Selected destinations only, fly between 1 March and 30 April.
Singapore Airlines have launched a very interesting promotion, offering 50% extra miles for business class trips to select destinations in Europe and USA.
Book a Business Flexi fare and enjoy 50% bonus miles
The fares will have to be booked in Business Flexi fare (J, C, Z class), which are the three highest fare classes in the business cabin.
Which routes are eligible for this bonus?
Only the following destinations are eligible for the 50% bonus:
Europe: Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Munich and Zurich
USA: New York (Newark) and San Francisco
Are Business Flexi fares worth it?
Given that you are buying essentially a flexible fare which are typically more expensive, expect to shell out up to 50% more than the lite fare.
Also, if you typically clock miles through corporate travel, your company travel policy may not allow you to buy into a higher fare class as required by the promotion, so be sure to check.
For ease of comparison, here are some sample fares in April to all the destinations, based on a weekday departure and 7-days stay overseas:
Destination
Business Lite fare (S$)
Business Flexi fare (S$)
Fare diff
Base miles (based on Lite fare)
Bonus miles (Flexi fare 20% bonus + 50%)
CPM for bonus (S$)
Amsterdam
6,039
8,585
2,546
16,330
11,431
0.222
Paris
5,445
7,837
2,392
16,658
11,661
0.205
Frankfurt
5,961
7,926
1,965
15,968
11,178
0.176
London
5,707
8,638
2,931
16,904
11,833
0.248
Munich
6,039
8,439
2,400
15,626
10,938
0.219
Zurich
5,952
8,352
2,400
16,008
11,206
0.214
Newark
7,341
9,751
2,410
23,824
16,677
0.145
San Francisco
6,726
9,951
3,225
21,100
14,770
0.218
San Francisco (via HKG)
6,786
10,011
3,225
21,274
14,892
0.217
As exemplified above, the cost per additional mile ranges between 14.5 cents to 24.8 cents, which is a poor value. The 50% bonus miles also do not count towards elite status, so you won’t get your Elite Gold any faster with this promotion. While you will still get bonus miles for the extra spending on your credit card (e.g. clocking 4mpd on your OCBC 90N), that will bring down your CPM to about 11.6 cents, which is still an extremely high cost.
Ironically, it’s actually cheaper to buy miles directly from Krisflyer, at a rate of USD40 (SGD56) per 1,000 miles block. At that rate, 12,000 miles will set you back by USD480 (SGD672), and you will also earn points on that spend if you use the right credit card (e.g. 3mpd on the DBS Altitude Visa).
Final thoughts
You should only do it if you are travelling on someone else’s money (e.g. your company), and that you are able to switch it up without forking out more money.
You are better off deferring that additional spending, and set it towards another business class ticket in the future.
This is obviously a very poor value promotion, which is of little to almost no value for leisure travellers who are spending their own money to get the extra miles. The incentive to up-sell to a better yielding fare class is just not there – especially when the fare difference is so large.
Singapore Airlines might simply fare better if they had thrown in a one-time free visit to the first class lounge for this promotion, perhaps?
For my final leg home from Shanghai on a weekend trip, I took advantage of Singapore Airlines’ Spontaneous Escapes offer last month and redeemed a one-way business class seat from Shanghai to Singapore at 27,300 miles.
The usual redemption rate is 39,000 miles each way in business class for PVG-SIN, so this was pretty good value.
I’ve not tried Singapore Airlines’ latest business seat product that was launched in 2017, so I was looking forward to reviewing this seat.
For those who are familiar with SIA’s Spontaneous Escapes, this is a monthly offer which offer select cabins on certain routes at a 30% discount for travel in the following month. SIA’s China services, including Beijing and Shanghai, tend to always be on offer.
SQ operates out of Terminal 2 at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, along with most other Star Alliance carriers including Air China, Thai Airways and United Airlines. Check-in was relatively fuss free, with three dedicated business class check-in counters, so there was hardly any queue.
While there is not a dedicated immigration lane for business class passengers, there was one for security screening right after immigration. The immigration lines can get pretty backed up, so arrive early.
Singapore Airlines does not have its own lounge in Pudong, so guests are directed to the Air China business class lounge.
