Again arriving in Zurich Airport at 9:43AM on the Intercity train from St Gallen, I proceeded to the check-in area to get my boarding pass printed and luggage checked-in.
There was quite a queue at check-in, thankfully I had already selected my seat and checked-in online, and therefore was able to use the bag drop counter and avoid the queue.
There was quite a queue at check-in, thankfully I had already selected my seat and checked-in online, and therefore was able to use the bag drop counter and avoid the queue.
Singapore Airlines 345
Zurich (ZRH) – Singapore (SIN)
Thursday, Apr 16 2015
Depart: 11:45AM
Arrive: 5:55AM (+1)
Flight time: 12hr10min
Aircraft: Airbus 380
Seat: 32A
Boarding was from gate E67, a far flung corner of the terminal, so I had to take the Skymetro and traverse a subterranean path before arriving at the cluster of gates E, used for non-Schegen flights.
Since I was seated right at the front of the economy cabin, I was among the last group of passengers for which boarding was called, though I personally had no qualms with that, since I see no incentive for early boarding when flying economy class.
Perhaps it was just me being away from home for so long, I really felt at home the moment I stepped into the cabin and was greeted by a leading stewardess and steward.
The load wasn't exactly full, with about 80% of the economy cabin filled. I shared the row with another Swiss guy with an empty middle seat between us.
I settled down in my seat and began flipping through a copy of the Business Times, which featured several interesting articles I was hoping to catch up on. While waiting for the cabin door to close, hot towels were offered to passengers. Menus were distributed subsequently, together with... a pair of socks.
Perhaps it was just me being away from home for so long, I really felt at home the moment I stepped into the cabin and was greeted by a leading stewardess and steward.
The load wasn't exactly full, with about 80% of the economy cabin filled. I shared the row with another Swiss guy with an empty middle seat between us.
I settled down in my seat and began flipping through a copy of the Business Times, which featured several interesting articles I was hoping to catch up on. While waiting for the cabin door to close, hot towels were offered to passengers. Menus were distributed subsequently, together with... a pair of socks.
Suffice to say it's a palatable offering, complete with a fairly extensive beverage menu printed on the overleaf.
We pushed off from gate E67 at about 12PM, and began to taxi to the runway. While Zurich Airport was rather small, we had a rather long wait at the apron, before continuing the taxi to the runway.
We took off at 12:13AM behind an United B767, which was in turn waiting for a Swiss A321 taking off from the intersecting runway.
The take-off roll is long, though the climb out was smooth and the engine was really quiet for a beast of this size.
Shortly after takeoff, drinks and snacks were served. As usual I ordered a Singapore Sling, which was promptly served together with nuts.
I had the beef brisket with noodles for lunch, the beef was a little too salty for an Asian palate, though perfectly tender and juicy. The syrah which I had to accompany the dinner was also great with a fruity aroma.
Drinks were offered continuously throughout the flight, with stewards or stewardesses making a tour of the cabin carrying a tray of juice and water every 30 minutes or so.
I was trying to adjust back to Singapore time and hence decided to wait till 11PM Singapore time, which would be halfway through the flight before sleeping. In the meanwhile, I plugged my laptop to the inseat AC inlet and started working on an assignment on leadership aspirations for a couple of hours.
Running out on inspirations after a few hours, I decided to catch a movie before sleeping, and selected "The Crossing: Part One", which I had seen a poster of before I left Singapore in February but had not managed to catch. As I was in a window seat, I decided against waking up my seat mate and pressed the call button to order some snacks instead of going down to the galley myself.
While I only ordered some nuts and chips together with another Singapore Sling, the stewardess generously offered me some chocolate cookies and other tidbits along with my order.
While the movie was okay, it failed to hypnotise me sufficiently and I woke up after a mere 2 hours in slumber. So I walked up to the galley and tried to get some sleeping pills from the stewardess, who seemed horrified by my request. Apparently they do not have a stock of such drugs on board, which was to my disappointment though I certainly understand that it wasn't a routine request, and neither was it a fair expectation.
So I asked for some alcohol instead, hoping to get tipsy and knocked out. At this point a steward came in and offered to make me some camomile tea instead. The Stewardess also got me a pair of eyeshades and ear plugs. I thanked her for the eye shades, but declined the ear plugs since I had my own.
About two hours before landing, the cabin lights were turned on and breakfast was served. A hot towel was again offered before the meal service.
I was trying to adjust back to Singapore time and hence decided to wait till 11PM Singapore time, which would be halfway through the flight before sleeping. In the meanwhile, I plugged my laptop to the inseat AC inlet and started working on an assignment on leadership aspirations for a couple of hours.
Running out on inspirations after a few hours, I decided to catch a movie before sleeping, and selected "The Crossing: Part One", which I had seen a poster of before I left Singapore in February but had not managed to catch. As I was in a window seat, I decided against waking up my seat mate and pressed the call button to order some snacks instead of going down to the galley myself.
While I only ordered some nuts and chips together with another Singapore Sling, the stewardess generously offered me some chocolate cookies and other tidbits along with my order.
While the movie was okay, it failed to hypnotise me sufficiently and I woke up after a mere 2 hours in slumber. So I walked up to the galley and tried to get some sleeping pills from the stewardess, who seemed horrified by my request. Apparently they do not have a stock of such drugs on board, which was to my disappointment though I certainly understand that it wasn't a routine request, and neither was it a fair expectation.
So I asked for some alcohol instead, hoping to get tipsy and knocked out. At this point a steward came in and offered to make me some camomile tea instead. The Stewardess also got me a pair of eyeshades and ear plugs. I thanked her for the eye shades, but declined the ear plugs since I had my own.
About two hours before landing, the cabin lights were turned on and breakfast was served. A hot towel was again offered before the meal service.
This time round the meal service began from the back of the cabin instead, so only one of the two options was available by the time the stewardess reached our row.
We landed ahead of schedule at 5:20AM and had a quick taxi to Terminal 3. Since boarding was from door 2L, I was among the first economy class passengers to get off the plane.
Conclusion
Despite being a Singaporean, I seldom fly SIA since most of my travel involve regional rather than ultra long haul flights, and I could not justify paying a premium for it. However, on long haul flights I think it's really worth it. The service of the crew really made a huge difference between a torture of being stuck in a tube and a relax, well-rested journey.
It's interesting to note that SIA charges a premium for flights departing from Singapore as compared to inbound ones.
It's interesting to note that SIA charges a premium for flights departing from Singapore as compared to inbound ones.
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