Singapore Changi Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines operates out of Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminals 2 and 3, with regional flights departing from Terminal 2. As a home port, Singapore Airlines operates several rows of check-in counters in Rows 3, 5 and 6 in Terminal 2. Passengers flying in Business and Premium Economy Class, as well as Star Alliance Elite Gold members, check in at the counters in Row 3. Only one counter for Business Class was operational for this early morning flight, resulting in a short wait of about 10 minutes for our check-in to be processed, with three other groups of passengers ahead of us in the queue. The ground staff was warm and friendly. She was efficient in checking us in, and we were done in under 5 minutes. Before sending us to immigration, the ground staff provided us with directions to the SilverKris Lounge and also reminded us to allow extra time to reach our boarding gate, as it is located in Terminal 1.

SilverKris Lounge @ Terminal 2

Singapore Airlines has two SilverKris Lounges in Changi Airport, the new and larger lounge in Terminal 3 and the older one in Terminal 2. We used the lounge in Terminal 2 as our flight departed from the terminal. SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 2 features an earthy theme, with the entire lounge decked in earthy brown colours, exuding a relaxing vibe. The low noise level in the lounge also contributes to the relaxing atmosphere. The lounge is mainly furnished with single-seat armchairs. Apart from a small number of seats at the entrance, most of the seats are housed in the area to the right of the lounge. There were plenty of seats to go around, and the lounge wasn’t too crowded at the time of our visit; we had no issues finding a seat. There are charging outlets in each seat, allowing passengers to keep their lifestyle devices fully juiced up before our flights. Food is served in a buffet line found on the left side of the lounge, featuring primarily local dishes with a small selection of Western options. There is a food cart at the end of the food area, serving made-to-order noodles, where the famous Singapore Airlines Laksa is also available. There are several dining tables available in the buffet area, primarily catering to larger groups. As there are limited tables available, we were unable to find any empty tables here. The shower facilities in SilverKris Lounge, located in Terminal 2, are situated inside the toilets. There are no counters to register for the use of these shower suites; passengers can just walk into any empty room to use the shower. All the shower rooms in the male toilet are available at the time of my visit.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines operates B787-10 and A350-900 between Singapore and Bangkok. The airline has three different configurations for its A350-900, and typically operates its A350-900 medium-haul variant on regional routes, such as the one between Singapore and Bangkok.

The Cabin

The Singapore Airlines A350-900 medium-haul variant’s Business Class cabin features an earthy tone, predominantly used in shades of brown in its seats and seat shells, which exudes a relaxing vibe. The dark brown carpet and the orange lighting used during boarding made the Business Class cabin look elegant. The Singapore Airlines A350-900 medium-haul variant’s Business Class cabin is divided into two sections: a larger section with 28 seats and a smaller rear cabin accommodating 12 seats. Such a layout made the cabin look intimate and cosy, which complemented the earthy vibe very well.

There are four lavatories, two in front of the Business Class cabin and another two between the two Business Class sections, serving all 40 Business Class passengers. The earthy tone seen in the cabin also extends to the lavatory, as evident in the brown backsplash at the sink and the dark brown sink cabinets. The use of plaster marble flooring further enhances the premium feel in the lavatory. Aside from the necessities in the lavatory, Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines in the world that fully stocks its lavatories with amenities such as dental kits and shavers for a 2-hour short hop between Singapore and Bangkok. In addition to these amenities, the airline also stocked its lavatories with hand cream, facial mist, and eau de toilette. I noticed there is a brand change from Penhaligon’s to Payot in these additional amenities.

The Seat

Singapore Airlines A350-900 medium-haul Business Class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each of the 40 seats has a pitch of 60″ and measures 28″ wide, capable of reclining 180° into a flat bed. I find these seats very comfortable, thanks to the luxurious leather used and the thick cushion padding designed into the seats. However, I thought the design of the seats makes moving in and out a little challenging due to the narrow access to the seats. Each of these seats comes in three modes: the upright mode for take-off and landings, the flat bed mode for sleeping and the in-between lounge mode for relaxing. The three preset seat modes can be activated with the touch of the haptic seat control buttons located on the inside of the seat armrest. In the bed mode, despite not being fitted with a door, privacy is ensured by the high seat shell design. However, I find the angle a tad too low when the seat is fully reclined, and it doesn’t help when the pillows provided by the airlines are too soft for my liking. I liked the lounge mode the best when I am not resting in the bed mode. The lounge mode allows me to relax and watch movies from the IFE. I like how the seat angle can be further customised according to my preference in lounge mode.

When it comes to storage, I appreciate the small cabinet installed at the side table by Singapore Airlines in its regional Business Class seats, allowing passengers to stow small items and the tablets they bring along with them. In addition to the side cabinet, the space beneath the footwell can also be used to store carry-on luggage, which is generous enough for me to place my backpack. The seat pocket in Singapore Airlines’ regional Business Class seats, though technically can be used to store items, is positioned in a way that makes accessing it challenging, which discouraged me from placing anything inside.

