Cheapskate month in SE Asia with status

[froggerADL]

Ninety minutes at SIN (at, not of)

We landed at SIN about 35 minutes early. I’d have to say that was the most enjoyable flight J class flight I’ve ever taken and even beats many, if not all, of my F flights. The seat was so comfortable, the service faultless and the food delicious. The value was unbeatable. I always prefer early afternoon flights too as it usually means I wake up at a reasonable time, don’t overindulge in the lounge and get to my destination at a reasonable time.

I’ll probably regret admitting this but I watched a Jennifer Aniston movie called Mother’s Day and I really enjoyed it. For an American movie I found it quite funny.

I was connecting to a flight to KUL at SIN and had a scheduled 90 minute layover. I was wheeled from the aircraft to the SilverKris lounge in Terminal 3. This was a bit of a comedown for me as my only other visits to a Singapore Airlines lounge at SIN have been to The Private Room .

The lounge appeared to be quite nice but I was only there five minutes when my wheelchair reurned. They had worked out that my next flight was to depart from Terminal 2, so off we went. This is the weird thing about wheelchair assistance, not only do I not have to use my legs, I also don’t need to use by brain! I didn’t even consider which terminal my flight was leaving from as my pusher (the wheelchair kind ) would take care of all that. It’s the same with departure gates and baggage carousels, I just get taken to the correct one. I think this is called learned helplessness and I don’t particularly like it. My life is being controlled by a pusher!

Anyway, after quite a long push and a short train ride we arrived at the SilverKris lounge in Terminal 2. It is a nice enough lounge and was quite busy.

I had some important business to attend to during this layover at SIN. I had acquired 40 Changi Dollars (another win for the cheapskate) on my recent trip to China which I needed to exchange for duty free goods. I had decided to get 200 cigarettes, which would cost around SGD30 and a 200ml bottle of scotch to go a little over SGD40. I took my selections to the cash register only to be told that Changi Dollars can no longer be used for tobacco purchases, effective from last Monday. I now had to rethink my plan. In the end I got a one litre bottle of Jack Daniels which was SGD40.10 and a carton of cancer sticks for SGD33.80. The exchange rate was around SGD1.02 to A$1. When I went to pay for the items I was told that they had to be separate purchases. I had to pay SGD0.10 for the booze so I handed over the 28 Degrees MasterCard. Duty free shops at SIN always offer that wonderfully convenient option of dynamic currency conversion (DCC) which I always refuse (when given the option), as should everyone.

DCC is one of my pet hates and I was about to get my first chance to have my revenge :evil:. I had the option to pay the ten cents in either SGD or AUD. I chose AUD in the hope that the mongrels that provide DCC would lose out on the transaction due to the processing costs. I then paid in SGD for the smokes. I could have paid A$35.80 via DCC for my SGD33.80 purchase :shock:. I actually paid A$33.01 on the 28 Degrees MC. Remember, NEVER pay for anything overseas in the home currency of your card. You can NEVER win. ALWAYS use the local currency. ALWAYS.

Sorry about the shouting . DCC gets me wound up.

I then stumbled back to the SilverKris lounge and had a beer.

 

[froggerADL]

More Points

Points have posted for the second Hilton Hanoi Opera stay. Same as previous stay, 7382 HH points and 1020 Avios.

 

[JohnK]

Fortunately, being a genuine cheapskate significantly increases your chances of being single .

You forgot to add happily single! :mrgreen:

I checked out of the Hilton Hanoi Opera without issue. I paid my VND693,000 (A$40.50) bill in cash as I wanted to use all remaining dong before I left Vietnam. From my experience it is almost impossible to exchange dong once you’ve left the country. If anyone has any experience contrary to this I’m happy to be corrected.

I am sure I have seen Vietnamese dong accepted at some of the private exchanges in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Will check again next week.

 

[froggerADL]

You forgot to add happily single! :mrgreen:


I am sure I have seen Vietnamese dong accepted at some of the private exchanges in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Will check again next week.

Did I?

Actually, I did end up with VND120,000. I was passing a money changer at Ampang Park shopping centre in KL so I checked the rates. VND was not listed among the many currencies listed but I asked anyway and he said yes. So I proved myself wrong. That almost covered the cost of my haircut.

I know they refused VND at BKK about three years ago.

I'm still interested in people's experiences with exchanging VND.

Will you be in Bangkok this month JohnK?

 

[JohnK]

Will you be in Bangkok this month JohnK?

Not this month. Arriving morning of 4th September and heading up to Chiang Mai.

 

[froggerADL]

SQ A350 SIN-KUL in J

My wheels arrived to take me to my next flight. Just as well I wasn’t trying to walk it as it was quite a distance to the gate and there was a long queue at security. As usual, I bypassed the queue and was the first to board the plane.

