SQ Tips, Trips and Tales

[Quickstatus]

At Changi on Sat will try

They have a store in all the terminals and also Jewel I believe

 

[daft009]

The size? Some kids meals are adult sized

Was served on the normal adult dinner plate.

 

[Kangol]

Upcoming trip MEL-SIN return in J, both overnights.
Always been in SQ F/R, no experience with J.
I've looked at a few reports/blogs etc to see what is offered, but it's not very clear.
I know they do not offer PJs, but how about amenity kits, slippers, bedding? Is all of it "upon request"?
How fast are the crew with meal service? Ideally I would like to eat ASAP to maximise rest.
Thinking I may not bother with food and go straight to sleep.
Looks like the Air NZ lounge in MEL is "better" than the SQ lounge, but is it more of a "syphilis is better than gonorrhea" (a la Clarkson) type of comparison?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Re amenities - see here - Post in thread 'SQ Tips, Trips and Tales'
SQ Tips, Trips and Tales

 

[Quickstatus]

How fast are the crew with meal service? Ideally I would like to eat ASAP to maximise rest.

Main dinner done by about 2hrs after takeoff. It mine was the 242 evening departure

 

[dajop]

Depends on the flights. 237 to MEL and 218 to SIN are sleeper services where you get a choice of a supper or breakfast. These tend to be served very quickly if you choose supper (no appetiser). 227 to MEL has a full meal supper service (with appetiser) but is slower. I believe no breakfast offered on this flight.

 

[Kangol]

Very helpful, thankyou!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I really hate the fact that 207/208 are 777 and 217/218 are 350 - I just find it nuts for outbound and inbound F travel - I would so much prefer they swapped metal those 2 combos.

Yep I know F on 218 makes it a sleeper service so you miss the full F exp - I am trying to avoid o/n flts completely in R, F or J so in a perfect world 228 and 238 would also both have R or F so hopefully 1 day we will get F on all M EL flts

The big prob is early dep time of 207 so tight for Euro morning arrivals means virtually zero lounge time b4 climbing aboard for another 7hr flt - shower and lounge visit just makes the Euro ret flts so much more enjoyable - and on 217 you get full lunch service.

 

[boomy]

I really hate the fact that 207/208 are 777 and 217/218 are 350 - I just find it nuts for outbound and inbound F travel - I would so much prefer they swapped metal those 2 combos.

Arriving into SIN early morn instead just past midnight so much better - similarly dep time of 207 so tight for Euro morning arrivals gives zero lounge time - I just hate these timings

Even if can get some lounge time it’s not fun to do strait connections from Australia to Europe when in F.
Last Sep I flew 228 connecting to 306 and never again!
All my F bookings since are x2 daytime flights with overnight stopover in SIN, either go to city if proper stopover or sleep in one of the airport hotels if I’m on 208.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Ah huh I agree - but you and I both know how hard rdpts are to find and secure - if all MEL flts were back to 380 or 777 with R or F onboard instead 350s would be so much better

Pre-Covid I could get R & or F MEL-PVG/PEK and vv any day of the week - now impossible til they ramp up

 

[boomy]

Ah huh I agree - but you and I both know how hard rdpts are to find and secure - if all MEL flts were back to 380 or 777 with R or F onboard instead 350s would be so much better

Pre-Covid I could get R & or F MEL-PVG/PEK and Viv any day of the week - now impossible til they ramp up

The most common connection these days Australia to Europe in F Saver (one seat only) is 208 to 318 which kinda works for me as I prefer x2 daytime with overnight stopover.

Yes I remember the good old pre-covid days when F redemptions were plentiful. Sadly it’s no longer the case.

Maybe instead of PVG/PEK can try to go via HKG? Availability to/from MEL was ok in F saver last time I checked (and booked). You’ll have to add CA J connection to the mainland which is not ideal but might work…

 

[mel-world]

Ah huh I agree - but you and I both know how hard rdpts are to find and secure - if all MEL flts were back to 380 or 777 with R or F onboard instead 350s would be so much better

I agree; and one of the reasons why, a year ago, we chose to go via SYD onto the SQ 222 and then SQ308 to LHR, with a sleep in SIN on the way. Getting the full daytime R experience on both flights. Leaving next Monday.

