- Introduction: A Suite Way To Get To Sydney
- Review: China Southern Business Class A380 Los Angeles To Guangzhou
- Review: China Southern Business Class Lounge Guangzhou Airport
- Review: China Southern Business Class A320 Guangzhou To Singapore
- Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge Singapore Airport
- Review: Singapore Airlines New Business Class A380 Singapore To Sydney
- Review: Air New Zealand Lounge Sydney Airport
- Review: Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge Sydney Airport
- Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge Sydney Airport
- Review: Singapore Airlines New Suites A380 Sydney To Singapore
- Review: Andaz Singapore
- Review: SATS Premier Lounge Singapore Airport Terminal 3
- Review: China Eastern First Class 777-300ER Singapore To Shanghai
- Review: China Eastern First Class Lounge Shanghai Airport
- Review: China Eastern First Class 777 Shanghai To Los Angeles
I was so excited about this flight. Emirates and Singapore both introduced new first class products just weeks apart, and having flown Emirates’ new first class weeks prior, I was looking forward to seeing how Singapore’s new Suites compared. I’ve reviewed Singapore’s “old” Suites before, and couldn’t wait to see how the product evolved.
Singapore Airlines 232
Sydney (SYD) – Singapore (SIN)
Saturday, February 3
Depart: 12:15PM
Arrive: 5:35PM
Duration: 8hr20min
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Seat: 2A (Suites)
I boarded through the forward door of the upper deck, where I was greeted by the same crew I had on the flight out. Since I spent just one night in Sydney, our “layovers” were the same length. The chief steward, Dennis, escorted me to my seat. “Mr. Schlappig, welcome back. Let me show you to your Suite.”
Singapore’s A380 Suites cabin is gorgeous. My first thought was that it looked very similar to Etihad’s A380 First Class Apartments, since there’s just a single aisle in the cabin. However, this layout was even more spacious. Singapore Airlines has just six Suites, while Etihad has nine First Class Apartments plus The Residence in the same area. The pictures don’t really do justice to how beautiful the cabin is when you first see it.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites cabin
Singapore Airlines Suites cabin A380
While I was seated in 2A, I decided to first check out some of the other Suites, given that I was the first passenger onboard, and it would be a full flight. First I checked out the Suites in row one. The Suites in row one are configured slightly differently, both due to the curvature of the plane, and also because the Suites in rows one and two can turn into a double bed (so if you’re traveling with someone, you’ll want to choose seats that are behind one another in rows one and two).
What was unique about row one is that there was a small TV on the bulkhead, presumably for the safety video. That’s because the main TV in the Suite was located behind the seat.
Singapore Airlines’ new A380 Suites
Singapore Airlines’ new A380 Suites
The Suite across the aisle was similarly configured.
New Singapore Airlines A380 Suites
Rows two and three are more or less identical, so let’s take a look at my Suite. My first reaction was extremely positive. There has been so much innovation when it comes to first class seats, and the fact that we’ve gotten to the point where a first class seat is actually an enclosed room with a separate seat and bed is impressive. It’ll make any airline product geek giddy.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites
In the standard position, the seat faced nearly forwards. Next to it was a side table, which is also what houses the tray table.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites
On the table was a beautiful flower, as well as the menu, with a reading light pointed at it. What a thoughtful design.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites table
The tray table was large and beautiful, though I wish they had designed it so that it could be folded in half, or so that it could be moved around a bit more. When the tray table was out it was hard to otherwise maneuver around the Suite.
Singapore Airlines new Suites tray table
The seat itself had soft leather and was comfortable to sit in. However, it didn’t feel especially sturdy, and even wobbled a bit during turbulence. Furthermore, while it’s comfortable to sit in while in the upright position, I can’t say it’s the most comfortable seat for lounging (which I’ll talk more about later).
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites chair
One of the armrests had a simple entertainment controller, as well as the basic seat and TV controls, so that you could move both of those into your preferred position.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites entertainment & seat controls
Along the forward wall and on the aisle-side of the Suite was the TV monitor, which could be swiveled with the push of a button, based on where you want to watch TV from.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites TV
Also on this wall was the fold-out bed. While I appreciate how big each Suite is, there’s just something that feels poorly thought out with the design. Having what looks like a murphy bed that folds out of the wall feels like something you’d expect at camp, and not in the world’s most exclusive first class product.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites bed
Next to the fold-out bed was an area that had to be kept clear, which is used to support the bed when it’s folded out.
Singapore Airlines new Suites bed
Along the exterior of the Suite was a large closet, big enough for a carry-on, clothes, and anything else you may want to put there.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites closet
My Suite had two windows, both of which had electric shades.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites windows
Along the window-side of the suite were beautifully designed storage compartments. There were three of them, as well as a backlit vanity mirror. Next to that were seat controls, as well as a tablet that you could use to control the entertainment selection, seat controls, and more.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites storage
Singapore Suites tablet
Underneath that was an exposed storage compartment.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites storage
Next to the tablet was a covered area with a USB outlet, 110v outlet, and more.
