Review: Singapore Airlines New Business Class A380 Singapore To Sydney

Review: Singapore Airlines New Business Class A380 Singapore To Sydney

47


Having flown Singapore’s previous generation business class seat, I couldn’t wait to see how their brand new business class seat compared.

Singapore Airlines 221
Singapore (SIN) – Sydney (SYD)
Thursday, February 1
Depart: 8:40PM
Arrive: 7:40AM (+1 day)
Duration: 8hr
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Seat: 19A (Business Class)

I boarded through the forward door of the upper deck, where I was immediately greeted by several crew members, including the chief steward, Dennis. Dennis greeted me by name upon verifying my boarding pass, and escorted me to my seat, 19A. There’s nothing quite like a Singapore Airlines welcome!

The Suites cabin was to the left, while the rest of the upper deck (to the right) had business class seats. Singapore Airlines has a total of 78 business class seats on their new A380, in a 1-2-1 configuration.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class cabin

It’s interesting to note that this cabin is actually significantly denser than their previous business class product. With their other A380 configuration, the airline fit 66 business class seats in the same area that they currently have 78 seats.


Singapore Airlines business class cabin A380

My first thought upon entering the cabin was that it was incredibly stylish. Between the mood lighting and sleek finishes, this is one of the most beautiful business class cabins out there. The plane also had the new plane smell, which is always a treat.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class cabin

While other airlines have staggered configurations, in Singapore’s new A380 business class every seat is basically the same. So it’s not that some window seats are better than others (with the exception of bulkheads, as I’ll discuss below).

Before settling into my window seat, I checked out one of the center seats. The great news is that if you’re traveling alone you have privacy in these seats, because there’s a partition that’s in the “up” position


Singapore Airlines new business class seat

Then I checked out the beautiful window seats. The attention to detail when it comes to the finishes and the placement of all the little gadgets is flawless. This is easily one of the prettiest business class seats I’ve ever seen. While the seat doesn’t have a door, it affords excellent privacy thanks to the long partition along the aisle. The downside to this is that it’s really tough to look out the window, since you have to lean way forward.


Singapore Airlines business class seat A380


Singapore Airlines business class seat A380


Singapore Airlines business class seat A380

Lets take a closer look at some of the features. To the left of the seat was a counter which was big enough to store a laptop.


Singapore Airlines business class seat

This is where both the entertainment controller and a mirror were located.


Singapore Airlines business class seat mirror 


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment controls 

Then there was a headphone jack, USB outlet, and the seat controls (a lot of pressure was required to use these, surprisingly).


Singapore Airlines business class seat controls

The tray table folds out from immediately underneath this counter, in a creative way. It’s folded over in half while stored, and then as you take it out you can flip it over to use the whole thing.


Singapore Airlines business class tray table

Above that was the reading light, which had a really cool pattern next to it.


Singapore Airlines business class seat reading light

Then beneath the main console was a pocket with the menu, magazines, and headphones. The area next to this eventually became part of the bed, when the seat was reclined.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class seat storage 

Next to that pocket was a small compartment with a mobile payment device, as well as a power port and USB outlet.


Singapore Airlines business class seat outlet

The seatback in front not only had the TV, but also had a couple of storage areas. There was one that could essentially be used for a glass, or something.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class seat storage 

Then the other one was a storage compartment that could be closed, and was big enough for a pair of glasses or a phone.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class seat storage 

Here’s where I start to not like the seat. One of the things I found annoying about Singapore’s old business class seat is that you had to sleep at an angle, since the footwell was at the very side of the fuselage. So you essentially have to sleep diagonally across the seat when in bed mode. That’s something they haven’t changed. On the plus side, the footwell itself is quite large. The bad news is that you’re limited in terms of the angles you can comfortably sleep at.


Singapore Airlines business class seat footwell 

Many seats like this don’t allow underseat storage for takeoff and landing, but this seat has plenty of room to store your bags, as you can just place them underneath the seat. Note that there are no overhead bins in the center of the cabin, so space for carry-ons is fairly limited, given that the A380 upper deck has smaller bins to begin with.


Singapore Airlines business class underseat storage 

Those are the the basic specs of the seat, so let’s look at some more of the details. Waiting at my seat on boarding were a pair of headphones. Singapore’s headphones are quite uncomfortable, and for such a premium airline I don’t get why they haven’t invested in better headphones. Even American offers Bose headphones in business class.