On the way back, we had a lot of WL held but eventually opted for SQ 305 and got moved from 217 back to 207 on the return. If we were not stopping in SIN for a few days, we would have had a couple of hours for a shower but not ideal. Would much prefer the 217.

Not that we are ever likely to be able to do it again as retirees - used all our points and never able to afford the fares. I would hate to be looking for redemptions now; we booked 12 months in advance - so very lucky we did.

 

[boomy]

I agree; and one of the reasons why, a year ago, we chose to go via SYD onto the SQ 222 and then SQ208 to LHR, with a sleep in SIN on the way. Getting the full daytime R experience on both flights. Leaving next Monday.

Assuming you meant 308. We are flying exactly the same route in few weeks using the free stopover for two nights in SIN. SQ222/308 is definitely the best combo to Europe if booking Advantage.

 

[mel-world]

Assuming you meant 308. We are flying exactly the same route in few weeks using the free stopover for two nights in SIN. SQ222/308 is definitely the best combo to Europe if booking Advantage.

I did; so have edited the post. Thanks. We managed to get Saver redemptions hence only taking 12 hours in Singapore.

 

[bernardblack]

I have flown to/from Europe a couple of times in the last six years, in J, on a mixture of the 77W and the standard 359 config (no 388s). One one sector, once, I got the bulkhead, which helped. But I'm 186cm tall and quite broad, and I don't find the seat (when laid flat) very comfortable for sleeping. (Apart from the weird angle, it's actually pretty hard.) BTC food tends to be good, but the lounge food is pretty ordinary, and the SKL at SIN T3 was just an unbelievable zoo when I last passed through in April last year.

I'm looking at going to Europe solo next year (Paris Olympics). Given I only need 1x seat, the J fare is up to ~120k now, and I have a ton of points in a card where KrisFlyer is the most efficient conversion option, I can maybe justify the 183k one-way fare in F which is available on some routings in either direction at the end of the calendar (early May 2024).

At the moment the only F availability is on 77Ws; there's nothing on a 388 with Suites. Is the 77W F seat materially more comfortable than J? I don't like caviar, although I would absolutely drink Dom and Krug and other premium booze. Is the BTC food better in F? Is the experience sufficiently premium to warrant the additional points?

I'd have access to the Private Room at SIN. Are there F-level lounges which are a material improvement at any of the outstations? My options are MEL/SYD outbound or CDG/LHR/FRA/ZRH inbound. It would be SKLs at LHR/MEL/SYD, presumably the Star lounge at CDG; do SQ F pax get LH/LX F lounges at FRA/ZRH?

Also, if I booked a flight that ended up upgauged to a 388 for NS24, would I keep the reservation with a Suite or would they kick me out to a different flight number? Are there particular flight numbers that have the best chance of becoming 388s? I'm thinking SYD and maybe LHR/FRA?

 

[kamchatsky]

I would say that given you are tall and broad, that alone is worth trying out F given you only need to book yourself especially if you have never tried it. I booked for 4 people syd to MUC/Mxp return this summer so I can only book J as it cleaned up my points.

F lounge is far better than the J lounge. No more Dom but still have Krug. I am not a Krug drinker but still find it worth it if it is booked for just myself, and I am nowhere near as tall as you. I doubt there will be more SYD flights to be converted to A388 though.

 

[Quickstatus]

SQ222/308 is definitely the best combo to Europe if booking Advantage.

i just did the 242/318 (arrives into SIN midnight and arrival into LHR in evening
While it's not the 380 pair, I think that combo worked well for in terms of timing.
Arrival into London after peak public transport period

 

[boomy]

i just did the 242/318 (arrives into SIN midnight and arrival into LHR in evening
While it's not the 380 pair, I think that combo worked well for in terms of timing.
Arrival into London after peak public transport period

Absolutely. Any AUS/Europe flights that are both daytime is good combo. What I meant was that if one has to book in the higher Advantage fare then mind as well indulge in suites all the way although they are significantly better only when flying with someone. Flying solo I don’t find the 777 to be inferior to 380 apart from the toilets which are ridiculously small on the former (I keep knocking my elbows on the walls when changing to/from PJs).

 

[Quickstatus]

I keep knocking my elbows on the walls when changing to/from PJs).

. I made such a racket doing that that on exit the cabin crew on duty asked if I was Ok

 

[Black Duck]

Mumm Marlborough in PER this morning.