After multiple regional flights on SQ recently, I am finally back on a long-haul flight onboard Singapore Airlines. This is where the product and SQ standards shine. I will be flying onboard SQ297 on the A350 Long Haul Business Class from Singapore to Christchurch Business Class. This is my favourite SQ business class seat. It’s been a long time since I am flying long haul on SQ, my previous flight was back in Jan 2022! In recent months, all I did was mid-haul flights to Japan and a ton of regional ones. The best way to get to New Zealand. I can’t wait to visit this country. To make it even sweeter, I issued this ticket as part of my return ticket from Bali and at the old rate last year. I paid just 47,000 miles and 238 SGD in taxes and fees. This is including the 100 USD stopover fee. A deal that will never be replicated again. Fly with me!

Checking In

I arrived at Singapore Changi Airport at around noon. There was barely anyone at this time. The peak periods for Changi Airport are in the early morning and evening. I was immediately helped to the business class counters and greeted by a friendly agent. None of that bullshit I got last month on my flight to Bangkok. You can find the dedicated business class counters for SQ at Row 6. It is super early for my flight but I figure that it makes more sense to just grab lunch at the lounge and get some work done. Lazing over some champagne sounds good too. The immigration was surprisingly crowded but thankfully the electronic gates are pretty fast. I did get extra screening at the immigration just because the staff are pretty bored from our interaction. I probably look the most friendly since all the staff were complaining to me about how people could never wait for five minutes. I am not going to review the SKL this time around since it is more or less the same. You can check out my recent review of the Business Class Lounge, First Class Lounge and The Private Room here.

Boarding Process

My flight is boarding at 7.20pm and at gate A2. At first, it was an easy stroll from the SKL but a last-minute gate change makes for a trek to the other side of the terminal that is almost close to T2. There was a huge queue at check-in given the last-minute change of gate. There is no premium line for security and it took almost 30 mins to clear. When I first arrived at the gate, the crew were just boarding the aircraft. Boarding ended up being delayed for around 40 mins and only commence at 7.50pm. It is so nice to see this cabin again. My favourite SQ Business Class product onboard the A350! Boarding started with Business Class passengers as well as PPS Club members. I was the first to board and sprang down the gate to get some good pictures of the cabin. Upon approaching the aircraft door I was warmly greeted by the IFM and the crew who then ushered me over to my seats. The crew kept my jacket and soon I got a glass of champagne in my hand while I relaxed on my seat. I was seated in 11D a bulkhead seat. This is the best business-class seat! It is much more relaxed being in the first cabin during boarding.

Refills is offered on the ground while the crew came over to introduce themself. Jul Chi who was working my aisle was great. On request, I got my hands on the new Penhaligon amenity kit in the grey colour. I wish that they bring back the hot towel service.

We finally push back at about 8:30 pm. The main issue for the delay is due to the unserviceable aircraft previously. According to the captain we switched to the second newest A350 in the fleet. We had a fairly long takeoff taxi on the ground for almost 20 minutes before we finally took off at 8.50pm.

Singapore Airlines A350 Long Haul Business Class

This is my favourite business class cabin and I got the best seats onboard as well. While we are travelling in a group of 2, I choose seats 11A and 11D rather than the pair of middle seats. This is preferred as one of them still gets a window view and it is easier to talk to one another across the aisle. This way we still can get some views while on approach to Christchurch. If it’s a totally night flight, I will just get the middle seats. I lucked out in getting bulkhead seats for my flight. These are usually only available to PPS Club members. If they are available, they will be released from 96 to 48 hours before the flight.

Despite being in the middle seat. It still felt extremely private! The main reason why I always say the A350 LH Business Class is my favourite is that I prefer the 2013 J Class product. It is the most spacious seat and then on the A350, business is the highest available cabin. When you put it with the 777, you receive far superior service. Then comes the bulkhead seats on rows 11 and 19. Row 11 is preferred especially during boarding since the rest of the plane boards thru the second door.

The A350 LH variant consists of 42 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration over 11 rows. This seat is as good as some airline first class! In front of you, there is an 18-inch TV paired with the world-class KrisWorld IFE system. There are tons of movies and shows for multiple loops around the world.

Next to the television, there is a little vanity mirror and compartments by the side. This will surely come in handy on long-haul flights.

Left on the seat, you can find a plush cushion as well as a day blanket. Given how that this is an overnight flight, a set of amenities is already placed on the seat and slippers are provided. Towards the side of the seat nearer to the aisle, you can find the controls for the seat. You can also find some lighting by the side if you need it.

