SQ978 SIN-BKK and LH772 BKK-SGN

[Strawberry Muppet]

SIN-BKK

 

Flight SQ978

 

Thursday 8th May 2008

 

Departure time: 18:00

 

Arrival time: 19:25

 

Distance: 880 miles

 

Scheduled flight time: 2hrs 25mins

 

Aircraft type: B777-200

 

Seat: 1F

 

Flight SQ978 to BKK was just boarding by the time I arrived at gate E4. I tried to smuggle my favourite drink onboard, a carton of soya bean milk, but security at the gate caught me so I quickly drank it before boarding. Once the doors were closed the captain welcomed us onboard and apologised for the slight delay in boarding owing to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft. I sat back and began to catch up on the news back home with a selection of the previous day’s British newspapers as we prepared for take-off. Flight time was estimated at just under 2hrs.

 

Leading stewardess Anidah brought me my Singapore Sling accompanied by roasted walnuts soon after take-off. On the menu this evening was a delicious Thai green papaya salad with shrimps and garlic chilli sauce to begin followed by a choice of three entrees; Beef Wellington, Thai style fish curry or braised duck in a soya sauce served with yam rice, braised egg and peanuts. I had booked the cook and chosen the duck with yam rice but I needn’t have done so. When one of the cabin crew informed me that the BTC option didn’t have all the extra accompaniments as the normal menu option I was offered to have the one on the menu if I preferred and so I did. The duck was nice but I couldn’t finish it all as I wanted room for dessert which was a selection of fresh fruit – I absolutely love all fruits - and they were all yummy. I could have eaten the whole fruit basket if I wasn’t so full!

 

 

 

 

 

During the latter part of the meal service I was chatting to Anidah and eventually the topic came round to SQTalk. She asked me what it was and I explained. Then we got chatting about SQ and its competitors, aircraft fleet and loads of other interesting stuff including which routes had the grumpiest pax! Anidah, I am sorry if I distracted you from serving the other two F pax but honestly I do love to talk to crew whenever I can. I hear others sometimes say SQ cabin crew can be a bit “robotic†but I have never experienced this. I am always myself whichever class I happen to fly in. I never act differently just because I happen to be flying in a premium cabin. Over the years I have seen passengers expecting to be treated like royalty… in business class…lol!

 

We landed into BKK on schedule and parked up at gate D02 or D03 (can’t remember which). Thank goodness this is only a short walk to immigration. I was dreading we were going to land at a gate further away and having to walk a mile to get to arrivals. Service onboard was just exemplary from the whole First Class crew. Thank you so much for a wonderful flight Anidah, you were a star!

 

BKK-SGN

 

Flight LH772

 

Friday 9th May 2008

 

Departure time: 15:05

 

Arrival time: 16:40

 

Distance: 446 miles

 

Scheduled flight time: 1hr35mins

 

Aircraft type: B747-400

 

Seat: 83K (upper deck)

 

I arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport exactly 2hrs before my flight. Usually I wouldn’t arrive so early for a short flight like this but I wanted to check out the Thai Airways Royal First Lounge. Check-in was quick and my bag was priority-checked to SGN. Immigration was fairly quick and I was airside in a matter of minutes. I had checked the Lufthansa website to check the status of my flight before I arrived at the airport and it was showing on time and due to depart from gate D02 so that was good. There are two TG First Class lounges at BKK and I made my way to the one nearest my gate. And wow, what a lounge! I’ve used the Royal Silk lounge before and it’s nothing special, but this was truly beautiful. There are individual slumber rooms, private lounges with large LCD TVs, a sit-down restaurant (with private dining room), a smoking lounge with real leather seats and beautifully-appointed shower suites and toilets with L’ Occitane products. Soothing music flowed throughout the lounge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I wasn’t hungry I didn’t eat anything during my visit. The fruit looked gorgeous but I had had a lot for breakfast already. As soon as I sat down I was greeted and asked if I would like a drink. Heavens above! I must have been greeted about ten times already as I arrived and walked through the lounge - I ordered a cappuccino – just look at the presentation!

 

 

That was the first of three cappuccinos I had. I was going to ask what champagne they served but didn’t quite feel like it. I took my second shower of the day – Bangkok was boiling hot when I left for the airport around lunchtime - before I left the lounge to go through security. Wonderful lounge, wonderful service.

 

Now, I had a small Swiss army knife with me in my wash bag which I had forgotten I brought with me. This showed up on the x-ray and I was made to surrender it. Somehow it had passed through security in my hand luggage at LHR, SIN, HKG and SIN again during the past week before being spotted here at BKK.

 

 

Gate D02 is less than a minute’s walk from the lounge. I boarded and was shown to my window seat upstairs and welcomed with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck "Rare"

 

 

Before the doors closed the head purser came over and introduced herself to me and said we were just waiting for one passenger to board. I was presented with a First Class amenity kit together with slippers and socks (not usually available on this short sector).

 

 

 

 

Pushback at exactly 15:00 and we took off at 15:11 with an estimated flight time of 1hr 5mins. Cabin announcements were made in German, English and French with a pre-recorded announcement in Vietnamese.

 

 

 

As soon as the seat-belt sign came off the head purser returned and asked me if everything was alright so far, addressing me by name all the time. Service commenced soon after with another drink followed by a three-course cold meal. For the actual meal service I was looked after by a different member of the cabin crew who was professional and friendly and I took the opportunity to chat with her during the flight. For such a short flight the quality of the food and presentation in First Class is truly of a high standard. Here’s what I enjoyed:

 

 

BBQ prawn kebab with a sweet chilli dip

 

 

Smoked chicken breast, horseradish cocktail sauce and tomato salsa

 

 

Coconut bread and butter pudding with vanilla sauce and fresh fruit

 

Towards the end of the flight the head purser came back to my seat and asked if everything had been okay. I beamed at her and said how everything had been perfect. We descended into Tan Son Nhat airport ahead of schedule and landed at 16:20 local time.

 

 

This was my first time arriving in the new International T2. All very modern and quite a relief from the old non air-conditioned terminal. Immigration was fairly quick and by the time I reached baggage reclaim my bag had appeared on the belt. As usual I was met with a frenzy of taxi drivers as I exited customs into the humid arrivals hall outside the terminal. It took me a good 40 mins to finally reach the Renaissance Riverside, traffic was that bad!

 

 

[Guest OzChris]

An excellent report - I really enjoyed that.

 

Interesting re the knife getting through security all those times... :|

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Another absolutely brilliant trip report! Excellent reading :D