Flight test: What it’s like to fly Singapore Airlines business class

Sunday, 31 March 2024

I’ve never flown business class before, and now I think I’ll be ruined for economy class flights for life.

I have never imagined getting hours of uninterrupted sleep on a plane, or for that matter, being served delicious and high-quality food.

If it’s within your budget, I couldn’t recommend the Singapore Airlines business class service more.

It was a wonderful travelling experience from beginning to end, and it made my trip memorable right from the get-go (especially when greeted with a peach moscato drink before take-off).

The route

Auckland to Singapore direct.

The lounge

At Auckland International Airport, Singapore Airlines business class clients have access to the Air New Zealand lounge.

It’s up an escalator and felt like another world to this usually economy-class flier, with free food and drinks and an array of comfortable seating options.

There’s a buffet, snacks, a bar, barista-made coffee, and toilets, showers, towels and hairdryers.

My flight was at 1.20am, so when most of the shopping options were closed, I felt privileged to be able to sit in a warm lounge with comfortable seats, able to charge my phone and have access to all-you-can-eat food and drinks.

It was a seamless walk from the lounge to the gate, where business class guests got to board before other classes.

The plane

Airbus A350-900.

The seat

I was originally seated in 22D, which was in the middle row, but an empty window seat meant I got the option to shift to 22A.

The seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, and it felt slightly more private being cuddled up into the wall, with the crew only passing up and down the aisle on one side.

Sadly, the night-time flight meant my window views were limited - but I did get to see the city’s lights upon landing in Singapore.

The business class seats offer two seating positions - a couch-like chair that reclines into a bucket-like lounging position, and a flat-deck bed where the base and foot of your seat extends so you can rest your legs on the ottoman.

I am 5’5“ and I could just stretch out fully, with my feet tucked into the ottoman that tucks down one side of the seat unit.

But, to be honest, I didn’t really need to stretch out. With two pillows and a blanket I spent most of the time on the bed curled up, even managing to get a good few hours sleep.

It meant after an overnight flight, I landed at Singapore Changi Airport feeling surprisingly refreshed.

Time in the air

The flight was 9 hours and 33 minutes, which was a lot faster than the 10 hours and 25 minute flight originally scheduled.

The direction of the wind was in our favour, and it didn’t feel too long at all - especially with two meals to fill in the time.

The food

One word. Delicious.

I chose from the set menu on the way to Singapore.

I was given seared tuna loin as an appetiser, which was served with cherry tomatoes, haricot beans, olives and quail eggs.

My meal of choice was roasted pork belly with apple cider sage jus. It was served with buttered vegetables and grain mustard mashed potatoes.

I chose a garlic bread, and a glass of white wine to accompany what was the best in-flight meal I’d ever had. The pork belly was moist, and the vegetables perfectly cooked.

For dessert, I picked the raspberry friand with vanilla cream. It was a perfectly sized sweet treat.

And that was just for dinner. For breakfast I was served a selection of fresh fruit, bircher muesli with raspberry and chia seeds and a croissant.

I chose baked eggs with chicken sausage, potatoes, mushrooms and tomato relish as my main meal. It was accompanied by an apple juice and coffee.

Book the Cook is also a great option if you pre-order early enough, with a wide selection of restaurant-quality meals available (I picked bak chor mee dry noodles and char siew wonton noodles on the way home).

The entertainment

The KrisWorld entertainment platform offers 1800 entertainment options - movies, television programmes, music, games and apps.

Complimentary wi-fi meant I could also message my loved ones, scroll Instagram and get some work done.

The amenities

You’re given an eye mask, socks and slippers, noise-cancelling headphones and a bottle of water.

I slipped on the slippers at the first opportunity, taking off my shoes to put my feet up. And if you don’t have your own, the high quality headphones are a game-changer.

The service

The Singapore Airlines staff are welcoming, and extremely helpful. I felt like an absolute VIP.

The flight attendants checked in what felt like a perfect amount of times, offering refills or snacks at exactly the right moments.

They were attentive and kind, but not overbearing.

The frequency

Singapore Airlines, together with its alliance partner Air New Zealand, operates 21 weekly services between Singapore and Auckland.

The essentials

You can grab a return flight from Auckland to Singapore from $1746 in economy, $3806 in premium economy, and $6186 in business class. See: singaporeair.com

The writer was hosted by Singapore Airlines.