Singapore Airlines is known for its great first class experience (marketed as First Class on the 777, and Suites Class on the A380) the airline has a great onboard experience, and a very good lounge at its Singapore Changi hub.
As usual, SQ is playing catch-up with other airlines. The Private Room is still at best a mediocre lounge, particularly when compared with Cathay or SWISS.
As others have noted, the Changi security-at-the-gate arrangement detracts greatly from the first class experience (or flying in any class, actually). Great full employment scheme for Singapore, though.
At least TPR isn't infested by *G pax messing up the joint, unlike the CX lounges that are clogged nightly by hordes of OWE pax in biz & steerage.
Star Gold passengers do not have access to the SWISS First lounges. I have never been bothered by OWEs in the Cathay first lounges, which are designed to accommodate many passengers comfortably. It’s the credit card lounges, Delta One lounges, and Polaris lounges that are screwed up with too many pax.
Need this at JFK so bad
SQ does escort you to the lounge at JFK (Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse for F passengers). There is no escort from the lounge to the gate, but the gate is right downstairs and if you stand near the gate agent and flash the F boarding pass there is no wait to board.
Their separate check-in zone with its own curbside was already pretty good. Only used it once, nice and relaxed experience. Was on a red-eye to NRT when it was operated by A380, then long full-day self-connect to JAL to the US. SQ checked us in for the JAL flight, printed boarding passes for both flights, and through-checked the bags so we could just go out and have a day in Tokyo - all of that for a separate ticket on a non-partner airline.
Flight itself was also great - but then there were only the two of us in the suites cabin. So each of us had a double bed, two bathrooms for the two of us - what's not to like? Too bad the flight was a short one. I would guess the experience in different when you have 6 strangers in the same cabin, with all partitions up and awkwardly looking at each other during meals.
I am not sure that is correct. I am a TPPS and I was never driven to a gate, no matter how far, even when travelling Suites. This new system has 3 buggies for First/Suites and 1 for TPPS in First, whoever I understand the mere availabilty of buggies for First/Suites has angered quite a bit or TPPS and thus SQ is under pressure to remove the buggies all together. Finally, whilst I had my share of rides recently, I find buggies should be very limited as they are utterly annoying in an otherwise very pleasant and quiet airport (SIN).
I find all this performative butt-kissing a little cloying and tacky. You'd have to be monumentally egotistical to want an escort through the airport. Perhaps Singaporeans would regard this "treatment" as a status symbol, but I'll wager that most Australians would find it totally cringe.
Lucky: what is the service for connecting F passengers?
I flew SQ A380 the suite 3 weeks ago (SIN to PVG) escorted all the way from taxi to check-in. Security, lounge, gate and aircraft.
I recently flew on SQ A380 SIN to PVG The Suite and was escorted from taxi to aircraft and everything in between.