I’ve flown Singapore Airlines a countless number of times before, including many times in their Suites and first class. I’ve flown their old A380 Suites, and I’ve flown their new A380 Suites. I’ve also flown their old 777 first class.
However, in the past few years the airline has introduced a refreshed 777 first class cabin with just four seats, and this was my first time flying this configuration.
Singapore Airlines 238
Melbourne (MEL) – Singapore (SIN)
Saturday, December 15
Depart: 10:35AM
Arrive: 3:15PM
Duration: 7hr40min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 1F (First Class)
Ah, Singapore Airlines! On a good day it’s something very special in the air, and you can usually tell within a minute of boarding what your experience is going to be like. Well, it was going to be a really, really good day, thanks to first class flight attendants Jennifer and Benedict.
On a good day Singapore Airlines service is unparalleled, and Jennifer and Benedict were superstars. At the door I presented my boarding pass, was immediately addressed by name, and escorted to my seat.
Singapore Airlines’ 777 first class cabin consists of just four seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration. The seats as such aren’t cutting edge, but the cabin sure does feel intimate and private.
Singapore Airlines did a really sleek job with the finishes as well — I love the pattern on the bulkhead, the dark leather, and the stitching.
Singapore Airlines 777 first class cabin
For those traveling together there are two seats in the center, which are ideal, since you can enjoy the experience with a friend or loved one.
Singapore Airlines 777 first class seats
Singapore Airlines 777 first class seats
Since I was traveling alone I selected seat 1F, the window seat on the right side of the cabin.
Singapore Airlines first class seat 777
The Singapore Airlines first class seat is really wide, to the point that you can’t practically use both armrests at the same time.
Singapore Airlines first class seat 777
Then the front side of the seat has an ottoman, storage compartment, and large entertainment screen.
Singapore Airlines first class seat 777
The seat had a huge ottoman that becomes part of the bed when the seat is placed into bed mode.
Singapore Airlines first class ottoman
Just to the left of the seat is an enclosed storage compartment, which has two racks.
Singapore Airlines first class seat storage
I really like the tray table design. The tray table slides out from the front console. This is great because it means you can easily get up during the meal service by just sliding the tray forward.
Singapore Airlines first class tray table
As far as other seat features go, at the front right of the seat are the power ports, including 110v and USB.
Singapore Airlines first class power ports
Then to the side of the seat are more controls, including a button to turn off the entertainment, and to control the lighting and seat positions.
Singapore Airlines first class seating controls
On the left side of the seat was the entertainment controller, which had a cord so that you could pull it and hold it in your hands.
Singapore Airlines first class entertainment controls
To the right of the seat was a small compartment where you could place something like a phone or glasses.
Singapore Airlines first class seat storage
Given that I was flying right before Christmas, the cabin had decorations, which is always a cute touch on Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines Christmas decorations
This definitely isn’t a cutting edge first class seat, though how intimate the cabin is really adds to the feel. I’d note that while there aren’t any doors or anything, sitting in the window seat I felt like I had nearly full privacy, given that the seats are just slightly offset, with the center seats being further forward.
Singapore Airlines first class privacy
One other interesting thing to note. Between doors one and two on the 777-300ER, Singapore Airlines has four first class seats (one row) and 12 business class seats (three rows). Meanwhile Singapore’s previous configuration (which had the same type of seats) had eight first class seats (two rows) and eight business class seats (two rows).
So it’s interesting that the airline didn’t actually increase the seat count while reducing the number of first class seats. They must have had really bad yields in first class.
Singapore Airlines business class cabin 777
Anyway, back to the onboard service. Within a moment of settling in, Jennifer came by my seat to introduce herself, familiarize me with the seat, inform me of the flight time, and offer me a beverage. I requested a glass of champagne, and specifically the Krug 2004, which Singapore Airlines is currently offering. YUM.
Singapore Airlines first class Krug 2004
A moment later I was offered a warm towel.
Singapore Airlines first class warm towel
Over the next few minutes the first class cabin filled up. In the two center seats was an older Australian couple traveling to Penang, and in the other window was a Singaporean guy.
