This flight on SQ52 is the onward continuing sector of the flight of the same number from Singapore. Passengers will have to disembark upon arrival at Manchester for the entire duration of the technical stop of just under 2 hours.
Business Class passengers will be informed to proceed to the Aspire Lounge, which also happens to be a Priority Pass lounge.
Notwithstanding the state of the lounge, Singapore Airlines tries its utmost to take good care of its passengers, even at a contract lounge. For example, an area was reserved specially for Business Class passengers travelling on SQ52, which was a nice touch.
Boarding commenced at about 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. I returned to the same seat I had on the sector from Singapore, which was 19F. I can’t re-ephasise this enough, that as much as possible you should clinch the bulkhead seats for greater comfort. Additionally, note that Manchester only uses one aerobridge for boarding through door 2L, so from where I was seated, it was convenient to disembark upon arrival earlier.
Having settled into my seat, I had a look at the menu in anticipation of the lunch and light dinner service on this sector to Houston.
Boarding proceeded swiftly and we were on our way, pretty much on schedule. On the way to the runway, I enjoyed a refreshing glass of orange juice.
After an on-time departure, we were at our cruising altitude in no time.
Once airborne with the seatbelt signs switched off, the cabin crew began with the lunch service, beginning with the signature Singapore chicken and lamb satay, served piping hot.
This was followed by flaky poached salmon with almond, pea tendrils and grapefruit pearl couscous. I’m personally not a fan of couscous but I thought the elements of the dish went very well together.
For the main course, I had chosen the grilled beef fillet with red wine sauce, served with a vegetable medley and roasted potatoes. Serving beef on board can be tricky, and I almost always opt for it on the first meal after takeoff on long haul flights, just so that it is fresher.
For the dessert, I had the rum raisin ice cream with berries compote and some fresh strawberries, a perfect finale to the lunch service.
I tried my best to stay awake in an attempt to adjust to the timezone crossings, which were significant for the entire route. From Singapore, travelling to Houston would put me more than halfway across the globe, and jet lag would start to set in. Fortunately, the Krisworld entertainment system kept me occupied for most of the flight. I did get some sleep too, which was excellent on the fully lie-flat beds in Business Class on board the A350-900.
At around 2 hours prior to arrival, the cabin crew commenced a light dinner service, beginning with Mediterranean antipasto, which was actually seared prawn with grilled vegetable and broccolini.
This was followed by the main course, and I had chosen the braised garoupa in garlic chilli sauce, served with Chinese vegetables and egg noodles. I found this dish very heartwarming, and considering that I was going to have Western cuisine for the next couple of weeks, I enjoyed every bit of it.
For dessert, I had the lemon meringue tart with berry compote. I figured that the berry compote was the same one from the dessert I had earlier during lunch. But hey, airlines need to do their best to be creative when designing menus, especially when it involves a little bit of mixing and matching of ingredients across meal services.
The flight was nearly flawless, and with my friend who took very good care of me on the previous sector, flying with Singapore Airlines means that I am always in good hands.
We touched down into sunny Houston ahead of schedule feeling refreshed and recharged, ready for some outlet shopping!