Singapore Airlines business class headphones

Singapore Airlines also doesn’t offer amenity kits in business class. They say this is to prevent waste, because in reality they offer just about all the amenities you’d get in a kit on demand. The only thing they offer proactively are socks and eyeshades.


Singapore Airlines business class socks 

The bedding was waiting at my seat upon boarding in the footwell, and was fantastic. There were two pillows and a lovely duvet.


Singapore Airlines business class bedding

The menu for my flight was also waiting at my seat.


Singapore Airlines business class menu

Singapore Airlines has some of the world’s best crews. Sometimes the service is just good, and sometimes it’s phenomenal. This crew definitely fit in the latter category. What impresses me about an amazing Singapore crew isn’t even that they’re friendly or polished, but rather how seamless they make the entire experience. They serve 78 people, but somehow they make you feel like they’re taking care just of you.

Taking care of my aisle were Dennis, Shaun, and Shawn (not confusing at all), and all three couldn’t have been better.

Just a couple of minutes after settling in I was offered a drink. “Mr. Schlappig, for the welcome aboard beverage can we offer you some champagne, juice, or our signature welcome drink, with apple juice and ginger ale?” I selected the champagne.


Singapore Airlines business class pre-departure champagne

Boarding was efficient despite the full flight, and once most business class passengers had boarded, the crew came through the cabin with warm towels, followed by newspapers and magazines.


Singapore Airlines business class pre-departure warm towel


Singapore Airlines A380 business class cabin

At 8:35PM the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us that our flight time would be 7hr15min. He advised there would be a delay of 10-15 minutes due to a missing passenger, and the need to offload a bag. However, he said we should still be arriving on schedule.

At 8:40PM the main cabin door was closed (only about five business class seats were empty), and a few minutes after that the crew came through the cabin to take drink orders for after takeoff. I love the attention to detail of Singapore crews. Noticing that I had a glass of champagne before takeoff, the flight attendant said “Mr. Schlappig, may I offer you another glass of champagne after takeoff, or may I get you something else?”

Also around this time, chief steward Dennis came around to each business class passenger to welcome them onboard.

Shortly thereafter the safety video was screened.

At 8:55PM we began our pushback, and by 9:10PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 2C. As we climbed out I browsed the entertainment selection. It’s really awesome that you can save your playlists for what you want to watch with your KrisFlyer number or email address, for anyone who may get value out of that.


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment

First I checked out the airshow for our flight.


Airshow to Sydney

The entertainment selection was excellent. KrisWorld is one of the best entertainment systems in the sky. It’s not quite as good as Emirates’ ICE system, but aside from that it’s one of the best out there.


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment selection


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment selection

Not only were there 129 movies, but what I especially love is that they have entire seasons of TV shows — I’m always annoyed when an airline has just one or two episodes of a TV show.


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment selection


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment selection


Singapore Airlines business class entertainment selection

One of the other fantastic improvements with Singapore’s new A380s is that they have a new Wi-Fi system. This is among the fastest inflight internet I’ve had on any airline. Unfortunately they charge based on a combination of time and data consumption, and the pricing is as follows:

  • 30 min and up to 30MB of data — 4.99USD
  • Three hours and up to 150MB of data — 12.00USD
  • Entire flight and up to 500MB of data — 29.99USD (for a promotional period it was only 19.99USD)


Singapore’s new A380 Wi-Fi pricing

This is such a huge improvement over Singapore’s old A380 Wi-Fi, which was ridiculously slow and expensive. I think the new pricing is quite reasonable given the quality.

The seatbelt sign was turned off just five minutes after takeoff. Eight minutes after takeoff I had a glass of champagne, some sparkling water, and some nuts. That has to be some sort of a record for the fastest after-takeoff service.


Singapore Airlines business class dinner — champagne, sparkling water, and mixed nuts

At this point I decided to take a look around the cabin.


Singapore Airlines business class cabin A380

There are two business class cabins — the main one I was seated in, and then the mini-cabin in the rear. Between these two cabins are the four lavatories for business class.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class lavatories

They’re all quite small, though were in spotless condition the entire flight.


Singapore Airlines A380 business class lavatory

The mini-cabin in the rear was more intimate.


