What advantages? Should be renamed the NoStar Alliance .
Disadvantages:
Too many to list .
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
As many of you know, I am a frequent flyer on several of the major airlines. My travels have taken me to many parts of the world on several different airlines, some good, some bad, some not worth mentioning.
This is an extremely long review. So, you have been warned!
Personal History ================ The last time I flew with Singapore Airlines (SIA) was more than 10 years ago. On that fateful flight, the plane was delayed many hours, due to 'unforeseen technical problems'. They boarded , and unboarded (alighted) us many many times and did not even have the courtesy to provide the passengers with refreshments.
On top of the delays, there was the food poisoning incident when I flew with them from Hong Kong to Singapore. Did I mention they are also part of the Star Alliance? Earlier last year, I wrote about Air Canada and how awful the service was. I also mentioned that they were one of the worse airline I had ever flown with. Fail not, Singapore airline has topped the worse airline I have ever flown with, with some qualification that is, from a developed country.
Check in and reconfirmation =========================== At the check-in counter, customer service of Singapore airline happily informed us that for some 'strange' reasons, they had cancelled our tickets to Melbourne from Singapore. They had absolutely no idea why. When they tried to rebook us on the same flight, they found out that there was a waiting list of more than 30 people and were unable to put us back on the flight. Do you want to know why they took us off the flight? I reckoned its because they found a more lucrative market selling our seats at twice the amount to potential passengers, making a quick buck, thus increasing their profit. We confirmed our flights way back in July 2003 and they had the nerves to tell us that we did not reconfirm our flights when we have more than one week to go before we fly to Australia. How ridiculous! Isn't reconfirmation supposed to be 3 days before departure, even though the last time I reconfirmed, they happily sent me a printout with my reconfirmed flight details!
After some harsh words, they slightly redeemed themselves a little by booking us on flights to Australia on an earlier day, reducing our stay in Singapore. I suppose that is Singapore's lost economically from reduced spending from me.
Flight Delays ============= There I was, stuck in Schipol International airport in Amsterdam. Our flight had been delayed once again, for 'unforeseen technical problems'. The announcements were for a 10 minutes delay and we had been doing that for more than an hour now. What fun. Did I mention they are in the Star alliance? The one star alliance shared among all the airlines in the alliance is about to be reduced to no Star Alliance.
After more than an hour's delay, the manager announced that the flight had been cancelled. Another plane was scheduled to leave Singapore ASAP and due to arrive in Amsterdam in 12 hours. He calmly informed us that the plane will arrive in time for a departure the next day. What joy! I have another day to spend in Amsterdam, no thanks to Singapore Airlines. In addition to my cancelled ticket to Melbourne requiring me to leave Singapore a day earlier, a day delayed departure to Singapore, my 6 days stay in Singapore has quickly been reduced to 4. Great, I thought. They really really didn't want me to stay long nor visit their island country.
Note to Singapore Airline: I get the hint!
Anyway, the SIA manager announced that accommodation was being arranged and we were to collect our bags down at the baggage area. Off we went, through the immigration control, through to baggage control to pick up our baggages. It was complete chaos in the baggage collection area. Employees were as uninformed as the passengers, if not more confused, and did not know what to do. People were gathering around the Singapore airline counter (note, 1 counter and over 300 passengers), asking for information about the next flight out, hotel allocations, missed flights etc. By now I was getting the hysterics just watching the hassled SIA customer service. Serve them right for cancelling my tickets!
Suddenly, the manager announced that there were 120 seats available on a flight from Frankfurt to Singapore later that day. We could be bussed to Frankfurt airport, a journey which would take around 5 hours if we missed the peak hour traffic. For those of us who wished to make this trip to please sign up at the front desk. How nice, maybe I'll get an extra day stay in Singapore after all. But just imagine for a moment ... 300 hundred people surging forward towards that one piece of paper for that coveted 120 seats ... not a very nice thought, a bit uncivilized too ... Luckily for me, I was standing very near the manager when he made the announcement, so I made the list easily. Although the thought of a 5 hour bus journey was not appealing, we really wanted to be in Singapore. We picked up our bags and waited for directions.
[An aside] While we were waiting for further information about our bus ride to Frankfurt, I overheard one of the pilots saying that this trip had been a really unlucky trip ... I wondered what he meant, but I didn't stay to ask.
Bus ride to Frankfurt Airport from Amsterdam ====================================== Our flight out of Amsterdam was for 1120. At around 1 pm, we attempted to board the bus bound for Frankfurt. The attempt was an interesting experience, worthy of sharing. Our flight consisted of a tour group from Indonesia of around 80 people. One would think that when on holiday, an extra day stay in Amsterdam would not make much difference to them. Guess not in this case. The people in the group pushed and rushed forward to board the two buses, ensuring another chaotic scene. The rest of us were left standing, pushed aside by these rude passengers. We could only grasp at the debacle in disbelieve. The accompanying tour guides of the group was running around the buses, pushing their bags into the storage facilities, ignoring the rest of the 40 passengers taking the ride with them. It was definitely not a good start to our 5 hour ride. The SIA employees who were trying to board the rest of us could only stare first, because one tour guide was pushing the bags into every conceivable space available, and second, they ouldn't board the rest of us because they couldn't find space for our bags! Obviously the 20 kgs baggage allowance per passenger did not apply to these people!
