March 2013 Part Three
"Yes OK the new safety video is a step up from the rather absurd cricket video but it is not worthy of dragging the CSM over to tell her" I thought to myself as the chap in 2K went on and on and on and on about the safety video he believed was the best he had ever seen. He was still going on about it as we disembarked in SIN...but I am getting way ahead of myself.
1K was a new seat for me. My first impressions were good, like 1A it does have a more enclosed feel about it than the other seats and it was on my preferred side of the 380. The most annoying thing about the F seats on the 380 is the place for magazines/safety card/My iPad!
Thanks to whoever originally uploaded the pic.
Why on earth is it held in place with press studs. Every single flight I have taken it has come away from its fixing and dumped the contents on the floor.
I still don't really understand champagne. It's OK but it is not my thing really, however I did enjoy the olives and almonds, and due to a minor technical issue that kept us on the ground for an extra half hour I felt compelled to consume an extra glass or two of the champagne.
The view from 1K.
"Potato and Leek soup followed by the pork please" I heard myself say. It had been preceded by "sparkling mineral water" a phrase rarely heard from my lips. I hardly needed the crumbed pork with carrots and potatoes, but thought I would try it anyway. It proved excellent, in fact probably the best dish I have had in QF F. (I'm not a fan of Neil Perry) What topped it off for me was the hot english Mustard. The SC Pannell Shiraz Grenache was pleasant, but I can't help feeling QF is lowering it's standards in the wine department. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was polishing off bottles of RWT in F. (Mind you with riff-raff like me quaffing away in F it could be argued that it is dropping it's standards in pax too!
)
The cheese platter at least included a blue varietal and the dessert wine, a Riesling from Tasmania that I was far to #ahem# "happy" to remember the name of went down rather easily......hic!
A much reported issue with the A380, and not just in F, is the noise from conversation. The A380 is very quiet, and with decent noise cancelling headphones is a dream to fly from the background noise perspective.....but conversations can be clearly heard. :shock: That is why I know that "Mr Safety Video" in 2K absolutely loves the new QF safety video. He just would not shut up about it, to the extent that I paid extra interest on my next leg to see if I could pick up the greatness of this sure to be Oscar nominated effort. He wittered on for what seemed like hours and spoilt my mini stupor.
The EK SIN lounge was, well, pretty much the same has it had been the previous Monday, and the Friday two weeks ago. It was quiet and relaxing. I didn't have the fillet steak this week, but did have a "semi" non alcoholic G&T. (Bombay Sapphire for those keen to know the spirits offering in the EK lounge.) I vowed to have an alcohol free QF1.
OK, the Safety Video is definitely an improvement upon the cricket one, but it is not exactly up there with the NZ Bear Grylls video. :?:
"The St Hallet Shiraz would be lovely please", I said, breaking my vow immediately, "and perhaps a cheese platter rather than the main meal". I was on board QF1 and sitting in 3A. I wasn't at all tired. In retrospect I hadn't really got back on to Australian time following my last jaunt - an occupational hazard. In fact I was wide awake and in need on something to help me sleep. The Glenlivet did the trick, mmm it was third one or perhaps a combination of the three that actually did the trick. zzzzzzzzzzz and time to wake up!!!
A light bird seed (I think they called it muesli) breakfast and a cup of tea was actually just the tonic I needed to pick me up before landing. (I had a slight fuzziness in my head).
As usual our arrival was a complete surprise to the LHR ground staff who took a good 15 minutes to get the aerobridges sorted out. Ten minutes later I was sitting on the floor outside of the lost property office awaiting the 7:00 AM opening time. :-|
The AA arrivals lounge is OK, it is a little dingy but it served it's purpose. Breakfast wasn't too bad. I needed the bacon, sausage and egg after the birdseed starter on board QF1.
I killed an hour or so before heading off to Europcar to collect yet another non upgraded Vauxhall Insignia that appeared to have not been placed in a demolition derby. :shock:
Do you not use the automated notifications so you get an email when availability and/or seats change?
I have done occasionally, but four hours before take off the OCD kicks in!!!
