Little did I know how special this flight would come to be! if I had know that it is most likely my last premium flight or flight in 2020, I would have cherish it more, savour it more! It was an impromptu decision, made while I was driving, hopping on an opportunity where Krisflyer was having a one time special sale of 51% off certain awards. It was hilarious as lots of us, including those in the miles and points games thought that it is an error fare or the ticketing system have gone bonkers. Why on earth are award tickets so affordable! I still remember that South Africa destinations were only coming in a around 20 ish thousands. Shrugging off my foolishness of not keeping a sizable stash of miles in my KF account, dragging along my good friend, I could only issue a Bali, Denpasar ticket at 9310 Miles and 49.80 SGD in tax. I was still excited, the thought of being able to try out the new 2018 RJ Business Class seat on SQ which I had miss out previously to Manila for an equivalent of 193 SGD given how I value KF miles, this is exciting. Later on, it turn out to be a special sale since it is Krisflyer 21st anniversary! Oh well! I am currently writing this post while being stuck at home due to the COVID pandemic which has greatly brought travelling to ground zero, this makes this review even more memorable and definitely makes me remise about the fun of flying!

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This is a very different flight experience for me and I might have just encounter the first major incident throughout my travels where I could really enjoy the really core benefit of flying in premium cabins! This is my first ever flight on SQ regional business class, I have never fly a premium cabin for a short haul flight before since usually I am good toughing it out in Economy or even Budget. I am originally on the latest 2018 regional J Class that SQ have on both the 787 as well as the A350. As it turn out I got rebook to SQ919 which is an old place featuring the old regional business class due to the volcano eruption. As luck turns out I didn’t expect this is how I got to try the old regional business class. Just on my outbound flight, I saw how spacious the seats are and was actually keen to try these recliner dinosaur era seats. I was actually pretty tired on the flight after all the change of events and chaos. Check out my earlier experience in the lounge previously. For once, I am just glad to have a seat back home to Singapore rather than being stuck in Manila.

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Be aware, this is going to be one long post as I share my experience at Conrad Manila. One of the best hotel experience I ever had or even the best. From interaction to service recovery as well as the property itself. A perfect hotel for a staycation. I arrived in Manila shortly after 4pm and immigration as well as bags collection were smooth. Manila International Airport is crowded but still alright, the only huge issue is the traffic here. Manila is known for it’s hideous traffic where simply a short drive could take ages. We took a grabhitch to the Conrad which cost 300 Peso, an alright 8.50 SGD. The hotel is actually nearby but traffic is a mess and it the drive took almost 30 mins. We waited ages for the car as well due to the heavy traffic around the airport. The Conrad is located by the Manila Bay around the SM Mall of Asia area. It is something like an integrated resort with the area full of hotels, restaurants and the huge mall. Surrounding the nearby area you can also find other casinos. The Conrad exterior is extremely striking and gorgeous. It is shaped like a cruise ship as well, fitting the white facade of the hotel. This is definitely the most unique and pretty hotel that I have ever been. The design is awarded winning as well. Although I have to say that it is very hard to get a picture of the place, I got this picture from the internet. Plenty more amazing stuff to come from this stay.

Picture from Hotel Website

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Never once have I got played so badly! Really badly! As what marriot members would like to say. I literally got “bonvoyed”! Singapore Airlines first class is exclusively located among their 777 fleet and there is currently two variants, one if the latest one which is introduced a couple years back. For this there is only 4 seats in the whole of First Class which makes it very exclusive and niche. They are mostly on the extended range 777 use on long haul flights and premium routes such as Hong Kong. They other product is the legacy ones currently only used on regional routes such as Jakarta and Manila. This is also the only 2 remaining first class routes that they have in South East Asia. I also went for the Manila one which makes your buck worth the most since it is a longer flight. I was continuing on my previously ticket from Zurich which means that this first class ticket only cost me 100USD and tax. Roughly about a week or so out I received a seat change email due to aircraft change, From the 8 seats first class to the new 4 seats one. I was so glad about it till I board the aircraft where another aircraft change bonyoyed me and the crew.

