Velocity Platinum to Europe in J - SQ or EY?

[Marty_]

Hi all,

Modelled on the other thread relating to travel in Y.

I am off to London this October with SQ principally because it was a points redemption and the fees were lower.

I am now planning to go again in May.

The fees are relevant obviously, but is EY a better experience? Also interested regarding the length of the seats - SQ's A380 seats are veeery short for a big fella like me @ 6'8".

Cheers,
Marty.

 

[Jack_OC]

Hi all,

Modelled on the other thread relating to travel in Y.

I am off to London this October with SQ principally because it was a points redemption and the fees were lower.

I am now planning to go again in May.

The fees are relevant obviously, but is EY a better experience? Also interested regarding the length of the seats - SQ's A380 seats are veeery short for a big fella like me @ 6'8".

Cheers,
Marty.

I've flown a fair bit in J with both over the past few years, and both are genuinely excellent.

To split hairs:
- As with Y, SQ has consistently great service, while EY is more hit and miss.

- Better chance of an op-up with EY - as I mentioned on the other thread I have twice been op-upped to F by EY, including recently on the 14 hour leg from MEL-AUH.

- Not sure where you're starting from, but EY's lounge in MEL is much better than the SQ lounge in MEL, and the EY lounge in LHR is a bit better than the SQ lounge in LHR. I love the Silverkris lounge in Changi, but needless to say it doesn't match the F lounge in AUH, which you would get into if you're VA Platinum - not sure what VA status you hold though.

- SQ's Book the Cook service is great, as you can guarantee meal choices that you want. However, while EY doesn't offer a similar option, the on board food is always excellent IMHO, and their "Dine on Demand" option is a big plus for me (i.e. you can choose to have your meals at any time you like).

- EY's seats are longer than the SQ A380, but very narrow on the older planes (A330 and B777). This might actually be a bigger problem for you, as I would say they might still not long enough for you to stretch your legs out fully straight, and they're so narrow that you can't really sleep at an angle or bend your knees much. I'm not as tall as you (I'm 6' 2"), but I have no issue with the SQ A380 seats - while short, they are exceptionally wide, so you can lie at an angle. On balance, I prefer the seats on the SQ A380, A350 and B777 to the EY A330/B777 seats. Conversely, there are still some SQ A330s with angled seats flying between SIN and Aus - in other words, it really is aircraft dependent.

- As with the other thread, Changi is a far more pleasant airport to transit through than AUH.

All things considered, if you are not VA Platinum and/or you won't have much of a layover in AUH (so little or no AUH F lounge), and you can pick the right aircraft with SQ, I would suggest going with SQ. But seriously, I really am splitting hairs here - I'm very happy to fly in J with either airline.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

Something I always try to take in to consideration when making these decisions (especially if there is government ownership of the airline) is where I want my tourist dollars going to. Unfortunately most intermediate stops on the way to Europe don't make me feel too comfortable (gay rights, women's rights, worker rights, human rights), but I'd choose Singapore over the UAE...

Something to consider - but please feel free to ignore otherwise . I also acknowledge I'm a hypocrite and have travelled to many places which where the local practices don't align with my views - so even more reason to ignore my ramblings.

 

[Marty_]

To clarify - per thread title, I am Velocity Platinum.

So the EY lounge options appear superior. I would be flying from MEL in May (SYD in October).

Surprisingly, seat width is a big deal. I am not at all fat, but even the J seats on VA metal to LAX are not wide enough. Length is awesome, but my shoulders are pinched and I can't turn/roll at all. Obviously I can't complain - it's me, not the seat, which is one of the best out there.

Good advice so far, thanks.

 

[Jack_OC]

To clarify - per thread title, I am Velocity Platinum.

So the EY lounge options appear superior. I would be flying from MEL in May (SYD in October)..

Sorry, missed that in the title! Yes, as a VA Platinum you would get access to a better lounge prior to every sector with EY. However, do consider your layover time at AUH. Some of the MEL-AUH-LHR options involve a transit of less than 2 hours in AUH, which can leave you with very little lounge time (given that AUH is often a zoo, and it has a very poorly designed transit process). There are some other options with longer layovers though, if you would prefer that.

Surprisingly, seat width is a big deal.

I totally agree, and SQ scores very well on that measure.

 

[DaveB]

Only thing EY once had going for it over SQ was the limo service.
Had not flown to AUH since 2013 and unfortunately no improvement this May - bus to terminal, one crowded transit entry hall, crowded gate security and few showers in lounges (took over 2 hours in F being told much longer wait in J).
Couldn't believe the wife and my entre and main selections from the F menu all not available having run out.

 

[Jack_OC]

Only thing EY once had going for it over SQ was the limo service.
Had not flown to AUH since 2013 and unfortunately no improvement this May - bus to terminal, one crowded transit entry hall, crowded gate security and few showers in lounges (took over 2 hours in F being told much longer wait in J).
Couldn't believe the wife and my entre and main selections from the F menu all not available having run out.

