Introduction
United First Class Tampa to Washington to Los Angeles, United Red Carpet Club Washington Dulles, Lufthansa Senator Lounge Washington Dulles
Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Airport
reLAX Lounge LAX
Star Alliance Lounge Los Angeles, Singapore Airlines Business Class Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore, ANA Business Class Lounge Tokyo
Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Terminal 3, a Day at Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
InterContinental Kuala Lumpur
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
Exploring Kuala Lumpur
Plaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lankan Business Class Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Exploring Singapore
Qantas First Class Lounge Singapore, Qantas A380 First Class Singapore to Sydney
Holiday Inn Sydney Airport
Exploring Sydney
Qantas Business Class Lounge Sydney, Qantas Business Class Sydney to Melbourne
Park Hyatt Melbourne
Exploring Melbourne
Qantas First Class Lounge Melbourne
Qantas A380 First Class Melbourne to Singapore
Qantas A380 First Class Singapore to London
British Airways First Class Lounge London, British Airways Club Europe London to Vienna
Le Meridien Vienna
Exploring Vienna
Austrian Business Class Lounge Vienna, British Midland Business Class Vienna to London, Great British Lounge London
Star Alliance Lounge London, Air New Zealand Business Premier London to Los Angeles
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles
Andaz West Hollywood
Conclusion

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Please note: The introduction is largely a repost of this post from April

My trip planning started off innocently enough last December. As I posted last year on December 3, Singapore Airlines had just announced that they would be replacing the Boeing 747 with the Airbus 380 on the Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore route. There was a bit of lag in updating the system, so for a couple of days there was the opportunity to book business class on Singapore Airlines on the Airbus 380, which is otherwise blocked for partner award redemption. I’ve had the opportunity to fly Singapore’s new business class on the 777 in the past, and it really is just about on par with most other airlines’ first class products.

I made the booking speculatively using my United miles, since I could always cancel closer to departure if I changed my mind. Once I had that reservation ticketed I decided to “maximize” it. I added the segments from Tampa to Washington to Los Angeles to the itinerary, and then considered where in Asia I wanted to go. One of the few major Asian cities I’ve yet to visit is Kuala Lumpur, so I decided to add on a segment from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, again on Singapore Airlines in business class. I’ve always been fascinated by the city, so this seemed about as good of an opportunity as any to visit.

I left the trip alone for a couple of months, as I really wasn’t sure where I wanted to go from there. I figured I’d maybe book a Cathay Pacific first class award back to the States, even though I’ve flown them several times before.

One afternoon while on the phone with a fellow FF-nut friend, I mentioned that I wanted to try a couple more A380s, and he suggested I look at Qantas A380 award space between Asia and Australia. I had a bit of a “yeah right” response, since anyone that has looked at award space for Qantas from the US knows how stingy they are, so I wasn’t expecting them to be any better between Asia and Australia.

Sure enough I plugged in my preferred date, and what do you know, there’s a first class award seat on the Airbus 380 from Singapore to Sydney. Holy cow! While I had been to Sydney before, I hadn’t been to Melbourne, so I decided to book Singapore to Sydney, have a 23 hour layover in Sydney, and then fly Sydney to Melbourne in Qantas business class. The award cost me 45,000 American AAdvantage miles.

I was feeling awfully spontaneous at this point, since I still hadn’t decided where I wanted to go from Melbourne. I was thinking of doing Air New Zealand back to the US, though examined all of my options carefully. After playing around with just about all the options out there, I noticed that Qantas had A380 first class award space from Melbourne to London via Singapore for a few days after I arrived, allowing me to see the city. For the geographically challenged among us (myself included), that’s a 22 hour one way journey. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity, so immediately put the ticket on a five day courtesy hold with American for 80,000 AAdvantage miles.

I thought this one out strategically. For those of you not familiar with UK air passenger taxes, the UK charges a nearly $200USD tax for those departing the UK on a longhaul flight in a premium cabin. However, that tax isn’t charged if you’re just connecting in the UK.

So over the next couple of days I examined my options for getting back to the States, and eventually stumbled upon Air New Zealand Business Premier award space on their brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. I didn’t want to continue on straight away after a nearly 24 hour flight from Melbourne, so figured I’d spend a night in Europe between those flights. The obvious choice was to spend the night in London, but like I said, I would have been charged the $200USD tax if I did that.

So instead I decided I’d visit Vienna. I added a segment to my OneWorld award on British Airways from London to Vienna after I arrived from Melbourne, and then added a segment from Vienna to London on British Midland the following morning before continuing to Los Angeles. Two more flights, two more products to test, a new city, and $200 saved. I booked the British Midland/Air New Zealand award through British Midland Diamond Club, where the one way business class award cost me 33,750 miles.

The hotel planning process was equally complicated, though I’ll explain the booking process with the individual hotel installments.

