Review of Singapore Airlines flight Singapore → Paris in First

Welcome, dear reader, to part four of another round-the-world flight adventure experience! After this, it gets pretty obvious. So I’ll save you the suspense. Here’s the rundown.

AC153 YYZ-YVR 4/18/2016 - Sure thing!
AC63 YVR-ICN 4/18/2016 - Absolutely!
SQ609 ICN-SIN 4/20/2016 - You betcha!
SQ336 SIN-CDG 4/22/2016 - You are here
AC881 CDG-YYZ 4/22/2016 - Coming soon

Finally, we’ve arrived at the main event!

Not just of this particular adventure, but perhaps of my flying experience thus far. Only time will tell, of course, but I come into my first Singapore Suites experience with very high expectations.

KrisFlyer points are not the easiest thing for a Canadian to come by, so a lot of work went into the Rocketmiles bookings and Starpoints collection that eventually got transferred over to KrisFlyer to make this happen. In all, the planning for this flight was over a year in the making. And when I found a fairly long-range Suites Saver booking that was showing available (not waitlisted, but for real available) in February, I booked it immediately, and quickly assembled a little bit of an RTW adventure around it from a revenue ticket (AC J YYZ-YVR-ICN), and two additional Aeroplan bookings (SQ ICN-SIN and AC CDG-YYZ) to bring it all together. In hindsight, I probably should have skipped the revenue ticket and just booked a one way YYZ-SIN. Oh well.

I was also a bit disappointed when I looked into this flight and discovered it was treated as a “Supper” flight and so didn’t get a separate caviar course, like a “proper” First Class flight. Bother. Still, I’m spending 12-plus hours in one of the best flying experiences in the world, so I’m not going to complain.

Oh no, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this.

After arriving the night before from Seoul, I slept in a bit, eventually leaving my hotel about 10:30 am for a little bit of wandering. I happen to find myself around Maxwell Road shortly after 11:00, just as the Maxwell Food Centre is opening up for the day. Who could resist a little early lunch?



After that, I wander some more, despite the fact that the temperature — different thermometers are reporting temperatures between 32 and 39, but anything in that range qualifies as “melty” to this Canadian — is a little on the high side. Apparently, April is much hotter in Singapore than in Canada. Who knew? But still, I get a little bit of tourism in.

What would a trip to Singapore be without the umpteenth taking of this picture?



About 2:00 pm, having taken in a couple of museums, I decide I’ve had enough with being on my feet. And since I don’t have a hotel room anymore, I figure it’s time to show up ridiculously early for my flight to Paris. I’m going to take this “maximizing the First Class experience” concept to the utmost extent.

I get back to my hotel about 2:45 and into a cab, and by about 3:15, I’m pulling up at Terminal 3 at Changi — almost nine hours ahead of my flight’s scheduled departure.

I might only get one experience in The Private Room. I’m going to make the most of it.

Unfortunately, my cabbie doesn’t seem to know about the First Class check-in at T3, and blows right past the separate turn-off for F check-in, stopping instead in front of the Business Class check-in, pointing to the Business Class sign, and saying “See? First!”



Yeah, not quite. Oh well. It’s a short walk back down the terminal towards the First Class check in area.

I walk down the offramp towards the door for First Class check-in, and quickly, an agent smiles and asks me if I’m checking in for First Class. Yep, I am. I know I look like a Canadian tourist who’s just spent a bunch of time sweating in the sun, but I am checking in for First Class.



Inside, another agent quickly descends upon me, welcoming me in, and showing me towards a customer service agent seated behind a desk. I have a seat opposite her, and hand over my passport. I’m quickly checked in, reminded that I’m in a window seat, given an invite to The Private Room, and told they don’t make flight announcements, so please pay attention to that detail.

Then, she drops a bit of a bombshell on me. “It looks like you’re the only one so far.” I’m not surprised by this, I tell her. It is ridiculously early to be checking in for a midnight flight. She says, “No, you’re the only one in Suites so far. And we were almost full last night!”