As far as other amenities go, waiting at my seat upon boarding were headphones from Bang & Olufsen, which were excellent.
Singapore Airlines first class headphones
Also at my seat were the lovely amenities Singapore Airlines has in first class. This included sturdy slippers, socks, and eyeshades.
Singapore Airlines first class amenities
Then there was an amenity kit with products from Lalique, though I can’t help but find it a bit quirky. Rather than having traditional amenities, Singapore Airlines instead has a few things you can take home, like a candle and soap. Meanwhile the more traditional amenities (like dental and shaving kits) are available in the lavatory.
Singapore Airlines first class amenity kit
I was also presented with Lalique pajamas.
Singapore Airlines first class pajamas
Then there was the menu, presented in a beautiful leather binder.
Singapore Airlines first class menu
Just 10 minutes after boarding the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 7hr5min, and our generally smooth ride. At 10:20AM the door closed, and a minute later we pushed back. At that point the safety video was screened.
I’d note that while other airlines will take away your glasses the second the door closed, I was offered a refill as we were pushing back.
At 10:30AM we began our taxi to the runway.
Air New Zealand A321 Melbourne Airport
Emirates A380 Melbourne Airport
Taxiing Melbourne Airport
We had a quick taxi, and by 10:35AM were cleared for takeoff. There was a bit of chop on the initial climb out, but within five minutes the ride got smooth and the seatbelt sign was turned off.
View after takeoff from Melbourne
View after takeoff from Melbourne
As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off I checked out the lavatories at the front of the cabin, of which there were two. They were quite spacious, and always meticulously clean. After every use the crew would go in there and clean them up.
Singapore Airlines first class lavatory
Singapore Airlines first class lavatory
Behind the row of seats in first class there’s a walkway so you can easily get between the two aisles.
Singapore Airlines first class walkway
10 minutes after takeoff I was served my first glass of Krug by Benedict, along with some nuts. I love how Singapore Airlines consistently serves drinks so quickly after takeoff. On some airlines it’s 45+ minutes until you get your first drink, which seems unnecessary.
Singapore Airlines first class champagne and nuts
I also asked for a blanket, and moments later Jennifer returned with it. On other airlines they’d just hand you the wrapped bag. Jennifer took the blanket out of the bag, fluffed it up, and then placed it over me, even going so far as to tuck it under my feet for comfort. This is a level of service you only get on Singapore Airlines.
With a glass of champagne in hand, I browsed Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, KrisWorld. After Emirates’ ICE system, I consider KrisWorld to be one of the world’s best entertainment systems, so I have nothing but good things to say there.
Singapore Airlines entertainment system
Singapore Airlines entertainment system
Singapore Airlines’ 777s have Wi-Fi, and first class passengers even get 100MB of free data. Unfortunately this particular plane had the OnAir Wi-Fi system, which is outrageously slow.
What’s odd is that the 777s I’ve flown in the past have had the faster Panasonic Wi-Fi, so I’m not sure what percent of Singapore 777s have OnAir, but it makes a huge difference.
To take advantage of the 100MB of free Wi-Fi you just have to enter your name and seat number.
Singapore Airlines Wi-Fi
As a point of comparison, the pricing is ordinarily 6.99USD for 15MB of data, 12.99USD for 30MB of data, and 19.99USD for 50MB of data. That’s really steep.
Singapore Airlines Wi-Fi
Singapore Airlines Wi-Fi
As Jennifer kept my drink topped off she asked when I wanted to have lunch. I asked to eat about a bit over an hour after takeoff, and surely enough, right at that point the meal service began. At this point we were flying Northwest over Australia.
Singapore Airlines entertainment system
Singapore Airlines entertainment system
The menu read as follows:
The wine list read as follows:
The rest of the drink list read as follows:
75 minutes after takeoff my table was set for lunch, and I was offered a selection of bread. I selected some breadsticks and garlic bread. There’s something to be said for the incredible care and precision with which Singapore Airlines crews perform the service, and that’s also evident when you see how they set tables.
