Onboard the World’s Best First Class Cabin: Singapore Airlines Suites

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s best airlines by Skytrax, and the title holder for its most recent iteration, it comes as no surprise that Singapore Airlines sits right on top of the list for the world’s best First-class products as well!

Introduced in 2017, the cabin refresh grabbed a lot of eyeballs and was quickly hailed as the most spacious way to fly onboard the A380. Albeit witnessing some delays and dampened plans due to global aviation shutdown during the pandemic, Singapore Airlines now flies this config on 12 of their aircraft covering destinations such as Shanghai, Melbourne, Delhi, London etc.

This review covers a medium-haul flight from SIN to DEL onboard the Suites on SQ’s A380. It includes the booking process, check-in and security, flight seats and hard product, in-flight meals, amenities, and a taste of Singapore Airlines’ consistent and excellent hospitality!

Airport Experience

While departing from Changi Terminal 3, all passengers flying on the Suites, First or Solitaire PPS Club members can make use of the First-Class Check-In Reception if booked on a Singapore Airlines flight. I was greeted at the entrance along with a porter to help unload the luggage and assisted through the facility.

Unlike the usual terminals, the first-class reception offers dedicated counters for each passenger to check in and get their boarding passes issued. I sat back all through this process and didn’t have to lift a finger. The entire area resembles a hotel lobby with multiple counters, an ensemble of loungers, and sofas which lead to the departure hall. The departure hall is rather barebones with just 2 ICA officials to facilitate your immigration out of Singapore. As with the other terminals, automated gates are installed which mark your exit against the passport with no physical stamping.

The Private Room

Recently renovated after having first opened its doors in 2007, exclusively to passengers flying revenue (which was quickly reversed) on Singapore Airlines First Class, The Private Room truly offers you an exclusive and luxurious lounge experience. It is situated on the left to the oval entrance up the elevator adjacent to the other 2 KrisFlyer lounges (SilverKris and KrisGold). The staff present at the entrance was prompt in recognizing the invitation card and escorted me through the bronze-gold corridor. The Private Room is only offered to passengers flying on the Suites or First Class and doesn’t allow any guests, for other First-Class passengers with guests on SIA and Star Alliance partners the First-Class lounge is open for invitation.

Operational between 5:30 AM to 2:30 AM daily, the lounge has a seating capacity of roughly ~80 passengers. Although not explicitly mentioned on the website, it is also accessible to passengers arriving in Singapore as the final destination with no onward travel.

The iconic glass light dome adorns the entrance of the lounge featuring shimmering flowers in the shape of Aquatic Ginger. Designed by French glassmaker – Lalique which also supplies the first-class amenity kit for the airlines, it is a fine example of SIA’s theme of serene elegance across their establishments.

Lounge Seating

The layout of the lounge is straight-forward, running rectangularly long opening with the reception area, followed by large spaces to relax offering seatings of various kinds, and is wrapped up towards the end with the dining section. The lounge is usually empty with barely a couple of people cooped up in some corners and more staff than passengers. It also features a few closed spaces in the form of a Playroom featuring a TV, sofa, and bean bag, a phone booth to pick up calls, and 4 Day rooms.

The day rooms have recliners and beds which can be used for a quick nap and to get some work done. They are offered for 2 hours only and although you may continue to use them if there’s nobody around SIA ensures these aren’t treated as hotel rooms with certain features such as a narrow glass pane peeping into the room and QR-based entry. It is also interesting to note that the staff never offers to open these rooms for passengers themselves even if available and expects them to be aware of this service offered in the lounge.

Shower Rooms and Facilities

With the renovation of the lounge, one of the biggest mistakes which have been rectified is the introduction of private shower rooms. There are 3 of these which are adequately large and stocked with COMO Shambala’s Invigorate lineup.

Lalique Neroli body lotion and aftershave are also available in every shower suite, along with razor and shaving foam, dental kits, and a hairbrush. A similar collection is also placed outside next to the washbasins.

Dining and Beverages

The dining area is perhaps the most minimalist part of the lounge with all shades of white being thrown around in the form of panel lights, chairs, plain walls, and cutlery. It is slightly more lit than the forward part of the lounge, which complements the Italian marble tiles. The buffet section has been completely gotten rid of and all meals are made to order. The menu is presented to you right when you enter the lounge so the meals can be prepared by the time you unwind.

I was coming from home and wasn’t particularly hungry, my arrival time was also outside the lunch and dinner offerings hence I decided to keep it light. Among the few vegetarian options available the dim sum platter and truffle noodles were my favorite.

The Onboard Experience

Seat and Cabin Layout

I was seated in cabin 1F, which along with 1A has a slightly larger footprint due to bassinet space. They both also twin up and connect with their neighboring cabins by lowering the dividing privacy panel to form a double bed. When was the last time you gauged your seat on a flight in sqft rather than pitch because these two cabins combined are just below 100 sqft. That amount of real estate on a flight is simply mind-boggling! There are a total of 6 cabins in 1-1 configuration on the front of the top deck.

You can choose to board from the upper deck, but there’s a certain charm to climbing upstairs on an A380. I was greeted by the team of gentle stewards and stewardesses at the entrance of the aircraft, helped with my carry-on, and made comfortable inside the cabin, which is draped in pastel hues, with two focus lights softening the cabin’s ambiance.

The cabin is centered around a luxuriously leather upholstered swiveling armchair by Poltrona Frau that can rotate to face the windows or sliding door. A plush cushion is placed along with it and the cabin crew is prompt in offering you a blanket once the flight is at cruising altitude. The study area of sorts also houses the vanity mirror, a pair of Bang & Olufsen noise-canceling headphones, and a tablet to manage the IFE systems and the seat. Two electronically controlled windows allow for sunlight to peep through daytime flights which makes the cabin look even more spacious. The understated beige and dark brown interiors complement the minimal and nude aesthetic, but the lack of bling on some of the middle eastern carriers may be missed by a few.

