All too soon after my sojourn in Singapore and Bali, it was time to head home. I arranged transportation with the Ritz-Carlton to take me back to Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in order to meet my flight to Singapore. In addition to their established, attractive and well- appointed SilverKris Lounges, #SingaporeAir's Business Class passengers enjoy access to affiliated partner and #staralliance-operated lounges in many destinations across the globe. In Bali, the airline uses the Premiere Lounge located after Passport Control on the mezzanine level of the main terminal building. It’s an open-air lounge with terrace views of the departure concourse below and visitors enjoy free Wi-Fi, a selection of light snacks and a shower room. I wouldn’t say this lounge is up to Singapore Air’s usual stringent standards but it was certainly adequate to spend some time in before my return flight.
Singapore Air was again operating an A330-300 aircraft for this leg which departed shortly after 1:00pm. I boarded through the second set of doors and was warmly welcomed by the friendly cabin manager and a flight attendant who pointed me to the left and the Business Class section. This aircraft type is the backbone of the airline’s short-haul fleet and I again enjoyed the window seat in Row 2 without a seat mate next to me on the aisle. Waiting on the seat were a plush pillow and a soft and very comfortable blanket, along with socks, slippers and a set of noise-cancelling headphones (although I always travel with my own). Lunch was served about 20 minutes after our on-time takeoff. I ordered the lamb cooked with spinach, rice, saffron and nuts. I also enjoyed a glass of Clarendelle Bordeaux a wine of good balance, intensity and taste. At this point, I want to mention the great in-flight entertainment offered on Singapore. The wide selection of movies and TV shows is nearly endless so time passed fairly quickly on this 2 hour 45 minute flight. We landed on time just before 4:00pm. My connecting flight to London wasn’t scheduled until 11:15 that night, as I purposely allowed myself plenty of time to explore one of my favorite hubs in the world and a destination unto itself, Singapore #ChangiAirport.
This is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia serving nearly 66 million passengers last year with over 100 airlines flying to nearly 400 cities in 100 countries That’s huge yet it’s currently rated the World’s Best Airport by Skytrax for the seventh consecutive year since 2013. After a visit here, it’s easy to understand why. Sure, there are hundreds of retail stores within its 4 terminals selling everything from luxury goods to computers to coffee and noodle bowls. You can also find some of the world’s best and largest selection of duty-free. Beyond all this, there are so many impressive amenities here one doesn’t expect to see at an airport, they put Changi in a class by itself. Singapore is known as the “Garden City” and the airport reflects this well with multiple gardens and natural attractions in each terminal. The beautiful Sunflower Garden in Terminal 2 is worth a visit and the Koi Pond and Butterfly Garden in Terminal 3 are world-famous and tranquil spots. Terminal 1 features a rooftop Cactus Garden (with a bar). And, believe it or not, you can even enjoy a leisurely swim in the terminal's Rooftop Pool and watch planes take off at the same time. The pool also features a jacuzzi, poolside bar and shower facilities. The cost is only 17 Singapore Dollars or about $12 US. Finally, the free movie theaters in Terminals 2 and 3 play first-run movies 24/7. Just walk in and enjoy the show.
It was easy to travel between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 using the complimentary Skytrain service. Trains run every 4 minutes and it’s a quick ride from one to the next. After several hours of wandering about, I found myself at the 1960s-themed food court in Terminal 3. This area mimics Singapore’s hawker stalls where street vendors cook up local specialties for low prices. It was just the place for a quick snack. As I knew I’d still have time on my hands, and since my #British_Airways flight to London was departing from Terminal 1, I‘d booked a day room at the Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel near that terminal’s Gate D41. After all the walking I did that afternoon, it proved to be a wise decision. My room was very clean, quiet and comfortable. Without any windows, it was dark as well which made it really easy for me to take a quick nap, followed by a hot shower and a change of clothes for the journey ahead.