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Finally it is time for me to share on my journey onboard Singapore Airlines Suites from Zurich to Singapore. This is also how I am getting back home after spending close to 2 months overseas in Europe. As amazing as it is being overseas I still do get a little homesick after so long. I was actually suppose to fly back on J class although amazingly my waitlist for a saver suites clear. In the end, I spent 125,000 miles as well as 82.80 SGD in taxes to get back home to Singapore. It is the perfect way for me to wind down the trip, trying out a new product that I have always been looking forward. Given that there are only 6 seats onboard the new cabin, it is always a challenge to be able to snag a redemption ticket. The new suites are only available in the London, Zurich, Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai, Sydney and Hong Kong market as of writing. It is definitely one of the most amazing way to get back to Singapore from Asia.

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While I don’t usually share much on my economy flights experience since there isn’t much to share about and how different could it be among airlines. Furthermore this is an intra europe flight as well. However I though it might be nice given that it is my first experience on Swiss Air as well as sharing on the “uniqueness” of Berlin Tegel Airport. But hey, any flight after an experience in Ryanair feels like first class! Berlin Tegel Airport. My ticket cost around 142 SGD and this include a check in bag as well. I think it was quite a good deal and not much more in comparison to trains or buses. I am quite exciting to be trying a new airline! Tegel airport is pretty nicely connected to city where I took the direct airport bus which was easy enough and there was even wifi. The ride cost me 2.80 Euro and takes about 40 mins.

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This is going to be a rather short post, but a unique one. I am sure the most of you have heard of Flixbus, the king and queen of interbus travels around Europe, especially for those who are on a budget. Flixtrain however seems to be rather unknown, it is a fairly new product and only started in 2018. I have taken way too many rail products around europe to share them here but seeing that this is rather special, I will just like to write a short post to talk about them! Flixtrain is another brainchild from the people behind flixbus. It offers rail products but at a fraction of the prices in comparison to the main rail products. The main competitor would be Deutsche Bahn! Seeing that now they only operate in Germany!

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I hope you have enjoyed both of my previous post regarding my trip to the Champagne region. Since I was based in Paris, I had to take a train to the Grand Est region and the only one that works out for my timing was Ouigo. I am sure this is rather new to you guys, in fact, despite being that well travelled, it is also my first time hearing of it. I would just like to share my experience on Ouigo in this post since it is rather unique in terms of train travels in Europe. Furthermore, hopefully I will be able to highlight the various key points that you have to take note of when travelling with Ouigo! Trust me, it is a direct contrast to the fuss less, common train travels in Europe!

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Continuing on my journey I am headed to Paris. It is so nice to be back to Paris after close to 7 years back. I guess I need to be back before the “7 Year Itch” happens. I was at the airport bright early in the airport. Check in was smooth and there was a little queue but there was plenty of counters open and it was done in no time. I was flying Aer Lingus this time around, the home airline of Ireland. It is such a delight to be flying Aer Lingus. Everything is so amazing after the disastrous Ryan Air! Checked baggage, getting your boarding pass from the gorgeous staff who so nicely circled out my gate number. Staff is polite and not stingy with allowance. I never know how these small little things matters. I know I am so spoiled. Security was smooth as well. Leaving the lounge near Gate 400. It was a short walk to the gate from the lounge. However this is just a gate for the bus which will take us to a satellite mini terminal and from there we could board our Aer Lingus flight. It is kind of annoying that when you are flying out of the airline hub, you have to use a stand.

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Penning down my very first time on Ryan Air, I am sad to say that it is probably going to be my very last time as well. This is going to be less of a flight review but rather more of my whole flight experience on board Ryan Air. Europe most infamous budget air. Or the one that tries to milk out everyone. I do not know much but perhaps it seems that they have a much more profitable model than conventional ones. Continuing on my journey, my next destination is Dublin. The only direct flights are Aer Lingus but operated by Stobart Air or by Ryan Air. Ryan Air timing works better and they are like cheaper by 300. In total I paid for 195 SGD for 3 tickets and 2 add on bags. Which is why I go ahead with them. I guess it is also interesting to try out the most notorious airline in the world.

