To get from Australia to South Africa, I was flying in Singapore Suites on the A380 from Sydney to Singapore and then in Singapore Business class from Singapore to Johannesburg on a new A350. The flight in suites was probably the flight I was most excited about for the entire trip. Though before we get to the plane we've got to check in and visit the lounge! The Singapore experience started off right with no wait to check in. It was kind of crazy to see 5 separate check in lines. From left to right the lines are Suites, Business Class, Premium Economy, Internet Check in and Economy. As you can see they literally roll out the red carpet for the Suites class. That gave me a chuckle.
After checking in I spent some time in the Singapore first class lounge in Sydney. The lounge lobby is the same for both first class and business but when I showed my boarding pass they literally press a button on the side of the desk and a hidden door opens up and you are escorted into the first class lounge as opposed to the normal business lounge. The lounge was very nice with a dining area and several seating areas, one of which had a view over the tarmac. I really liked the look of the high back chairs.
It was time to start up on the champagne again! Though not too much because I knew what they'd serve onboard was even nicer than what was on offer in the lounge. There was food and drink available from a buffet but you could also order off a menu. I had a bit from the buffet and then ordered some chicken satay.
When it was time to board I headed to my gate which was pretty crowded. The A380 seats about 400 passengers and boarding had just begun. Consistent with the the Singapore experience thus far, there was an empty line at the front next to a sign that said "suites." I walked up and was immediately escorted to the jet bridge. After walking part way down there was a another sign for suites passengers where I boarded through the forward cabin door. Before I even reached the plane two crew members stepped into the jetbridge to welcome me. There are only 12 suites in the cabin, but on this flight there were only 4 of us, which made it feel that much more private. The seat is hard to photograph in one shot, but I was impressed!
I was offered my choice of Dom or Krug champagne. I started with the Dom and perused the rest of the menu.
I also checked out the Bose noise cancelling headphones, amenity kit and Singapore Airlines branded PJs!
How could we forget the restroom!
As I mentioned, there were only 4 of us in the cabin and there are 12 seats in total. There are 4 seats on either side along the windows and then two rows of two in the middle section. Here's an image of the layout of the suites cabin.
The four seats in the middle were all vacant and these are the seats that if booked together can be made into a double bed. Since everything I'd read about Singapore was that they'd basically do anything you ask them if you're in suites, I asked the flight attendant if I could try out the double bed after the meal service. He was very happy to accommodate the request and said he'd make the bed up right then. So off he went while I changed into my Singapore PJs. About 5 minutes later he told me the bed was ready. He was very nice to take a photo without me even having to ask though I'm sure he spotted me earlier taking pictures of everything. After he took the photo he the shut the door to the suite and told me he'd wake me for dinner. It was such a neat experience to be in an enclosed suite, with a door, on an airplane. After taking like 20 selfies, I watched an episode of Veep on the entertainment screen and then took a quick little nap. :)
After a short rest it was time for the meal service. Rather than convert the double bed back into a seat I just moved back to my window seat. So I was basically occupying three first class suites on this flight. I literally can't even.
The food was delicious. Singapore gives you the option to select your main course in advance and I went with the Lobster Thermidor. Throughout the course of the meal I sampled both champagnes and I have to say the 2004 Krug was my favorite over the 2006 Dom Peringnon. I also tried the whites and reds that were on offer, of course.
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| Lobster on a plane! |
After dinner I headed back across the aisle to my suite and watched this cutesy film I'd never heard of with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, Friends with Benefits. Though I'm sure all the champagne and wine helped make it much more amusing that it really was. After the movie I took another little rest. Before I knew it, it was time to eat again as we were about 90 minutes outside of Singapore. I chose the noodle soup which I thought was better than the noodle soup I'd had a few weeks ago on Cathay Pacific.
After the snack it was almost time to land and the most amazing flight experience I'd ever had was sadly coming to an end. Everything from the seat, the double bed, the service, the food and the champagne was exceptional. They really do an amazing job providing a high level of personalized service and I certainly won't forget the experience anytime soon. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves to fly. The easiest way to fly in Suites is to save up some Chase points and then transfer them directly to Singapore's frequent flyer program. My one way from Sydney to Singapore in Suites and Singapore to Johannesburg in Business was just under 90,000 points.
Up next I spent some time in Singapore's "Private Room" before my flight from Singapore to Johannesburg.