Fortunately, I manage to avoid my jaw literally hitting the floor, although it does figuratively. I also, somehow, refrain from using any expletives. I respond with surprise that I thought there was at least one other seat taken. I say that because, like a good anal-retentive frequent flier, I have an Expert Flier subscription, and have all my flights saved in it — and especially a flight like this. As recently as yesterday, seat 3A was taken by someone else, seat 3F by me, and seats 3C and 3D were showing as blocked. I know there’s a good chance she’s wrong, but still, my excitement-meter suddenly goes through the roof, as if it wasn’t already high enough. Could I really be all alone in Suites on this flight?



It’s almost too much to hope for.

Having been checked in, I ask her if it’s possible for her to check me in for my onwards flight to Toronto with Air Canada, even though it’s on a totally different booking. She takes down the details, and soon enough, she’s got me checked in and prints a boarding pass. That’s a pleasant surprise.

Showing great attention to detail, she notes that my SQ flight is showing a KrisFlyer number, while my AC flight is showing an Aeroplan frequent flier number. She asks if that’s okay. I say that yes, it’s fine. They’re both award bookings anyway, so I don’t expect I’ll get a lot of miles for them.

Somewhere in this process, the agent who had shown me to the desk comes by offering a cold towel. Perhaps my overheated Canadian-ness was showing through. A very nice gesture, even though the air-conditioning was doing its job by this time.

Having been checked in all the way home, I take a moment to grab a few pictures of the First Class check-in lounge before leaving and moving on.

Here are the check-in desks.



And some of the seating areas, presumably there for those traveling in larger groups that send one delegate to handle the check-in details at the desk, or for the unlikely situation that all of the check-in desks are busy when a passenger shows up. There are only a couple of other passengers here as I’m checking in, and it very much feels like I’m here alone.



All in all, the exclusive SQ First Class Check-in is a great experience — perhaps a step below Thai’s First Class check-in at Suvarnahumi, but still absolutely fantastic. The lounge is attractive and comfortable, the service if very good. One could get used to this.

I step out of the First Class check-in zone and across the hall is the door for the exclusive passport control check-point for SQ F passengers.



This is, of course, a great experience — there’s no wait at all, and seconds later, I’m through the door and let loose into Terminal Three, just across the hall from the Silver Kris Lounge. See?



I head up the escalator, and enter the Silver Kris Lounge. I show the agent my boarding pass, and he collects my Private Room invitation.



I’m not sure why they still offer these, other than because it’s a nice gesture — “You are invite to The Private Room SKL” is printed right on my boarding pass.

The agent whisks me through the First Class lounge, and shows me to the entrance of the The Private Room. He inquires whether I’d prefer to sit in the dining room or the lounge. Well, let’s see. I’ve been on my feet for hours, I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt that probably currently has at least a couple of pounds of my sweat in it — I’m thinking a shower is in order.



He points me towards the washrooms, and says there’s no need to sign-in, towels and everything are already in the shower stalls.

The shower stalls are decent, but nobody’s going to mistake them for the bathtub suites in LH’s First Class Terminal. Everything is attractive in marble, and the provided amenities are good. But the shower suites are a little bit small, don’t have their own toilet, and somehow, the shower gel and shampoo dispensers in the shower stall just don’t scream “This is an experience that’s better than normal everyday First Class” which is kind of what SQ is going for in its marketing for Suites and The Private Room.



Nevertheless, the shower is very welcome. For the first time in a long time, and for one of the very few times in my life, I have a shower that’s almost cool. And it feels great.

Refreshed, I head back to the lounge, and head to the dining room. The dining room, in many ways, is the heart for TPR. The strong a la carte menu and service are the biggest differentiator for the lounge, and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m immediately met by a waiter, to shows me to a table, and asks me if I’d like a drink. Yes, let’s rehybrate with some water, shall we? Oh, and maybe some champagne too. Because First Class!

