I managed to get tickets out of Sydney weeks out and changed my plans to head home from Sydney instead. I was supposed to fly back from Melbourne. I paid 68,500 miles and 92.92 SGD in taxes and fees. It’s been a long since I paid for a ticket since I have been using up those that I have issued before the devaluation. It sure seems expensive these days especially when the stopover trick is canned. I could have got another regional flight. The Sydney route is a mid-haul flight and around 8 hours. It is refreshing to do another review of the A380 business class seats. I can’t even remember when was the last time I flew on Singapore Airlines A380 business class. I tried it twice prior and wasn’t a fan of the product despite this being the newest business-class product and seats. After trying all the premium products onboard Singapore Airlines, I ranked this product even lower than the 737 Max 8 Regional and just above the regional business class seats on the A350 and 787. Check out my Book The Cook Menu Dictionary and my Singapore Airlines Reviews Wikis. The A350 LH Business class will always be my favourite across the SQ fleet.
Checking In
I arrive at the airport at around 12.45pm. I make sure to leave plenty of time to check out the lounge and some PP restaurants. I took an Uber over to the airport which was easy enough. Singapore Airlines uses to check-in row F which is in the centre of the terminal. I was soon helped to after a while since there was barely anyone in the business class row. Check-in wasn’t smooth and the staff was a stickler for rules. They wanted to weigh my carry-on. This got to be a first in my history of flying with Singapore Airlines. I have never been weighed even in the Economy. Seriously, how do they handle those who carry a Rimowa? Do they just carry air in their 4.8kg carry-on?
We could use the e-gates for exiting immigration and while security was rather busy they had plenty of lines open. We got through in less than 5 minutes.
Boarding Process
Boarding is scheduled for 3.40pm. The gate is just a short walk away from the SKL that we were in prior. This is why I am not a fan of the A380 business class. Holy heck, check out the lines for boarding! If you didn’t know, you might have thought that this is the economy line.
Boarding started right on time with first class followed by business class and PPS members. This is not going to be the most exclusive or private flight ever since there is a whopping number of business class passengers in the A380. The premium cabin takes up the entire length of the upper level of the aircraft. A reason why I much prefer the 350 LH and 777. I was seated at the back of the aircraft given how late I made the booking. I did get the bulkhead seat. Once onboard, I am warmly welcomed by the crew and shown to the back. While on the ground, the crew came by to extend a welcome and offer a welcome drink. I was also helped with my jacket. There was a choice of champagne, juices and water. You also have the signature Bellini. They are pouring the Piper-Heidsieck Essential Extra Brut NV.
Left on the seat is a set of bedding as well as a pillow. I was also offered an amenity kit. Looks like they have changed into a darker brown colour now. Love adding this to my collection. Given how this is a rather long flight, you can find a bottle of water. The crew who was working my aisle was lovely. Jonathan, They came over with some slippers, and hot towels and to take drinks and meal options. My Book The Cook orders were confirmed. Just glad to see that Yvonne is not on this flight!
Boarding took quite some time since it was a full flight and such a huge aircraft. We pushed back after and had a very choppy takeoff.
Singapore Airlines A380 Long Haul Business Class
This is the latest business-class product of the SQ long-haul fleet. All 380 in the fleet now feature this product. It is only the third time that I am flying this product. I never liked it unless I was in the suites. When I am in business class, the 350 is my preferred product. The premium cabins are located on the top deck with the suites in front and the business class filling up the rest of it. There is a mind-boggling 78 business class seats. I am not a fan of these seats and the plane as you don’t get the exclusivity of being in business. I was in the bulkhead seat of the mini cabin. It is quite a walk from the door.
Furthermore given how the seats are on the upper deck, the overhead compartments are much more significantly narrow. It was a struggle to fit in a cabin-size suitcase. You could only put them under the seat in front of you. Thankfully, there was an empty seat behind me and I left it there.
Here are some pictures taken of the seat. Having the cabin all to myself makes you feel like you are in a private jet. The bulkhead seats offer much more space and privacy. You have a huge large screen TV that comes with the best IFE System. KrisWorld has more shows and movies to loop around the world multiple times. The screen is touchscreen so you can control it either with the remote on the side of the seat or on the screen itself. The TV is mounted slightly higher than usual given that this is a bassinet seat.
The plane is also equipped with Wifi and currently, all PPS club members, business class and first class passengers get unlimited wifi onboard. KrisFlyer members get a 2 hours allowance. Then on the sides of the screen, you can find a compartment where you can store some little items for easy accessibility and there is also a drinks holder. The console also has some space for drinks. The seat controls are near the console and they are not very sensitive. You kinda need a lot of pressure to activate it.
I love the location of the outlets on the seat and there are even two of them. This is something that I like about the new design, kudos to them. It is something so small yet so crucial. There is one at the console which is super good for phone charging since you can use it while lying down or lounging, it even comes with a USB charger. The other one is located right under the window and next to the magazine rack.
I went to check out the toilet and it was spacious enough with lots of amenities. Penhaligon’s products were provided. They are always well-maintained by the crew. You can also find other amenities such as toothbrushes, shaver can be found in the toilet.
Sitting at the back of the A380 and on the upper deck is slightly more noisy than usual with the engine. The bed can be adjusted to be fully flat with the seat controls. Turndown service is offered and the bed was nicely set up by the crew with a mattress topper and a duvet.
Meal Service
This particular flight came with an extensive Dinner and Refreshment service. You can find the menu for the flight here. I pre-ordered the Seafood Thermidor dish from the Book The Cook selection. The crew sprang into service right after levelling off with after-take-off drinks. I got a glass of the Signature SilverKris Sling. It is been quite some time since I last had it. This was served with warm nuts in a ramekin.
I switched over to a red later and got the 2016 Clos du Moulin which was delicious. The meal service started about 1.5 hours after take off with a full table service. The crew soon brought over the appetiser which was Chicken Caesar Salad. I enjoyed it and the sauce was served table side.
The Seafood Thermidor came with Saffron Rice. There was salmon, white fish, scallops and prawns. This is accompanied by asparagus and tomatoes on the side. The fish was very good and I enjoyed it. I do feel that the portion is on the smaller side.
I also got a chance to try out the Grilled Beef Fillet with Chimichurri Salsa which was excellent and flavourful. The tender beef goes well with the Portuguese red.
My family had the Thai Style Stir Fried Pork Noodles and the Chicken Stew in Grain Mustard Sauce.
We were then served the desserts. I got both the ice cream and the cake. The crew kindly got me some port to have it together. I enjoyed it.
About two hours out of Singapore the crew came by with the refreshment service. I feel I just ate 30 minutes ago. This is meant to be a short light refreshment meal and it was all done via a tray. There was a choice between either a Dimsum or a Multigrain Sandwich. The dim sum with fried rice was good and I love the chilli oil that comes with it. We then had a very rough approach and landing as the weather was rather bad in Singapore.
Conclusion
Taking this flight again reiterates my argument that the A380 business class is not my kind of thing. The only good thing about A380 is the Suites. With a full load on this flight, it makes things very clear. I can’t see any reason why the A380 business class will be preferred. Even the 737 Max 8 Regional is better in my opinion. Do check out some of my other Singapore Airlines Reviews here. Australia is a popular travel destination for Singaporeans. Sydney is also a premium market. With that being said, I got a great set of crew and had an enjoyable flight. I would rather have a heavy robust meal than two meals. This will allow me to get more sleep and rest. Perhaps buff it up with a satay service and then have some light snacks on demand. This wraps up my West & East Australia adventures. See you when I see you in Australia!
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