be a few minutes late as they loaded some last minute bags, but should make up for it once airborne.

The “new” Singapore safety video showed, which is probably the most boring of any airline out there. The old one at least had decent music with it.

About 15 minutes late we pushed back and quickly began our taxi to runway 24L. After holding for some smaller planes to take off, it was our turn.

Pushing back

Ready to go

The 777-300ER is one powerful beast, and I’m always surprised by how quickly it gets off the ground, even with what I assume is a near full load between fuel and cargo.

The views of the California coast on the climb out were beautiful, as it was a clear and sunny day. After a bit of chop thanks to some thick clouds, the seatbelt sign was turned off less than five minutes after takeoff.

Airport views after takeoff

Coastline views

At that point the flight attendants closed the curtains and their “performance” began. It started with socks and eyeshades being distributed. Interestingly, Singapore doesn’t have an amenity kit in business class. Instead, they have all the essentials in the lavatory.

Socks and eyeshades

Following that hot towels were served, which were quickly followed by one of the flight attendants introducing herself and asking what I’d like to drink. Unlike US airlines, it wasn’t “whaddya wanna drink, hun?” but rather “Mr. Lucky, it’s a pleasure to have you flying with us today, my name is Angel, and along with my colleagues I’ll be taking care of you. May I offer you a beverage now that we’re airborne?” I went with a Diet Coke with lime (or as they seem to call it, lemon), which was served with a small ramekin of cold nuts.

As the flight attendant noticed my ramekin was almost empty, she came by immediately and offered another one.

The KrisWorld entertainment system was turned on, and I started by watching a couple of episodes of “Two and a Half Men.” The entertainment system is fantastic, with all kinds of sitcoms, movies, and CDs.

Entertainment system

At this point the main meal service began, starting with orders being taken. Interestingly, Singapore actually has a pretty simple menu in business class. It’s not five courses, but rather an appetizer, main course, and dessert. As I always say, I’ve never been hungry on an airplane in a premium cabin, so that was perfectly fine by me.

The only disappointment for me is that Singapore no longer serves satay before the appetizer from Los Angeles to Tokyo, as they used to. Now they just serve it from Tokyo to Singapore.

The menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Starter

Seared ahi tuna, heart of romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan cheese, anchoiade vinaigrette

Main

Panroasted corn-fed chicken breast in morel sauce with wild mushroom ballotine and garden vegetables

Stir fried beef with ginger and spring onion, served with braised beancurd with eggplant and asparagus and steamed rice

Grilled seabass with artichoke tomato ragout, buttered vegetables and new potatoes

Finale

Double fudge brownie ice cream served with raspberry coulis

Gourmet cheese with garnishes

A selection of fresh fruit

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas, with pralines

For anyone interested, they also had a Japanese menu, as follows:

Dinner Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavours of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

ICHINI JYU
Sakizuke
Konbu cured sea bream sashimi salad with citrus dressing

Sunomono
Baby octopus with sesame sauce
Jelly fish with citrus sauce

Shiizakana
Japanese style omelette
Pickled mountain vegetables

Men
Cold green tea soba noodles

NINO JYU
Ha Sun
Smoked salmon rolled with radish sprout

Takiawase
Fried tofu cake with ginger sauce

Kuchitori
Assorted pickles

Yakimono
Wagyu beef with garlic sauce

Gohan
Bamboo shoot steamed rice

Tome-Wan
Miso soup with spinach, seaweed and tofu

Mizugashi
Sesame ice cream with garnishes

Lastly, the wine list read as follows:

Champagne
Bollinger Special Cuvee

White Wine
Cuvaison Chardonnay 2008 Napa Valley Carneros
Dr Loosen 2008 Riesling

Red Wine
Chateau Paloumey 2007 Haut-Medoc
Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2007

Port
Offley LBV 2005 Port
Fonseca Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage 2005

I went with the seared ahi tuna and stir fry beef.

