QF SYD-SIN Day Trip incl F Lounge/In Flight/Singapore Lounge pics

[sydks]

I love reading trip reports, some of the great ones almost make you feel like you went along for the trip. I have had hours of fun reading TRs on AFF so thought it was time to give one back. So here is my first attempt, I will be uploading it in parts due to all the photo's - hope you enjoy!

A little background

A DSC offer that was expiring at the end of this month (and would otherwise have gone unused) combined with the ability to fly return to Singapore with QF for less than Scoot (thanks to our South American friends) made the temptation of a little day trip spent flying and the opportunity to check out the new QF Singapore lounge too much to bear. So with a few key stokes and some help from google translate (my Portuguese is not that good) I had confirmed for Monday 17 June QF81 SYD-SIN and QF6 SIN-SYD with about 6 hours to spend at Changi. I know what some of you must be thinking, all that time flying in Y - am I crazy? Well yes I am obviously crazy and even I nearly talked myself out of it, but the 12000 odd points and 120 status credits, plus the fact I enjoy flying pushed me over the edge.

So it was that I set off from home at 5.45am yesterday (which was probably the worst part of the whole trip as I am not a morning person), getting a bus to central then swapping for the train to the International terminal where I arrived about 6.45am. There was no queue at the QF Club check in and with no bags to check the friendly agent handed me my BP in no time. Although the general check in area seemed quite busy, there was no queue for immigration so I was airside by just after 7am.

Fellow AFFer SeatBackForward was also flying out and had kindly agreed to guest me into the QF First Lounge, so we met outside the lounge and after the very friendly First attendants tapped away for a few moments we were in. Thanks again for your generosity SeatBackForward - you certainly made it a great start to the trip!

Part 1 - QF Sydney First Lounge

With about 2 hours to enjoy the lounge before boarding and not yet having had breakfast, or even a coffee, I headed straight for the restaurant and got a window table!

Great View - Nancy-Bird was right outside


Breakfast Menu - I had a good latte while I perused it, some tough choices here!


First course - Salmon Eggs Benedict with a glass of Tattinger


Second course - Sweet Corn Fritters with Bacon, avocado & jam. This time with a glass of Delamotte


Both were delicious!! Just something to note with the plates, when cutting with your knife and fork, keep them near the centre of the plate. The chinaware while stylish, due to it's design if you cut near the edge of the plate, it will try and flip up and things will try and slide off!

After breakfast I headed to the southern end near the library with a glass of Bollinger (decided I had to try all 3) to watch an EK A380 & UA 747 take off to the north on 34L


View of the lounge from the southern end - love the reclining chairs


My travel buddy Don tried the Bolli - we both agreed we miss the Vueve!


Love the flicking sound of the old style departure board - great feature


Sadly QF81 was called for boarding and my 2 hours in heaven came to an end. I said farewell to SeatBackForward, collected my return boarding pass for QF6 on the way past the desk and headed off to the gate past the green 'living wall'


Overall the QF First Lounge is very impressive, all the staff I encountered were that rare combination of efficient, courteous & friendly. The food service was great and the ambiance of the lounge & views (if you like plane spotting) are wonderful. Well done Qantas - just bring back the Veuve

Stay tuned for the next installment - QF81 SYD-SIN in 29K

 

[boomy]

Lovely report, Enjoy your trip!!
Waiting for part 2...

 

[sydks]

Part 2 - QF81 Sydney to Singapore

When I got to gate 30 I was pleasantly surprised to find it was empty! It had been a great morning in regards to avoiding queues! So it was straight down onto Qantas A330-300 VH-QPE 'Port Lincoln' for the hop up to Singapore. Walking through the Business cabin it looked pretty full, but Economy was only about 60% full, which meant most people enjoyed a spare seat, and I got 29 J&K to myself, which made for a pretty comfy flight!

The Captain announced we were held up due to the need to remove a bag of a no show pax, who subsequently turned up, so I guess they put it back on. Finally the door was closed and we pushed back about 20 mins late.

