Wouldn’t it suck if, due to unforeseen reasons, Singapore Airlines scraps their A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Haul) business class product for good? And that I totally wasted my time writing all of this? And that my blog dies a horrible death, and then I won’t be able to feed myself and…
Yikes. Let’s just do the review and hope for the best.
SQ38
Singapore (SIN) – Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Monday, January 27, 2020
Aircraft: A350-941ULR
Registration: 9V-SGB
Duration: 14 hours 13 minutes
Seat: 15K (business class)
Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR side view illustration by Norebbo.comOur route from Singapore to Los Angeles this evening as SQ38
My full review of Singapore Airlines A350-900 business class from Singapore to Los Angeles
There are many ways to get from Singapore to Los Angeles, but I am firmly of the opinion that what you’re about to see is the best (by a whole heck of a lot).
Arrival at Changi Airport (Terminal 3)
There. I did it. Mandatory video footage of the Jewel here at Changi airport is complete, and now I can officially start this Singapore Airlines A350 business class review!Hey everyone, my name is Scott, I’m the founder and author of sanspotter.com, and after that brief (but mandatory) stop at the Jewel, I’ve just arrived here at terminal 3 for the 15 hour long haul back home to LAX.As I’ve already mentioned, I’m just a few hours away from experiencing Singapore Airlines a350 Business class for the first time.Don’t worry – I’m not letting this get to my head, because, well, my next trip is pretty much all economy class. Just like the good old days.Despite my imminent return to economy, you better believe that I’m milking this business class experience for all its worth.
The pre-departure experience
Remember that video footage of the Jewel I showed you earlier? I thought I was being proactive by getting it out of the way first thing, but wouldn’t you rather be seeing that now instead of generic clips of the transit area?Gate A15 is our departure point to LAX tonight, and one of the things I really like about Changi Airport is the security checkpoints right at the gate. It’s fast, easy, and I really wish more airports did it this way.Although…there is a downside to having the security checkpoint right at the gate. Once you’re in, you’re in and there’s nothing to do in here but try and get pics of your airplane through the reflective glass.Said pic of the airplane through the reflective glass.
Boarding flight number 38 to Los Angeles
Let’s gooooo!Walking up to the boarding door, and as usual, I’m fully expecting the cabin crew to mistake me as that QFS Aviation guy. I mean, nobody knows who SANspotter is but QFS Aviation? Who doesn’t know who he is?
Seat overview
The business class seats here on the A350 are some of the nicest long-haul life flat seats I have ever experienced on an airplane. Fun fact (which I hope won’t discourage you): these seats are nearly identical in width to the seats you saw in my Singapore Arlines 737 MAX 8 business class review.
Those of you who watched all the way to the end of my last video already knew that there was going to a “holy crap”, “holy Mother of God” and even a “holy ****” in this video. This is the part where those expressions go.Honestly, this seat blew me away. There’s tons of storage everywhere, including bins filled with noise canceling headphones and water, and – I’m so excited that I don’t even know where to start. Yes folks, business class is totally worth it sometimes!This is sweet! It’s also nearly the exact same seat as what you saw in my Singapore Airlines 777-300ER business class review. It’s not totally exclusive to the A350.One really interesting thing to note is that there were no amenity kits distributed. These slippers, socks, and eye masks were all we got, but because this seat is so amazing, I don’t care.The goal for this evening (should I choose to accept it) is to avoid chicken and rice. I fear I may be addicted to the stuff. However, that’s ok, because the menu for our flight to Los Angeles this evening is filled with what appears to be lots of other really great choices.The leg room. Holy crap, holy Mother of God, and…holy ****.Stupid commentary aside, the Singapore Airlines A350 Business class product has made quite an impactful first impression on me.Mission control of this magnificent seat. Eject button not necessary.I know. The only reason she looks happy to see me is because she’s being paid to do it. Story of my life basically.A pre-departure drink? Don’t mind if I do.Remember pre-Covid-19 days when we didn’t appreciate hot towels as much?Speaking of deadly viruses – all I can think when looking at this pic is how virus-y those surfaces must be. Scheduled flying time across the Pacific and over to los Angeles is scheduled to be 14 hours and 45 minutes, and I’ve never been more ready for a long haul flight in all my life. Let’s do this!
The first moments in the air
One of most interesting things about this experience so far was the smells. Not only did this A350 smell exactly like a brand new car, it paired magnificently with the scents of dinner being prepared up in the galley.This wasn’t a perfect experience though. Turns out that the video screens weren’t touch screens, and the only way to interact with them was via a handheld remote. For a guy who likes poking at things, that was definitely a negative.A few minor seat adjustments combined with a beverage, and…I do believe I’m fully prepared for whatever is next.Pic of said beverage. What’s next?
