It had been 2.5 years since I last flew on Singapore Airlines. I was naturally very excited with my very first A350 Business Class experience on Singapore Airlines.
If you are new to the world of business class travel, the experience starts right from the point of check-in. Also, if you’re departing from Singapore Changi Airport, then a visit to Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge is a must, before the actual trip begins. And yes, the experience only ends after you pick up your checked-in baggage at the destination.
Here’s an intimate report of how my very first Business Class experience on Singapore Airlines’ A350 went. You can always jump to the respective sections using the links, because I know I always tend to add too much personal thoughts in my trip reports. To begin, here are some numbers in overview.
Trip Overview
Singapore to Tokyo Haneda (SIN – HND)
Flight Number: SQ636
Aircraft Type / Registration: A350 / 9V-SHN
Departure (ETD/ATD): 2245hrs / 2314hrs
Arrival (ETA/ATA): 0620hrs (+1) / 0602hrs (+1)
Duration (Estimated/Actual): 6h 35m / 5h 48m
Seat: 15K (Regional JCL)
Takeoff: 2314hrs
Meal Service (Supper): 1227hrs
Lights Off: 0130hrs
Singapore Airlines’ Business Class Experience – Pre-Flight
Over in Singapore, our Business Class experience started at check-in. However, with Changi Airport moving towards automated check-in, do Business Class travellers enjoy an experience of exclusivity?
It depends.
While it’s possible for Business Class travellers to use the automated check-in machines, the Business Class check-in counters remain manned to provide personalised services. For example, as my flight continued on from Tokyo to New Chitose, the friendly staff helped complete the check-in procedures for the onward flight too.
Of course, the feeling of watching my luggage tagged with Singapore Airlines’ signature orange-blue priority label was insurmountable. And with that ritualistic act, my Business Class experience at Singapore Airlines officially started.
After the usual customs clearance, the next stage of the Business Class experience took place at the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge. The lounge was at Terminal 3, overlooking Gates A1 – A5. As it was my first time using the SilverKris Lounge, I had a separate post detailing my 2-hour stay there.
Boarding time was 1020pm. Even though there were exclusive boarding channels for first and business class passengers, being the ever so kiasu Singaporean, we reported to the holding room 20 minutes earlier. I mean, if I weren’t so pretentious, I wouldn’t have bought a business class ticket, right?
I noticed this growing trend of ground staff herding passengers into their “respective queues” 10 minutes before boarding started. Granted, it would streamline the boarding process and stroked my ego darn well when my business class queue started moving under the watchful eyes of the cattle class. Alas! I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with this arrangement. After all, I would most probably be in the other line for most of my trips!
Overview of Flight on SQ636 SIN-HND
It is worth noting that I was on the regional A350, which, thanks to Singapore Airlines’ wide range of business class seat design, was similar to that found on the A380. In fact, the seats for the A380 was launched earlier, so the ones found on the A350 regional business class were modified designs – with a boxier design and less storage space.
One of the exciting part about Singapore Airlines’ premium class experience was their ritualistic boarding process. From the warm smiles we got upon stepping onto the aircraft to the point when the lights dimmed for take off.
I was barely settled in my seat when the steward came around with a tray of welcome drinks. A JLSS also swung by to confirm my meal and whether I wanted it served immediately after take-off, or before landing. Flight attendants also went around to introduce themselves to the PPS passengers.
After take-off, the CS served warmed nuts, one of SIA’s signature services. The crew also dimmed the cabin lights at this time, so tired passengers could get more sleep on the red-eye flight.
I had requested for my meal to be served after take-off. While waiting for my meal to be served, I passed time by watching the Inflight Entertainment. After the meal, I spent what was left of the flight (about 4 hours) trying to catch some sleep.
About 40 minutes before landing, the pilot made an announcement, which effectively was the morning call for everyone. The lights were turned on and there was a flurry of activities. Other than passengers trying to wash up during that time frame of time, the cabin crew was also scurrying to serve drinks, clear up for passengers who just had their breakfasts, and prepare for landing.
Being in Business Class, we got to alight first. The cabin crew put on their best smiles to send us off, but I was still too sleepy to really reciprocate.
If you think the Business Class experience ends the moment one alighted the plane, you are wrong. There’s still a small, but significant part – at the baggage collection belt. Business Class passengers’ bags were tagged with priority, and hence were unloaded first. This meant less time spent waiting for the bags too.
Fine Dining In The Air With Singapore Airlines’ Signature: Lobster Thermidor
Supper was ordered via Book The Cook before the flight (minimum 24 hours prior), though one can also choose from the available options onboard. Considering my (bad) experience on Cathay Pacific, I decided to take no chance. Yes, not when I wanted to try Singapore Airlines’ famous Lobster Thermidor!
The lobster was already diced, which saved me the hassle of deshelling (and making a lot of clanging noise). Paired with sweet and sour gravy, the meat was cooked just right, with the balance of chewiness and toughness.
At the sides were sauteed vegetables and grilled potato. The former was forgettable. As the potato was too huge, only the outer parts were marinated, which made the entire side rather bland.