The meal service was at a rather leisurely pace, as the flight attendants seem to be stretched rather thin when the cabin is nearly full.

Seared ahi tuna, heart of romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan cheese, anchoiade vinaigrette

The tuna was delicious, and served with Singapore’s always excellent garlic bread.

Once the starter was complete, my beef stir fry was served, which was also good. Nothing earth shattering, but good.

Stir fried beef with ginger and spring onion, served with braised beancurd with eggplant and asparagus and steamed rice

After that I was offered dessert, which was delicious ice cream. While Singapore’s desserts in first class are always works of art, I kind of wish that they’d get a bit more creative with their desserts in business class.

Double fudge brownie ice cream served with raspberry coulis

Once ice cream was served, the cheese cart was rolled through the cabin, and I went with a little bit of everything.

Gourmet cheese with garnishes

To finish off the meal I ordered a coffee.

Coffee

The service throughout the meal was typical Singapore service – efficient, detail oriented, and always with a smile.

Meal service finished with a hot towel and bottle of water.

Hot towel

Bottled water

Then it was time to relax and enjoy the great “hard” product. Singapore really must have the best business class seat out there. It reclines a good bit, but then if you want to turn it into a bed you have to get up and flip the surface over.

Seat in the reclined position

I wasn’t tired yet, so watched a few more TV shows, starting with the BBC comedy “Come Fly Wit Me.” While I’ve seen all the episodes before, there’s something fun about watching “Come Fly With Me” on an airplane. Then I watched the British Comedy “Maranda,” which was hilarious, followed by some “Modern Family.” I then got a bit of work done on my laptop, at which point we were almost half way to Tokyo.

Watching “Modern Family”

Airshow

I checked out the snack selection, not because I was especially hungry, but because I wanted to swipe a few snacks for the rest of my trip, since I’m sure we’ve all been hungry in our hotel rooms at 2AM jetlagged.

Snacks

The snacks offered included chips, Hersheys chocolate, nuts, etc. I put those in my bag, and a few minutes later asked for a Krispy Kreme doughnut. I wasn’t really hungry, but there’s just something cool about eating a freshly made Krispy Kreme doughnut on an airplane. The flight attendant came up to my seat and said “Mr. Lucky, please be so kind as to pick out which doughnut you would like and I will plate it for you.” I pointed to one with sprinkles, which was served moments later on a plate with a fork and knife. Ah…

Krispy Kreme doughnuts

Doughnut

Just for reference, the full snack menu read as follows:

Light Bites Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Should you fancy a little snack or something more substantial in between your meals, simply make your selection known to our crew, during the flight

Noodles

Rice noodles in broth served with fish balls

Kitsune udon
White wheat noodles in light fish broth garnished with sweetened beancurd and fish cake

Vegetarian and non vegetarian instant noodles

Sandwiches

Tomato tortilla wrap with chipotle pepper nayonnaise spread, smoked chicken, avocado, tomato and letture

Krispy kreme doughnut

Snacks

Assorted nuts

Chips

Fruit yoghurt

Chocolate bar

Assorted biscuits

A selection from the fruit basket

At that point I was feeling pretty tired so decided it was time to get some sleep. One of the lovely flight attendants made my bed with great care, and brought me another bottle of water while I visited the lav.

In bed mode

Classy lavatory

Amenities

I woke up about two hours out of Tokyo as the second meal service began, starting with juice and hot towels. I went with an orange juice.

