Singapore Airlines is known for its great first class experience (marketed as First Class on the 777, and Suites Class on the A380) the airline has a great onboard experience, and a very good lounge at its Singapore Changi hub.
Sounds like something you would get on Etihad's Residence. Simon Wilson had a lovely concierge take care of him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RuZ4MBcxiw&t=1639s
Would this work on CX too especially with the limited amount of First Class routes they have?
"What’s interesting here is that the personal concierge service starts when someone arrives at The Private Room, so this isn’t from check-in all the way to the lounge, but instead, starts at the lounge."
There is NO problem with this. The distance from first class check in (at least in T3) to immy to the lounge is ~200 meters.
The cart to the gate is already available for anyone who requests it, but the ability to move to the front of the line for first class pax would be a VERY welcome touch.
John, Willy speaks rationally about other topics (he’s right to call out Trump); you just happen to disagree there, but not here. (Anyway, good luck gatekeeping everyone else… that’s an unpaid, full-time job, no healthcare, no retirement…)
This is a long overdue and welcome development! We flew DPS-SIN-BOM, with the SIN-BOM leg in SQ Suites last year . There was no one waiting for us when we arrived in SIN from DPS to escort us to the Private Room nor was there anyone to take us to our gate when it was time to board our flight to BOM. We were largely on our own which was really surprising given that that SQ Suites is supposed to be their "premier" product. A chauffeur driven escort in a private vehicle would also be a nice touch for both First and Suites class passengers.
Off-topic but nothing about Bamboo Airlines going out of business later this month? Unless it was already posted and I missed it…
Will report back on this tomorrow. 🙂
"cut the line at security" , is Not security . The type of people who would "cut the line at security" are Not interested in security . No thanks .
For someone who chose 'Alert' as a handle, you seem to be remarkably inattentive to reality on the ground. Perhaps even to the point of being rather dim. Time for a name change, maybe?
John, I believe Alert is mostly doing a combo of rage-bait and satire. Wait, are you the same John that told me to ‘Keep Myself Safe’ on here a few times before?
This service has been there for years (at least for LPPS). Depending on how far your gate is from the lounge you can make up your mind if you want it or not. Most people like a little walk before a long haul flight but if one runs late this is a great option. Given how Changi works, no concierge from check in to lounge is really required as there is a separate passport control at T3 for FCL terminal customers.
Air France first class concierge is still number one
@Ben the walk from the First Class checkin area to the Private Room is less than a minute.
Security at the gate sucks
I personally find the Singapore First/Suites product to be overrated, and I find it odd that their ground services at outstations have historically been better than at their own hub airport. The gate security situation is awful from a premium passenger perspective. I hope this new concierge service sticks.
As usual, SQ is playing catch-up with other airlines. The Private Room is still at best a mediocre lounge, particularly when compared with Cathay or SWISS.
As others have noted, the Changi security-at-the-gate arrangement detracts greatly from the first class experience (or flying in any class, actually). Great full employment scheme for Singapore, though.
At least TPR isn't infested by *G pax messing up the joint, unlike the CX lounges that are clogged nightly by hordes of OWE pax in biz & steerage.
Star Gold passengers do not have access to the SWISS First lounges. I have never been bothered by OWEs in the Cathay first lounges, which are designed to accommodate many passengers comfortably. It’s the credit card lounges, Delta One lounges, and Polaris lounges that are screwed up with too many pax.
Need this at JFK so bad
SQ does escort you to the lounge at JFK (Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse for F passengers). There is no escort from the lounge to the gate, but the gate is right downstairs and if you stand near the gate agent and flash the F boarding pass there is no wait to board.
Their separate check-in zone with its own curbside was already pretty good. Only used it once, nice and relaxed experience. Was on a red-eye to NRT when it was operated by A380, then long full-day self-connect to JAL to the US. SQ checked us in for the JAL flight, printed boarding passes for both flights, and through-checked the bags so we could just go out and have a day in Tokyo - all of that for a separate ticket on a non-partner airline.
Flight itself was also great - but then there were only the two of us in the suites cabin. So each of us had a double bed, two bathrooms for the two of us - what's not to like? Too bad the flight was a short one. I would guess the experience in different when you have 6 strangers in the same cabin, with all partitions up and awkwardly looking at each other during meals.
I am not sure that is correct. I am a TPPS and I was never driven to a gate, no matter how far, even when travelling Suites. This new system has 3 buggies for First/Suites and 1 for TPPS in First, whoever I understand the mere availabilty of buggies for First/Suites has angered quite a bit or TPPS and thus SQ is under pressure to remove the buggies all together. Finally, whilst I had my share of rides recently, I find buggies should be very limited as they are utterly annoying in an otherwise very pleasant and quiet airport (SIN).
I find all this performative butt-kissing a little cloying and tacky. You'd have to be monumentally egotistical to want an escort through the airport. Perhaps Singaporeans would regard this "treatment" as a status symbol, but I'll wager that most Australians would find it totally cringe.
Completely agree PeteAU. I would be embarrassed to have to be nannied in this way. I am an adult with legs who is capable of walking short distances and following simple signs without hand-holding. The lines at security at Changi are never more than a couple of minutes. I do not have an inflated sense of my own importance and I would rather not cut in in front of other people, no matter how much I am paying.
What would happen if you're transiting through SIN and have a mixed business and first class ticket? DO we know if they will still offer it>
Lucky: what is the service for connecting F passengers?
I flew SQ A380 the suite 3 weeks ago (SIN to PVG) escorted all the way from taxi to check-in. Security, lounge, gate and aircraft.