Back again once again with another review of Singapore Airlines Business Class. They are always so reliable and with me being so well-versed in the program, I can always count on getting a flight back that suits my plan. I can’t even remember how many times I have flown this particular route before! It is one of the best and sweetest spots of the Krisflyer program! The Istanbul flight is my go-to getaway for Europe holidays. SQ also used my favourite aircraft on this route. The value is unbeatable even with the slight hassle of having to get another economy flight or staying a day or two in Istanbul. You save almost 50% as compared to a direct Europe redemption. I do wish that SQ could make this route a daily flight and make Book The Cook available on this route. Istanbul and Japan are the hardest to get! I paid 56,500 miles and 44.48 SGD in taxes and fees. I even tag along on a business-class flight to Bangkok. That is such a sweet deal. I have done a thorough review of these seats. You can check out my collection of reviews here. Let me share the soft product.

Checking In

I did not come to the airport early since I wanted to maximise my rest ahead of the long travelling day. I have been to the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge multiple times and am getting quite bored of the place. Furthermore, I spend close to 12 hours at this airport earlier. This time around, I went to the Miles & Smiles Lounge instead since I wanted to invite a friend to the lounge. I got an airport transfer and left my hotel at about 10.45am. It was about a 45-minute journey. Make sure to cater to additional time when arriving at Istanbul Airport since there is a security checkpoint before entering the terminal. Door 5 will be easiest for Singapore Airlines and you can also use the priority lines for business class holders. Singapore Airlines uses check-in counters at Row K. I check in my bags in no time. There was barely anyone in the business class lines. We can also use the fast-track lines for priority security and immigration. This is available for business class and elite status holders.

Boarding Process

Singapore Airlines’ boarding is always so early and efficient here in Istanbul. They always seem to start early. I was met at the gate by the Station Manager, who assisted me with my meal selections since they were missing from the system. It is so lovely to be once again onboard Singapore Airlines. I was warmly greeted at the door by Jeanette, who ushered me over to my seats. I managed to snag one of the bulkhead seats which are the best. Suppose you can go for row 11 or 19 on the A350. The crew are on point for this flight. Slippers and amenity kits were offered and they also brought over a welcome drink. I went for some Champagne! They have since reverted to the green colour for the Penhaligon’s amenity kits.

Le Labo kits are now being offered. I am keen to snag one of these on my next flight. Jeanette also came back to take orders for the meal and after take off drinks. Hot towels were offered. We pushed back on time and the IFM also came by to welcome us board and to introduce himself. That is excellent!   

Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class

I shall not dwell too much on the hardware and the seats since I have reviewed this product countless times. You can find some of my recent reviews of this cabin here and here. I will just include some pictures of my seats here. The bulkhead seats are amazing and the best onboard. These are as good as or superior to some First Class out there.

Meal Service

Right after levelling off and with the seat belt sign turned off, the crew sprang into service to offer after-take-off drinks. I went with a Silver Kris Sling! I have been craving for it for a long time.

You can find the menu for the flight over here. Do note that Istanbul is not on the Book The List. You are limited to the inflight menu. The crew soon came by with a cart and we were served the canape. They plated the satay by the seat. I love these lovely chicken satays! It is unbelievable how they still have the character. This is served with a generous dollop of peanut sauce, onion and cucumber. This tasted so good after being away from Singapore for two weeks.

The actual meal service started about 1.5 hours after take-off with full proper table service and white tablecloth. I was first brought the appetizer. I was not a fan of the mezze plate. I left the Dolma with Hummus, Roasted Red Peppers and Lemon mostly untouched. I switched to a glass of the 2020 Alvaro Palacios Remondo, Spain red wine. I miss it when they pour the wine by your seat. That is so classy. On this day, they will just bring a glass from the galley.

The crew later came by with some pastries and I got the garlic bread as per usual. This was so disappointing. It is the second time in a row that the garlic bread was a disaster from Istanbul station. I was briefly chatting with the crew regarding this and they shared that Istanbul station always cuts the bread too thin and this makes it like crouton after the crew heat it up.

For my main, I ordered the Seabass En Papillote. The seabass was wrapped and slow-cooked with various aromatics. This tasted so good and it is hands down one of the best fish dishes and SQ business-class meals I had onboard. It was flavorful and moist. I believe that the paper helps when the crew reheat it onboard. It tasted a bit like Sour Veg Fish. The portion is slightly on the smaller side. I could have mopped off another one. I switched over to the 2018 Chateau Loudenne for this. This is much better than the Remondo which is way too acidic for my liking.

The crew brought over the dessert trolly and presented the options. I had both the Rich Chocolate Bar with Mascarpone Cream as well as the Strawberry Ice Cream. They were alright. SQ desserts are always the most unmemorable aspect of their meals. They need to learn something from Qatar.

I got a snack and some noodles mid-flight. I was feeling a little peckish since the meal was on the smaller side earlier. Cup noodles onboard is such a vibe. It is even more amazing when you have cocktails and wines to go with it.

The second meal was served about 2 hours out of Singapore. It started with a hot towel service by the crew. That was thoughtful to freshen up. For the second meal, everything is done via a tray. I really wish they could remove the tray. We started with a fruit plate. The crew also got by with some pastries.

I skipped the muesli/yoghurt course. For my main, I opted to have the prawn congee. I am craving Asian food since I have been on the road for quite some time. The Prawn Congee with Crispy Shallots and Ginger was delicious but it isn’t really like congee. The texture is more like boiled rice or porridge. It comes with 6 huge prawns.

Service was very good onboard this flight with excellent hospitality shown by Yuyan, Jeanette and Ruby. The meal finished with about 1.5 hours to go which feels a little too early. They could have pushed back the meal slightly to maximise the rest time.

Conclusion

The value is unbeatable when you fly back from Istanbul. This was even sweeter when I combined this ticket with another connecting flight to Bangkok. The flight was decent with fairly good service. The meals on this flight were pretty good. I really enjoyed it. I also managed to get a solid 3 hours of nap onboard. 10 hours went by in no time and we landed on time. If you are keen on flying the Istanbul route. Please make sure to reserve it early.