Day 3 – Tokyo to Singapore
We had originally booked our next leg of the trip (Tokyo to Singapore and back) on a now-decommissioned Delta flight, using points. Delta was obligated to get us to Singapore in the same seat class (Business/First), but the code share options were limited unless we did a red-eye, which we really didn’t want to due, since we’d already paid for all of our hotels.
After a lot of false starts, bad information and several rebookings, we finally ended up on an All Nippon (ANA) flight that was a daytime non-stop both ways, but we had been told by Delta that ANA (which Delta does not have a code share agreement with) could bump us at anytime. Because of this, we were nervous up until it was time to check in, but thankfully everything went off without a hitch.
This week is quiet in Tokyo, as many people take the week off and many businesses are closed. Traffic from our hotel to Haneda Airport was a breeze and check in at ANA was equally painless. We had access to the ANA lounge and were able to relax and get a little bit of work done before our seven hour flight to Singapore.
The flight itself was comfortable, if not memorable. The seats in ANA’s business class are spacious, although not quite as modern as Delta’s new DeltaOne configuration. The meal was just okay, entertainment options were good and the flight went by quickly, with no issues. Immigration in Singapore was unexpectedly inefficient. For a city/state that is so well renown for efficiency and technology, the very slow, fairly manual process was surprising. We did manage to make it through eventually, collect our luggage and head to our hotel; the iconic Raffles Singapore.
More to come on Raffles, but once we publish our “Three Days in Singapore” in the coming weeks, note that it’s the first hotel in our travels to new a “Four Star” rating for both overall experience and rating with price included. Not cheap, but worth the extra money, for sure!
By the time we checked in, changed out of our “plane” clothes and showered, it was time for dinner. We taxied to the Maxwell Food Centre, a collection of Singapore’s local food stalls (soya chicken rice, Indian food, Chinese, Thai, etc.) and had a veritable feast for about $20. Stuffed and tired, we walked back to the hotel and ended the night at the Raffles Writer’s Bar. Great drinks, but very expensive. Worth a quick visit for a single cocktail each.
Off to bed. Big plans tomorrow for NYE!