Cocoon-style seats, extensive entertainment options and order-ahead dining makes for a streamlined flight.
The flag carrier of Singapore is consistently ranked among the world’s best airlines thanks to its level of service and attention to detail.
Travel + Luxury’s Denise Cullen boarded a Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 flight from Changi Airport to Brisbane to see if it lives up to its reputation…
The details
Flight: SQ 255
Route: Departing Singapore Changi Airport at 12.45am, arriving in Brisbane 9.37am
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Seat number: Business class 16A
Flight time: Scheduled 6 hours 40 minutes
The seat
Immediately upon boarding, these comfortable, cocoon-style seats invite you to shed your coat and shuck your shoes, with dedicated storage spaces for both. The 40 Business Class seats are laid out in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, so all have aisle access. I’m seated in one of the singles, with the side console between my seat and the window, and an overhead storage bin all to myself.
Even though these seats don’t offer quite as much privacy as those immediately next to the window, I still feel tucked away. The double seats in the middle have a removable divider for couples travelling together.
What’s called “sundeck” seating allows passengers to rest their legs on a footrest below the in-flight entertainment screen, under which there is yet more storage space. Armrests are retractable and there are three reading lights. At the press of a button, the seat transforms into a flat bed, complete with pillow and blanket.
Tech talk
Concealed behind a small sliding door in the side console are eXport, HDMI and USB ports, plus a power point. An 18-inch tiltable entertainment touchscreen is accompanied by a video touchscreen handset, while noise-cancelling headphones block out the worst of the aircraft hum.
All Business Class passengers can access complimentary wi-fi to a limit of 100MB, but this evaporates quickly. Further 200MB blocks can be purchased for $US15.99 ($23.53).
On the menu
Through the airline’s “Book the Cook” initiative, you can jump online up to 24 hours before you fly to reserve a special meal, such as Beach Road prawn noodle soup – the airline has collaborated with leading Singaporean hawker brands – or lobster thermidor. I wasn’t organised enough to do so, but no matter.
There are ample on-board choices spanning Eastern and Western cuisines. The airline won Best Overall Cellar at last year’s Business Traveller’s Cellars in the Sky Awards, and takes its tipples seriously, with more than 240 “air sommeliers”. A requested glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve arrived soon after take-off, followed by seafood rice vermicelli with prawns, scallops and black mushrooms.
Given the hour, many fellow passengers opted to get some immediate shut-eye, but griddled buttermilk pancakes or scrambled eggs with sausage await for breakfast towards the other end. Snacks are available on request, as are cocktails such as the classic Singapore Sling.
Entertainment
There’s a selection of 1800 entertainment options, including movies, television, music, games and apps. Recent Hollywood releases stand alongside Asian cinema choices; television shows are similarly diverse. Music runs the gamut of Western, wellness, Asian pop, Chinese and classical. I fiddle with the games option, but then can’t return to the previous screen, so I give up, and go to sleep.
Service
Business Class passengers are greeted by name, while the crew’s distinctive batik sarong kebaya uniforms are shorthand for gentleness and grace. The airline aims to create strong emotional connections through sensory impressions, such as by deploying a new sonic signature (instrumental tracks played on board and in lounges) and the Batik Flora by Singapore Airlines scent. An amenities kit includes hand lotion, lip balm and facial mist to counter altitude’s dehydrating effects, while the provision of slippers, socks, eye mask, ear plugs and water bottle further boost passengers’ comfort levels.
Covid requirements
Travellers are not required to take a pre-departure test to transit through Singapore. I’d flown in from Malé in the Maldives, where the only document requested was Australia’s Digital Passenger Declaration (no longer a requirement). Through its documentation and regular announcements, the airline is unambiguous about the need for passengers to wear masks on-board and observe safe distancing.
The verdict
It’s a smooth flight that is over all too quickly – who even says that? We’re only 41 minutes out of Brisbane when I wake up, which means I’ve missed my chance to sample the breakfast pastries. However, the sun is shining brightly above a thick layer of cloud, and I feel refreshed and raring to go.