Eventually we boarded the bus. By then, all the windows seats were taken, and only individual ones by the aisle were available for the rest of us. So, my husband and I had to split up for the 5 hour journey. No sleeping on his shoulder for me!:(
It was an hour later at around 2 pm, when we finally left Amsterdam airport. This was after much talking, gesturing, and shifting of bags by the employees of SIA to accommodate the baggages of other passengers.
Note to Singapore Airlines: You know, its really not difficult to board 2 buses. Make two queues, one per bus, hand bags to driver at door, board bus, take seat and wait. Really not difficult at all. Something that shouldn't take an hour!
Our driver was friendly. Lunch was in the form of a sandwich and a drink, just enough to prevent a hunger panic in me. Good thing I had those chocolates with me. Entertainment was sparse, he showed a couple of cartoons on the television but I was getting more enjoyment by eavesdropping on the conversation of the other passengers!:)
The driver stopped once during the journey. I would have preferred to have continued since we were only an hour drive away from the airport. I guess he wanted a break more than the rest of us.
Service at Frankfurt Airport ============================ After more than 6 hours, we finally arrived at Frankfurt International Airport. We were one of the quickest to leave the bus, since our baggages were one of the first to come off the bus and we did not have to go trolley hunting.
Finding the check-in counter took some time. We were quite lost. I never knew Frankfurt airport can be that big and that empty. It was pretty much deserted. In the end, we had to ask for directions at one of the check-in counters and were directed to walk further down the airport.
Finally, my keen eyes spotted a worried looking woman looking lost. She was wearing the uniform of a SIA air stewardess. Approaching her, I asked if she was from Singapore Airlines, and I managed to get a relieved smile from her. She asked if we were bussed from Amsterdam. Upon affirmation, we were directed to the check-in counters.
I was happy to say that the staff at Frankfurt airport were fully prepared for us. I mean, they had at least 5 hours to get prepared for us! All the counters were opened, there were at least 2 staff per counters, one to handle the ticketing, another to handle the baggage. This time round, the check-in went smoothly. We were given a five euro phonecard as well as a survey form. Hmm ... a smooth gesture.
Once we obtained our boarding passes, we were informed to go straight through emigration control and to visit the restaurant beyond that because dinner was being prepared. That was the only magic word I had heard since morning! Dinner, yeah!
Unfortunately, the restaurant was not ready for us, and the restaurant staff were a bit confused too. We mentioned that we were passengers with SIA and had been informed to come to the restaurant for dinner. I guessed the phrase Singapore Airlines rang a bell because a moment later, a manager approached us and asked us to just sit back and relax while they prepare dinner ... A waiter approached us for drink orders very quickly and we just sat there and waited and waited ...
The restaurant gradually filled with our fellow bus passengers and eventually dinner arrived. Hmm chicken with potatoes and vegetables. Ohhh and ice cream cake too. Yummy! Glad I did not eat during our one pit stop. I had my fill. By this time, I was glad to have made it this far, towards Singapore. (Joke!)
Gratefully I used the phonecard to inform our friends in Singapore about our delayed arrival and not to go to the airport at 6 am in the morning. I assumed then it was something like 3 am and had woken them up rather rudely. I barely managed that on that 5 euro phonecard.
Flight from Frankfurt to Singapore ================================== The flight to Singapore was uneventful after the chaotic day. We were having a night flight to Singapore and were served a small dinner (again). I realised I was already full from the dinner at the restaurant and did not want to eat so soon again. But I had an appetite, it was prawns with potatoes and a heavenly chocolate cake.
We had individual entertainment systems which allowed me to watch several movies. I do not remember what was screened then but there were a few movies and several cartoons. I must have been greatly entertained by the movies because I didn't notice how time flew until it was breakfast time. We were awoken with a warm towel before being served a small breakfast meal. Yummy, ham, egg and bacon with fruits and a bread roll. I might as well gain some weight at the expense of Singapore Airlines.
The seats were cramped even for a short person (5 foot 2). The leg rest was useful to a certain extent but for long haul flights, extra leg rooms would stop me from feeling like a cattle in a cattle ship. The overhead luggage space was sufficient for my little backpack and there were space leftover for other passengers to squeeze more bags in. We all had individual air conditioning. I preferred to be colder than warm, whereas my husband preferred to be warmer than cold. If I wasn't watching a movie I was standing somewhere near the washrooms, stretching my poor tired legs.
With regards to the service on the flight from Frankfurt to Singapore, I do not have much to complain about. Service was good, seats a bit too cramp for comfort, especially for such a long flight. What I liked best, was the toiletries available to passengers in economy. We were each provided with a small plastic satchel containing a pair of socks, a set of toothbrush and toothpaste, and a sleeping eyepatch. There were more toothpaste and toothbrush sets available in the washrooms, in addition to razors and combs.