In the end my routing looked like this:

The irony in all of this is that due to the Japan earthquake, Singapore Airlines actually downgraded my Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore flight from an Airbus 380 to a Boeing 777-300ER. Fortunately even that plane features their new business class and I managed to snag the best business class seat aboard, so I wasn’t too bummed about it, especially given the other products I’d be able to try during the trip.

This’ll be a long one, probably the longest ever, so grab an adult diaper and extra pair of glasses, as you’ll need ‘em.

Every Singapore Airlines flight is a performance by the crew. The second passengers start boarding, the flight attendants start playing the role of the “Singapore Girl” (or guy, though I’m not sure what they call them). I’ve run into Singapore Airlines flight attendants at hotels before, and while they’re not rude, their smiles aren’t as wide as aboard and they’ll gladly cut you off in the elevator queue if it saves them a few seconds. And I’m fine with that, because I realize no human beings are genuinely consistently that polished and nice. Instead, each Singapore Airlines flight should be judged in the same way that someone that likes theater might judge a show.

Secretly, the flight on this trip I was most looking forward to was from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, a journey of under 200 miles. It’s just a bit over half the distance of a flight between Los Angeles and San Francisco, so I was quite excited to see what they could fit into this 37 minute “show.”

If you’re an American and haven’t flown within Europe or Asia before, you’re probably saying “c’mon now, they can’t serve anything on a flight of that length.” But they most definitely can… and do. A couple of years back I flew from Munich to Zurich (which is even shorter) and received the following in business class on a 28 minute Swiss flight, including two drink refills, hot towels, and chocolate before arrival:

Then there was this Singapore flight, about ten minutes longer. First of all, the flight was operated by one of Singapore’s fairly new A330-300s, which have a very nice configuration for a regional aircraft:

The ground experience was the usual — hot towels, newspapers, magazines, pre-departure beverages, etc. As we taxied out, flight attendants took “refreshment” orders. The choices were a chicken focaccia sandwich or some sort of a curry wrap. The guy in the row in front of me indicated he didn’t want to have the snack, so she asked him what he wanted to drink. My seatmate and I both went with the sandwich, and weren’t asked what we wanted to drink, which we assumed was an oversight.

As it turns out, you either get a drink OR sandwich. The sandwich is wrapped in plastic (yet on a plate) and has nothing accompanying it. My seatmate and I both kind of gave each other a confused look as it was plopped down on our trays. You’re offered coffee or tea, but no other drink, other than water which is already on the tray. Once the flight attendants came through with the snack cart, they quickly brought out packaged nuts, but only for those that didn’t have the snack.

Anyway, it’s no big deal because it’s a short flight, and they certainly don’t need to serve anything, but if they do, they should do it right. The whole process was just painful to watch, as there was no grace to it. They were nearly sprinting through the aisles, yelling back to the galley constantly to get things, and not smiling.

It’s of course a tough situation since the moment we leveled off the captain announced “flight attendants, prepare the cabin for arrival.” But they should at least be able to offer everyone a drink… or unwrap the darn sandwich. Now I’m curious to see how Sri Lankan business class is from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on the way back.

I’m not quite sure what time it is, though I’m fairly well rested after the last sector on SQ11 from Tokyo to Singapore, where I managed to get about five hours of sleep. Want a good trivia question for a friend or loved one that’s not a frequent traveler (or even a friend or loved one that is a frequent traveler)? What flight is longer, Boston to London or Tokyo to Singapore? I find that 95% of people get the answer wrong.

Seriously, Singapore is consistent. The crews range from very good to phenomenal, and I had another average crew (using the range above) from Tokyo to Singapore this evening.

After landing I proceeded to the Silver Kris Lounge, where I was the only guest, minus about a dozen people that are part of the overnight cleaning crew. It’s quite nice to have a lounge all to yourself.

I have no clue what time of day it is, but life is good.

Singapore Sling and Satay

Prawn appetizer

Bed

Empty Silver Kris lounge

Let me throw one quick question out there. A few weeks back I asked how y’all define a redeye, and just about everyone had a different answer. Most of you agreed that my flight at the time from Washington to San Francisco, departing at 10PM and arriving at 1AM, was not a redeye.

So I’m curious, was the last sector of SQ11, that I just got off of, a redeye? It departs Tokyo at 8:50PM and arrives in Singapore at 3:05AM.

Good morning/afternoon/evening from Tokyo Narita, as I’m currently enroute from Los Angeles to Singapore in business class on a Singapore Airlines 777-300ER. While I almost exclusively redeem my miles for international first class (because I find it to be the best value), Singapore Airlines is an exception. I would argue their business class product is better than the first class products of about 80% of the airlines out there. Singapore, you’re in a league of your own, and I look forward to spending the next seven hours (sleeping) with you all the way to Singapore… too bad my mileage redemption on them was just a fluke.