Singapore Suites outlets
That was one of two outlets at the seat, as there was another one on the opposite side of the Suite.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites power outlet
I liked how high the walls were around the Suites. I’d say they’re about 5’6″ high.
Singapore Airlines A380 cabin
Waiting at my Suite on boarding were a pair of Bose headphones.
Singapore Airlines Suites Bose headphones
I also explored the Lalique amenity kit, which was top notch.
Singapore Airlines Suites Lalique amenity kit
The amenity kit had some unique things, like a candle (which you obviously can’t burn on the flight), a bar of soap, as well as some sort of scented fish thing. The kit seemed to be designed as something you take home, rather than something you’d use onboard.
Singapore Airlines Suites Lalique amenity kit contents
I was also offered a pair of socks.
Singapore Suites socks
Once settled in, I walked to the front of the cabin to check out the lavatories, which are located right next to the staircase leading to the lower deck.
Singapore Airlines A380 staircase
While Singapore Airlines doesn’t have showers on the A380, they do have two very large bathrooms. The largest bathroom is to the right, and featured a toilet, sink, and vanity. This is easily the nicest non-shower bathroom I’ve seen on a plane (the Emirates A380 shower spa is still the ultimate airplane bathroom).
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
The bathroom on the left was also nice, though not quite as large.
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
Singapore Airlines new Suites lavatory A380
Each of the lavatories was stocked with things like shaving kits, toothbrushes, cotton pads, and more.
Singapore Airlines A380 Suites amenities
As an introvert I can officially say that the jumpseat in this area would be my ideal place to sit for takeoff or landing, if I were a flight attendant. 😉
Singapore Airlines A380 lavatory area
Once back at my seat, Dennis came by to familiarize me with the features of the Suite, inform me of the flight time of 7hr25min, and offer me a pre-departure beverage. “Mr. Schlappig, perhaps you’d like some champagne? We have Dom or Krug to choose from.” You know you’re having a good day when that’s the toughest decision you have to make. 😉
I selected the Krug, though had completely forgotten that at the moment Singapore Airlines is serving the very special 2004 vintage, which was spectacular (and also far from cheap).
Singapore Airlines Suites pre-departure champagne
Singapore Airlines Suites pre-departure champagne
I was offered a warm towel moments later, as well as a selection of reading materials (which I passed on, since I had plenty to keep me entertained).
Singapore Airlines Suites pre-departure warm towel
Leading steward Shawn, and leading stewardess Jamie, shortly came by my seat to introduce themselves as well.
Being in Suites you really don’t experience any of the stress of boarding, so the only thing I witnessed was the other five passengers traveling in the Suites cabin. There was a friendly Australian gentleman seated across from me who seemed to be a regular on Singapore Airlines, but caught off guard by the new cabin. Then there was a family of four (or something?) traveling together. I don’t know, they were an odd group. There was a (much) older man, a young woman in very high heels with the shortest dress I’ve possibly ever seen, and then two women who I believe were the guy’s daughter (I’m pretty sure they were older than the other woman).
At 12:05PM the main cabin door was closed, at which point the welcome aboard announcement was made, including informing us that there were 26 crew members onboard. At 12:10PM we began our pushback, and at 12:15PM we started our taxi. At that point the safety video was screened. The crew adjusted my seat for me during the safety video, and then after the safety video they moved it back into the fully forward position for takeoff.
One thing I don’t love about the upper deck of the A380 is how small the windows are, and that there’s a screen several inches from the window, so you can’t get a great view outside. On top of that, in this particular configuration you’re seated quite far from the window. Unlike other airlines, Singapore Airlines also doesn’t have a tail camera on the A380, best I can tell.
At 12:30PM we were cleared for takeoff, and just five minutes later the seatbelt sign was turned off. As we climbed out I browsed the entertainment selection, which was excellent. KrisWorld has a huge variety of movies, and I also like how many episodes they have of each sitcom in their library. There’s no shortage of good entertainment options on Singapore. I ended up watching several episodes of The Big Bang Theory that I hadn’t seen before.
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment
Singapore Airlines KrisWorld entertainment
As I noted on the outbound flight in business class, one of the fantastic things about Singapore’s new A380 is that they have a new Wi-Fi system. This is among the fastest inflight internet I’ve had on any airline. Unfortunately they charge based on a combination of time and data consumption, and the pricing is as follows:
- 30 min and up to 30MB of data — 4.99USD
- Three hours and up to 150MB of data — 12.00USD
- Entire flight and up to 500MB of data — 29.99USD (for a promotional period it was only 19.99USD)
Singapore’s new A380 Wi-Fi pricing
This is such a huge improvement over Singapore’s old A380 Wi-Fi, which was ridiculously slow and expensive. I think the new pricing is quite reasonable given the quality.
