TAP Air Portugal Traipse

• TP8406 / SQ388 Singapore to Barcelona – Business
• Four Points Diagonal, Barcelona
• Pau Casals VIP Lounge (Aena), Barcelona El Prat Airport
• TP1037 Barcelona to Lisbon – Executive
• The Ivens, Autograph Collection
• TAP Premium Lounge Tejo, Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport
• Novotel Lisbon
• TP 668 Lisbon to Amsterdam – Executive
• Amsterdam Marriott Hotel
• Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center
• Star Alliance Lounge – Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
• TP669 Amsterdam to Lisbon – Executive
• Lisbon Marriott Hotel
• TP822 Lisbon to Milan – Executive
• TP8435 / SQ355 Milan to Singapore – Business
• TAP Flights in general during this trip (TP1037/ TP 668 / TP669 / TP822)

So…. as expected there were changes to this crazy trip as you can see above, but all that in due time. Let me start with the great start first heh. And particularly so for this flight as I managed to secure the bassinet seat at the T-48hr online check in mark yay.

• Flight Timing – TP8406 / SQ388 depart SIN 00:05 arrive BCN 07:10
• Duration – 14hrs and 05mins
• Aircraft – Airbus 350-900
• Seat – 11K
• Cost – USD1.7k (entire itenary)

Boarding – as with most SQ flights I’ve experienced, boarding was on time and orderly. No issues at all and I happily hopped to my first bassinet long haul experience.

On arrival, slippers and eye mask were placed at the seat but strangely enough, no socks.

Seat – I actually have not taken Row 11 for long hauls before (because not PPS) and always wondered if being able to sleep not at an angle makes so much difference? The answer is a resounding YES.

Well okay, first, a few cursory pics of Seak 11K on the A350 (spot the little Christmas wreath still up!)

As per SOP, pre-departure drinks were offered alongside warm nuts.

Not sure why I specifically took pics of the earphones and seat remote but here you go:

The exciting thing to me was the new amenity kit by Le Labo which started its rotation on 24 Dec 2024. According to SQ’s official announcement: “stored in a waxed cotton canvas pouch inspired by Le Labo Fragrances’ iconic lab aprons, the new Business Class amenity kit’s design reflects the perfume brand’s minimalist aesthetic. Over time, the canvas develops unique textures and hues, making each pouch a personal keepsake, and can be used as a travel document holder”.

Not so sure about the travel document holder but its nonetheless a good brand and new experience. This is only available for flights over 6hrs and upon request only.

In-flight Meal –

The menu was really extensive for this long haul and includes Supper and Breakfast – with a long list of Book The Cook for selection especially for the Supper service

The in-flight menu reads as such, with Supper, Delectables, and Breakfast on offer:

The drinks list was expectedly long too – plenty of alcohol no doubt.

And then non-alcoholic stuff..

Supper service commenced soon after take-off starting with the Grilled Chicken Salad which was decently fresh, then my BTC Beef Yakiniku came – but alas despite the rave reviews, I actually found it too fatty for me. I think I shall stick to non-atas beef sometimes haha. But trying the red and white wines were fun – bubbles didn’t quite do it for me this flight for some reason. The rose wine was a lovely replacement though.

To my surprise, I was not in the mood for any dessert or cheese platter but just decided to get into bed mode qiuickly to wind down for sleep. The lie-flat config in row 11 is love seriously – I managed to get 3hrs of sleep!

I woke up about mid-flight feeling peckish and decided to order a beef noodle soup to quell the hunger pangs, with wine of course.

After a bit more sleep and movie marathons, it was time for breakfast!

The Book The Cook selection for Breakfast was more restrained than Supper but still a decent variety.

With just one page for in-flight choices:

The table was set efficiently and we started with fruits, followed by my BTC order of Lobster Thermidor (what else hah). Ended with an excellent Illy Guatemala black coffee.

In-flight Entertainment – I wasn’t as enthralled with the IFE this time as I realized they had taken off all the Marvel stuff I used to chillax with on-board so no more Iron Man, Captain America, Avengers to binge on. But I did manage to finish 3 other movies during the 14hrs so not so bad.

Lavatories – Nothing out of the ordinary, kept clean throughout, and well stocked with amenities.

Service –

Service was great on this flight I thought – abit more warmth than my last SQ business flight to Fukuoka which was also a red eye. At about 45mins to landing, they actually offered me 2x more glasses of what I liked – the french red and the rose – because ‘they are going to throw it away anyway”. Is it because I look like an alcoholic?

In Summary,

A great way to fly and definitely a good long haul start to my TAP trip!