I’d been looking forward to this flight as it was aboard an SQ A350-900. SQ are using this type on the short SIN-KUL hop to train the pilots and crew. I was told that this aircraft had been in service for just two weeks. I took some photos.

My seat 12A


A dude in my nice wide seat


A350 complete with Singapore Girl


A350 J cabin


A350 front row of J. I would pick this row in future


It was a successful flight. We took off and landed. I’m going to compare this A350-900 flight with my B777-200 experience just a few hours earlier. I was in a second row window seat in business class for both flights.

The seat is only 28 inches wide. I have recently become accustomed to 30 inches. B777 wins. But seriously, if I didn’t know anything about aircraft types then I would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Both are very comfortable.

The A350 is reputed to be the quietest aircraft available but as I was sitting a fair way from the noisy bits in the second row I didn’t notice any difference. I would say that both aircraft are audibly pleasant, especially with noise cancelling headphones, so this one is a tie for me.

I had issues with the table. I couldn’t get it out and it took the FA a few tries to set it up. It took three different FAs to get it stowed away with the male FA being successful eventually. While this was happening I got to experience a middle seat. I put this down to teething problems in French built equipment which is only to be expected really :mrgreen:.

In order to be able to provide a comprehensive report on this aircraft I made sure I used the toilet. I didn’t call it a bathroom as there was no bath in there. I managed to pee successfully. It was functional. On the plus side it was at the front of the J cabin so I didn’t have to stumble very far. The B777 was at the rear of the J cabin so for this reason I will score this as a win for the A350.

I did not suffer jetlag on either flight as I had only a one hour time difference between Hanoi & Singapore and no time difference on this 35 minute flight. Maximum altitude attained on the A350 was only 20,000 feet but with a bit more practice I’m sure the pilots will be able to get a bit higher. Maybe they should get together with one of my pushers :shock:. I’ll score this one as N/A.

I did not recline my seat as I was very comfortable in an upright position.

Honestly, I really couldn’t differentiate between the two aircraft. Even the two inch difference in the seat width wasn’t noticeable to me.

In concluding my review I will say that SQ have an amazing J product based on my experience of their four across seating arrangement. It is comparable to my international first class experiences on SQ, MH, QF, EK, JL, BA and TG. It is vastly superior to my international business class experiences on QF, CX, EK, QR, KA and MH. And it was so damn cheap.

As this is a comparison between two different Singapore Airlines aircraft, my score is a tie. SQ are brilliant (I still love you Qantas, so don’t get jealous). My advice is don’t worry about what model aircraft it is, just make sure it’s four across on a wide body and it’s on Singapore Airlines. And get some KrisFlyer points.

 

[froggerADL]

Re: SQ A350 SIN-KUL in J

The meal service was nothing special but it was a very short flight. To my horror there was no alcohol service.

I was asked if I'd like a chicken or beef sandwich and I requested the beef. It turned out to be pastrami, and while it is technically beef it is not a bovine based sandwich meat that I enjoy. I requested the chicken.

Tandoori chicken pita pocket. It was quite nice.


When my table was cleared I tried to stow it. This is a photo of the FAs attempting to put it away.

Photo taken from seat 2D


We landed shortly afterwards.

 

[froggerADL]

Back to Kuala Lumpur

We landed at 7:40pm at the KUL satellite terminal. My wheels collected me from the aircraft doors. My pusher was a tiny young lady and I wondered how she would manage to get me to a taxi. I'm not huge but I am probably twice her weight and we were heading up hill.

We arrived at the train which takes passengers to the main terminal. We engaged in the usual small talk. “Do you have a car?” “No, I need to get a taxi.” “OK.” “Would you mind if we stop at an ATM?” “OK.” “Do you have a bag?” “Yes, one small bag.” “OK.”

We went through immigration without delay. We actually queued up behind three other passengers in the premium line. She then pointed to a “Disabled” sign above a vacant immigration position and said “we can go there if you like.” “Yes please.” I think she was concerned that I would be offended at the suggestion that I may be disabled. Hah, I’m lovin’ it! Well, the getting around airports easily part of it anyway.

We were now looking for an ATM. She saw a currency exchange booth and asked if I’d like to use it. I hesitated while I checked the AUD rate. I knew that the mid-rate was around MYR3.04. They were offering MYR2.81. “Err, no thanks” was my response. I spotted an ATM and withdrew MYR120 using my Citibank Plus debit card so that I could pay for the taxi. That cost me A$39.76, so I got MYR3.018.

