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.