By this point flights were taking off to the south, so we taxied towards 16R and joined my first queue for the day behind Asiana, Air Nuigini & Air NZ planes. About 25 mins later we were off with wheels up about 1025. Enjoyed some spectacular views of the cliffs along the south coast before turning west towards Katomba.

Legroom shot - just adequate


Soon after take-off bottles of water & the lunch menu were handed out by a friendly mostly male crew.


Menu


Beverages


On our way - I had forgotten how small the seat back screens were on the original A330's, tiny!


Love the ever-changing view out a plane window!


Lunch was served - I had the Lamb which was ok. The salad had Feta which I love and decent dressing. The bread roll was NOT a rock for once, in-fact it was warm and soft, even better the butter was spreadable! The Dark Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel Fudge was great! First drink service was also combined with lunch - first Bundy & Coke of the trip!


After lunch I got some rather average red wine and decided to watch the movie Identity thief, it was so-so but it passed the time.


During the movie we got the Hot Chocolate service - with Marshmallow!


Followed by Ice Cream - the famous Mango Weis bar, Mango & Ice Cream, match made in heaven! All in all a pretty substantial meal service I thought.


Lunch and a Movie over and we still had hours of flying over Australia to go - sure makes you realise what a vast land we live in!

 

[markis10]

Surprised to see the difference in snacks between flight numbers, QF5 gets the pizza, which is two from two for not agreeing with me.

 

[sydks]

Part 2 Continued

My ever changing view, this time spectacular central Australia




Cabin shot


Almost halfway across Australia


At this point I had a snooze and awoke just as we crossed the spectacular coastline at the top end of Australia.


The views took my breath away


Airmap


After crossing the coast, we only had 3.5 hours to go, so I decided to watch another movie, Silver Linings Playbook. It certainly kept me engrossed, but I still can't decide what I actually thought of it!


At some point during the movie they served a snack which was a cheese and vegetable panini, with a Crunchy Bar as well as Tea & Coffee. Snack was good, but had some Coffee that was very average! Shortly after we descended towards Singapore, into a thick haze which was made visibility rather poor.


During descent as we were banking left another plane (think it was an A320) passed right over the top of us, it was mesmerizing seeing another plane so close and by the time I thought to take a photo it was gone! Touchdown was at 1703 local time.

Goodbye Port Lincoln! On the ground in Singapore's foggy haze, which I later saw was causing a few problems and health warnings for locals to stay indoors!


Overall it was a good flight, for Economy! The crew were friendly and the service was good. The Lunch and snack were substantial and very edible. The seat was comfortable enough and the only thing that really dated this almost decade old cabin was the tiny IFE screens - which will go with the coming A330 refresh (next year I think).

Stay tuned for the next installment - the new Qantas Singapore Lounge

 

[Inver]

Great TR so far, it makes me look forward to my trip there in August.

 

[robd]

I'm enjoying the read. Looking forward to the next part.

 

[hj.au]

Will do same thing in August, but only spend 3 hours in Changi. Even won't go through custom. Straight international transfer desk and lounge, then back to Sydney.

 

[mrfreeze]

I am a little bewildered that Don decided to travel in the seat pocket rather than the spare seat next to you.
Unless it was just for take off and landing and he was more secure in there than sitting in the seat with a large seat belt wrapped around him.

I am impressed he was able to get his mouth to the rim of the Champagne glass, though a little concerned he might of fallen in or even spilt some over himself when tipping the glass back to drink.
It is a constant issue with my travel buddy "Sharky", he always finds his fins are no match for a pair of arms or hands

 

[SeatBackForward]

Thanks again for your generosity SeatBackForward - you certainly made it a great start to the trip!

No problemo - you will have to be witness in case anyone questions if I am real or no (I'm quite low key in the meeting departement). Glad you had a good day

 

[Magpie10]

Great TR cannot wait for the next instalment, certainly plenty of miles covered in one day.

