Continuing from Part 1 - Valentine Day suite to Paris with SQ, here's the next instalment.
Part 2: Etihad First (from snow to desert)
Flight: EY 52
Route: GVA-AUH (Geneva to Abu Dhabi)
Aircraft: A330-300 (AE-AFB)
Seat: 2D
Class: First
Load: 8/8
After a week plus in snowy Switzerland, it was time to make our way home and via the desert . The outbound flight with SQ was fantastic and with EY's recent fanfare with the launch of their A380s, we had rather high expectation of this sector. Unfortunately, we were not going to be in one of the Apartments, but would be taking the regular First Class sector instead.
The journey began with a Mercedes pick-up courtesy of Etihad.
This is one area where SQ definitely is lacking. And in Geneva, the pick up is complimentary up to a generous distance of 60km which is larger than our tiny little red dot called Singapore. If this distance is exceeded, the pick up can be arranged with a top up fee of CHF5.5 / km. The provision is not expensive in relation to the tickets so I don't see a reason why SQ does not implement it especially for First Class passengers where on SQ, the distinction of the products onboard is quite dubious. This could make for a good value-added perk.
The drive from our hotel to the airport is only about 15 minutes and we reached the airport a good 2.5 hours ahead of schedule. Weather was not great as could be seen here.
It's a simple functional building with bold door numbers outside.
The check in hall is rectangular linear with EY's counters located almost to the extreme left. But first I had to turn right to 'go to France' to get my VAT forms validated. Yup, I went on a shopping spree in Paris. Haha.
France is here?
It's a rather complicated circuitous route and it's a one-way circulation. Once I passed this door, I couldn't turn back.
The door leads to another check-in hall which is technically in France.
From the check-in hall, I had to u-turn into a passage which connects to the arrival passage and then to this location somewhere along the passage where this machine stands.
I think the French customs for arriving passengers (from france only) is just around the corner. I believe this is the exit customs from France.
Then from here, I followed another set of passages and escalators and ended up here in the baggage reclaim area. After that, it's the Swiss entry customs area.
And then I found myself back in Switzerland, completing a journey of 10 minutes into 'France'. It's complicated.
Then up the escalator again and I was back in the check-in hall and made my way to EY counter.
It didn't seem like it was going to be a busy flight.
Posing with the big seal at the First Class sign.
At around this time, the group of EY crew was also checking in and they saw us, and started congregating and playing with our baby seals. Wah ... So spontaneous and so easy-going. This is going to be a great flight for sure.
Part 2: Etihad First (from snow to desert)
Flight: EY 52
Route: GVA-AUH (Geneva to Abu Dhabi)
Aircraft: A330-300 (AE-AFB)
Seat: 2D
Class: First
Load: 8/8
After a week plus in snowy Switzerland, it was time to make our way home and via the desert . The outbound flight with SQ was fantastic and with EY's recent fanfare with the launch of their A380s, we had rather high expectation of this sector. Unfortunately, we were not going to be in one of the Apartments, but would be taking the regular First Class sector instead.
The journey began with a Mercedes pick-up courtesy of Etihad.
This is one area where SQ definitely is lacking. And in Geneva, the pick up is complimentary up to a generous distance of 60km which is larger than our tiny little red dot called Singapore. If this distance is exceeded, the pick up can be arranged with a top up fee of CHF5.5 / km. The provision is not expensive in relation to the tickets so I don't see a reason why SQ does not implement it especially for First Class passengers where on SQ, the distinction of the products onboard is quite dubious. This could make for a good value-added perk.
The drive from our hotel to the airport is only about 15 minutes and we reached the airport a good 2.5 hours ahead of schedule. Weather was not great as could be seen here.
It's a simple functional building with bold door numbers outside.
The check in hall is rectangular linear with EY's counters located almost to the extreme left. But first I had to turn right to 'go to France' to get my VAT forms validated. Yup, I went on a shopping spree in Paris. Haha.
France is here?
It's a rather complicated circuitous route and it's a one-way circulation. Once I passed this door, I couldn't turn back.
The door leads to another check-in hall which is technically in France.
From the check-in hall, I had to u-turn into a passage which connects to the arrival passage and then to this location somewhere along the passage where this machine stands.
I think the French customs for arriving passengers (from france only) is just around the corner. I believe this is the exit customs from France.
Then from here, I followed another set of passages and escalators and ended up here in the baggage reclaim area. After that, it's the Swiss entry customs area.
And then I found myself back in Switzerland, completing a journey of 10 minutes into 'France'. It's complicated.
Then up the escalator again and I was back in the check-in hall and made my way to EY counter.
It didn't seem like it was going to be a busy flight.
Posing with the big seal at the First Class sign.
At around this time, the group of EY crew was also checking in and they saw us, and started congregating and playing with our baby seals. Wah ... So spontaneous and so easy-going. This is going to be a great flight for sure.
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