Singapore Airlines premium cabin customers use the Air China lounge at Shanghai Pudong airport
The flight was scheduled to depart at 1625, and boarding commenced about half an hour earlier. As usual, passengers in suites and business class, as well as PPS members, were invited to board first.
The aircraft
Singapore Airlines deploy an assortment of aircraft on the four times daily Singapore-Shanghai service, including the Boeing 777-300ER, A380 and A330. The service frequency and aircraft type also varies during different times of the year depending on demand.
For the A380, Singapore Airlines is currently undergoing a fleet refurbishment process to install their newest seats and suites. As such, SQ has three different variants at the moment for the A380, given it’s taking time to refurbish the fleet.
Luckily for me, the A380 I was on today was the type with the latest seat products, including the new suites.
On this configuration of A380, there are 6 suites, 78 business class seats, 44 premium economy and 343 economy class seats. The suites and business cabins are on the upper deck, while the premium economy and economy class seats are located on the lower main deck.
The load today was pretty light. Out of 78 seats, the cabin was less than half full with about 34 passengers in business class. My choice of seat for the day was all the way at the rear, at seat 91D.
Singapore Airlines introduced this seat along with the new suites when they refurbished the aircraft in 2017, 10 years after taking in their first A380. In this new configuration, the business class seats and suites are located on the upper deck, with the six suites in front, and the 78 business class seats taking the rest of the upper deck.
Singapore Airlines 2017 business class seat
The good thing with it is that they can actually do concurrent boarding and disembarking of both decks, although that some passengers in premium cabins may not like that idea, given after all, they love the priority.
The 78 business class seats are spread across three main cabins on the seat map, although in reality the rear two cabins are visually just one. The ‘mini cabin’
Most passengers will like to be at the front of the cabin, but I figured that the rear will be rather empty given the light load. True enough, upon boarding, the cabin crew told me that there was only six passengers in the rear cabin, and I was free to change my seats if I so wanted to.
My middle seat
Now, the seat. The Singapore Airlines 2017 Business Class seats (2017J) measures 25 inches across, and can be fully reclined into a flat bed. In the bed mode, the bed runs about 78 inches head to toe.
The seat also features a larger privacy shell so that you get more privacy from the aisle.
Seats are pretty private, you won’t see your neighbours if you really don’t want to.
At the time of its launch, Singapore Airlines also mischievously marketed the business class seats as best in class for couples travelling together, featuring a ‘double bed’ in the new business class configuration, as exemplified by this marketing imagery:
Singapore Airlines A380 business class double bed (source: Singapore Airlines)
However, the reality is that there are only three such pairs of seats available on each flight, which are seats D & G (middle seats) on the bulkhead rows of 11, 91 and 96.
The only reason why they can be formed into a ‘double bed’ is because these are the only seats that has a full-width footrest area. The other seats all have a side cubbyhole, so when the seat is fully reclined into a bed, the footrest angles away from the middle.
Ample legrest area in the bulkhead seats (Pictured: Seat 91D)Non-bulkhead seats have smaller legrests (Pictured: seat 92D)
Even for three ‘double beds’, note that there is still a hard divider that can be drawn all the way down to bed-level when both are reclined into bed positions. However, the mattress topper will not be able to fully cushion the gap, you will still be able to feel it if you lie across it.
Seat divider
Note that seats 91D & G are bassinet positions, so they can’t be reserved in advance until 48 hours before the flight. Even then there is a chance you might be moved, if there’s a infant that pops up last minute.
All of the seats have a side table that separates the seat from the aisle. While that means that the middle pair of seats are side by side, there is a retractable divider that you can put up if you are travelling alone.
Side table
Storage wise, the seat does have several spaces for you to store personal items around the seat. There is some space under the seat in front of you for a small suitcase or a backpack, so for most travellers there no need to use the overhead compartments.
As for overhead storage, note that there are no overhead storage compartments for the middle seats, so if you need to stow something, it has to be above the window seats.
There are no overhead storage space for middle seats
At the back of the side table, there is a small compartment for storing personal , which is also equipped with a USB charging socket. If you need a power socket, it’s available in front of you just below or beside the IFE screen.
Power socket for your use
At the side of seat near the foot area is also a magazine rack, along with a bottle holder. There’s enough space to also stow a slim laptop if you wish.