About 15 minutes after takeoff I was presented with the pajamas for the flight. The pajamas and slippers are also provided by Lalique. While they’re very high quality, the pajamas are also warm. That’s a bit of a problem, since Singapore Airlines keeps their cabins pretty warm, and these Suites don’t have individual air vents.
Singapore Airlines Suites Lalique pajamas
Singapore Airlines Suites Lalique pajamas
Shortly after takeoff, Jamie came by my seat to take my meal order. Singapore Airlines offers a dine on demand menu, and on this flight they had lunch and a refreshment service. I indicated that I wanted lunch towards the beginning of the flight, and the meal was perfectly tailored to my preferences.
The lunch menu read as follows:
The wine list read as follows:
The rest of the drink list read as follows:
About 20 minutes after takeoff I was served some more champagne, along with mixed nuts.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — Krug and mixed nuts to start
Yum!
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — Krug and mixed nuts to start
About an hour after takeoff my tray was set for the meal service (I asked them to hold off a bit).
Airshow enroute to Singapore
Airshow enroute to Singapore
My tray was set with an incredible amount of precision. I love the attention to detail that Singapore crews put into their job.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — table setting
First I was offered a selection of bread. Singapore Airlines consistently has excellent bread, and their garlic bread in particular is to die for.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — bread selection
First up was the caviar course, with blinis, creme fraiche, and chives.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — chilled malossol caviar
Simply divine, with great presentation!
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — chilled malossol caviar
Once that was cleared, it was time for the soup. I selected the spiced split pea soup with duck confit and natural yogurt. The soup was spicy and flavorful.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — spiced split pea soup
Next up was the salad, which was the weak point of the meal. It wasn’t bad, but rather was just basic. It had baby romaine lettuce, tatsoi leaf, and cherry tomatoes, with extra virgin olive oil
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — salad
For the main course I used Singapore’s “book the cook” option, where you can pre-order your meal from a much more extensive menu. I chose their signature dish, lobster thermidor, which was exceptional.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — lobster thermidor
Lastly was dessert, for which I selected the warm rum baba with calvado syrup, vanilla ice cream, and muscatel chutney. This dessert was incredible, possibly one of the best I’ve had on a plane. It tasted even better than it looked, if that’s possible.
Singapore Airlines Suites lunch — warm rum baba
The entire meal took just over an hour, and was perfectly paced. Dennis, Shawn, and Jamie were utmost professionals, and the service couldn’t have been more professional and warm. When you get a good Singapore Airlines crew, they’re truly the best in the world.
I do have some beef with the design of Singapore’s Suites as it relates to the meals, though. You have to position your seat towards the tray table during the meal, and that has you looking almost directly at the aisle. This seems so poorly designed, in my opinion, since you’re basically looking at the person seated across from you.
If you close your Suite door, then the crew can’t provide you with attentive service. If you keep it open, it’s borderline awkward. The guy seated across from me went so far as to say to me “well this is just weird.”
Dining facing a stranger in Singapore Suites
After lunch there were just over five hours remaining to Singapore, so I asked for my bed to be made. While the crew did that I changed into pajamas and freshened up in the lavatory, and when I returned I found my suite ready to go.
Again, I have mixed feelings here. On one hand, it’s really cool that you have a separate seat and bed. On the other hand, neither the seat nor the bed are particularly comfortable.
Singapore Suites turndown service
The bed itself is hard. I know in Asia a lot of people prefer hard beds, so I get that, but it would be nice if they offered a choice of mattress pads. Instead I felt like they almost just had a mattress sheet on there. The bed is also not especially big. Singapore’s new Suites have the largest footprint of any first class seat in the sky, but they bed isn’t any bigger. I would have loved to see them create a bed that’s more comfortable and larger than what else is out there.
Also, this is by no means the fault of the crew, but I feel like they need to load the sheets differently so that they don’t look so wrinkled.
Singapore Suites bed
If you wanted, the bed could be raised a bit so that you can sit up and watch TV. I appreciate this feature, though am I the only one who feels like this looks like a hospital bed at this point?
Singapore Suites bed
The seat itself had limited recline, and the legrest wasn’t long enough for my feet, so they just dangled off the end. When reclined it was like a less comfortable version of a dentist’s chair.
Singapore Suites chair
Still, the Suite was very large, and with the door closed it was a private space.
Singapore Suites with door closed
Not that it really matters, but the Suite door doesn’t go down to the floor. There’s maybe a 6-8″ gap at the bottom, which I wasn’t aware of going in.
Singapore Suites door
Singapore Suites cabin with doors closed
It had been a long day for me up until this point, so I decided to get some rest. Not only was the bed hard, but I also felt like there was no airflow in the suite. You’re sleeping next to a wall and there are no air nozzles, so I was sweating.
