That Time Of The Year!

Lounge

Pre-pandemic, Virgin Clubhouse in JFK was used only for SQ25 Suites passengers.  Currently, it is used by ALL passengers including PPS and Krisflyer Gold.  I used to like this lounge a lot back in 2019 but my experience this round was bad.  I had trouble getting a seat, food and drinks took ages to come (and item missed) and selection was not as great as before.  I should have bought Macdonald’s into the lounge to eat.

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Seat

The A350-900ULR uses the old 2013 Business Class seats.  I have written about the SQ21 EWR-SIN direct which incidentally was on 9V-SGC as well! All but 1 seats were taken making this a very busy VTL flight.  I was initially booked on 23K but about 1 week before flying, I managed to get 10A.  10A is not a true bulkhead seat vs. 11D/F and 19.  The seat pitch seems shorter (I can like almost straight on 11D, but I can’t do that with 10A).  The leg rest is not a small foot well unlike other seats but not as deep as the traditional bulkhead seats.  Although comfortable, it is a little too close to the forward galley and furthest from the lavatory.  The overhead compartment also happens to be the smallest too.  There is still merit in selecting this seat but do take note of the disadvantages.

Services

Being an almost full flight, the crew were more focused on efficiency.  This is to be expected as SQ23 has 67 Business Class passengers!  One incident kept playing in my head though was what the FSS said to me.  She gave me a flurry of instructions to stow my bag (which was jutting out slightly from under the foot rest), window shades and seat back upright (which were already up) and in her exact words – last but not least, I need you to give me back the headphone.  I was a little taken aback – she was not rude but somehow something just doesn’t feel right.  Nevertheless, I told her that I was using my own and she still insisted I have to give her back the unused one – which I duly complied.  I felt like the class teacher just confiscated my headphone (LOL). 

Despite that, the overall experience on the flight had been pleasant and a special mention to IFM Mr. Mun who took good care of me throughout the 18 hour flight.

Food and Beverage

Ultra-Long Range flights comprises 2+1 meal services.  The 1^st 2 being the main meal and the 3^rd is the pre-landing refreshment.

Course service has since returned to Business Class as well.  Food however seemed less substantial than what I remembered but it was ok for me as I was still quite full.  First meal was served not long after take-off, second meal around 11 hours post take off and refreshment was given just before landing.

I did BTC for both meals while refreshment was just a simple sandwich.

As this was an ultra-long haul flight and I am due to work the following day, I kept alcohol to a minimum (not that I can really tell the difference haha).

First Meal – post take-off

Second Meal – Mid-flight

Third Meal – Pre-Landing

Amenity Kit

Amenity kits are now provided in Business Class – but with a catch.  You must ask for it!  Even for slippers and socks, you will need to ask for it as it is no longer placed at your seat.

Singapore Airlines uses the Penhaligon kit which is similar to what I had from my Dine@A380 event.

Arrival Process

Upon arrival, you will need to proceed straight to the arrival hall.  Once through immigration and baggage collection, you will go straight to the end of terminal 3 for the On-Arrival PCR test (which can be pre-booked).  Good thing that Day 3 and Day 7 On-Arrival PCR test has been removed, thus saving further costs. 

The whole process took < 15 minutes (as we arrived at 5am) and once done, you are free to go to your place of quarantine until your PCR result is made available.

I still can’t believe that I blew 377,00 miles for 1 night in New York!  A return First/Suites Saver to JFK normally cost < 300k miles.  After not flying for almost 2 years, the brain is no longer rational.  All these miles for 42 hours of flying time and 30 hours of ground time in New York City. 

Covid-19 had caught us off guard on how international travel had become part and parcel of our lives.  VTL is a good first step in trying our best to normalize travel within the safety limits.  It is not without pitfalls and each region will have their own set of regulation which can be confusing at times.  Let’s hope that this will be the start of more travel for everyone!

Note – sadly emergence of Omicron has changed things again. Restrictions have been re-imposed. I am glad that I made this flight.