At the Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines departs from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport from Terminal 1. All check-in counters in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are on level 3 of the terminal. Singapore Airlines check-in counters are located in Hall 1, with six counters serving the airlines. Two counters were assigned for bag drop, which I assume serves passengers who had checked in with the self-check-in kiosks in the terminal. One counter each serving passengers travelling in Economy and Premium Economy Class. I assume the Premium Economy counter would serve Economy Class passengers when no one is in the queue. The last two counters served Business Class passengers. The Parisian Airport guards the Business Class queue very tightly. We saw two airport staff standing at the beginning of the line, ensuring only Business Class passengers were allowed into the queue. The ground staff checking us in was very friendly and efficient. She processed welcomed us and processed our check-in efficiently. She also briefed us on the lounge we could go to and gave us directions on how to get there. She also reminded us that we should go to the gate near Hall 3 for fast-track immigration and security clearance at Access Lane No. 1.

Star Alliance Lounge

There are two Star Alliance Lounges at Paris Charles de Gaulle Terminal 1. The older lounge is assigned to those travelling within the Schengen zone, and a newer one was just opened in Oct 2023 for passengers travelling outside the Schengen zone. The new lounge is located after the security clearance on level 3 of the terminal building. The new Star Alliance Lounge feels airy and open, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling window that faces the tarmac. The wooden parque flooring matches the white marble entrance, giving it a posh look. The Star Alliance lounge has three distinct areas: the lounge area, the dining area, and the work area. The lounging area occupies a bulk of the floor space in the lounge, occupying the centre of the lounge. We were greeted by a bar counter from the main entrance serving cocktails and alcoholic drinks. This is the start of the lounging area, where we spotted some couches and armchairs dotted around this area, perfect for larger groups to sit together and chill. Behind the cocktail bar are lounging seats catering for solo travellers that face the tarmac.

To the left of the entrance to the lounge, a bright area houses the first dining area. Behind this dining area is the outdoor terrace. Opposite the dining area is quieter, catering to passengers who want to catch some rest between flights, where single-seat armchairs with ottomans are fitted facing the tarmac. The high-partitioned tables, high-back chairs here, and the two workspace cubicles provide passengers privacy to do their work or engage in video conferencing. Pass the work area in the Star Alliance Lounge, tucked in one corner is the toilet and four shower rooms. To use the shower facilities, we are required to surrender our boarding pass in exchange for a key at the reception. The black marble walls and the shower room’s light brown sink counter area gave it a clean and chic look. Despite being a semi-open shower stall, I did not find water splashing out of the wet area of the shower room.

The main dining area is located to the right of the entrance to the lounge. Before hitting the main dining area, I passed a wine room stocked with wines displayed on the glass window to the semi-open bar. Passengers are welcome to taste the wine inside this bar. There is restaurant-style table seating that seats two pax per table next to the buffet area in the main dining area. Those in a larger group can opt to use the long table in the centre of the buffet area. For a lounge, I’d say the food selection is quite substantial. We were treated to 11 choices in the warm food area, which were topped up regularly. There is a separate salad bar in the cold food area where we found yoghurt and desserts. The Star Alliance Lounge also has a bread counter with a drinks station stocked with limited bread choices.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines used to deploy their A380-800 to Paris. Since the pandemic, the airlines only deployed their Long Haul A350-900 to Paris.

The Cabin

Singapore Airlines A350-900 has 253 seats, 42 in Business Class, 24 Premium Economy seats and 187 Economy cabins. The 42 seats in Business Class are further split into 26 seats in the forward Business Class cabin and another 16 in the smaller aft Business Class cabin. The ambience in the Business Class cabin felt cosy and calming. Singapore Airlines employs earthy tones in their Business Class seat and carpeting. The use of lilac-coloured lighting combined with soft, warm yellow lighting enhances the feel of calmness in the cabin.

There are three lavatories in the Business Class cabin: one up front behind the cockpit and two between the two Business Class cabins. The lavatories were also decorated with an earthy tone of dark brown in the sink cabinets and sand colour in the walls. The Business Class lavatories onboard Singapore Airlines A350-900 feel classy and spacious with the combination of the colour theme and the abundance of mirrors. The lavatories are very well stocked with amenities such as dental and shaving kits in the drawers and Penhaligon’s eau de toilette, facial mists and hand lotion. Other than paper towels and soft tissues, Singapore Airlines also stocked its Business Class lavatories with cloth handkerchiefs, which is uncommon on other airlines.