 

[sydks]

Part 3 - The Qantas Singapore Lounge

After having read many good things about the new lounge, I was looking forward to sampling it for myself. Arriving on QF81 at just after 5 and departing on QF6 at 10.25pm gave me a good 5 hours to relax and try everything on offer.

Simple & Stylish entry


I was given a very warm welcome at the desk when they noted how 'early' I was for my flight! Good first impression - tick! I was given a tour of the different lounge zones and food offerings and then deposited at the bar...


Where a 'Wild Monkey' was recommended (who could say no) and quickly served up with a side of tasty nuts.... I think I am going to like this place!


At this point having surveyed the food situation I knew to try a scientific sample size of dishes would take 2 sittings, so I decided to have the first meal early and then another later on after a shower/shopping break!

View towards the hot self selection area. About 20 shower rooms are through the passage near the left


First course - a sample from the self service selection. Some kind of Salt & Pepper style chicken, with rice that was yum and a piece of slow cooked beef (8 hours I think) which just fell apart and was delicious! Also some potato salad and ham from the cold station. Together with a glass of Penfolds Bin 8 Cab Shiraz. Doesn't look that good in the photo but it was an impressive start!


The menu for the 2 made to order dishes with suggested wines (sorry I can't get this pic to rotate!)


White wine selection



For the second course I settled on the Salmon with the Voyager Estate Chenin Blanc - both went down a treat!


and to complete the first meal it had to be the Vanilla Creme Brulee I read was so good.. and it was! With a glass of the Seppelt Sparkling on offer - it was no Champagne.


A very good first meal. The made to order Salmon was impressive, but I expected it to be. The biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed the self service chicken and beef. I am not really a buffet person, but I thought the quality was excellent!

After all that food I was ready for a nice hot shower. I was able to walk straight in to a shower room without a wait and they are a good size, with decent product (but attached to the wall - sorry missed the actual brand). Towel was a little on the small side, but at least was absorbent. The big disappointment was the actual water pressure - I had read it was poor, but I would call it abysmal! I like a good shower, particularly to de-stress and rejuvenate/re-hydrate after flying, so expect it to be something airlines make sure they get right in a lounge. For me this was the lounges only Fail!

After that I was heading out into the terminal to do some duty free shopping, but couldn't resist the offer of a Singapore Sling from the barman on the way past. He seemed so eager, so how could I disappoint! Plus it gave me a chance to check out the Fin review. Then it was shopping time.

 

[sydks]

Part 3 Continued

With shopping completed and legs stretched around the terminal, it was back to the lounge and time to.... you guessed it, eat again! Purely for research purposes so I could report back here of course!

This time I decided to sit up at the counter for a change of scenery, where I could watch the chef prepare my Braised Chicken and Black Vinegar Stir fried dish. This time I tried another red on offer, a Wynns Coonawarra Estate 'The Gables' Cab Shiraz.


Places at the counter


Mirrored wall behind the Chefs


My Chicken dish - great flavours


Dessert - I couldn't resist another Creme Brulee, but also had to sample the other offerings. One was a chocolate crumbly slice which was fabulous and the other a cake (perhaps orange) that was ok. Latte from the coffee machine was half decent (think there was an actual barista machine at the bar).


View towards the hot self service station


and towards the cold & dessert self service station


General Dining areas (many small tables around the sides and long share tables down the centre)






For the dining experience overall I was really impressed - while nothing like the First lounge in Sydney, for a Business lounge, it certainly exceeded my expectations. Great job here Qantas! Also I know there have been differing views on the polished concrete floor and exposed ceiling of the dining areas, and before seeing them, I certainly had reservations. But having experienced it in person, I think it somehow works. It gave the whole 'dining zone' of the lounge a very different feel, with a bit of buzz and energy - but then you could retreat to the 'lounging zone' which was the complete opposite. So for me it worked!

 

[Fifa]

Overall it was a good flight, for Economy! The crew were friendly and the service was good. The Lunch and snack were substantial and very edible. The seat was comfortable enough and the only thing that really dated this almost decade old cabin was the tiny IFE screens - which will go with the coming A330 refresh (next year I think).