:idea: Cheapskate tip: Try to avoid airport based currency exchange booths. They will usually cost you between 8% and 10% for the privilege. There are a number of money changers at Ampang Park shopping mall in KL. The mid-rate yesterday was MYR3.08. The money changers were selling at MYR3.07 and buying at MYR3.10. They seem to work on a 1% spread .

My bag was about the fifth one out. My pusher collected it with some assistance from the men crowding the belt. She then put it next to me and told me to hold onto it while she pushed the wheelchair. OK. A male airport employee saw this, came over, took the bag and headed through customs. We followed. I now had my own pusher and a bagman .

We got to the taxi booth and my bagman asked where I was going, asked me for some money, then purchased the taxi voucher for me. It cost MYR83.40 (A$27.20). He gave me the change and we headed off to the taxi rank. He put my bag in the boot while I got into the cab. I offered my pusher a MYR10 (A$3.25) tip and she smiled at me and said “No, It’s OK”. Amazing. It was now 8:20pm so 40 minutes from gate to kerb. I hadn’t taken a step.

The cab ride took 45 minutes. When we got to the DoubleTree KL the driver asked for a wheelchair. I was wheeled to reception and then to my room.

 

[froggerADL]

DoubleTree KL

I’ve stayed at the DoubleTree KL five or six times over the last few years. I've even bumped into fellow AFFers in the exec lounge here. My stays are usually on points as it's a HHonors reward category two property. Points cost is 10,000 per night or 4,000 points + ~A$30 for points plus pay. I was low on points at the time of this booking but I got a good rate with the 40% Off Flash Sale.

I am here for four nights and the rate paid was A$105.70 per night. I had booked the cheapest available room, of course.

I had requested a room on the same level as the executive lounge, level 34. On check-in I was told that I had been upgraded to a King Suite on level 34. Sweet. I could have complimentary breakfast in the lounge or restaurant and coughtails and canapes are served between 5:30pm and 7:30pm each evening.

By the time I got to my room it was 9:15pm. I knew that the supermarket below the DoubleTree closes at 10pm so I went down to get some beers. The mini-bar price for a can of Tiger is MYR30 (~A$10). I paid RM35 for six cans of Tiger at the supermarket.

I really like the executive lounge at the Doubletree KL. Here are some photos.

Doubletree KL Executive Lounge


Another view


View from the exec lounge balcony


Balcony view at night

 

[froggerADL]

Re: DoubleTree KL

One of the DoubleTree KL executive lounge staff members became aware that it would be my birthday shortly after this stay. On leaving the lounge on the night before departure he presented me with a little bag as a gift. I don’t really celebrate birthdays but I was blown away by the kind gesture. Here are some photos.

DoubleTree cookies in a tin


Birthday wishes


This was the flower on the table in the lounge.

Interesting colourful flower


I love this hotel.

 

[froggerADL]

Re: DoubleTree KL

The DoubleTree KL is within what is called the Landmark building. There are three levels comprising the ground floor and two lower levels that are dedicated to restaurants, retail and foodhall type outlets. There is also a supermarket.

The foodhall and supermarket are on the lowest basement level. There is a “non Halal section” at one end which has four outlets. My favourite is the Chinese place and I always get the combination roast with duck and crispy pork. It costs MYR24.40 (A$8) and I had it for lunch two days in a row.

The Chinese place at The Landmark


Roast duck with crispy pork (day 2)


Crispy pork with roast duck (day 3)


The chilli sauce has a big kick. The soy sauce is amazing.

 

[Anna]

Re: DoubleTree KL

I'm concerned you may not be eating enough vegetables.

 

[froggerADL]

Re: DoubleTree KL

I'm concerned you may not be eating enough vegetables.

There was cabbage underneath .

 

[TomVexille]

Re: DoubleTree KL

Looks yum :mrgreen:

 

[Pushka]

I love the duck on the plate. But when I select a piece I hate the crunching on bone. Always a disappointment.

What are vegetables?

Think I will check out The Landmark food hall at Christmas with MrP then with love_the_life in April.

 

[froggerADL]

The cheapskate loses, then wins

Check- out day had arrived. Again. My KUL-BKK flight was due to depart at 3:15pm but I had planned to do a “go show” and get the earlier flight departing at 12:20pm.

I had decided to use either GrabCar or UberX to travel from the DoubleTree to KLIA Express at Sentral Station, check in for my flight then hop on the train to the airport.

I ended up using GrabCar as the fixed price for the tip was MYR11 (A$3.60) and Uber was on 1.9X price surge. I had a great driver in a new Proton IRIZ. He asked me why I didn’t go straight to the airport as it would be cheaper. The fixed price to the airport with GrabCar is MYR65 (A$21.30). I replied that I wanted to check in at the train station. The driver spoke good English so I asked him about his car. This led to a conversation about trade protection and corruption. I mentioned that we are about to lose our car manufacturing industry in Australia next year.