Wow - sounds like you were very unlucky. I have never had to wait at all for a shower in the F lounge - on a couple of occasions the only available shower was the one in the gym, but that was fine, and I've never experienced anything on the menu not being available. In the J lounge I have experienced long waits for showers, although I think the longest was just over an hour, and that was before the F lounge reopened, so I kind of assumed that was at least partly due to everyone cramming into one lounge.

I agree with your comments on the airport in general though - it's not a pleasant experience.

EDIT: I should add, if you have to wait for a shower in the EY J lounge they give you a little buzzer to alert you when it's your turn, so you can go and enjoy the lounge while you wait (I assume they do something similar in the F lounge). IIRC, in the Silverkris lounge in Changi, you have to literally stand there and queue if the showers are all busy - although to be fair that is a rare occurrence, and in my experience the wait has never been longer than 10-15 minutes.

 

[DaveB]

Two of the four entre dishes were vegetarian soups, one arab dish I can't recall and a salmon seafood option which everyone went for along with the wagyu beef main.
The F showers at AUH separate male and female with 3 showers each and yes the pager system is imperative as they would have had a queue out the entry door without it.
We were on EY451 landing at AUH a bit before midnight and after the wait for the shower, then had to hotfoot it to the gate for our 02:55 flight to YYZ.
Would only use EY over SQ where it offers direct flights or SQ involves a short overnighter back to Oz.

 

[Edge]

Had a great experience flying MEL-AUH-MUC then ZUR-AUH-MEL with EY last year in J. Got op-up'd on one leg to F which was nice. EY lounge in MEL is outstanding. J on the 777 was ok, a little dated. J on the 787 and A380 was sensational (I'm 6'5; had plenty of space). F on the A330 was even better

Haven't flown SQ in J but could not complain about anything re: my EY experience.

 

[Jack_OC]

Two of the four entre dishes were vegetarian soups, one arab dish I can't recall and a salmon seafood option which everyone went for along with the wagyu beef main.
The F showers at AUH separate male and female with 3 showers each and yes the pager system is imperative as they would have had a queue out the entry door without it.
We were on EY451 landing at AUH a bit before midnight and after the wait for the shower, then had to hotfoot it to the gate for our 02:55 flight to YYZ.
Would only use EY over SQ where it offers direct flights or SQ involves a short overnighter back to Oz.

Are you sure you had to wait more than 2 hours for a shower? Based on what you have described, it's hard to see how you would have even been in the lounge for 2 hours in total. You seem to have only had 2.5 hours from landing until scheduled boarding time for your connecting flight, and in that time you had to deplane, get a bus from plane to the terminal, negotiate the very slow transit hall/security process, walk to the lounge, and then walk from the lounge to the gate (something else that can take an inordinately long time at AUH). If all of that didn't eat at least an hour into your lounge time, you did very well.

Anyway, clearly you had a frustrating wait for a shower, but as I said, I have never had to wait at all for a shower in the F lounge, and I have been there several times around midnight, so I think you really were unlucky. I would also rate this as the best lounge I've experienced food wise - and I was once in the SQ Private Room! Obviously that's all subjective though and not everyone will agree.

By the way, something I noticed once when I had to wait for a shower in the EY J lounge was that they looked at my connecting BP and then said they'd fit me in about an hour before by departure (which I think was about 3 hours away). I said no thanks, I want a shower ASAP. They said ok, and I got buzzed after about 30 mins. I just mention this as something to look out for - although it doesn't sound like that's what the issue was in DaveB's case.

 

[im.daniel]

I would also choose EY over SQ;

- Infinitely higher chance of OPUP on EY compared to SQ. Like Jack3193, my OPUP rate on EY is almost pushing 40% as VA Plat.
- Ignoring the rest of AUH airport, the EY F lounge is very good (used to be better before cost cutting came in). Max wait for shower was 15-30min depending on time of day IME. Buzzer system works well. No buzzer in SQ J and F lounges. I've had to queue in the AM rush before.
- EY J (especially on 380) is very nice and private. EY 77W J is OK but somewhat narrow. Although SQ J is wide, I don't find it comfortable (unless in bulkhead seat), given the limited recline, cushioning and way the bed is made.
- Much better onboard recognition on EY (applies to Y more so)
- EY staff very hit and miss - I've had some excellent crews previously. This is clearly subjective. I find SQ staff very robotic.
- I'd give EY the edge on on-board dining, as you can dine any time in J. SQ food usually quite lacklustre in J, unless you're doing BTC.

End of the day, I would choose EY because of F lounge and good OPUP rate.

 

[Marty_]

Maybe I should go EY in May just so I have a comparator to the SQ experience in October.

Looks like I might get a longer seat, too.

EY have amazing reward seat availability through VA's booking system, but the FEES... Argh... THE FEES.

Edit: Seat is only 6'1" so no real advantage there.