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This is gonna be a rather short post, also one of the rarer ones where I share about my train journey rather than a flight experience. I always like to share about my very first experience on a particular train product so that people can get an idea how it is like. Especially since in Europe there are so many different trains, the ICE, Railjet, etc etc. Furthermore this time around, it is my very first time taking a train in the UK. The funny thing about trains in UK is that there is no unified national rail operator like the DB or SNCF in other European Countries. Rather, the National Rail just regulate operating companies, for example in this case, Virgin Trains. Comparing my options, it does seems that taking the train would be the most efficient and cost effective way for me to get to Manchester. Bus is out of the equation since it take such a long time. Virgin Trains also seems rather quirky and fun.

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Welcome onboard Singapore Airlines flight, SQ322, from Singapore to London Heathrow. This is a line that I wish I could hear everyday, maybe I should record it and use as my ringtone. It was quite an uproar back then when SQ refresh their cabins and released the new hard products. I have also always wanted to try out the new J Class and Suites onboard their newest A380, also known as the 38R in the community. Currently as of writing they are only flying the plane to London, Zurich, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney. Tokyo seems to be next as well although I can’t say for sure. I went all out to secure a business saver ticket onboard SQ322, one of the flight on the newest 380 with the new products. Super excited to try out the new business class seat after having high praises for the old ones. SQ are always known to be the benchmark for the industry. Previously, I have shared about my lounge tour in the airport. The flight depart from Gate A5. In Singapore, security is located at the gate, perhaps on the bright side you do not have to wait for super long, on the other hand you can bring liquid onboard. Thankful there was a premium line with no queue and boarding literally started once I cleared security.

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Having just flew on Cathay Dragon, CX regional arm, I was particularly interested to see how SQ regional arm, SilkAir, pit against them. From my previous 2 flight, it does seem that Cathay Dragon is pretty not bad. With an awesome Business Class as well. As part of my whole routing for flying the Cathay error fare, I need to base myself from Da Nang and only SilkAir flies there. Previously, I have said that I have redeem 12,500 miles for a Economy ticket to Da Nang and add on the DAD – SIN sector on Business class to my next long haul ticket at no additional miles. I gives me the perfect routing to try both Economy and Business.  SilkAir is also in the midst of merging into SQ, thus it is important to see their seats and the crew caliber in comparison to the big leagues. SilkAir flies out of Terminal 2 and I was there around 2 hour early. It is definitely crowded, but at least all the queues move.

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I stayed onboard after the previous flight as I was continuing on to HKG, there is a stop for about an hour where the plane is refreshed. There is also a change of crew. It was actually pretty interesting to see the behind the scene action. It sure is busy and furious. In fact I think it was the first time. Seems like I actually wasted my money in getting the Canada Visa.It actually feels to be a little weird to be onboard when the cleaning crews are around. Perhaps they could keep a bottle of Krug to keep me accompanied. There was full occupancy in First on this sector to HK. Besides the 3 of us continuing on. 3 more Asian man board to join us. The crew for this leg is also a mixture of a Vancouver and HK set as well. For this 12 hours flight to HK, I was in 2F, the first row on the right.

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Can’t believe that time pass by just like that in the states. Kinda having major withdrawal syndrome actually, I had a good last walk in NYC prior to my first back home. The first out of 3 flights that I have to take. I actually got lazy and ditch my subway plans. Sigh, instead, splurging 50 bucks to get an airport transfer instead. Perhaps it was for the good, since I am leaving with 3 bags now and have some awful blister on my feet. I felt so loved at this point, since my newly made Singaporeans friends came to send me off! My heart is full! The ride to the airport was smooth and it took about 30 mins! I intend to be the first to check in to maximise the time I have in the lounge, CX only open up 3.5 hours prior to flight. Thinking that I might have to wait for a bit, check in actually open up much earlier. Security was light and im thru in mins. This time around I am interested to see how the service and offering is on a mid haul flight.