He brings me the menu, and there are a lot of things that sounds good. Fortunately, I’m here long enough that I think I’ll get at least a couple of sittings in. No drink menu is offered, unfortunately, so I don’t actually know what champagne I’m drinking — although I assume it’s the same as the bubbly socalnow enjoyed.



Briefly, he comes back with my drinks, and I order the satay and the lamb ossobuco. At this exact moment, I’m alone in the dining room, so it’s a good enough opportunity to take a quick look around.



Like the rest TPR, it’s tastefully and comfortable appointed, and really gives you that “high-class restaurant” feel, much moreso than any F lounge I’ve been in before. Everything is well arranged to maximize comfort and privacy.



There's also a small self-serve buffet area, with sandwiches, fruit, juices, some nice cheeses, snacks, and desserts. I’m sure people must take from it sometimes. I’m not sure how often. Or why, for that matter.

My waiter brings by a cool towel — it’s not really cold, but it’s certainly not hot.



And then the food arrives.

The satay is pretty much exactly the same as that offered in the air, which is no surprise, since it’s coming from the same kitchen. But it’s delicious, and I especially appreciate the extra-large serving of peanut sauce with which to go nuts.



Next up, the lamb ossobuco. Oh my goodness. This may be one of the best lamb dishes I’ve ever had — super tender, flavourful, with a nice sauce that adds a lot without drowning out the lamb taste. Just fantastic, and absolutely high-end restaurant quality. I really like the way they create these a la carte items at TPR — high quality and individual preparation, but in small enough portions that you get a taste, but it almost feels like they’re encouraging you to try a little bit of everything.



Indeed, having eaten both dishes, I’m definitely satisfied, but by no means stuffed, and I’m already thinking about the timing for my next sitting in the dining room.

Dinner service ends with another cold towel, and a refill of my champagne.



With the first sitting done, it’s time to take a quick look around TPR. The lounge is a simple enough layout — most of it is a single long hallway with high-back chairs in it. But the simplicity is deceiving. The chairs are all super-comfortable soft leather, and most of them are partially “hidden” behind half-walls, creating a a great sense of privacy for those who want it. There are some larger areas for groups of four or more traveling together, but even though are partially shielded, both by half-walls, and by other seats.



There are a few large-screen TVs playing CNN down the length of the lounge, with some seating for those who want to take a closer look.



There’s also a (mostly-unused?) desk that appears the likely home of a concierge type of service, and a flights departure screen.



And some reading material.



A couple of private rooms within The Private Room, for those who won’t settle for half-walls.



A family room, with a picture of a baby in diapers on the door. Presumably, primarily intended to give those traveling with an infant a little bit of extra privacy.



And there are a couple of PCs for those who might need them. Are you a Mac or a PC? No need to decide in The Private Room!



The WiFi is the same network as the rest of this massive Silver Kris Lounge, and it’s very fast, although somewhat annoyingly, it seems one has to periodically re-login to keep it happy. At least it’s a quick and painless log-in. For purposes of completeness, here’s the corporate shot.



Airside views are a little tough due to the louvered windows on the side of T3, but there is ample natural light, and a good part of the apron is available. From where I’m sitting, this A380 is peaking between the panes at me.



There seem to be new waiters coming and going all the time throughout the lounge, and as soon as my champagne is almost gone, I’m asked if I want another. I’m taking it pretty easy, so I just request some water.



A while later, I get up to explore the buffet a bit, and ask a waitress about the bright green lime concoction on display, inquiring whether it’s limeaid. She says it’s not, and then tries to explain what it is, although all I get out of it is there’s some other type of juice. She says if I’d like a limeaid, she can make me one though, and I take her up on her offer.



Wow. This isn’t limeaid as I know it — it seems to be lime juice — probably freshly-squeezed, knowing them — in water. and that’s all. So it’s a little tart. Okay, actually, it’s a lot tart. Almost undrinkably tart. And yet, oddly refreshing and enjoyable.

From the time I arrive until about 6:00, TPR is almost empty, and it’s almost eerily quiet. But by then, it’s starting to fill in a bit — still probably only about a dozen people all told at this time.