One shining aspect that set Singapore Airlines apart from the competition was its meal service. Other than its line up of dishes curated by famous chefs, the food was served in an elaborate table setting. For comparison, most 5-star airlines still serve their business class meals in food trays (think Economy class, but with nicer looking trays). Such fine dining levels of service are only available for their first class passengers.
For me, my meal was served in ornately designed plates. (Yes, the fruits had their own plate!) I had my own salt and pepper shakers, and a full set of cutlery (you know, 2 knives, 3 spoons and 2 forks). All of these were for a regional business class flight!
I paired my meal with SilverKris Sling, which as the name goes, is Singapore Airlines’ signature cocktail. The cocktail was concocted with Champagne, Gin, Grand Marnier, orange juice and pineapple juice. To be honest, this was my own choice, as I wanted to try something new. In retrospect, the strong mix of alcohol didn’t pair well with the lobster. I would say this drink is still best left for simple sips during a day flight.
The otherwise spectacular experience was tainted by the speed the meal was served. We had taken off at 11.17pm, and the crew came around to set up my table at around 11.45pm. But my meal only came at around 12.30pm. I was stuck with 45 minutes of awkwardness waiting for my meal to be served. And mind you, that was also 45 minutes less sleep that I got for the night.
Inflight Entertainment (IFE) on Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class
SIA’s IFE is known for its wide selection of movies/TV/games choices which are available across the classes. Therefore, the differences of my JCL experience was down to the hardware.
The 18-inch HD TV was central to the experience. While the touch screen was sensitive, the atrocious legroom made it difficult to reach the screen from my seat (especially when reclined). Hence, the remote by the seat was very useful.
Like the other classes, the remote could function as a separate entertainment device. This meant that you could turn the TV screen off to listen to music or watch TV on the remote itself.
When the cabin lights were dimmed, the light from the TV, even at its dimmest, was still glaring. But then I didn’t want to watch shows on the remote either (even if it was possible). Therefore, I just listened to music to try and lull myself to sleep.
The noise cancelling headphones came with a pair of disposable covers for hygiene purposes. I thought the pointy end of the aircraft was quiet, but the headphones proved how wrong I was! The headphones also fit my (big) head comfortably. But of course, wearing them to sleep was another matter, so I took them off shortly after.
Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class Seat
Seat Configuration
In terms of seat arrangement, Singapore Airlines is consistent with a 1-2-1 arrangement across its entire fleet of wide body aircraft. The difference between the A350 long haul and regional business class lies in the distribution of seats and the staggered arrangement for the latter. Therefore, one needs to take time to do some light research if you have specific expectations about your seat.
For example, the A350 business class seats (on both versions) are split into 2 sections, with the forward cabin having 26 seats (or 28 on the regional version) and a more intimate 16 seats (or 12 for the regional aircraft) for the aft cabin. It depends on your personal preference when it comes to choosing one over the other. The mini cabin provides a greater sense of privacy, but sounds in the smaller space don’t dissipate well (i.e. noisier). The proximity to the more crowded Premium/Economy class also adds on to the noise factor for the mini cabin.
Similarly, the staggered 1-2-1 layout for the regional business class also poses one major factor for consideration. For one, only the middle section (the D/F seats) of rows 11, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 21 are suitable for couples. For the other rows, you will find the seat console in between the seats, making it more suitable for solo travellers. Similarly, those who want to be closer to the window have to select window seats with the console on the aisle, like rows 12, 15, 17 and 20. All the seats in the rows mentioned above provide more “privacy”, as you have the seat console between you and the aisle, hence, these are also reserved faster.
Personal Thoughts on Window Seat 12K
I had selected 12K for its proximity to the window (I love watching the aircraft take off and land). Generally, I also book seats on the starboard side. Unfortunately, the design of the seat sort of ruined the window experience.
You see, the seat’s shell adopted the butterfly design. The flap at the head level was meant to provide more privacy, which was great for everyone, except for window seats. Coupled with how the windows were offset with respect to the seats, one window was halfway into the seat in front, while the window nearest to me was almost blocked by the flap.
In the end, I had to lean far out in order to see the view outside of the windows. Alas! The shoulder strap (compulsory to be worn during take off and landing) strangled me the further I leaned out. It was the weirdest and most uncomfortable experience for watching take off and landing!
Settling Into The Seat
However, not all is bad for the seat design. For a heavyset guy like me, the seat cushioning was great. It was unlike Cathay Pacific’s regional business class seat, in which I could feel the seat skeleton due to the thin cushioning.
The height of the armrests could be adjusted too.They could be brought up for one to lean on during normal times, and lowered to provide more space.
Moving into and out of the seat could be a challenge for big guys like me. The space between the console and the seat in front was rather tight, about the length of my shoes.
Sleeping on Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class Seat
Speaking of the console, it was also where the seat controls were found. Other than 3 buttons to control the seat’s recline (upright mode for take off and landing, Z mode for lounging and bed mode), one could also control the seat’s lighting or call for the cabin crew.