Orange juice

The menu read as follows:

Light Meal Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

Starter

Salad of cajun spiced grilled chicken with boston and frisee lettuces, caramelised walnut, feta cheese, shaved fennel and dried cranberry served with chipotle dressing

Main

Malay style fried noodles with seafood and chicken satay

Enchiladas
Baked corn tortilla with pork stek, tomatillo salsa, panela cheese and red onion

Finale

Lavendar and chocolate gateau

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas

Or the Japanese menu read as follows:

Light Meal Menu Los Angeles to Tokyo

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavours of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

Kuchitori
Egg tofu and salmon roe

Yakimono
Black cod with miso sauce

Takiawase
Seasoned and braised shrimp, shiitake mushroom
Lotus root and carrot

Sunomono
Yuzu citrus tart with seasonal fruit

Gohan
Steamed rice with seasoned cod roe
Assorted pickles

Tome-Wan
Miso soup with wheat cake, shredded egg and shiso leaf

Mizugashi

Shortly thereafter the starter, which was a cajun chicken salad, was served, accompanied by bread from the bread basket.

Salad of cajun spiced grilled chicken with boston and frisee lettuces, caramelised walnut, feta cheese, shaved fennel and dried cranberry served with chipotle dressing

For the main course I went with the fried noodles with seafood and satay, which was delicious.

Malay style fried noodles with seafood and chicken satay

For dessert was a small piece of chocolate cake, which was also tasty.

Lavendar and chocolate gateau

Airshow

About 30 minutes before landing the captain came on the PA to advise us of our on time arrival at Tokyo Narita, and advised the crew to prepare the cabin for landing. Headsets were collected and we descended into Narita as day turned to night.

On descent

After a smooth landing and quick taxi we parked right next to a United new colors 747.

United 747 next door

After bidding the crew farewell it was off to transit security, where I was the first one, surprisingly. I guess most of the people on my flight were terminating their travels in Tokyo. Security in Japan is always a pleasure – they’re so friendly, the process is so simple, and you don’t feel violated when you’re through.

I took the escalator down to the ANA business class lounge, where I was promptly admitted. While I wanted to shower, I first checked my email briefly, which I always do to make sure the world hasn’t ended (or something like that).

ANA lounge entrance

The ANA business class lounge is nice with finger sandwiches, a noodle and sake bar, and all kinds of drinks, though it’s nothing special.

ANA lounge interior

After about 15 minutes I decided it was time for a shower. I love the showers in the ANA lounge because they’re very high pressure, though the only downside is that they’ve substantially deteriorated the quality of their toiletries over the years. Now you only get a tiny sample back of shampoo and body gel, which just doesn’t cut it.

Shower room

Shower room

Once I was done with the shower reboarding was already underway, so I headed to gate 41, where the plane was parked. Boarding was super speedy since almost everyone was already aboard, and I settled back into 11A.

Narita terminal

Narita terminal

Singapore-bound 777

Singapore Airlines 11
Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
Monday, May 16
Depart: 8:50PM
Arrive: 3:05AM (+1 day)
Duration: 7hr15min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 11A (Business Class)

Waiting for me at my seat, once again, were headphones and a menu. I was immediately offered socks and eyeshades, followed by a pre-departure beverage. I went with the pineapple juice (or whatever tropical juice it is that they have).

Eyeshades and socks

Pre-departure beverage

Hot towels quickly followed.

The captain came on the PA to welcome us aboard and announce our flight time of 6hr45min, anticipating we would arrive right on schedule (shed-jewel).

One of the disadvantages of sitting in the first row of business class is that you have a full view of first class during boarding. On this particular flight it was just a Japanese couple in first class, and I found it quite funny as the guy was standing up in his pajamas looking at business class with a huge grin, knowing he had the cabin to himself. Rub it in, buddy.

We pushed back right on time and began our taxi to runway 16R. Singapore Airlines recently pushed back the departure time of the Los Angeles to Singapore (via Tokyo) flight, so that it leaves Los Angeles a couple of hours later and also leaves Tokyo a couple of hours later. Previously it got in at around 1AM, though now it gets in at 3AM. That’s awful, except for the fact that it leaves Tokyo later, which means that the queues for takeoff aren’t as long out of Tokyo anymore, since the evening rush has already left.

After a quick takeoff roll we were airborne, though this time the seatbelt sign stayed on for a while as there was some turbulence on the way out. The captain kept the seatbelt sign on for about 30 minutes.

