That Time Of The Year!

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That Time Of The Year!
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  • Author Archives: TTOTY

    • Flying once again!

      Posted at 5:39 pm by TTOTY, on January 20, 2023

      We are in 2023 and I have not had a single post in 2022. 2022 had been a rough year for me, mainly from a life-changing health event. I fell sick in February and not long after, I had my right kidney removed due to a growth which turned out to be cancerous. Right now, I am undergoing 17 doses of immunotherapy (of which I had my 11th dose today).

      I have been refraining from traveling (short of a short road trip to Kuala Lumpur in December 2022 to visit my mom) due to the side effects I experienced in my first few doses. With the returning to near normal for air travel, the itch just got more intense and when I chanced upon an opening on SQ322 Suites, I decided to jump on it.

      After being grounded for almost 15 months, I will be flying again (finally) to London in February. Looking forward to the following:

      1. SQ 322 Suites
      2. SQ 305 First Class
      3. Intercontinental Park Lane (last stayed there in 2018)
      4. Club Intercontinental Park Lane
      5. The new SilverKris Lounge and The Private Room
      6. LHR First Class SilverKris Lounge

      I hope that I can remain well and healthy for my upcoming trip! Really looking forward to it.

      Posted in Others | 0 Comments | Tagged Airbus A380, Changi Airport, First Class, Heathrow, London, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, Suites
    • VTL Experience Part 3 – Homecoming (SQ23 Business Class Review)

      Posted at 5:26 pm by TTOTY, on November 30, 2021

      For a big part of 2020, EWR and JFK were abandoned until Sept 2020 when SQ24/23 were launched as a direct SIN-JFK service.  It remained the only service out of JFK until October 2021 when SQ26 between FRA-JFK was reintroduced.  Now, Singapore Airlines has 2 services out of JFK just 1.5 hours apart.  Although counters for SQ25 open much earlier than that of SQ23, one cannot check into SQ23 using SQ25 counters.  I made the mistake of going in early.  Despite being stuck on the expressway for 1.5 hours, I was 1 hour early.

      Check in counter will need to sight the following:

      • Pre-departure negative test result (PCR or ART done 2 days before travel)
      • Vaccination status (for the VTL flight)
      • Trace Together app (for Singapore residents)

      They will also remind you to fill in the online health declaration form before entering Singapore.

      Posted in Business Class, Flights | 4 Comments | Tagged A350-900ULR, Changi Airport, JFK, New York, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, VTL
    • VTL Experience Part 2 – New York City Ground Experience

      Posted at 1:51 pm by TTOTY, on November 30, 2021

      My original plan was to book a room in TWA hotel (in JFK Terminal 5) and spend my time there watching plane take off and land from my room.  After calculating the cost of stay (including late check out), it works out to be > $500 USD!  I decided to go with a more cheapskate option – 44,000 IHG points for 1 night at Times Square Intercontinental hotel (with FOC early check in and 4pm late check out) even if I were to factor in a to & fro cab to Manhattan which cost about USD 75 – 80 per trip (inclusive of tips as the fare between JFK and Manhattan is a flat fee).

      Posted in Hotels, North America | 0 Comments | Tagged IHG, Intercontinental, Manhattan, New York, PCR test, VTL
    • VTL experience Part 1 – a short getaway to NYC (SQ 26 First Class Review)

      Posted at 1:07 pm by TTOTY, on November 30, 2021

      Ahhhh – I can finally smell the cabin at altitude after 22 months of being grounded!  How VTL finally allowed me to scratch my flying itch after so long.  Covid-19 has changed the way we know about international travel with the biggest bane being the Covid-19 swab and post-travel quarantine.  Although we still can’t run away from the pre & post travel swab, we at least can avoid post-travel quarantine that can potentially eat into our annual leave entitlement.

      The Booking Process

      Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) was first launched in September with routes from Germany (Frankfurt and Munich) and Brunei.  How VTL became a traveling game-changer is that flying back to Singapore on the designated VTL flight will allow us to avoid the need for 7 to 14 days of post-travel quarantine.  More info on VTL on Singapore Airlines website.

      I was initially hesitant to fly as I anticipate there will be a surge in demand and securing a ticket will be difficult.  Moreover, getting away from work was not easy during this period.  By mid-October, the itch got unbearable, and I decided to make the plunge.  After looking around at both Munich and Frankfurt, I decided on Frankfurt as their availability was better and more importantly, SQ 325 has First Class.  I was initially booked on SQ26(still on A350-900) in Business Class and SQ 325 in First Class.  Not long after, more VTL routes were announced including New York (JFK).  After 24 hours of consideration, I changed my booking. 

