With a 7:40 flight, I left the hotel at 6:40 to take the train back to T3. Changi currently has 4 terminals with T1-3 connected physically but the trains make the journeys shorter. by the time I arrived, they were already boarding.
I had wanted to fly out of the new Terminal 4, but unfortunately, Singapore Airlines does not use this new facility.
I really don't like Changi's gate lounge setup, with security at its entry, after which passengers are stuck in the waiting area. No shopping, no restaurants, no coffee, and no bathroom.
The only thing to do is to head up to the window for plane spotting.
Before boarding, I helped myself to a pair of earphones at the gate. They are decent quality, which I could re-use after the flight.
Stepping on board, the 777 was even older than the previous night's A330. The TV screen screams the 90s and the flight map and info screens reminded me of my high school days. There weren't many people in the gate lounge and loading was once again light. Why SQ still keeps these jets or not renovate them is a mystery. This is so disappointing for a premium airline.
Don't even think you can touch screen your way through the menu.
On the bright side, the flight time is only 4.5 hours!
No complete seasons on the menu. What was available were piecemeal episodes - decent, but nothing impressive for an airline that supposedly wins many awards.
With a light loading, we pushed back early and circled around the airport to take off. With more budget airline flights and Chinese airlines, spotting has slightly improved but still pales in comparison to Hong Kong, Bangkok, or London.
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Although Air India is typically in the news for bad reasons, their special livery does look quite nice.
We lifted off into the hazy morning sky. I had hoped my right window could command some decent skyline views on departure southbound, but visibility wasn't great.
Menu booklets were distributed just like my Hong Kong flight. Breakfast was served over Indonesia, with a spicy beef noodle. By 9am, we were leaving Indonesia's shores for the sea crossing.
Goodbye, Indonesia. The next sight of land would be Australia.
Many passengers lowered their shades and the cabin lights were dimmed for the morning flight. I walked around the cabin noting many have taken up the empty back rows to make their own Economy Class beds. The bathroom was well-stocked.
Just over 2 hours after leaving Indonesia's islands, Australia's west coast came into view. Although we flew slightly inland, I couldn't see it too well because of the wing in the way. The untamed coast is rugged. empty, and simply beautiful. All this untouched nature was the main reason why I wanted to come.
By now, the flight attendants have been going through the aisles several times with liquids.
A week-long trip in this part of the vast country is only enough to scrape the surface. Long driving distances add to the number of days needed.
The safety card was a 4-pager as well. I will remember this aircraft type to avoid it next time! With passengers bringing more and more electronic devices these days, what is allowed and not are clearly listed out in chronological order right on the front page.
I've remarked on other airlines that their duty-free shopping includes some querky items, including cooking pots. SQ's selection is also quite big, which I doubt they would have in-stock on the plane. Would they have a wine cabinet wrapped in a bowl for me to take off the plane?
Hello Kitty seems to be seeping into everyday life in the weirdest ways.
Tiger Balm was first launched in Burma by the Aw family in 1924. Aw Chu Kin left Fujian and arrived in Rangoon in 1870. His sons adapted the business into a balm to treat any ills. If anyone opens a bottle of this on the plane, the smell will easily permeate through the entire cabin.
Would they provide me with crystal on board?
The earphones are sealed packages that require some basic assembly. It is a typical headphone with an additional adapter to fit into the 2-prong outlet. Spare plastic buds were included. Seemed needlessly complicated for a one-use item.
Flight deck announced Perth's weather prior to descent - cloudy. Winter is the city's rainy season, although this is one of the sunniest places in the country.
More views of the mediocre television screen. Interestingly, there were language lessons loaded into the IFE.
As we neared cloud level, the scenery became more green.
It was partly cloudy as we descended, bouncing around in the clouds here and there, but otherwise Perth was having a nice sunny day. As we landed from the north, capturing the skyline was a bit difficult from the wing. But there isn't a big skyline to spot anyway.
Welcome back to Australia, my first purely leisure trip to the country. There were lots of smaller regional jets parked on the tarmac. I noticed some familar names, such as REX. We taxied for a bit and parked at Terminal 1, a nice facility for international flights.
Seems lunch is a quiet time for international arrivals. Biometric passports could use the automated kiosk, which had no lines. Customs took much longer, although the long line kept on moving so despite the horrifying scene, it really only took about 15 minutes to get through. Outside, bus 380 would take me into the city for AUD $4.8.
Singapore Airlines is oftentimes associated with a premium experience, but these 2 flights were disappointing. The hardware is in desperate need of an upgrade, although the service on board was still great. Hopefully these jets are being retrofitted, as they are nowhere near their Middle East competitors, and even Cathay's older planes are better equipped. At least the price was right.