Having caught up with real-time with this flight-report, I formulate my gameplan for the near future. First, a bit more to eat, since it’s been almost two hours since I’ve eaten anything. (The horrors!) And then, perhaps, time to work up an appetite for still more eats by taking a bit of a stroll around Changi before coming back to TPR. Yes, that sounds like a game plan indeed.

Back over to the dining room, I take the same seat. Once again, it’s pretty much me alone. There’s one other fellow who’s obviously just finishing up, because he leaves a minute or two after I enter. I start with some champagne and order the lobster.



Much more quickly than the advertised 14 minutes, the lobster arrives. Very tasty, although I’m not sure I’d describe it as a cheese sauce. But it’s not overwhelming and lets the lobster taste through. The lobster itself is prepared perfectly. Quite enjoyable, and again, just about the right size to satisfy but not stuff.



Snack over, I inquire as to whether there’s a place to leave my bag while I go on my little walkabout around the terminal. Nope, no such luck. Alright then…. with my suitcase and backpack along for the ride, I head out of the Private Room, and then out of the First Class Lounge, and the finally, out of the Silver Kris Lounge and back downstairs to the concourse.



Here’s another look at the A380 right below my seat in TPR. Despite the size and scale of Changi, it’s not a great spotting airport, at least from the main floor of the terminal, because of the security-at-the-gate model, it’s hard to get a good look at planes on gates other than the one you’re going to.



Just down from the A380, its stable-mate, an SQ 777.



I spend more than an hour touring Changi, walking all the way around the massive terminals complex, except for the short SkyTrain ride between T2 and T3. Of course, there’s a lot to see at Changi, including lots of floral displays, like this one which oddly enough has frogs playing musical instruments.



Or this one, with water and koi and bridges.



Or this one, which is… pretty self-explanatory. The apron is actually surprisingly quiet in this early evening hour. I feel like things have been pretty bustling when I’ve been up here before.



And then there’s the weird fibre optic glowing future-tree sculpture-type thing. Apparently, it’s called The Social Tree. It’s pretty, I’ll give it that.



During my tour, I see in the distance an Air Canada 777 taxiing along, which is a semi-unusual sight, seeing as how AC doesn’t serve SIN. But it does get major maintenance work done on some widebodies here, and it turns out after digging around on FR24 than the plane in question is C-FITL, a 77W, which has been ferried over after operating YYZ-HKG (usually a 77L route) earlier in the day. Neat coincidence.

With my walkabout complete, and starting to feel pretty tired, I return to the SKL as it’s coming up to 9:00. I hand over my Suites boarding pass — no TPR invitation this time! — and am quickly escorted through the multiple lounges to the threshold of The Private Room. It’s once again dead quiet in here, but I suspect it will start to fill in for the group of around-midnight flights.

I get up and take a walk over to the flight information board. My flight is still showing on time, and interestingly, it’s now showing as operating from Gate A5, meaning that the A380 I’ve been looking down on from my seat in TPR is, in fact, my ride over to Paris. Fancy that! Previously, this flight was listed as departing B2. I hope those engineers we working on engine three isn’t a bad sign. As I look at it now some hours later, it’s all closed up and they seem to be loading cargo, so that’s probably a good sign, in fact. Interestingly, this plane has been sitting on the ground here at Changi since first thing this morning, when it got in from Paris. So clearly, it knows the way.

With about two hours before boarding, I decide it’s time to have another test of the menu, so I head over to the dining room for my last snack here in The Private Room.

I start off with the now-traditional champagne and water to drink and it’s quickly brought out. Odd that throughout this stay here, which has included getting the food menus at least four times, I have not once been offered the drinks menu. And for my final snack in the lounge, I order the French onion soup, and the hamburger — cooked medium well.



The soup is out first. I have to admit I was a bit nervous ordering this, because French onion can be quite filling. Of course, I should have known SQ wouldn’t be serving the “big glob of cheese” version most common in North America, rather offering a simple but rich and delicious onion broth, with a tasty little cheesy garlic toast. Quite a nice little starter.



