Review: Singapore Airlines New Business Class A380 Singapore To Sydney

Lucky - great review. This is why I found the blog years ago, and the reason I pop my head in occasionally to hopefully find a new one.

Less drama, more reviews.

Ultimately in business class it all comes down to the bed, at least when you're travelling for work. That looks and sounds very poor indeed. And what is it with SQ and their rock hard beds? I've always found the old Suites class to be akin to a night on a mortuary slab, totally non-conducive to a good rest. *Makes mental note to also cross off SQ's new J class as a feasible option for my frequent UK-SG trips*

Was waiting for this report, thanks! But, despite being Singapore-originating, a proper dinner service, and relatively a long flight, no satay service??

that side tray looks interesting, how did it work out? well, or a bother?

I'm really curious to know how they managed to fit in a whole three more rows of fully flat Business Class seats versus their old config.

Have they moved galleys or toilets around?

I've never understood the who har about the bed, you don't need to sleep at an angle; just lay there like you would in any bed. It's not really any different from a reverse herringbone seat in bed mode.

@Bobby T

"Lucky – great review. This is why I found the blog years ago, and the reason I pop my head in occasionally to hopefully find a new one.

Less drama, more reviews."

Agreed!

All the bling and prettiness is useless when you can't sleep in them shit seats. What's the point to fly business then?
Give me Cathay over Singapore Airlines any day!

I find it hard to be too demanding,to go and ask the crew can you please arrange me a double bed in those 2 middle seats ,i dont think i have much gut,even if i am neighbouring passenger i d ask my self what else he wants??a Westin mattress maybe.

"So the thing about Singapore’s business class seats is that the bulkhead seats are significantly better than the non-bulkhead seats. It makes a huge difference. One of these was even open, so why didn’t I select it? Because I wanted to review the seat that a vast majority of people get, rather than the seat that a few lucky people may get"

THAT is one of the things that makes the blog so valuable!

Looks like a very bad design . No way to look out the windows. The double bed looks like a hoax. Meals look watered down from a few years ago. All a shame.

Extremely underwhelming looking product.

Hey Lucky - great review!

Where did you stay when you were in Sydney? Will you post a review of that?

I flew in SQ J in what I guess is now the "old new" (2013) J seat in January. Luckily, I was able to snatch bulkheads on all four flights (though I believe since I booked my flights, bulkheads are now blocked for KrisFlyer Gold members and only available for others at checkin (in addition to the blocked bassinet seats)). The bulkheads are amazing, especially on the 777, less so on the A350 as I was in the first row and the fuselage hadn't widened fully. Regardless, the bulkhead is multiple times better than non-bulkhead.

On no flight was I offered the satay and on the two night flights slippers etc were not proactively offered and I had to ask.

Like Brad I also do not know what the fuss is about regarding the "awkward" bed layout.
In "bed mode" isn't it exactly like a herringbone seat/bed?
What's so uncomfortable about that?

So you always harp on the angle that you sleep at on sq, and I totally don't get it. You sleep at a *different* angle than you sit, but the angle and the space is identical to what you get on CX/AA and you rave about the sleeping comfort. The hardness is likely cultural. Asians do not, in general, like soft sleeping surfaces.

I took this flight recently and I agree with most of Ben's comments. The lack of an air vent is especially irritating, because the back of an A380 is considerably more turbulent with more yawing motions than the front, and in choppy weather the lack of an air vent in the back means more motion sickness. After my flight from SYD to SIN I felt quite sick for several hours after landing. An air vent would have helped tremendously.

And by the way, the seat controls don't require a lot of pressure. In fact they require almost zero pressure. The switches are heat controlled and provide haptic feedback when they are selected. Just press lightly on the controls for a second and they'll respond.

Surely SQ could have found enough crew member called 'Sean'?

Regarding the Sydney approach views - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arh_KXY3Bug

The NFC reader isn’t there for payment processing. It’s there to, in the future, link your personal device to the Krisworld system. All those saved preferences will sync automatically when you open your Singapore Airlines app and hold your device near the reader.

Here’s details on how Panasonic envisions it working.

https://apex.aero/2016/04/07/panasonic-connects-at-AIX

The center seats in row 96 are the best (11 and 91 may also have the same config, I didn't check). They have a full-width footwell, wider than the window bulkheads: https://imgur.com/a/Jr6Fv

96 isn't a true bulkhead, so they'll be some cross-over traffic from the FAs and pax.

