Birthday in the clouds: review of the "bridal" suite aboard Singapore Airlines' A380
When Singapore Airlines had unveiled its new First Class proposal on board A380s in 2017, I had thought: [...]
Singapore Airlines
Star Alliance
SIN
When in 2017 Singapore Airlines had presented his new proposal for First Class on board A380s I had thought, "how nice it would be to travel there once in a lifetime...". Then the pandemic came, and in the despondency of my bedroom. I had decided to start TFC - The Flight Club.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A380
- Class:
- Suites
- Treat:
- SIN - LHR
- Price:
- 451k miles KF + 95
- Book
And so in 2022 I flew for the first time aboard this cabin, I was an excited child and the flight Frankfurt/JFK had been too short and so I promised myself I would do it again, but this time I didn't want to be alone, I wanted to share the experience.
Said and done: the October 27, on the day of my 48th birthday I gave myself a killer gift: Two tickets on the longest route starting from home airport. Bingo.
Reservation
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If you want all the details you can go to read the article where I detailed in great detail how much I had spent, how I had earned the points, and all the details. Unfortunately, in the process there was also a small devaluation of miles KrisFlyer And so, if I wanted to book it, you should know that the cost has slightly increased.
At the exchange, paying cash for the ticket, we are talking about 16,000 euros and change. And if you don't know anything about points and award tickets. we created the Training Center precisely because of this.
At the airport
If when you fly in Business Class the differences between leaving from home airport, or not, are minimal. In contrast, when traveling by First Class experience will never be the same if you leave far from the company's hub. That goes for Singapore Airlines, as per Lufthansa, for British Airways o Qatar.
Maybe just Air France and Emirates try to make the difference less noticeable, but it remains obvious and marked.
We arrived with about 13 hours of advance at the airport, actually we almost didn't even leave the airport in the sense that we got off the flight Scoot, we took a tour of a few hours inside the Jewel and then we were taken to the check-in area dedicated to passengers of First Class at T3 Of the best airport in the world.
Here after a tiny bit of amazement at our arrival: it was 9 p.m. and our flight was leaving at 9:30 a.m. the next morning, we shipped our luggage and headed for the First Class lounge of SQ.
Singapore Airlines has two different first class lounge, the first is one that is open to all passengers traveling in F, both on board SQ flights and all airlines Star Alliance.
Then there is The Private Room which instead is exclusively dedicated to those who fly in the Singapore Airlines Suites, armchairs present only on theA380 and on some 777/300. And this is where we bivouacked until our embarkation.
The lounge is nice, but it doesn't compare to those in Air France, Qatar nor Lufthansa, Swiss o British Airways. Of course, you can read my detailed review here.
Even the service, however, leaves you with that feeling of not really being a special passenger. No accompaniment in the lounge, let alone anyone escorting you on board, asking if you prefer to board first or last, in short you are blended in with the other peons.
On board
While Marika took the path leading to the upper floor, I aimed for door 1 because I love going up/down the stairs of theA380.
And if you make them to go sit in the first class Is even better.
The great thing about sharing this trip with Marika was just being able to see her amazement, her first-time emotions.
They are just 6 first class seats on theSingapore Airlines' A380 and the first two rows can become a double suite.
This means that chair 1 and 2, can be transformed into a double suite in seconds and the 5 sqm available to passengers almost doubles.
However, there is a big difference, for example, with the new First Class Allegris at A350 from Lufthansa and Swiss, the two passengers continue to have everything at their disposal: a bed, an armchair, plenty of space and their own TV to each watch what they want.
When you set foot in your small apartment there is only one chair and one wall dividing the two rows, but with a small gesture from the crew, the magic is accomplished and you have more space than in any other cabin in the world.
The Suite
It was not my first time and so I did not have goosebumps, but it is always and still exciting to sit in that chair and to be able to do it looking Marika in the eyes is worth double.
They are about 5 square meters of personal space. Inside the cabin structure, beyond the sliding door, is a closet. There is enough space for your trolley, jacket and more.