Magazine rack and bottle holder
At the side of the seat just below the side table is a control panel for the seat. Unlike previous versions of SIA business class seats, the 2017 version is now fully control by electronics. The seat can be fully converted to a bed at a touch of button, although you can still trouble a cabin crew to do it for you if you prefer that personal touch.
Electronic controls
There is also a thin mattress topper and a blanket, although they are all rather thin, so that means that you will be sleeping on a firm bed.
The service
The service was rather attentive today, as the cabin was pretty empty. I was greeted by name, and the cabin crew also knew my preferences after I stated it once.
When I boarded, the cabin crew quickly came around offering a pre-departure drink. Unfortunately they didn’t offer any champagne, so I settled for a sparkling water.
After doors have closed, another cabin crew came around to take orders for a pre-meal drink. I opted for some decaf coffee given it was relatively late in the day, which was promptly brought to me right after take off.
Post-take off drink: decaf coffee
Shortly after that, they brought around the famed Singapore Airlines canapes of lamb and chicken satay, which I thought signaled the start of the meal service.
Canapes of satay
Surprisingly, I was asked by the cabin crew at that point if I will like to have dinner at 6pm or 6.30pm, given it was rather early in the evening. I thought this was a very nice touch, rather than just assume that everyone wanted to eat right at the beginning of the flight.
Dining
Given the flight duration of five hours, there was only going to be a meal service for the flight. Soon enough, 6.30pm rolled by and the cabin crew came around to lay out the tablecloth and cutlery in preparation for dinner. I was offered a drink once again to go with my meal, and I decided on a red wine, the Chianti.
The SIA business class menu
Now a bit about SIA’s menu: on their China-bound flights, there is one special menu available, Shi Quan Wei Mei, a special Chinese feast designed by a celebrity chef.
According to the in-flight menu, each dish is made using locally sourced ingredients that are in season.
The menu for Shi Quan Wei Mei reads as follow:
Side Dish: Marinated Cucumber and Shimeiji Mushrooms
Cold Appetiser: Red Pepper Pork Roll and Watercress Pine Nuts in Bean Skin
Main Course: Prawns in Pickled Chilli Sauce with stir fried kai lan and purple sweet potato rice
Dessert: Warm Soy Bean Milk with Tofu Skin and Pigeon Egg
If Chinese food is not your style, there’s also the regular menu for your perusal:
Canape: Singapore Chicken and Lamb Satay
Appetiser: Salad of Smoked Salmon with grilled vegetables and herb vinaigrette
Main Course: choice of Grilled Cumin Spiced Lamb Ribs with Lemon Thyme Sauce Sauteed Prawn in Tomato Coriander Sauce Wok Fried Chicken with bamboo shoots and chives, Chinese greens and fried noodles
Dessert: Haagen Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream
Selection of Cheese
Fruit from the Basket
Assorted Bread Rolls and Gourmet Breads
Fine Pralines
Coffee and Tea
The appetiser was served up pretty swiftly. The smoked salmon wasn’t memorable, but I really enjoyed the grilled vegetables as they were pretty crunchy yet juicy. Not a fan of the leafy bits so I left those alone.
And of course, the garlic bread is always such a treat.
Salad of smoked salmon
As I wasn’t particularly hungry, I went for the prawn for my main course. Usually I’m pretty skeptical of prawns as a main dish, given that sometimes that can mean only one single prawn, as mentioned in the menu.
Sauteed Prawn in Tomato Coriander Sauce
However, I was pleasantly surprised with the portions this time round. There was a hearty serving of de-shelled prawns, with a side of vegetables and couscous. The prawns were well flavoured and it’s still pretty substantial, despite being labeled as a low carb option.
My empty plate was removed not too long after I was done, and I was again offered a refill of my wine, which I gladly accepted. The dessert of ice cream (one of my favourites) was also brought to me at this time.
Haagen Dazs ice cream
Unlike Cathay Pacific who serves the ice-cream in its original single-serve tub, Singapore Airlines scoops the ice cream into a bowl, and often garnish it with either biscuit crumbs or some sauce. Personally I actually prefer it to be in the tub, because for some reason when it is scooped out it tends to melt faster.
