Eating New Year's Soba by a Singaporean in Japan シンガポール人、日本で年越しそばを堪能する

New Year's Eve Shopping in a wet market in Japan

Fear not, Omicron is here to save the world

 Omicron is spreading much faster than its predecessors but is less severe and infected people may not require hospitalization. However, many countries are suffering from the Singapore type of kiasu syndrome (ks). They closed their borders to foreigners even though these people are vaccinated and already had the booster shots. If it goes on like this, then the economies will be battered so bad to the extent where they may go bankrupt. Stop adopting the ks, open the borders and let tourists into the countries and you will prosper like never before. But first, treat the virus, in this case Omicron as a flu. Do not fear and have the guts to be the first to liberate your country from this "plan-demic"!

Vaccinated against unvaccinated in France

Omicron dashes hope of airline industry recovery

 It has been two years and the Covid-19 virus aren't going away. Current variant called Omicron has mutated from the deadly Delta parent. Omicron is at least three times more infectious and transmissible than Delta.

Due to the transmissible nature of Omicron, many countries are again closing their borders. Japan does not allow foreigners to enter its country, USA requires a Covid19 test 24 hours before arrival, Singapore make it mandatory for inbound travelers to be tested daily for seven straight days upon entry etc.

The closing of borders and banning travelers into the countries will have a negative impact on the airline and tourism sectors. SIA shares has taken a hit again after gaining some ground before the appearance of Omicron.

The question now is how long more this pandemic will go away? With the new variant, my guess is....for a long time. Then what will happen to our beloved SIA??

Eat oysters to combat Omicron and all viruses

Hamburger, Kaisendon, Salad And Mont Blanc Cake

Thank You Fans :-)

Pilot & cabin crew resigned

 

I lost 6 kilogram or 13 pounds eating healthily

 It's not a joke but I did lose 6 kg eating the food as shown in the video. Of course I lost the 6 kg over a couple of months. I only eat twice a day. Sometimes to reward myself, I would have cakes, ice creams etc. I like visiting McDonald's in Japan too. Stay healthy and safe and God Bless :-)

Click here to view my video.

Update on captain's condition

 On 4th December I wrote a post on a captain being "incapacitated" on a London bound flight. I promised to update on the matter as soon as I get more information. I am now in possession of a WhatsApp message regarding the update but will not publish it due to privacy concern. However, I will give a summary of what was in the message.

The captain had a seizure but recovered after 20 minutes. He was sent to the hospital where a MRI CT scan was taken. The result showed he had a "tumor right side". The WhatsApp message did not specify where was the tumor but I suspect it may have been on the right side of his brain. He was prescribed medication to prevent the recurrence of seizures. He is recovering and is "mobile n lucid".

Super fit this ex colleague of mine

 

Many think that flying as a crew is unhealthy but my former colleague, John who is 77 years old is actively participating in competitive athletics.

Cheap and Good Food In Japan

Cooking & Eating Yakisoba

Good health is wealth

How I lost 5 kilos and reduced my BMI from overweight to normal...click here

Three cheers for Omicron!

This article by a German health expert said the "Omicron variant could be a Christmas gift" as it may spread faster, more infectious but less severe. Personally, I tend to agree with the professor. It's more severe than the usual seasonal flu but it will not kill nor create havoc like the Delta variant. In this aspect, it is good news for everyone except the big pharmacies and those that profited immensely from the pandemic.

Hip hip hooray to the airlines and tourism industries. You and the world will recover, thanks to Omicron! SIA will soar again and higher this time. Praise God for his mighty power which overcome the evil deeds of the devil and his offspring.

Captain was "incapacitated"

 A London bound flight from Singapore was delayed because the captain was "incapacitated" and unable to operate the flight. The details are still unclear as to what really happened and when it happened. Once I have more information, I will update here.

 

Hong Kong COVID-19 quarantine pushes Cathay pilots to 'breaking point'.......continue reading here

Former stewardess Sarabai passed away

 

Sara passed away on 29 Nov 2021 and to be cremated today. Was told she died of hemorrhaging of the brain. RIP Sara.

Omicron passengers on SQ 211 into Sydney

 SIA said on Monday that its pilots and crew who operated on Flight SQ211 will abide by these measures, in accordance with the guidance from the authorities. Read more here

I understand the crew that operated the flight SQ 211 arriving SYD on 29 November did not disembark at SYD but instead arrived back Singapore as passengers on the return flight. The crew had come into contact with the 2 passengers who were tested positive for Omicron....

New variant of Covid-19 Omicron

 The new variant known as Omicron which originated from   South Africa is of grave concern. Many countries have banned people from SA, Botswana, Zimbabwe and in the last 2 days Israel, HK and Belgium into their countries.

The stock markets around the world have plunged yesterday due to fear that Omicron could start another massive lockdowns across the world.

SIA and other world airlines are beginning to accept bookings until the news of Omicron. What is in store for our national airlines, SIA? Let's see over the next couple of days whether Omicron is as devastating as Delta or more.

Too premature?