Of course a full trip report is on the way upon the completion of my trip, though I’ll share one quick story. I met a fellow business class passenger at check-in, and we spent most of the time in the lounge talking. He had never flown Singapore Airlines before, and instead usually flies Korean Air, and was telling me how he thinks they’re one of the best airlines in the world. 10 minutes after boarding starts he comes up to me and says “holy $*&%, this is even better than you said it was… I’m never flying Korean Air again.”

And indeed Singapore Airlines is just about the best out there in-flight. Any airline that caters a fresh box of Krispy Kreme donuts as business class snacks deserves top marks in my book.

A BBC presenter traveling back from Japan after covering the tsunami suffered from a heart attack shortly after takeoff on a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to London. Apparently the crew refused to divert the aircraft so he could receive medical attention, and now he’s possibly left with long-term heart damage.

I certainly hope there’s more to this story. It’s a bit strange that the story is only coming out about a month after the incident, as the flight landed in London March 18. Furthermore, as a miles geek I have to wonder, why was he flying from Tokyo to London via Singapore? That’s about a 4,000 mile detour. Not that it’s relevant to the story, but have to wonder if he had mileage motives!

Either way, I hope he recovers and we find out the complete story.

Back in December I posted about Singapore Airlines introducing the Airbus 380 at the end of this month on SQ11/12, which are their flights operating from Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore and back. This was both good news and bad news. It was good news because there’s something exciting about seeing more Airbus 380s around, and added capacity is always good for the consumer. Furthermore, Singapore’s cabins on the Boeing 747, which is currently operating the route, aren’t cutting edge anymore. It was bad news because the Airbus 380 features Singapore’s new premium cabins (if they can even be called “new” anymore), and Singapore refuses to release any business or first class award seats to partner airlines if the flight features the new premium cabins.

Nonetheless, back in December when the announcement was made, there were a few days where we could readily book business class on SQ11/12, since the announcement had been made about the switch, but the system still reflected the 747. As a result I made a booking for May, hoping to fly the Airbus 380 in business class.

Anyway, due to decreased demand for travel to Japan, they’ve suspended the switch to the Airbus 380. Instead, the flight will continue to be operated by the 747 through April 15, at which point it will be downgauged to a 777-300ER (featuring Singapore’s new premium cabins) through the end of October.

Anyway, for those of you that did manage to make an award booking on the Airbus 380, be sure to switch your seat assignments now. I initially chose row 17 on the Airbus 380 (which features a lot more personal space), though as soon as I noticed the swap managed to switch to row 11 on the 777-300ER, which might as well be first class based on the amount of personal space. So if you can snag row 11 or 14, by all means go for it before the seats are gone!

Given that the award I booked is the start of “mega trip two,” I won’t be canceling this one, since I have four separate reservations spread across alliances as part of the same trip.

Row 11 on the Singapore 777-300ER from a previous trip

Row 11 on the Singapore 777-300ER from a previous trip

Nooooooooooooo!

Singapore Airlines flight 11 flies from Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore, and Singapore Airlines flight 12 flies from Singapore to Tokyo to Los Angeles. Up until now these flights have been operated by Boeing 747s. While the 747 isn’t equipped with the world’s best “hard product” (they have Singapore’s old “SkySuites”), the service and food on Singapore Airlines are simply top notch. While Singapore Airlines hasn’t been great about releasing award seats on these flights, they have reliably opened space up four days before departure for several months now, especially in first class. So while it’s not an ideal situation, at least first class was attainable if you were flexible and willing to wait until the last minute to book.

Well, these flights will now be operated by the Airbus 380, which Singapore Airlines (arrogantly) blocks for premium cabin award redemptions. Technically there’s no first class, only “Suites Class,” but the same applies for business class, where they don’t release any award space either.

Also, the new flight times are just horrible (I guess it takes longer to turn an Airbus 380 than Boeing 747):

SQ12 Singapore to Tokyo departing at 9:25AM and arriving at 5:30PM
SQ12 Tokyo to Los Angeles departing at 7:15PM and arriving at 1:30PM
SQ11 Los Angeles to Tokyo departing at 3:45PM and arriving at 7:15PM (+1)
SQ11 Tokyo to Singapore departing at 8:50PM and arriving at 3:10AM (+1)

The pre-2AM arrival was bad enough for jetlag, but now 3:10AM? Ouch!

This means that the only route operated to the US by Singapore’s 747s is now New York to Frankfurt.

A couple of weeks ago, Singapore started allowing redemptions into their “Suites” class on the Airbus 380. Real generous of them, right? Check out their redemption levels:

London -> Singapore

Round trip: 2,000,000 miles
One way: 1,000,000 miles

Round trip upgrade from paid J (A380 only) -> R: 1,200,000 miles
One way upgrade from paid J (A380 only) -> R: 600,000 miles

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Singapore -> Sydney

Round trip: 1,100,000 miles
One way: 550,000 miles

Round trip upgrade from paid J (A380 only) -> R: 650,000 miles
One way upgrade from paid J (A380 only) -> R: 325,000 miles.

