After countless flights in Singapore Airlines Business Class, I have to say that I am rarely on the A380. I even tend to avoid them as I feel that they are subpar compared to the 777 and A350. This time around, I am back on the A380 for my flight to Sydney. I went for it since the timings work well, and this flight comes with a full meal service. It will also get into Sydney nicely, giving me a full day. The 380 is definitely best with the Suites, but sadly, I didn’t manage to get them this time around. Somehow, my last 380 J class experience was similarly from Sydney back to Singapore. I managed to snag the double-bed seats this time around, and I hope it will be a better experience. I have never tried these before. My family got it about 10 years back. It was quite a gimmick since only 6 seats out of the entire business class get these double beds. Furthermore, this is the largest business class cabin in the SQ fleet. I paid 68,500 miles and 104 SGD for this ticket. Check out my collection of SQ Premium Cabin reviews here. Let’s check this out! 

Checking In

My flight was due to depart at 8.20pm. I was already here at the airport in the afternoon. It makes more sense for me to grab lunch at the lounge and to clear some last-minute items that I had on my to-do list. I am always a big fan of the airport. Check-in was fast and easy, especially during the lull period in the afternoon. I spent most of my time over in the SilverKris Lounge, Terminal 3. 

Boarding Process

Boarding is scheduled for 7.50pm. Always make sure to set aside some time to clear the security over here at the individual gates. It might get really hectic, especially for a full A380 flight. I wanted to get some nice pictures of the cabin since I rarely fly it. They usually use one of the bigger cluster gates in the A and B Pier. I really wish SQ would offer priority lines for premium passengers. Boarding started sharply at 7.50pm with the suites and then business class, PPS Club members. I was one of the first to board. It is such a huge business class cabin here with 78 seats. I will be seated all the way at the end in row 91. At the door, I was warmly welcomed by the crew. Jiaen then ushered me all the way to my seat and helped me with my bags. She was such a delight and very proactive with small conversations. Top-notch hospitality and service from here. Another crew, Clara was amazing too! We chatted for a little while during the flight. The A380 really have a spectacular and experienced crew. 

While on the ground, she also came by to reconfirm my meal choices for the flight and to take drinks after takeoff. The crew also came by with welcome drinks with a choice of Bellini,  juices and Champagne. I got some Piper-Heidsieck. Jiaen soon came back with the amenity kits. The Le Labo kits are now in a new colour. I love the cool black look of it. Weirdly, SQ is changing the business class amenities in the toilets offered to Payot rather than Le Labo items. The Penhaligons’ collaboration is ending. 

These seats are surprisingly very comfy, especially since we are in the bulkhead. We pushed back shortly after 20.25pm and were airborne by 20.40pm. We had a very long taxi ride on the ground. I clearly don’t mind a delay. This must be a rather new plane. Everything is so well-maintained and new. The seats are in great condition. As we board, a full set of amenities and bedding is already left on the seats. I love it when there is proper turndown service for a flight. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class Double Bed

I am not a huge fan of these, given how big the cabin is. There are a mind-boggling 78 business class seats. You don’t get the exclusivity of being in business. 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. I was in the second cabin at the back of the plane. It is quite a walk from the door. The seats are very new and comfortable. It does seem like we got a rather new plane. I love the seat support on the back. It seems to have a little contour support. 

Furthermore, given how the seats are on the upper deck, the overhead compartments are much more significantly narrower. It was a struggle to fit in a cabin-size suitcase. The best seats on this plane will be the bulkhead seats. These are rows 11, 91 and 96. Do note that only the middle seats in these three rows can be converted into double beds. These are the best for couples. This time around, we will be seated in 91D and 91F. I managed to get the coveted double beds in business class. It is only available onboard the A380 in SQ.  

Let me give you a brief introduction to the seat. It has been quite some time since I last sat in this seat. I do feel like the seat is slightly different, especially with the back contour support. This is much more comfortable than the A350 seats. Left on the seats is a large pillow, and then they also have a little armrest on the side that you can flip down to provide some additional support. 

The bulkhead seats offer much more space and privacy. You have a huge 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 plane is also equipped with Wifi, and currently, all KrisFlyer members get unlimited wifi onboard. Then, on the sides of the screen, you can find a compartment where you can store some small items for easy accessibility. The seat controls are near the console, and they are intuitive enough. What I didn’t like about this seat is the placement of the power outlets. It is right beside the TV screen, which makes it a weird spot to charge your device. You will also not be able to use it when charging unless you have a really long cable. 

