Singapore is one of my favorite cities, a wonderful, cosmopolitan blend of East and West with a rich cultural history and an outstanding food scene blending cuisines of the Indian, Malay and Chinese which make up its population. Officially known as the Republic of Singapore, it’s a sovereign island city-state in Southeast Asia. The country lies at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and is situated about one degree (85 miles) north of the equator. This means it’s got a tropical climate with warm and humid weather pretty much the norm.
The opportunity for me to travel there recently presented itself and I was able to use Singapore as a stop off point for a visit that also included Bali, Indonesia. This island is that nation’s main tourist destination and is well known and respected for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, metal and leatherwork as well as jewelry making and woodworking. Bali had been on my “bucket list” for quite some time and so I was anxious to make this journey to first revisit Singapore and then to experience for myself the allure of this far-away Indonesian island that gets such great press.
#British_Airways was flying their A380 from #flymia to their hub at #londonheathrow and I wanted to enjoy yet again another flight on the largest commercial aircraft in the sky. Redeeming some #AmericanAir AAdvantage Miles for a roundtrip from #RDUAirport to Miami proved to be pretty straightforward but then I had to navigate the world of BA’s Avois points to take me from Miami to London, onwards to Singapore's #ChangiAirport and home again. That wasn’t as simple but after repeated tries online and several lengthy calls to their USA Help Desk, I succeeded. It was early November when I departed from my home to the Raleigh Durham Airport. After enjoying the ease of #TSAPRECHECK_ through security, I stopped by for a pleasant visit to our #AdmiralsClub. The agents know me and have always been courteous, helpful and professional. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite and get some work done in peace while enjoying its quiet surroundings. This club opens at 4:15 in the morning before American's first flight of the day and remains open until 8:00 in the evening, fairly close to the day's final departure.
The airline scheduled a B737-800 on my first leg which featured 4 rows in First Class with 4 seats per row separated by the aisle. These comfy seats are nearly 21” wide with a 40” seat pitch which give you ample room to stretch out and get comfortable. I chose a flight shortly after the Noon hour so I would have time to explore lounges in Miami prior to my evening departure. Once onboard and settled in, we were airborne in short order. The beverage service began about 15 minutes later, followed by a tasty lunch. American unveiled new menus for domestic First Class in November and I selected the Chow Mein Noodle Bowl for my main course. Each of the new dishes is paired with an appetizer that is consistent with vegetarian preferences so the Noodle Bowl was served with a plate of thin green beans, cucumber, tomato, sesame seeds and dill with an American chopped salad accompanied by an oil and vinegar dressing. Their signature, warmed chocolate chip cookie was the perfect dessert!
Upon arrival in Miami and after checking in for the flight to London, I had a few choices in terms of which lounge to visit. The airline does not operate their own Business or First Class Lounge at this airport. Premium passengers are welcome to visit the American Admirals Clubs or the #LATAMAirlinesUS Lounge. Since I have been fortunate to frequent many an Admirals Club, I opted to check out the lounge operated by the premium airline serving South America, also a member of the #traveloneworld Alliance. This VIP Lounge offers a massive 10,000-square foot space located in Terminal J. The lounge features ample seating for relaxing or working as well as a full service bar and I spotted some sandwiches, soups, vegetables and cheese plates by the buffet area.
After a few hours I decided to head over to the #LoungeCenturion operated by #AmericanExpress. It's located in Concourse D near Gate D12 on the 4th floor. Holders of the Amex Centurion and Platinum cards are eligible to use this space but Platinum card holders are only permitted to use it as a departure lounge and no earlier than 3 hours prior to scheduled flight time. These lounges have become quite popular and the restrictions are in effect to reduce overcrowding. I’m a big fan of the Centurion Lounges and this one didn't disappoint. It offered cuisine by James Beard Award winning chef Michelle Bernstein and locally-inspired dishes like Braised Chicken Thighs and Corn Soup with Roast Poblanos, large and mild heart-shaped chili peppers. The Miami Lounge serves cocktails developed by Jim Meehan, one of the nation’s top mixologists, as well as wines handpicked by renowned wine authority Anthony Giglio. I was perfectly happy here and it proved to be a pleasant and relaxing way to spend the balance of my time prior to boarding the flight.
British Airways places its A380 First Class cabin on the lower deck which is wider and therefore more spacious. I was warmly greeted by the Customer Service Manager and then personally escorted to Seat 2A, a single seat on the port side of the aircraft. The carrier has 14 seats in this cabin in a 1-2-1 configuration. There are no center seats in the first row due to the location of the stairs leading to the upper deck. Four individual seats are placed on each side of the aircraft and 3 rows of double seats in the middle. The First Class cabin was impressive and looked very sleek. This effect is strongly enhanced once the mood lights are turned on by the cabin crew during flight. I was really blown away by the 2 oversized windows next to my seat which came equipped with double “blinds,” each movable with a simple push of a button. They're much larger than what we're used to and great for plane spotting while taxiing to or from the gate.
Headphones and a light blanket were found at my seat along with a smart looking and well stocked amenity kit. I was soon offered some pajamas and was then able to make good use of the ample storage area to the left of my seat which is also where the power adapters and entertainment controls may be found. Fine champagne was offered prior to takeoff and menus distributed. I’ll spare you the menu details for this particular flight but I can tell you the food was quite good and the solicitous service was much appreciated. When it was time for sleep, my flight attendant made up my “bed” with a nice duvet, a cozy blanket and two soft pillows. Ahh…before I knew it, we were about an hour and a half out of London and it was time for breakfast. I’ve always enjoyed those BA smoothies offered to their First Class passengers and followed it with a full English breakfast.
We arrived close to 11 in the morning but my BA flight to Singapore wasn’t scheduled to depart until 9:30 that evening. I’ll fill you in on how I spent my day in London and the flight to Singapore in a future post.
Until next time…safe travels.
Sounds like you were in your element George - plane spotting from a First Class vantage point - It's a tough life, but someone has to do it!