If you’re like me and want to fly from London to Sydney (via Singapore), it’s a mere 3,100,000 miles in Suites Class.

Hurry up and make your booking. Supplies are limited.

Part One: The Planning Process
Part Two: TPA-IAD on United in First Class, Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD
Part Three: IAD-NRT on ANA in First Class
Part Four: ANA First Class Lounge NRT and NRT-SIN on Singapore Airlines in First Class
Part Five: The Crowne Plaza Changi
Part Six: The Grand Hyatt Singapore
Part Seven: Singapore
Part Eight: Singapore Business Class SIN-BKK, Thai First Class Lounge BKK
Part Nine: BKK-NRT on Thai in First Class, NRT-ICN on United in First Class
Part Ten: The Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Part Eleven: The Park Hyatt Seoul
Part Twelve: Seoul
Part Thirteen: ICN-FRA on Asiana in First Class
Part Fourteen: The InterContinental Frankfurt
Part Fifteen: Lufthansa First Class Terminal and FRA-SEA on Lufthansa in First Class
Part Sixteen: Conclusion

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After a quick subway ride from the city, I arrived at Terminal 3 by around 2PM for my 4PM flight. First of all, Terminal 3 is friggin’ impressive. Enough said.

Terminal 3

I checked the departure monitor, and my flight, SQ976, was listed as departing from Terminal 2, so I took the SkyTrain over there.

Skytrain

Terminal 2 is still nice, though not nearly as impressive. I couldn’t find the business class check-in, so eventually just went to one of the economy class counters where there was no line.

Terminal 2

As the agents determined I was in business class they began to panic, as they didn’t have the business class cardstock. Singapore has a different color boarding pass for each class – first class is red, business is blue, and economy is green. The agent frantically ran somewhere to fetch some blue cardstock, and moments later returned with it. Once he printed out my boarding pass to Bangkok I asked whether he could also print out my connecting boarding pass for my flight to Tokyo. He obliged, but soon realized I was flying first class. Yet again he jumped up and frantically searched for some red cardstock, which he soon returned with.

At Changi airport security is at each individual gate, so I only had to wait in the line to have my documents and passport checked and departure slip collected. Behind security Changi is one of the classiest airports in the world. From fish ponds to upscale shopping, they really have everything.

Terminal

I headed towards the Silver Kris Lounge, which was only a couple of minutes away. As I entered I showed the agent my boarding pass (in particular my connecting boarding pass, which is in first class), and as he saw the red on the boarding pass he directed me to the first class side. Once I was well inside he asked if he could make a copy of the boarding pass, so he returned with it moments later. He explained technically I was only entitled to use the business class lounge, but offered to make a “one time exception.”

The first class lounge was deserted. I’m pretty sure there was only one other person in there when I entered. While the first class lounge is decent, it’s nothing special. It really amazes me how Singapore Airlines will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in their onboard experience, even going so far as creating true suites in the sky, while they completely ignore ground services. Lufthansa and Thai have infinitely superior ground services, and it seems to work quite well for them.

The lounge is dark and has a decent buffet, but it really can’t even begin to compare with the dining options in either the Thai or Lufthansa lounge, let alone the spa in the Thai Airways lounge or the car transfers, day rooms, or bar at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal.

First class lounge

I had some snacks consisting of pasta with shrimp and some sushi, which were quite good.

Snack

Dessert

At around 3:15PM I decided to head to the gate for my flight to Bangkok, which was about ten minutes away. I had to queue for about five minutes to get through security, though it’s always a privilege compared to the TSA here in the States.

Gate E3

Once through security boarding had already started, so I proceeded straight aboard, where I was greeted by the in-flight service manager and a lovely Singapore girl.

Singapore 0976, SIN-BKK, 777-200
Friday, June 18
Depart: 4:00PM
Arrive: 5:25PM
Duration: 2hr25min
Seat: 15H (Business Class)

I was directed towards my seat, which was located on the right side of the aircraft, and immediately offered a newspaper and magazine.

This aircraft was equipped with Singapore’s regional business class (no first class), which is sufficient for a regional flight, though nothing great. Each seat has a personal television with KrisWorld entertainment system, and the recline and legrest controls are electronic.

Business class cabin

Legroom

Center seats across from me

The aircraft continued to fill up, and by the time departure time was upon us, business class was full except for a few seats. Pre-departure beverages were offered, including champagne, water, orange juice, or a refreshing pineapple drink. I went with the pineapple drink, which was tasty. This was followed by hot towels.

Pre-departure drink

The captain made his pre-departure announcement as well, advising us of our flight time of 1hr54min, and explaining we’d arrive right on “shed-jewel.” As the door closed beverage orders were taken for after takeoff. I went for a Diet Coke, while my seatmate, an older Japanese businessman, went with a hot chocolate (while reading Men’s Health magazine).