In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi
Singapore Airlines equips the 2017 business class seat with an 18-inch Panasonic screen. As I was sitting at a bassinet-available seat, the screen was significantly higher than my eye level when I’m seated to cater space for the bassinet. If people behind me were to stand up, they will be able to see what I’m watching!
My screen is clearly visible even from five rows back
The KrisWorld IFE is pretty world-class, containing a good array of international selection. Note that Singapore Airlines have two IFE systems running through its entire aircraft fleet, and fortunately the A380s have the newer Panasonic ones with a far larger library, inluding over 300 movies and 700 TV shows.
In terms of Wifi, Singapore Airlines offers them on the A350 and A380 fleets as well as select 777-300ER aircraft. In case you haven’t heard, Singapore Airlines now offers unlimited free wifi for its suites and first class passengers, and a reasonable 100MB allowance for passengers in business class, as well as its PPS members.
Complimentary 100MB wifi for business class passengers
If you need more than the 100MB given to you, you can purchase additional data limit at the following prices:
30MB – USD3.99
100MB – USD9.99
200MB – USD15.99
The prices are definitely not cheap, and SIA no longer offers time-based wifi access.
I barely touched the in-flight wifi, as I usually prefer to stay disconnected when I’m flying. Having said that, this is a good consideration if you prefer to work on your flight, and 100MB is sufficient for basic email exchanges, or for your basic messaging apps.
Final thoughts
I must say I really enjoyed this flight and the seat was more than comfortable for this five-hour journey back home.
The seat pretty much works for me. I personally prefer seats with electronic mechanisms, so that I can operate the seat myself without troubling a member of the crew. On previous versions of the business class seats that require manual handling, I often find myself waiting a tad too long for my seat to be converted into a bed.
Fully reclined business class seat, all done by myself!
While some critics may feel that the seat is a distinct departure from the generous width that SIA had in its previous generations of business class seats, I think they are sufficient and pretty within standards of many other airlines’ business class seats.
If there’s one thing that’s lacking, it’s with the amenity kits. SIA is one of the few airlines that doesn’t provide an amenity kit for their business class passengers, although everything you need in the kit is either provided to you at your seat (e.g. eye shades and slippers), or available in the lavatories (e.g. toothbrush).
The service was very attentive, given the relatively light load for the evening. The meal service was again impeccable, but the quality of food is a far cry from what it used to be, if you ask me. For instance, there are practically no choice for appetisers, dessert, or even the famous satay (what if I don’t eat mutton?).
While I was initially a little hesitant in choosing a seat closer to the back of the plane, but I really liked how empty the cabin was. Even though this means you are one of the last few business class passengers to disembark when you arrive at your destination, but the privacy and attentiveness of the crew more than make up for it.
New collaboration the UK brand will see new amenity kits and bedding in first class and business class
Cathay Pacific has refreshed its service offering in its first and business class cabins with a series of enhancements. In its PR, the airline promises the changes are geared towards “indulging passengers with an elevated premium travel experience”.
Expectedly, the enhancements ride on the current wave of health and wellness focus by airlines, ranging from providing in-seat exercise videos to healthier options for in-flight menus.
First class enhancements
In first class, passengers will be treated with a personalised welcome note along with a hot towel and a glass of refreshing sparkling jasmine silver needle tea from their current tea partner, JING.
I’m personally not a big fan of JING teas, but I’ll be curious to see how this sparkling tea will be like.
New wellness dining in Cathay Pacific first class
In the food department, Cathay Pacific cater a range of lighter (which are supposedly healthier) options for the main and breakfast meals as well as healthy alternatives such as superfood bowls and lighter protein side dishes. Notably, Cathay Pacific will provide cold-pressed juice from Hong Kong brand Bless for its most premium passengers.
For the ultimate comfort for first class passengers, Cathay Pacific will offer a cosy 600-thread-count, 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton mattress and duvet, as well as a soft full-size pillow in the cabin, all by Bamford. Coupled with a turndown service (essentially setting up your bed in the air), there’s also a pillow mist that promises to put you to sleep.
Each passenger will also receive a Bamford amenity kit, which will include natural skincare products presented in glass bottles.