The KrisWorld entertainment system wasn’t turned on for about 30 minutes, and even at that point there were problems with the system, so they had to reboot. It was 45 minutes into the flight before the system worked.

Entertainment system issues

Once the ride smoothed out a bit, the flight attendants quickly sprung into action. They first distributed socks and eyeshades, followed quickly by taking drink and meal orders.

The dinner menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Tokyo to Singapore

Prelude

Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce

Starter

Marinated prawns with sliced lotus root and sesame seeds

Main

Anchovy and caper crusted cod with pepper sauce, buttered vegetables and fettucine pasta

Wagu Koshi-ni
Soya flavoured beef steak, sauteed vegetables and steamed rice

Roast peppered chicken with gravy, ratatouille and potatoes

Finale

Gourmet ice cream

Gourmet cheese with garnishes

A selection of fresh fruit

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas, with pralines

The Japanese menu read as follows:

Dinner Menu Tokyo to Singapore

HANAKOIREKI
Embark on a culinary journey that takes you through the changing flavours of the seasons. Savour the best of spring, summer, autumn and winter in this delectable Japanese meal for the most discerning palate.

ICHINI JYU
Sakizuke
Bamboo shoot, udo, squid marinated with kinome miso

Sunomono
Conger eel bo-sushi, lily bulb, boiled nabana with mustard

Shiizakana
Omeltte with mountain vegetable
Burdock rolled with conger eel, ginger stick

Men
Cha soba noodle, soba sauce, egg julienne, mountain vegetables
Spring onion, seaweed, wasabi

NINO JYU
Ha Sun
Simmered baby octopus, ice fish, mountain vegetable, wrapped sea bream, grilled prawn with egg yolk, plum jelly

Takiawase
Simmered bamboo shoot and sea bream eggs
Butterbur and carrot flower

Kuchitori
Marinated radish, carrot, cucumber
with conger eel, salmon roe and white sesame

Yakimono
Grilled flounder Saikyo-yaki
Kelp roll

Gohan
Steamed rice with minced beef

Tome-Wan
Miso soup

Mizugashi
Yuzu mousse cake with citrus sauce

I ordered a Singapore Sling as my drink, and since I wasn’t especially hungry, skipped the main course.

Singapore Sling

To start was satay, which is one of my favorites on Singapore. As I mentioned before, I’m sad that they no longer serve it between Los Angeles and Tokyo. Actually, you’d think they would serve it on Los Angeles to Tokyo, which is a flight during “normal” meal hours, as opposed to Tokyo to Singapore, which is basically a redeye. Whatever. Regardless, it was as good as it’s ever been.

Satay

The starter of the prawn salad was served next, with a choice of breads. I went with garlic bread, which has never disappointed me on Singapore.

Marinated prawns with sliced lotus root and sesame seeds

The seatbelt sign went on a few times during the meal service, which meant service was suspended a couple of times. It’s a real shame, since I was dying to get some shut eye.

About two hours after takeoff my last course was served, which was ice cream. It was tasty, though it certainly wouldn’t hurt if Singapore had a bit of variety in their desserts. Service finished off with a bottle of water and some pralines.

Gourmet ice cream

Praline

Bottled water

At that point my bed was made, and I got a solid four or so hours of sleep. Like I said, the bed is very comfortable for sleeping, and I was very tired, not to mention I had a 15 hour layover in Singapore without a hotel room.

In bed mode

I woke up as we began our descent into Singapore, at which point the seatbelt sign was once again turned on.

Airshow

The descent was mostly smooth, with the exception of a few very thick clouds, which caused quite a bit of chop.

Approach into Singapore

We touched down shortly before 3AM and had a quick taxi to terminal 3. Changi Airport is tranquil all times of the day, but especially at 3AM. While I was exhausted after flying for over 20 hours, I wasn’t tired, so I figured my wait till my 5PM flight would be survivable enough.