As we taxied out the safety video played, and soon we were in the queue for runway 20C. There we had to wait for about 20 minutes, as they were using this runway for both arrivals and departures, and sometimes even two arrivals in a row.

The climb out was pretty rough, so the captain left the seatbelt sign on for a while. Nonetheless beverage service started almost immediately (minus hot beverages, which aren’t served on Singapore Airlines when the seatbelt sign is on… sorry Mr. Hot Chocolate!). They served with Singapore’s trail mix, which is quite tasty.

Diet Coke and trail mix

Following that the flight attendants came through the aisle with the meal service. The menu was already in the seatback pocket at the gate, and read as follows:

Light Meal Menu

Starter
Barbecue pork with noodles salad

Main
Tagine of prawns with saffron couscous, apricot, pistachio and preserved lemon

Soya sauce chicken, black mushrooms and leafy greens with fragrant rice

Japanese style fried noodles with beef and vegetables

Thai battered fish, seasonal vegetables and pineapple rice

Finale
Fresh fruit selection

Gourmet coffees & selection of fine teas

The wine list read as follows:

Champagne:
Charles Heidsieck

White Wine:
2008 D’Arenberg Olive Grove Chardonnay
Saint-Veran “Rives De Longsault” 2005

Red Wine:
Chateau Lacombe-Noaillac 2005
Valpolicella Superiore 2008 Allegrini

Port:
Offley LBV 2005 Port

I asked for the prawns with couscous, which they still had available. I wasn’t a huge fan of the appetizer, but the main course, Singapore’s lovely garlic bread, and fruit dessert were plenty filling. During the meal I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother, and began to watch Napoleon Dynamite. It never gets old, I swear.

Meal

Drinks were constantly being topped off, and the general Singapore spirit was felt throughout the flight. After all trays were cleared duty free items were offered, and I was surprised by how many people made purchases.

Soon enough we were on our descent and our captain advised us we had 30 minutes to go. The cabin crew began to prepare the cabin for landing. We descended down towards a smoggy Bangkok, and by around 5:15PM touched down for an early arrival. After a quick taxi to the gate a much more exciting portion of my journey was about to begin.

I was connecting on Thai Airways in first class, and if there’s one thing that makes me *love* Thai Airways, it’s their ground services in Bangkok. I would argue they’re the best in the world for connecting passengers (though Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal has the edge if and only if you’re starting your journey IN Frankfurt).

As I got off the plane there was a Thai Airways representative standing there with a sign that had my name on it. She introduced herself and asked me to follow her to the waiting golf cart. She proceeded to drive me all the way to the Thai Airways first class lounge, which was quite a hike away. I’d like to point out how damn impressive this is. Some airlines offer an “escort” service for connecting passengers, but how many airlines pick you up from the gate of your arriving flight on *another* airline without even asking? I can’t think of any off to the top of my head.

Waiting golf cart

Golf cart ride

Before making it to the first class lounge I had to re-clear security, though she cut me to the front of the line, which made it absolutely painless.

Once in the lounge I was greeted with the traditional Thai greeting by no less than five people. The Thai Airways first class lounge has an interesting layout, with several “living rooms,” so that each passenger can have their own living room, plus a huge seating area. I’ve always gotten a private living room, as the lounge never seems to be full.

“My” living room

“My” living room

The rest of the lounge

As I was escorted to “my” living room the agent asked whether I’d care for a massage. I explained that I was going to go to the spa for an appointment later on, but he insisted that he’d make it for me. We agreed on an 8PM full body massage, so he went to the spa to make the appointment for me. Thai Airways offers first class passengers an hour-long  full body massage, and business class passengers a 30 minute neck or foot massage. There’s nothing more relaxing than a good massage before a redeye.

The service in the lounge just comes across as so genuine and attentive that you can’t help but be in a good mood, regardless of how bad of a day you had (not that I had a bad day, I was just exhausted, but couldn’t help but smile the whole time I was in a lounge). Every 5-10 minutes one of the “waitresses” came by to see if I wanted something to eat or drink, and also to bring me a new towel all the time. I just had an ice water.

As it turns out my friend Alex was also in the lounge heading to Sydney, so we talked for an hour or two, about everything miles, points, and travel related. By that time it was 7PM, and with my massage only an hour away, I knew it was time for a shower. Passengers are required to shower before the massage, so I always try to do it before it’s “time.” The service in the bathroom area is equally attentive, with no fewer than four ladies standing there to greet and direct passengers to a shower room.

Shower room

Shower room

Shower room

Shower room

The water pressure and temperature was quite good, and I was feeling quite refreshed. By around 7:30PM I was back in “my” living room, and the waitress insisted I have something to eat, so I asked for some spring rolls, some chicken on a skewer, and a Diet Coke.

Spring rolls and chicken skewer

There’s a buffet display area in the lounge, though it’s staffed with about four people that follow you around to take your order, as they bring the food to you.

Buffet area

I had a refill on my Diet Coke, at which point it was time to head to the spa for the massage.