      At 237,000 miles for First Class on SQ 26, this represent a very very hefty redemption since it is just to scratch my flying itch! My 3 previous redemptions on this route were 93,500 (my first SQ26), 93,500 (my second SQ26) and 120,000 (SQ25). .  After almost 2 years of not flying, the brain is no longer rational … and TADA!  To come back, I cannot take SQ 25 as it is not a designated VTL flight (yet).  My only choice was to fly back on SQ 23 on the A350-900 ULR (which is another flight that I would love to try) and this flight cost me 140,000 miles (vs. 135,000 which I paid for SQ 21 back in 2018). 

      Booking myself on the SQ 26 was a risky gamble as I am technically not allowed to enter USA via Germany at the time of booking.  There were however talks on USA loosening its border and I was counting on it.  That announcement finally came in which the border will open on 8 November for vaccinated travelers (Yippie!) otherwise I will have to change my booking to SQ 24 instead.

      Posted in First Class, Flights | 0 Comments | Tagged America, Changi Airport, First Class, JFK, Silverkris Lounge, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, SQ26, VTL
    • Intercontinental Hotel Bugis Singapore

      Posted at 8:49 pm by TTOTY, on December 25, 2020

      So, 2020 has been a bummer for all of us especially travel nerds like me.  For someone who is constantly scouring Singapore Airlines website for availability, I end up cancelling more trips this year than making them.  So, what have I achieved in 2020? Let’s see:

      • Flown a total of 368 miles this year
      • Spent a total of 1 night outside of Singapore
      • Came into contact with the 1st unlinked Covid-19 case in Singapore (and hence pushing Singapore from yellow alert to orange alert)
      • Spending 11 nights in quarantine in a Government Quarantine Facility (and being able to review it)
      • Countless interviews with Zaobao
      • Having the privilege to have SQ crews working with me
      • New business partners – CL who had the courage to fly on UA1 / UA2 last year in Economy and RC 
      • Dine@380
      • Inside SIA
      • Amassing more than 1.5 million miles ready to burn them!
      Posted in Asia, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Bugis, Club Intercontinental, IHG, Intercontinental Hotel, Singapore, Staycation
    • SQ380 Business Class a.k.a Dine@A380 – Flight of Hope (or desperation)

      Posted at 2:52 pm by TTOTY, on October 27, 2020

      Oh, how 2020 had been an exciting year for all of us – we were introduced to many new things like toilet paper rush, queuing up and stocking up of food, safe distancing, circuit-breaker among the many new experiences.  Now with 2020 drawing close, we have flight to nowhere, cruise to nowhere and fresh from Singapore Airlines – Dine@A380!  Although I wasn’t keen on SIA@home, Dine@A380 was something that was harder to resist. 

      Many has written detailed reviews on how good the whole event was – which I have to agree it was an excellent job done by the crew who volunteered their time and effort for it.  You can tell that those who were there that day were proud to be part of the event!

      I shall then write on my experience on the bad and the good side of the whole experience starting from the booking process leading up to the event day.

      Posted in Business Class, Flights, Non-Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Airbus A380, Business Class, Changi Airport, Covid19, Dine@A380, Safe Distancing, Singapore Airlines
    • Together, we shall prevail!

      Posted at 2:13 pm by TTOTY, on April 15, 2020

      It has been almost 2 months since I was discharged from my quarantine and in this period, we have seen the case counter going up from 29 (on 6 Feb 2020) to now more than 3200!  That is a staggering 100-fold jump in just slightly over 2 months!  A lot of things have happened too in these 2 months – we went from a life with minimal disruption and mask being only for the sick to a significant movement restriction and mask being compulsory.

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Others | 0 Comments | Tagged Covid19, Doctors, Dr. Jade Kua, Essential Workers, Healthcare workers, JeweLuxe World, Nurses, Singapore
    • Review – Life in quarantine facility

      Posted at 7:26 pm by TTOTY, on February 15, 2020

      In less than 48 hours, I will be finally released from jail! Ok fine – this is many times better than jail.  After 1 week in a quarantine facility how did it feel?  Other than being lonely and inability to leave my room, I would say the place isn’t too bad.

      Here is my review of my stay in one of the designated Government Quarantine Facility.