SIA a good employer?.....continues ...

 continue from https://www.bohtong.org/2021/11/sia-good-employer-well-it-depends-on.html

In certain divisions/departments, the heads used the SARS crisis as an excuse to get rid of under performed staff and those whom they had a grudge. Sure, there were divisional heads who were out to impress their bosses by cutting cost for the company.

Whatever reasons to rid their staff was short-sightedness because when SARS suddenly disappeared there was a shortage of staff. No heads or SVPs were penalized for the short-sightedness except for one. Many of my ex-colleagues pointed the finger at my SVP. He was fired but I personally believed he paid the price not due to the retrenchment of the crew but for insubordination. 

Emirates to hire cabin crew, pilots and other staff

Emirates, the world's biggest long-haul airline, plans to recruit more than 6,000 staff over the next six months to boost its workforce as travel demand rebounds.

Continue reading here

SIA a good employer? Well it depends on who is the head of its division

 After working 35 years for SIA, I must say overall it is a good company. However, whether it is a good employer or not will depend on who is the head of the division or SVP. During my tenure in cabin crew, I had worked under 7 bosses out of which in my opinion only 2 gained my admiration and respect. 

The current cabin crew SVP Tan PT took over the helm at cabin crew after I had left. Although not having worked under SVP Tan but looking at the way he treats the crew, I think he is one of the best SVPs in cabin crew. My reason for saying so is because he did not retrench nor got rid of any Singaporean and PR crew despite of SIA losing billions during the current pandemic. In a similar situation, some other SVPs would have used the excuse to rid some cabin crew whom they did not like.

During the SARS crisis of 2003, dozens of crew were retrenched or given the "Golden Handshake" The SARS crisis inflicted a couple of millions in lost revenue for about 3 months or so. In the end,the airline still managed to make a tidy profit for the full year 2003 despite of SARS. So why were the crew and a few ground staff retrenched in 2003?......to be continued

 Eat all you can for S$13 (including tax) in Japan....here

SIA on track to almost fully restored its flight network?

 Speaking (SIA CEO) to media on November 12, 2021, the head of the airline confirmed that currently, the company employs 92% of the flight crew and 86% of the cabin crew it used to have before the global demand slump. In the meantime, the carrier also reactivated 79% of the fleet. 

The question many are asking is what has happened to the rest of the 14% cabin crew?

Any clever answers from you?

 You would have heard and eaten hot dog but ever heard of naan dog? Also for S$2 you can get a decent meal.  To find out click here

"10 years since that fateful day"

 "111111.... it will be 10 years tomorrow...10 years in the wilderness... been a hard and tedious 10 years since that fateful day.."

Someone left the above message and I take it to mean that the victim of the 8 was sacked on 11 Nov 2011 and today is exactly 10 years.

One kind reader has started the ball rolling by contributing a small sum of money to help the victim. Click on this link to read about it.

Covid cases in Japan

 

 Someone again asked me who or what is frequently referred to as "The 8"?   Go and click this link to find out the story.

A tribute to the late Haridas Gopal

 

☝WhatsApp conversation with the late Haridas Gopal's friend. Das, as he was affectionately known passed away on 4 Nov 2021.

Another cabin crew dies, RIP Daryl Soh

 

 The Japanese are scared of this....here

Retired IFS Haridas Gopal passed away

 

I was informed Haridas passed away yesterday 4 November 2021.

RIP  Haridas.

Current SIA and its cabin crew management Bestest

In 2003 when SARS struck and only for a few months the economy and businesses in general were affected, SIA cabin crew management retrenched dozens of crew. My colleagues and I (around 20 of us)were given the early retirement as a way to save cost for the company.

The current pandemic which is many times more serious than SARS and cost trillion of dollars of losses in businesses and five million lives worldwide, SIA cabin crew management did not retrench a single Singaporean nor PR cabin crew. This pandemic is almost two years with us and despite of the cancellation of hundreds of flights and losses amounting to billions, SIA puts on a brave front and has faith that it will recover. Kudos to SIA and its cabin crew management!👍

 

Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2021 results: Read here

 In Singapore, we are not allowed to keep this as pet

RIP IFM Rodney Wong

 

Another piece of good news!

 It is heartening to know that Australia will be opening its border ( Victoria and NSW) for fully vaccinated Singaporeans and vice versa from 21 November (20 days from today). They must first be tested negative for Covid 72 hours before boarding the plane. There will be no quarantine for citizens from either country. This is definitely good news for SIA,SCOOT and Qantas! It will also be great for the tourism industries of both countries.

Read more here

 Inspector Tony received a death threat ..click here to find out more

Unvaccinated crew is going to face a tough time

 What will happen to the few dozens unvaccinated crew who were redeployed to office job? These crew chose not to be vaccinated and were prepared to be redeployed but not resignation from the airlines. However, from January 1 next year, employers are allowed to sack unvaccinated staff if their job does not require them to work from home. The rationale is unvaccinated staff may infect their colleagues with Covid-19 if allowed to work in the office. 

Any comment?

Despite of high vaccination rate,cases are surging ...