Singapore Airlines business class cabin A380

So the thing about Singapore’s business class seats is that the bulkhead seats are significantly better than the non-bulkhead seats. It makes a huge difference. One of these was even open, so why didn’t I select it? Because I wanted to review the seat that a vast majority of people get, rather than the seat that a few lucky people may get.

What makes the bulkhead seats so much better is that they don’t have the same constrained footwell, but rather have a ton of space. If you’re flying Singapore business class, do everything in your power to select a bulkhead seat, as it makes a world of difference in terms of comfort.


Singapore Airlines business class bulkhead seat


Singapore Airlines business class bulkhead seat

Once back at my seat it was time for dinner. The menu read as follows:

The drink list read as follows:

Over the next few minutes I was offered a drink refill, and then 25 minutes after takeoff I was asked what I wanted to have for dinner. Singapore Airlines offers a “Book the Cook” service, where you can select from a more extensive menu prior to your flight. I didn’t order from that, though probably should have.

After the first drink service was complete it took a while for the meal to be served. Tables were set at 10:05PM, about 55 minutes after takeoff. The starter consisted of a salad of colossal crab served with mango and citrus dressing. It was excellent. I was also offered a selection from the breadbasket, and appreciated how varied their selection was. Singapore Airlines has among the best garlic bread in the sky.


Singapore Airlines business class dinner — appetizer & bread

Most of the main course options didn’t particularly appeal to me, so I ordered the Singapore chicken rice. It was just alright, I thought.


Singapore Airlines business class dinner — famous Singapore chicken rice

Next up was dessert, which consisted of a light but tasty blueberry yogurt cake.


Singapore Airlines business class dinner — blueberry yogurt cake

Lastly there was a cheese and fruit course. It’s impressive that they plate the cheese at your individual seat, because usually in business class the cheese already comes pre-sliced.


Singapore Airlines business class cheese cart

The cheese quality was excellent.


Singapore Airlines business class dinner — cheese course

At the conclusion of the meal I was offered a bottle of water.


Singapore Airlines business class bottled water

The meal service was done about 1hr45min take after takeoff, with 5hr30min remaining to Sydney. While the meal delivery was a bit on the slow side for such a short flight, the crew couldn’t have been better. Like some other airlines, Singapore Airlines uses an “assembly line” approach to business class service, but they manage to do so while still making the experience personalized, which most other airlines struggle with. You’re addressed by name, if they notice an empty glass they’ll refill it, etc.


Airshow enroute to Sydney

After the meal I decided to recline my seat into bed mode. With Singapore Airlines’ old business class seat you had to “flip over” the back of the seat to turn it into a bed. That’s one big improvement with this seat, as you can recline directly into bed more. The two pillows and duvet are also great.


Singapore Airlines business class bed

Unfortunately that’s where my compliments of the bed stop. The first and biggest issue with the seat is that it’s really hard in bed mode. Like, really, really hard. There’s a mattress sheet (not a pad), so that doesn’t do much to make the surface any softer. As someone who prefers a soft surface, I find this to be one of the hardest beds out there.

Furthermore, you have to sleep at an odd angle, basically diagonally across the seat, so that your feet can go in the footwell. Sure, I could eventually fall asleep with this arrangement, but you really have to sleep in an unnatural position to get comfortable.


Singapore Airlines business class bed


Singapore Airlines business class bed

One of the unique things about Singapore Airlines’ new business class is that the center seats can turn into double beds. I really lucked out because I had two empty business class seats across from me, even though the cabin was otherwise packed. I asked the crew if they’d be willing to make me a double bed in the center section, and they obliged. First they lowered the partition between seats.


Singapore Airlines business class center seats

Then they reclined both seats, and then they lowered the partition all the way down.


Singapore Airlines business class double bed

I was impressed by the double bed. The crew put an additional duvet over the lowered partition to make sure it wasn’t hard at all, and after doing that I found the bed to be extremely comfortable.


Singapore Airlines business class double bed

The one thing to be aware of with this double bed is that you won’t really be able to cuddle, or anything. The footwells are on the opposite ends of the seats, so in reality you’ll both be sleeping diagonally with your heads in the center, and your feet at the far ends of both seats.


Singapore Airlines business class double bed

Because of the awkward position of the footwell, I found the most comfortable way to sleep in these seats to just place myself straight across the seats from one end to the other.


Singapore Airlines business class double bed

I ended up falling asleep with about four hours remaining to Sydney, and then woke up about 90 minutes before arrival.