The Seat

The seats onboard Singapore Airlines A350-900 are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. These controversial seats have a pitch of 60″ and measure 28″ wide. The seat onboard Singapore Airlines A350-900 is very comfortable, thanks to the generous width and the thick cushioning. They are one of the widest seats one can get in the sky. There are technically three modes the Singapore Airlines Business Class seats can be converted to, but the seat controls on the armrest are only programmed for the upright mode for take-off/landing and the lounge mode. The upright mode was supposed to be the most uncomfortable as it entails sitting up straight; however, the thick padding and the ultra-wide seats made up for the uncomfortable sitting position. The lounge mode is my favourite mode. In this mode, I was able to recline the seat to a position that allowed me to relax. Other than the preset position, the seat controls allowed me to adjust the angle of the recline and how much I wanted the calf rest to pop up. I find the lounge mode best when watching movies or dining. The third mode, the full flatbed mode, requires cabin crew to flip the seat. Passengers will sleep on the back of the seat while in this mode. The comfort level of sleep is very personal: while some had complained about how hard the back is, I find the firmness acceptable and comfortable (or maybe I was too tired). I was able to get a good 6 hours of sleep onboard. The other thing that passengers usually complain about is the Lazy-Z seat design. This requires passengers to sleep at a certain angle to fit their feet into the cubby hole. As a side sleeper, I was not too bothered by the sleeping angle. The big pillow placed on the seat waiting for passengers when we boarded the aircraft was comfortable to sleep in. In addition, when converted to bed mode, passengers are given a smaller firm pillow.

I like the generous storage space on the Singapore Airlines A350-900 long-haul Business Class seats. A small cabinet in front of the seat has a sliding door large enough for passengers to stow tablets. The sliding door prevents the items from falling off during take-off/landing and turbulence. There is another open shelf next to the seat for passengers to stow flat items for easy access. However, as this cubby was not fitted with a door, passengers are required to keep this cabinet empty during take-off/landing. On top of these, there is yet another cubby with a cover by the window that was fairly deep for passengers to stow small items. I use this cubby to stow my passport and phone when not charging. There is sufficient space under the footrest for passengers to place my carry-on.

On top of the overhead reading light fitted on the ceiling of the aircraft, there is one on the right of the seat, next to the window. This reading light is perfect when the seat is in upright or lounge mode. Another set of reading lights is fitted on the aisle side of the seat. This reading light provides illumination when the seat is in bed mode. Singapore Airlines fitted one power outlet and a USB-A charging port in the cubby hole next to the seat, allowing passengers to charge their lifestyle devices. The seat table, stored in the inner armrest when unused, was sizeable and sturdy. The table can be swivelled to allow access to the seat even when deployed. I like how Singapore Airlines fitted a smaller cocktail table under the cabinet in front of the seat. This ledge allowed passengers to place their drinks without needing to deploy the large seat table. The seat pocket is found in the inside armrest, containing the menu, in-flight magazines and safety card.

Inflight Entertainment

Each Business Class seat onboard the A350-900 long haul variant of the aircraft is fitted with a generous 18″ personal TV. The large TV screen makes watching movies very comfortable and gives me a mini theatre feel, especially when the cabin lights are dimmed. The TV screen does not have touchscreen functions, so accessing inflight entertainment solely relies on the IFE controller, which resembles a handheld gaming console. We could use the touchscreen function on the controller or the analogue buttons to access entertainment onboard. Singapore Airlines provides noise-cancelling headphones to its Business Class passengers. The headphones were so efficient in blocking out sound that I had to remove them when speaking to the cabin crew. There are two headphone jacks on each Business Class seat, one next to the seat in the cubby to be used when the seat is in the lounge or upright mode, and another next to the seat controls by the armrest for passengers to use when in bed mode. Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system – KrisWorld, is loaded with many entertainment options, from the latest Hollywood blockbuster to TV shows to games that make the 14-hour flight time feel short. KrisWorld’s menu was well-designed, and the entertainment options were well-categorised and easy to navigate. Singapore Airlines offers free unlimited Wi-Fi onboard for its business class passengers and KrisFlyer members travelling in economy class. The Wi-Fi onboard was stable but capable of scrolling and posting on social media. Passengers wanting to stream videos from YouTube will find the speed of streaming challenging.

