SQ Y SIN-HKG-SIN on 77W / 777 Refitted

[yflyer]

When it rains it pours...another TR on HKG, this time on SQ!

By now, SQTalkers know all about the ups and downs about CX on this route...let's see what SQ has to offer.

My outbound flight was on SQ2...one of SIA's flagship routes, that flies to San Francisco via Hong Kong.

One of my first Megatop flights was on this route many years back, with non AVOD seat back TV's and a hair-raising landing at Kai Tak. Cherished memories!

Nowadays these flights are operated by 77W's. In Y, this is pretty much equivalent to SQ's A380's.




After flying several flights on QF, CX and BA, it was a real pleasure to be on SQ metal again. Now this airline really shows the industry how Y should be done....

A steaming hot towel to welcome you onboard...



A pristine cabin with soothing ambience and a very modern Y seat, until recently the most modern in SQ's fleet. This seat has winged headrests, and conventional recline with a "cradle" i.e. the seat moves forward slightly as the seat reclines, and this makes for a fairly comfortable resting angle.



Reasonable legroom, and a comfortable 3-3-3 layout, with no IFE box obstructions under any of the seats.



Full AVOD with a massive selection of entertainment options on a bright clear widescreen. Top Notch IFE!

[yflyer]

A pack of peanuts in new packaging. Am I imagining things, or do the nuts taste better than before? I thought they did...





After a round of nuts and beverages, the cabin crew began meal service very quickly on this flight...



You had a choice of 3 mains on this flight, a western, an oriental, and an Indian vegetarian...

[yflyer]

Although all three options looked appetising, I decided to try the Indian vegetarian on this flight...



This looked, and tasted delicious...



I have a theory that spicy cuisines, and dishes with gravy/curry like Indian cuisine taste better inflight than other cuisines, and this meal certainly reinforced that opinion.

An uneventful flight in the best possible sense...little turbulence, superb hard product and top notch service....we landed on time in Hong Kong after a flawless flight. I can't remember how many times SQ has done this for me: an on-time departure and arrival, and in-between a consistent, top quality in-flight Y product.

[yflyer]

A few hectic days in Hong Kong, where the sun did not come out until the last day.

Most days, it was like this, or worse...



It wasn't all work, though. One evening we went for dinner at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. There is a Chinese Restaurant there overlooking the race course.

It was race night, and once in a while, all activity stopped, and all eyes were on the race track.

[yflyer]

I returned later that week on an evening service, on one of SQ's refitted 777's.

I did a downtown check-in (including checking in my luggage) at Hong Kong station, before catching the HK Express train to Chek Lap Kok Airport. This is almost everyone's preferred way to get to the airport.

On the way to the customs/security area, I passed the SQ check-in lanes, which were nearly empty. Maybe it was the timing, or just maybe most folks simply checked in downtown.



I decided to check out the SQ SilverKris Lounge.



This is a surprisingly large lounge, done up in SQ's house style (In a word: Boring).





There was a separate area of the lounge cordoned off for First, Suites and Solitaire PPS.



Not being in any of those categories, I could only look in from outside, but from what I saw, it did not appear that I was missing much.

There was a very good beverage and food selection in this lounge.



I found the upside down liquor bottles a little disconcerting...but at least the selection was good.



Sandwiches...



Cup Noodles (and peanuts!)

[yflyer]

There was a separate dining area further inside the lounge.



Salad bar...



Udon, Laksa, or Wonton Noodle Soup cooked to order...



And a selection of oriental and western hot dishes...





Free flow of Haagen Dazs ice cream...

[yflyer]

There was also a large work area near the entrance of the lounge.



No toilets or showers though. The nearest bathrooms were just outside the lounge.

Overall, a fairly decent, if unexceptional, lounge. Not as good as the CX lounges at HKG, but perhaps this is an unfair comparison, since CX is at it's home base. A perfectly good lounge to use prior to the short flight to SIN, or as a short transit stop to/from the USA.

[yflyer]

My return flight was on a refitted 777-200 series.



This has the latest regional J seating (no pics, unfortunately, but this has been covered in many other TR's here), and refurbished Y seating.



I had the emergency row 44 in the rear Y cabin. This is an interesting layout, as the emex row as 2 seats, with the next row 45 having 3 seats. This means 45C is no seat in front of it. 45C is a great seat!



On a refitted 777, the seats remain in 3-3-3 layout.



Legroom and recline are fine, and the 4:3 aspect ratio seatback screens are bright and large (if not as sharp as the widescreen TV's on the 77W).

You also get the same winged headrests as the latest Y product.

On the downside, the seats bottoms themselves have not been upgraded (just new upholstery) and they still feel relatively hard and uneven to sit on.

You also have a large IFE box obstructing legroom under some of the seats (e.g the D seat)



I had the emex row, so I had ample legroom.



Watched Red 2, which is on this month's Krisworld...great movie!

[yflyer]

Service was pleasant and cheerful, as usual...

Two choices on the menu for dinner...





I chose the wok fried chicken, which tasted very good.



What I appreciate about most SQ Y meals is the fact that they are both tasty and well presented. Most importantly, perhaps, they have a proper appetiser (I don't know how CX can get away with serving fruit as an appetiser for dinner service on this sector), and the casseroles are filled to the brim.

I also appreciate the fact that SQ uses metal cutlery.



Dessert was that old favourite, chocolate ice cream.



A tip: If the ice cream is a little hard, ditch the plastic spoon and eat it with the metal tea-spoon. Much easier!

[yflyer]

We landed on time in SIN. Another superb, consistent Y experience from start to finish. But I was not expecting anything less from SQ.

Still the best way to fly in Y!

[SilverChris]

Hmm, what's with all the SIN-HKG TRs we've been getting lately?

Thanks for the TR!

[9V-SIA]

Enjoyable read before work. Thanks

[yflyer]

Hmm, what's with all the SIN-HKG TRs we've been getting lately?

Thanks for the TR!

You are welcome, SilverChris! Maybe it's because it's holiday season? Singaporeans love going to HK, mostly for the food and the shopping it seems. A lot of good airfare deals to be had too...

[yflyer]

Enjoyable read before work. Thanks

Thanks, 9V-SIA! Quite a few TR's about SQ Y already, but hopefully the pics of the SilverKris Lounge in Hong Kong were of interest to some readers...