Agreed the bed is very hard, but this seat and the service would be my first choice for a daylight flight.

Think about packing a usb-powered fan - especially for flights to/from Asia, which tend to be warmer. Should help with fresh air for motion sickness, too.

Singapore is famous for hawker centre food so it’s nice to see SQ offer chicken rice and mee goreng on their menu, especially when someone could choose Book the Cook and pre-select one of a dozen-plus fantastic mains. That said, each of these hawker dishes cost under $5. Mee goreng is a favorite of mine at SGD3 (USD2.50) at the Old Airport Hawker Centre. Clever way to keep costs low.

I think it is worth noting that the center bulkhead seats turn into a proper double bed even more so than Qatar

Took this same flight 3 weeks later operated by 9V-SKV, barely 2 weeks in service at the time. Gorgeous cabin, seat, excellent service. Lots of space & great to recline instead of flipping into bed mode, but hard seat & bed; prefer my windows un-blocked; seat controls were to easily bumped... hit the call & do not disturb buttons too often! Great flight for 58,000 KrisFlyer miles & USD37.50! CX's J seat isn't as wide, but more comfortable for sleep & the customizable recline angles.

I had the good fortune to fly SQ last year and it was brilliant. Luckys point that even though there may be lots of people, they make you feel really special is true. Spoke so much to my FA who was stunning.

However the downside is that since then, SQ flights from Europe are about 40 per cent dearer than absolutely any other airline. Probably QR is next. This prices them out of the market for me.
Their J fare is the same as many A fares.
Am I the only one that this effects?

Thank you Lucky for the review. I too detest Singapore’s assembly line approach to the service especially as some of the young crew can be very robotic. But I understand this must be the most efficient approach given the size of their Business cabin. Also sounds like you get a phenomenally good crew. Thanks again for the review, I’m hoping we don’t have to wait a week tor the next installment.

Singapore Airlines has always preferred to adopt a 1-2-1 full forward facing seat in Business Class, which can be converted to a bed. Regarding the awkward angle, it really is the same as a reverse herringbone seat. Now the question is, would you rather a narrower Business Class seat in a reverse herringbone configuration (denser premium cabin), or a wider Business Class forward facing seat (as were the 2006 and 2013 seats) that can still be converted into a bed just as Singapore Airlines has adopted? Bear in mind that Business Class doesn't get any better than Singapore Airlines' fully forward facing Business Class cabin in a 1-2-1 configuration.

I detest SQ’s business class seat - flew it on their A350 IAH to MAN flight. Most uncomfortable experience and the food was horrible to boot. I do love their First though 🙂 - on the same trip I flew suites from Zurich to SIN - amazing experience.

I love the seat! I don't get how you think the seat is awkward to sleep on, as I found myself sleeping at the same position I sleep on reverse herringbone seats. Asians do prefer firmer beds (myself included) so it's logical for them to make the bed firmer. All in all my favorite business class experience out there, much more than Qsuites. I find Qsuites to have beautiful seat and finishes but I always get indifferent, borderline rude FAs. Sad.

@katyalw @Shark92 Detest is a strong word to use for a premium cabin product on one of the world's better airlines. Maybe your privilege needs a check?

@Lucky (a different response to your review)
Thanks for including the photos of the Sydney skyline. Hubby and I were in Sydney for Mardi Gras a few weeks ago and staying on the 39th floor of building with a southwest view. We would see planes on final approach from the west to SYD all the time, and I wondered what their view (at least on the left side of the plane) was like. And now I know.

Great review, as always.

I was lucky enough to fly this (or the other new) aircraft 10 days ago from LHR to SIN in the new Suites. Lucky’s comments about the hardness of the bed apply there too: disappointing especially when there is an obvious fix that other airlines use. Also, the seat belt across the bed was so tight, it felt like a strait-jacketed prison! The crew, impeccable as usual, agreed and tested the belt across another bed but with with the same uncomfortable result. Very poor, in the new Suites.

The new seat in new Suites only permits recline in one position which, again, is disappointing. A lot of the time it mimics a Premium Econ or Econ seat.

However, one design feature in the new Suites that is inexcusable is the fact that glare (in the dark) from a neighbour’s TV is constantly ‘there’ - and extremely disturbing. What genius could have designed the 4 +2 new Suites without attending to such a basic, uncomfortable flaw?