Business class enhancements
Cathay Pacific has also amped up the business class offering with some updates to its bedding.
In terms of comfort, Cathay Pacific will be offering a soft mattress topper along with a larger, plusher sleeping pillow and premium-quality slippers. While the pillows have always been there, the mattress topper and slippers will be new to the cabin, which are very much welcomed additions. There will however still be no pyjamas offered to business class passengers.
New mattress topper and Bamford amenity kits
The business class amenity kits – only available on long-haul flights – will also be refreshed. The new amenity kits are unisex and also designed by Bamford, available in four colours and rotated around the year.
Singapore Airlines / 4 August 19 / B787-10 / SQ215 SIN-PER / Business class / 12K
Earlier this year I was planning for a National Day long weekend getaway with some friends, so I decided to dump some of my miles into a Bangkok-Singapore-Perth redemption for 32,500 miles (one-way) just before the devaluation of the Krisflyer miles kicked in.
Singapore Airlines had started operating its B787-10 on select services to Perth since earlier this year, so I thought it was prime time to check out the latest seats and service in business class.
Singapore Airlines new generation regional business class seat
Singapore Airlines operate 4 services between Singapore and Perth daily. Out of Singapore, two of the services are in the morning, one was in the evening and one was overnight. On the return leg from Perth to Singapore, there is one service each in the morning, afternoon, evening and overnight.
For my SQ215 service today, departure was at 6.45pm and scheduled to arrive into Perth at 11.55pm. All Singapore Airlines Australia-bound services depart out of Terminal 3 at Changi Airport.
Singapore Airlines business class check-in counters
Check-in was a relative breeze with many check-in rows for customers to proceed to. As a default, business class passengers can proceed to row 6 for a traditional check-in by an agent, but they can also head to row 4 to drop their bags if they have already completed their online check-in earlier.
The lounge
At the time of writing, Singapore Airlines has already announced a phased refurbishment of its lounges in Terminal 3. On the day of my flight, the Krisflyer Gold lounge has moved to Murhaba Lounge, but the SilverKris lounge for business class passengers was still in operation (see my earlier review here).
I went in for a quick glass of champagne before making my way to the gate.
The aircraft
SQ215 was operated by a Boeing 787-10 today. The Singapore-Perth route is operated by a mix of the regional A350-1000s, B787-10s as well as some old A330s. Singapore Airlines has most recently announced that from October onwards, the A330 will no longer be on the Perth services, so all premium cabin passengers will enjoy a lie-flat new regional business class product.
For those following Singapore Airlines’ fleet renewal closely, you will know that SIA has now 12 Boeing 787-10 in its ranks, with another three birds joining the fleet by the end of year.
Singapore Airlines B787-10 business cabin
All of Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 787-10 are used for regional services, hence they only have two classes: business and economy. In business cabin, there are 36 seats over nine rows, with four across each row. In business class, the seat that Singapore Airlines have chosen is the STELIA Symphony, a brand new design that Singapore Airlines have decided on and announced with much fanfare back in 2018.
All seats have direct aisle access, an upgrade from the previous 2-2-2 regional products found on the A330.
The seat
I have done a review of this seat for my Bangkok-Singapore flight earlier this year. This time round, I had the chance to book a seat with the seat next to the window, and have the console separate my seat from the aisle. If you ask me, this is a much better option as it offers a lot more privacy.
Seat 12F across the aisle
Even though this is my second time on this aircraft, I still maintain that the seat feels a little tight, although arguably much less than the JAL seats. The seat comes with adjustable armrests on both sides, which one can leave up or push it down to level with the seat for a more spacious seating.
Singapore Airlines have aligned the seats in such a way that in alternate rows, couples travelling together can choose a pair of middle seats with their seats right next to each other.
Alternating seats for the middle pairs – choose wisely!
As previously mentioned, the seat controls have been upgraded significantly from previous iterations of the Singapore Airlines business class seat. Loyalists will know that the previous iterations of the business class seats – especially the long haul seats – are built to be manually turned into beds upon request.
For the Boeing 787-10, Singapore Airlines have adopted an electronically-controlled system. The seat controls are located on the side of the table-console. At a touch of the button, you will be able to recline the seat into a fully flat bed.