The burger comes out next, and while it’s a very tall ( as in “try to unhinge your jaw” tall), it’s not a very big burger, which is just fine. It is, however as juicy as advertised, and very tasty indeed.



One of the waiters comes around with the bottle of champagne as I’m finishing up, inquiring if I’d like some more, but I politely decline. I’ve probably had enough. Until I board the flight, of course. Then all bets are off. However, having been up for too many hours and with my body clock basically throwing its arms up in a big frustrated shrug, I’m starting to feel a bit of a drag. As in a “I’m going to fall asleep in my chair in the lounge and miss my flight completely” kind of drag. So I request some reinforcements in the form of a cappuccino to try to stave off the sleepies at least until I can get into my seat. It is quickly brought out, and it is — to nobody’s surprise — delicious.



Back out to the lounge, and in my absence, someone has taken my former seat. Clearly, he doesn’t know who I am. So I find another seat, closer the entry. By this time, the lounge is “filling up,” there might be close to 20 people in here. So there’s a bit more ambient noise, but still, privacy is great — I seldom see a fellow passenger, and barely notice the lounge attendants who are checking in on me periodically.

With just a few minutes to go before scheduled boarding, it’s time to say goodbye to this particular delightful sanctuary, and move onto the gate area. Fortunately, as we’ve already mentioned, the departure gates are not very far from the lounge. It’s one of the big combo-gate zones, but the Changi at-the-gate security check goes quickly — there aren’t many entering the lounge area at this moment.



Things are progressing nicely for the flight to Paris, with people hanging out awaiting boarding. They don’t have long to wait, as First Class is called, and ummm…. I head on down. The way SQ manages boarding, I believe only Suites use the forward bottom-level door.

Heading down the jetway, I smile at the though that this door may have been connected for this flight just for my use. This is actually the first time I’ll step foot onto the lower deck of an A380. My previous experiences — LH J, OZ J, TG F — have all been upper-deck.

Flight: SQ336
From: Singapore Changi (SIN)
To: Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Date: 4/22/2016
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Registration: 9V-SKE
Seat: 3F
ATD (STD): 00:31 (00:10)
ATA (STA): 07:56 (07:30)

At the door to the promised land, I’m greeted by two young-ish flight attendants, one male and one female, who will be serving First on this flight. They both offer enthusiastic greetings, by name, and the male confirms my previous suspicion. “So, did you buy out all of the Suites? Because you’re flying alone tonight!” LH F alone a few months ago was fantastic. But this… this is above and beyond. If I weren’t so tired, I’d be giddy.

I really wish I took better written notes — I use my photos to jog my memory as I write the flight reports, and it does a great job for most of it. But it doesn’t help me with names. And I really wish I remembered my FAs’ names. Because they were wonderful throughout this flight. Very friendly, perfectly attentive, warm, just fantastic. I wish I’d gotten pictures of them — not for this flight-report as that would be inconsiderate, but for my own memories.

I’m shown to my window seat, and asked if it's "the perfect seat," since I chose it from an empty cabin. Except it wasn't empty when I booked it. And I booked it because it was the only unoccupied seat (when I booked) with three windows, something unique on the SQ 388 to row three. I'm given a chance to settle in. But first, the female FA asks, would I like some champagne? Why yes, I believe I would. Let’s go with the Dom, please.



Left alone in my magnificent suite, I start to take it all in. Here it is in all its glory.

Cleaning was pretty good. Thanks Ivy!



Legroom shot. Definitely not going to get my knees cracked if the guy in front of me reclines.



The IFE screen is large and very nice — but it looks so comparatively small in the middle of that big wall.



Pillows on the ottoman.



A look across the cabin as Suites fills to capacity.



As I’m taking these pictures, the female flight attendant returns with the bottle and pours me a champagne. She asks if I am, perhaps, a spy for another airline, what with taking all those pictures. In a rare moment of cleverness, I retort “How else could I afford to buy up all the suites?” and we share a (perhaps legitimate?) laugh over that. I try to explain the point of flight-report, but I don’t think she really gets it. The champagne is delicious, and is kept topped up during boarding.