The Business Class seat table onboard Singapore Airlines A350-900 medium-haul variant is stored under the personal TV and can be released with a push of a lever. The bi-fold design of the seat table meant I did not have to fully deploy the table when I just wanted to use it to place small items. When fully deployed, the seat table is sizeable for one to work on their laptop. In addition to this seat table, the airline also designed a side table by the cabinet, which provided me with additional space to place my belongings. Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 medium-haul Business Class seats are equipped with one power outlet and two USB-A outlets inside the side cabinet for passengers to charge their electronic devices. In addition to the overhead reading lights, the seats are equipped with side lights located inside the seat shell, catering to all three modes of the seat setting.

Inflight Entertainment

Each Business Class seat is installed with an 18.1″ personal TV with touchscreen function. The picture quality on the IFE screen is crisp and sharp, and I appreciate that the screen can be tilted down, ensuring picture quality is not compromised even when passengers are watching movies in bed mode. The IFE controller resembles a smartphone, where operations are performed on the touchscreen panel on the controller. I find the IFE controller very intuitive to use, thanks to its clear and straightforward design layout. Singapore Airlines provides its Business Class passengers with noise-cancelling headphones, which are very effective in blocking ambient cabin noises. These headphones are so effective in blocking out sounds that I have to remove them when conversing with the cabin crew. Singapore Airlines’ In-flight Entertainment, KrisWorld, is stocked with a vast library of entertainment options, ranging from Hollywood Blockbusters to classic movies of yesteryear and even short TV sitcoms. There is even a section of games to keep the young and the young at heart entertained. Singapore Airlines offers complimentary wifi to its Business Class passengers, and we can connect up to three devices at one time (Singapore Airlines also offers complimentary wifi to KrisFlyer members flying in Economy Class, but they can only connect one device at a time). As with most airlines, the internet connection was only suitable for web browsing and social media browsing, but not for streaming videos.

Meal

Singapore Airlines offers a “Book-the-Cook” service for its Business Class passengers on flights operating out of Singapore and selected airports, allowing passengers to select meal choices that are not part of the regular menu served onboard. However, the “Book-the-Cook” menu offered to us appears to be a watered-down version, with only six choices, perhaps due to the time of the flight and the flight time. I opted for the Singapore Nasi Lemak from the “Book-the-Cook” menu. The cabin crew confirmed our food choice before departure, and we were promptly served once the seatbelt sign was turned off. The coconut-flavoured rice was fragrant, and the sambal chilli was flavourful. However, I find the fried chicken a little on the dry side. As part of celebrating Singapore’s 60th Birthday, Singapore Airlines included one Singaporean dish in its regular menu. In addition to the Scrambled Eggs and Indonesian Beef Fried Noodles, we also found Singapore Fried Carrot Cake on the regular menu.

Service

The service on this flight between Singapore and Bangkok was top-notch. It was a great departure from my last experience with Singapore Airlines in March. The cabin crew came across as friendly and welcoming, despite being on an early morning flight. Other than the mandatory greeting at the door during boarding, we were escorted to our seats by another cabin crew upon entering the cabin. Not long after settling into my seat, the cabin crew member working at my aisle, Poppy, came over to introduce herself to me, while confirming my pre-ordered meal. Poppy was constantly seen patrolling the cabin, despite working on the turnaround flight, and was very cheerful. Farid was the other leading steward working in my aisle with Poppy. When my meal was served, Farid noticed that I hadn’t had any drinks and quickly checked with me to see if I needed any. He was very prompt in serving my drink after taking my request. When I was heading to the bathroom, Farid hurried in to ensure it was clean for me to use. Farid was always seen with a smile. The other cabin crew, Cassi, was working on the aisle where my friend was seated. When we pointed out my friend’s seat issue (there were some mechanical issues that required an engineer to fix) while on the ground, Cassi was constantly updating us on the engineer’s whereabouts while we waited for him to board. She was also seen constantly checking in on my friend to ensure he is comfortable during the flight.

Afterthought

We had a great flight with Singapore Airlines for this short 2-hour flight from Singapore to Bangkok. Despite being a short flight, the Business Class seat was able to turn into a flat bed for passengers who prefer to catch some snooze during the flight. The seat was comfortable, thanks to its luxurious leather and thick padding. The cabin crew were cheerful and friendly, despite being on an early morning flight and working a turnaround flight (I can imagine how early each of them had to wake up and how tiring it must be for them, as they would be returning to Singapore on the same flight). These friendly crew seem to take pride in their work, and their cheerfulness exudes a happy vibe that makes the flight enjoyable.