Electronic controls for the seat (above the handset)
On the side console was also a small compartment which contained the headphones, and also contained the power socket and charging ports. For take off and landings, the compartment needs to be closed, so effectively you won’t be able to charge anything during this time.
The tray table is stowed under the in-flight entertainment screen in front of you. There is a button to eject the tray, which you then unfold into a larger table.
The service
Flight time today is about 4.5 hours, which is a relatively short flight. Unlike short-haul services around Southeast Asia, Singapore Airlines do provide some amenities for business class passengers, including slippers, eye masks and socks.
From top left, clockwise: eye shades, slippers, socks
Customarily, the cabin crew came around to offer a pre-departure drink of either champagne, juice or water. Champagne is always my choice of drink, unless it’s way too early in the day. For the uninitiated, Singapore Airlines serve Charles Hensieck champagne in business. Hot towels were also dished out during this time, as the cabin crew collected another round of drink orders for after take-off.
Just after doors are closed and the aircraft is on its way to the runway, the cabin crew came around and swiftly retrieved all the glassware.
Soon we are on our way. As there was only one meal service, there was no rush to serve. The cabin crew came around with the drinks that we ordered before take-off. This was when I experienced a little lapse. I had initially ordered a Shiraz, but a white wine was brought to me instead. After clarifying my order, the wine took a while to come again because the cabin crew forgot to bring it out for me. It was a relatively small matter, but for an airline who had set the bar so high with regard to service, this was a little annoying. I got an extra pour of the Shiraz (which turned out to be pretty decent) from a very apologetic leading stewardess, so I guess I’ll let this slide.
Dinner service commenced about an hour into the flight, so if you are the sort who needs an early dinner, you’re better off grabbing a bite in the lounge first.
As I have previewed the on-board menu earlier through Manage My Booking and wasn’t impressed with the selections, I have went ahead with a Book the Cook selection of Nasi Lemak, which the cabin crew came around to confirm just before the meal service.
For those who are interested, the menu for the evening read as below:
Canape: Singapore Chicken and Beef Satay
Appetiser: Parma Ham and Mozzarella Cheese Caprese
Main Course:choice of Seared Salmon Trout with Campagne Vinaigrette Singapore Roti Prata Wok-fried Beef in Black Peppercorn Sauce Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Light Tarragon Sauce
Dessert: choice of Haagen Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream Tiramisu
Selection of Cheese
Fruit from the Basket
Assorted Bread Rolls and Gourmet Breads
Fine Pralines
Coffee and Tea
It’s a full meal service, and in my opinion with a little more choices than what was available on my Singapore-Beijing service.
Having said that, Singapore-Australia flights tend to be competitive given the relatively high yields out of the Australian market, so I’m certain that Singapore Airlines will pull no stops to impressing customers with the service quality on the Australian services.
The famed Singapore Airlines satay was served about an hour into the flight. What always amuses me is how the satay is served before they dress your table for dinner. If you don’t take either chicken or beef, you can always request for more of the other meat you prefer. On some flights, they also serve lamb satay instead of beef.
Chicken and beef satay canapes
Dinner begins proper once I was done with the satay. The cabin crew came around to lay out the table cloth, before dishing out the tray with the appetiser and offering yet another drink. Another crew followed closely behind, offering a choice of bread rolls and garlic bread.
Appetizer: Parma Ham and Mozzarella Cheese Caprese
After the appetiser was completed, the stewardess came around to clear the plate and shortly my Book the Cook meal of Nasi Lemak was in front of me.
For those who had not tried the dish before, it comes with sambal prawns, a slice of otah, omelette and a fried chicken drumstick. The coconut-infused rice was on point, complemented by a sweet and spicy sambal chilli. The accompaniments were pretty rich as well, making the dish a perfect one. My only complaint was the chicken, my personal preference would have been a chicken fillet rather than a chicken drumstick, so that it’s easier to manage.
Book the Cook: Nasi Lemak
For dessert, there was a choice between the ice cream and a tiramisu. If you have followed me long enough, you will know that I will almost always go for the ice cream. My previous experience with SIA business class desserts have always been disappointing as they tend to ‘overdo’ it, for example adding toppings to the ice cream. However, the ice cream this time round turns out pretty perfect if you ask me: a simple scoop of strawberry ice cream, topped with just a simple wedge of chocolate.
