A simple trip raises some difficult questions

[simongr]

Hi all

Well the impending simple flight to the UK with mrssimongr and babygr is more impending than previously as we depart next week!

As we get closer to the date some questions are starting to arise which I thought I might raise here:

- Food schedule. Any idea what the schedule of feeding is on QF31? I assume there is a proper dinner SYD-SIN but what is scheduled SIN-LHR?

- Food warming for little people - will the cabin crew nuke some food for the little feller?

- SIN layover - how long is the SIN layover? In my 100+ long haul flights I have never done a straight Kangaroo route SYD-LHR flight... is there time for a shower?

- Duty free and hand luggage through SIN - ISTR that there are liquids restrictions ex-SIN that are pretty rough. Can I buy in Oz and leave on board at the SIN transit? Can we leave other stuff on board at SIN?

I am sure we will have more as we panic closer to the flight so expect more questions.

There will be a trip report I think and photos of babygr will probably be on Facebook...

S

 

[Katie]

I've done BA SYD-LHR pre-baby, and QF BNE-SIN-LHR with Little Miss 18month old.

* For SIN-LHR, you should get two meals, a snack bag, and ice cream. One meal should be very late dinner, and then an early pre-arrival brekky.

* Cabin crew should be able to help out with nuking food, though I think it will be more like putting your bottle/jar/tin in hot water.

* Not sure about the showers, only time I've bothered was one the BNE-SIN-LHR route, so not a direct flight. If you want to shower with the wee one, there is a wheelchair friendly shower room, with a bit of a padded bench and more space than the other showers (I guess).

* Based on my BA experience, you cannot leave anything on board, even when you are coming back to the same plane. You have to go through the whole liquid thing before boarding any flight in SIN, so if you want duty free liquids, you will have to purchase them in SIN or on arrival at LHR (if possible).

 

[simongr]

Thanks for the info. Just checking whether the meal info was in J or whY? We are in J

 

[dajop]

QF 31 has 90 minutes in SIN, so this should be enough time for showering etc in the lounge. As QF 31 is a later departure, unless there are delays to the other flights the lounge empties out pretty quickly as the three earlier flights start boarding leaving, leaving QF 31 pax in relative peace and quiet

As you allude to liquids and gels can be problematic, and I don't think you can leave anything on board. However, with the strength of the AUD at the moment, SIN has pretty cheap DF (certainly last week it was cheaper than in MEL), so unless there is something you want that isn't stocked at SIN this should not be a problem - just buy as soon as you land in SIN as there may be a 60 minute cutoff for delivering purchases to the gate.

 

[Katie]

Meal info was for whY. I haven't ever done J between Aus and Europe. Sob!

Extrapolating from the whY meals though, you should get a late dinner/supper, much like the 11pm-ish departure LAX-BNE J flight I got in May. Brekky before landing. As for in between ... not 100% sure? There should be some snacks available ... it is J after all!
I'm sure others on board have better experience with this class and these flights than I do.

And QF knows about babygr and have you requested meals/food for babygr? From my flights with Little Miss last year, babies under 12 months were given a wee pack with some bottled food in it; we paid for Little Miss's seat, so we requested and she got children's meals. Just that way you might get some more food that might come in handy, even if it's after you arrive. I had a relative *not* request special meals for her child to/from Japan, because she assumed it would happen as part of a child's ticket being purchased.

We upgraded on points to J from whY Honolulu-Sydney in June this year, and because of the late stage of the upgrade, Little Miss had whY meals, not J. Not such a big deal, except for the second meal, where she was ravenous and the FAs forgot about collecting her meal from whY, so she was rather unhappy that Mama got a meal when all she got was a cloth over her tray. And of course, she didn't want to eat mine - about 30 mins later her whY meal was heated ...
Always pays to check and check again about kiddie meals, even if your bub might be too young for them. If they're into eating crackers yet, then I'm sure the J FAs will let you have a heap of them!

 

[docjames]

Security screening at SIN is done at the gate so no liquids > 100ml but duty-free wise grog is the same price as AUS.

