Andrew Stone flies SQ469 from Sri Lanka to Singapore
The plane: Airbus A330-300.
Seat: 16F, at the rear of the Business Class cabin. The galley and loos are immediately behind this row. The website seatguru.com cautions about this area but this was my assigned possie and in theend was all I needed. The seat is a lie-flat model, which manipulates itself slightly under the seat in front. You stretch out on a slight angle, but you are in the sleeping position.
On time: The challenge with this journey is not so much a timely takeoff as it is staying awake until the 1.10am departure. Runway extension work at Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport meant operations for my April flight were restricted to nighttime. Passengers are required to be at the airport four hours before departure. It's a long wait for travellers eager to get home but forced to endure a construction timetable.
Entertainment: I'm sure it was up to scratch. KrisWorld, the airline's inflight system, has loads of choices and comfortable, noise-cancelling headphones. Choices lean towards Asian titles so it's an opportunity to delve into subtitled movies from China, India and Japan. But as the night wore on, the best option was sleep.
Food and drink: Bubbles and juice were offered on boarding, and a steward ran through a menu card. It all looked appetising but at 2am an airline meal - even one from an airline with a reputation for inflight service - is a long way down the list of priorities. I told the steward that for me it's a shut-eye special.
Would I fly again: Wheels locked and just metres from touchdown in Singapore, the aircraft suddenly shifted into full power and roared skywards. It climbed steeply for a few minutes, creating a sense of mild anxiety but no obvious sense of panic among passengers. As the plane levelled out, the captain addressed the flight, apologising for the unexpected manoeuvre, and explained that the abrupt change of plan occurred because air traffic controllers advised there were "unidentified objects on the runway". He was reassuring, credible and comforting. He took the plane round a couple more times before bringing the bird down without drama 15 minutes later. So there's the answer: a pilot in charge of an aircraft responding coolly to an unexpected event and settling any frayed nerves with a clear, coherent explanation. A five-star performance.