I had a little platform on my right where you can leave some drinks and loose items. There is also a side light and vanity mirror here. The table slides out from under the panel. The locations makes it kind of impossible for you to get out when it is out. 

On the left, there is a panel that can be put up or down, depending on whether you’re travelling with a partner or a stranger. When left all the way down, it does provide really good space for dining together and also being a flat surface for the bed later.

In the slots here at the bottom, you can also find some reading materials, the noise-cancelling headphones and a bottle of water.

Given that I was in a bulkhead seat, the ottoman area is especially huge. You can move your legs around without being confined to an angle like the other seats. This is about as good as it gets in business class. It also forms part of the sleeping surface when the seat is made fully flat. Under the Ottoman area, it comes with a very spacious area for you to leave cabin-sized bags and your shoes.

Coming to the highlight of these seats, the double beds. The seats can be converted with the use of the controls. You do not have to flip it around. The crew provided proper turndown service after the meal service. It comes with a proper duvet and a mattress topper. This is my favourite. The bedding is so much better compared to the A350. I prefer the A380 bedding, especially the pillow and duvet. They were so plush and comfortable. I managed to get a really good sleep all the way till the second meal service. A 2-3-hour sleep is as good as it gets for a flight of this duration. 

I went to check out the toilet, and it was spacious enough with lots of amenities. There are 5 toilets in total for business class passengers. 4 are in the middle and 1 is at the back. SQ have recently changed the amenities and now, Payot products are provided instead of Penhaligon’s. It sounds weird that Le Labo stuff is not provided instead. The toilets are always well-maintained by the crew. You can also find other amenities such as toothbrushes and a shaver in the toilet.

Meal Service

After the seat belt signs were turned off, the crew started to offer after takeoff. This is around 30 minutes after takeoff. Jiaen came by with the canapes. I love SQ satay! They have now removed the trolley service. Everything is brought out by the staff straight from the Galley. This is better since it is hotter. I had it together with some SilverKris Sling! 

You can find the menu for the flight over here. Got to love it when it is a full dinner service. This is another reason why I chose it. I am not a fan of the sleeper service commonly found on night flights. This flight comes with a full dinner service and refreshment. For the next flight departing at midnight to Sydney, they have reduced it to one single meal. We then start with the appetiser, which is a Silken Chicken Salad. This is an exclusive dish created for Singapore Airlines by COMO Shambhala. I love this dish. It is one of the best I’ve had on board. Super refreshing, and the chicken is so tender. I also love that the crew serve the dressing seat side. SQ appetisers are a mixed bag, but I am glad that this is one of the better ones. It is the course that I enjoyed the most.

Soon, Jiaen came over with my mains. I pre-ordered my main from the Book The Cook selection and got the Grilled Grain-Fed Black Angus Tenderloin. This is served with creamy polenta and red wine sauce with seasonal vegetables. I can’t say that I enjoyed this. It is way over-heated and too tough. I didn’t finish it. I appreciate the crew being concerned and taking my feedback well. They did offer me another dish, which I declined.

We then had the dessert. I got the Viennetta Vanilla Ice Cream and a cheese plate. I also ordered myself some port and enjoyed it. 

Service then finished with Jiaen coming by with some pralines. This is a recent addition to SQ meals, and chocolates were offered. It is a sweet treat and I love it.

The second meal service started around 1.5 hours before landing. I slept so well with the amazing bedding. The crew woke me up and offered a drink before serving me the meal. I got some Moroccan mint tea and went for the Hokkien Mee. There was no option to order Book The Cook for this meal. It was delicious and I finished it. Throughout the meal, Jiaen was so thoughtful and kept providing refills. 

We had about an hour to go after the meal. To recap, the service is top-notch on this flight, especially from Jiaen and Clara. They are one of the best I’ve had in recent years. I miss such crews and flights. Perhaps I need to revisit my thinking about A380 flights, as usually the crews here are more experienced. The seats are also top-notch, especially with the double beds.

Conclusion

What an enjoyable flight this is! I really enjoyed myself a lot. The crew on this particular flight is excellent with great hospitality. They were polished. It’s been such a long time since I had such a great crew. I really wish that the flight could be slightly longer. I will go my way out to fly more A380 flights even in Business Class. I wish this were a flight to FRA or NYC. To get the full experience, you really need to plan out which flight you want. Sometimes, you might get a diluted meal service on board. I also got a solid sleep for about 3 hours, which is as good as it gets on this sector. It is time to explore Down Under!