Airshow enroute to Sydney

At that point the breakfast service began. The menu read as follows:

This is a short flight, and dinner had just wrapped up four hours prior to breakfast, so I wasn’t hungry, but I took one for the team. Singapore Airlines serves a really “continental” breakfast on this flight, to the point that I almost wonder why they bother, because it doesn’t seem worth sacrificing an hour of sleep over.

Breakfast consisted of a tiny fruit plate as well as a selection from the breadbasket. That’s it. I get the struggle here from Singapore Airlines’ perspective — on one hand, people aren’t going to be super hungry for breakfast after such a short flight. At the same time, it’s definitely not worth being woken up 90 minutes before arrival for the below. I almost feel like they should just give everyone a plastic container with some fruit and a croissant as the descent starts.


Singapore Airlines business class breakfast — fruit and croissant

After the meal I ordered a cappuccino, which was the best part of the breakfast.


Singapore Airlines business class breakfast — cappuccino 

40 minutes before our arrival, the captain advised that we were at 39,000 feet and would be landing in Sydney at 7:25AM.


Airshow approaching Sydney


Airshow approaching Sydney

As we initiated our descent the crew distributed fast track landing cards for Sydney.


Sydney Airport fast track card

The views on our descent were incredible.


View approaching Sydney


View approaching Sydney

We had a smooth touchdown in Sydney at 7:30AM.


Final approach to Sydney Airport


Taxiing Sydney Airport

From there we had a short taxi to our arrival stand, where we pulled in next to a Korean Air A380.


Korean Air A380 Sydney Airport

I don’t know what it is about the jet bridges at Sydney Airport, but it’s consistently possible to get great plane views from them, so I appreciate that.


Singapore Airlines A380 Sydney Airport

Singapore A380 business class bottom line

There’s a lot to love about Singapore Airlines’ new A380 business class, and also some areas where I feel they dropped the ball. Let’s start with the positives.

The service was exceptional. Singapore Airlines pretty consistently has great service, but this crew was especially good. Furthermore, despite the cabin being denser than the old one, I think it’s an improvement. The seats are more private and you don’t have to get up to turn your seat into bed mode. The ability to also form double beds in the center of the cabin is great. The Wi-Fi is a huge improvement over the old system.

There are some downsides to the product as well, though. I feel like Singapore Airlines didn’t fundamentally redesign their previous version of seats to address the flaws. You still have to sleep at a weird angle. The seats are hard. There are no individual air vents. While this isn’t specific to the new A380, I wasn’t terribly impressed by the meal service. My main course was pretty lackluster, and I thought the breakfast service 90 minutes out wasn’t worth getting up for.

So I’d say Singapore’s new A380 business class is an improvement, though this isn’t a radical change, and the seat only ranks as number eight on my list of the world’s top nine business class seats.

Conversations (47)
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  1. julius grafton New Member

    Concur 100%, we will not fly that seat again after yesterday's (4 Dec) Syd > Sing flight. It is the worst seat for sleeping other than a sloper seat. So hard. So contorted. So ridiculously designed. Plus I managed to call the crew with unintended hits on the control panel which is plainly in the wrong place. I am an average height and weight dude.

  2. Fran Guest

    Love this site. Been reading it for years, and like another reader said, I live vicariously through Lucky's posts. Just a quibble though--probably I should be directing this to Singapore Airlines, but I noticed that the air show map pictured here places Auvergne in suburban Darwin, rather than in France. Hopefully the pilots have access to better directions than this.

  3. Hari Guest

    Hi Lucky,

    Love your reviews. I actually flew SQ's A380 from Zurich to Singapore (towards Osaka). It was my first time on any SQ flight on business, and I and agree 100% with your views on the seat. I am 6 feet+ tall, and for the seat I got, I had to sleep on my left shoulder & side just to avoid a painful position otherwise.... I don't see too many empathizing with this...

    Hi Lucky,

    Love your reviews. I actually flew SQ's A380 from Zurich to Singapore (towards Osaka). It was my first time on any SQ flight on business, and I and agree 100% with your views on the seat. I am 6 feet+ tall, and for the seat I got, I had to sleep on my left shoulder & side just to avoid a painful position otherwise.... I don't see too many empathizing with this first-world-problem though, certainly not those who fly economy.

    On the SQ623 / B787 from Singapore to Osaka/KIX and back, the seats are slightly narrower (with smaller footwells), but straighter, so at least I can sleep straight :). It also felt like a slightly softer seat compared to the A380.