I was on QF81 almost 2 weeks ago and totally agree with you.
And that Dark Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel Fudge was YUM .

Enjoying reliving our 2 day trip to Singapore through your TR - thanks.

 

[sydks]

Part 3 Continued some more

Last few pics of the Dining area


View back towards the Bar, Lounge Entry and the 'Lounging zone' which is round the corner to the right.


In one of the Lounge zones looking back towards the Bar. You can see a long bench table with stools and wine buckets/glasses for self service


Looking back the other way


A variety of interesting looking, yet very comfy chairs


You can just see here that each little table has 2 international power sockets on each side! Very functional given most pax would have at least 2 devices each (phone/tablet or laptop).


A long work bench and large TV. There is also a children's play area just out of sight in the right hand corner.


Another TV area


Self service drink station in the 'Lounge zone'


Angled wooden slats provide an effective way to break up the space without making it feel claustrophobic or enclosed.


Hopefully these pics convey in some way the very different atmosphere of this area of the lounge compared to the dining area. I think they have done a great job creating an environment that caters well for differing moods and where you can spend a good couple of hours relaxing/eating or socialising.

The only major downside to the 'design' of the lounge is the lack of tarmac views (or any external views) particularly if you like to plane spot - but they couldn't help that given the lounges location!

It is such a vast improvement over the prior lounge, when I was there in April last year I was so appalled at the poor state of the lounge, the average food selection and the awfully cheap & nasty wine they had that I took the time to send in feedback (which I rarely do). Well I am happy to say Red Roo that this time it's all compliments. A total 180 - and for the better! If you could just fix the shower pressure and offer some real Champagne then I would happily give you 10/10!!

Oh - and if the full coughtail bar concept could be rolled out to the other Business lounges, I would love that too

Stay tuned for the next installment - QF6 SIN-SYD in 71A

 

[sydks]

Will do same thing in August, but only spend 3 hours in Changi. Even won't go through custom. Straight international transfer desk and lounge, then back to Sydney.

I didn't leave Changi either. You don't even need to go through any international transfer desk or security, you get off the plane straight into the main terminal airside with all the departing pax. So can tear up your arrivals card and head straight to the lounge! Are you doing flights 81 in and 82 out or 5 in 6 out?

 

[sydks]

I am a little bewildered that Don decided to travel in the seat pocket rather than the spare seat next to you.
Unless it was just for take off and landing and he was more secure in there than sitting in the seat with a large seat belt wrapped around him.

I am impressed he was able to get his mouth to the rim of the Champagne glass, though a little concerned he might of fallen in or even spilt some over himself when tipping the glass back to drink.
It is a constant issue with my travel buddy "Sharky", he always finds his fins are no match for a pair of arms or hands

Don is a bit of a nervous flyer so likes to be tightly tucked into the seat pocket for take off, landing or turbulence. But during the flight he most certainly made use of 'his' own seat, and got quite a lot of attention from the cabin crew, with drinks flowing freely and regular snacks - I don't know where he puts it all! And when it comes to Champagne - Don would never spill a drop!

 

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report.

 

[Stoopidsteve]

Part 3 Continued

Dessert - I couldn't resist another Creme Brulee, but also had to sample the other offerings. One was a chocolate crumbly slice which was fabulous and the other a cake (perhaps orange) that was ok. Latte from the coffee machine was half decent (think there was an actual barista machine at the bar).

SNAP!!!! http://www.australianfrequentflyer....here-there-everywhere-50186-8.html#post835529 (post 74)

Thanks for TR. I like the new Sing lounge...just wish we could still do QF SIN-LHR direct!

 

[tuapekastar]

Excellent TR, and looks like an excellent lounge, thanks for posting. I haven't been in that physical space since early 2006, when it was the QF/BA J lounge (used the QF/BA F lounge on more recent visits), and it looks great. Not sure how you managed to get out of your seat to board your ongoing flight after all that food.