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From Famous Kitchens to the Skies: How Singapore Airlines Develops Their Menus

Porcini-crusted sea scallop with black trumpet mushrooms, yellowfoot chanterelles, leek, roman cauliflower and a frothy white wine reduction topper: that is what you are eating 39,000 feet up on a Singapore Airlines flight. And that's just the appetizer.

On Friday, we had the opportunity to stand back and observe as Chef Alfred Portale of New York City's Gotham Bar & Grill reviewed his newest menu for Singapore Airlines with the airline's chefs. This is their bi-annual tasting session, when the chefs trade ideas on in-flight presentation and preparation of some thirty meals that Portale has devised for the airline's US flights.

Curious to see exactly what the process is for creating an in-flight menu, especially one for the precise and exacting tastes of the passengers who fly in First and Business Class on Singapore, we took plenty notes and pictures as Portale and the Singapore chefs taste-tested an appetizer, an entree and two desserts from the upcoming summer menu. See the goodies after the jump!

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Tags: In-Flight Comfort / Singapore Airlines / First Class Travel / First Class / In-Flight Amenities / Seats / Fashion Travel / → All Tags

Designer Airline Seats: Does Your Butt Even Know the Difference?

The airline consistently ranked as best in the world for service, is also tops when it comes to fashion and amenities. Of course we're talking about Singapore Airlines, and we just realized that not only do they have sweet ipod hook-ups to the in-flight entertainment, but that all of their amenity kits and the first and business class bedding, pajamas and dishware are all from French luxury fashion house Givenchy.

We've spent years craving the Marc Newson-designed pajamas in Qantas first class, the Shanghai Tang togs on Cathay Pacific and the Anya Hindmarch amenity kits in British Airways first class, but Givenchy is miles above those.

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Singapore Airlines Adds 1,000 Options To In-Flight Entertainment

Yesterday's Singapore Airlines news was all about that failed engine on their A380, which all things considered isn't the best press an airline can get. Today's Singapore Airlines news is the exact opposite, announcing a bevy of new in-flight entertainment options available to all passengers from first class to coach. As of Thursday, the airline will be rolling out a new version of KrisWorld, their system for providing passengers with on-demand options.

The new lineup is ambitious, includes over 1,000 on-demand offerings, and seems to have been in the works for a while. So it's not as if they're intentionally trying to diversify the Google News search for "Singapore Airlines." They're just lucky it worked out that way, and that the new programs really are worth a mention:

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Tags: Airplane News / A380 / Singapore Airlines / Airline News / → All Tags

A Singapore Airlines A380 Returns To Paris After Engine Trouble

A Singapore Airlines flight had to turn back mid-trip on Sunday after one of the engines on the plane—a giant A380 originating in Paris—decided to stop working.

The A380 is an ultra high-capacity airliner, designed by Airbus to compete directly with Boeing's 747 and its successors. It has two decks, four engines, and over 500 seats. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that it was loaded with almost 450 passengers and that they were probably not in the best of spirits after this:

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Tags: Airplane Food / British Airways / Singapore Airlines / Airline News / Cathay Pacific / Virgin Atlantic / → All Tags

Times UK Names The Top Airline Meals In The Sky

In what was probably both the best and worst assignment of a journalist's career, the Times UK looked at in-flight meal service this weekend, and aside from tasting a slew of flash-frozen meals, they actually came out of it stomachache-free and with a winner.

First, however, they discuss approaches to the cuisine for major airlines like Singapore, who still believe flying to a special occasion and thus the "economy dining experience is specifically constructed to suggest dinner in a posh restaurant," and Virgin Atlantic, who go the opposite route with comfort food, or "the sort of wholesome naughtiness you might eat curled up on the sofa with a good film."

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SeatGuru's Survey Says United's Flight Attendants Are The Worst

SeatGuru just released results of their latest survey on airline quality and airline everything else. We always take information like this with a grain of salt, but it’s still interesting to see what a bunch of random people think about what’s going on in the sky.

Apparently, people don’t like much when it comes to United. The airline scored the title of rudest flight attendants. Don’t worry United, American Airlines and US Airways weren’t too far behind for flight attendant friendliness. All three domestic carriers were neck and neck when it came to the quality of their in-flight dining: not good. The trio also didn’t do too well when it came to the coziness of seats. JetBlue’s gray leather topped the charts for the comfort of economy seats.

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Tags: Airfare Deals / Singapore Airlines / Singapore Travel / → All Tags

Singapore and More for $679 Is Something We Can Get Behind

Sadly, the much-hyped Airbus A380s don't fly over American skies for Singapore Airlines, but the carrier is still tops in service and in-flight amenities no matter the route. This is why we're thrilled to hear that their joining in with the summer travel discounts, and even extending the low pricing through November.

Travelzoo alerts us to this deal: Book by June 28 and travel between July 1 and November 30 out of New York to Singapore, Bangkok, Bali, Manila and Kuala Lumpor for $679, including taxes and fees. Of course keep your dates flexible to find the cheapest fares, but man is this some good stuff.

Another $200 to total an $879 flight will get you from New York to Delhi, Mumbai, Melbourne and Sydney. It seems like only months ago we were thrilled about a $750 Hong Kong direct, and now these fares fall into our laps. You know what to do: book early, book often.

