Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Business Class Review

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX at the gate at Darwin Airport. Photo: Matt Graham.

Singapore Airlines offers fully lie-flat Business Class seats on all of its flights to and from Australia. This include the former SilkAir routes from Darwin and Cairns to Singapore, where it operates Boeing 737-8 MAX jets.

I recently flew with Singapore Airlines from Darwin to Singapore, and was extremely impressed with the experience from start to finish. Find out why as I review the Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Business Class experience.

Flight Details

Flight number SQ252
Route Darwin (DRW) to Singapore (SIN)
Aircraft type Boeing 737-8 MAX
Class of travel Business Class
Seat number 12J
On-time performanceThis flight ran around 40 minutes late
Star rating5 stars out of 5

The route

SQ252 route map

Flight Cost

I booked this flight for 38,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer points + $248.15 in taxes & carrier charges. This amount included a new carrier charge that applies when redeeming Velocity points for Singapore Airlines flights – which in this case was USD90 (~AU$136).

You could also book a seat for 40,500 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles + $112 in taxes, or through any other Star Alliance frequent flyer program. (Note that Singapore Airlines does not generally release Business Class award availability on its own long-haul flights to other Star Alliance airlines, but Darwin-Singapore and Cairns-Singapore are not considered long-haul flights for this purpose.)

If you were to buy a ticket, Singapore Airlines Business Class airfares on the Darwin-Singapore route start from $2,272 one-way or $3,892 return.

Great Credit Cards for Earning Virgin Australia Velocity Points

American Express Velocity Business
Earn
1

Velocity Point on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

120,000 bonus Velocity Points

Annual Fee
$249 p.a. and $99 per Employee Card up to 99 cards
Go To Offer
American Express Velocity Platinum
Earn
1.25

Velocity Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

60,000 bonus Velocity Points*

Apply by 21st Jan 2025

Annual Fee
$440 p.a.
Go To Offer

Airport Experience

Checking in at Darwin Airport was quick and easy, with plenty of counters open and nobody else in the Business Class priority queue.

Singapore Airlines check-in counters at Darwin Airport
Singapore Airlines check-in counters at Darwin Airport. Photo: Matt Graham.

Before COVID-19, there was an international lounge at Darwin Airport called the Catalina Lounge. Unfortunately, after the space was temporarily used by Qantas as a transit lounge when it was operating all its flights to London via Darwin, the lounge has not reopened.

With no lounge available, Singapore Airlines instead issued me a $25 meal voucher to use at any of the airport restaurants.

Singapore Airlines offered a $25 meal voucher as there was no lounge available at Darwin Airport
Singapore Airlines offered a $25 meal voucher as there was no lounge available at Darwin Airport.

I would have preferred lounge access to a meal voucher, as there are other benefits to airport lounges beyond just free food & drinks (such as access to showers and a private, quiet space). However, the airport was not busy at that time of the afternoon and I was able to secure a comfortable seat with a great runway view by the window at The Northern Common.

There's no longer an international lounge at Darwin Airport, but there are several restaurants to choose from
There’s no longer an international lounge at Darwin Airport, but there are several restaurants to choose from. Photo: Matt Graham.

I ordered a caesar salad with squid, which came in at under $25 and was surprisingly good.

Lunch at The Northern Common
Lunch at The Northern Common. Photo: Matt Graham.

Shortly before it was time to board, I headed through the international departures section at Darwin Airport. This comprised of another security check (you can take liquids over 100mL through the domestic security checkpoint, but not international) and immigration. There was also a sizeable duty-free store between there and the boarding gate.

Darwin Airport's international departures entrance
Darwin Airport’s international departures entrance. Photo: Matt Graham.

The flight was a little bit late due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft from Singapore. Eventually boarding began for passengers requiring assistance, followed by priority boarding for Business Class. Boarding began around 10 minutes before the aircraft was actually ready, meaning we had to stand waiting in the aerobridge.

