At the Airport

We had a connecting flight from Haneda to Singapore, so we were checked through for this flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. After disembarking from our previous flight, we headed to SilverKris Lounge at Terminal 2.

SilverKris Lounge

SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 2 is situated on Level 3 of the terminal building, about a 2-minute walk to the left of immigration clearance at the Terminal. The earthy vibe in the SilverKris Lounge at Terminal 2 can be immediately felt at the entrance to the Lounge. We spotted three staff standing by at the entrance, welcoming passengers into the lounge. From the entrance, the dining area is located to the left, while the lounging area is to the right. Most of the SilverKris Lounge is dedicated to lounging and is furnished with numerous armchairs for passengers to relax. The lounging area is further segregated into two sections by a false wall. The lighting in the larger section created a comfortable feel, partly contributed by the darker brown tone in this part of the lounge. I thought using a dimmer colour scheme and softer lighting made this space feel cosy despite being a larger area. The smaller section sits next to the larger lounging area. The use of a lighter brown tone, coupled with the brighter lighting, made this area feel larger than it is.

The white marble floors and tables contributed to the brighter look in the lounge’s dining area. Two counters serving hot food occupy the centre of the dining area. Singapore Airlines mainly offered local dishes served in a buffet style in the dining area. There is also a salad bar at the counter by the wall. The SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 2 dedicates a corner in the dining area to beverages, where spirits, soft drinks and coffee/tea are placed in this corner. The dining tables in this area sit on one side of the area, mainly consisting of longer tables that can sit up to eight pax, catering to larger groups.

SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 2 is also equipped with shower facilities and is located in the toilet. No booking is required for the use of these shower facilities; we just had to pop into unoccupied shower stalls. The shower stalls are equally luxurious, with sand-coloured marble on the walls and the flooring. The shower stalls felt a little tight in the space, and I found it challenging to find a place for my backpack. Each stall is fitted with a walk-in shower and a sink, and no toilets are fitted in any of the shower stalls.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines operates several aircraft on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route. We flew the B737-800NG aircraft, which the airline inherited from its sister company, Silkair, after the merger.

The Cabin

Singapore Airlines B737-800NG Business Class cabin has 12 Business Class seats in the first three rows of the aircraft, arranged in a 2-2 configuration. The cabin felt large, contributed by the bright white lights used during boarding and the fewer seats. The choice of dark brown leather on these seats contrasted with the bright cabin, exuding a sense of calm and elegance.

There is only one lavatory located behind the cockpit that serves all 12 Business Class passengers. As the B737-800NG is a smaller single-aisled aircraft, the lavatory onboard is smaller than the larger twin-aisle aircraft that Singapore Airlines uses. There is limited space for passengers to move around in the lavatory, but the use of bright lighting in the lavatory made it somewhat feel bigger. Similar to the larger aircraft, Singapore Airlines stocked its B737-800NG Business Class lavatories with the luxurious British branded Penhaligon’s hand lotion, facial mist and eau de toilette, on top of other amenities such as more premium dental kits and shavers that are available in the drawer.

The Seat

The B737-800NG is an older aircraft and the only type of aircraft in Singapore Airlines fleet that features a recliner Business Class product. Each of the 12 Business Class seats has a pitch of 38″ and measures 20″ wide. As a recliner seat, these Business Class seats can recline up to 6″. The thick cushioning in the seats made it feel very comfortable to sit on, even for longer flight time. As I was sitting in the bulkhead, I found the legroom situation to be generous. Controls of the different parts of the seat are done via the manual levers on the seat armrest. There are four levers that control the recline, the amount of lumbar support, the deployment of the legrest and the extension of the footrest. I found these levers difficult to control, probably due to ageing. Not all functions on my seat worked. While I could recline and deploy the legrest, I found the lumbar support and the footrest extension levers to be defective. My friend’s seat beside mine had its legrest and footrest function defective. The only reading light on these Business Class seats onboard the B737-800NG are found on the ceiling above the seat.

Singapore Airlines B737-800NG Business Class seats are fitted with a large table, stowed in the armrest during landings and take-offs. The bi-fold tables are folded into halves when stowed in the armrest. In the folded mode, The table took up half the width of the seat, and the thoughtful inclusion of a cup-shaped cut-out meant passengers do not need to deploy the table fully when using it for drinks only. When fully deployed, the sturdy table covered the entire width of the seat. The spacious wooden table allowed passengers to work on their laptops during flight. A small cocktail table is fitted into each Business Class seat, which can be deployed using the lever inside the armrest.

Singapore Airlines B737-800NG Business Class seats suffer from the lack of storage in the seat. The seat pocket fitted on the bulkhead was the only storage in the seat. The dual pouch-designed seat pocket is already stuffed with inflight literature and headphones at the time of our boarding, sparing little space for us to stow anything else. The small table space between the seats has limited aid to the storage situation in these seats, as we could only place our stuff on it when the aircraft is in the air. Each Business Class seat has an international power outlet and a USB-A charging port below it for us to charge our mobile devices.

Inflight Entertainment

As this is an older aircraft, Singapore Airlines B737-800NG did not come fitted with any personal TV in either Business Class or Economy Class cabins, nor was there Wi-Fi onboard. There is a set of instructions on obtaining KrisWorld on this older aircraft, but I could not connect to the onboard network. I did, however, find a headset in the set pocket to be connected to some old-school radio channels found on the seat’s armrest. I was quite surprised that these radio channels worked.

Meal

We were served a welcome drink onboard after the doors were closed. The cabin crew had only a short time to complete this service, from closing doors to taxiing, as the only entrance to the aircraft was via the door in front. We were offered apple juice and plain water as welcome drinks. Despite a short flight of around 50 minutes, Singapore Airlines still serves a meal onboard. The cabin crew whizzed into action as soon as the seat belt sign was turned off. The two meal options offered during this flight were avocado toast, carrots, and walnut cake. I opted for the walnut cake, which was tasty.

Service

Service onboard was great for this short Singapore to Kuala Lumpur flight. The cabin crew welcomed all passengers with a warm smile and pointed out our seats at the door. We were served welcome drinks when all passengers boarded, while another crew came around for our food order. A crew came by and offered my nephew a children’s amenity kit when she spotted him settling into his seat. Despite the short service time, a full cabin and the immense time pressure the cabin faces, the cabin crew completed the service with a smile and grace. The service did not come across as rushed, signalling how well-trained the cabin crew was. I witnessed a tremendous amount of teamwork by the cabin crew with the objective of making sure every business class was served their meal in good time.

Afterthought

Singapore Airlines B737-800NG Business Class cabin felt bright and spacious. The seat is very comfortable for this short flight time. However, some of the seat functions are not operational, showing signs of ageing of the aircraft. The service is top-notch, with cabin crew ensuring passengers were served with their meals. Despite the short flight time, the service rendered by the cabin crew did not feel rushed. I had a pleasant 50-minute flight with Singapore Airlines.