Singapore Changi Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines operates out of Changi Airport’s Terminals 2 and 3, with Terminal 2 primarily catering to regional flights. Although our flight is technically classified as a regional flight (under 6 hours), it departs from Terminal 3 today. Singapore Airlines occupies several rows of check-in counters in Terminal 3, each row serving a different travel class. Rows 3 and 4 serve Economy Class passengers, while Row 7 serves KrisFlyer Silver members, and Row 6 is dedicated to passengers flying in Business Class and Star Alliance Gold members flying on Singapore Airlines. We checked in at Row 6, located in the centre of the terminal building, with Door 5 as the nearest entrance. Despite it being Christmas and the school holiday season, there was no queue at the Business Class counters when we arrived, as all were open. We met with a friendly check-in staff who made our check-in experience positive. Despite the early morning, the energetic staff was welcoming and processed our check-in with much efficiency. She also gave us directions to the SilverKris Lounge and reminded us of the time we should be at our gate. The ground staff also told us that our gate was very close to the lounge and encouraged us to enjoy the lounge longer.

Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge @ Terminal 3

SilverKris Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 is Singapore Airlines’ flagship lounge and the largest of the airline’s lounges worldwide. SilverKris Lounge is located one floor above the transit area, with the escalator diagonally opposite Bacha being the closest one that brings directly to the main entrance. The first thing that caught my eye was the bar to the right of the entrance to SilverKris Lounge. Here we can order cocktails and mocktails from the bartender, who is happy to whip up the signature Singapore Sling. Further into the right side of the entrance, past the bar, we spotted a small buffet line mainly stocked with finger food. A large fridge stocked with drinks—beer, soda, and juice—provides hydration for passengers in this part of the lounge. The area after the buffet and beverage stations is mainly furnished with lounge seating, arranged in groups of four. This part of the lounge is the quietest, with most of the passengers just relaxing wiating for their flight. There are also tall tables in this part of the lounge, ideal for passengers who want to work.

The area to the left of the entrance mainly houses the dining area in SilverKris Lounge. Other than a small section of the lounging area at the front of the lounge and a separate room with more lounging armchairs, most of this area of the lounge is furnished with a dining table set up seating two or four passengers. The toilet and shower facilities are also found in this part of the lounge. To make it convenient for passengers, the main buffet line is also found in this area. Singapore Airlines is very generous with its food offerings. There is a relatively large selection of local and western options, and two stations at either end of the buffet line that offer cook-to-order noodles. The signature laksa, a Malay noodle dish, is a must-try for visitors to the SilverKris Lounge. In addition to the extensive food selection, the SilverKris lounge also has a section for fruits, salads, and desserts. Beverages are also found stocked on both sides of the main buffet line. There is a room at the end of the lounge, decked with 16 semi-open sleeping pods for passengers who want to catch a snooze.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines operates several aircraft types to Hong Kong, ranging from the superjumbo A380 to A350 and B777. Our flight today was operated by the A350-900 Medium Haul variant featuring the airline’s regional Business Class seats.

The Cabin

The Singapore Airlines A350-900 Medium Haul Business Class cabin mainly employs an earthy tone, evident in the seat and carpet furnishings, which complement the cream-coloured seat shell. The cabinetry and side tables at each seat use a lighter shade of brown, creating a relaxed vibe. The combination of orange and white mood lighting used during boarding gave the cabin an elegant look. The Business Class cabin on Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 Medium Haul variant is divided into a larger forward cabin with 28 seats and a more intimate aft cabin with 12 seats. We were seated in the smaller aft Business Class cabins with just three rows of seats.

Singapore Airlines has three lavatories serving all 40 Business Class passengers, one at the very front of the aircraft and the other two between the two Business Class cabins. The grey marble-plastered flooring, together with the dark brown used in the cabinet’s wooden panelling and the sand brown backsplash at the sink, gave it a premium look. The lavatories on Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 Medium Haul variant are rather standard in size, but the use of mirrors on both sides of the wall and the bright lighting make it feel larger. Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines in the world that fully stocks its lavatories (in both Business and Economy Class) with amenities such as dental and shaving kits. In addition to these amenities, the Business Class lavatories are also stocked with the premium Payot-branded hand lotion, facial mist, and eau de toilet.

The Seat

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Medium Haul Business Class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving passengers a seat pitch of 60″ and a width of 28″. I find these regional Business Class seats comfortable even in the default takeoff/landing mode, thanks to the thick padding and soft leather. However, I thought the entrance to the seats was a little tight for my window seat, as the side table was placed next to the aisle. These regional Business Class seats can also be reclined 180° into a flatbed. In flatbed mode, I was able to get some comfortable snooze in the seat. The seat did not feel too hard, and the bedding enhanced sleep comfort. Despite not having a door, I find a good amount of privacy in the seat in bed mode, especially when sitting next to the window, thanks to the seat shell’s high back. In addition to flatbed mode, Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class seats can also be converted to a relaxing lounge mode, a mode between the takeoff/landing position and the flatbed, via the preset haptic seat controls. I find this lounge mode the most comfortable, as I can customise the recline angle and seat position to my preferences using the seat control buttons.

