This is always the saddest part of the trip, the heading home time. It does feel slightly better when you are flying home on Singapore Airlines in Business Class. I agree that things are no longer like the past. The quality and service are not like before. SQ is still a remarkably nice and world-class airline. I am surprised that I have not reviewed a flight on the 777 before in Business Class. When in Business Class, I prefer the A350 since you are in the highest cabin. I finally got a chance to do so this time on my flight back from Japan. Somehow, I managed to find two business saver tickets out of Narita about two weeks out. Always keep checking and you might never know when a seat will open up. I paid 52,000 Krisflyer miles and 36.42 SGD in taxes. The seats are the same as the ones onboard the LH and ULH A350. These are known as the 2013 J Class seats. There are just some slight negligible differences in the legroom. You can check out my SQ premium cabin reviews here.
Checking In
I got to the airport at about 4.30pm. I was coming from Yokohama which is quite a trek away from Narita. It is still easy and affordable with the trains. I got to Nippori Station and then transferred over to the Skyliner. This is my preferred way of travelling to Narita. Do take note that Nippori is much better than Ueno. The check-in counters are in the south wing where most Star Alliance carriers are. It is quite a walk from the train station to the G Counters that SQ uses. There wasn’t much of a queue in business class. I was soon helped by the staff. We can use the Gold Track lines to scoot through the security counters. I spend the rest of the time for some last-minute shopping and at the ANA Business Class Lounge. I will not be sharing the lounge again. It is one of the most crowded lounges in the world.
Boarding Process
Boarding was scheduled for 6.30pm but ended up being delayed to 7.10pm. I ended up dropping by the United Club for a short drink before heading back to the gate. I caught a nice sunset while waiting to board the plane. I even went to the wrong gate and almost boarded SQ 12 which is flying to LAX. It should have occurred to me that there could be more than one SQ plane in Narita. Boarding started with passengers requiring assistance and then a premium cabin. I was one of the first to board but they always do it so efficiently here in Japan. This doesn’t allow me to get many pictures of the place.
I was warmly welcomed by the crew at the door. Renuka then ushered me over to my seat. This time around, I will be seated in 15D, a bulkhead seat in the second cabin. The chief also came over to extend a personal welcome. The crew helped me with my jacket and also offered an amenity kit. They have since reverted to the green shade.
The crew also served welcome drinks. I got some champagne. They also came by with hot towels. I love that the service is back. The crew also came by to take meal and drink orders. We pushed back shortly after and were airborne at around 7.55pm.
Singapore Airlines 777 Business Class
The cabin layout is different here. On the 777, you have a small J cabin in the first cabin of 3 rows before a bigger one at the back. This is the opposite of the layout of the A350. There are 12 rows of business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration making it a total of 48 seats. The 777 is a 4-cabin aircraft with the full package of First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. It is one of SQ’s long-haul workhorses. Similarly, the best seats are the bulkhead seats in rows 11 or 15. The preferred cabin would also be the first one since it is more exclusive and intimate with only 12 business-class seats.
Here are some pictures of the seats. Our seats come with more space for the feet area as you have a fully open space as compared to the cubby-style footwell found in other rows. This also makes for a bigger sleeping surface when converted to fully flat mode. You do not have to sleep at an angle.
Under the leg rest area is a spacious area for you to put your belongings. It can fit a full-size carry-on.
The seat comes with an 18-inch high-quality television paired with the world-class KrisWorld Inflight Entertainment system. In the seat compartment, you can find a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and a bottle of water. The touchscreen remote can be used to control the screen.
I got the bed made by the crew after the meal. I love how spacious the sleeping surface is. This is one of the comfiest in the air. It is perfect for both long-haul and regional flights. I love that it is on the firmer side. You can sleep straight or on your side. I love the blanket. I slept for about 2 hours or so which is as good as it gets on for this route.
Meal Service
You do have to choose your flight carefully if you want to have a full experience onboard. The morning and late evening flights will get the more lacklustre Breakfast / Supper / Sleeper service. SQ11 offers a full dinner service given the flight schedule. You can find the menu over here. The crew came by to take meal orders while on the ground. After levelling off, the crew sprang into service to offer after-take-off drinks. I got a SilverKris Sling.
Renuka then came by with the trolly to offer satay. These are SQ signature canapes. The chicken satays were amazing. It hits the right spot after a good 2 weeks away. It always feels like home having this onboard while flying back.
Continuing the Singaporean taste buds, Renuka also made us some Ice Milo! This is my first time having it onboard.
The proper meal service started about 1.5 hours after take off. I did wish that they could be a little faster to maximise rest time. The table was set with table cloth. We got the Fish Platter to start. This consists of seared salmon, smoked tuna, and marinated snapper. I love the shredded carrot and radish, shiso leaf, and grilled asparagus. It was delicious.
For my main, I got the Beef Fillet. This is served with a rich port wine sauce. The dish is also accompanied by seasonal vegetables and a baked potato topped with creamy cheese. I love ordering steaks for flights originating from Japan. They are always well-executed and delicious.
Check out the hint of pink in the middle! The potato was lovely too. I paired the dish with some sake and the 2020 Tenuta Frescobaldi Castiglioni, IGT Toscana red wine. Yums. I love that the leading stewardess poured the wine by the seat. What a classy way of serving. I wish that this could be the standard for offering wines onboard.
The crew then came with a trolly to present some of the desserts. I got the fruits and the Japanese Buckwheat Ice Cream. It was super delicious and I went for seconds. Those melons were super good too. The whole meal finished with about 3 hours to go.
Conclusion
Before we know it, we are approaching Singapore. The flight went by too fast. Service was excellent onboard this flight. Right before landing, Renuka also came by with a bag of goodies which consisted of a bear and a handwritten card. I love her initiative and hospitality. This is one of the best cabin crew that I met onboard. I love that they had the long-haul business class seats and a proper meal service. The trek out to Narita was worth the effort. I will choose it over those regional 350 flights back. Japan premium cabin flights are one of the hardest to get since they are so popular. Most of the time, you will have to book it one year out. I lucked out in getting these tickets.
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