Here’s a look out my window at those big beautiful power plants as, somewhere on the plane, boarding continues.



After my drink, and oshibori — the first of many — is offered.



Very nice Bose noise-cancelling headphones offered. The same as my own — except without a battery for me to forget to replace in a timely fashion.



And then, there’s the somewhat epic menu. The female FA drops it off with me, confirming that my Book the Cook’ed dishes have been loaded, but inviting me to give it a look anyway. It is, of course, quite an epic read.



Phew. Having caught up with all of that, I continue to explore my wonderful surroundings. Seat controls and IFE remote are built into the aisle-side wall of the suite. There’s also a couple of cut-out areas, perfect for small necessities like one’s cell phone.



More basic seat controls are also built into the armrest.



Forward of that, there’s literature and another large storage well.



On the outside wall, more storage.



And all the necessary ports.



And finally, a touch more storage.



My FA pops by again, and giggling a bit at me contorting myself into positions to get the photos I want, asks if I’d like a photo in the suite. I politely decline, but now kind of regret not getting a picture in this, my likely one time in Suites. She drops off pajamas and an amenity kit for me.



Since the cabin isn’t exactly packed, I can do things like climb into the Suite in front of mine to get this shot into my seat. This one shows how the bed works in the Suites, which I’m not sure I fully understood before. The chair folds down and out of the way, the side panels come down somewhat, and the large panel in the back wall comes down for the bed. We’ll talk more about that later.



Because this an Asian airline, boarding doesn’t take too long, even on the whale. And we push back just a few minutes after our scheduled departure time.



Changi at night.



Passing our twin from Dubai.



It’s a short taxi, and there isn’t much of a wait before we’re doing the always-impressive A380 takeoff roll, and into the night skies over Singapore. It’s a beautiful evenings, and the lights of the ships off the shore are impressive.



Once we’re done our climb, it’s time to explore a bit more, and get some changing in. Off to the lav!

Because this is lower deck, there isn’t room for a massive lav with a separate changing area like TG has on its 388, but there’s still a nice pulldown seat bench over the toilet for your pajama-donning pleasure.



And some nice touches.



Amenities are solid.



And, of course, lots of cubbies full of various consumables and sundries.



Changed into my super-comfy SQPJs, it’s time to head back to my suite for dinner and — just maybe — drinks.



When my drink order is taken — more champagne, of course — I’m asked If want almonds or macadamias to accompany it. I take about a quarter-second to think about it, and my FA smiles and says “Both it is!” They are soon delivered, along with an oshibori.



Almost immediately, the table is set in rather impressive fashion. With the late-night departure, the priority is clearly on getting the meal served quickly. My FA says that since the cabin’s empty, I can sleep elsewhere — perhaps in the seat in front of mine. I think briefly I should ask her if she’ll make up one of the double-bed pairs for me, but by the time I think of it, she’s gone, appearing momentarily with the foie gras and caviar starter.



I’m not much for foie gras, to be honest, but I had to have the little taste of caviar to have that part of the First Class “tradition.” This dish was decent in that regard, and I quite enjoyed the crisp apples of the Waldorf salad.



The male FA brings around the bread basket. Garlic bread? Of course. Not the best I’ve had, but still delicious. Perhaps heated a little bit too long, because it was a bit drier than I’ve had on other SQ flights.



Somewhere in here, I fire up the IFE, which has the usual impressive array of options. I choose a thriller called Secret in their Eyes. It’s nothing to write home about, but it entertains me.

The soup course is up next, and for this, I chose the chicken soup. Delicious. I always enjoy soups on flights.



My main is soon brought over — my pre-ordered lobster thermidor. Since this was a KrisFlyer booking, Book the Cook actually worked!. The rice was very good, and I enjoyed the preparation of the vegetables, but the lobster itself was a bit of a disappointment. It was a bit overdone, and I didn’t find the sauce all that tasty. Overall, the lobster in the thermidor I had on a recent TG F flight was far better. And the lobster in The Private Room was miles better. Perhaps I should have asked to try something else from the main menu at this point.