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Finally it is time to share on my Cathay Pacific Flight! Its been a long 6 months! I have been waiting for this day since I got the ticket on Jan 1. Way too excited to fly in Cathay Pacific First, up till now, I have only tried premium cabins on SQ, so was wondering how other airlines square up to them. I have already did up a comparison earlier, this time around I am going to share my full experience on Cathay. Just be prepared, it’s gonna be a intensive and long post of pictures as well! I have already read countless reviews online to see how the experience would be like. Good things sure take times! Furthermore I am going to be stuck in the plane for more than 17hours, my longest flight ever. Surely, I am doing it in style! Before that I was at The Pier, all the way at Gate 62 before knowing that my flight depart from Gate 4. It was a mad rush to the gate, super far, even with walking briskly, it sure took me about 15 mins. I wanted to be the first to board to get some good pictures of the cabin. A little avgeek! Boarding almost begin when I reached, with everyone lined up to get the security interview! Thankfully it was organised and I was still the first to board, allowing me to take some pretty good pictures.

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I just flew Cathay First from Hong Kong to New York City a couple days back and heck the 17 hours flight was simply too short! I am so looking forward to the return flight that is coming up next week. This is definitely one of the moments where I wish time would stop still and the flight got delayed. While the memory is still fresh in me, I would like to do a comparison between Cathay and my all time favourite Singapore Airlines. I will definitely be doing up a full review of the Cathay First Class soon. But for now, it is Cathay First Class vs Singapore Airlines Suites. Let’s go with a side by side comparison on the different areas, Service, Seat, Food and Beverages and Lounges!

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0115 Singapore / Hong Kong Time

1315 Eastern Time

I am currently at 34,000 FT, FL340 lounging in the awesome Cathay First Class, just off the shore from Seattle and San Francisco enroute to JFK. With a pot of peppermint tea, here I am sharing about my Cathay Dragon flight earlier in the day. I was on KA221, A320 flying from Da Nang to Hong Kong in transit to JFK. As I mentioned earlier in the previous post there was no queue and the check in, immigration as well as security was smooth, furthermore it is impressive that Cathay have a dedicated First Class Check In line even though there is no first class out of Da Nang. HAHA perhaps they know that there are plenty of us flying First on the error ticket routing through here. In fact the Flight was late upon arrival, the boarding time was 9.10am and the plane just arrived as I reach the gate. I even got to see it land. Boarding only started about 9.35am, 20 mins later than scheduled.

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There is always time for a first and this is one of them, my very first time onboard a Scoot flight. While there are usually nothing much to share about on Economy flight, let alone on a budget carrier, I will still like to briefly share my thoughts on Scoot. Scoot is consistently assume to be the best among their counterparts, probably due to the new planes and connections to Singapore Airlines. I am also very keen to try them out for the very first time. I will only be sharing very briefly on the experience and I will definitely not do a separate one for the return flight. Scoot currently depart out of Terminal 2 from Changi Airport, a little out of the norm given that most budget depart from Terminal 4.

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Singapore Changi Airport is always a gem to transit or depart from, the experience is fuss free and immigration was a breeze, especially in the early morning. It is a shopping destination as well. However, do note that security is at each individual gates, so do cater some time for that! Previously, I mentioned that I was departing from Changi Airport Terminal 3 for my flight to Beijing, it was an awfully early departure and in fact, I have to be at the airport at 6am. Thankfully, the airport is so accessible in Singapore, and in fact, it is literally mins from my house, since I stay in the east. I was kinda excited for the upcoming flight since it has been so long that I have flown on Singapore Airlines Economy Class that I literally can’t remember when was the last time that I have done so. I will be also looking forwards to see how they square up to Emirates.

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Welcome to the last part of this Trip de Americae Series, it is sure nice if there is someone still following from my introduction post till today. Writing this right now actually gave me so much feels on this amazing trip that I took back last year. Continuing from my previous post where I was at the SilverKris Lounge in Incheon, it is now time to head on to the last and final flight for this trip, my ticket back home to Singapore, SQ007. This is going to be a rather short review since my experience was rather similar to the flight that I shared earlier from LA to Seoul! So check out my previous post for a more indepth review. However I do still want to share my thought on this flight and the crew specifically.