The seat is huge, it looks like what you have in your living room. The passenger in row 1 also has a small screen, which he basically uses only for the takeoff and landing phase.
Then you can turn and look at the monitor 32″. Of course today there are those who offer 42″ screens, but it is still mammoth for such a cabin. È installed on an arm that allows you, at the push of a button, to position it as you see fit.
Storage is plenty, there are cabinets everywhere, certainly no space or security problems here.
Once the suites are joined, the two passengers have as much as 4 portholes, That may seem like a few, but it is not. One is so distant that one almost has to "scream" to talk to one's fellow traveler.
Once made into a bed you feel like you are in a hotel room, or perhaps better, a suite aboard a cruise ship where within seconds the butler appears ready to fulfill your wishes.
The two bathrooms are huge, of course there is no shower like on Emirates and Etihad, But otherwise this bathroom is second to none. It looks like that of a 5-star hotel room and is bigger than some bathrooms I have found around the world.
The care of the environment is very good, although some signs of wear and tear can be seen, and like a nice hotel room it could use a refresh, at least to remove the most obvious signs of aging. What puzzled me, however, were the fake flowers, really a style fall.
Food&Beverage
I've talked a lot about the service Book the Cook, or the possibility that only Singapore Airlines offers its passengers to choose what to eat from a menu with dozens and dozens of options, for us who were flying in First Class from Singapore there were over 100 dishes to choose from in addition to the regularly offered one.
The service is completely free and can be booked up to approx. 48 hours before takeoff, but it varies by airport and route. We fished only from this selection and I must say we enjoyed every single course.
Marika had breakfast with eggs benedict and caviar, me with thelobster.
For dinner we both went for the Wagyu And it was really delicious. Not to mention that eating in your own bed, aboard an airplane is not something that happens every day.
Of course we could have changed our minds, ordered other dishes, on board you can eat and drink whatever you want.
The only, small, disappointment was really about drinking. I was hoping to drink Louis Roederer Cristal, but instead there was "only" Krug, Bollinger La Grande Année e Charles Heidsieck.
The still wines are also level, and I gave carte blanche to the cabin manager who was also a professional sommelier.
The birthday surprise
By no means should it be thought that I was treated "with kid gloves" because I was traveling in First Class, Singapore Airlines is renowned for its birthday parties on board aircraft for all passengers flying on anniversary day.
Of course my party was special: how many times in your life can you happen to celebrate lying on the edge of a double bed in 30 thousand feet? I would say once in a lifetime, especially if you are not a VIP. Cake, presents, cards, and lots of real smiles, not just smiles.
Service
Impeccable Is the only thing I can say. You didn't have time to think you wanted something that they popped up as if by magic, as if they had a neural connection with your brain.
They were all special and allowed me to live a dream, because objectively it is not a normal thing what I felt from the moment I stepped into the airport to the last step inside this machine that is theA380.
To be nitpicky, the only shortcoming is the amenity kits that are decidedly less "rich" than in my first experience in F with SQ, content, however, still top-notch and two different products depending on the sex (or preferences) of the passenger.
IFE and Wifi
Connectivity free and unlimited for all passengers of First Class, monitor 32″ and above all, an endless catalog, not at the levels of Emirates' ICE but close. Of course you can manage everything from the tablet provided, without moving from your seat (or bed).
Imagine being at home in your bedroom and having the TV for you and the TV for your life partner, you know how many fewer divorces there would be!
In conclusion
Only the dots can allow ordinary people to treat themselves to certain experiences, the cash price of two such tickets is simply unreachable for 95% of the world's population, and I am part of that percentage who, only through strategy and points, have been able to realize this dream.
Just to help other people realize dreams like these, I created the Training Center. To explain all the tricks, rules and strategies to achieve the dreamed results.
Pro
- The crew
- The booth
- Book the cook
Against
- Lower than expected cellar
- Fake flowers