Of course they didn’t let me walk there alone, but instead escorted me and alerted them that I was coming. They’re almost frighteningly attentive. Once in the spa I was asked to sit down in the waiting area and was offered green tea, which was tasty. Within a few minutes my masseuse showed up and directed me to the room. While business class passengers get massages in chairs that are partitioned off, they have separate treatment rooms for first class passengers, which include a shower, toilet, bathtub, and large massage table.

Once you get in the room they ask you to change out of your clothes into “fishnets” of sorts that act as underwear. Not sure what purpose they serve, exactly, as they hide nothing, and if anything are a bit uncomfortable. Nonetheless the masseuses are always excellent about being very “discreet,” and use a towel to cover up what needs to be covered up. The massages are phenomenal and incredibly relaxing. I had one slight problem about 30 minutes through my massage, though. I guess I had a bit too much to drink (two Diet Cokes and a cup of green tea), and really needed to pee. I’d argue there’s not much worse than needing to pee while getting a massage, as that’s all you can think about. Maybe I should have asked her to stop for a moment, but that would have felt a bit weird, so I just allowed myself to be tortured for the last 30 minutes of the massage. Or is that all too much information…?

Once I was done with the massage it was 9PM, so I used the opportunity to do some last minute email-checking, and once again the waitresses insisted I eat something. I have an unquenchable sweet tooth, so went back to the buffet to take a look at what they had, so I settled on a chocolate tart, which was promptly served to me.

Chocolate tart

Boarding was supposed to start at 9:35PM, so at that time I headed to the front area to check on the status, and without even showing the agent my boarding pass he said “don’t worry Mr. Lucky, we’ll get you when we’re ready for boarding.”

About ten minutes later they were indeed ready for boarding, and I was brought to the front of the lounge and directed to the waiting golf cart on the first floor. I was joined by a Japanese businessman in a super-expensive suit along with his female companion, and well, I don’t quite know how to describe her. She was maybe 4’6” (probably close to 5’6” with her heels), and was wearing a rather short dress with open straps in the back. I would have guessed she was about 11, but her dress makes me hope she’s a bit older. Hmmm…

We were leaving from a gate on the other side of the terminal, so it was quite a golf cart ride to get there. Once again we were escorted through security, so there was no wait. We then arrived at the gate, only to find that boarding hadn’t started. The guy that escorted us asked the gate agent about the status of the flight, and apparently it would be about 10 minutes before boarding started.

True to their word, 10 minutes later they sought out the first class passengers and began boarding.

Part One: The Planning Process
Part Two: TPA-IAD on United in First Class, Lufthansa Senator Lounge IAD
Part Three: IAD-NRT on ANA in First Class
Part Four: ANA First Class Lounge NRT and NRT-SIN on Singapore Airlines in First Class
Part Five: The Crowne Plaza Changi
Part Six: The Grand Hyatt Singapore
Part Seven: Singapore
Part Eight: Singapore Business Class SIN-BKK, Thai First Class Lounge BKK
Part Nine: BKK-NRT on Thai in First Class, NRT-ICN on United in First Class
Part Ten: The Hyatt Regency Incheon Airport
Part Eleven: The Park Hyatt Seoul
Part Twelve: Seoul
Part Thirteen: ICN-FRA on Asiana in First Class
Part Fourteen: The InterContinental Frankfurt
Part Fifteen: Lufthansa First Class Terminal and FRA-SEA on Lufthansa in First Class
Part Sixteen: Conclusion

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With the exception of Hong Kong, there’s no airport I like transiting more than Narita. I always arrive a bit bleary eyed, immersed in a foreign world as I try to figure out just where the hell I am.

I followed the signs towards transit security, where there was a single lane open. The line was efficient, though, so I was past security in about 10 minutes. The whole process kind of cracks me up, as there’s a metal detector passengers have to go through, and next to it there’s about a ten foot opening for “staff,” yet just about anyone can pass through it as the agents were constantly looking away. Not a huge security concern in the grand scheme of things, since this is for transit passengers that have already been screened anyway.

Immediately past security was the entrance to the ANA Suites lounge.

ANA Suites lounge

I was promptly admitted and took a seat near the windows, where I had a great view of the tarmac, overlooking at least 10 or so United 777s and 747s.

View from the lounge

I felt so close to home, yet so far away. Within about a minute of sitting down one of the attendants brought me a cold towel and offered me a beverage. I just asked for a glass of water, which she promptly brought me.

ANA first class lounge

ANA first class lounge

Towel and water

Overall the ANA lounges at Narita are nice, though nothing special compared to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt or the Thai First Class Lounge and Spa in Bangkok. It has all the basic amenities – showers, comfortable chairs, free internet, and an ok buffet — but lacks any real “frills” that set lounges apart, like massages, real meals, or golf carts.

I took a look at the buffet, which had mediocre offerings, including soup, onion rings, rice, finger sandwiches, sushi, and donuts.