Although Economy Class was completely full on this flight, only 4/10 Business Class seats were filled.

The Hard Product

There are 10 Business Class seats on the Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX over three rows. The seats in the first and last row of Business Class (rows 11 & 13) are in a 2-2 configuration, while the middle row (row 12) has just two “throne” seats in a 1-1 layout. This layout uses the space on board the Boeing 737 efficiently, while offering a lie-flat bed to every passenger in Business Class.

I had selected seat 12J, which was one of the solo “throne” seats offering exclusive access to both windows and the aisle:

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Business Class
Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

For a narrow-body aircraft, this was a truly excellent seat. I found the leather seat itself very comfortable, both as a seat and as a bed. There was lots of space to stretch out, some useful storage space around the seat, and a decent level of privacy.

When I boarded, there were unfortunately some crumbs and (I hope) water on the seat. It wasn’t a big deal and I understand that the plane had a tight turnaround in Darwin, so this may have been overlooked by the cleaning crew. The flight attendant was extremely apologetic and immediately brought me some sanitiser wipes.

The plane felt new, which isn’t surprising given it was only a few months old. It had a Boeing Sky Interior with pleasant mood lighting and large overhead lockers.

This aircraft had an excellent in-flight entertainment system, with a large, responsive TV screen at every Business Class seat. The entertainment system had an impressive variety of content, including a wide range of music from around the world – something that is sorely missing on the Qantas and Virgin Australia in-flight entertainment!

Legroom in the Singapore Airlines 737-8 "throne seat"
Sitting in the Singapore Airlines 737-8 “throne seat”. Photo: Matt Graham.

Singapore Airlines also now offers free wifi for Business Class passengers! I was able to connect and it worked reasonably well, although it was a bit slow at times.

Later in the flight, I tested out the lie-flat bed. I’m quite tall but found the bed sufficiently long. The space for my legs and shoulders was a tad narrow, but I could still sleep quite comfortably in this seat. This was easily the most comfortable Boeing 737 seat I’ve ever sat in.

Lying flat in the Singapore Airlines 737-8 "throne seat"
Lying flat in Singapore Airlines 737-8 Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

The Soft Product

Singapore Airlines has a reputation for great service, and this flight was no exception. The cabin crew were friendly and impressed me with their attention to detail. I was addressed by name throughout the flight.

Upon boarding, there was a pillow and blanket on my seat. Noise-cancelling headphones were also provided and there was a printed menu in the seat pocket.

After settling into my seat, a flight attendant introduced herself and explained some of the features of my seat. She also offered a pre-departure glass of champagne and took my dinner order.

Pre-departure champagne in Singapore Airlines Business Class
Pre-departure champagne in Singapore Airlines Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

After taking off from Darwin Airport, the dinner service began with a drink from the bar and some nuts. The drinks list in Singapore Airlines is impressively extensive, but it was hard to go past a refreshing Singapore Sling!

The flight began with a Singapore sling and nuts
The flight began with a Singapore Sling and nuts. Photo: Matt Graham.

There were three main meal options for dinner. This was the menu:

Business Class menu on SQ252
Business Class menu on SQ252.

Before the meal service began, a flight attendant set my table with metal cutlery, butter, salt and pepper neatly laid out on a proper tablecloth. Dinner then started with a smoked chicken salad, along with a choice of breads.

Smoked chicken salad with roasted apples, served with garlic bread
Smoked chicken salad with roasted apples, served with garlic bread. Photo: Matt Graham.

I love Singaporean food, and it was hard to go past the fried Hokkien Mee for the main course – marked on the menu as a “popular local fare dish” inspired by Singapore’s hawker centres. The portion size was generous and it was absolutely delicious!

Fried Hokkien mee in Singapore Airlines business class
Fried Hokkien mee. Photo: Matt Graham.

For dessert, there was a choice of a cheese plate, sticky date pudding or fruit, but the flight attendant was more than happy to give me more than one. The desserts paired very nicely with a tawny port wine.