Supper and breakfast are the two meals, in J you will probably have some choice in when they bring them (vs Y when it just comes). Usually they'll give you the "what time do you want breakfast" or are you happy to have it when it comes (usu ~ 1.5 hrs from landing, maybe a bit more to LHR).

In J on long hauls there's also the "dine anytime" option where a limited range of snacks is available (vs snack pack in Y).

90mins is heaps to get to lounge, shower etc. Make sure you check upon arrival because sometimes if it's busy you'll need to queue for a shower (they give you a beeper so you can go and relax).


I believe the "leave stuff on board" is somewhat airport dependant. At SIN you cant leave anything on board.

 

[thegurio]

Finally something i can be an authority on... Alas only in whY but!

Like the others ahve mentioned, meals are at the times given. You have to get all of your garbage off the plane in SIN which is a real pain, just remember to take your passport off the plane, unlike me, and you'll be fine. You will have about 90 minutes according to the scheduled stop but we barely had 60 minutes, in fact i think it was way shorter than that because by the time i had walked up one end of the terminal to the other with GrommetGurio, it was time to panic, find the passports and get back into the plane.

Yes, they will heat your bottles etc. just make sure you keep on them as they did forget about us, but once again this was in whY.

This was on QF, SYD-SIN-LHR so the same as what your doing. I shall look forward to the updates!

 

[medhead]

I've done the SIN transit to FRA and it was a case of removing everything from the aircraft. With screening at the gate as noted.

Definitely order the kids meal. Some of our early domestic flights with an infant (ADL-BNE) we got gived a pack of 5 varieties of jarred baby food. :shock: A day and a half worth of meals for baby.

The kids meal SYD-FRA was excellent, superior to Y adult meals. Best bit was a almost perfect mashed pumpkin. The kids refused it so I swapped them for chocolate. IME the kids meal makes an excellent supplement to the standard meal.

They should be pretty good on warming food and such. SWMBO even had a FA hold baby once, while she ate on an ADL-BNE in J.

 

[thegurio]

They should be pretty good on warming food and such. SWMBO even had a FA hold baby once, while she ate on an ADL-BNE in J.

Thats the one good thing about FA's, they love holding babies! If Junior doesnt mind going with new people they "should" be happy to take him for a bit and amuse him for a while.

 

[simongr]

Thanks all

babgr is breast fed or solids so it is just warming solids that is required. We will be taking plenty of solids with us...

 

[winfred]

Remember to bring a change of cloth for for Mr, Mrs & Junior. I was vommited on and had an accident when changing nappies when I did my MEL-SIN a few years ago with my 1-y-o. There was not enough time for the stopover in SIN to buy clothes and the SIN-HKG (only a few hours instead of 14 to LHR) was quite unbearable.

 

[simongr]

We will get PJs in J SYD-SIN which we will change into. I expect if we don't get replacements SIN-LHR then we will use teh same PJs SIN-LHR but a change might be a good idea...

 

[sr81]

I have always been offered a new set when re boarding the aircraft. If you do have a puke accident then I am sure the crew could sort you out with a spare set.

 

[Katie]

We will get PJs in J SYD-SIN which we will change into. I expect if we don't get replacements SIN-LHR then we will use teh same PJs SIN-LHR but a change might be a good idea...

Good point! That would have been handy for me when Little Miss 18 month old had an exploding poo nappy during turbulence BNE-SIN (being turbulence, she was on my lap at the time). No J PJs for us, but luckily I had some yoga pants in my bag for me (and 3 changes of clothes or something crazy for her).
After arriving in LHR, our hotel didn't have a laundry and I had to pay crazy pounds (over 10 pounds, IIRC) to get the jeans dry-cleaned.

 

[RB]

May this yr got PJs on both segments. Certainly had time for a shower & time to check email in QP-drinks were Ok but as indicated at the time we were there food was a non event. Option to snack after SIN was good. Definitely had to take everything off at SIN