My dishes are quickly taken away, and dessert and cheese presented. I quite enjoyed the dessert, which was an interesting combination of tastes. I can’t say as I’ve ever encountered pear sorbet before.



The cheese course was equally enjoyable, with some unique flavours in the garlic cream cheese, smoked mozzarella, and especially the delice des bois. I do love a good cheese course, and this cheese course was one of the best I’ve had.



Although it’s late, and I hope to get some sleep soon — but not too long! I don’t want to sleep through this whole glorious experience! — I can’t resist a cappuccino. It’s wonderful.



With dinner coming to an end, I check our progress on the moving map and… wow, that was quick. As the remaining service items are taken away, the female FA lets me know she’s set up my bed in the seat in front of me, and I can head up there anytime I’d like.



Well, okay. Yeah, sure. But… double bed in the sky. DOH! I really should have mentioned it, but I’m far too Canadian to request that she make up ANOTHER TWO BEDS for me when she’s already made up one without me asking. I’ll have to slum it in the single. I still kinda wish I’d had the “double bed” experience. But not that badly.

I decide to go check out my bedroom. It sure looks nice and comfy all set up for me.



Slippers are positioned awaiting me — very nice ones at that.



And, because SQ is weird about its amenity kits, an eyeshade and ear plugs are offered, although not included in the amenity kit.



Speaking of the amenity kit — here it is. Kind of a weird setup, with Ferragamo amenities, including a rather large cologne that, when stored in my carry-on, made all my laundry fro this trip smell very cologne-y. You’ll notice that other typical amenity kit amenities such as a dental kit are not included. They are, however, on offer in the bathroom, so I guess that’s why they’re not here.



The previously-discussed headphones.



The “bedside table” complete with Evian and amenity kit, as I settle into my bed.



The suite with the doors closed. The “rear” door (nearest in this picture) seemed to be somewhat broken — it took a few attempts to get it to close, and when I got in and our of the suite, I just retracted the front door and left the back door alone. I guess these cabins are a few years old now….



In the back wall, a place to hang your headset, as well as some necessary night-time controls.



It’s time to get some rest. I’d have to say the bed here replaces the vaunted LH F 744 seprate-seat-and-bed bed as my favourite airborne bed. It’s just very comfortable with lovely bedding that you sink into. While I loved the 744 F bed on LH, the way it was set up did kind of feel like the examining table at your doctor’s as a kid. I got a good few hours of sleep here, and wake up with us flying over Iran, happy to see I hadn’t slept through the whole flight. Enough to refresh me, but still lots of time to enjoy the ride.



Scanning through the IFE options, I decide that such an insanely upscale, luxurious environment warrants a highbrow cinematic experience. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter it is! I wasn’t expecting a lot, but found it thoroughly absurd fun.



Throughout the night, the FAs checked in regularly to see if I needed anything. The male FA at one point tells me to stop taking my headphones off when I’m talking to him so I can enjoy my movie. Okay, I get not wanting to interrupt me, but really… if you can’t pause your film to interact with another human being, what have you become? I found the service attentive, but not ridiculous. Any time I got up to visit the lav, someone would quickly appear from the galley to see if I needed anything before heading back to my seat.

Midway through, the male FA shows up, and asks if I’d like some champagne? Perhaps a snack? Yes to both. I request some chips, and am asked regular or sour cream and onion. The latter it is. I also request the noodles from the snacks menu.

The champagne and chips — what a combination! — arrive quickly, and hit the spot perfectly. Funny, I never used to like sour cream and onion.



And the soup arrives shortly afterwards. SQ’s mid-flight snack menu is not exactly extensive or fantastic, even here in Suites, but this dish really hits the spot, with big, tender shrimp and a hearty broth. A very nice mid-flight snack.



