Seat review: Singapore Airlines A380 SYD-SIN

Article originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia BUSINESS TRAVEL & MICE supplement

Seat review: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Changi Airport to Sydney Airport
Airbus A380-800 business class

LOUNGE: An amazing shower with horizontal as well as vertical jets is worth the admission alone, but the buffet is another strong selling point. It features superb cuisine from Singapore’s three main cultural influences (namely Indian, Chinese and Western) and it is brought out freshly. Draught beer, a host of big screen televisions, free wi-fi and lots of seating also contribute to make this an excellent lounge. 9/10

SEAT: What can be said about the amazing Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 business class seat? Firstly, it is so wide that two could sit side by side, such is its breadth. It also has amazing storage space underneath the seat in front, meaning that very few will have any need to use the overhead compartment. There are a myriad of stowage spaces and fold-down shelves for drinks and the like on the panel in front. The lie-flat bed is so vast you can roam around and toss and turn rather than lying head up only. This is truly the new standard of comfort for the business traveller. 10/10

SERVICE: Singapore Airlines is well known for, and justifiably proud of, its personal service. A
minor visa issue had staff working on my behalf contacting Canberra while I relaxed – all very
professional. Similarly, orders were taken prior to take-off, to speed up service afterwards. For
some Australian sensibilities, the service may appear a little fawning, but no request is ever
refused and my visa issue illustrated perfectly the lengths staff go to to ensure an excellent
experience. I found the service very hard to fault. 9/10

EXTRAS: Passengers are presented with amazing noise-cancelling headphones that eliminate the minimal cabin noise as soon as you switch them on. There is no amenity kit, instead,
socks are handed out along with a fairly thin eye mask and the rest can be found in the bathroom, where L’Occitane skin products are on hand. It is a new take on the standard offering and it works very well. 8/10

FOOD: Singapore has engaged chefs from around the world, including Matt Moran, Gordon
Ramsay and Georges Blanc to help customise their in-flight menus. A signature dish of cod
with sautéed mushroom showed off Singaporean cuisine well while the wine list shows a new world bias for whites and a distinctly classic view on the reds. 9/10

ENTERTAINMENT: A huge choice of film and for those who are prepared, an option to plug in a USB stick to play your own choices of MP3s and video files. KrisWorld is easy to navigate and looks good. The black LCD screen makes for great contrast and picture quality. 8/10

OVERALL: Quite simply, this is the best business class offering we have tested. No one element is disappointing and Singapore Airlines have raised the bar for the rest of the world’s airlines. 88%