Eventually I managed to fall asleep, and woke up a bit over 90 minutes before landing, as we were passing Bali.
Airshow enroute to Singapore
Airshow enroute to Singapore
Singapore Airlines flight attendants are ninjas, and within moments of waking up I was asked if I wanted anything to drink. I ordered a sparkling water and cappuccino. You’ve gotta love that Singapore Airlines lets you choose what kind of a coffee bean you want in your drink — I selected Ethiopian (just to keep it in the Star Alliance). 😉
Singapore Suites — sparkling water and cappuccino
About 30 minutes later I was asked if I wanted the pre-landing meal. The refreshment menu read as follows:
I was still stuffed, and neither of the options appealed to me, so I asked if I could just have a cheese plate.
Singapore Airlines Suites refreshment — cheese plate
Before we descended I played around with the seat a bit more, and only then realized that the seat could swivel towards the window. While I like the idea of that, the issue is that it’s not actually comfortable to sit like that — there’s no tray there, the legroom is extremely limited, and you’re looking away from the TV. This is an area (perhaps the only one) where American’s first class is much better.
Singapore Suites chair facing window
At 4:15PM the senior first officer announced that we’d be landing at 5PM, a bit ahead of schedule. A few minutes later the crew started preparing the cabin for arrival, and all too soon my Singapore Suites experience was nearing an end.
Service of course was over the top, and once I changed out of my pajamas I was offered a pair of slippers to take with me, as well as a teddy bear. The crew also came around with landing cards for Singapore, as well as mints.
Singapore Suites slippers and teddy bear
At 4:40PM it was announced that there was some congestion, and that we’d be holding for 15-20 minutes. Once we were back on approach, the crew fully prepared the cabin for arrival, including placing my seat in the forward facing position again.
View approaching Singapore
We touched down at Changi Airport at 5:15PM on runway 2L, and then had a three minute taxi to our arrival gate. I bid farewell to the crew, and was sad that the experience was over as fast as it started. Till next time, Singapore Suites!
Singapore Suites A380 bottom line
I have mixed feelings about Singapore’s new Suites. That’s how I felt right after the flight, and I figured after a while I’d form stronger opinions. It has now been several weeks, and I’m not sure how to feel.
Let’s start with the positives. Singapore Airlines has some of the best service, food, and drinks, of any airline in the world. The soft product simply can’t be faulted, so huge kudos to Singapore Airlines there. The entertainment selection and improved Wi-Fi are also big positives.
Singapore Airlines also deserves credit for the sheer spaciousness of the new Suite. It’s the world’s most spacious first class product, and overall the cabin is gorgeous.
All that being said, I feel like Singapore Airlines didn’t live up to their full potential with the new Suites. I feel like they went about the design process backwards, and started with the concept of wanting a separate seat and bed, and wanting it to look a certain way. Somehow in the process they sort of lost the plot.
The bed isn’t especially big, and isn’t soft. There are no individual air nozzles. The seat isn’t especially comfortable when lounging, and is awkwardly placed. You’re forced to face the aisle when you eat, and if you want to face the window, you can’t even sit especially comfortably, given the limited space in that direction.
Maybe I’m being especially critical here. We’re often toughest on the ones we love most. Historically Singapore Airlines has been such an innovator, and there has always been such substance and style to their premium cabins.
This is a great product, but I don’t think it lived up to its full potential. This should have easily been the world’s best first class. They should have added the most comfortable bed in the sky. There’s no reason they couldn’t have added a bed that’s as big as the one in the Etihad Residence. But instead they have a huge suite that has an average bed, an average seat, and some funky design aspects that seem like they didn’t undergo enough testing.
This is still a great cabin, and you’ll no doubt be “wowed” when you fly it. But as someone who cares a lot about the functionality of a seat, I expected better. For me, Emirates’ new first class is a significant step up over this.
Good Review!!
We've booked JFK-FRA this May. What are your thoughts about suite selection?
1A+2A, or 2F+3F?
The first one shows it next to the restroom (not sure if it shares a wall or not), and the 2nd shows it next to a Galley.
Just wondering which will be quieter.
Thanks!
It's a very small cabin, so I wouldn't be too worried about noise by virtue of proximity to the lavatory. I'm pretty sure only rows 1 and 2 allow for the suites to double up (and I'm inferring that you're traveling as a couple). Row 3 does not.
Well these seem to be over a million times better than those crap American Airlines. With bad service, Low quality food and an uncomfortable seat, it almost baffles anyone as to why anyone would want to fly on American carriers.
@Brian
I stand corrected..I contacted SQ about this legrest extension you have told..there is a padded stool available for use primarily as a seat for a guest dining with you in your suite. Just wondering how it looks like when this guest would be sitting approx.with his back at the door?!? or only with open door as there is no space for movement?!? How will the service look like as the guest is blocking the entrance? Hmm..really weird.