[Photo: grosbyvn]

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· Global Sale on Top Airline from NYC [Travelzoo]
· No Sex, Please: We're On Singapore Airlines [Jaunted]
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Tags: Lounges / Singapore Airlines / Airport Lounges / SilverKris Lounges / → All Tags

Lounging at The Airport: Singapore Airlines Stuns With SilverKris

Airport lounges promise respite from the sad public seating at the gates and the unhealthy diet offerings of the terminal food courts. But of course, at a premium price. All week long at Jaunted we will be detailing what it costs to lounge at the best international airline lounges, because the domestic offerings that we featured last week got us dreaming of much, much more. Got any suggestions or tips? Let us know.

Singapore Airlines SilverKris and KrisFlyer Lounges
· How Much: The cost to get into Singapore Air's SilverKris Lounge or the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge really depends on how good of a "deal" you got on your ticket. The spoiled flyers, who refuse any class other than Suites, First, or Business will have no problem enjoying the swanky luxuries that the airline has to offer. If you're more cautious of ticket price and you only have KrisFlyer Elite Gold or Star Alliance Gold status, you are still allowed access to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge—which is only a small step down in luxury compared to its big brother SilverKris lounge.

· Internet Access: The Internet here is served WiFi style and is free. Honestly, we wouldn't expect anything less from one of the world's best airlines.

Keep reading after the jump for more peeks at club perks.

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Singapore's First Class Lounge Invites Great Experiences

Some airlines fascinate us with bidets in their first class lounges, but Singapore Airlines has won us over with what we can only describe as style and sophistication.

This is their hometown lounge at Changi Airport and we like it for its late-night, Lost-in-Translation vibe. This is an airport lounge where elegant strangers fetch you drinks and (we figure) anything can happen.

The nice part is that Singapore Airlines actually lives up to the expectations this lounge gives you: remember their fancy-looking first class cabin on board? Attractive strangers welcome in either spot.

Related Stories:
· British Airways [Jaunted]
· How First Class on Singapore Airlines Spent Christmas [Jaunted]
· Singapore Airlines Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Richard Moross]

Tags: Travel Snapshot / First Class Travel / Boeing / Singapore Airlines / → All Tags

How First Class on Singapore Airlines Spent Christmas

How come we can’t persuade anybody to send us on a long-haul flight in first class? Because if we could, we might get to see more than just this great picture of the first class cabin on a Singapore Airlines 747.

We’re digging the Christmas decorations although they’ve no doubt been banished to their rest-of-the-year storage cupboard by now. Since Singapore Airlines is having a rough patch and cutting flights, we’re confident that they will be reusing those wreaths again next Christmas, if you want to see them.

But what’s really making our jaw hang open is all the wonderful space and ultra-comfortable looking chairs. According to SeatGuru that single seat right at the front is the most coveted on the plane because it’s so private, although there are some ultra-fussy fliers who get bothered by the flight attendants accessing stuff in the closets nearby. We can pretty much promise that if we got that seat, we wouldn’t be bothered. If you want to try for yourself: Singapore’s 747s cover routes to New York and Los Angeles as well as Europe and Australia; NYC to Singapore in first class will set you back upwards of $12,000.

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[Photo: Blackwych]

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Singapore Airlines Offers Passengers iPod Docks But Cuts Some Flights

You win some, you lose some. And that's how the week looks for Singapore Airlines. The win is in cool technology, and the loss is all about major cuts in flights, so looks like we have to take the good with the bad.

In tech news, Singapore Airlines are saying it's a world first for passengers on their A330s to be able to plug in their iPod and iPhone directly into the inflight entertainment system. iPod capabilities will roll out on Australia to Singapore flights first and gradually, well, take over the world. Nice.

The down side is that there are a lot less fewer flights to book with Singapore these days. They've announced the deletion of over 200 flights to Australia, China, Europe and India because the numbers of passengers have been falling so much. Seems to us they should have thrown the iPod connectivity in earlier and they might have least kept geek passenger numbers high.

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· Singapore Airlines Cuts More Than 200 Flights [AFP]
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[Photo: Alex Steffler]

Tags: Airline Parties / Singapore Airlines / A380 / Airline News / → All Tags

Singapore Airlines Readies Millionth A380 Passenger Party

Flying to Singapore anytime soon? If so, watch out for party balloons and press a la Publisher's Clearing House at your boarding gate because Singapore Airlines is on the lookout for its millionth A380 passenger in February.

To fete the single, clueless guest who puts them into seven figures, the airline will roll out the red carpet with champagne and Singapore Airlines goodies for all passengers on the winning flight. If you just happen to strike gold as Mr. or Ms. 1,000,000, you'll be getting upgraded with a special in-flight package plus a three-night luxury hotel stay, limousine from the airport and meals at nicey nice restaurants.

It seems like only yesterday that Airbus birthed the big baby A380 and we all fantasized about joining the mile high club in their semi-private on-board suites. In actuality, that was already more than a year ago, and we're sure that at least a small percentage of the million passengers did make it past third base at 35,000 feet. Surely they won't deny a simple pleasure to their honored guest?

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[Original photo: asiatraveltips]