Hello Flight-Report #avgeeks. Rewardflying returns traveling across the pacific and back. This trip will start with a favorite and end with Garuda Indonesia's A330 (newest seat) and the highly anticipated Delta A350.
Garuda Indonesia DPS-ICN Business Class A330 Delta ICN-DTW Business Class A350 Delta DTW-ORD - No report
KLM SIN-DPS Business Class 777-300
When arriving in Singapore at 1AM after a 24 hour trip the first item on my agenda is to find a bed. Attached to Changi airport is The Crown Plaza which is a nice hotel, but pricey at over $200 per night which seems silly to spend if your attendance will be about 8 unconscious hours. Hailing a cab to another place downtown or elsewhere isn't high on the desirable list as well. The train doesn't operate that late so that's out too, not that a 45 minute train ride is a great option either.
There is a great solution just a few steps out of the gate when you deplane. The Aerotel. I booked a single room for 8 hours. You start with 6 hours and can add on. For $75 I got 8 hours and breakfast. I was in my room 15 minutes after landing. Sure the room was small but who cares. I wanted 6-8 hours of sleep. The single rooms don't have bathrooms, they are down the hall. Double rooms do have bathrooms in the room, but they are more expensive.
The $75 deal worked out great. I'd do it again.
The single room.
The morning shower. Don't forget the towel they leave for you in the room, otherwise you make a wet return to get it, I know! These are private shower rooms similar to what you'd find in a lounge.
And the lounge. While the breakfast was basic, eggs, sausage and toast it was good. Go for a swim, workout or just plane watch.
After a fun day in Singapore it was off to Bali. While Singapore Airlines has numerous direct flights to Bali (for 17,500 KF Points), I thought it would be fun to try KLM's fifth freedom flight. It was a good decision.
I arrived back at T1 after lunch in Chinatown and a couple hours of sightseeing. Fortunately it was just before the afternoon rains. KLM835 checking was row 12, the farthest away, of course.
Check-in was a breeze and soon I was inside the terminal. I really like the individual gate security screen at Changi. Unfortunately it looks like they're moving away from that as the new T4 has screening before you can enter the boarding area.
Christmas at Changi.
I made my way up to the dnada lounge as it's KLM's contract lounge in Singapore. It's a nice comfortable lounge. I didn't take any photos inside. Like the other lounges on the 2nd floor of Changi in T1 there were no windows.
Checking my flight status the inbound was the one under Muar and I'd be flying the SkyTeam Livery.
After some time I got bored and headed to the gate. The rains had cleared.
Boarding commenced via door one.
And since I was in the mini-cabin I got a great opportunity, being the first to board, for some front cabin photos.
I had not been a fan of the KLM World Business colors from pictures. Once on-board I thought the cabin was nice looking.
I chose to sit in the mini-cabin which is a single row of seats behind door 2.
Seats 6D/G in the center.
This is supposed to help flight attendants see into the back cabin during take-off and landing. Seems people sitting in 6D/G would hamper that view.
6H/K and K is mine.
KLM uses the B/E Diamond seat that is very popular. United has these on their legacy Continental 777 and 767 as well as all 787s.
It's a great seat, except they aren't private. This is 6H with the privacy divider, which really doesn't do a whole lot. And you are pretty well exposed to the aisle.
The seat controls show these extend flat which on a 2 hour day flight I didn't attempt.
The one armrest not being shared with your neighbor can be lowered for a wider sleeping area, or just more room.
Power is up over your shoulder.
Tucked away next to your shoulder is a reading light that is best used when the seat is in bed mode.
Tray table.
Ottoman with underside storage.
Van Gogh I presume. I like the storage feature under the monitor.
Absorbed in an audiobook I unwrapped the headphones for photo purposes only.
And away they go.
Sitting in row 6 allowed a view of the galley. It seemed the crew was disorganized. Or maybe it was because of a crew change during the short stop in Singapore. Whatever it was, there was a lot of movement before the flight and once they were released from their jump seat after departure.
Being a short flight might have been part of the problem. When they got around to serving it was by cart and "red or white"? But with a generous pour.
The menu
Then basically chicken or beef?
One tray presentation.
Fresh and tasty. However in retrospect the miso dressing might have been left stranded in Singapore.
Chicken and rice, just like lunch.
And a klapertart, which was good except the meringue was very stiff but maybe it is supposed to be.
Coffee rounded out the festivities.
Upon arrival a tray of Delft Blue houses was presented with instructions to take one home. I wasn't prepared thinking they wouldn't pass them out on this short flight. But they did. I took #52. It's interesting they've been passing these out since the 1950s. With all the cost cutting that has gone on with every airlines over the years I commend KLM for sticking with this policy. Plus these small figurines are sturdy and while not heavy still weigh something. Each aircraft lugging around 50-100 of these things increases weight and fuel burn. Kudo's KLM.
They even have an app where you can keep track of your houses!
Plane spotting in Singapore; SQ A350/A330
LH covered up.
And a couple of Alliance liveries. First oneworld on a JAL 777 headed to Haneda.
And Star Alliance on an SQ 777.
