Singapore Airlines A350/900 business class review: I had a super burger at 30,000 feet
In these months of enforced abstinence from long-haul flights, at TFC we could do nothing but wait, [...]
In these months of enforced abstinence from long-haul flights, all we could do at TFC was wait, wait for the time when we would return to travel.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A350/900
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- AMS - SIN
- Price:
- 1400
- Book
Our hope was that Biden would reopen the borders of the United States and instead we are still locked out. The Sept. 7 will reopen those in Canada, but it is not the same thing.
When the project of the Phuket Sandbox seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. But we do not live in normal times, so at the moment when Thailand after 18 months of closed borders decided to open its doors to tourists on July 1, here is Italy on August 1 decided to remove the Asian nation from the list of green destinations effectively making nonessential travel banned.
This is the story of my business class travel to Thailand e Of the finest gourmet hamburger you can eat at 30,000 feet.
Our trips here in TFC are categorized as essential, but in any case I had left on July 30 when we could still move without any reason.
Reservation
My first choice as a carrier to Phuket had ended up on Turkish Airlines, the reason was simple I had one of the many vouchers from cancelled flights in 2020 to use, too bad 3 days after obtaining the COE and a week after buying the ticket, the Turkish airline had canceled my flights to the island in the Andaman Sea.
The main problem is that the Sandbox protocol does not allow intermediate stopovers, for example in Bangkok, but you absolutely have to fly to Phuket airport. The choice of companies is therefore limited, and even Thai Airways is not helping.
In the end the choice ended up on Singapore Airlines, so a few days After flying from Rome to Copenhagen, I found myself once again aboard the A350/900 one of the most modern planes in the world and in one of the best business class cabins in the skies.
The opportunity allowed me to take advantage of becoming a KrisFlyer Gold member, the company's city-state loyalty program, benefit linked to my American Express Platinum and hotel statuses. Singapore Airlines being. a member of Star Alliance, the status will be valid until August 2022 on all alliance companies, and that means access to all official lounges, like Lufthansa's Senator Lounge, priority routes, extra baggage to be checked in even when traveling in economy. A nice gain and a way to travel more comfortably and with less stress.
The ticket for the trip from Amsterdam to Thailand via Singapore cost me just under €1,400 and earned me 21,500 KrisFlyer points in addition to, as mentioned, Gold status. In this case it falls squarely within one of those occasions. Where it pays to pay for the ticket in cash.
At the airport
The work for check-in desk agents has become much more complicated, now they no longer have to check only ticket and documents, but in my case also an endless list of papers, authorizations and insurance.
I spent almost 20 minutes at the desk, with the company clerk checking, and double-checking, a total of 3 times all the documents and, like in school, putting a check on the check-list. In a couple of cases she had to go through some sort of tutorial to verify their compliance.
In the end everything was in order and I was given tickets for the two flights, Amsterdam/Singapore and then Singapore/Phuket.
There is a Star Alliance lounge at the Dutch airport, but since it is located in the Schengen flight area I was invited to use the Aspire Lounge, in fact the only lounge open in the non-EU flight area, in addition to KLM's.
The lounge is not the best and does not compare to what Singapore offers in its Changi hub, but one must also be content.
Flight SQ323 was departing from gate G3, which is on the opposite side from where the lounge is located, boarding procedures were starting when I arrived.
On board
This review will be slightly different than usual. Singapore Airlines is one of the most award-winning airlines, and the A350/900, pending the return of the A380 with new business and first class cabins, is the flagship of the company. In this article I will make a small comparison between two types of business class seats: seat 19A, which is the first row, and 20k a standard business seat.
The difference between the two seats is that the front row seat has a bulkhead in front of it that divides the cabin, while the standard seat another seat. This may seem like a minor difference, but it is not, I will explain why. The certainty is that the ambiance is beautiful whichever seat you choose, the cabin colors are perfect, and the absence of the hat racks above the middle row of seats makes the whole cabin incredibly spacious.
Which place to choose?
This is the big dilemma, of course we explained how to find out which is the best seat on a flight, there are two business class cabins: the first has seven rows (starting at 11) and the second has only four rows of seats, from 19 to 23. The configuration is 1-2-1 and this means that all passengers have direct aisle access, something not taken for granted as seen on Lufthansa's 747.
Free access to the aisle means that you will never have to disturb anyone or will never be disturbed by anyone when you want to get up from your seat to go to the bathroom or to retrieve something from the hat rack.
However, we come to the choice of the perfect seat aboard Singapore's A350. After riding in both the front row and a regular row, here are my thoughts.
Because of the way the seats are designed, the seats in rows 11 and 19 can make full use of the front.
This gives the passenger much more legroom both when traveling in the normal configuration and especially when converting the seat to bed mode.
In contrast, seats that do not border bulkheads are slightly inclined, with the legs tucked under the front passenger seat.
This means that in bed mode, the front row seat gives more leg room, since they do not have to squeeze into the small tunnel under the seat in front.
Personally, therefore, I would always choose one of the seats in rows 11 or 19; the legroom you gain is definitely a not inconsiderable added value when you want to sleep by taking advantage of the chair in bed mode.
Otherwise there are minor differences between the two different seats. While, as mentioned, the first rows have more legroom, you have to give up some small compartments, such as the one near the TV at the front of the seat.
