Singapore Airlines' A380 is (almost) a gem, here's how to fly business class
On my 2023 wish list was to fly on as many A380s as possible, and I must [...]

In my list of wishes of 2023 there was That of flying on the highest number of A380s possible and I have to say that I hadn't done badly, I had started with the top of the top the Singapore Airlines First Class, then I had flown 5 times on Emirates giants, and also On British Airways' business nightmare..
In this article:

- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A380
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- SIN - FRA
- Price:
- 768€
- Book
To the list in 2024 I added Lufthansa's first class, the Asiana business class And today I'm also adding the one from Singapore Airlines.
Of those who still fly the giant made in Airbus, I miss taking Etihad, Qantas, Korean and the turtles of All Nippon Airways. Unfortunately, there are no other carriers flying A380s.
Reservation
This was a ticket strategically booked astride the renewal deadline of my Star Alliance Gold card. Ticket paid cash, just under 1,500 euros to fly from Stockholm to Singapore and back. Outbound via Munich with the A350/900 and the return via Frankfurt with the A380.
Unfortunately, in the end I hadn't needed the qualifying Krisflyer miles from the outbound flight, but at least the ones from the return ended up on the valid account to renew the card in August 25.
Between round trip I put about 16,500 miles in my pocket, as well as some bonuses that the SQ program gives away to those who earn miles by flying with its machines and not just Star Alliance partners.
One of the reasons I chose KF as my accumulation program is precisely the lack of a requirement to fly with SQ to obtain/renew status, as well as the fact that you always accumulate miles based on flying and not spending.
At the airport
I arrived in Changi from Phuket on a Jetstar flight., I took the internal airport shuttle to move from t4 which is the satellite of the airport, to t3 the home of SQ. Having retrieved my boarding pass I left for the lounge to relax a little and take a shower.
The Silverkris lounge for Singapore's business class passengers at his home airport Is really half a disappointment. It is big, bright, but it is really poor in content.
I moved to the gate, as usual when it comes to getting on a plane I am in child mode wanting to be in front of the door of the candy store even 1 hour in advance. The A380 was "docked" at Gate B5 and allowed itself to be photographed without any shyness.
What I like here in Singapore, which is very common in Asia, are the checks directly at the gate and not generalized at the airport entrance. The doors opened on time as well as boarding began with Swiss precision.
On board
Boarding procedures handled perfectly, partly because. Seats inside the gate are marked according to the area assigned on the ticket.
Ca va sans dire I snapped behind the first Suite passenger and saw him disappear to the left as we entered the second floor door.
SQ's A380s are being renovated in their interiors between 2018 and 2021, with the pandemic as many carriers decided to abandon the Jumbo Sq's choice was a middle ground. In the sense that it practically halved its fleet., completing the renovation of the interiors of 8 machines and sending 6 of them to the scrap heap.
On the upper floor are the 6 Suites, if you haven't seen my video of the best First Class in the world, you absolutely must. (It was also the first official video posted on the channel and is the most viewed video ever).
Then there are 78 business class seats, a 1-2-1 configuration, divided over two cabins. No bars or social spaces Unfortunately, but you can't have everything.
Downstairs in the first section there are 44 premium economy seats and then over 340 economy class seats.
The chair
The product installed by SQ is an evolution of the chair found on all the rest of the fleet long-haul, that is, on A350s, 777s, and 787s. This is a proprietary product of Singapore Airlines, which no other carrier in the world has.
Not only is it here in its latest version, but thanks to the size that only the iconic double-decker plane can offer, there is really plenty of space And the already great chair becomes even better.
Of course there is no door, but to date, no carrier in the world has installed (on board A380s) the door in business class seats, and to date there is no sign of who will be first.
The differences with the previous version are many: there is more storage, the screen is larger and less reflective, and the seat shell is more protective and provides more privacy.
The biggest difference, however, is that this chair converts into a bed like all the products on the market today, while the one on the rest of the fleet forces the passenger to stand up and flip the seat over.
Storage-wise, there is an enclosed space in the front seat structure, as in the previous version, but larger. There is a storage well in the side space, admittedly not enclosed but suitable for computers, headphones and other paraphernalia. There is then always nearby another small open cavity perfect for the wallet.
Finally much larger fixed table that allows you to leave much more stuff on top that in the version on the A350 instead you don't know where to put.
The armchair as mentioned becomes a bed in the traditional way, a button is pressed and it slides into a horizontal position. There remains the major flaw of being ergonomically unfriendly oriented in bed mode.