Best & Most Honest report to date!
Bed width has always been an issue for me.
I have flown primarily SQ, but with this new a380 poor products both in Suites and J. I'll take it elsewhere.
FYI: Window Bulkhead Seats in J do Not offer full ottoman anymore!
Hi Ben,
Nice trip report.
Seems that EK really crushed SQ in Straight Sets , huh....for First Class Head To Head @ Clash of the Titans i will say.
@ BrooklynBoy
Speak for yourself! Actor/actress has largely disappeared from British English, only die-hard old farts (like readers of the Daily Telegraph, like US Academy Awards voters) insisting on maintaining the distinction. I can't remember the last time someone called out loud for a "stewardess" - seems wilfully archaic to me.
So other than "we say it because we say it", I guess you don't have any, you know, logic to offer?
That being the...
@ BrooklynBoy
Speak for yourself! Actor/actress has largely disappeared from British English, only die-hard old farts (like readers of the Daily Telegraph, like US Academy Awards voters) insisting on maintaining the distinction. I can't remember the last time someone called out loud for a "stewardess" - seems wilfully archaic to me.
So other than "we say it because we say it", I guess you don't have any, you know, logic to offer?
That being the case, I do wonder why people whose first language is English would insist on continuing to use gendered words to differentiate between people doing exactly the same job. Why? Unless it's a way of reinforcing sexual stereotypes: you just have to read some of the commenters on here to know that there are lots of dumb guys who think female F/As are primarily employed for their leering gratification.
@The nice Paul -- I believe SQ the company uses those designations, so that would explain it. But aside from that, common usage? Actor/actress are still both commonly used, whereas you note yourself no one says poetess.
Singapore Airlines is way more arrogant than capable.
They co-design all their seats instead of going with experts. And it shows. Their business class seats are wider than long (that’s not how the human body looks) and are uncomfortable and hard to sleep on. Their new Suites First is nice and clean but as we all just read quite frankly uncomfortable and awkward for what you’re paying for it.
But then again one needs to keep in mind who this airline is targetting.
For me it looks like lots of lost, empty space Why the suites have to be bigger and bigger? A perfect suite a la Emirates plus an onboard bar is the perfect mix for me.
No air nozzles? That’s a rubbish “premium” product: airlines don’t specify nozzles because it cuts the purchase price of the aircraft. Then they try to distract you from their cheap-skatery with a different vintage champagne.
But, for me, no nozzles=low-cost carrier.
Now to the important question: “Leading steward Shawn, and leading stewardess Jamie”.
How do you decide when to use a gender-related diminutive? For example, would you differentiate between actor/actress, or are they...
No air nozzles? That’s a rubbish “premium” product: airlines don’t specify nozzles because it cuts the purchase price of the aircraft. Then they try to distract you from their cheap-skatery with a different vintage champagne.
But, for me, no nozzles=low-cost carrier.
Now to the important question: “Leading steward Shawn, and leading stewardess Jamie”.
How do you decide when to use a gender-related diminutive? For example, would you differentiate between actor/actress, or are they all actors? We used to differentiate between a poet and a poetess, but even the oldest old fart doesn’t bother doing that any more. Similarly with doctors. What about pilot / pilotess?
So why do you differentiate stewards? I’m curious. Or is it that bloody “Singapore Girl”-thing infecting your thinking?!
I think its a case of Singapore trying to do too much which out actually thinking as several other airlines do one feature of the suite better e.g American better at seatfacing window, Qantas has better bedding etc it seems to be a poorly designed product.
The residence is sold as a separate class above first at a different price point. How does the bed, seat and cabin compare with Etihad apartments- their standard first class cabin?
The old guy with a young wife.....was that Trump? And yeah you should have taken pics of the lady in short skirts
@lucky Thank you for the review. It seems that some of the issues raised are being looked at.... well from a PR point of view at least. Hopefully, it will be addressed in the future - no mention of the air nozzle.
here an extract from Aaron Wong from Milelion.com
-----------------------------
+ Those slits in the door in new Suites are deliberate- it’s so the crew can discreetly check that passengers are wearing their seatbelts...
@lucky Thank you for the review. It seems that some of the issues raised are being looked at.... well from a PR point of view at least. Hopefully, it will be addressed in the future - no mention of the air nozzle.
here an extract from Aaron Wong from Milelion.com
-----------------------------
+ Those slits in the door in new Suites are deliberate- it’s so the crew can discreetly check that passengers are wearing their seatbelts during turbulence and also to improve overall air flow
+ Management is well aware of the design issues I highlighted with the new suites and are taking steps to address them.