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Others | 2 Comments | Tagged Ambassador, Ambassador Weekend Certificate, Covid19, IHG, IHG Reward Nights, Intercontinental, novel Coronavirus, Quarantine, Singapore, Singapore Airlines
    • What I fear, is the fear itself.

      Posted at 6:10 pm by TTOTY, on February 8, 2020

      This is not going to be any review nor anything to do with award travel but more to do with the current novel Coronavirus(nCoV) and the state of things it has caused.

      For once in years, I have all the time I want in the world but only within the confinement of the 4 walls of my quarantine room.  Today is day 5 post exposure (another 9 more days to go) and thankfully I am still fine.  I have yet to get the result of my swab test and I believe (and hope) it should be negative.

      Why hope? Is it because I am worried about the virus itself?  Well, no.  What I fear, is the fear itself.  From all the photos sent to me via Whatsapp, I was shaking my head non-stop looking at the long queue, the supply-grabbing and even condoms are not spared! (hahahah – wonder why).

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Others | 0 Comments | Tagged novel Coronavirus, Quarantine
    • TTOTY 2020 – not a great start

      Posted at 10:24 pm by TTOTY, on February 7, 2020

      It has been an extremely busy 3 months and I have not been able to find time to write my review on my Fukuoka hotel and ryokan.  But as of today (and the next 10 days), things have changed.

      I was looking forward to end of February for a few reasons:

      • My upcoming break in Shanghai and Nanjing (finally!)
      • The joy of securing tickets using the 51% Spontaneous Escape promotion
      • My chance finally to try out and review the 2017 Business Class and Suites
      • Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland
      • China bullet train

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Others | 0 Comments | Tagged China, IHG, Intercontinental, Maldives, Shanghai, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, Wuhan
    ← Older posts
    • Posts

