Singapore Airlines operates three different Airbus A350-900 configurations:

• A medium-haul configuration with 40 Business Class and 263 Economy seats
• A long-haul configuration with 42 Business Class, 24 Premium Economy and 187 Economy seats
• An ultra long-haul configuration with 67 Business Class and 94 Premium Economy seats

The medium-haul configuration is primarily used on flights within Asia. But it also appears on some flights from Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane to Singapore. It will also soon be used on the Cairns-Singapore route.

The long-haul version appears mostly on long-haul flights, for example to Europe and South Africa, as well as from Melbourne and Sydney to Singapore. And the ultra long-haul version without an Economy Class cabin is used exclusively for non-stop services from Singapore to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

On a recent flight from Adelaide to Singapore, I had the opportunity to sample Business Class on Singapore Airlines’ medium-haul Airbus A350-900. This aircraft has Singapore Airlines’ regional Business Class product, which – like all the other versions – offers lie-flat beds and direct aisle access for every passenger.

This review covers my Singapore Airlines A350-900 regional Business Class experience on SQ278 from Adelaide to Singapore.

Since I took this flight, note that Singapore Airlines has started using Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners on SQ278. The Singapore Airlines 787 has a very similar Business Class product, and the A350 still operates SQ276 from Adelaide to Singapore.

Flight Details

Flight number	SQ278
Route	Adelaide (ADL) to Singapore (SIN)
Aircraft type	Airbus A350-900
Class of travel	Business Class
Seat number	17K
On-time performance	We arrived 15 minutes early
Star rating

The route

Flight Cost

I booked this flight using my own Velocity Frequent Flyer points. The cost was 57,000 Velocity points + $228.43 in taxes & carrier charges for a one-way Business Class ticket from Adelaide to Singapore.

Velocity Frequent Flyer introduced a Singapore Airlines “carrier charge” in 2022. On my itinerary, $132.10 worth of the taxes & charges paid consisted of the Velocity carrier charge.

Given the regular Singapore Airlines Business Class airfare on the Adelaide-Singapore route of $3,108 one-way or $4,310 return, I thought this was a great use of Velocity points!

Airport Experience

Singapore Airlines had a dedicated Business Class check-in lane at Adelaide Airport with only a short line. Within no time, I had a boarding pass in my hand and was able to show this to the staff member guarding Adelaide Airport’s priority security lane – bypassing an otherwise very long queue.

The international terminal setup in Adelaide is a bit different to most other Australian airports, as it’s located within the domestic terminal. You need to clear the domestic security checkpoint, then turn left and head to the international departures area. There, you need to clear security again (this one’s more strict with liquids, gels and aerosols) and then clear passport control.

Annoyingly, the international security and immigration checkpoint only opens a couple of hours before each international flight departure. You can’t go through any earlier, even if the facilities are already open for an earlier flight.

Once you do get through the international formalities, there’s a small duty-free shop and a Plaza Premium Lounge.

Singapore Airlines provides Plaza Premium Lounge invitations to all of its Business Class passengers departing Adelaide, as well as KrisFlyer Gold Elite and Star Alliance Gold frequent flyers.

Unfortunately, Velocity Gold and Platinum members flying in Singapore Airlines Economy do not get access to this lounge because it’s not operated by Singapore Airlines. However, anyone can purchase access online or at the door. The lounge also accepts Priority Pass.

I’ve written about the Adelaide Plaza Premium Lounge separately. All in all, I found this to be a very pleasant space with good food and drink options.

You can read a full lounge review here:

Boarding was announced in the lounge and commenced on time, with priority boarding called first.

The Hard Product

As this was the medium-haul version of the Singapore Airlines A350-900, the aircraft was fitted with SQ’s regional Business Class product.

Business Class had a staggered 1-2-1 seating configuration. The window seats alternated between being directly beside a window or the aisle, while the middle pairs alternated between being directly side-by-side or at opposite aisles.

This excellent seat map from aeroLOPA shows the exact layout on the medium-haul version of the A350-900:

I was sitting in 17K, located directly beside a window towards the rear of the first Business Class cabin. I liked this seat a lot – it offered a good amount of privacy and an uninterrupted view out the window, although you did need to lean forward a bit due to the design of the shell around the seat.

The seat reclines to become a fully lie-flat bed, which I put to good use for a mid-flight nap. The seat itself was comfortable, although some people may find it a tad firm – especially when sleeping.

Some people might also find the footwell a little bit tight, but I did have enough room for my feet. In fact, I think I prefer this design to the Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class seat where you need to sleep on a bit of an angle.

There was some storage space around the seat, as well as charging outlets. And there was a large TV that Singapore Airlines had loaded up with its excellent KrisWorld in-flight entertainment. I may have binge-watched The Simpsons…

Wi-Fi was available on this aircraft. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for the first several hours of this particular flight. Assuming it is working properly, all Business Class passengers can access it for free.

KrisFlyer members flying Economy or Premium Economy should be able to access the Wi-Fi for free, as long as their KrisFlyer number is on their boarding pass. (If you have a Velocity or another partner airline frequent flyer number attached to your booking, this unfortunately doesn’t count.)

The Soft Product

Singapore Airlines provided all of the usual amenities you’d expect in Business Class, including a pillow, blanket and premium headphones. There was also a bottle of water and a printed menu at my seat when I boarded.

Other complimentary amenities, including slippers, socks, eyeshades, ear plugs and a hair brush, were available on request.

Within a minute of sitting down, a flight attendant came over to introduce herself and offer a drink.

I didn’t choose to Book the Cook on this flight, but both of my first meal choices were still available when the delightful cabin crew took my order. This was the SQ278 Business Class menu for the first meal service:

And this was the pre-arrival refreshment menu:

There was also a very comprehensive drinks list that included champagne, red, white and fortified wines, cocktails, mocktails, spirits, liqueurs, beers, juice, soft drinks and water. There was also a huge choice of different teas and coffees, including different types of espresso and a cappuccino.

Despite the 9.10am departure time, breakfast was not served on this flight. I guess Singapore Airlines thinks most passengers have already eaten breakfast in the lounge – which is a fair assumption. Instead, there was just a hot towel and bar service shortly after takeoff:

Lunch was served two hours into the flight. Although, I got the feeling the cabin crew would have happily obliged if you wanted to eat at a different time. They were absolutely delightful and nothing was too much trouble!

The lunch service started with a fresh and tasty appetiser. This came with a choice of warm breads, including garlic bread.

I love Singaporean and Malaysian food. As you would expect, Singapore Airlines usually does an excellent job with this. So for the main course, I chose the Malay style braised chicken in chilli sauce – and wasn’t disappointed!

The cabin crew came through the aisle later offering a choice of desserts, along with dessert wine, tea and coffee. I declined the dessert wine, but they were happy to give me both a cheese plate and a slice of cookies and cream cheesecake. Both were delicious.

The pre-arrival snack was served around an hour before landing in Singapore, and was also very tasty with a delightful kick of chilli.

Matt Graham

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.