- Where noise and light pollution are concerned, they’re actively instructing the crew to relocate as much galley equipment as they can away from the last row of seats
- The overly tight bed belt is being looked at by the manufacturer and hopefully, an alternative solution will be reached soon
- They’re working to fix the issue with the seat shuddering and sliding around during turbulence
- The awkwardness of facing the passenger across the aisle while dining has come up repeatedly and are thinking of ways to mitigate this
You truly are lucky, man! :)
So dissapointing from Singapore Airlines. After so much time and being ahead of their time with the first Suite product on the A380 this seems like so much a step backwards.
While their soft product may not be surpassed (unless it’s a Supper menu) the hard product on this new Suite is a miss. Etihad’s Apartment product, Emirates new Suite Product, even Singapore original Suite is better (from a privacy aspect, and no rattling...
So dissapointing from Singapore Airlines. After so much time and being ahead of their time with the first Suite product on the A380 this seems like so much a step backwards.
While their soft product may not be surpassed (unless it’s a Supper menu) the hard product on this new Suite is a miss. Etihad’s Apartment product, Emirates new Suite Product, even Singapore original Suite is better (from a privacy aspect, and no rattling seat during turbulence with the new product).
“There was a (much) older man, a young woman in very high heels with the shortest dress I’ve possibly ever seen, and then two women who I believe were the guy’s daughter (I’m pretty sure they were older than the other woman).” Modern Family
@Brian, what portable foot rest? I also talked about the meager recline of the legrest with the purser in board. There wasn't any mentions of any leg support or something?? Regarding the warm temperature, I just asked the purser kindly to lower down the temperature and it wasn't an issue.
re: the family I'm guessing "second wife" :) and agree pics were in order!
It is too bad they don't have some plush mattress pads to provide those that want a softer bed, seems like a simple fix and would satisfy both those that want a hard bed (dont use the pad) and those that dont want a hard bed. Bed comfort is usually my primary want on long hauls, ok maybe its tied with good booze but its a close race!
@ Lucky
You didn't mention the portable foot rest they bring so you can put your feet on something because the one attached to the seat is too short. It then further blocks the doorway when they're trying to do food and beverage service.
The reason why it's hot in the Suite is because the Lalique pyjamas are 65% polyester.
The most important point from viewpoint of the reader is not being addressed in this post - how did you book it? with points? If with points - what currency? a description of the booking process etc...people read this blog in order to learn and be able to book these flights also. Otherwise - whats the point?
Thanks for the review - as someone who will only fly international business or first using miles, I like to know which planes don’t have decent air. Honestly, it could be the ‘best’ cabin in the world but if it’s too hot for comfort the entire flights is ruined for me, as it was on a Korean Air flight from Seoul to Sydney 5 years ago. I was sweating for 10 hours. It was inbelieavable....
Thanks for the review - as someone who will only fly international business or first using miles, I like to know which planes don’t have decent air. Honestly, it could be the ‘best’ cabin in the world but if it’s too hot for comfort the entire flights is ruined for me, as it was on a Korean Air flight from Seoul to Sydney 5 years ago. I was sweating for 10 hours. It was inbelieavable. I’ll take a nice domestic size business class seat with some sort of air control over this any day of the week.
Another terrific trip report Lucky!
Sounds to me like this seat is an epic fail. Emirates all the way!!!!!
WOW--now that's an airline---any wonder why american carriers were such a bad joke?
You just confirmed my latest experience with SQ F I'm not a fan of this new product and still like their Suites in A380. It feels more privat and you have more windows. Service as well as F&B were faultless. SQ has to improve bed quality regarding the width and firmness. The gap under the door has to go. Air Nozzles has to be implemented. Prefer to have a table facing the window instead of...
You just confirmed my latest experience with SQ F I'm not a fan of this new product and still like their Suites in A380. It feels more privat and you have more windows. Service as well as F&B were faultless. SQ has to improve bed quality regarding the width and firmness. The gap under the door has to go. Air Nozzles has to be implemented. Prefer to have a table facing the window instead of staring to a stranger while eating. These are First World problems but if SQ wants to be on the top of the game than they have to deliver it properly and well executed. The new Emirates First Suite is the best at the moment. It gives you more privacy and control of your own experience. The only thing missing in the B777 is the shower experience, then it will be perfect. New EK Suite is my personal best F product followed by AF and EY.
Sounds like a major fail on the hard product. I’ll pass.
Seriously Ben, you mention a young Asian lady in the shortest dress you've ever seen and you don't post pictures? You'll post pics of nuts but not an Asian in a short dress? C'mon bro!! Jesus
Good review. I’ve also flown this product in 1A (bigger and different design to Ben’s Suite), and also Emirates new F GVA-DXB (middle seat in row 2).
Firstly, their service is always amazing and their drinks selection impeccable. When this flight was taken they were only serving Krug 2004 on select flights, I had 5 SQ F sectors that week and the only ones I had 2004 on were this flight (SQ232, all new...
