This is the last stopover ticket that I issued before the devaluation and at the old rate. It wasn’t exactly the perfect time to fly to Australia at this time of the year but I had to be given the 1 year ticketing limit. This makes it one of the cheapest tickets ever, I paid just 19,000 miles and 214 SGD in taxes and fees. I am also rather excited to visit Perth, my very first time in Western Australia. Singapore to Perth is a short 5-hour flight. But a redeye on the regional seats isn’t the best for sleeping. I have reviewed these seats multiple times. I will just do a short recap and share on the soft product! These are not the best SQ business class seats and it certainly doesn”t excite me. I did manage to get bulkhead seats which will help things. If you have been following my travels, you will know that my previous SQ flight was a disaster. I hope that this will be a much better experience. After trying all the premium products onboard Singapore Airlines, I ranked this product even lower than the 737 Max 8 Regional.

Checking In

I arrive at the airport at around 5.30pm. It is just a short drive from my house. The crowd were really bad at the check-in counters and it took such a long time. This is rarely the case over here in Changi Airport. There were like 30 to 40 people in line. Instead, I went over to the Star Alliance Gold lines and checked in there instead. I did have to wait for about 15 mins or so but that is better. I had already checked in online and chose my seats in advance. I even managed to get 11A, a bulkhead seat on the 96-hour mark. The extra space will make it more comfortable for the red-eye.

Boarding Process

Boarding is scheduled for 11.55pm. We got the worst fate in Terminal 3. It is such a long walk that it is nearer to T1 than T3 itself. Do takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the trek. Furthermore, security is at individual gates here. Boarding started right on time with PPS and Business Class passengers invited to board first as well as passengers with special assistance. I was one of the first to board. It is always nice to be onboard a Singapore Airlines flight again. I was warmly welcomed by IFM Gerald at the door before being ushered over to my seat. I could immediately tell that this is a great set of crew. Somehow, I always get superb ones on short flights!

Carol who was working my aisle was amazing too. She immediately came over to offer welcome drinks and to confirm my BTC orders. My preference for having it after take-off or before landing was also noted. Business Class was almost full. I just got an OJ to drink but Gerald insisted on me having some Champagne after enquiring if I was on holiday. This was his exact words “Drink a bit lah since you are on vacation” I appreciate his service and warm interactions. We pushed back shortly after and took off on time.

Singapore Airlines 787 Regional Business Class

I shall not dwell on the hard product any further since it is nothing new and I have shared about it multiple times. I will just share some recaps from my previous reviews. The RJ business class on 787 / 350 MH is my least favourite. Sadly, it is becoming increasingly common to get these seats nowadays, especially when you are travelling around Asia and Australia. This time around I will be seated in 11A, a bulkhead aisle seat on the left. I shall just share one of my old reviews and comment on the soft products.

The best seats to go for are the bulkhead seats in Row 11, they provide slightly more space. Do note that the seat alternates between being closer to the aisle and closer to the window. The one that is closer to the window offers more privacy. Even in the middle couple seats, there are the true couple seats where you are just right next to each other and some are far away from one another. You can find these seats on the regional variant of the 350 and the 787. The legroom and entrance to the seat are extremely narrow.

The screen was of a good size and Singapore Airlines Inflight Entertainment, Krisworld is world-class! The screen is a touch screen and if not you can control it with the remote located to the side as well. Below the screen, is where the table can be found and you slide it out.

There is a small cubicle on the side of the seat where the platform provides you with some additional storage space. The cabinet here houses the power outlets and you can find two USB outlets as well as a power socket that takes in all sorts of plugs. A care kit and a set of headphones are left here. SQ provides decent headphones in business class but it definitely could be improved to a better noise-cancelling one.

We pushed back slightly late and departed smoothly. Wi-Fi is available on the flight and business class passengers have unlimited allowance. I won’t want to fly these on red-eye flights. I hate that there isn’t proper turndown service with a mattress topper. The bathrooms are constantly well maintained, as per the usual on SQ. They have an assortment of amenities stocked inside from Penhaligon’s amenities to toothbrushes and shaver. All that you might need can be found inside. I am a huge fan of the Penhaligon’s facial mist while in the air. They are so hydrating. Given how packed it was in Business Class, there might be a wait at times but the place was still well maintained by the crew at all times.

Meal Service

This particular flight came with a supper service. It is the most underwhelming one out of all. You can find the menu for the flight here. I pre-ordered the Makhan Wala Murgh dish from the Book The Cook selection. I wanted to try something new and I figured that something lighter would be much more suitable for this meal time. The crew sprang into service right after take off given that this is a sleeper service. I choose to have it right after take off. Everything was done via a tray. The Makhan Wala Murgh was divine. This is one of my favourite dishes now. I love the butter chicken and the naan goes so well with it. The perfect supper dish ever and the spice makes it great for pairing with bubbles. I mop up all of the sauce. It is quite a good portion.

The crew then came by with a pastry basket. It seems rather weird to have a croissant at this hour. I got a bread roll but didn’t touch it in the end. I would prefer SQ to offer a combination of the breakfast and dinner pastry basket given the meal timing. Carol and Gerald constantly came over to check on things and to offer refills. The sleeper service is one of the most lacklustre and underwhelming meal services but I am glad to have enjoyed this. I even managed to sleep for about 1 to 2 hours after which certainly helped with the long day I had ahead in Perth. I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise over the horizon. Right before landing, I got some double Brasile espresso. Carol and Gerald also came by to bid farewell and wish us a happy holiday ahead. Amazing and sincere touch.

Conclusion

Perth is one of the longest routes that SQ is using these aircraft on. I am not a fan of the regional seats. Even the 737 Max 8 Regional is better in my opinion. Do check out some of my other Singapore Airlines Reviews here. It is so easy flying down under to Perth. No wonder it is so popular among Singaporeans. I had a good set of crew and amazing food on this sub-five-hour flight. I am excited to be heading to Australia again and with that let’s get down under in Perth!