Our next stop was the Tokyo International Forum, a massive architectural landmark normally used for exhibitions and concert halls. They also happen to run flea market on that day. It’s quite interesting to see various items on sale even though we found they are rather expensive for second-hand items.

We then walk back to Tokyo station and catch a train to Shinjuku to check out some cosplay. Harajuku station was soo.. busy that we were overwhelmed by the crowds over there. Exiting the station was hard enough since there were so many people but then as we reached the famous Takeshita St, we can’t help but to be astounded by the sheer crowd.

A few metres into Takeshita St, we stopped in front of maccas with fear that we’re going to be trampled by the crowd. Luckily it wasn’t too bad once you’re in with the crowd. T noticed a crepe shop nearby and decided to give it a try. He bought a strawberry crepes and it was REALLY GOOD!!! It was so good that I forgot about my headache and had a full smile on every bite. For me, that was the best strawberry crepes in the world!

We checked out a few shops in the area, drop by at a ¥100 shop and then continue to walk to Shibuya district (yes, we walked all the way).

In the evening we visited Ginza area where all the exclusive (read: expensive) boutiques are located. It’s a very vibrant area and even though we didn’t buy anything there (can anyone guess why?), we took a few snapshots, pay a visit to the Apple Store where T saw the awesome elevator UI on youTube a couple of years back. It stops at every floor and features 100% glass doors (no frame on them!).

Booking and Reservations

We booked our ticket online directly from Singapore Airlines website. This simplified the reservation process as everything is linked to our Krisflyer frequent flyer membership. One further benefit is that we can also choose our seat prior to check-in. A quick look at SeatGuru reveals that row 71-83 is located on the upper deck. Singapore Airlines’ website doesn’t indicate this and instead simply shows these rows as if they’re just more rows towards the end of the plane. We decided to reserve row 80F & 80G as they provide plenty of legroom due to their position near the emergency exits. Alternatively, you may want to get 81H or 81K (or both if you’re a couple) if possible. We’ll let you know why later.

Check-In

We purchased the economy class ticket, so there’s not much to write about the check-in process. You still have the usual queue and even though we did internet check-in, it seems that the number of people queueing at the “Express (Internet Check-in)” counters is about the same as the regular line. But this is no biggie.

Our boarding pass showed 80F and 80G which is no surprise to us. We also noticed a bright orange sticker on it and wondered what they’re for.

Upon boarding the plane, we noticed a long queue at the gate and as we prepared to be stuck in line for the next 10 minutes we noticed another gate next to it with a sign “Business & Economy (Upper Deck)” and no queue. We were able to board the aircraft immediately when we showed our boarding pass (the bright orange sticker indicates that we are seated in the upper deck). We gave a cheeky smile to those still waiting in line as we walked towards the plane, and a few seconds later we were on board the biggest and most advanced commercial aircraft in the world.

Those who are lucky enough to sit in the First Class or better known as the ‘Suites’ get their own walkway to the aircraft and completely separated from other passengers.

Cabin & Interiors

Upon entering the aircraft we noticed a small vase with flowers on the wall. There were also some paintings located near the staircase. They definitely tried to improve the interior design and without the rows of seats you can easily forget that you are entering an aeroplane. The ambience of light can also be adjusted to not only different brightness levels but also colour (warmer colour on cruising altitude and the usual bright white when on the ground or whenever food service is in progress). The ambience transition is very smooth although we found it happening too frequently on our trip back to Sydney. We’re not quite sure if they are really that necessary (most passengers were asleep) or the captain was simply showing off his new toy.

Another reason that you should try to get a seat on the upper deck is that they are arranged in a 2-4-2 format whereas lower deck is 3-4-3. This not only means that you have less people to fight over the restroom but you also feel less cramped when seating on either sides and provide extra privacy when travelling in pairs.

A new feature (and a pretty good one!) is the additional compartments on the window seats. There is now a gap of about 20cm by the window where you can store some personal items. Very handy if you have valuable items but worry someone might pinch it from the overhead locker or from your lap while you’re asleep. We managed to fit a laptop (in it’s bag), an SLR camera (in it’s bag), 2 winter jackets and our complimentary blankets in it. We were very impressed.

Comfort

The seats on A380 economy class aren’t that much different from the typical economy seats found elsewhere however the extra 2-3 cm legroom and higher ceiling gave a more spacious feel overall. When reclining the seat we found that the bottom part moves forward slightly too. This is pretty minor but we felt that we should mention it anyway.

They also seem to have improved the cabin pressurisation system. We didn’t feel as much dryness or discomfort compared to the usual 737-400 Megatop or 777-300 Jubilee.

Business travellers are no strangers to in-seat power points but in yet another world-first offering Singapore Airlines provides this facility on economy class seats. That’s right, you can charge your phone, laptop, watch a dvd (not that you need them – we’ll get into that soon) or finish off your work so later on you can enjoy your holiday. Next on our wish list is the internet connection and looking from the RJ-45 port (which currently doesn’t do anything) on every seat, we shouldn’t be waiting for too long. Bear in mind that only 2 in 3 seats has the in-seat power supply.

Other handy features include personal storage space for spectacles and small personal items, a coat hook, a separate cup holder and foot rest.

The take off was smooth and quiet. No more worries of whether the plane can lift itself up or not. As a matter of fact the whole flight was very quiet considering this aircraft uses 4 x Rolls Royce engine where each engine takes in 1.25 tons of air every second.

On our way to Singapore the ride was bumpy with plenty of turbulence and swings but the flight back home was just fine.

Unfortunately because we were located near the emergency exit with plenty of space, other passengers tend to linger around this area to stretch or cross sides (from the left aisle to the right). We don’t really mind but others might get annoyed by this.

KrisWorld inflight entertainment system

Gone are the days when you feel bored during a flight, at least on A380. We all know that the KrisWorld inflight entertainment system is one of the best in the world (if not the best). It features hundreds of latest movies on demand, games, music, etc. Passengers in A380 can now enjoy the whole experience much better with a hi-res 10.6″ display (and a very slick UI) on every economy seat. Watching movies is also more convenient as you can turn on/off subtitles or switch between languages (a la DVD). Once you experienced the new KrisWorld you probably won’t bother with the ones found on Megatop or Jubilee.

There is also a USB port on every seat so you can plug in your USB key and continue working on your files using an array of office productivity utilities (Hint: it’s running OpenOffice). Although this is not meant to replace your business function entirely, it’s sufficient for simple changes or document review. KrisWorld is now also an inflight productivity suite.

Underneath the screens are 4-5 LED with adjustable brightness levels which functions as a non-intrusive reading light (you still get the usual overhead reading light).

One thing I miss is the functionality to move to next/previous photos in lightbox. However based on my observations not many people use this functions on this blog nor do we have too many images in one post.

How to use: Click on image to zoom in, and click again to close.

Hidden feature: Shift+click on an image to see a slow-motion zoom.

Don’t have a webcam? don’t worry you can also do audio comment (without the video)

Don’t have a microphone? well.. let your fingers do the typing

Err…today I’m revising the guest list in anticipation that the invitations will arrive soon in Sydney this week (or I’ll be very, very cross). It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle. This is just the start…then we’ll have to hand out the invitations and allocate the seats, and who knows what changes could happen between now and D-day.

On a sadder note, my iPod…the one that I thought would last forever…died on Friday nite. I don’t know what happened. I placed the iPod onto the charger dock and suddenly all the music disappeared, and it won’t sync with iTunes either. I’m very depressed and now I have to rely on an 8 gig Nano to keep me entertained at work & during travel. Maybe the Apple man can revive it for me Or maybe it’s time to get a new one *yeah!*