The dinner service
Turns out what was next was this chicken and lamb satay.The chicken satay was followed up 10 minutes later by this plate of dill marinated salmon. I’m tempted to say the salmon was better, but y’all know my feelings on chicken.Oh – there was garlic bread too. The greasy finger aftermath was totally worth it!Speaking of my feelings on chicken, I hate to say it, but this right here was the worst business class dinner entree I’ve had in a good long while.The quality and presentation were fine. The problem was squarely on me, and my unfortunate white boy inability to handle food any spicier than catchup. Yeah – this was spicy.Dousing the raging inferno came courtesy of this banana split Eclair, which did the job admirably.My taste buds were singed and I can’t tell you what it tasted like, but boy was it ever soothing.
Well, that didn’t go quite as expected. I’m drenched in sweat, my nose is still runny, and…my insides hurt. There’s no telling what the aftermath will be, but let’s just hope we make it to LA before things get ugly!
Seat flattened, and ready for action! Or something like that…The hell? I’m old enough to know that lying down immediately after eating spicy meal is a recipe for disaster.However, being annoyed by the tiny foot well was the *perfect* distraction from the feeling of the hole being burned right through the middle of my stomach.Goodnight everyone. I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe.
The second meal service
Hold on now. Transitioning to bathroom footage immediately after telling you how concerned I was about the aftermath of dinner is nothing to be afraid of. I just wanted to show you the mood lighting in here. That’s all.During the night I couldn’t help but to dream about gaining the ability to eat spicy food. What a miracle that would be.The second meal service started a little sooner than I expected, with three full hours of flying time remaining.I was so scarred from the dinner experience still that I just said “I’ll take the least spiciest thing available” when the flight attendant stopped by to take my order. As she walked away I couldn’t tell if she was laughing at me…or with me.A light salad before the main course.Trying my best to gauge the deadliness of the first bite.Mission accomplished! It’s really hard to go wrong with a collection of dumplings isn’t it? Not only was it delicious *and* mild, but the way it jiggled when poked was incredibly fun *and* satisfying.A roll cake and a plate of fruit was the perfect way to end the second meal service, as well as to restore the confidence I needed to make it to LA without my insides melting.For as much as I bellyached about the food on this flight, do know that the quality of everything served (and the interactions with the cabin crew) were top notch. You should know by now that I complain a lot.
Arrival in Los Angeles (and final thoughts)
Nothing says “this is my first time in Singapore Airlines business class” more than not being able to figure out how raise the seat.Yup, I needed help with this – as did most every other passenger. These seats are extremely comfortable but far from intuitive.Welcome to Los…oh wait. This is footage of us executing a missed approach into 24 right, and the pilot made no excuses about it.
He simply informed us we were coming in too high and much too fast, and we had to go around and try again. Now, I appreciate the honesty of him admitting to his error, but that was slightly more information than I needed to know.
Alright, this is looking better. Level. Straight. And the approach speed appears to be correct. But then again, what do I know? Our first approach seemed ok to me until we started climbing again. It was a lot cleaner than any approach I’ve ever made in a flight simulator, and if it were me, I would have sent it all the way in like a boss.So what’s the final verdict? Holy crap, holy Mother of God, and holy…spicy food! Oh, and yeah: it’s really hard to smile after a 15 hour flight (no matter how comfortable it was).
Despite the heat, I will say that the Singapore Airlines A350 Business class product is one of the best international business class experiences of my life. I will be doing this again. Without the spicy chicken of course.
I’ll be back in two weeks kicking off more adventures from yet another trip to Asia and back – starting with JAL 787-8 economy from San Diego to Narita. I can’t wait!
By the way, it goes without saying that I can’t wait to fly in Singapore Airlines Business class again. It’s pricy though, so I’ll need to come up with some clever ways of making it happen. Have you ever wondered how to buy a plane ticket for someone else? Just asking. You know…just in case you want to fund my next Singapore Airlines flight or something. lol
Pros and cons of Singapore Airlines A350 business class
Just as I mentioned in my review of Singapore Airlines 787-10 business class, coming up with a list of cons that didn’t make me sound petty was really hard. The Singapore Airlines A350 business class experience is downright phenomenal, and well… let’s just jump right into the pros and cons:
Pros
Everything you’ve heard about how spectacularly good long-haul Singapore airlines cabin crews are is true. The cabin crew on this flight was phenomenal, and I was treated like a king all the way from Singapore to Los Angeles. Every single crewmember that I interacted with on this flight was extremely happy, helpful, and did everything they could to make sure that I was having a good time. In other words, it was basically the polar opposite of what I experienced in Xiamen Air business class from Los Angeles to Xiamen last year.
Singapore airlines business class food is really good. However, as you saw in the video, I picked a choice that was slightly too spicy for me and I didn’t particularly enjoy my dinner entrée. That being said, the quality and presentation were excellent, and the second meal service just prior to landing was everything I hoped it would be and more.
The business class configuration on the Singapore Airlines A350 is perfect for long haul. The seats are large and spacious, and there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out. it should be noted that the A350s that are used on this route are designated as ”ultra long-haul” variants, which means that there is no economy class on these planes. It’s all business class and premium economy.
