At the Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Airlines operates from Terminals 2 and 3 at Changi Airport, with most regional flights operated by the airlines departing from Terminal 2. As our flight today is a regional flight, we departed from Changi Airport Terminal 2. Singapore Airlines operates several rows of check-in counters in the terminal, with Row 3 dedicated to Business Class, Premium Economy, PPS and Elite Gold passengers. Row 5 and 6 are dedicated to passengers flying Economy Class. Singapore Airlines recently upped the perks for Elite Silver members, where these members have dedicated check-in counters. The Elite Silver member check-in counter is in Row 6, at the end of the self-deposit counters. The ground agent at the Elite Silver came across as annoyed when she failed to convince us to use the self-check-in systems. She seemed unhappy about having to work to process our luggage. It took her a while to complete our check-in process. She did not even bother to brief us on the gate and the boarding time.

Da Nang International Airport

Da Nang International Airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 mainly serves domestic flights, and Terminal 2 serves international flights. The check-in counters at Da Nang International Airport Terminal 2 are split into a left and right row, with immigration gates wedged in between. Singapore Airlines occupies check-in counters 22 – 25, next to the immigration gate in the centre of the terminal building. Two of the four counters are dedicated to Economy Class passengers, one for Business Class and one for KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Silver members. As we were one of the last passengers to check in, hardly anyone was queuing in all three lines. We were able to use the counter for Elite Gold/Silver members since my friend is an Elite Silver member. The ground staff was efficient in processing our check-in. It did not take her too long to hand us our boarding pass, and she reminded us of the boarding time and boarding gate.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines uses the B737-8 Max aircraft to service the two flights to Da Nang daily.

The Cabin

Singapore Airlines B737-8 Max Economy Class cabins have a vibrant colour tone, using mainly blue and light grey colours for the 144 Economy Class seats. The white interior of the cabin, combined with the white lighting, makes the Economy Class section of the aircraft look larger. The light blue mood lighting used during boarding and throughout the flight enhances the cheerful vibe in the cabin.

There are two lavatories, located in the aft of the aircraft, serving all 144 Economy Class passengers. The B737-8 Max, a smaller aircraft, has a smaller lavatory than the bigger twin-aisle aircraft the airline operates. The use of white colour and lighting in the interior of the lavatories not only provides consistency with the colour scheme in the Economy Class cabin but also makes the lavatory look larger. Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines that stocked its Economy Class lavatories with dental kits in addition to the usual hand soap.

The Seat

Singapore Airlines B737-8 Max Economy Class seats are arranged in a 3-3 configuration, each with a pitch of 30″ and a width of 17″ and can recline up to 3″. Although the padding was not as thick as that found on Singapore Airlines’ wide-body aircraft, I felt the padding was sufficiently comfortable for this under 3-hour flight. The legroom was very generous in the exit row seats, which we managed to snug. I can stretch out my legs and even move in and out of my seat without my seat neighbour getting out of her seat. The downside of this exit row seat is the inability of our seats to be reclined and the distance between the seat and the tray table. Given this was a short 2hr 50 min, we were not too bothered by the lack of a recline function, but passengers occupying this row might find it uncomfortable for longer flight time. In addition to the overhead reading light fitted in each Economy Class seat, Singapore Airlines B737-8 Max also has individual air nozzles above the seats.

The tray table in the Economy Class seats onboard the B737-8 Max feels a little small but sturdy. There was little room left to place our drinks after the cabin crew placed the meal tray on our table. Due to the slightly larger space between my seat and the seat in front at the exit row, the distance to the tray table is also further. This meant that I had to move forward to consume my meal. Like most Economy Class seats, the only storage option in these seats was the seat pocket in front of us, which had limited storage capacity. With most of the space in the seat pocket filled with inflight literature, I could only fit small items such as my passport, the earplugs provided by the airline, and my charging cable.

I sat in the “normal” Economy Class seat for my return flight. Although the space between the seats was not as generous as in the exit row, I found the legroom was still as generous. Accompanying the closer space with the seats in front, the distance to the tray table was perfect for consuming meals in these “normal” seats. These “normal” Economy Class seats also come with a recline function, which vastly improves the comfort of these seats. I unknowingly dozed off in my seat.

Inflight Entertainment

Singapore Airlines fitted its B737-8 Max Economy Class with a 10″ HD touchscreen personal TV to entertain passengers. With the PTV having a touchscreen function, Singapore Airlines eliminated the IFE controller in Economy Class onboard this aircraft. The touchscreen function on the PTVs is very responsive, and I did not experience any lag issues when using them. Singapore Airlines loaded its KrisWorld entertainment with a huge library of movies and TV shows in an easy-to-navigate menu. There is no lack of movie options on KrisWorld, from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to TV series, to keep me entertained throughout the flight. Complementary Wi-Fi was available to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer members, even in Economy Class, after the aircraft reached cruising altitude. The internet was sufficient for passengers to browse or post pictures on social media, but it was quite slow when streaming videos from YouTube.

Meal

SIN-DAD

Singapore Airlines has a rather weak breakfast offering in its Economy Class today for our flight to Da Nang. The two choices for breakfast in Economy Class today – Scrambled Eggs with Chicken sausage and Pork Congee, were not to my liking. I pre-ordered the highly appraised Hindu non-vegetarian meal online. True to the reviews, the Hindu non-vegetarian meal was delicious and flavourful. The spices used in the meal were not too overpowering, and the meat was tender. However, I find the portion a tad small. My friend opted for the Pork Congee and commented the congee was flavourful.

DAD-SIN

Singapore Airlines served Roasted Chicken or Singapore Laksa for dinner on this leg to Singapore. Unfortunately, we were only left with one of the two options as the airlines ran out of chicken by the time the meal cart came to us (we were seated at the back of the aircraft), as both meal carts started from the front of the aircraft. The Laksa that I had was flavourful, with a strong hint of coconut from the broth, and the chilli that was already in the Laksa enhanced the taste of the meal. I also liked the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, which was served as a dessert with a strong banana taste.

Service

The service onboard both legs of our flight was great. The cabin crew welcomed us at the entrance and distributed the earplugs at the same time. Despite being a turnaround flight, the diligent cabin crew were seen constantly patrolling the cabin after meal service to help passengers clear the trash. We pranked our friend who flew on her birthday for our trip to Danang. We “conspired” with the cabin crew, who was sporting enough to help us with the prank. The inflight manager even brought my friend a glass of champagne to celebrate her birthday. Despite being tired from the long flight (a total of 7 hours or more considering both legs), the cabin crew showed no signs of weariness and still provided service with a smile. I witnessed a few occasions where passengers walked down the aisle for the lavatory during meal service, disrupting the cabin crew’s work. The cabin crew tirelessly halted meal service and pushed the cart to the galley several times to make way for these passengers.

Afterthought

I had an enjoyable flight onboard Singapore Airlines B737-8 Max to and from Da Nang. The seats were comfortable, and the vast library on KrisWorld kept me sufficiently entertained, which made the flight time feel short. The welcoming and cheerful cabin crew made the flight very pleasant. Despite being tired from the long working hours, they were still seen diligently patrolling the cabin and ensuring passengers were comfortable.