After Abe finishes off the undead (sorry for the spoilers!) I choose the comedy Sisters up next. Not as good, but it does the job. Partway through the movie, sunrise begins over Turkey.



As the movie comes to an end, the lights start to come up, and the female FA stops in with an oshibori for me.



We chat for a while, talking about our families and our travels. She asks specifically about my kids, and tells me a little bit about hers. From her comments that having been in this game for 12 years, she’s feeling like she’s about ready for a change, I presume she’s a bit older than I would have guessed. She says she loves the job, but is about ready to give it up for something that may pay a little less, but lets her sleep in her own bed. I can certainly understand that.

As breakfast service is about to begin, we’re up over Bulgaria, well into Europe and this flight is headed towards its unfortunate and inevitable end in Paris.



The male FA comes by, offering an orange juice, which I happily accept. He brings it by, and then corrects himself — telling me that he only mentioned orange juice because it’s the only freshly-squeezed juice on board, but there are a variety of other juices should I want them. I’m fine with the OJ, thanks.



Next, I’m presented with my Get Out of Security Purgatory Free card.



A lovely morning over eastern Europe.



The table is set, and breakfast service begins with a lovely selection of fruit, beautifully presented.



Bread basket time! I grab a danish and a croissant. The danish is very good. The croissant is not fantastic.



Next up, a little bit of granola. Quite good.



It’s feeling pretty early, so it’s time for some caffeine I’d say, and this is just about as delicious a way to get it as possible.



Next up is my main — a Book the Cook special of nasi lemak. A bit of a leap for me, but very enjoyable. I can really see how that fragrant coconut rice would make a great comfort food. As she’s presenting it, the female FA asks me to let her know how it is, because she’s got it coming for her, too.



Dishes are quickly cleared up, and one last oshibori presented. Just for old time’s sakes.



Oh…. and maybe a bit more coffee too. That seems like a good idea.



After breakfast, the female flight attendant comes by with a few offerings for me to take home to the kids — I guess SQ has a deal with Disney Pixar for some in-flight activities for the kiddies. It’s the thoughtful little extras like this that you remember for a long time, and I thank her profusely.



She also presents this pair for the kids to enjoy. I have to admit, I did think very long and hard about keeping them for myself. They’d have looked so at home next to my Lufthansa First Class Terminal rubber duckies.



As this joy of an experience is rapidly coming to an end, I decide to take one last look around the cabin to stretch my legs and take it all in.



Looking down the hall — I suspect it would look pretty much like this even if the cabin was full.



Up the stairs towards business class. But why would I want to leave this heaven?



Back at my seat, we’ve begun our descent.



Yes, sadly, we’re almost there.



Soon, we’ve broken through the clouds, and we’re on final.



Touchdown.



The iconic AF Concore in the distance.



This person looks so small beside the giant machine she’s guiding in.



And with that, this phase of the journey comes to an end.

I gather my belongings, and head towards door 1L — which once again, will be for me alone. (Okay, I suppose crew might use it eventually. But they don’t count.) While we wait for the doors to open, I chat with the FA’s a bit more, and they’re surprised to learn I’ll be heading onwards with Air Canada to Toronto. “That’s the long way home!” he says. “It was worth it,” I reply. They quiz me a bit on AC and its operations. They say they’ve heard good things. I say that yes, they’re pretty good, but motion to my surroundings, “They’re not like this.” They smile.

“Better than the American airlines though, right?” Rather than get into a point by point dissection of the pros and cons of any or all of the North American carriers, I politely agree and leave it at that.

Before long, the door is opened. They thank me, I thank them, and sadly, that’s it for this experience.

SQ arrives at Terminal 1, and fortunately, right next to our gate is a bus gate for a shuttle over to Terminal 2A, from which Air Canada operates. So I head downstairs, get on a waiting bus, and in just a minute, I get one last look at what was probably the most memorable ride of my flying experience thus far. Goodbye, Suites. I’ll miss you.



We’ll pick up the adventure for some quick thoughts on my flight home in the next flight-report.

Thanks for reading!