A Christmas Special: on Singapore Airlines A330 Business Class ADL to SIN

[pmdg7444]

Hi all


I recently had the pleasure of travelling on SQ's A330 J product from ADL to SIN in the week before xmas - a flight which I thoroughly enjoyed and with all the extra xmas touches onboard- it felt more festive and special. Hence, my desire to share with you all what it was like to travel with SQ during that festive season.

I'm sure we all hold SQ to high regard and expectations, and certainly this time, it did not disappoint, and was another fine example of SQ's high quality onboard product and service. Although some small things weren't fully top notch, the whole experience was fantastic and highly enjoyable.

Except the main gateways of SYD and MEL, the A330s are SQ's main equipment in ports such as PER, ADL and BNE, so theres a fair chance quite a few forum members would consider flying SQ. I hope this TR would give an insight into what you can expect. Enjoy.

 

[pmdg7444]

checkin at ADL.


SQ located at far left. Good to see separate lane for J and status pax. Checkin was efficient and friendly with staff dressed in SQ uniforms. Receive priority bag tags. Only thing missing is an Express Path card - which ADL does not have. Check in lady was nice to inform me the location of the not-so-easy to find lounge.



Past security and immigration and straight to the lounges. The SilverKris lounge is located is on a downstairs floor. Except for these escalators, I couldnt see any 'lounge' signage anywhere throughout the terminal

 

[pmdg7444]

Inside is a small, windowless room- and pretty dark too. Whilst I think its adequate for ADL, the furnishings I think are up to scratch to Silverkris standards worldwide



Cold food selection - mostly crackers and sandwiches


Espresso pod machine


Hot food consists of small pies, rolls, etc.


Didnt really want to fill any room in my stomach - which is being saved for the next 7 hrs inflight. But for those who are absolutely starving or peckish - I say those sandwiches and pies are good for a a snack.

 

[pmdg7444]

cold drinks fridge



PC and printer

newspapers


the all important booze section?



I think the lounges here are showerless - but still very clean and well presented. Despite it not being a full blown lounge, overall the SQ lounge here at ADL is well fit for its purpose - it did not feel too crowded with the SQ and NZ flights going out at roughly the same time. Its just ideal to grab a quick drink, surf the net, read a paper or just relax on the sofas before boarding.

 

[pmdg7444]

Boarding----on time and at the Intl gates area.



Looks like its quite an old SQ A333 bird, some of the rivets are beginning to show wear and corrosion.


Boarding done by class and status.


All smiles so far by the ground staff here at ADL - from check in --lounge-- boarding.



Was greeted by name at the door. A very familiar looking J cabin. Exactly the same seats as on VA's new A330s - but a different decor colour and slightly different style

 

[pmdg7444]

Pana eX2 IFE on the right. Seat controls in the panel just above. Headphone jack, USB, Power and RCA connectors on the left - tucked away under the armrest.



Some signs of wear - indicative of the aircraft's age and continuous service.

 

[pmdg7444]

important legroom shot. Not a fully flat recliner but more an angled seat. In a full angled flat position, 'footspace' can be become quite limited.


storage latches


xmas decorations - a nice touch by SQ

 

[pmdg7444]

seat 'pocket' contents - mags, sick bag, noise cancelling headset in plastic, safety card. IFE screen was adequate- touch screen function and i think around 16-17 inch size.


some of the convenient storage compartments - good for cameras, phones, glasses, etc.


Large tray table tucked away- required a bit of effort to move out and swivel

 

[pmdg7444]

pre dep drinks and hot towel

around this time, the lead of the cabin introduced herself and provided the menu. The J cabin I think was served by a compliment of 4 FAs. J was around 90% full.

Whenever I was served by the wonderful Ms Wong and Mr Tan, they always addressed me by name - maybe cos I'm taking a lot of photos?

Being xmas - I choose the xmas specials in the menu - which I'll show you below.



swivelable headrest lamp.


After takeoff.........


the first drinks and nuts service-----although the portion is a bit wanting.

 

[pmdg7444]

SQ branding

Large tray table


the 'amenity kits' were then given out. Here's where SQ is a bit of a let down. Inside is a funny looking pair of hybrid shoe-socks and a cheap (looks to be worn) eyeshades. Whilst amen kits are often on the chopping block of most airlines, I really think SQ should do away with these altogether and go with the small bag approach used by other airlines - QF, EK, EY, VA comes to mind.

To be harsh, I think these are probably suited to Papa Smurf.

 

[pmdg7444]

Then Xmas menu -



Info about SQ's chefs


In bold - I had the xmas meat stuffing and veg and the xmas bavarois - a very nice pudding.


wine consultants - unfortuntately didnt take a shot of the full bev list - but it was a good selection of whites, reds, plus usual spirits, tea, coffee and non-alco

 

[pmdg7444]

SQ's tropical fizz drinks



The entree- as you can see, you can pull the table quite close to you when fully upright.



The entree was mainly a cold dish but was full of flavour with the scallops well marinated, and blending really well with the cheese and ham. Presentation 10/10.



metal cutlery -

S&P shakers

 

[Fifa]

To be harsh, I think these are probably suited to Papa Smurf.
View attachment 22245

YIKES :shock:.
They would be sooooo embarrassing to wear!

Thanks for the TR - I'm really enjoying it.

 

[pmdg7444]

The main - a nicely presented selection of meats with roasted veggies----a great way to experience xmas onboard!

Digging through these meats and veggies---was just like spending a lazy Sunday roast lunch. Meat was moist and well cooked. It worked well with the cranberry sauce and the main was just the right portion size.





the xmas pudding - delish. Just the right amount of sweetness- really liked the mix of subtle caramel with a hint of brandy. And of course, the xmas meal would not be complete with a candy cane and cherry on top. Great xmas meal service by SQ!





cheese and fruits to finish. Here's another SQ feature - they like to serve whole fruits to you - instead of cut up slices. Personally, I find a bit too much and would rather prefer a smaller serving of various sliced fruits.

 

[pmdg7444]

lunch was had over NT/WA- great view

some English tea......



just when i thought everything was finished, Ms Wong came around offering a tiny tiramisu bite!


I also found this in the galley- but wasnt for me this time.

 

[pmdg7444]

entertainment:


noise cancelling headset by Phitek - worked quite well and was comfy to wear.


SQ's eX2 remote - slightly more buttons than default versions.


Choices on Krisworld: plentiful and very up to date.

 

[pmdg7444]

 

[pmdg7444]

Lav shots:


Clean and well kept


inside these drawers are some amen itesm such as toothbrush, comb and wipes



More airlines should have these! Foot activated trash door opener!

items in the J lavs only I think

 

[pmdg7444]

Now can see why SQ doesnt provide amen kits - as they are all located in the lavs for the passenger's own serving.



Second meal service a few hours later closer to SIN:

I ordered some fruits with coffee - again the fruit comes in as a whole - and it just becomes too much. I can see SQ's reasoning in serving whole fruits to highlight 'freshness' but personally, I prefer small individual sliced servings - especially when J already serves a lot of food.


Pork and veg fried noodle - very tasty.

 

[pmdg7444]

when everythings cleared- second hot towel. Branding applied very consistently across most items - a good indicator of quality for me!



Seat pocket contents - usual items of shopping mags, IFE card, safety card.


And to sum it all up, the past 7 hrs have gone by far too quickly......