Video entertainment in Singapore airlines A350 business class is quite good (even better than what it is in there 787-10 regional business class product). The personal video screen is massive, and it’s stocked with an Impressive collection of video titles from all over the world. The only time that I’ve ever been more impressed with the wide variety of movie and TV choices to choose from on a flight was in Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class.
Cons
The business class seats on these ultra long range A350s are indeed nice, but so very awkward for two reasons:
First, they are incredibly wide, and it feels like sitting on a couch rather than sitting in a seat. If anything, it reminded me of riding in an old car from the 70s or early 80s with those big cushy bench seats that didn’t hold you in very well in the corners.
Second, the way they converted into a flatbed was confusing. Most other airline business class seats convert to the lie flat position by extending the seat pan forward while the seat back reclines flat. In the case of the seats on the A350, it’s the seat back which folds forward to create a completely flat surface to lie on. This wasn’t intuitive at all, and I needed help from a flight attendant to figure it out. And then, when it was time to put the seat back into an upright position at the end of the flight, I needed help once again to figure out where the latch was to release it from its life flat state.
And since I’m complaining about the seats, I should probably mention that the effort it took to get the seat into a lie flat position in the first place was such a big deal that it wasn’t worth it to convert it back up to upright during the meal service. Therefore, I spent the entire second meal service sitting on a flat seat with my legs crossed just as I was sitting on the floor eating a graham cracker snack back in kindergarten.
Thanks! Yeah, it was strange looking back on all these pics thinking how nice it was to be able to travel around the world so freely. Let’s hope we can get back to that soon!
SQ business class is average when compared to the likes of Cathay Pacific business class product on the A350 along with that of Qatar Airways QSuites.
The author of the video really hasn’t flown many quality airlines before to make a proper judgement and when comparing to the trashy American carriers, then I guess Singapore Airlines will look good despite having alot of faults with its seats and meals.
I’ve flown business class on both Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific, and I stand by my assessment of Singapore Airlines. That said, airline reviews such as this are opinion-based, so I always find it interesting when others have different thoughts on the same products. I respect your opinion!
I can see how this was your favorite flight ever. This one had it all: spacious seat, top-notch service, good food (ok, yes, it was spicy, but it looked good), and it was on an A350! (meaning a spacious cabin, mood lighting, better air quality/humidity; quiet but with a good engine roar on takeoff)
Plus, the livery had a cheatline. What else could you ask for?
Er… when you say the business class seats were as wide as the 737 MAX 8 seats, surely you don’t mean the seats on the SQ 777-300ER? But then again, the seats on the SQ 777 are bigger (that’s what she s- *slap* OUCH), aren’t they?
Yeah, this is the exact same seat that’s on the 77W. I was admittedly being slightly optimistic comparing the width of these seats to what’s on the 737 MAX 8, but I’m not too far off base I think. SQ 737 MAX 8 business class is no joke!
AVLspotter
Its so nice to read something from pre-Covid19 times. Great review, as always
SANspotter
Thanks! Yeah, it was strange looking back on all these pics thinking how nice it was to be able to travel around the world so freely. Let’s hope we can get back to that soon!
Albert
I dare you to take a flight to Seattle or New York
SANspotter
Not in the middle of all this COVID-19 mess! 🙂
John Abraham
SQ business class is average when compared to the likes of Cathay Pacific business class product on the A350 along with that of Qatar Airways QSuites.
The author of the video really hasn’t flown many quality airlines before to make a proper judgement and when comparing to the trashy American carriers, then I guess Singapore Airlines will look good despite having alot of faults with its seats and meals.
Scott (SANspotter)
I’ve flown business class on both Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific, and I stand by my assessment of Singapore Airlines. That said, airline reviews such as this are opinion-based, so I always find it interesting when others have different thoughts on the same products. I respect your opinion!
Peter
I can see how this was your favorite flight ever. This one had it all: spacious seat, top-notch service, good food (ok, yes, it was spicy, but it looked good), and it was on an A350! (meaning a spacious cabin, mood lighting, better air quality/humidity; quiet but with a good engine roar on takeoff)
Plus, the livery had a cheatline. What else could you ask for?
Michael
Kick me all you want, but since this is the only airplane blog I read, I don’t know who QFS Aviation is. Sorry.
Scott (SANspotter)
He makes good/informative airline reviews over on YouTube. You should check him out!
Michael
Er… when you say the business class seats were as wide as the 737 MAX 8 seats, surely you don’t mean the seats on the SQ 777-300ER? But then again, the seats on the SQ 777 are bigger (that’s what she s- *slap* OUCH), aren’t they?
I’m off to google to find out…
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, this is the exact same seat that’s on the 77W. I was admittedly being slightly optimistic comparing the width of these seats to what’s on the 737 MAX 8, but I’m not too far off base I think. SQ 737 MAX 8 business class is no joke!