Meal Service

For this red-eye flight, Singapore Airlines served dinner and breakfast. Singapore Airlines has a book-the-cook service for flights departing Paris, but the choices were not as extensive as those with Singapore departures. The meal service started about 30 mins into the flight, and the cabin crew laid the table for passengers in Business Class. The cabin crew pushed a trolley down the aisle serving Singapore Airlines’s signature Chicken Satay. The chicken satay was tender and flavourful. I could taste the smokiness of the BBQ flavour on the satays. The accompanying peanut sauce was a tad too dry and not spicy. I guess Singapore Airlines modified the sauce to suit international travellers who do not take spicy food. The appetiser round followed after the satay service, where Parma Ham and Duck Foie Gras were served. The Foie Gras was tasty and complemented well with the saltiness of the Parma Ham. However, the meal went downhill after the appetiser round. For the main course, we were given the choice of beef fillet, chicken noodles soup, roasted lamb Shoulder, or Thai-style fried rice with seafood. I opted for the Beef Fillet as it had an “exclusively created” logo on the menu. The beef was a disappointment; it was chewy and severely undercooked. I had a hard time cutting through and biting the beef. The only thing that was tasty in the main course was the Ratte potatoes. I gave up after having two bites. For the dessert, I opted for Souffle Grand Marnier. My impression of souffle was soft and fluffy. However, the souffle was hard as a rock. I also gave up eating after having two bites.

Breakfast service begins about 2 hours before landing. The breakfast service began with a fruit platter of grapes, tangerines, strawberries and honeydew. I only ate the honeydew, which was sweet and juicy. A cabin crew came by and offered a choice from the bread basket. I went for the croissant and au pain chocolate. The breads were tasty and fluffy. I used the book-the-cook service for the main course and opted for Nasi Uduk, a coconut-flavoured rice served with spicy sambal prawns, fried chicken and spring onion omelette. The Nasi Uduk was another disappointment; I could hardly taste any coconut flavour in the rice, which was soggy. The fried chicken was not crispy and tasted like it had been left in the fridge for days. The only saving grace was the prawns, but despite indicating as spicy, I did not taste any spiciness in the prawns.

Service

Service onboard was impeccable, as always. We were warmly welcomed by the cabin crew and were escorted to our seats during boarding. We were addressed by our last name, which made the service personal. I was well taken care of by Gwen throughout the flight, who went around the aisle welcoming and introducing every passenger in her area of responsibility during boarding. Gwen was very diligent in carrying out her duties, constantly patrolling the cabin to check if any passengers required anything. She also volunteered to convert my seat into bed mode and even made up the bed so I could get some sleep after dinner. She would always check if I needed any drinks. I raised the issue of the beef with Gwen; she immediately checked to see if I wanted anything else from the menu. Gwen came across as being very personable and caring. The other cabin crew I had the opportunity to interact with was the Inflight Manager, Shee Lee. She was standing by the door welcoming every Business Class passenger during boarding. Shee Lee was very knowledgeable and displayed great leadership in leading her crew. She was also seen leaning in to help her crew when they were overwhelmed so that passengers did not have to wait longer than they should. Shee Lee was brilliant in conversations. She gave me a good insight into the life of a cabin crew. She even gave me recommendations and tips on travelling in Paris for me to consider the next time I return to Paris.

Afterthought

The Business Class seats onboard Singapore Airlines A350-900 long haul variant are controversial products. Some passengers complained about the comfort when sleeping in bed mode, and others complained about the troublesome process of converting from sitting to sleeping mode. I find the seat to be comfortable both in seat and bed mode. I like the wide seating design, which contributed to my being able to grab rest for 6 hours in flight. The service was impeccable onboard, from boarding to deplaneing. The cabin crew came across as personable and was always ready to ensure passengers had a good time flying with the airline. The food served onboard was terrible. The beef was undercooked, and the dessert was too hard to eat. Even the book-the-cook meal was a disappointment.