    The service though was absolutely awesome, as was the food (realize however that tastes vary).

  4. Steffen Guest

    Have they upgraded all of their cabins on the A380? If not, how can I find out if my flight has the new cabin?

  5. Allan L Guest

    I always take a compact, low-profile sleeping mat with me to put on the J-class "bed". I use a SeatoSummit ultralight mat. They are light and compact and they provide enough padding (5cm) to cope with the discomfort of a too-hard "bed". Yeah, I know you shouldn't need one, but I do. You can get a fitted sheet for it too. I always deploy it after dark, so people don't think I'm odd.

    I've...

    I always take a compact, low-profile sleeping mat with me to put on the J-class "bed". I use a SeatoSummit ultralight mat. They are light and compact and they provide enough padding (5cm) to cope with the discomfort of a too-hard "bed". Yeah, I know you shouldn't need one, but I do. You can get a fitted sheet for it too. I always deploy it after dark, so people don't think I'm odd.

    I've used it on the Etihad A380 and really needed it on the Air Canada 777. The new Air Canada 787 is a bit better, but the mat takes the pain out of being a side-sleeper. I showed it to an Air Canada flight attendant and she reckoned she'd get one too. Didn't need it on the Virgin 777. Nothing would have helped the United Airlines 777 beds. Do they really consider this to be Business Class? Thai Airways 777 bed was ok - didn't have the mat. Didn't really need it.

  6. Tom W Guest

    Why didn't they make the seats staggered, just why...

  7. TheRealBabushka Guest

    Wow....that is a shitty breakfast. Why even bother?

  8. James W Guest

    Am I the only one who finds it adorable/baffling that a guy who spends virtually his entire life flying and sleeping in hotel beds can still somehow be fussy about his bedding?

  9. Oscar Guest

    Like a few people here, I am really confused as to how Lucky and others can't see that this is no different to a reverse herringbone seat.

    @ Michael: *Makes mental note to also cross off SQ’s new J class as a feasible option for my frequent UK-SG trips*: What other choices are you saying are superior to Singapore Airlines between these two points? BA? Qantas?

  10. Patrick Guest

    Anyone?
    Maybe I missed it but was this booked on all one award or was it multiple awards?
    Thanks

  11. Paul Guest

    I wonder whether the "new plane" and "new car" smell we all like is bad for our health. Presumably, it is from the off-gassing on the synthetic materials used.

  12. DeePeePDX Member

    So...it's pretty much like a Polaris seat, only with more storage, and less comfort.
    Pass.

  13. Brad Guest

    @Juno Sure but Lucky wasn't complaining about the TV, I'm not saying that it isn't an issue but he was saying things like you have to sleep at an awkward angle and that he could eventually fall asleep in this arrangement. All quite silly given that he doesn't have an issue falling asleep in reverse herringbone seats, all you have to do is lay down like you do in any other seat or bed. I...

    @Juno Sure but Lucky wasn't complaining about the TV, I'm not saying that it isn't an issue but he was saying things like you have to sleep at an awkward angle and that he could eventually fall asleep in this arrangement. All quite silly given that he doesn't have an issue falling asleep in reverse herringbone seats, all you have to do is lay down like you do in any other seat or bed. I think what throws some people off is that the seat is forward facing but in bed mode you're basically in a reverse herringbone seat. I've personally never had a problem with the old seat (I've not tried the new one), never found it awkward or had to assume any weird angles, just lay there and go to sleep.

  14. Juno Guest

    For the people saying the seat isn't awkward because it is the same as a reverse herringbone seat...the issue for Lucky and others isn't that the seat is angled when in bed more, the issue is that the bed is angled but you can't adjust the TV screen. With reverse herringbone, your position stays aligned with the TV screen regardless of what position your seat is. On SQ's seat, it can be annoying for some...

    For the people saying the seat isn't awkward because it is the same as a reverse herringbone seat...the issue for Lucky and others isn't that the seat is angled when in bed more, the issue is that the bed is angled but you can't adjust the TV screen. With reverse herringbone, your position stays aligned with the TV screen regardless of what position your seat is. On SQ's seat, it can be annoying for some to watch the TV screen in bed mode since you have turn your head just to watch. I know, I know, #firstworld problems and all that...

  15. CR Member

    Reverse Herringbone seat pretending to be a forward facing seat! Sad!