Good review. I’ve also flown this product in 1A (bigger and different design to Ben’s Suite), and also Emirates new F GVA-DXB (middle seat in row 2).
Firstly, their service is always amazing and their drinks selection impeccable. When this flight was taken they were only serving Krug 2004 on select flights, I had 5 SQ F sectors that week and the only ones I had 2004 on were this flight (SQ232, all new Suites have it) and SQ2 (SIN-HKG and on to SFO).. only flagship routes have it now.
Also, their food is always average.. that doesn’t affect this product vs old suites one way or another, but SQ food isn’t great.
Incidentally, Moet-Hennessy told me the only reason they’re serving 2004 is because M-H themselves are running very low on stock of Krug Grand Cuvee and don’t have enough for all of SQ’s needs.
Anyway, completely agree that I was WOW’d initially and skill kind of am.. however, the Suite simply isn’t designed with the flying passenger in mind. In 1A I couldn’t reach ANYTHING from my seat... not my stuff, not the controller, not anything. I fly with a laptop to watch shows/movies on as I fly so much I don’t trust IFE, this was easily the worst setup I’ve ever experienced for BYO laptop too. You can’t recline the seat if it’s facing the direction of the ledge to put our laptop on. You can only recline it if it’s facing the TV, in which case you can’t put your laptop anywhere. Totally ridiculous.
Bathrooms fab but no better than LH A380.
All in all, it’s bigger and at first glance looks better than the new EK F, and has more sophisticated service, but I’d take the new EK F any day over this one.
@ flying_foxy -- Thanks for your thoughts, always interesting to compare notes. It makes me wonder if anyone has flown both Emirates and Singapore new first class products and prefers Singapore? Among those who have flown both, there seems to be a consensus about Emirates having a better product.
真是千呼万唤始出来……（It indeed cost me hundreds of thousands of cries for this report…)
I completely agree with you about the bed size. It looks to the about the same width of the current SQ suites, or the Etihad apartments. Huge missed opportunity in not making the bed wider, goodness knows they had the room.
Question: In this picture, "Singapore-Airlines-New-Suites-A380-75," on the right side of the wall of the suites, there appear to be two doors next to each other, sort of closet-looking things. What are those? I thought...
I completely agree with you about the bed size. It looks to the about the same width of the current SQ suites, or the Etihad apartments. Huge missed opportunity in not making the bed wider, goodness knows they had the room.
Question: In this picture, "Singapore-Airlines-New-Suites-A380-75," on the right side of the wall of the suites, there appear to be two doors next to each other, sort of closet-looking things. What are those? I thought the closet was basically *in* the suite running next to the sliding doors.
Also, where does one stow a rollaboard?
@ TravelinWilly -- Hah, very sharp eye, I didn't even notice that! My guess is that those are maybe closets for each suite's bedding. It didn't seem like it was intended for passengers. Anyone else know?
As far as rollaboards go, they fit inside the closet, though otherwise there was a closet at the front of the cabin.
Wow that wine list is remarkable!
This is so disappointing to read! I'm curious to see what they'll do with the 777-9 and whether that will aim to one-up Emirates.
So we have a hard uncomfortable bed. A seat that isn't all that comfortable to recline and relax in. And a dining setup that requires you to stare awkwardly at the person across from you. Ohh and it should be mentioned if you and your wife want to dine together that's not really possible.
It sounds to me like a major fail as a hard product especially when you consider what it is and...
So we have a hard uncomfortable bed. A seat that isn't all that comfortable to recline and relax in. And a dining setup that requires you to stare awkwardly at the person across from you. Ohh and it should be mentioned if you and your wife want to dine together that's not really possible.
It sounds to me like a major fail as a hard product especially when you consider what it is and what it's supposed to represent.
I can't evaluate the total experience the way you can but from a hard product perspective it sounds like a major fail.
Just flew it yesterday, the seat was fine imo, and the bed while hard, isn't as hard as you make it out to be, and I think you have a serious problem with heat, because it really wasn't that hot, even while I was in the bed. I flew from London though, so maybe they've updated some small things since your flight, since I assume your plane was the first one to get the new suites.
Say what you will, but this looks infinitely more functional than Emirate's bling and tackiness (unless virtual windows and multicoloured LEDs are your thing). I also feel like this makes Emirate's new first look somewhat claustrophobic by comparison.
@ Ewan -- To each their own, but the new Emirates first class seat is significantly more comfortable as a seat, significantly more comfortable as a bed, has multiple air nozzles, and has full privacy so you can control how light or dark your cabin is. To me there's almost no comparison.
Lucky dod you have a chance to see the double bed in action? Is it the same as before? Or is it also more
Limited?
@ Ben O. -- It looks to me like it's roughly the same as before, though no one on my flight used it. I was hoping there would be an empty Suite and I could try it out, but alas, the cabin was full.