There are several storage options in the Regional Business Class seats onboard the A350-900 Medium Haul aircraft. The most obvious is the enclosed cabinet at the side table in the seat. This cabinet is large enough for me to place my 11 “iPad, mobile phone, a couple of charging cables and my passport in. The sliding door on this cabinet also allowed us to stow our stuff during takeoffs and landings. In addition to storage, the cabinet also features two USB-A charging ports and one international power outlet, keeping our lifestyle devices juiced up before we deplane. Other than the cabinet, we can technically use the seat pocket to stow flat items. However, its location near the floor at the seat entrance requires a shift to access the items inside, making it rather inconvenient to stow items. The space under the footwell is large enough to stow carry-ons for those who do not want to place their items in the overhead compartment.

Singapore Airlines Business Class seat onboard their A350-900 Medium Haul variant is fitted with a large seat table, stowed under the personal TV. When fished out of its storage, the table is presented in a half-fold mode, but can be unfolded to reveal a sizeable, sturdy table that is great for dining or work. In addition to the overhead reading light, Singapore Airlines also installed a row of three reading lights inside the seat shell. I like how these reading lights correspond to the different seat modes, ensuring illumination regardless of seating configuration.

Inflight Entertainment

Singapore Airlines fitted a large 18.1″ personal TV in every Business Class seat. The picture quality of these TVs is sharp, making movie-watching enjoyable. The small touches, like the ability to tilt the TV downwards, ensure the picture quality does not deteriorate when receiving entertainment in bed mode. Entertainment options can be selected via the TV’s responsive touchscreen or the IFE controller. The IFE controller resembles a smartphone and is very intuitive to use, with entertainment selection via touchscreen menus. Singapore Airlines provides every Business Class passenger with noise-cancellation headphones that are very effective at blocking out noise. When it comes to entertainment variety, KrisWorld offers hundreds of movies, TV shows, and music to keep you entertained. These options are curated in very easy-to-navigate menus, where I had no trouble finding the latest Hollywood blockbuster or movies from a certain region to make the 4-hour flight time zoom past. There is even a small menu of games in KrisWorld to keep the young and the young at heart entertained. Singapore Airlines provides unlimited free wifi for its Business Class passengers. However, the internet connection was too slow for streaming videos, so only messaging and scrolling through social media were possible.

Meal

Singapore Airlines also offers a “Book the Cook” service to its Business Class passengers on flights departing Singapore, expanding the food selection beyond the three options from its in-flight menu. For the regular Business Class meals, we were given the options of Omelette, Singapore Bah Kut Teh or Dim Sum. Instead of ordering from this menu, I ordered Char Siew Wanton Dry Noodles from the “Book the Cook” menu. The meal service started with a fruit platter, followed by another cabin crew member going around the cabin with a bread basket. As it was an early morning flight, Singapore Airlines did not serve its signature garlic bread. The fruits tasted fresh and sweet, but the croissant was a tad cold for my liking. My main course, Char Siew Noodles, was delicious, and the noodles were not clumpy. The wantons were perfectly cooked, and the char siew was very well seasoned. Perhaps the thing that is missing is the spiciness. The Bah Kut Teh from the in-flight menu was well-seasoned and featured the peppery flavour of Singapore Bah Kut Teh. Overall, I thought the meal was excellent on this flight.

Service

The service we received on board this flight was nothing short of impeccable. We were warmly greeted by the in-flight manager at the door during boarding. Aside from the jovial greeting, she also guided us to the aisle to reach our seats. The cabin crew provided excellent service, smiling throughout the flight. The cabin crew working on my aisle came by and introduced herself, while addressing me by my first name, and confirmed my meal booking at the same time. As I was one of the last ones to board, I was not served a welcome drink. I witnessed the same cabin crew displaying care for her passengers. She constantly checked on my young nephew to ensure he was comfortable in his seat and even offered to help him buckle his seat belt before takeoff. We ordered Nais Lemak for my nephew from the “Book the Cook” menu, but he did not seem to like it (more of his preference). Upon spotting my nephew not touching his food, I overheard the same cabin crew asking if there was something on the in-flight menu that he wanted to eat. My nephew rejected the food, but the relentless cabin crew came back with a couple of biscuits for him in case he was hungry. I noticed the cabin crew constantly checked on my nephew to see how he was and if he needed anything to eat. The diligent cabin crew was also seen constantly patrolling the cabin to ensure all passengers under her charge were well cared for. My sibling celebrated his birthday on board, and the cabin crew surprised him with the cake that I pre-ordered before our flight. As this was a short flight, Singapore Airlines did not load its signature SQ bears. Instead, the Leading Stewardess serving my sibling’s aisle gave my sibling a small bear (out of her own pocket) as a replacement. What a thoughtful touch! As we were full and did not have space for the cake, the cabin crew packed the cake for us to take away.

Afterthought

We had a great flight with Singapore Airlines. The seats were comfortable even in upright mode, thanks to their thick cushioning. The seat’s comfort level has gone up a notch in lounge mode. I even managed to doze off for 30 minutes in flatbed mode. The Char Siew Noodle I ordered from the “Book the Cook” menu was delicious and flavourful. What made this flight enjoyable was the personable and caring cabin crew. They were friendly and took really good care of us, especially the cabin crew who constantly checked on my nephew to ensure he had an enjoyable flight.