For more information on ratings and an excellent inexpensive way to fly this route visit rewardflying.com
Flight Path
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Chinatown
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Verdict
KLM
7.0/10
Cabin7.5
Cabin crew5.5
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Meal/catering7.5
Dnata Lounge - 1
5.6/10
Comfort7.5
Meal/catering5.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Services5.0
Singapore - SIN
9.5/10
Efficiency9.5
Access9.5
Services9.5
Cleanliness9.5
Denpasar - DPS
4.5/10
Efficiency4.5
Access4.5
Services4.5
Cleanliness4.5
Conclusion
Despite what appears to be a low rating (for me 5 is average) in my book it was as good as you could get from SIN-DPS. Anytime you can get a 777-300 with lie flat seats on a 2 hour trip, that in itself is pretty darn good. (SQ flies A330 with their regional business class seats that are nice as well.) Add in the food was good and the price was really good made for a really enjoyable flight. I'm anxious to fly KLM long haul.
8 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thank you for sharing! Reminded me a lot on my trip just a bit over 1 year ago on the exact route.
After some time I got bored and headed to the gate. The rains had cleared. - How was the security queue? As far as I remember those from Amsterdam continuing to Denpasar are supposed to reclear security, so it must be a pretty long one (except if the load was light).
Ottoman with underside storage. - Now that's quite a wide footwell - I think I should opt for bulkhead seats when I fly with them again (or can we generalize it to staggered seat problem?)
Then basically chicken or beef? - They served the exact same menu as more than 1 year ago - I was expecting at least something different, so that's rather disappointing despite the meal being fine.
(From your website) The food was good. However it was Asian with little Dutch influence except for the dessert. - If you read the front page, you can see that the menu was designed by an Indonesian celebrity chef, hence the Indonesian-style meals.
Great review on the onboard experience, though would love to see more reviews on the airports as well - since you flew on peak holiday period, did Denpasar DPS still remain a chaos?
Thank you for sharing! Reminded me a lot on my trip just a bit over 1 year ago on the exact route.
- I read your report as well, pretty similar experience.
How was the security queue? As far as I remember those from Amsterdam continuing to Denpasar are supposed to reclear security, so it must be a pretty long one (except if the load was light).
-Plane seemed fairly full and the queue was fine. The boarding area was full when I arrived so I can't say how long the lines were, but I'm sure passengers have to exit, otherwise passengers without a boarding pass to DPS would be in the boarding area.
Now that's quite a wide footwell - I think I should opt for bulkhead seats when I fly with them again (or can we generalize it to staggered seat problem?)
-I've only flown this seat on a bulkhead row and that was United's legacy Continental aircraft where the bulkhead is known to have a wider footwell. Here too.
They served the exact same menu as more than 1 year ago - I was expecting at least something different, so that's rather disappointing despite the meal being fine.
(From your website) The food was good. However it was Asian with little Dutch influence except for the dessert. If you read the front page, you can see that the menu was designed by an Indonesian celebrity chef, hence the Indonesian-style meals. -Yes, but the chef should be embarrassed as it was, um, plain old Chicken and Rice.
Great review on the onboard experience, though would love to see more reviews on the airports as well - since you flew on peak holiday period, did Denpasar DPS still remain a chaos?
-DPS and the roads in and out are a disaster, especially when it's raining. More DPS in the next report.
"And the lounge. While the breakfast was basic, eggs, sausage and toast it was good. Go for a swim, workout or just plane watch." -When you put it this way, Changi sounds rather boring. Surprised you didn't sample numerous Priority Pass or SkyTeam lounges. But I'm guessing the option was limited?
The seared tuna looks appetising! Too bad the dressing was left behind in Singapore... or not put on there by the crew?
The main course looks like a standard affair of a home-cooked Indonesian/Sumatran meal. Upon closer look at the menu, it seems that's what they were aiming to provide.
"And Star Alliance on an Air China 777." -Ah, yes. An Air China 777 sporting not only a Singaporean flag, but also a WiFi hat!
I'm not too surprised DPS is rated weakly. At least, if memory serves correctly, the airside airport WiFi in the international terminal was really fast! I'm sure we'll see the justifications for the low ratings. Something also tells me with the December volcanic disaster, and just cost-cuttings in general, your upcoming trip report won't be too positive. Seems only natural, though (no pun intended!)
"And the lounge. While the breakfast was basic, eggs, sausage and toast it was good. Go for a swim, workout or just plane watch." -When you put it this way, Changi sounds rather boring. Surprised you didn't sample numerous Priority Pass or SkyTeam lounges. But I'm guessing the option was limited?
Breakfast was included, meaning I paid for it in the room charge. $8 I think. Thought about lounge lizarding but just wanted to eat and get out to downtown. Something I didn't include in the report, I had a 100 Renminbi note I brought to exchange that I got in Shanghai from a currency exchange last year. Just needed train fare and lunch. $20SGD would have done it on the exchange. Turns out the bill was counterfeit. I was scammed by a legit money exchange at PVG airport!
The seared tuna looks appetising! Too bad the dressing was left behind in Singapore... or not put on there by the crew?
