I was scheduled to fly 3K on the evening direct service SIN-PER this week. On presenting for check-in close to two hours before departure I was told they weren't checking all passengers in at that point due to some weight and balance issues. I was told to return at 4.50pm, one hour prior to departure. This was a massive inconvenience for me as (a) I had planned to go to Terminal 3 and get my e-passport and (b) I had duty free to get which, due to the Australian government's protectionist policy on behalf of domestic duty free providers, had to be ordered no less than 90 minutes before departure. I offered to be transferred to the QF flight but that wasn't happening at that point.
I returned just prior to 5.05pm given check-in closes 45 minutes prior and I had been accommodated on QF72 at 6.50pm.
The flight was full in J and almost chockers in Y. Service was good but the flight attendants seemed like they could have used another couple pairs of hands. It was two hours after take-off before they started the hot drink service. An English lady behind me complained politely to the FAs that service was far too slow. The meal service was done entirely from the front with two FA on two trolleys, rather than a trolley at the front of Y and another halfway back. One trolley had the drinks and the other the meal. The meals were presented unlike anything I've seen on QF before (although, courtesy of living in Perth, it's been a long time since I've flown QF Y). The meal is presented in a large container (not a box and larger than the old domestic containers) that fits neatly into a plastic tray. The FAs sit a bread roll on the top and that's it. There's no salad or chocolate or anything else. It actually comes across as quite sparse. Alcoholic spirits are served from bottles, rather than the miniatures that were once given and given the time it takes to serve the cabin it's, pardon the pun, a long time between drinks. The snack or dessert service was mini chocolates or fresh whole fruit.
Cabin baggage was huge. The bins were full to the brim. Priority boarding was offered.
I asked an FA if he crewed the route regularly and he said yes and he that he used to do the original service before it was canned. His wife also flew that route often for business. He he was always very well patronised. When I mentioned that the CEO said it was canned because of low numbers he nodded and rolled his eyes. He said that it's his understanding Qantas is adding an extra flight in July or August although he wasn't sure if it was permanent. It would leave Perth later with a circa 10pm arrival into Singapore which I thought was an odd time.