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — table setting
Showtime! First up was Singapore Airlines’ excellent malossol caviar with condiments.
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — caviar
Yum, and what beautiful presentation as well!
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — caviar
Next up I ordered the roasted pumpkin soup with gnochetti pasta and pesto sauce. The soup was incredibly flavorful, and the perfect temperature.
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — soup
Next up was the lobster thermidor, which I had ordered from Singapore Airlines’ “book the cook” menu, where you can pre-order from a bigger selection.
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — lobster
Lastly for dessert I had the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
Singapore Airlines first class lunch — dessert
The whole meal was absolute perfection. That’s true of the food quality, the drinks, and especially the service. Jennifer and Benedict were so attentive without being overbearing, and also incredibly charming.
By the time the meal was done we had about 4hr30min remaining to Singapore. I asked to have my bed made, which Jennifer promptly took care of.
Singapore Airlines first class bed
Singapore Airlines first class bed
She placed a bottle of water next to the bed, and a teddy bear on the pillow. How cute is that?!
Singapore Airlines teddy bear
Singapore Airlines is also one of the few airlines in the world where they provide a “tuck in” service in first class. I got in bed, and Jennifer placed the blanket over me and even tucked it around me. Awkward or awesome? I say awkwardly awesome!
The Singapore Airlines first class bed is formed by “flipping over” the seatback. This means that you can’t really just slightly recline your seat, but it’s basically all or nothing. While Singapore Airlines’ bedding is good, the seat itself is way too hard for my liking. I wish they had a more substantial mattress pad, since to me the bed feels a bit like sleeping on the floor.
Since this was a daytime flight I only got a bit over an hour of sleep. I woke up with about three hours remaining until Singapore.
Airshow enroute to Singapore
Airshow enroute to Singapore
When I woke up I went to the bathroom, and returned to find my bed refreshed, and a new bottle of water placed next to my seat. Again, perfect service.
Constantly refreshed bed
I decided to watch a couple of TV shows, and then about 60 minutes before landing Benedict asked if I wanted anything to eat before landing.
The menu read as follows:
I decided to order the pho bo. This was excellent, though it’s not like I was hungry after such a big meal just a few hours earlier.
Singapore Airlines first class pre-landing meal
Nonetheless I figured I owed it to you guys. I also ordered a cheese plate, just for the picture, if nothing else. 😉
Singapore Airlines first class cheese plate
Lastly, I ordered a coffee, since I still had a long day ahead of me.
Singapore Airlines first class coffee
30 minutes before landing the captain announced we’d soon be descending, and should be landing at around 2:45PM, well ahead of schedule. About 20 minutes before landing the seatbelt sign was turned on, and the crew prepared the cabin for landing.
As usual, the views on approach to Singapore were interesting.
During the descent, both Jennifer and Benedict came around to thank me for flying with Singapore Airlines. One interesting thing to note — the cabin manager on this flight was one of the most removed managers I’ve had on Singapore Airlines, as he didn’t greet any of the first class passengers. I was happy to see service was great in spite of how hands-off he was.
View approaching Singapore
View approaching Singapore
View approaching Singapore
At 2:45PM we touched down on runway 2L at Changi Airport. Look at that beautiful Singapore 787-10!
Landing at Changi Airport
From there it was just a short five minute taxi to our arrival gate.
Taxiing at Changi Airport
Once off the plane I headed towards The Private Room for my layover, which is where we’ll pick up in the next installment.
Singapore 777 first class bottom line
I like how Singapore Airlines’ 777s have just four first class seats (assuming you can snag an award in one — I don’t love how it means less award availability), which creates an intimate atmosphere and attentive service. However, I don’t love the seats as such, and in particular how hard they are.
Everything else about Singapore Airlines is exceptional, though — the food, the drinks, and the service. When you get a good Singapore Airlines crew then there’s no airline in the world that can compete, in my opinion.
They might not have the most modern hard product, but my gosh does this airline get the first class soft product right.
If you’ve flown Singapore Airlines first class recently, what was your experience like?
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