-The crew very much reminded me of a US domestic crew that just wasn't very efficient.
Ah, yes. An Air China 777 sporting not only a Singaporean flag, but also a WiFi hat!
You need to be my editor. I saw the "A" underneath the jetway and the red flag could have passed for the China flag. The wifi is where you stand out Mr. Observant!
I'm not too surprised DPS is rated weakly. At least, if memory serves correctly, the airside airport WiFi in the international terminal was really fast! I'm sure we'll see the justifications for the low ratings. Something also tells me with the December volcanic disaster, and just cost-cuttings in general, your upcoming trip report won't be too positive. Seems only natural, though (no pun intended!)
DPS arrivals was pretty much a dump. But my ratings might be a little too negative.
"Something I didn't include in the report, I had a 100 Renminbi note I brought to exchange that I got in Shanghai from a currency exchange last year. Just needed train fare and lunch. $20SGD would have done it on the exchange. Turns out the bill was counterfeit. I was scammed by a legit money exchange at PVG airport!" -Ooh yikes. Gotta wonder how that unlucky note got there in the first place. Was some/most of it counterfeit? Or was it exchanged by some sly previous customer? Thankfully I'm more often than not a cashless man, save for the tip money, and the occasional street food stroll.
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5 Comments
After some time I got bored and headed to the gate. The rains had cleared.
- How was the security queue? As far as I remember those from Amsterdam continuing to Denpasar are supposed to reclear security, so it must be a pretty long one (except if the load was light).
Ottoman with underside storage.
- Now that's quite a wide footwell - I think I should opt for bulkhead seats when I fly with them again (or can we generalize it to staggered seat problem?)
Then basically chicken or beef?
- They served the exact same menu as more than 1 year ago - I was expecting at least something different, so that's rather disappointing despite the meal being fine.
(From your website) The food was good. However it was Asian with little Dutch influence except for the dessert.
- If you read the front page, you can see that the menu was designed by an Indonesian celebrity chef, hence the Indonesian-style meals.
Great review on the onboard experience, though would love to see more reviews on the airports as well - since you flew on peak holiday period, did Denpasar DPS still remain a chaos?
Thank you!
- I read your report as well, pretty similar experience.
-Plane seemed fairly full and the queue was fine. The boarding area was full when I arrived so I can't say how long the lines were, but I'm sure passengers have to exit, otherwise passengers without a boarding pass to DPS would be in the boarding area.
-I've only flown this seat on a bulkhead row and that was United's legacy Continental aircraft where the bulkhead is known to have a wider footwell. Here too.
(From your website) The food was good. However it was Asian with little Dutch influence except for the dessert.
If you read the front page, you can see that the menu was designed by an Indonesian celebrity chef, hence the Indonesian-style meals.
-Yes, but the chef should be embarrassed as it was, um, plain old Chicken and Rice.
-DPS and the roads in and out are a disaster, especially when it's raining. More DPS in the next report.
Thanks again for reading.
First one I've read post-tax season chaos. Woo!
"And the lounge. While the breakfast was basic, eggs, sausage and toast it was good. Go for a swim, workout or just plane watch."
-When you put it this way, Changi sounds rather boring. Surprised you didn't sample numerous Priority Pass or SkyTeam lounges. But I'm guessing the option was limited?
The seared tuna looks appetising! Too bad the dressing was left behind in Singapore... or not put on there by the crew?
The main course looks like a standard affair of a home-cooked Indonesian/Sumatran meal. Upon closer look at the menu, it seems that's what they were aiming to provide.
"And Star Alliance on an Air China 777."
-Ah, yes. An Air China 777 sporting not only a Singaporean flag, but also a WiFi hat!
I'm not too surprised DPS is rated weakly. At least, if memory serves correctly, the airside airport WiFi in the international terminal was really fast! I'm sure we'll see the justifications for the low ratings. Something also tells me with the December volcanic disaster, and just cost-cuttings in general, your upcoming trip report won't be too positive. Seems only natural, though (no pun intended!)
Cheers!
-Welcome back Raza_PR!
"And the lounge. While the breakfast was basic, eggs, sausage and toast it was good. Go for a swim, workout or just plane watch."
-When you put it this way, Changi sounds rather boring. Surprised you didn't sample numerous Priority Pass or SkyTeam lounges. But I'm guessing the option was limited?
-The crew very much reminded me of a US domestic crew that just wasn't very efficient.
You need to be my editor. I saw the "A" underneath the jetway and the red flag could have passed for the China flag. The wifi is where you stand out Mr. Observant!
See you on GA, which, spoiler alert, WAS GREAT!
"Something I didn't include in the report, I had a 100 Renminbi note I brought to exchange that I got in Shanghai from a currency exchange last year. Just needed train fare and lunch. $20SGD would have done it on the exchange. Turns out the bill was counterfeit. I was scammed by a legit money exchange at PVG airport!"
-Ooh yikes. Gotta wonder how that unlucky note got there in the first place. Was some/most of it counterfeit? Or was it exchanged by some sly previous customer? Thankfully I'm more often than not a cashless man, save for the tip money, and the occasional street food stroll.
Can't wait for the GA report!
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