On the other side of the seat, is where the touchscreen remote control that you can use to control the in-flight entertainment system and screen. The compartment here is where you can find the headphones and a bottle of water. The seating table comes from the side and it is very spacious. It is more than sufficient for a 13-inch laptop. I love that the height can be adjusted.

Right next to the seat is a very deep sleeve kind of compartment that will be good to hold some laptops or personal items for quick access. This is also where you can find the outlets for the seat. You have an International power adapter, USB ports and HDMI ports.

Check out how spacious the seat is in bed mode. This seat has to be flipped over to convert into the bed. Don’t worry as the SQ cabin crew is always on hand to assist you with turndown service. I love the blanket and pillows. There is a thin mattress topper as well. The bed is on the firmer side but works well for me as I prefer a firmer surface. This is one aspect that I hope SQ can improve on. A memory foam pillow and a choice of a softer or firmer mattress topper would be great! Do note that SQ doesn’t provide pyjamas for business class passengers. I bought my own. Do hope that we can see some improvement in this aspect too. When in bed mode, you can see how handy the bulkhead seats comes. The space around the feet is amazing. I got a solid 4 hours of sleep which is as good as it gets for a flight for this duration and woke up as we were flying over Sydney!

The toilets are nothing special when compared to other cabins. The size is the same. All sorts of other amenities are stocked in the toilets from towels to toothbrushes and shavers. In the premium cabin, you can also find Penhaligon’s amenities provided. I am a huge fan of their facial mist. It would be nice if SQ can stock some mouthwash here too.

Meal Service

Upon levelling off, the crew came by with after-take-off drinks and canapes which was SQ’s signature Satay! The satay is so good. Nicely cooked and flavorful with the chunky peanut sauce. I love the full proper dinner service. Surprisingly, physical menus weren’t available and they were not placed on the seat. I had a lovely chat with the crew. You can find the menu for the flight here.

About an hour after takeoff, the full meal started with proper table service and tablecloth. Everything is served course by course. I miss flying long-haul. First, I was served the appetiser Hot Smoked Salmon Salad. It comes with potatoes, pickled red onion, hard-boiled egg, black olives and dijon herb dressing. I got some sake to go with the meal. It is alright! Decent but nothing memorable. The salmon was fresh. Soon one of the crew came around with the bread basket and as per my usual SOP, I got the garlic bread.

For my main, I ordered the beef cheek from the Book The Cook menu. This has been one of the dishes that I wanted to try. It took some time before the main arrived. It was pretty good! The beef was very tender and the ravioli was delicious. I love the asparagus too. I will recommend this dish if you want something from the BTC. Perfect with a glass of Bordeaux.

Dessert was offered after and the crew came by with a cart of sweets. There was a choice of Namelaka Chocolate Cake, Sticky Date Pudding, Cheese or Fresh Fruits. I opted for the sticky date pudding as well as a cheese plate after Jul Chi insistence. She also got me some port. What a feast it was! I love the Sticky Date Pudding. A great way to end the meal. Overall the meal service was pretty slow and by the time we end, it was around 3 hours after take-off.

Breakfast was served about 2 hours before landing. Time flies when you are having fun onboard. Breakfast is served via trays to fasten things up. We started with a fruit plate which consists of pomelo, dragon fruit, strawberries and blueberries. I got some orange juice and a double Brasile espresso. My favourite coffee onboard SQ Business Class.

The crew also came by with a pastries basket and I got a croissant. They can’t stop feeding me and keep insisting I try more pastries. Soon after the main course was brought over. For this, I went for the OG option from the BTC menu. Behold the Lobster Thermidor. Always a classic. I was so full from the previous meal but still managed to mop it all up. No champagne as I am driving right after landing.

Before you know it, the cabin is being prepared for landing. So sad that this awesome flight is coming to an end. After a change of clothes, my eyes were glued to the views as we approach Christchurch. My first view of NZ! My 35th unique country in the world. The views were excellent as we flew over the mountains and cut across the South Island from West to East as we approach Christchurch.

Conclusion

It turn out to be a nice surprise as that was not the last I saw the crew. We ended up meeting at the hotel later since we coincidentally are staying at the same property. It was funny. I wish I had more tickets at the old rates and the stopover trick. The value is unbeatable. I miss flying on Singapore Airlines Business Class Long Haul. Everything is so good! I have plenty of time to enjoy the with the 10 hours flight duration. It is so great when you got a bulkhead seat, unlimited wifi and a great set of crew! The CHC flight time coincides with the best meal service. You get a full dinner offering! None of that supper or breakfast crap! Jul Chi who was working my aisle was lovely. The flight duration allows for two leisurely meals and a substantial amount of sleep in between. I can’t wait to fly the world’s longest flight on SQ which takes 19 hours to New York City.