Buffet offerings

Hot food offerings

Drinks

Donuts (notice how inefficiently they’re displayed)

I wasn’t very hungry, so instead opted to check my email and surf the web for a while. After about an hour I decided it was time for a shower. I handed the attendant my boarding pass, and she handed me an amenity kit and key to the shower room. The shower room was spacious and had *excellent* water pressure and temperature controls, though I wouldn’t expect any less from a country that has toilets more advanced than 777 navigation systems.

ANA shower room

ANA shower room

Nothing is more refreshing than a shower right after a long flight, so I was feeling quite alert at this point. I surfed the web for a bit longer, and then decided to get some exercise by roaming the airport a bit. My connecting flight on Singapore Airlines was leaving from gate 41, so I headed in that general direction. While Narita isn’t nearly as impressive of an airport as Hong Kong, Singapore, or even Bangkok, it nonetheless has some charm to it that makes it special in my book.

Narita terminal

Terminal

Tarmac views (that’s the Singapore plane heading to LAX)

On the way I walked past the United Red Carpet Club and International First Class Lounge, so decided to make a quick stop there. While I’ve visited the Red Carpet Club many times, I had never been to the International First Class Lounge, as I’ve heard ANA’s lounge is much better. But since I had time, I figured I’d drop in for just a few moments.

The agent at the door directed me towards the elevator which leads up to the First Class Lounge, where my boarding pass was once again checked. The lounge was surprisingly large, and since I was arriving right as the last United flight left for the evening, I had the lounge to myself. What I really loved about the lounge were the incredible tarmac and runway views.  The lounge is adjacent to the part of the runway where most of the heavies rotate, so that’s pretty tough to beat. At one point I saw three United 777s taking off in a row. Who said Narita isn’t a United hub?

United International First Class Lounge

United International First Class Lounge

Tarmac views from IFL

Boarding was scheduled to begin at 6:35PM, so at around 6:20PM I decided to head to the gate. The gate area could best be described as organized chaos. At around 6:35PM boarding was called for first and business class passengers, which appeared to be half the plane.

United Star Alliance 747 leaving from gate next to us

Plane taking us to Singapore

Gate area

Soon enough I was aboard and the next leg of my adventure began. It had been too long since I’ve flown Singapore first, and I was looking forward to it once again.

Singapore 0012, NRT-SIN, 747-400
Wednesday, June 16
Depart: 7:10PM
Arrive: 1:15AM
Duration: 7hr05min
Seat: 2A (First Class)

Some people like to refer to service on Singapore Airlines as robotic. I couldn’t disagree more. It’s simply consistent. At door 1L I was greeted by the in-flight service manager, who introduced himself as Gene, and directed me to my seat, 2A.

Seat 2A

Seat 2A legroom

Seat controls

View of seat 1B

View looking back

As usual the flight attendants working first class, Grace and Michael, were busy with all the pre-departure service, starting with beverages. I asked for a glass of champagne, and with a slight smirk, Grace asked “Dom or Krug?” While I generally prefer Krug I already had a couple of glasses on ANA, so went with Dom. Moments later I heard the cork pop in the galley, as Grace brought out the bottle, presented it to me, and poured me a glass.

Pre-departure Dom

Moments later I was offered newspapers, magazines, headsets, blankets (courtesy of Givenchy) and a hot towel. The first class cabin continued to fill up and it became apparent that it would be a fairly full load up front today. By the time departure time rolled around 11 of the 12 seats were taken, while at the last minute a last passenger was moved up from business class.

Headsets

The captain came on the PA and advised us that there was some flow control out of Narita, so it would be a few minutes before we departed. He advised us of our flight time of 6hr25min, and said that we should be landing in Singapore on time.

After about 10 minutes we did indeed push back and the safety video began playing. We began our rather long taxi to the runway, where we were number four for takeoff, and soon enough we rocketed off towards the South.

There were quite a few bumps on the initial climb out, but after about 10 minutes the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and the flight attendants sprung into action. Gene, the in-flight service manager, came around to introduce himself once again to everyone. Gene wasn’t as engaging as most Singapore in-flight service managers, as he simply greeted everyone by name and thanked them for flying Singapore Airlines. Usually they’ll recommend some overpriced restaurants in Singapore (and mention how affordable they are at $200 per person). Grace, the leading stewardess, came around to introduce herself as well as she handed out the dinner menus, which in typical Singapore fashion came in the nice leather folders.

Dinner menu

Moments later she distributed amenity kits, pajamas, slippers, and eyeshades, all with Givenchy branding. The sheer number of amenities on Singapore Airlines takes a real toll on my carry-on bags, as I always take everything with me. And they have some of the best amenity kits and pajamas as well, in my opinion, including a large bottle of cologne.