Haagen Dazs ice cream
I also ordered a cup of decaf coffee, which was promptly served after dessert along with a choice of pralines personally offered by the in-flight manager.
The entire dinner service was completed in about an hour, by which time we were about half way into the flight to Perth. I rounded off the flight with another glass of Shiraz.
Final thoughts
The Boeing 787-10 aircraft is a boost to the Singapore-Perth services, which used to be serviced by the A330s using a regional 2-2-2 configuration in the business cabin.
The new seats, with all seats having direct aisle access, was a much needed upgrade, given that the only other competitor on this route, Qantas, has a similar seat type on the A330 they operate. Having said this, Singapore Airlines will be moving to a full new generation business class layout, featuring the latest regional business class product on all of its Perth flights from October 2019 onwards, operated by either the B787-10 or the A350 regional configuration aircraft.
Sunset on flight
Having said this, my comments about the seat comfort still stands. The in-flight entertainment screen was a little too close to my face for my liking, and the side console makes the passage between the aisle and the seat a little tight.
This time round, as I have chosen a window seat with the seat right next to the window (as opposed to having the console next to the window), the seat felt a lot more private than my Bangkok-Singapore sector experience. These seats tend to be very popular for solo travellers, so be sure to book them as soon as you can.
As I have mentioned earlier, the service quality of the Australia-bound services tend to be better as compared to other mid-haul destinations, and this is no exception for my flight today. So if you are ever planning a trip Down Under, you will have every reason to expect a tip-top service in SIA business class.
Many people associate Cathay Pacific with its home base of Hong Kong, which isn’t surprising given that there are over 50 flights a week from Singapore to Hong Kong. While Cathay Pacific is one of the preferred choice when travelling to Hong Kong, what some people may not know is that Cathay Pacific also offers a daily service to Bangkok from Singapore.
The Cathay Pacific Singapore-Bangkok daily service is one of Cathay’s unique fifth freedom flights around the world, and the only one operating between the two Southeast Asian cities.
I decided to take a slight detour to Bangkok today while on my way to Hong Kong, to check out if this option is indeed a much better choice than other full service carriers.
The schedule
Cathay Pacific runs a return flight between Singapore and Bangkok daily, in addition to its eight daily services to Hong Kong.
At the time of writing, the daily schedule is as follow:
Flight
Route
Departure Time
Arrival Time
Day
Aircraft*
CX712
SIN-BKK
1320
1500
Daily
A330-300 / A350-900
CX717
BKK-SIN
1155
1525
Daily
A330-300 / A350-900/1000
*Aircraft types are always subject to change
While Cathay has an issue of aircraft consistency, they don’t really have an issue with cabin product consistency. Unlike Singapore Airlines, Cathay essentially only have two business class seat types – the regional business class and the long-haul business class product, both of them are used on services to Singapore.
The lounge
All business and first class passengers will be able to access the Cathay Pacific lounge at Terminal 4 before their flight. The lounge is pretty new, having opened back in November 2017 when Cathay Pacific moved to Terminal 4.
Cathay Pacific Changi Airport Terminal 4 lounge
Of course, if you are holding a oneworld Emerald equivalent status (including British Airways Executive Club Silver, Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold), you will also be able to access the lounge as well.
The aircraft
On my A330 aircraft today, there are three classes: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. In business, there are 39 seats over 10 rows. There’s a small premium economy section consisting of 21 seats over three rows, while in economy there are a total of 191 seats. It’s a fairly loose configuration, given that an A330 can carry over 300 people at max.
Pre-departure drinks
Note that there are three versions of the A330 that Cathay Pacific operates. Two of them have the long-haul Cirrus business class seats, while the last one uses the regional recliner business seats, which unfortunately is used on the Singapore-Hong Kong services at times. If you are not sure, just check up the seat map of the flight before you book.
The seat
Fortunately for me today, the cabin product on the Singapore-Bangkok sector was the long-haul business product. The cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration in a reverse herringbone format, with all seats having direct aisle access. Seats are Cirrus seats, designed by Zodiac Aerospace, and can be found on several other carriers including Air France, American Airlines, and Delta.