As for the choice between window or middle rows, here it depends a lot on personal preference. I like to travel window side even when I travel in company, by the way the middle seats are made in a way that even if you travel as a couple you are still separated. If you are traveling alone, you can close the center bulkhead for more privacy. A different solution than the Honeymoon seats offered by other companies.
All seat controls are on the button panel under the armrest, convenient to reach and easy to use. There are several compartments to store items and a touch remote control that allows you to manage in-vehicle entertainment functions. A power strip and USB outlets are available in each seat.
Singapore is one of the few airlines that does not offer an amenity kit to its passengers, or rather the kit is distributed upon request. Everyone is given a pair of slippers, socks and an eye mask. On request is the small trousse with some personal care products.
All business class passengers can then take advantage of the dedicated restrooms where other products are located.
In the small compartment incorporated in the armrest are a bottle of water, headphones for the entertainment system, and a bag containing disinfectant gel, masks, and a wipe to further sanitize the station
Because of the staggered configuration of the seats, there is excellent privacy from both those sitting behind and those sitting next to them.
While waiting for the boarding procedures of the (few) passengers on board to be completed, a glass of champagne was also served, and on both flights we took off at least 10 minutes earlier than the scheduled time, which is also a sign of the times we live in.
If there's one thing I like, it's how the companies have transformed the security announcements into an opportunity to showcase culture and history through increasingly beautiful videos that manage to capture the passenger's attention. Singapore's is a journey through the city state, a kind of summary of what can be done and seen, in which security procedures are also shown.
Two minutes after the seatbelt sign went off, the cabin manager served me a second glass of champagne and informed me that the dishes I had ordered for dinner and breakfast were confirmed. Although Singapore does not offer Dine on Demand in business class, I was allowed to dine not immediately after takeoff but at my request.
This combination combined with the dishes I had ordered through the Book the cook service made the trip truly unforgettable.
What is the Book the cook service
Companies know that to remain at high levels they must constantly offer a better product than the competition, especially for premium customers. If Turkish has the chef on board and Emirates offers the showers in its A380s, Singapore offers its first, business and premium economy passengers to order from A la carte menu what to eat.
Through the app and on the company's website, it is possible to see, starting 8 days before takeoff, the menu and wine list for your flight, and if you wish, you can make reservations from among the dishes on the special menu. The dishes change depending on the class of travel and the city from which the flight takes off and can all be viewed on the dedicated website. The dishes offered range from Western to Thai cuisine, from Indian to dishes for special dietary regimens.
Here I ordered an Australian Angus Cheeseburger with mushrooms, tomatoes and salad for my dinner.
As an appetizer there was a cold salad with shrimp and for dessert a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
I must say it was a perfect dinner, worthy of the best gourmet hamburgeria.
Since the a la carte service covers all meals on board, I did not pass up the opportunity for a breakfast with Indian flavors.
In fact, I chose a typical dish the Nasi Biryani, basmati rice cooked in spices and herbs and served together with some chicken gravy. Really delicious.
The breakfast tray also had a hot muffin and croissant, some fruit, and yogurt. I must say that I could not have made a better choice, as the comparison with the regular menu is really 10 to zero for the book the cook dishes.
In this flight, however, there are also flaws to tell. The first is that the entertainment system has no touch screen. Sure everything is controlled just fine from the remote control, but it would be easier with a tap on the screen.
The second shortcoming always of the IFE is that there are no cameras to show live what is happening outside the plane, being able to see what the pilot sees in the taxiing, takeoff and landing phases is something I really like and Singapore's choice not to install cameras is really incomprehensible.
It is possible to connect to wi-fi on board. Singapore offers charging based on the amount of data downloaded and not on connection time. However, there is to say that 3 hours are given away to all passengers (to be used in one session without pausing) and, in addition, business class and first class passengers are given away a voucher for 200mb of traffic. In this case the connection can be paused, and I must say that I was able to manage the 12+ hours of flight time without any problems thanks to these two offers.
Very rich in movies and TV series, another minor flaw is that neither live TV channels nor Krisworld, the portal where passengers can connect their devices and watch preloaded playlists, were available on both flights.
On board the A350, the seats do not extend to become a bed; instead, they have a function very similar to that of a sofa bed. The backrest is folded down and extended to form precisely the bed. A solution on the one hand less comfortable than a button, on the other hand more comfortable because it offers more support than the classic armchair upholstery. The two pillows and blanket available are excellent and perfect for this configuration.
The view of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84, which is one of the two engines that propel this plane at a speed of Mach 0.85, is beautiful, and most importantly, the cabin is very quiet.
Final judgment
I would choose Singapore Airlines again? Absolutely yes.. And not only to travel in business class. At the moment. I am planning a flight in 2022 with this company and it will be in economy, I am sure that even then the service will be excellent. The entertainment system on board is not perfect, but the courtesy of the crew and the quality of the food almost make these minor flaws disappear. Considering the cost of the ticket and Star Alliance gold status earned, it was really a real bargain as well as a fantastic trip.
Pro
- Book the cook
- The service
- The booth
Against
- Lack of cameras
- IFE is improvable
- The armchair "sofa bed"