Selection of cheeses with sticky date pudding
Selection of cheeses with sticky date pudding. Photo: Matt Graham.

In case you’re interested, here’s the full drinks list:

As this flight was under 6 hours, no amenity kit was available. However, I was offered slippers, socks and an eye shade. Face masks and disinfectant wipes were also available on request.

The attention to detail didn’t stop after we landed in Singapore! As soon as we arrived at the gate at Changi Airport, a flight attendant closed the curtain between Economy and Business Class and stood at the back of the cabin to ensure Business passengers had a chance to disembark first.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-8 Business Class
  • Airport Experience
  • Hard Product
  • Soft Product
4.7

Final thoughts

This was a truly excellent flight with a comfortable seat, great food and highly attentive cabin crew.

The only thing I can really fault is the lack of a lounge at Darwin Airport. But this isn’t Singapore Airlines’ fault, and with just three weekly Boeing 737 flights to the airport, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect Singapore Airlines to build its own lounge in Darwin. At least the airline made an effort to compensate for this by offering a meal voucher at check-in.

Overall, I don’t think Business Class on a narrow-body aircraft gets much better than the Boeing 737-8 MAX experience on Singapore Airlines!

 

You can leave a comment on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum.

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
________________________

Related Articles

Community Comments

Loading new replies...

The ‘throne’ seats present a dilemma… privacy and narrow footwells, vs less privacy but oversized footwells in row 1.

I was travelling with a friend and row 1 was good, enough privacy. But that might have felt different with a stranger next door?

Depends how you wish to use the flight… mine was eat quickly and sleep. If it was more an ‘entertainment’ or work flight and you’re intending to sit up, row 2 probably best.

Reply Like

Back in late July when I took this flight, the voucher at CNS was for $20. Noting that it could not be used for alcohol at the terminal.

Also, champagne was not available as a pre-departure beverage - I asked for one and my request was declined (although without further prompting a glass appeared almost immediately after the seatbelt sign went off).

Reply 1 Like

This looks far more comfortable than the awful A350 'Regional' J seats on SQ The shoulder room doesn't looked as cramped and you can a least sit with your feet straight out in front of you.

Reply 1 Like

All good to hear.

I'm flying one of these in row 12 in August from PEN to SIN. Short flight but should be enjoyable.

Also flying one in the reverse direction in row 11, so will be interesting to compare.

Reply 1 Like

Back in late July when I took this flight, the voucher at CNS was for $20. Noting that it could not be used for alcohol at the terminal.

Also, champagne was not available as a pre-departure beverage - I asked for one and my request was declined (although without further prompting a glass appeared almost immediately after the seatbelt sign went off).

How very SQ!

Reply 1 Like

SQ do not refer to the 737 MAX rather the 737-8.

Interesting.

Reply Like

SQ do not refer to the 737 MAX rather the 737-8.

Looks like they do?

View image at the forums

Reply Like

Well researched, I couldn't find it mentioned on their fleet page and where they briefly deal with the history and evolution of the 737-8 (MAX) and refer to 737-3

I was curious as to how some airlines refer to a plane with such operating and legal history. Some variants still have certifications up for review. A balanced, somewhat informed marketing approach is clearly in play with SQ. How do other airlines deal with it - I'll summons my researchers.

Airlines flying the 737-8 MAX refer to 7M8 in their operating informationals; the departure seems to be in the fleet/marketing pages; SQ takes a softer tone over, say, AC which makes consistent referrals to MAX.

OT; I am booked on AC553 (7M8) in Jan and looking forward to the experience. I have a colleague who won't fly it.

Reply 1 Like

click to expand...

If Business Class was rows 10, 11 and 12, what were rows 1 to 9? First?

Reply Like

If Business Class was rows 10, 11 and 12, what were rows 1 to 9? First?

Seat row numbers start at 10:

Reply Like