MY First SQ flights - Observations

[serfty]

There was a cheap points sale in April for SQ travel.

Being in the doldrums with QF and VA Platinum status secured until 2024 I decided to burn most of the remaining VA points I transferred to SQ in 2020.

-- in Economy

I have never travelled Singapore Airlines before; FWIW I have had over 2000 RPT flights, with more than 1200 on Qantas.

At least I have VA WP to ease the burden.

Anyway this is not so much a trip report as a list of observations.

 

[serfty]

There are four separate bookings

mel-sin
sin-kul
kul-sin
sin-syd

Awards bookings! No way online to get your VA WP number into Krisflyer award PNR's.

I did try the contact us form on SQ with mixed results as in 1-4.

With the 1 I went from group 4 to group 3.

 

[serfty]

Now at MEL.

Although OLCI gave me a seeming BP, this was rejected at emigration entrance "need a real one".

Fortunately, the check in opened approx. 7:10pm for a 11:35pm flight.

Unfortunately, the SKL did not open until exactly 3 hours before the flight.

 

[Anna]

And then what happened? The suspense!

 

[Bundy Bear]

And then what happened? The suspense!

Got on a plane, the plane has likely just landed in Singapore

 

[serfty]

And then what happened? The suspense!

I flew!

About 4 days before a flight, SQ blocks online/app seat selection - you need to wait until the T-48 hours Check-in window to open.

I had selected seating towards the rear of the aircraft.

At that time Expert Flyer shows many unallocated as blocked. This remains when OLCI opens and there are only few seats to choose.

There are a few weird seeming patterns with, say, a row of four on a 380 XXOX, I could select the O middle but not the aisle.

Anyway last night I watched as regularly as blocked seats would become allocated as people checked in. Eventually, my allocated seat H received the honour of a K seat mate with J free. There were still three rows of three unallocated in the cabin but these were blocked so I could not move to them. With Just over an hour to go a nearby C seat became available with A blocked and B vacant. I jumped there and it stuck - for the flight I had three seats to myself.

 

[SYD]

Awards bookings! No way online to get your VA WP number into Krisflyer award PNR's.

I did try the contact us form on SQ with mixed results as in 1-4.

With the 1 I went from group 4 to group 3.

There’s some various discussion on this in other threads. From memory, the most recent in the NZ SM thread where it was suggested that SQ awards are pretty much hardwired to the redeeming account. I tried to add my VA Gold and NZ Gold but to no avail. I wasn’t too worried since we were in J anyway.

What was really weird, I couldn’t even get SYD+1‘s KF# into our award booking! The checkin agent got it in and stuck thereafter (I think that at least gave some free wifi)…

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Welcome to the dark side. Although it is first and business that SQ really shines

 

[serfty]

Welcome to the dark side. Although it is first and business that SQ really shines

Sure, not bad here for a Business Lounge lunch option:

 

[Major]

Any more observations ?

 

[serfty]

I flew Back to SYD in the last row of a packed A380. Aisle seat.

Given it departed SIN 00:35 it was good they waited until 2½ hours before landing to serve breakfast.

It take a long time to get off an A380 when you are in row 300 or something ...

All in all, better economy service than I have experienced from Qantas and I'd look to do it again.

 

[kamchatsky]

All in all, better economy service than I have experienced from Qantas and I'd look to do it again.

Yes and that's why a lot of us prefer to have Krisflyer miles than QFF points, even with the hard 3-year expiry rule ...... They simply have better services in Y, J and F than QF, not to mention more availability of award seats than QF if you plan well ahead ....

 

[Melburnian1]

I flew Back to SYD in the last row of a packed A380. Aisle seat.

Given it departed SIN 00:35 it was good they waited until 2½ hours before landing to serve breakfast.

It take a long time to get off an A380 when you are in row 300 or something ...

All in all, better economy service than I have experienced from Qantas and I'd look to do it again.

Amazing that one as well travelled hadn't previously experienced SQ. Very surprising.

Once you travel it and other Asian airlines such as BR, JL and PR, despite occasional problems with these as none are perfect, you'll never return to QFi.

 

[serfty]

Back on the horse again - in I class this time.

In MEL, the SQ lounge is now open from 12:40pm through 11:35pm when SQ208 operates.

I was able to check in for SQ208 while the counters were still showing SQ228.

 

[stm1sydney]

Welcome to the dark side. Although it is first and business that SQ really shines

Trust me, SQ also really shines in Y! Order of magnitude better than QF.

 

[serfty]

I class from CNS.

Check in opened about 2:40 before scheduled departure.

Being in Business, a $20 F&B voucher was given as no lounge. Could not be used for booze.

 

[serfty]

This will do for the next few hours ...