      • Flying once again!
      • VTL Experience Part 3 – Homecoming (SQ23 Business Class Review)
      • VTL Experience Part 2 – New York City Ground Experience
      • VTL experience Part 1 – a short getaway to NYC (SQ 26 First Class Review)
      • Intercontinental Hotel Bugis Singapore
      • SQ380 Business Class a.k.a Dine@A380 – Flight of Hope (or desperation)
      • Together, we shall prevail!
      • Review – Life in quarantine facility
      • What I fear, is the fear itself.
      • TTOTY 2020 – not a great start
      • Korean Air Business Class Second Act – The Apex Suite
      • Korean Air Business Class in pictures – KE 644 (SIN-ICN) and KE 765 (ICN-CTS)
      • Looking back at 2019
      • Air China Economy Class
      • Bank of China Elite Miles Card – my crappy experience
      • SQ 32 Business Class (SIN-SFO) in pictures
      • SQ 979 Business Class (BKK-SIN)
      • Renaissance Hotel Bangkok
      • T/G Lounge (DPS)
      • Thai Royal Silk Lounge Singapore
      • TG 404 Business Class and TG 409 Economy Class (SIN-BKK-SIN) – an ‘upgraded’ experience
      • Park Royal Kuala Lumpur – more GHA hotel review
      • Capitol Kempinski Singapore and GHA Discovery Black
      • Holiday Inn Resort Batu Ferringhi, Penang
      • TR 426 (SIN-PEN) and AK 1729 (PEN-SIN) review – tale of 2 budget airlines
      • SQ 611 Business Class (ICN-SIN) in pictures
      • NH 7 Business Class (SFO-NRT) in pictures
      • Sony WH-1000XM3 – The must have traveling companion!
      • Panama San Blas Islands & Panama San Blas Tour – Paradise in the Caribbean
      • Panama – my experience
      • Austin ATX Pass and Houston Segway Tour
      • SQ 637 Suites (NRT-SIN)
      • Intercontinental New York Barclay – an old gem in the Big Apple
      • Crowne Plaza JFK, New York
      • Changi Jewel Lounge
      • Delta One & Korean Air Business Class
      • UA 2 & UA 1 Economy Class (SIN-SFO-SIN) in pictures
      • The Westin Playa Bonita
      • Silverkris Lounge makeover …. finally!
      • Gamboa Rainforest Resort – an old gem badly in need of makeover
      • Waldorf Astoria Panama City
      • Hilton Americas-Houston
      • Lufthansa Senator Lounge (FRA) Revisited
      • Virgin Clubhouse JFK – sanctuary in a busy airport
      • Copa Club Tocumen Airport and The Lounge Panama by Global Lounge Network
      • Landry’s Seafood IAH Terminal C and non-lounge use of Priority Pass Card
      • United Club and KLM Crown Lounge Houston (IAH)
      • SQ 25 Suites (JFK-FRA-SIN) – my favourite cabin once again
      • CM 804 Business Class (PTY-JFK) – Good alternative connecting into Latin and South America for Star Alliance
      • CA 885 First Class (IAH-PTY) – First Air China experience
      • UA 1045 First Class (IAH-AUS)
      • SQ 52 Business Class (SIN-MAN-IAH) – my long and arduous journey into the Lone Star State
      • That Time of The Year 2019!
      • Gardens Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur
      • First Class or Business Class redemption? A simple breakdown on Krisflyer
      • Long Haul Economy Class or Short Haul First Class?
      • SQ 218 Suites (MEL-SIN) and Silverkris Lounge Melbourne in Pictures
      • SQ 217 Suites (SIN-MEL) in pictures
      • Food in Kansai
      • Wa Yamamura – a must try in Nara!
      • Holiday Inn Osaka Namba – strategically located budget hotel
      • Mikasa Ryokan Nara – a sanctuary for relaxation
      • SQ 618 (SIN-KIX) Business Class – a fairly simple sleeper flight
      • SQ619 Suites (KIX-SIN) – A Great Way To Fly!
      • OD807 Business Class (KUL-SIN) in pictures
      • The end of an era
      • IHG Ambassador Programme
      • Upcoming Krisflyer devaluation
      • Grand Millennium Hotel Hongqiao Shanghai
      • Happy New Year 2019!
      • MH609 (KUL-SIN) Business Class & MAS Golden Lounge in pictures
      • 2018 – looking back
      • SQ 830 (SIN-PVG) and SQ 833 (SIN-PVG) Economy Class
      • MI 988 and MI 985 Business Class (SIN-WUH-SIN)
      • SQ21 Business Class (EWR-SIN) – post inaugural flight back to Singapore
      • Special feature – SQ22 Inaugural (SIN-EWR) Premium Economy
      • SIN-EWR Inaugural
      • Air China First Class Lounge Shanghai
      • SQ618 Business Class (SIN-KIX) – Pictorial review of the Dreamliner
      • SQ828 First Class (SIN-PVG)
      • Holiday Inn Express Mongkok, Hong Kong
      • Holiday Inn Munich City Centre – conveniently located within Munich City
      • Imlauer Pitter Hotel Salzburg – Cosy Boutique Hotel just a stone throw away from the Mirabel
      • Heritage Hotel Hallstatt – a hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage town
      • MI 986 and MI985 Economy Class (SIN-WUH-SIN) – my furthest flight on a 737
      • SQ22/21, here we come!
      • Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge, Changi Airport Terminal 4
      • CX712 Business Class (HKG-SIN) and The Deck Business Class Lounge
      • CX711 Business Class (SIN-BKK-HKG) – First Cathay Pacific experience
      • Holiday Inn Bangkok
      • Oman Air Business Class Lounge Bangkok