 Singapore recorded 5,324 new Covid cases yesterday, the highest since the pandemic started 18 months   ago. The question is why with the high vaccination rate of  more than 85% of the population, the number of new cases are rising?

Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for Singapore? Some countries are advising their citizens not to visit Singapore at this time. It looks like the tourism and aviation industries will be affected badly and may take a long time to recover.

 Pandemic or no pandemic life goes on, having fun and doing the   things I love most...click here

 

Singapore storms back toward pre-virus levels of air traffic

Sat, 23 October 2021, 11:49 am

In this article:

Read more on this topic

Singapore storms back toward pre-virus levels of air traffic. (PHOTO: ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

By Kyunghee Park and Siddharth Philip

(Bloomberg) — Airlines in Asia are bringing back international capacity as the region gradually follows North America and Europe in reopening borders, led by the city-state of Singapore, whose economy depends on open access.

By January, Singapore is poised to reach 84% of the weekly flights to Europe as it had in March last year, before the clampdown on travel. And there’ll be 1,519 flights from the financial hub to elsewhere in Asia, compared with only 194 in May 2020, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium show.

Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia are among others ditching Covid-Zero policies and announcing plans to allow fully-vaccinated visitors from certain places to enter without having to quarantine. That’s inevitably resulted in a significant shift in airline schedules in the coming months.

“Singapore is leading the way here,” said Gary Bowerman, director of travel and tourism research firm Check-in Asia. “Countries in the region have to open up because almost two years without travel of all forms, economically it’s just not viable to stay closed.”

Compared with air travel in the U.S. and Europe, international traffic volume is still thin in the Asia-Pacific region, given that mainland China and Hong Kong remain closed off as they stick rigidly to a strategy of keeping Covid out.

Isolation Strategy

China’s seat capacity is at pre-pandemic levels, according to Bloomberg’s flight tracker, which uses data from aviation specialist OAG to monitor the pulse of the comeback. That’s thanks to its massive domestic market rather than international capacity, which languishes at less than 10% of where it was before the crisis.

Other countries are a way off 2019 levels because their reopening plans are in the early stages or have yet to kick in. Capacity for Asian carriers excluding those in China is 53% below pre-Covid, according to OAG.

Singapore opened so-called vaccinated travel lanes after its Covid inoculation rate hit 80% in late August. From early September, visitors from Germany and Brunei were allowed to enter and skip quarantine. The list of countries has increased to 10, including the U.S. and U.K., while South Korea will be added on Nov. 15. The government is pressing on with reopening despite its virus cases topping 3,000 a day, prompting an extension of restrictions.

Singapore Airlines Ltd. plans to operate four flights a week to Vancouver via Seattle starting Dec. 2 to accommodate North American demand. That will be the carrier’s first return to Canada since April 2009, when services were cut due to the global economic crisis.

More on Singapore Reopening:

Websites crash in rush for travel bookings as Singapore opens up

Queues for hours at Singapore Air as travel routes open up

Since the opening of more travel lanes, demand from Singapore has been strongest for flights within Asia — with some fares surging. From December to January, ahead of the Lunar New Year and Beijing Winter Olympics, airlines plan the biggest monthly jump in flights from the island nation to the region since Cirium started providing the data in 2000.

Down Under

Australia plans to reopen its borders next month for returning residents and families. Qantas Airways Ltd. will resume international flights from Sydney to London and Los Angeles, and then to Singapore later in the month, four weeks earlier than planned as talks on a full travel agreement reach the final stages.Other routes opening in December and January include New Delhi, Johannesburg, Bangkok and Fiji. International flights from Melbourne are also restarting earlier than previously planned.

Korean Air Lines Co. is adding capacity as South Korea considers shifting its pandemic strategy next month. The carrier will resume flights to Hawaii with three weekly services from Nov. 3, after suspending them in April last year. Asiana Airlines Inc. will fly to Guam in December and budget carrier Jeju Air Co. plans chartered services to Thailand’s Chiang Mai from next month.

“In terms of capacity, it is beginning to look a lot more positive, there are very steady trends in most regions of the world,” said John Grant, chief analyst with OAG. “But this is about capacity and demand is still lagging behind.”

While there’s some renewed optimism, people should remain cautious on how the situation evolves over the next seven or eight months, Grant said. “We are by no means out of the woods.”

Airlines in North America and Europe are adding winter capacity for when a U.S. ban on visits eases. Based on current schedules, U.S. capacity to the U.K. will jump 79% between September and December, while for Germany it will increase 21%, according to OAG.

Even as carriers add capacity, the reopening could be short-lived as Covid cases and mutations continue to flare.

With new daily cases set to potentially reach 100,000, the U.K. warned Wednesday that it wouldn’t hesitate to act and reimpose lockdown restrictions if pressure on the National Health Service became unsustainable. Morocco has banned flights from the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands until further notice.

“New variants and a possible surge in infections during the Northern Hemisphere winter could pose the risk of a pull-back in the near term,” Morningstar analyst Joachim Kotze wrote in a research note.

The wish for normal travel over Christmas hasn’t been granted just yet.

© 2021 Bloomberg L.P.