Despite only sporting 3 seat recline modes, the seat could recline at all angles by toggling between the buttons. Combined with the seat’s thick cushioning, there was never a time when I felt my tailbone hurt like it did when I was in the Economy or Premium Economy classes.
For tall people, their feet would have gone deep into the cubby hole (which becomes narrower further in) when sleeping. However, I doubt most Asians around my height would feel great discomfort. Unless, of course, you sleep with your legs spread out.
It was during sleeping time that I appreciated the privacy the seat console afforded me. When the seats were fully reclined, we were actually lying down at knee level. People moving up and down the aisles become harrowing at that position. Therefore, I felt more secure with the seat console in between the aisle and me.
Personal Storage on Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class Seat
When it comes to storage space, the A350 regional business class seat has got to be the most meagre among its likes. Personal storage could be found at the seat console right beside the seat, and below the foot well at the front.
There’s a sliding door for the seat console storage to keep my stuff in during take off and landing. Usually, half the space would be taken up by the mineral water and amenity kit provided upon boarding. So you can forget about storing your handbag in it.
The seat console storage also housed the charging ports. But guess what? You can’t close the sliding door while you are plugged in! Even worse, the lights inside turn on automatically when the door is opened. If you are one who wants to charge your devices while you sleep (because well, we’re using them to take pictures and what nots when we’re awake), then you’d have to contend with light flooding onto your face.
I read somewhere that Singapore Airlines argued that this is a safety feature, but we all know SIA likes to use “safety concerns” for tough questions they could not answer. Considering that many airlines did not have such an issue, this has got to be a design oversight that the airline refused to acknowledge.
As for the storage under the cubby, it was used to put away my unused blanket (or other kinds of useless stuff like the headset’s bag). That would also be an ideal spot for handbags or small carry ons. Though I found my stuff sliding out every now and then for reasons I could not find.
When settling for a night’s sleep, the question of where I could place my shoes became an issue. The storage below the foot well was full. I couldn’t place them in the space in front of the console, because that would be where I placed my slippers when asleep. And there was no space for 2 pairs of shoes. In the end, I placed my shoes in the tight space between the seat and the wall. I never had such issues with the other airlines!
Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class Seat – Takeaway
To round off my thoughts about the seat, I found the seat cushion most handy. It was just nice for a pillow while sleeping, and to hug when watching movies on the IFE. The design was generally good, but the little non user-centric design flaws just meant the seat failed to become the best in the industry.
Crew Service
Serving the Business Class cabin were 1 JFSS and 3 FS, headed by 1 CS. My travel partner found the CS too casual, thereby setting the tone for his team’s tardiness. When it came to grooming, a hallmark of SIA, there was little to observe, since there was only 1 female cabin crew on the team. Let’s just say I had seen crew with wild hair, so even though the JFSS on board wasn’t perfect, she was good enough in terms of grooming.
Crew Service – Communication Skills of the Team
The crew on my flight weren’t good at engaging in conversation and in English (mainly pronunciation). Here are some of my observations:
They kept passenger engagement at a minimum; crew only talked to me to confirm my meals and to ask me for my drink of choice.
There were times I had to ask them to repeat themselves. However, those were the male cabin crew, whom I understand weren’t used to communicating with passengers.
In the time that the cabin crew did strike casual conversations (with the PPS passengers), the conversation was nothing short of awkward.
Crew Service – Time Management
Apart from the effort to be more intimate, the time taken to serve the meal was also concerning. Although it was a full flight, I could see that not all business class passengers opted to have their meals after take off. It was therefore puzzling how I only got my meal more than 1 hour after take off. That spoke of some ill-planning on the end of the galley FS (for info, SIA crew is trained to heat up the food before take off, which also included calculating how to stagger the timing, so that the food could be served as soon as the flight takes off).
The general feeling I got was that the team on that flight weren’t well-prepared/well trained for business class service.
Parting Words
As my first trip on Singapore Airlines in 3 years since the pandemic, as well as my first business class experience as a fare paying passenger, let’s say my expectations were rather high.
The hardware, though not perfect, met all expectations. After all, one of my goals was to arrive in Japan a fresh person. That being said, my travel partner complained that his seat was dirty. He wiped down the high touch surfaces and ended up with a rather brown wet tissue. For me, my only sanitation related grouse was the smell of stale fish that gushed into my face when I opened the tray table.
Most of the parts where expectations fell short were from the dismal service. Meal served more than an hour after take off? For business class? That’s quite unheard of.
Therefore, my experience on Singapore Airlines’ Regional Business Class from Singapore to Tokyo was a mixed bag of feelings. While the hardware was superior from the likes of Cathay Pacific’s, the food was on par, while the service rendered was disappointing.
Till then, stay wanderlust!
All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 4a, and edited with Google Photos.
Read More: My flight on Singapore Airlines SQ636 was part of a winter holiday to Sapporo. Check out my trip report to the northernmost point of Japan in Cape Soya. I also did a review on ANA Holiday Inn Sapporo Susukino, which served as a good base to explore in and outside of Sapporo.