All that said, yes, SQ remains one of the top three airlines in the Premium classes. They probably rolled out the new Suites too quickly! I await Lucky’s assessment in due course.

Reverse Herringbone seat pretending to be a forward facing seat! Sad!

For the people saying the seat isn't awkward because it is the same as a reverse herringbone seat...the issue for Lucky and others isn't that the seat is angled when in bed more, the issue is that the bed is angled but you can't adjust the TV screen. With reverse herringbone, your position stays aligned with the TV screen regardless of what position your seat is. On SQ's seat, it can be annoying for some to watch the TV screen in bed mode since you have turn your head just to watch. I know, I know, #firstworld problems and all that...

@Juno Sure but Lucky wasn't complaining about the TV, I'm not saying that it isn't an issue but he was saying things like you have to sleep at an awkward angle and that he could eventually fall asleep in this arrangement. All quite silly given that he doesn't have an issue falling asleep in reverse herringbone seats, all you have to do is lay down like you do in any other seat or bed. I think what throws some people off is that the seat is forward facing but in bed mode you're basically in a reverse herringbone seat. I've personally never had a problem with the old seat (I've not tried the new one), never found it awkward or had to assume any weird angles, just lay there and go to sleep.

So...it's pretty much like a Polaris seat, only with more storage, and less comfort.
Pass.

I wonder whether the "new plane" and "new car" smell we all like is bad for our health. Presumably, it is from the off-gassing on the synthetic materials used.

Anyone?
Maybe I missed it but was this booked on all one award or was it multiple awards?
Thanks

Like a few people here, I am really confused as to how Lucky and others can't see that this is no different to a reverse herringbone seat.

@ Michael: *Makes mental note to also cross off SQ’s new J class as a feasible option for my frequent UK-SG trips*: What other choices are you saying are superior to Singapore Airlines between these two points? BA? Qantas?

Am I the only one who finds it adorable/baffling that a guy who spends virtually his entire life flying and sleeping in hotel beds can still somehow be fussy about his bedding?

Wow....that is a shitty breakfast. Why even bother?

Why didn't they make the seats staggered, just why...

I always take a compact, low-profile sleeping mat with me to put on the J-class "bed". I use a SeatoSummit ultralight mat. They are light and compact and they provide enough padding (5cm) to cope with the discomfort of a too-hard "bed". Yeah, I know you shouldn't need one, but I do. You can get a fitted sheet for it too. I always deploy it after dark, so people don't think I'm odd.

I've used it on the Etihad A380 and really needed it on the Air Canada 777. The new Air Canada 787 is a bit better, but the mat takes the pain out of being a side-sleeper. I showed it to an Air Canada flight attendant and she reckoned she'd get one too. Didn't need it on the Virgin 777. Nothing would have helped the United Airlines 777 beds. Do they really consider this to be Business Class? Thai Airways 777 bed was ok - didn't have the mat. Didn't really need it.

Have they upgraded all of their cabins on the A380? If not, how can I find out if my flight has the new cabin?

Hi Lucky,

Love your reviews. I actually flew SQ's A380 from Zurich to Singapore (towards Osaka). It was my first time on any SQ flight on business, and I and agree 100% with your views on the seat. I am 6 feet+ tall, and for the seat I got, I had to sleep on my left shoulder & side just to avoid a painful position otherwise.... I don't see too many empathizing with this first-world-problem though, certainly not those who fly economy.

On the SQ623 / B787 from Singapore to Osaka/KIX and back, the seats are slightly narrower (with smaller footwells), but straighter, so at least I can sleep straight :). It also felt like a slightly softer seat compared to the A380.

The service though was absolutely awesome, as was the food (realize however that tastes vary).

Love this site. Been reading it for years, and like another reader said, I live vicariously through Lucky's posts. Just a quibble though--probably I should be directing this to Singapore Airlines, but I noticed that the air show map pictured here places Auvergne in suburban Darwin, rather than in France. Hopefully the pilots have access to better directions than this.

Concur 100%, we will not fly that seat again after yesterday's (4 Dec) Syd > Sing flight. It is the worst seat for sleeping other than a sloper seat. So hard. So contorted. So ridiculously designed. Plus I managed to call the crew with unintended hits on the control panel which is plainly in the wrong place. I am an average height and weight dude.