Singapore also stands out here. Each passenger is given a small sheet/topper seat cover, blanket and pillow. The whole kit bagged and spotless until the passenger decides to unwrap it.
The chair setup concludes with:
The ever-present mirror, here in a double version. A small stand that serves as an armrest. Last but not least a glass holder inserted into the back of the chair, perfect for not dropping anything during the flight.
PS if traveling in pairs I recommend the two middle seats in the first rows (there are 3 pairs in all) become real double beds, Qsuite model or almost.
Accessibility
A reader made a very sensible request, and so I decided that from this flight onward (I flew on September 3, 2024) I will inquire about mobility and accessibility for wheelchair passengers.
On board the A380, there are two accessible bathrooms on the upper deck and as many in the lower deck.
Thus guaranteed accessibility to 100% for all passengers.
Service
SQ is one of my favorite companies in the world, although this time I must say it was less warm than usual and there was no purser greeting either, having Gold status I am (almost) top tier in the Krisflyer loyalty program.
On board as usual there is nothing, meaning that the very sad amenity kit has to be asked for, like slippers. Not even time to sit down that the first glass of champagne had arrived.
Singapore Airlines spins labels on board its premium cabins and right around that time the Charles Heidsieck that had been missing since before Covid, a label that I personally like very much, was back.
IFE
Again it is deja vu, but improved. Krisworld is one of the best in-flight entertainment systems in the world.
Hundreds of content, movies , TV series, games, documentaries. What I really like are the complete series, from the first to the last episode and not just three random episodes as is often the case. SQ On this flight he had as many as 28 seasons complete that ranged from Game of Trhones to Young Sheldon, to many others.
What was missing, however, were cameras, strange because A380s by default have at least 3.
Free wifi for all on board SQ aircraft. If you are traveling in economy, you just have to be signed up for Krisflyer and you have the messaging, if you are in business or first the unlimited package. Too bad the wifi quality has been really erratic signal that came and went, and the cumbersome authentication system that had to start over each time.
However, the prices are really low all the flight, no limit, at 15.99$ considering that the flight lasts more than 12 hours is not bad.
Singapore Airlines and the turbulence
What happened to the London Singapore flight deeply marked the company, and after doing several flights in Asia, I noticed how everyone is now very much already strict and careful.
Lunch service stalled for more than 30 minutes cause turbulence, nothing special or strong, the classic shocks that are always there during flight, but now SQ puts everything on Hold, and even the crew sits and buckles until the go-ahead comes, from the cockpit, to start again.
That's why I remember him, Always keep the belts fastened and when sleeping put them visible over the blanket.
Food & Beverage
Of the welcome champagne already mentioned, Immediately after the start came the second glass and shortly thereafter an appetizer, the iconic chicken skewers typical of Singaporean cuisine.
The flight menu is rich and in addition to the entree and salmon salad as an appetizer passengers could choose from five main dishes.
I, however, when I fly SQ I always point to book the cook, that is, the ability to book what you want from a real a la carte menu from which to choose what you want. The service is active for all passengers from premium economy to first. Obviously depending on the class of travel you will have access to a different card.
I took what I think are two of the most iconic dishes in Western cuisine.
For lunch I went for lobster, really good and juicy. A whole tail served with potatoes, asparagus and squash.
A half disappointment was the dessert viennetta, which was too cold and therefore difficult to eat.
For dinner I was torn between my "usual" giant hamburger or meat, and this time I went for filet. This is because with flights over 12 hours SQ serves two full lunches, or one lunch and breakfast, depending on the route and time of day.
About 3 1/2 hours after arriving in Frankfurt, a languish came over me and I asked the assistant if I could have dinner, Singapore offers dine-on-demand that allows passengers to eat whenever they want, regardless of the standard cabin service.
So less than 5 minutes later I had the table set and was served my appetizer: seared tuna in a pepper crust with a salad. Then came my filet, really good, juicy and not overcooked, which is very rare on an airplane.
Finally, a dessert with sponge cake and mascarpone. On desserts I was definitely not lucky today.
In conclusion
The seat has (almost) eliminated the shortcomings of the precendete version, The space that the A380 gives is used at 100% and you can feel the effort to find a solution to all the problems.
Unfortunately, there remains, insurmountable, the difficult life in bed mode. The seat is oriented upright, but you sleep diagonally and it is not the best. At least on the A380, however, there is more legroom in bed mode, which translates into more comfort.

Pro
- Book the cook
- The chair
- Free wifi
Against
- Amenity Kit
- Service less hot than usual