Author: Shane

FLIGHT REVIEW: Qantas A380-800 First Class, Singapore – London Heathrow (SIN-LHR)

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Qantas made quite a fair bit of news in Singapore just before Covid-19 with the grand opening of its first class lounge, which sadly shuttered not long after it was officially opened. The good news is, the lounge survived the pandemic; it is now reopened and received guests at full force, just as with before. I have had the fortune to experience the first class cabin some years back, but it was from Sydney to Singapore. I had such a great time, it created a new bucket list item for me, to try the same product again but on a much longer flight, from Singapore to London or vice versa. However, the first class cabin across all airlines is some what of a unicorn in the post-Covid era. Even with a bank full of points, it takes sheer determination and an awful lot of patience to find any kind of award availability. And I finally laid my hands on it. In this post:• Flight today• The Qantas A380• Checking in• Qantas First Lounge• Boarding• The …

FLIGHT REVIEW: Qantas A330-300 Business Class, Singapore – Sydney (SIN-SYD)

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In November 2022, Qantas resumed flights between Singapore and Australia, after a 20-month hiatus since Australia closed its borders in March 2020. With Australia allowing Singapore citizens into the country since November last year as a pilot before reopening the borders, I thought I’d take a trip Down Under in February this year to see a couple of friends that I have not met for years. I had a good experience with Qantas several years ago, and was excited to see if the experience remained the same. In this post:• Flight today• Pre-trip planning• Checking in• The seat• The service• Food & drinks• Qantas amenity kit• Final thoughts Flight today Qantas QF82Singapore (SIN) – Sydney (SYD)16 February 2022Depart: 9:00PMArrive: 7:20PM (+1 day)Duration: 7 hr 20 minAircraft: Airbus A330-300Seat: 7F (Business Class) Pre-trip planning Visa Most visitors to Australia will require an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or a visa to enter, including Singapore citizens. Citizens of over 33 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong and Japan can apply for the ETA through the Australia ETA …

REVIEW: Gekko House – A Tribute Portfolio Collection, Superior Room

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The final stop of my German run, this hotel is the first Tribute Portfolio hotel I’ve ever stayed in. While it didn’t take my breath away, the property ranks pretty high on design, and is good value for money especially for solo travellers. In this post:• What are Tribute Portfolio Hotels?• About the hotel• Location• Checking in• The room – Superior Room• The facilities• Restaurant – Chicago Williams• Breakfast• Final thoughts What are Tribute Portfolio Hotels? A network of about 50 individual boutique hotels, this soft brand (as the industry calls it) is a collection of independent boutique hotels that each has its own unique styles and operating models. The Tribute Portfolio brand embraces quirky and personable properties for guests seeking unique and diverse experiences, which can be a breather for some who wish to experience smaller, quirkier hotels when they want something different that the larger chains offer. Tribute Portfolio was first introduced by Starwood Hotels and Resorts back in 2015, and it’s kind of an answer to Marriott’s very own Autograph Collection, also …