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Finally, the last journey on this whirlwind trip, heading back to my home, Singapore, who else could it be, of course, Singapore Airlines. I will be flying back home on their Business or J Class on board their 777. SQ007 will take me back home to Singapore via Incheon, South Korea. I am so looking forward to be back in their business class after a trying out the more older product 2 years back. Many people have said that the business class on board Singapore Airlines is so much better than what other airlines offered on First. With plenty of time left after leaving the lounge, I roam about the gorgeous Tom Bradley International Terminal for a while before heading to the gate. As I told you earlier, the check in process was crap and it turns out to be just a little beginning to what comes next!

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After a relaxing time in Seattle! It’s time for my to head to San Francisco for the next leg of my trip, my second last city before heading back to Singapore! Doing a little count, this is actually my 8 flight during this trip! Life of a wanderluster huh! I’m pretty excited this time round, since it’s going to be my first flight on Virgin America! I have always heard about how fun and quirky the flight and cabin crews are with the mood lighting and stuff! Furthermore, I’m looking forward to do a comparison with Delta, since both these airline are known to be the best in the states! Even the boarding pass are so cute!

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After a great week in New York City I was off to Vegas, the next destination in the States. I guess everyone just needs to be in Las Vegas once in your life. It was a pretty long flight, flying from the east coast to the west. This time around, actually most of the cities that I am hitting are all on the west coast with the sole exception of NYC. Since it is my very first domestic stateside flight and my very first time on board an American carrier, I figured that it will be nice to do a flight review on it. I am also perched by the fact that I am flying Delta for the very first time. Known as the trio in the States, Delta, American and United. Delta is known as the best among them, so I am really hyped to experience it! Delta flies out of Terminal 2 from John F Kennedy, I decided to head to the airport much earlier since I was travelling on the Thanksgiving Sunday which is said to be a flying disaster!

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Welcome to another series of my flying! This time around I am continuing my journey around the world and flying to the United States of America on Singapore Airlines in the Suites. The Frankfurt to New York City 5th Freedom route is definitely one of the best way to cross the atlantic. The 8 hours flight was definitely too fast! Especially when you are in the Suites. I am fortunate to be able to do this way. A slight disclaimer, I may have fall asleep for 3 to 4 hours or so on the flight as well. I was actually doing this leg of the journey as part of a single ticket that I first flew on back two months ago, where the first leg took me from Singapore to Frankfurt. All in all, I paid 120,000 Miles and about 400 SGD in tax, this is definitely the way to fly!

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While I guess for most of the tourists, taking a plane is one of the most exciting part of the travelling. I still remember my younger times where I will frequently get so excited the night before and couldn’t fall asleep, simply because I am flying to Bangkok for a family trip. In the past, my family did not have much spending power and we will just take a trip to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Travelling wasn’t that much of an easy thing way back. This plane ride surely doesn’t fall in that category. Boarding my flight to Paris, and then Frankfurt signify that my time in Europe have comes to an end! What lies in wait is Trip de Americae which is coming right up after I finished this series of Trip Reports. Continuing on where I left in the last post, I was flying out of Bologna airport which have planes just part on the tarmac, meters away from the gates. It is surely a delight to witness the beauty A320 right in front of me with the gigantic engines and the gorgeous Air France livery on it.

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With my previous post sharing on the last city that I have visited in Chapter Wanderlust! It pretty sums up my travel in Europe this time around. 18609KM that I have travelled at the minimum, 6 countries and 22 cities over a period of 44 days. I had fun and chronicles most of my adventures here at Seeing The World In Steps. It made it kind of special that a little guy from Singapore is able to see much more over the horizon while staying in a little red dot. It is time to share some of my personal thoughts and make a little summary of this trip, Chapter Wanderlust. Hopefully it will be helpful if you are planning something similar. I shall start by sharing on the trains product in Europe. Travelling by train is one of the easiest and the advantages in travelling in Europe. I had tried products from Italy, Germany, Austria which are some of the most common ones that you will probably undertake if you are travelling around the region. So this is pretty much a summary of each of them.