Before long, I made my way to the British Airways Lounge located on Level 3. This lounge was refurbished in 2015 and also features a Concorde Bar exclusively dedicated to its First Class customers. It’s a scaled-down version of the luxurious Concorde Rooms the airline operates at both London's #HeathrowAirport and New York #JFKAirport. After showing my boarding pass at check-in, I was handed a plain-looking grey card that read “Concorde Bar-Your Personal Invitation” and on the back of the card was a 4-digit security code When I entered the code on the illuminated numeric keypad, a heavy door swung open revealing a small but very sleek-looking room. It provided a welcome respite from the crowded lounge full of travelers waiting to board one of the 2 late-evening BA departures for London Heathrow. The space is partitioned into private alcoves for dining (with flat-screen TVs on the separator walls) with a long bar down the center of the room. The bar itself is very well stocked with fine champagnes, wines and spirits available from the back wall. Wait staff were courteous and attentive and the menu included a variety of sandwiches as well as salads and several seafood, meat and pasta dishes for main course selections. The Singapore BA Concorde Bar was a great place to feel special and pampered and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
BA Fight #012 boarded on time and was an A380 aircraft. Again, I selected seat 2A on the port side of the plane. The 14 seats in First have ample storage for shoes, a small “closest” for a light jacket and another side bin next to the large windows for whatever else you may wish to keep out of sight during your journey. I slipped into the pajamas provided and perused the contents of the amenity kit featuring Refinery products from Aromatherapy Associates. I’ve always been impressed with the carrier’s amenity kits as they include items you wouldn’t expect, including a razor, deodorant stick and eye gel. The blue kit itself was a keeper with the British Airways logo embossed on the front, a strip of leather running on the bottom and sides and the word "First" on the zipper pull. Our flight attendant took my order shortly after takeoff and the a la carte dinner service was as nice as I expected. I selected the Mediterranean Medley of King Crab and Prawns for an appetizer, followed by a bowl of Butternut Squash Soup. From the on-board cellar I chose the Spanish Garnacha Centenaria which has concentrated ripe fruit flavors that went well with my main course selection of Ricotta Tortellini with Truffle Cream Sauce and Grilled Asparagus. After a nice fruit and cheese plate, I finished up with a crunchy hazelnut fruit tart with vanilla sauce. Sleep was calling and once our flight attendant made up my comfy bed, it wasn’t long before I drifted off to a pleasant 5 hours of rest. Awaking refreshed, I snagged one of those great BA smoothies and enjoyed a breakfast of homemade apple cinnamon crepes, although I must admit I’m not sure how I managed all that food. It was still dark outside when we landed at Heathrow on time at 5:15am the next morning after our 13 hour, 50 minute flight.
We parked at a gate in Terminal 5 but my connecting flight to #iflymia was departing from Terminal 3. It didn’t matter to me as I had almost 4 hours to make the next flight. I didn’t want to exit security so I couldn't take the shuttle train and hopped on the transfer bus instead. When we arrived at Terminal 3, I stopped by the #AmericanAir Admirals Club in order to get a boarding pass for my connection from Miami to #RDUAirport. The agent on duty was so friendly and invited me inside for a shower and a bite to eat, even though I was flying on British Airways! I thanked her but headed over to the BA Galleries First Lounge. This lounge, while comfortable and offering what looked like decent food and drink, doesn’t hold a candle to the Concorde Lounge in Terminal 5. Be that as it may, I took a shower and freshened up for the next leg of the trip.
Flight #207 was a B747-400 and I decided to stay awake on this leg so I’d sleep well that night at home. Once on board, I again made my way to Seat 2A (I’m nothing if not predictable) and settled in for the 9-hour journey. Their 747 cabin carries the same number of 14 First Class seats but seems rather cramped after experiencing the space available up front on BA’s B777 and A380 aircraft. It didn’t much matter to me though as it was great to once again be aboard the “Queen of the Skies.” British Airways is one of the few remaining carriers in the world that continue to fly the B747-400 aircraft which has disappeared from the fleets of US passenger airlines. It was a morning flight so I took advantage of the"Full English“ breakfast and even found room to enjoy the quintessential BA Afternoon Tea service. The in-flight entertainment system offered a decent selection of movies and TV shows so the hours passed rather quickly. Our landing in Miami was on time, as was my American Airlines connection. When we touched down in Raleigh at 5:45 that afternoon, I realized that I had been traveling for just about 42 hours straight from gate to gate. Whew! Only an “av geek” like me would call that fun, but in all fairness, I traveled in comfort and had no complaints. I will admit though that my bed at home was a welcome sight. Before dozing off, I could swear I heard the drone of aircraft engines.
Until next time…stay safe.
Don't know why I seem to enjoy the stories you tell of how well YOU have been pampered, ... but I do, so keep hitting those keys, George