  16. Gordon Guest

    Great review, as always.

    I was lucky enough to fly this (or the other new) aircraft 10 days ago from LHR to SIN in the new Suites. Lucky’s comments about the hardness of the bed apply there too: disappointing especially when there is an obvious fix that other airlines use. Also, the seat belt across the bed was so tight, it felt like a strait-jacketed prison! The crew, impeccable as usual, agreed and tested...

    Great review, as always.

    I was lucky enough to fly this (or the other new) aircraft 10 days ago from LHR to SIN in the new Suites. Lucky’s comments about the hardness of the bed apply there too: disappointing especially when there is an obvious fix that other airlines use. Also, the seat belt across the bed was so tight, it felt like a strait-jacketed prison! The crew, impeccable as usual, agreed and tested the belt across another bed but with with the same uncomfortable result. Very poor, in the new Suites.

    The new seat in new Suites only permits recline in one position which, again, is disappointing. A lot of the time it mimics a Premium Econ or Econ seat.

    However, one design feature in the new Suites that is inexcusable is the fact that glare (in the dark) from a neighbour’s TV is constantly ‘there’ - and extremely disturbing. What genius could have designed the 4 +2 new Suites without attending to such a basic, uncomfortable flaw?

    All that said, yes, SQ remains one of the top three airlines in the Premium classes. They probably rolled out the new Suites too quickly! I await Lucky’s assessment in due course.

  17. Neil Diamond

    @Lucky (a different response to your review)
    Thanks for including the photos of the Sydney skyline. Hubby and I were in Sydney for Mardi Gras a few weeks ago and staying on the 39th floor of building with a southwest view. We would see planes on final approach from the west to SYD all the time, and I wondered what their view (at least on the left side of the plane) was like. And now I know.

  18. SQ Flyer Guest

    @katyalw @Shark92 Detest is a strong word to use for a premium cabin product on one of the world's better airlines. Maybe your privilege needs a check?

  19. James Guest

    I love the seat! I don't get how you think the seat is awkward to sleep on, as I found myself sleeping at the same position I sleep on reverse herringbone seats. Asians do prefer firmer beds (myself included) so it's logical for them to make the bed firmer. All in all my favorite business class experience out there, much more than Qsuites. I find Qsuites to have beautiful seat and finishes but I always get indifferent, borderline rude FAs. Sad.

  20. Shark92 Guest

    I detest SQ’s business class seat - flew it on their A350 IAH to MAN flight. Most uncomfortable experience and the food was horrible to boot. I do love their First though :) - on the same trip I flew suites from Zurich to SIN - amazing experience.

  21. Aaron Chan Guest

    Singapore Airlines has always preferred to adopt a 1-2-1 full forward facing seat in Business Class, which can be converted to a bed. Regarding the awkward angle, it really is the same as a reverse herringbone seat. Now the question is, would you rather a narrower Business Class seat in a reverse herringbone configuration (denser premium cabin), or a wider Business Class forward facing seat (as were the 2006 and 2013 seats) that can still...

    Singapore Airlines has always preferred to adopt a 1-2-1 full forward facing seat in Business Class, which can be converted to a bed. Regarding the awkward angle, it really is the same as a reverse herringbone seat. Now the question is, would you rather a narrower Business Class seat in a reverse herringbone configuration (denser premium cabin), or a wider Business Class forward facing seat (as were the 2006 and 2013 seats) that can still be converted into a bed just as Singapore Airlines has adopted? Bear in mind that Business Class doesn't get any better than Singapore Airlines' fully forward facing Business Class cabin in a 1-2-1 configuration.

  22. katyalw New Member

    Thank you Lucky for the review. I too detest Singapore’s assembly line approach to the service especially as some of the young crew can be very robotic. But I understand this must be the most efficient approach given the size of their Business cabin. Also sounds like you get a phenomenally good crew. Thanks again for the review, I’m hoping we don’t have to wait a week tor the next installment.

  23. Teddy Guest

    I had the good fortune to fly SQ last year and it was brilliant. Luckys point that even though there may be lots of people, they make you feel really special is true. Spoke so much to my FA who was stunning.

    However the downside is that since then, SQ flights from Europe are about 40 per cent dearer than absolutely any other airline. Probably QR is next. This prices them out of the market...