      • Adlers Hotel Innsbruck – A gem in the Tirolian capital
      • Radisson Blu Plaza Helsinki
      • Rovaniemi Scandic Hotel
      • London Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel – a luxury that is in need of some uplifting
      • SQ974 and SQ973 Economy (SIN-BKK-SIN) – The Dreamliner makes a debut
      • BA926 (LHR-MUC) Club Europe – a good way to use your Avios
      • Arctic Snow Hotel and Igloo Hotel Rovaniemi
      • SQ327 Business Class (MUC-SIN) – My first A350-900 XWB ride
      • AY412 Economy Class (KAJ-HEL)
      • AY533 Economy Class (HEL-RVN)
      • SQ 308 Suites (SIN-LHR) – a rather underwhelming Suites experience
      • Krisflyer Spontaneous Escapes – March Edition
      • Helsinki Finnair Business Class Lounge
      • Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge Doha
      • Plaza Premium First Lounge KLIA (Part 2)
      • Qatar Airways A330-300 Business Class
      • QR849 Business Class (KUL-DOH)
      • Intercontinental Landmark 72 Hanoi (Club Intercontinental)
      • SQ 176 and SQ 175 Business Class Review (SIN-HAN-SIN)
      • KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes Promotion
      • Hotel Jen Puteri Harbor, Johor
      • KLIA Plaza Premium First Lounge
      • OD 807 Business Class (KUL-SIN) and KLIA Premier Access Lounge
      • SATS Premier Lounge Changi Terminal 2 and MH614 Business Class (SIN-KUL)
      • Berjaya Time Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur
      • QR 852 Business Class (DOH-KUL)
      • Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge Doha
      • QR40 First Class (CDG-DOH)
      • Qatar Airways Premium Lounge Paris
      • South African Airways Premium Baobab Lounge
      • Bidvest Domestic Lounge, Cape Town
      • SA8651 Economy Class (CPT-SZK)
      • Enhanced security screening going into USA from Canada
      • That Time Of The Year 2017 – Part 2
      • Royal Park Hotel The Haneda
      • Hakone Yoshino Pax Hotel
      • Royal Park Hotel The Shiodome
      • LAX Crowne Plaza Hotel
      • Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
      • Banff Aspen Lodge
      • SQ478 Business Class (SIN-JNB-CPT)
      • St. Regis Hotel Vancouver
      • Delta Hotels by Marriott Montreal
      • SQ631 Business Class (HND-SIN) and ANA Business Lounge Haneda International Airport
      • SQ11 Business Class (LAX-NRT) and Star Alliance Lounge LAX
      • AC578 Economy Class (YYC-LAX) and Calgary Aspire Lounge
      • TS8788 Economy Class (YVR-YYC)
      • AC307 Domestic Business Class and Maple Leaf Lounge – a case of downgraded bird
      • DL 4106 Domestic First Class – A very forgettable experience!
      • SQ26 Suites (SIN-FRA-JFK) Round 2, with my first ever in-flight medical call
      • That Time Of The Year 2017 Part 1
      • Let’s talk about Avios
      • My take on the upcoming devaluation of Krisflyer Miles
      • The day we all dread …..
      • A Tale of 3 Lounges
      • Seoul Courtyard Marriott Time Square Club Room
      • MH616/66/67/607 Business Class (SIN-KUL-ICN-KUL-SIN)
      • Special! 7D 5N Parlo Tour (Malaysia) Hokkaido
      • Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur
      • New Chitose Air Terminal Hotel
      • MH619 Business Class (KUL-SIN)
      • D7 551 Economy Class (CTS-KUL)
      • NH63 Economy Class (HND – CTS) – and Ninja Wifi review
      • SQ636 First Class (SIN-HND)
      • More upcoming review
      • SQ67 Business Classs (GRU – BCN – SIN)
      • Sumaq VIP Lounge, Lima
      • Premier Lounge Ngurah Rai Airport
      • ANA Suites Lounge Narita Airport
      • Changi Airport Terminal 1 Dnata Lounge
      • Upcoming review for October 2016…
      • JW Marriott Cusco
      • KL836 Business Class (DPS-SIN)
      • KL835 Business Class (SIN-DPS)
      • Next up? Bali
      • My short Malaysia getaway
      • MH628 & MH 605 Malaysia Airlines Economy (Via JAL Redemption)
      • Award redemption using Krisflyer Miles
      • Credit Cards that offer renewal miles
      • Citibank Prestige Card
      • SQ856 Business Class (SIN-HKG)
      • MH73 & MH609 Business Class (HKG-KUL-SIN)
      • SQ866 Suites (SIN – HKG)
      • The Haven by Jetquay Lounge
      • Penang Rasa Sayang Shangri La Resort and Spa
      • San Francisco Hyatt Regency
      • Los Angeles Residence Inn L.A. Live
      • Missisauga ALT Hotel
      • Niagara Sheraton On The Falls
      • Toronto Intercontinental Club Room
      • Boston Intercontinental Club Room
      • New York Residence Inn Times Square
      • Part 6(B) – SQ 15 First Class (ICN – SIN)
      • Part 6(A) – SQ 15 First Class (SFO – ICN)
      • Part 5 – Amtrak Coast Starlight, Sleeper Cabin (LAX – SFO)
      • Part 4 – AC 791 Transcontinental Business Class (YYZ-LAX)
      • Part 3 – AC 7627 Domestic Business Class (BOS-YYZ)
      • Part 2 – DL 4004 Domestic First Class (JFK-BOS)
      • Part 1(B) – SQ 26 Suites (FRA-JFK)
      • Part 1(A) – SQ 26 Suites (SIN-FRA)
      • That Time Of The Year – 2015!
      • Round The World Trip
      • SQ807 Business Class (PEK-SIN)
      • SQ802 Suites (SIN-PEK)
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