Arrival in Singapore ==================== (1 day later) Yippee! It was late in the afternoon when we finally arrived in Singapore, 12 hours later than scheduled if we had departed from Amsterdam in the morning previously. Upon arrival, we went straight to the Singapore Airlines ticketing office to complain about our cancelled tickets to Melbourne. The task was allocated to my husband, tough and potentially rude! After half an hour of massive complaining, the SIA employee was still unable to help us, other than informing us that we were still waitlisted on our scheduled departure date, on a flight to depart Singapore a day earlier and still no idea what happened. But this time, we got a promised out of her that they will definitely call us at the hotel to let us know what happened.
An aside: She informed us several days later that our tickets were cancelled by our travel agent in August. At that time, our tickets had already been issued and cancellation could only be made by the passenger directly with the airline, so that shouldn't have happened. Anyway, we were informed then that our tickets had been reinstated back to the original flight dates. Hmm, so what happened to the 30 passengers still waitlisted? Did we jump the queue or what? Or was it their way of admitting that they had made a mistake?!?
Flight from Singapore to Melbourne ================================== Did I mention that the flight from Singapore to Melbourne was overbooked? We decided to arrive early just in case they decided to bump us off the flight. Luckily for us, that did not happen.
Check-in went smoothly, without any hiccups. Changi International Airport was large and a shoppers' paradise. We went through emigration early to do some duty free shopping.
Hint : Buy alcohol here for friends in Australia. Its so much cheaper.
The plane was similar to the one we arrived in from Frankfurt, big and looking new. Once again, the luggage compartment was sufficiently large compared to the cramp seats we had. Luckily for us, it was only a 7 hour flight but unfortunately, there were more than thirty children on board, so sleep was going to be hard to come by. Refreshments were served quickly right after we reached cruising altitude. Once that was completed, they switched the lights off, to encourage us to doze off. We were woken up by fresh warm towels and followed by breakfast.
Breakfast was edible but small. Tea was nice and strong. By this time, the uncomfort of the cramped seats was already giving me a backache. Though I was doing arm and leg exercises intermittently throughout the flight, I still felt exhausted with sore legs, back and arms. I didn't get much opportunity to stand up because most of the time, the flight was bumpy enough for the seatbelts sign to be constantly switched on.
Service wise, I found the attendants were ruder than those we encountered on our previous flight. We found them curt and short on temper. In one incident, the flight attendant told the passenger sitting behind me to "Put that down!". Hmmm, felt that it was similar to an angry mother speaking to a naughty child instead of a adult passenger.
Anyhow, we landed safely in Melbourne.
Verdict ======= On all my flights with Singapore airline, it had never been smooth. It was always marred with food poisoning, delayed and cancelled flights, and now, cancelled tickets for no apparent reasons, and most important of all, inconsistent customer service, from check-in to onboard service.
Food-wise, there isn't much to complain about. Its the customer service that leaves some to be desired. I imagined a criteria of a good quality airline is the amount of calmness under stressful conditions and the way the staff handles difficult situations. What I saw in Amsterdam, was close to panic and an inability to cope with frustrated passengers. Staff were not briefed prior to having to cope with confused and frustrated passengers. The incident of boarding the bus will forever stay in my mind.
Curtness and temper do not soothe stressed passengers who already felt like cattle in a cattle ship. The 7 hour flight from Singapore to Melbourne was intolerable without much movement and opportunity to walk around a lot. My flight from Frankfurt was much more passable given that I spent a lot of time standing near the washrooms. I just cannot imagine a long haul flight sitting in those cramped seats. Imagine an 18 hour flight from Singapore to Los Angeles cramped in a cattle seat ... I shudder ...
I believe this airline was voted as one of the best in the world. Well, definitely not for passengers in economy class or should that be cattle class?
The phonecard ... was a beautiful gesture except that 5 Euros was barely enough to provide sufficient details. It was enough to just yell our new flight details and time of arrival, hoping that my friend at the other end would be awake enough to comprehend what we were saying.
Airline Information =================== Do you really really want to know? Oh well, Singapore Airlines www..singaporeair.com
Note: I have spoken to several friends in Singapore and most of them had one comment : "We never fly with them!"
Star rating =========== 1 star deleted for cramped cattle seats. Call it any name you like, economy, standard class, its still cattle class to me. 1 star deleted for less than desired customer service at check-in counters and onboard the flight. Passengers sure don't appreciate being told to "Put that down". Its not even a weapon! 1 star deleted for cancelling my tickets for no apparent excuse. Although reinstated, we still had to argue with customer service. 1 star deleted for just overall bad feel about the airline. The experience had left a bad feel about the airline and one which I do not plan to fly with in the near future. Maybe I might try them after another 10 years.
More details
Class flown most frequently
Economy
How often do you travel with this airline
Rarely
Where did you book
Travel Agent/Tour Operator
Safety
Satisfactory
How well does it cater for disabled people
Don't know
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