On arrival I purchased my train ticket and was told that would be MYR55 (A$17.90). I said, "no, just one way please", thinking she was selling me a return ticket. She said “Yes, that is 55 ringgit”. I said “But it was 35 ringgit last time”. The fares increased on 1 January this year by 40%+. So I paid. I then went to MH check-in only to be told that she couldn’t change my flight and I would need to do that at business class check-in at the airport. So the cheapskate lost! I could have travelled straight to the airport in a car for one ringgit less and not drag my bag around to the train.

Things got a little better after that. I went to first class check-in at the airport and was moved to the earlier flight and even got my preferred seat, 1D with a shadow. So my plan to buy the cheapest J flight and then move to the more expensive (three times the price) earlier flight had worked. The cheapskate won!

 

[Major]

Re: The cheapskate loses, then wins

It's MYR40 if you purchase online using MasterCard until the end of Sep

https://www.kliaekspres.com/buy-ticket/

 

[froggerADL]

Re: The cheapskate loses, then wins

It's MYR40 if you purchase online using MasterCard until the end of Sep

https://www.kliaekspres.com/buy-ticket/

Yes. I found that out on the train. This does not make a cheapskate happy :evil:. I need to stop assuming that I know it all!

 

[froggerADL]

Talking Politics with a Pusher

My wheelchair arrived shortly after check-in was complete. My pusher was so slow I considered swapping places with him! It soon became apparent that this was a new career for him. When we got to immigration he joined a queue of at least ten people, so I asked him to go to the priority line where there was only one other person waiting.

When we got to security I was pushed through the scanner in the wheelchair and I didn’t get the usual pat-down. That surprised me :shock:.

We were heading to the regional Golden Wings lounge as unfortunately I wasn’t departing from the satellite terminal, so missed out on a visit to the First Class lounge. I had to give directions for the lift to the lounge. When we exited the lift we were in a small enclosed area with three locked double doors. At the first door, no matter how hard he shook them, they just wouldn’t open. He tried the same manoeuvre at the second set with the same result. I asked him if he had a security swipe card. Fortunately he did, and that provided access to the lounge. He wheeled me straight to the bar which was good, as I already knew that I wouldn’t be getting any alcohol on the flight. I had about fifty minutes until we would need to leave for boarding and he said he would wait for me until then. He then sat down in a chair and started chatting with the lounge staff. I hadn't experienced that before.

After a couple of beers I walked over to him and we headed for the departure gate. Boarding was delayed for a while as my plane had only recently arrived. We started with the usual small-talk about what country I was from etc. and then I asked him if he enjoyed his work, as I was quite sure he hadn’t been doing it for very long. He then told me that he was actually a journalist but had been banned from writing because he’d been critical of the government. We spent the next twenty minutes or so discussing politics. He told me his ambition was to be Prime Minister and asked me if I would remember him if he realised his dream. He turned out to be a very interesting guy.

The plane was ready for boarding and I was first on, as usual.

 

[froggerADL]

Malaysia Airlines in Business Class

I like to support Malaysia Airlines since their recent misfortune. I don’t blame the airline for the first loss and apparently if that missile had been launched two minutes earlier it would have hit a Singapore Airlines A380. When I flew on MH in first class from KUL to LHR in December last year I was the only one in the cabin and the CSM thanked me for my support.

I’ve read that MH J on a B737-800 is nothing special so my expectations were set at an appropriate level. I paid A$219 for this flight nine days prior to departure. It is approximately the same distance as ADL-SYD so I was unlikely to feel ripped off. I will earn 40 QFF SCs and 825 points as a bonus. Return flights on this deal are only A$315, so less than A$160 each way in J. Amazing value, even to a cheapskate.

I had chucked a A$60 Air Asia flight that I booked in March to take this flight and I don’t regret it. Well, I regret buying it, but not chucking it!

Based on my experience of J on B737-800s I think it is better than Virgin, equal with Qantas and a world apart from anything in Europe. The price just makes it a hands-down winner.

There were 3 vacant seats of the 16 available in the J cabin. I had bulkhead seat 1D with a shadow. The space seemed equal to Qantas. This aircraft was only 2.4 years old and came with individual IFE. I watched a couple of episodes of Big Bang Theory. I was really surprised with the quality of the food even though they did not serve the famed Satay. They lost a few points for not serving free booze. The curtain was closed when the seat belt signs went off and again when we reached the gate on arrival. Some pictures.

IFE


The menu.


Lunch. I had the beef with potatoes, carrots, cauliflower & broccoli. Yes, four vegetables .