Okay, I admit it. I sold out for points, and I’ve suffered for it.
American Airlines were good enough to give me a platinum card this year on the basis that I’ll throw a fair amount of business their way – my part of the deal means that I’ll fly American and their OneWorld alliance partners whenever I can. So for the majority of my flights back-and-forth to the US this year, I’ve been flying American, and for the majority of my trips back and forth to Asia, I’ve been flying either British Airways or Qantas, their partners.
Flying BA seemed the logical thing to do. My colleagues fly BA all the time and it saved the hassle of justifying another airline. They have a reasonably good business class product and a convenient schedule between London and Singapore.
Boy, did I back the wrong horse. Don’t get me wrong – the BA bed is probably the most comfortable business class seat in the sky right now. But as I boarded my Singapore Airlines flight to Bangkok this evening, I was reminded just how good they are. And just how far behind BA / Qantas are in the service stakes.
Instead of a gruff greeting, I’m met with warm smiles. I’m greeted by name by every flight attendant on-board (how they remember all the names still amazes me – on this short, three hour flight to Bangkok they need to memorise the names of 42 business class passengers). The flight attendant remembered what I was drinking, and had a replacement waiting for me almost before I’d finished the first drink. I can “book the cook”, preordering my favourite meal before I fly from a menu of about 15 choices…
I’ve flown Singapore before, and was hugely impressed then. But I was afraid that I might be seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses, with the misty-eyed gaze of nostalgia – the sort that accentuates the good and erases the bad. But no, they really are just as good as I remember them, and worthy of every award they’ve won for being the best in the business.
I thought all the joy had gone from air travel. But it turns out that there’s a little left.