The beauty of such 1-2-1 configuration is that it works for both couples and solo travellers. If you are travelling solo, the window seats work best, but if you are travelling as a pair, the middle pair seats will be your ideal positions.
Given it’s a long-haul business class product, the seat can be converted into a lie-flat bed at a touch of the automatic controls, with the seat flushed with the ottoman in front of the seat.
Ottoman that can be used as a footrest too
Every seat has a in-flight entertainment screen that folds out from the seat in front of you. When stowed in the original position, the screen will be at a 90 degree angle from you, so that means that you don’t get any entertainment during take-off, landing and taxiing. If you ask me, this is about the only weakness of the seat design.
Seat controls, power sockets are conveniently located next to you
The seat controls are conveniently located at the side of the seat. The entertainment control handset is stowed next to you, with the power socket and audio inputs right next to it. This makes it very convenient to access and use, particularly with the side table right next to all the sockets.
The service
The flight time today is under two hours, making it a very short flight for a meal service. Given it’s a mid-day flight, lunch was served.
For those who are familiar with Cathay Pacific’s services to Hong Kong, you will know that it usually does a three course meal in business class, with each course served separately.
Given the short length of today’s flight, the meal service is therefore similar to what Singapore Airlines offer on its short haul services, where everything is served on a single tray.
For starters, there was a bowl of fresh fruit, with no other options available.
There was three choices of main course:
Stir fried beef, sha cha sauce, kailan, oyster mushroom and egg fried rice
Pan fried salmon fillet with sumac spice, carrot potato mash, quinoa with zucchini, peas, sun blushed tomato and dill mustard sauce
Grilled chicken with Bali sauce, fried noodles with vegetables and chilli sauce
Apart from the menu that was already placed on my seat, what’s good about the Cathay Pacific business class meal service was that the cabin crew will wheel out a trolley with all the mains available, so you can visually take a look at the options before deciding what you want. I always thought this was a much better option, because words can only conjure an image of what the dish might look like, which more often than not turns out to be different from what is plated.
I went with the salmon with quinoa. Shortly after the main was served, another cabin crew trailing behind came around with a basket of bread, and I gladly chose garlic bread to go with my meal.
What differentiates Cathay Pacific from Singapore Airlines was their dessert service. Singapore Airlines typically does a cake or a room temperature dessert service.
Loyalists will know that Cathay Pacific dishes out Haagen-Dazs ice cream for its passengers, and this is no different even for this short-haul service and definitely a plus for me.
For those who are interested in the beverage list, here are the wines and champagne on offer today:
Cathay Pacific ex-Singapore wine list
The Entertainment
I am a huge fan of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight entertainment system. As earlier mentioned, the only draw back was the design of the screen, which flips away from the seat during take-off and landing, so that means that you won’t be able to watch your shows from gate to gate.
Cathay Pacific in-flight entertainment system
Back to the content. Cathay Pacific boasts a wide variety of entertainment options on its IFE, and what I personally enjoyed the most was the huge range of Chinese and Asian content. I find that particularly lacking on other carriers, including Singapore Airlines.
Beyond Hong Kong produced shows, they also carry a healthy amount of China, Taiwan, Japan and Korean content, including some more obscure options that may be hard to find. Some of the best shows I’ve watched are on Cathay flights. Having said that, they are also pretty strong in their Hollywood offerings – you will be able to find some of the hottest films on their system.
Noise-cancelling earphones
Final thoughts
The Cathay Pacific fifth freedom service between Singapore and Bangkok is a very much welcomed competition if you are looking beyond the Star Alliance carriers (i.e. Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways).
While it’s pretty much a very short flight, coupled with its brand-new lounge at Changi Airport, this is a product that works and is a very worthy alternative to what Singapore Airlines can offer. Schedule wise, while it only offer one flight a day, the middle-of-day timing also works pretty while for both business and leisure traveller – I could still head to work in the morning and still make it on the flight, while the return flight affords me some time in the morning in Bangkok before coming back to Singapore in time for dinner.
For those with Asia Miles, the redemption on this flight is however slightly more pricey than Krisflyer. You will need 25,000 Asia Miles each way in business class on Cathay, as compared to 21,500 Krisflyer miles each way on Singapore Airlines.