    I had the good fortune to fly SQ last year and it was brilliant. Luckys point that even though there may be lots of people, they make you feel really special is true. Spoke so much to my FA who was stunning.

    However the downside is that since then, SQ flights from Europe are about 40 per cent dearer than absolutely any other airline. Probably QR is next. This prices them out of the market for me.
    Their J fare is the same as many A fares.
    Am I the only one that this effects?

  24. grenn New Member

    Took this same flight 3 weeks later operated by 9V-SKV, barely 2 weeks in service at the time. Gorgeous cabin, seat, excellent service. Lots of space & great to recline instead of flipping into bed mode, but hard seat & bed; prefer my windows un-blocked; seat controls were to easily bumped... hit the call & do not disturb buttons too often! Great flight for 58,000 KrisFlyer miles & USD37.50! CX's J seat isn't as wide,...

    Took this same flight 3 weeks later operated by 9V-SKV, barely 2 weeks in service at the time. Gorgeous cabin, seat, excellent service. Lots of space & great to recline instead of flipping into bed mode, but hard seat & bed; prefer my windows un-blocked; seat controls were to easily bumped... hit the call & do not disturb buttons too often! Great flight for 58,000 KrisFlyer miles & USD37.50! CX's J seat isn't as wide, but more comfortable for sleep & the customizable recline angles.

  25. Morgan Guest

    I think it is worth noting that the center bulkhead seats turn into a proper double bed even more so than Qatar

  26. SINJim Member

    Singapore is famous for hawker centre food so it’s nice to see SQ offer chicken rice and mee goreng on their menu, especially when someone could choose Book the Cook and pre-select one of a dozen-plus fantastic mains. That said, each of these hawker dishes cost under $5. Mee goreng is a favorite of mine at SGD3 (USD2.50) at the Old Airport Hawker Centre. Clever way to keep costs low.

  27. Mary Guest

    Think about packing a usb-powered fan - especially for flights to/from Asia, which tend to be warmer. Should help with fresh air for motion sickness, too.

  28. Chris Guest

    The center seats in row 96 are the best (11 and 91 may also have the same config, I didn't check). They have a full-width footwell, wider than the window bulkheads: https://imgur.com/a/Jr6Fv

    96 isn't a true bulkhead, so they'll be some cross-over traffic from the FAs and pax.

    Agreed the bed is very hard, but this seat and the service would be my first choice for a daylight flight.

  29. Mallthus Gold

    The NFC reader isn’t there for payment processing. It’s there to, in the future, link your personal device to the Krisworld system. All those saved preferences will sync automatically when you open your Singapore Airlines app and hold your device near the reader.

    Here’s details on how Panasonic envisions it working.

    https://apex.aero/2016/04/07/panasonic-connects-at-AIX

  30. Tony Bailey Guest

    Surely SQ could have found enough crew member called 'Sean'?

    Regarding the Sydney approach views - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arh_KXY3Bug

  31. bangkokiscool New Member

    I took this flight recently and I agree with most of Ben's comments. The lack of an air vent is especially irritating, because the back of an A380 is considerably more turbulent with more yawing motions than the front, and in choppy weather the lack of an air vent in the back means more motion sickness. After my flight from SYD to SIN I felt quite sick for several hours after landing. An air vent...

    I took this flight recently and I agree with most of Ben's comments. The lack of an air vent is especially irritating, because the back of an A380 is considerably more turbulent with more yawing motions than the front, and in choppy weather the lack of an air vent in the back means more motion sickness. After my flight from SYD to SIN I felt quite sick for several hours after landing. An air vent would have helped tremendously.

    And by the way, the seat controls don't require a lot of pressure. In fact they require almost zero pressure. The switches are heat controlled and provide haptic feedback when they are selected. Just press lightly on the controls for a second and they'll respond.

  32. Andy 11235 Gold

    So you always harp on the angle that you sleep at on sq, and I totally don't get it. You sleep at a *different* angle than you sit, but the angle and the space is identical to what you get on CX/AA and you rave about the sleeping comfort. The hardness is likely cultural. Asians do not, in general, like soft sleeping surfaces.

  33. Gavin Guest

    Like Brad I also do not know what the fuss is about regarding the "awkward" bed layout.
    In "bed mode" isn't it exactly like a herringbone seat/bed?
    What's so uncomfortable about that?

