the hard product

Singapore Airlines 787 runs a 36 seater business class cabin with all seats having direct aisle access and are lie flat in a 1-2-1 configuration. I really loved this seat – you might find it on the narrower side (20 inches or 50cm) compared to some of Sing’s other business class seating, but I loved the roomy footwell, classy chassis design with touches of tan leather and thoughtful storage space. Settling in upon boarding, I immediately felt at home and a sense of calm.

At your seat you’ll find a sliding compartment for your headphones and water bottle and room for your bag underneath the footwell. There’s also an internationally compatible charging port and two USB points – although these are a bit defunct now with the advent of USB-C. There’s also some sort of wireless payment swipe feature which in the advent of free wifi, felt like a piece of feature bloat and perhaps one Singapore Airlines is regretting!!!

In terms of seat functionality and accessories, there’s a touchpad with all the usual controls – seat adjustment, seat lights and call buttons and also a corded touchscreen remote to control your entertainment screen. Perhaps a strange thing to single out but I really rated remote as these can often be clunky and difficult to use – this one was responsive, a great UX and a very narrow bezel and form factor which made it feel all the more slick!

As always, the entertainment options onboard Singapore Airline flights are fantastic. This seat sported a decent 18 inch screen and almost too many movie and television options – I think I spent a good 20 minutes just scrolling! Luckily there is a “build your own playlist” function where you can add things progressively as you scroll.

Comfortable noise cancelling headphones are also provided and a Penhaligon amenity kit containing lip balm, face mist, moisturiser and a free body wash redeemable at a Penhaligon store (we redeemed ours at ION).

the food & beverage

If you don’t start your flight off with a Singapore Sling, did you even fly with Singapore Airlines?

Singapore Airlines drinks list is vast and various – featuring Charles Heidsieck Brut champagne, several choices of whites and reds, port, a range of cocktails and mocktails, an extensive Illy coffee selection, TWG teas and non-alcoholic drinks including milo! I opted for a glass of bubbles upon take off so was feeling rather merry with a bubbles and a Singapore Sling in the belly before 11am.

There were two meal services offered on this eight hour trip from Melbourne to Singapore – a three course lunch shortly after takeoff, and a smaller meal just prior to landing.

On the menu for lunch was a smoked duck salad for appetiser, three choices for mains including grilled beef fillet with potatoes and mushrooms, Malay style braised chicken on rice and Ee Fu noodles with seafood; and another four options for dessert ranging from ice cream to cheesecake, cheese and fruit. Of course the classic Singapore Airlines bread basket came roving around as well!

The smoked duck salad was excellent – thick, juicy pieces of just pink duck, and the slaw was crunchy, fresh and well dressed with a mustardy sesame type dressing. On the side, I chose garlic bread from the roving bread basket and this was as you would expect – warm, buttery and garlicky. No complaints here!

For mains, I had pre-ordered a different steak with broccolini through Singapore Airline’s excellent “Book the Cook” service, where you can pre-order a meal from a more extensive list of options. This is available on most Business Class and up flights above 2.5 hours. The steak was tasty, but very much overcooked and a little dry. I’m yet to encounter a properly cooked steak on a flight – is this the holy grail? Other than that, it was a really enjoyable meal and paired well with the Teusner Shiraz.

It’s hard not to enjoy and pinch yourself when you’re carving up a piece of steak with a nice red wine in a lie flat seat 30,000 miles above sea level – a feeling I never want to take for granted.

To finish, I chose the strawberry ice cream and some fresh fruit. After the steak, the other two options of either cheesecake or cheese and crackers felt a bit too heavy and I also didn’t want to spoil my appetite for the second meal service to follow in a few hours.

To cap things off, perhaps one of my fast favourites of a Singapore Airlines flight – a Moroccan Mint TWG tea in a proper mug! I really like a scalding hot herbal tea and was very happy they didn’t serve this lukewarm, or in a tiny tea cup British style. No offence.

After lunch, I settled in and finished off my movie (King Richard – excellent), and turned on The White Lotus Season 1 to fall asleep to. Not because it is boring (quite the opposite), but my secret indulgence on flights is to fall asleep to shows I’ve already watched as we don’t have a TV at home in the bedroom. It also helps me sleep what with all the ambient and sometimes not-so-ambient noise coming from around the cabin!

An hour or so before landing in Singapore, a light refreshment meal was served. I choice the seafood nasi goreng, which was delicious – well fried and saucy rice with some juicy squid and prawns. The accompanying chilli sauce packed a punch and did wonders to shake off any residual sleepiness I was feeling!

final notes

I really enjoyed this flight – some might think spending your day in the air instead of taking a red eye is wasteful of holiday time, but for me the flying is such an enjoyable part of the holiday itself – particularly when you’re up the pointy end of the plane. While not as flashy or polished as some other carriers such as Qatar, Singapore Airlines ticks all the boxes with a cosy seat, decent food options and a friendly, warm flight crew. I appreciated the small touches, such as crew pro-actively replenishing your water bottles when you’ve finished (and asleep!). Looking forward to my next MEL-SIN flight with Singapore Airlines and landing in Singapore well in time for the 7pm satay street fare at Lau Pa Sat Hawker Market!