Jet Set Go!

A frequent traveller with Virgin and the One World Alliance, with American Airlines, I had always been curious about what life was like on some of the other carriers. Having tried Thai F in January (on short a HKG-BKK trip) I looked into an interesting miles redemption option offered by BMI (formerly British Midland).  BMI, which is part of the Star Alliance, offers a miles plus money option, which allows you to co-pay and redeem half the miles you normally would need, meaning a 100,000 mile flight in First Class, would cost you just 50,000 miles and £340, plus tax. There’s nothing else quite like it for frequent flyers that I know of, so I decided to join Diamond Club, BMI’s frequent flyer scheme and see if I could quickly ramp up enough points to redeem for a First Class flight on Singapore Airlines (SQ), reputedly the best in the world.

Early in 2008 I signed up for BMI’s American Express card, which, at the time, was offering 25,000 miles to new customers. Then, during the year, I signed up for every BMI survey and promotion I could find, as well as notching up a couple of cheap economy Star Alliance flights, earning an additional 25,000 miles in the process. Just by using the credit card you rack up 2 points per £ spent and with some amazing online shopping promotions, offering additional miles per £ spent, totting up the remainder of the points wasn’t too difficult.  By the usual mileage earning standards this was pretty easy going.

Earning the miles is one thing, but actually booking the ticket is something else entirely.  If you’re planning on trying this yourself I would highly recommend you also sign up for ANA’s Mileage Club. Also a member of Star Alliance, ANA actually lets you check the availability of reward seats with other airlines online within the network, so that when you call BMI to redeem your miles you’ll already know what’s available and when, nevertheless, First availability is scarce, especially when you’re not booking it from the airline with which you are a member, so you’ll really have to search to find what you want and be really flexible about when your trip may be.

The scarcity of the seats makes the ANA tool critical. As you’ll have no status with BMI, like me, when you call them you’ll get put through to their crappy oursourced membership hotline, who, unlike the folks on the premium account lines, aren’t too keen to help you find available flights. So, sign up to ANA (it’s free), check which flights are open, then call BMI and specify exactly what you want, right down to the flight number.  When I needed to change my travel plans for Asia-Sydney (originally with Malaysian Airlines) this Christmas, because of the debacle at Bankok airport, I checked ANA at the very last minute to see if Singapore Airlines had availability to Sydney, they did. I called BMI, early on a Sunday morning (another good tip), ten minutes and £500 (ish) later it was done.

Last week I got my first taste of SQ/F on the first leg, a 5,500 mile trip from Hong Kong to Sydney, via Singapore.

Now, since last year SQ have been rolling out their new First Class cabin across the fleet, all the new 777ER aircraft and A380s feature brand-new First Class products, but they are near impossible to book with miles (believe me I tried) so I had to settle for the 747 Skybed product which is being phased out with the aircraft itself.  Nevertheless it was quite an experience.

As far as the cabin is concerned SQ’s First Class has 12 seats, 2 less than BA and Quantas, with an unusual single seat (1B) situated, on its own, right at in the very nose of the plane. Unlike some of the new ’suite’ styled products, which tend to be enclosed, each seat is relatively open, making flying a more social and interactive experience, which some people seem to prefer.

Where other airlines opt for an ottoman or footrest opposite the main seat, SQ’s chair extends fully without the need for one. Sadly this is one of the more disappointing features in the design; with nothing to put your feet on you end up either putting your feet up on the television, or opting to recline, which raises the leg rest – neither of which are ideal if you’re eating or working.

HKG-SIN I started in 2A, but, when the IFE system failed I switched over to 1B, which must be the most private of the last generation of First Class products (ie not suites). With no-one left, right or forward of you, the feeling is of total privacy, like you’re the only one in the cabin, which funnily enough, on the SIN-SYD leg of the journey, I was.

Despite being on your own, you’re still easily accessible by the crew, who are able to recharge your glass and reclaim your plates without climbing over someone else  or squeeze through a narrow opening, something the designers overlooked in some other cabin designs (I’m thinking BA’s new Club World in particular).

SQ’s newer cabins will undoubtedly be even better, but what the 747 cabin lacked in high-tech and mod-cons, it truly made up for in charm and service. From the moment I stepped aboard I was treated exceptionally well, plied with vintage Champagne and treated to a 5 course gourmet meal, incredible given the relatively short flight time of the first leg.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, nothing compares to the service you get with the Asian airlines, Thai and Cathay knock the socks off British Airways and American, even Virgin, but Singapore probably takes the biscuit.  Probably slightly biased by the fact I was their only passenger from Singapore to Sydney, the service was extraordinary.  The cabin crew were extremely attentive, keeping me stocked up on Champagne en route to Singapore and waking me just before landing with a cup of coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice as we approached Sydney.

The one surprising thing, perhaps, about the entire SQ package, was the lounge at Changi.  With a 2 1/2 hour stopover and plane change in Singapore I had the chance to check out the First Class lounge, in terminal 3.

Compared to my experience in the air this was sorely lacking. There was a good restaurant and reasonable bar, but the service was off and everything seemed just a little dated. It reminded me of and American Airlines lounge, which is no compliment. This was mirrored in Hong Kong, where the windowless room cried out for the Virgin treatment, anything to brighten it up a bit, make it fun.

The lounge aside, Singapore Airlines have got one of the most important things right: making it feel like First Class, not just look it.  Where others more recently have focussed on seats or lighting, menu design or gimmicks, SQ delivers with genuinely amazing service: you really feel like a First Class passenger in the way you’re treated, how the whole experience is put together. Sometimes it’s the simple things that are the hardest to get right, and SQ have nailed that First Class vibe.