Singapore Air -- Nothing is too much trouble!
Written: Jul 22 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Consistency, consistency, consistency!
Cons: Food could sometimes be better, airfares are high, some flight times are a bit weird
The Bottom Line: Good service shouldn't be a lottery. An average flight with SIA is a best flight for most of its competitors. Consistently good.
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| belum's Full Review: Singapore Airlines |
This is a review of my experiences with Singapore Airlines over the past couple of years, flying from Australia-Singapore-Japan/SEA Asia in Economy Class.
The key feature of Singapore Airlines is consistency. Upon boarding, one knows what to expect, and is never disappointed. An uneventful Singapore Airlines flight is still better than many of their competitors' best efforts, as SIA appear to ensure particular standards are met.
Aircraft On the routes I fly, SIA operate Boeing 777-200, 777-300 and 747-400. When operational, it seems the A380 will replace the 747-400 on some Singapore-Sydney routes. I'm personally not a fan of 3-3-3- seating (777) or 3-4-3 (747), but out of the two, the 777 feels a little roomier. Aircraft always clean, the purple and blue Economy seats are cheerful and comfortable. Being short, seat pitch isn't a problem on SIA.
Service Sometimes criticised for being robotic or coldly efficient, I prefer SIA's dignified approach to serving their passengers. I can't stand the gushing, adolescent feel of "fun" budget carriers like Virgin Blue, and Qantas, I'm not your "mate". Even on night flights, SIA cabin crew will respond to call buttons within a minute or so. I'm sure I've inconvenienced crew with past requests for another drink or whatever at some ungodly hour (can't sleep on planes), but they don't grumble. When seated in exit rows, I've always found crew to be really nice and friendly, happy to chat with you on take-off and landing, as they sit in the jump seat. Hot towels prior to take off (bliss), blankets and pillows, amenity kits are still provided in Economy for long-haul flights. Although they no longer hand out newspapers, they're there to select upon boarding.
Food Not the best (Royal Brunei gets my vote! See my review for more info), but certainly not the worst. As a vegetarian, my meal request is always confirmed and has never been forgotten (fingers crossed for next time!). Whatever the airline, Indian vegetarian meals have the best taste. Under no circumstances would I recommend SIA's "Oriental vegetarian" meal option, ex-Australia. One pea, two beans, a whole lot of small bits of Hokkien noodles (like the dregs from the bottom of the packet) and a WHOLE lot of flavourless oil. No exaggeration. Two mouthfuls was more than enough. Upon disembarking in Singapore, I've never been so hungry in my life!
Entertainment Everyone knows about KrisWorld. It's pretty darn good.
Flexibility In many cities, such as KL and Singapore, advance check-in is permitted. I love this about SIA. I can dump my bags up to 48 hours in advance and go exploring. Happy days.
On a recent hop from KUL to SIN, our flight into KUL arrived early. At the SIA check-in desk, the ticket agent said, "why are you so early?" I was offended, until I realised she was offering to swap us to an earlier flight! After being up since 3am for our previous flight, this was such a welcome gesture. No extra fees, no hassles. She also gave us great bulkhead seats with plenty of leg room.
SIA also permit free stopovers, even on mega-cheap Economy tickets. In fact, it seems like they encourage them!
Other reasons why I fly SIA On my first ever trip overseas, my flight home from Singapore was delayed, due to some mechanical problem. The delay kep getting longer.... and longer.... and longer. However, this wasn't a problem. Why? Because SIA looked after us. They set up tables laden with pastries and hot drinks for our breakfast. They provided us with a printed letter explaining the delay, most likely for insurance purposes. Best of all, they handed out S$10 phone cards to every single passenger in the full 747, so we could all call our loved ones and let them know when we'd be home. At all times we were informed of the progress. Now, delays are never fun, but I was so impressed with their handling of it!
In short, I like to fly SIA because, even though I am an Economy passenger, I feel looked after. Ticket prices are significantly higher than some competitors, but that's the last thing on your mind when you're actually enjoying your flight! Recently, I willingly paid an extra AU$400 to fly SIA over Thai or Qantas: as I am relocating overseas, I don't want any suprises, SIA delivers what it promises!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
belum
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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