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In comparison to train travels which we have know how effective and easy that are, bus travels serves up as a comparable option but at a better price. Bus travels have been getting more and more common these days and sometimes, they are not much longer than taking a train. Bus do also, gets you right in the heart of the city, usually the bus stops are just next to the trains stations. With the upcoming of huge bus companies with vast networks in the recent years. I would like to share how great and how good bus routes are in fact! Taking the bus around Europe have definitely gotten more easy with the prevalence of companies such as Flixbus, Regiojet and Leo Express. In fact, the set up of Regiojet, aka Student Agency is a Czech company that was started out by university students to have the ability to access cheap transportation. In fact it is now one of the largest travel companies linking up routes around Czech Republic. It even have plans to operate train routes. I used the bus for some of my travels, especially Flixbus and Regiojet and would like to do a little sharing on the offering.

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Italy trains system are one of the more unique ones in the region! There are technically 2 rails companies in the country for the high speed trains industry. One of them is Trenitalia which is the national rail company and the other is Italo, a private rail company set up in 2006. With only a short history it had turned up to be one of the leading companies in Europe. In fact it is also the first private operator of high speed trains in the region! I strongly encourage this in all countries since it prevents the monopoly of the industry! Not only does it let to lower priced tickets since it also kind of cut out the arrogance of national rail companies with all their stupid strikes and over powerful unions! Italo trains are a direct competitor to the Frecciarossa!

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Second part of my trip takes me to Italy. While I have ever been in Italy, I felt like I have to take an even deeper an even greater insight dive into Italy. Italy is full of treasures and in fact it is also the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Even after this turn around Italy where I spend more than 20 days in all, I have yet still to complete the north and south part of Italy. Since I was coming from Germany, Frankfurt seems to be the best choice given the amount of flights that they have to Italy. Rome was the natural choice given that it is the largest entrance to mainland Italy. Although I have been to Rome, I have decided to check it out even further and it will also be a good base to have a day trip to Pompeii and Naples which I will share on later. While I usually find that there is nothing much to share on an economy flight, furthermore an intra Europe flight, I am going to share with you how I managed to score an even better seat than flying Business!

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I would like to share with you all the crown product of the OBB Railways. The first class cabins on the OBB Railjet. Railjet are the Austrian high speed trains that can go up to 230km/hr. They operate both international rail lines as well as internally within Austria. Some of the popular routes that they operate are Munich to Salzburg or even all the way to Vienna. In fact you can reach Salzburg from Munich in 90 mins and from Salzburg to Vienna in 2.5hr. They are comfortable and spacious. In fact train are such an efficient way to travel in Europe. No liquid limits, no need for long security lines and check in. Stations are usually right smack in town. The amount of baggage that you can bring is only limit by your strength itself. While I usually write only about my flights, I will like to differ a bit from my usual and share a little on the product since I took the first class cabin. In the future, I will also be doing a comparison on the rail products in Europe!

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Time Check, Holiday is finally over I can say. I am currently writing this on the first sector of my flight, SQ007 from LAX – ICN in Business Class. Not as spectacular as it sounds, so stay tuned for that flight review. I did get many post done though, between chitchatting with the crew, getting coffee, I actually managed to write about 5 to 6 post. Back to the point, I would like to share with you the ICE product of the German Deutche Bahn! ICE is also known as the high speed train of the famed German DB. It is the name for the Germans train where they could go up to 300km/hr. I had really high expectations for the European rail system but trust me, after this Chapter Wanderlust of mine, I totally reconsider my view on them. They are not as trustworthy as it seems, totally bullshit where I thought train would leave on the dot and arrive on the dot! If you are following this trip of mine, you will know why I am so disappointed with it in the end. On the bright side, the perks of taking a train in Europe would be the ease, stations located almost right in the heart of the city, no borders control and ample space, I got to point out that the various staff that I had encounter, the service of all of them, Germans, Austrian, Brussels, Italian train service personnel are pretty good. For those who have not tried it before, usually high speed train would need a seat reservation but for the ICE it is not compulsory. I almost got it the hard way where previously I almost couldn’t find a seat on the train from Cologne to Brussels.