  34. John Guest

    I flew in SQ J in what I guess is now the "old new" (2013) J seat in January. Luckily, I was able to snatch bulkheads on all four flights (though I believe since I booked my flights, bulkheads are now blocked for KrisFlyer Gold members and only available for others at checkin (in addition to the blocked bassinet seats)). The bulkheads are amazing, especially on the 777, less so on the A350 as I...

    I flew in SQ J in what I guess is now the "old new" (2013) J seat in January. Luckily, I was able to snatch bulkheads on all four flights (though I believe since I booked my flights, bulkheads are now blocked for KrisFlyer Gold members and only available for others at checkin (in addition to the blocked bassinet seats)). The bulkheads are amazing, especially on the 777, less so on the A350 as I was in the first row and the fuselage hadn't widened fully. Regardless, the bulkhead is multiple times better than non-bulkhead.

    On no flight was I offered the satay and on the two night flights slippers etc were not proactively offered and I had to ask.

  35. Fred Guest

    Hey Lucky - great review!

    Where did you stay when you were in Sydney? Will you post a review of that?

  36. John G Guest

    Extremely underwhelming looking product.

  37. Ryan Guest

    Looks like a very bad design . No way to look out the windows. The double bed looks like a hoax. Meals look watered down from a few years ago. All a shame.

  38. Max Guest

    "So the thing about Singapore’s business class seats is that the bulkhead seats are significantly better than the non-bulkhead seats. It makes a huge difference. One of these was even open, so why didn’t I select it? Because I wanted to review the seat that a vast majority of people get, rather than the seat that a few lucky people may get"

    THAT is one of the things that makes the blog so valuable!

  39. Mo Guest

    I find it hard to be too demanding,to go and ask the crew can you please arrange me a double bed in those 2 middle seats ,i dont think i have much gut,even if i am neighbouring passenger i d ask my self what else he wants??a Westin mattress maybe.

  40. CS Guest

    All the bling and prettiness is useless when you can't sleep in them shit seats. What's the point to fly business then?
    Give me Cathay over Singapore Airlines any day!

  41. Max Guest

    @Bobby T

    "Lucky – great review. This is why I found the blog years ago, and the reason I pop my head in occasionally to hopefully find a new one.

    Less drama, more reviews."

    Agreed!

  42. Brad Guest

    I've never understood the who har about the bed, you don't need to sleep at an angle; just lay there like you would in any bed. It's not really any different from a reverse herringbone seat in bed mode.

  43. Duck Ling Guest

    I'm really curious to know how they managed to fit in a whole three more rows of fully flat Business Class seats versus their old config.

    Have they moved galleys or toilets around?

  44. mike murphy Guest

    that side tray looks interesting, how did it work out? well, or a bother?

  45. Hiro Diamond

    Was waiting for this report, thanks! But, despite being Singapore-originating, a proper dinner service, and relatively a long flight, no satay service??

  46. Michael Guest

    Ultimately in business class it all comes down to the bed, at least when you're travelling for work. That looks and sounds very poor indeed. And what is it with SQ and their rock hard beds? I've always found the old Suites class to be akin to a night on a mortuary slab, totally non-conducive to a good rest. *Makes mental note to also cross off SQ's new J class as a feasible option for my frequent UK-SG trips*

  47. BobbyT Guest

    Lucky - great review. This is why I found the blog years ago, and the reason I pop my head in occasionally to hopefully find a new one.

    Less drama, more reviews.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

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SINJim Member

Singapore is famous for hawker centre food so it’s nice to see SQ offer chicken rice and mee goreng on their menu, especially when someone could choose Book the Cook and pre-select one of a dozen-plus fantastic mains. That said, each of these hawker dishes cost under $5. Mee goreng is a favorite of mine at SGD3 (USD2.50) at the Old Airport Hawker Centre. Clever way to keep costs low.

1
julius grafton New Member

Concur 100%, we will not fly that seat again after yesterday's (4 Dec) Syd > Sing flight. It is the worst seat for sleeping other than a sloper seat. So hard. So contorted. So ridiculously designed. Plus I managed to call the crew with unintended hits on the control panel which is plainly in the wrong place. I am an average height and weight dude.

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Fran Guest

Love this site. Been reading it for years, and like another reader said, I live vicariously through Lucky's posts. Just a quibble though--probably I should be directing this to Singapore Airlines, but I noticed that the air show map pictured here places Auvergne in suburban Darwin, rather than in France. Hopefully the pilots have access to better directions than this.

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