Fly Around The Internet For Travel News: Reader's Roundup On Singapore's Dreamliner

Window seat. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
So many snippets of news. Let's keep them together in one place.
March 28 - 2018

Singapore Airlines Introduces the new Dreamliner Boing 787-10
'Designed for Dreams' they say, as they proudly announce that they are the first to fly this aircraft on the Asia-Pacific route.

What's in it for passengers? It's quieter, an advantage for those travelling in all classes.

If you are in Business class, whether on short or long haul, you can enjoy direct aisle access and recline fully (flat!) to sleep or rest with shut eyes. Speaking of sleeping, the windows are larger, but can be dimmed at the touch of a button.

If you can't afford to fly in Business class, you can admire the new seating when flying on the airline. I shall be on one of these planes at least four times later this year. Check it out as you walk past when boarding and exiting and tell your friends about it.

I always look at the abandoned socks, no longer needed by business people, some of them unworn (but nobody is going to sniff to check). I think, if the socks are going to be thrown away, maybe I could just grab a pair and recycle them inside my boots.

But the people behind me are marching briskly forward. I am probably watched by 1984 style videos. My husband would be incensed at my bringing the family, the British, the consumer, into disrepute. The glamorous girl at the door is watching and waiting to bow to me and say goodbye.

Superior Socks
My family are frequent flyers and if I remember to ask, they might remember to save me my Singapore Airlines socks. I have quite a collection. I wear them all winter under boots in Britain. I have navy airline socks, a jolly red pair from Virgin which I flew from the UK to America and back, plus a cream colour pair, from who knows what airline and when, very handy in summer.

Socks save the soles of my feet from getting hard on flat floors in flat shoes. Socks fill out boots bought a size too large ion the internet. When I don't bother to wear socks, I am reminded by itching bites from mosquitos, gnats, who knows what. So and reduce my chances of getting bitten on the ankles by mosquitos in the office in Singapore, I wear spare socks.

If you ever visit me and want to give me a present and don't have time to buy anything, I am always delighted to receive airline socks (even if you've worn them - I can just pop then in the wash) plus sleeping masks, whatever.

I imagine you may be shaking your head, tutting and smiling. It's amazing what other people do, isn't it? It's amazing what you do, and think, when you actually write it down! I once looked around a room at Writers Holiday in Wales, and asked my friend, Linda, 'Who do you think is the most interesting person in this room, who we could write about?' She laughed and retorted, 'You are!'

Hotel Room Booking Bring Airmiles
Use the airline's booking service for hotel and get airmiles. They say they give 2 krisflyer miles for every US$ spent.
Hotels
https://www.agoda.com/singaporeair1?cid=1604904
Flights
http://www.singaporeair.com/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Singapore Airlines beds, Economy's saved music playlists, free airport butterfly garden, bus stour, and stopover packages

Singapore Airlines 380 with their familiar flying bird logo. Photo from Singapore Airlines.

Problem
The new A380 plane rolls out Dec 18. How do I get to see the new seats in business class? They are not scheduled until Dec 18 2017. I was thinking of waiting until Dec 18 to mention them, but then I thought, if you were considering booking a seat on the 17th, and you could have delayed until the 18th, you'd be really glad to have received the information. Then you could enjoy the status and novelty of being one of the first to try the new seats, as well as enjoying the upgrade.

The seats can be separated, not just the length of your elbow, like in Economy class, but all the way down, for 'privacy'. My first thought was, who needs privacy? If I wanted to be alone I'd have stayed home!

Madonna was just photographed travelling in Economy and she is worth millions. The whole point of travel is to go to new places and meet new people.

 I just received a promotional video from Judy Carter, saying she'd done thousands of pounds of business by networking with somebody she sat next to on a plane. If you are in business class, you should be meeting people who are successful and entrepreneurial and worth meeting.

Then I re-read the email from Singapore Airlines. (I was just about to send it to family overseas who are about to take or book flights when they sent it to me.)

It says you can divide a bed the whole length. Now that's handy. If one of you wants to sleep, but the other one wants to read or watch films.

New Suites - a private cabin. It's a hotel in the air.

In First class you can operate the window shades at the touch of a button.

Economy
How about the majority of us? Flying in economy.

The one thing which doesn't seem any better is those hard armrests, so narrow they seem designed for whichever person gets their arm on first.

However, everything else seems designed with the customer in mind. You can save your favourite play lists. (I would save my play list, if I could decipher the system which seems to require a degree in electronics. It sometimes baffles even the crew, who you would think would be experts. I spend the first hour of any flight trying to find the film I want. First you plus in your headphone, right side of your seat or left, horizontal or vertical. Adjust the headpiece. I forgot to find or buy noise cancelling headphones which give you the music without a dreadful background hiss.

But, hey, if I can master the system, they will save my music playlist, and re-start the film I half saw when I get on the next flight.

You can already book a stopover holiday. Depending on your package (3 levels, like airline seats) you can get accommodation, free transfer back to the airport in a minibus,  hop on and hop off bus, and the premium level gets you free breakfast and return to the airport in a car.

If you can't sty the night in Singapore, but have a few hours to spare, you can get a free tour of the city.

Free Airport Butterly Garden
If you have an hour or two, but not enough time to get to the city, tour it, and come back, a free novelty is the two-level butterfly garden. The tropical conservatory has giant butterflies and information panels, within the airport.

Gardens By The Bay Tickets
If you have a day in Singapore, the top attraction is the Gardens By the Bay. You need to book. It has two areas, one with a multi-storey waterfall and paths and slopes up the different levels. The other is a series of gardens from around the world, again with information panels and selfie points.

Free Waterfront Walk
 If it's too busy, or your time is too short to make it worthwhile to invest in the expensive tickets. a very pleasant and education time can be spent walking around the free outside paths on the waterfront, where plaques tell you stories and myths about the trees and plants from various lands.

Handy Websites
www.singaporeair.com
https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.