The food looks incredible! And the wine list looks equally fabulous.
Sounds like it kind of sucks (relatively).
@Lucky
so from your experience would you prefer to fly in the new Singapore First Class Suites or the old version?
@ Andy -- I'd probably still choose the new version. It's much more spacious, and the old Suite has the same issue with the hard bed. It's still a great product, just not as great as it could have been.
The young lady companion was probably not wearing the shortest skirt you've seen because there are no pictures. No pictures=didn't happen.
Party of 4 in F??? I could never spend that much money. This is denial of our rights! No F for us=illegal discrimination. Where's Bernie Sanders when you need him?
So nice review!
The annoying thing is that a lot of the issues mentioned can be solved fairly easily.
For the issue of dining layout a two pronged approach can be taken:
1. Alternate where the doors are. So if we split a side into six entry points a-f one would make one side open at a a,d,e and the other at b,c,f. That way you maintain two suites that can be combined and one that can't on...
The annoying thing is that a lot of the issues mentioned can be solved fairly easily.
For the issue of dining layout a two pronged approach can be taken:
1. Alternate where the doors are. So if we split a side into six entry points a-f one would make one side open at a a,d,e and the other at b,c,f. That way you maintain two suites that can be combined and one that can't on each side but you're not staring at the person opposite during meal service.
2. Move the seat a bit further forward. There seems to be space and it would give the possibility of actually being able to use the seat facing the window. My two issues are broad shoulders and thickset legs (30-32 waist but straight legs trousers stick to me like skinny jeans) and the latter would mean I would struggle to actually fit my legs in that gap, not accounting for the comfort factor.
Offer soft mattress pads. Even if you were aiming for full coverage, that's six extra pads for the suites max, really can't increase the load by that much.
Air nozzles. I feel like this should be standard on EVERY "premium" product.
The seat and bed width issues are more complex to solve but with the above changes would probably leave this as the best hard product for many people (those of us that would take an actual soft bed over the extra privacy).
The whole "staring at a stranger situation while having dinner" could have easily been prevented if they connected rows 1 and 2 on one side of the plane and rows 2 and 3 on the other side.
Makes you wonder who put closer thought into the design process really. From your reviews I take the previous Singapore Suites was definitely better in this aspect.
Even the bathroom design looks like a bad use of space. Who needs a separate vanity area when you already have one in your suite? Judging from the pictures the smallest bathroom looks nicer than the bigger one.
Singapore Airlines doesn't have any cameras on any aircraft in their fleet. Something I once heard -and no idea if there's any truth to this- is that it's because they don't want people to watch a bad takeoff or landing so it's more of a face saving thing.
and @Lucky - you're entirely right. Singapore Airlines designs their cabin products from the ground up (exception being Econ class and their regional biz class), and...
Singapore Airlines doesn't have any cameras on any aircraft in their fleet. Something I once heard -and no idea if there's any truth to this- is that it's because they don't want people to watch a bad takeoff or landing so it's more of a face saving thing.
and @Lucky - you're entirely right. Singapore Airlines designs their cabin products from the ground up (exception being Econ class and their regional biz class), and I feel that they tend to miss out on some really glaring issues. Makes you wonder how much they focus group test the mockups before moving into production.
I visited their stand at London excell and wasnt impressed at all,Etihad apartment way better,the bed is way bigger,the seat more confortable.
I am flying singapore first tomorow London to Changi and i opted 777 with 4 seats.
You say it's a spectacular product but neither the seat nor the bed are comfortable and completely functional? Maybe we have different definitions of spectacular. Caviar is one thing. If I am spending that much money, I need a super comfy bed.
@ Neil S. -- You're right, the "spectacular" at the end is a bit of an overstatement. I think it's fairer to say "great." The sheer amount of personal space is special, but the shortcomings are substantial.
It's a rushed product. They had massive issues with the suite design and build, particularity the bed, before launch. They didn't do enough testing with the finished product, they released it when they did because of Emirate's new first class. I do hope they fix it
Nice. The photos kill it for you.
They opened the krug on the ground? I thought airlines didn't do that.
Also krug and dom only in first.
@ debit -- They do serve both Krug and Dom on the ground.
"Singapore Airlines has some of the best service, food, and drinks, of any airline in the world. The soft product simply can’t be faulted,"
I actually do find fault with their mid-flight snacks on long haul, for what it's worth. They could do a lot more there.
@ Gary Leff -- Good point, though not especially applicable on this short daytime flight. I should have probably said "the soft product on this flight simply can't be faulted."
I assume you mean you're happy Singapore upgraded their headphones to the latest Bose model, since they've had Bose headphones in general for years now?
@ Bgriff -- You're absolutely right, I stand corrected. Not sure what I was thinking regarding the headphones.