Amenities

While Grace did all that Michael came around taking drink orders, and I went with a Diet Coke. Grace then took dinner orders. The menu read as follows:

Dinner from Tokyo to Singapore

Create your gastronomic experience from our selection of tantalising options

Canapes
Satay
With onion, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce

Appetisers
Chilled malossol caviar
With melba toast and condiments

Spanish iberico air dried ham garnished with fresh fig, mixed salad

Soups
Cream of tomato soup with goat cheese timbale and herb oil

Beef consomme with spinach “royale” and assorted petit vegetables

Salad
Green coral lettuce with baby spinach and red radish
Balsamic herb dressing
Yuzu miso dressing

Main Courses
Baked beef fillet with ceps crust, carrot puree, buttered asparagus and fondant potato

Chicken biryani
Indian style braised chicken with saffron-flavoured rice
A popular Singaporean dish

Pan roasted cod with panchetta drizzled with creamy thyme sauce, sweet pumpkin puree, selected vegetables and roasted potato

Saffron tagliatelle with creamy assorted mushroom ragout, arugula lettuce and shaved parmesan cheese

Desserts
Warm fruit and almond-pistachio cream tart topped with vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis

Cheeses
Saint morgon, blue stilton, red cheddar and brie served with grapes, crackers and nuts

Fruits
Fresh fruits in season

Finale
A selection of gourmet coffees & fine teas served with pralines

And for those of you that prefer liquid nutrition, here’s the wine menu:

Champagnes:
Dom Perignon 2000
Krug Grand Cuvee

White Wines:
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Clos du Bois Calcaire Chardonnay 2006

Red Wines:
Chateau Pinchon-Longueville, Comtesse De Lalande 2004
Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Robert Mondavi Winery Cabarnet Sauvignon

Port:
Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port

I went nearly all the way – satay, caviar, soup, salad, main course, and dessert. Even though I wasn’t all that hungry, the presentation of the food itself makes it worth eating.

By the time we leveled off the satay course and Diet Coke were on my tray table. Satay is one of my favorite dishes, and Singapore Airlines’ variety is quite phenomenal.

Diet Coke

Satay

As I finished up my tray table was cleared and tablecloth was set, which was followed immediately by the caviar course. The attention to detail when it comes to setting the table always amazes me at Singapore Airlines, from ensuring that everything is spaced out properly to making sure all the logos face the same direction.

Most passengers seemed to be going with the Asian meal, so I got a generous helping of caviar.

Chilled malossol caviar

Following that was the soup course, which was quite possibly the best soup I’ve ever had, on the ground or in the air. Spectacular.

Cream of tomato soup with goat cheese timbale and herb oil

Then came the salad course, which made me chuckle.

Green coral lettuce with baby spinach and red radish

Need I say more?

Shortly thereafter the main course was served, which was tasty.

Baked beef fillet with ceps crust, carrot puree, buttered asparagus and fondant potato

Following that the dessert was served, which wasn’t that great.

Warm fruit and almond-pistachio cream tart topped with vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis

The fruit was a bit sour, so I ended up removing most of it. I was offered coffee and pralines, but I passed. I decided to watch a couple of episodes of The Big Bang Theory, which was quite funny as usual. After that there were about four hours to go to Singapore, so I asked the flight attendants to make my bed. They brought out the duvet, an extra pillow, and blanket.

As they made my bed I took a quick picture of the cabin, and noticed one of the guys sitting in row four giving me the most bizarre, prolonged look. Moments later he spoke to the in-flight service manager. I then noticed that he was actually a captain in uniform. Sheesh, never seen someone take a picture of the first class cabin? C’mon, if you’re going to stare me down for taking a picture, don’t make me feel uncomfortable, please! I was discreet and not using flash, so didn’t really feel it was necessary.

First class cabin

Singapore’s hard product might not be the most modern, but it still gets the job done. The seats are incredibly comfortable, and while the width isn’t amazing for sleeping, it’s plenty since it’s not in any way claustrophobic. I slept for about 3.5 hours, at which point the captain made the pre-arrival announcement, advising us we had 30 minutes to go to Singapore. I returned my seat into the upright position and tried to stuff all the amenities from the flight into my carry-on without much success.

View lying down

As we began our final descent, Gene, the in-flight service manager, came around once again to thank each passenger for flying Singapore Airlines with a firm handshake. Minutes later we touched down and with a slow deceleration exited the runway and made it to our gate at Terminal 3.

On the way out I thanked the flight attendants for the great service and walked towards immigration. Since we arrived in Terminal 3 we had to take the SkyTrain to get to immigration. Fortunately there wasn’t a single person waiting at immigration, so I was through in no time. Singapore gets the award for the nicest immigration officers, in my opinion. The only question I’ve ever been asked by their officers is whether I’d care for a piece of candy.

Terminal 3

I had booked the Crowne Plaza Changi for the first night given the late arrival time, so headed straight towards it. It’s connected to the terminal, so quite convenient. I timed it, and I was in my room exactly 19 minutes after the door of the aircraft opened. Now that’s what I call efficient!