Just came back from an extended "workation" in Singapore so providing my review here rather than starting a new thread. We haven't flown Singapore Airlines in ages and once Covid-restictions finally eased up, we decided to spure on J class return tickets. Unfortunately, shortly after booking, SQ swapped aircraft types so we ended up on the A350 rather than the A380. I find that while a nice aircraft, on SQ the A350 is vastly inferior to the A380, both in terms of the seat and somehow also in terms of cabin crew- they seem to use their best of the best for the A380 product.
After a hellish experience at Sydney airport about which I've already posted in a more appropriate thread and a calm but slightly boring time in SQ's Sydney Silverkris lounge, I was excited to get onto the plane. Upon arriving on the gate, there was a line clearly marked as "Priority" but it wasn't manned and staff was busy with other customers so I assumed that boarding hadn't started. Only when the great unwashed suddenly started moving and a Singaporean local who clearly knew better than me came asking me why I wasn't moving, I realised that one has to be rather pushy to get the attention of the ground crew (all Menzies aviation so no surprise in the slightest that they're all underpaid disinterested and badly trained slackers). Unfortunately, the "You need to ask for everything" mantra continued on board which seems to be argued to be a product of the usual "Covid" excuse but totally took the magic away from Singapore Airlines as I knew it. More to that later.
Getting on board, I was greeted friendly and professionally and the purser himself rushed to take my hand luggage, guide me to the seat and helped stow my back pack in the overhead locker. I was very pleased to see that I am now in the hands of an excellent crew but then straight away disappointed again to realise that this was it for now. Having read recent airline reviews on this and other forums beforehand, I luckily was prepared and asked whether there weren't any pre-departutre drinks. Same purser who was excellent and obviously very senior not only in age but also experience replied to me that "Of course, is it champagne you are after?" and had guessed it right from the start. Only two minutes later, I had my first glass of the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve in hand. An okay drop I found but not really the best of the best but I'm a bit of a champagne snob admittedly.
The seat kinda annoyed me from the start as it was clearly designed for slightly smaller people than me- I kept banning my elbow at the sturdy hard plastics on the side and while offering enough little nooks and compartments for your stuff, it felt generally rather "cozy" and on the smaller side. I had one of the single seats by the window and particularly disliked the entirely senseless round shaped seat edge which had only one single function namely blocking the view out of one of your two window. Nothing irks me more than stupid design choices like this and it was a major flaw in my eyes.
Speaking of flaws- no hot towels with the lame Covid excuse is just not good enough for an airline like SQ while even Fiji Airways managed to provide multiple ones on our April flights to the states. Some people might not care much but I find hot towels an essential amenity on international flights. In a similar vein, I had to continue and ask for pretty much everything: Drink after takeoff? Had to ask. Eye shades or an amenity kit? Had to ask, alas no proper amenity kit available but only a small pack of rather simple eye shades and a plastic pack with two noise canceling foam ear buds. Saying all that- the staff was generally excellent: Courteous, responsive (once you've asked or pressed the button) and needless to say especially the female attendants absolutely gorgeous as you'd expect (I'm always in awe when seeing these insane hair styles- how long this must take them in the mornings before the flight!).
It took a while for service to spring into action and a first drink service from a trolley cart was provided. I had yet another glass of champagne by that time already (you guessed it, I had asked...) but then decided to go for a Singapore Sling. It gets rather cheaply made from pre-mix sirup and pineapple juice which was a bit lame tbh, especially if you compare it with the likes of Emirates who actually mix you proper coughtails if you ask for it. Funnily, on the return flight two weeks later, the whole procedure was very different on the same aircraft type and you got individually served drinks after takeoff but then everyone waited around for almost 2 hours for the food- and that on a 7 hour total overnight flight which was really not ideal.
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The food on this flight was alright but I've noticed that the menus don't change all that much-we're booked on SQ to Singapore again in two months time and the menu out of Sydney looks to be exactly the same as we had and a friend of mine who flew two months ago also had the same. A bit more variety wouldn't harm. The absolute highlight of the entire meal was the garlic bread and boy, do SQ do a mean garlic bread! It was excellent, even better than the one on Air NZ which I already love.
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I wanted to try the Book the cook and went for the rather boring Western choice of steak in peppercorn sauce and boy, was it good. Perfectly grilled on the outside but perfectly juicy rose in the inside and a good cut of beef overall. It came with a very boring starter of melon, prosciutto and -oddly- olives and shaved fennel which was alright but again, serving this same thing on every flight Sydney to Singapore, I don't know.
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I tried both the always excellent Pikes Riesling Traditionale from the Clare Valley as well as the Clarendelle Medoc, Bordeaux with the Australian white clearly outshining the red in my personal opinion.
After dinner I asked for their cheese plate and what I received was nothing short of an insult. The below is seriously what Singapore Airlines finds appropriate on a business class flight. Wow, even Qantas puts this to shame! And the two stingy little pieces of cheap cheese tasted exactly as stale as you'd expect and the desert dry plastic wrapped Arnott's biscuits certainly did not help. I quite enjoyed the Kopke 10 years port though that I had with it.
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Towards the end of the flight we were offered a choice of an extremely stinky Asian seafood dish or a classic sandwich which turned out to be really cheap- a slap of supermarket grain bread with cheap processed ham and some tasty cheese. Might work well as an easy dinner for the family but again, in Business class? Doubtable, to say the least.
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). I had the same issue recently with the entertainment system working fine but not being able to access the menu and the crew having to recite it to me (it was working for others around me, not user error as it worked on the next segment). Was actually a bit of a fail as the crew could recite “red wine or white wine” but not explain the three options for each at all…..