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Melbourne International Airport is near to the city, connected by both the Skybus or taxis to the CBD area. If you guys still remember the first episode, I mentioned that I chance upon a deal on Emirates where my round trip ticket is only 588 Singapore dollars. Emirates is one of the special foreign airline that flies to Melbourne directly from Singapore. Singapore is a little like their hub for this route where they fly from Dubai to Singapore and then to Melbourne. Together with the bling and gold, Emirates actually represent a better deal then my dear Singapore Airlines this time around. Emirates actually sent you a email offering an upgrade to Business Class for 500SGD when the flight isn’t full. While unnecessary for a middle haul flight, some might give it a try. I took a cab to the airport and arrived slightly short of 4pm for my 6pm flight. The ride here was smooth and the car was comfortable. Given that I was a little sad to say goodbye and Melbourne International Airport did not have any lounge that is associated with Priority Pass, I make sure not to arrive too early since I would not have any lounge to visit. Priority Pass seriously need to up its presence in Australia!

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Fly Emirates! The most hip about airline in the last decade. It is also the aitline where you would have no issue seeing a crew with more than 15 to 20 nationality. To say it being internationalise or cosmopolitan, you definitely won’t go wrong here. Not withstanding the bling and glamour, Emirates is also the largest operator of A380 and the 777. My previous flight on Emirates was to Madrid back in 2013, it’s been some time, which make me keen to see how their service and products are currently. As mentioned in the previous post, the gate was only a short walk away from the Plaza Premium Lounge. But before it start, the flight is already being delay slightly. I am however keen to see how Emirates goes up against Emirates and the service differential between the both airline.

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10 Hours and 50 Minutes

FL350, 35’000 Feet in the Skies

Seat Size 30 Inch, 1-2-1, 12D

SQ391, Departing 1.50pm Arriving 5.00am

The final post in my EPIC EUROPEAN TOUR LAST YEAR! BY THE WAY THIS IS A GREAT GRADUATION TRIP! Part No. 47/47, I do hope that the readers that were there for the past will be here to read the last part in this series 🙂 Surely, I have taken my time to pen down my thoughts and reviews, busy with work and sometimes procrastinating some of the times too. Before I get right in the review, I shall make it a note first to say that I am really glad to see the progress of my blog, from telling my friends Jerome and Yillis that I will start writing till today, It’s been slow but the passion and fire in my for Seeing The World In Steps is still going strong! It will definitely be one of my dream to keep this “Singapore Travel Blog” going on! Since I have done several SQ Business Class review in the past, I shall try out something different and write in a different way, with some inputs from my friends on my writing style too! Hope you guys like it.

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SPOILER FIRST! I JUST REALISED THAT I DIDN’T TAKE ANY PHOTO WHILE ONBOARD THIS FLIGHT! I AM SO SORRY GUYS, SUCH A FAILURE:(

It’s been quite some time, finally, another flight review that I have done. Really much apologies for using so much time to finish up this trip series, but I do hope that you guys have enjoy it! Besides the logging down of my own travels, I also hope to share these fun and memorable experiences with you! I would also love for you guys to share them with me, we could even do a post together if possible. Finally, I am going to write about a flight review, been some time ah! Furthermore, this time will be even more special as it’s gonna be the first time that I will be reviewing Turkish Airlines. Cheers for another milestone, of course, deep deep in my heart, Singapore Airlines would always be my very best but I would love to review and experience as many products and airlines as possible. You only live once though. Seemingly not as well known or as hype as the 3 famous Middle Eastern airlines, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar, Turkish Airlines is actually the best European Airline and holds the award for world best premium economy class for 3 consecutive years! It is also the airlines with most destinations in the world, speaking about the ease on flying them. Istanbul, the gateway between Europe and Asia, Istanbul present the most perfect location for flight connection. With the expansion and the scale of Turkish Airlines, Istanbul Ataturk Airport have actually seem to be over stretching, awfully crowded! Although Turkish Airlines have a fantastic lounge there which I will cover soon too! Being a Star Airlines member flying Turkish become even more convenient for me !

