Singapore Airlines Business Class Airbus A350

Setting off on the next segment of our epic Round-The-World trip, we eagerly anticipated the luxurious journey ahead of us after our stay at The Westin Singapore left us with a mixed experience. In this comprehensive review, we will walk you through every aspect of our flight onboard the Singapore Airlines Business Class Airbus A350 from the “Lion City” to Frankfurt, Germany. After a 20-minute Grab ride to the Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, we quickly made our way in to drop off our bags.

We were greeted with open arms at the Business Class check-in counters, and in no time, we were handed our boarding passes with invitation to the SilverKris Lounge.

While the lounge isn’t as remarkable as the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge in Doha, the SilverKris Lounge still held its’ charm in its’ own way.

Boarding:

The boarding process was a typical, yet seamless one. Families with children under the age of 2 and those that require extra time were boarded first, followed by business class passengers.

Business Class Cabin:

The Singapore Airlines Business Class Airbus A350 is undoubtedly one of the best business class products out there, and I personally love the brown leather seat for how wide and spacious it is. I have reviewed this aircraft about two years ago when I flew The Longest Flight in the World. The cabin is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing a sense of exclusivity and direct-aisle access to all business class passengers.

While my window seat 15K offered a blend of style and comfort, the center seats offers pretty much the same in size and look. These seats are designed to provide a balance between personal space and social interaction, making it suitable for both solo and paired passengers. It’s worth noting that these center seats can’t be turned into a double bed.

The business class cabins were at about 50% capacity altogether, and we were able to utilize one of the unoccupied seats as our infant bed. Adding our lap infant to the reservation cost us a whopping $500, but that was a reasonable cost for 3 international flights in business class. Our first flight was from Bali to Singapore in Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the third one is from Frankfurt to New York onboard flight SQ26 on the Airbus A380.

The seat and light controls are located by the arm of the seat. The headphone jack is also located next to the seat and personal light controls.

There are multiple stowage compartments at each seat to store personal belongings during the flight.

Power outlets, 2 USB ports (one of which is to connect your device to the screen), 1 HDMI port, and another port to plug in your iPod are all available at each seat in business class. Each seat is also equipped with a large high-definition inflight entertainment screen (IFE). Will talk more on that later on.

In-flight Dining:

The food and beverage service began about half an hour after takeoff. Starting off with Canapé, which for everyone, was chicken satay. 

Appetizer was “Fa Cai Yu Sheng” which according to the menu, was a Chinese New Year delicacy of sliced lightly smoked salmon, shredded & pickled vegetables, cracker, peanut, sesame seeds, sweet and sour plum sauce. I thought it was kind of good.

One thing that seems to have become a recurring pattern with Singapore Airlines: just a few rows into taking orders for the main course, and the announcement is made that certain options are already unavailable. While I could have pre-select my meal through the “book the cook” service, I purposely decided not to, and observe how the in-flight dining would unfold onboard.

Similar to my experience onboard flight SQ939 from Bali to Singapore, my first choice for main course was the “Braised Fish Maw…” which I was told they ran out of. I instead settled for the “Black Bean Chicken (egg fried rice with seasonal oriental vegetables).”

The presentation of the food, and the food itself was nothing to write home about. Singapore airlines flight attendants have a tendency of rushing their food and beverage service that they most frequently doesn’t pay attention to detail. Let’s just say there’s nothing like “on demand” food service on Singapore Air flights, long haul, or short haul. Dessert presentation was also lacking that business class vibe. Maybe I’ve just been spoilt by the likes of Qatar Airways Qsuite, Emirates Business Class, or even JAL Business Class. But to be fair though, the ice cream offered for dessert was a solid option and really good.

Onboard Amenities:

With about 6 hours into the flight just as the Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 cruised at 40,000 feet up in the air, I explored the KrisWorld extensive entertainment options on the screen. However, the absence of a touchscreen interface led us to rely on a handheld device, an inconvenience in an otherwise seamless experience. According to the airline, the Airbus A350 fleets are fitted with touchscreens, but in my 3 times of flying this aircraft, the screens aren’t touchscreens. Or am I missing something here?

In preparation for rest, I asked one of the flight attendants to transform my seat into a lie-flat bed. The generous space in this Singapore Airlines Business Class Airbus A350 seat allowed for a spacious bed, but like I have written in my previous reviews, the airline could certainly make use of mattress pads to enhance the overall comfort for an even more restorative sleep. But if you like a very firm mattress, then you might not have a problem with how firm the seat is in bed mode.

Business class passengers are offered complimentary Wi-Fi which can help to stay connected and productive during the flight. Unlike the complimentary Wi-Fi offered onboard our Japan Airlines First Class flight, this Singapore Airlines 3.48Mbps download speed actually wasn’t shabby.

Singapore Airlines offers a unique approach to amenity kits. On flights, including this flight SQ326 from Singapore to Frankfurt, amenity kits were offered on-demand, exclusively only to those who request them. 

The thoughtfully curated kits, featuring essentials like slippers, socks, hand lotion, lip balm, facial mist, and a voucher for a complimentary Quercus 100ml body and hand wash at Penhaligon’s standalone store. Penhaligon’s is a British brand, which I believe, recently had a partnership with Singapore airlines.

Pre-Arrival Delights:

The journey’s end drew near as the crew began the pre-arrival food and beverage service approximately 2 hours prior to landing. For this light dinner, I selected the Prawns with Lemon Scented Oil as my appetizer, and my main course preference was the Pan Fried Halibut with Grape Verjus Dressing.

This time around, dessert was Floating Island “Ile Flottante,” something which I had a few days prior on my previous flight from Bali to Singapore. Which in my opinion, was really good.

Conclusion:

As we began our descent into Frankfurt, Germany, we couldn’t help but mesmerize on the impossibilities-made-possible by points and miles. The fact that we only spent a fraction of the cost of this $15,000 flight was a dream that wouldn’t have been attainable without credit card points and airline miles.

Our flight SQ326 Singapore Airlines Business Class Airbus A350 landed at Frankfurt International Airport at 5:55 pm, and we taxied for a few more minutes until we reached our gate, marking the end of this leg of our adventure.

In a nutshell, it was a good flight. The business class cabin had its charm, and the seat was pretty roomy too. The flight attendants did a solid job and were friendly, even though there’s room for some improvement in the service aspect.

Getting to fly three business class flights for just 100K Alaska Airlines miles added an extra layer of excitement to the whole experience. It’s these little wins that makes points and miles redemptions even more special.

As we stepped off the plane and into Frankfurt’s, we carried with us a collection of moments and thoughts. While there were some minor points that could have been better, the firmness of the lie-flat bed for example, the blend of luxury, ease, and the thrill of exploration made this flight an integral part of our memorable Round-The-World trip. Our next stop? The Frankfurt Marriott Hotel before our next flight from Frankfurt to New York onboard the Double-Decker, Super-Jumbo, Airbus A380 the next morning. Stay tuned!