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Nope, there isn’t a airline called Renfe, neither is it a brand new airline that you hadn’t heard before! This post may be one of the unique ones where I am reviewing a train ride. Yes, travelling via train! With the technological advancement, train ride have definitely become desolate, especially in places such as South East Asia and the States, even in Australia people do not travel by Train. For most Singaporeans, train are a thing for the past, which reminds them of the old, noisy and stinky train from Singapore to Malaysia! Even though I love flying, within Europe I will most probably take and consider trains connection first! With many countries having open borders and well established train routes, travelling via train is such an effective way of getting around places! Actually, it is the preferred method of getting around Europe, even better than a plane ride! This is why sometimes plane tickets may be even cheaper than a train ticket. In Europe, train station are usually located in the hub of the city, usually right smack in the centre! With connections to the public transport it is easy! Rather than airports which are usually far from the city and requires costly connections! In Munich, a cab ride from the airport to the city cost upwards of 50 Euros! Thus it is important to factor the travelling cost when considering options! Another reason why people love trains is due to the efficiency of it! Basically you could just drag your luggage to the train, with liquids, alcohol and stuff, not like a plane and you just gotta be on time at the train station. Europe trains are rarely late, departing right on the dot, within mins.

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Finally the last series in this episode, sorry for taking such a long time to complete even such a sort trip. I have been pretty busy recently, perhaps you aren’t aware, I am serving my nation for the next two years but I would never give up on Seeing The World In Steps, both this blog and also seeing the world, it is my dream and also passion to see this Blue Earth, hopping for more trips to come. This review will be special since the flight is special in the first place, I have actually been looking forward to sharing this flight with you guys since it is such a fun one! If you have remember the couple previous series you will have know the built up to this flight of mine. To say to meet a friend outside incidental is tough, what would you say about knowing a friend overseas? And I would say mine was even more special, fate I would say really! To be able to meet someone so friendly and comfortable to talk with and naturally strike up a conversation! That would be something rare I would say in this world! Besides enjoying this awesome A380 Business class flight before I return to work the next day, it’s totally awesome to meet Josie, the new friend that I made onboard the short 4 hours flight!

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Perhaps it may be my third time flying it but the excitement definitely doesn’t die down, I am just such a loyal fan to Singapore Airlines, sorry guys, I am just that fan boy. I will dare say that i do know Singapore Airlines very well in the offering and products including their company information. To say,  I actually know quite a few people, directly or indirectly that are working for Singapore Airlines, from flying crews to their office staff. Congrats SIA, you have definitely won me over! I am also super glad to say that I am living in an air hub of such a great airline, you are and will be my number one choice forever, A Great Way To Fly! I actually knew from Josie that actually all the “n” in Singapore Airlines official logo or name are in small caps, heard that it was some fung shui reason. 

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My first stop was Munich, after 3 nights in Munich it’s time to move to Prague, the city that I have heard for so long but only visiting it now. Getting to Prague was actually quite a brain killer, there are no direct flight neither are there high speed train. The only option are taking a normal train or the IC Bus. The normal train takes a little more than 5 hours to reach Prague main train station. I have actually decided to go ahead to book the train, but after reading some reviews I found out about the Bus and it seems like the way to go. Perhaps being one of the unique post of mine where I am reviewing a Bus rather than the Plane. Pretty great way to get around too ! 

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Dear Readers, as promised, I am going to start writing on my recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City or more commonly known as Saigon. This trip was actually quite a dream come true for me, perhaps I mean not in the destination but the company. As the tittle suggest, i went with some of my Secondary School class mates on this trip, we have been talking about going on a trip for quite some time and finally it became a reality. It was fun, meeting up with this bunch of good friends and live together for a couple days. Besides, I have never ever been in Vietnam also, so it will be good to immerse in the culture, try out the food and engage with the locals. This trip was actually quite unplanned and relaxing was the main focus here. That means sleeping, eating and maybe some messaging……

It was really enjoyable with this bunch of people, all those walking, eating and drinking authentic Vietnamese coffee. South-East Asia for now and we promised ourself for Europe and Venice in 2 years time, after we complete our National Service. Time to save some money folks.

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