A sleek wardrobe is also thoughtfully provided and can be found in front of the sliding door entrance to the suite. It has ample room to store cabin luggage and comes with hangers to store jackets or overcoats for the duration of the flight.

The cabin also features two screens to view content, the first screen faces the front and is utilized during takeoff and landing to display important instructions including the safety video. Once the seatbelt signs are turned off (yes, flying First Class doesn’t mean you get to skip this!) you can rotate your seat to point to the 32″ HD flat screen which can pivot using motorized controls for a comfortable viewing angle. The KrisWorld entertainment system is one of the best in the industry with a collection of some of the latest movies and series, music, and live-tv offerings.

I was also able to access the complimentary WiFi service until I entered Indian airspace and while not spectacularly fast it was useful for messaging and light browsing. Singapore Airlines has now announced unlimited complimentary WiFi service for all KrisFlyer members irrespective of status and cabin class they are flying in starting from 1st July 2023 which is a welcome move.

A pull-out bed is stowed across the length of the opposite wall. It roughly measures 76 inches in length and was a comfortable fit for me standing at 5’10”. It is prepared by the crew on request with linens from Lalique itself whenever you decide it’s time for a nap. I have heard complaints of the mattress being hard but as somebody who prefers them that way, I managed to steal a sound sleep for a couple of hours before landing in Delhi.

Inflight Meals

Singapore Airlines has a unique offering in the form of ‘Book the Cook’ which they claim is a luxury dining experience with world-class dishes served to you at 30,000 feet. It includes a wide selection of meals that are curated by their International Culinary Panel composed of some stalwarts of the industry including the likes of Yoshihiro Murata and Sanjeev Kapoor amongst others. It is offered only on Suites, First Class, and Business Class for flights over 1.5 hours departing from a select list of locations. The options are made available on the website and app and need to be booked at least 48 hours prior to departure.

I had placed a request for the Vegan Falafel Burger prior to my journey and the preparation and portions didn’t disappoint. Before the main dish was served, I was offered an entree in the form of a potato patty served on a bed of carrots and spinach along with an assortment of bread, salad, and soup.

SIA had only recently stopped serving the Dom Perignon when I had flown this leg and replaced it with Krug Grande Cuvée or 2008-vintage Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. I claim to be no connoisseur but when I had only begun expressing my disappointment, the in-flight manager narrated a story about his recent visit to a wine-tasting festival where he ended up picking bottles of Comtes over the Dom and attributed some of its popularity and name largely to good promotion and marketing over taste, which I had to agree on, by the end of this journey! I started off with the Krug and found its herby notes to be a little bitter for my taste but thoroughly enjoyed multiple glasses of the Comtes’ peppery and lemon tinge along with my meals throughout the flight.

Amenities and Inflight Service

Luxury French glassmaker – Lalique supplies the amenity kit for Singapore Airlines consisting of a body lotion, lip balm, facial mist, and Eau De Toilette. Accompanying the kit is a pair of loungewear from the same brand along with bathroom slippers and socks. Singapore Airlines is one of the few which didn’t offer an amenity kit even on its business class flights for the longest time and has only recently introduced a request-only option.

There is very little justice my words can do to the impeccable and consistent quality of service onboard all Singapore Airlines flights irrespective of cabin class you are flying on, and this experience was no different. All touchpoints starting right from the check-in experience to stepping off the plane once your journey is over are made memorable by the vigor, warmth, and high standards of service which the SIA crew upholds. First Class cabins are usually serviced by leading stewardesses with the occasional presence of the lead and supervisor.

Redemption Details

The A380 has revolving schedules as it is deployed on different routes by SIA during the course of the year depending on demand. It is relatively straightforward to book this itinerary as it is done using KrisFlyer, Singapore Airlines’ own frequent flyer program, and the only one to have access to F-class cabins. No partner airlines get access to book this. Availability is limited to 2 seats on every aircraft and can be particularly challenging, especially for flights departing from India. It is a good idea to book this at least a few months in advance if you have definite plans. Availability through last-minute cancellations isn’t rare as I have sometimes been able to snag tickets a few weeks out but wouldn’t recommend relying on this strategy for planned trips.

While I’m not much for calculating the value of miles for such outlandish cabins as the revenue pricing is usually exorbitant compared to even what a saver business class ticket would cost, retailing for roughly between S$4200-4500 this redemption accords a notional value of ₹4.5 per mile.

Active Schedule

As per the latest updates from Singapore Airlines, the First Class Suite on the A380 is deployed on the following routes:

✈️ Flight	🗓️ Dates	💰Miles Requirement
SQ403/SQ406 DEL-SIN/SIN-DEL	31/07/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 58,500 Advantage – 98,000
SQ892/SQ893 SIN-HKG/HKG-SIN	01/08/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 45,000 Advantage – 73,000
SQ237/SQ228 SIN-MEL/MEL-SIN	16/05/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 93,500 Advantage – 1,55,000
SQ830/SQ833 SIN-PVG/PVG-SIN	04/06/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 58,500 Advantage – 98,000
SQ221/SQ222 SQ231/SQ232 SIN-SYD/SYD-SIN	17/05/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 93,500 Advantage – 1,55,000
SQ423/SQ424 BOM-SIN/SIN-BOM	01/09/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 58,500 Advantage – 98,000
SQ306/SQ305 SQ308/SQ317 SQ322/SQ319 SIN-LHR/LHR-SIN	15/06/23 to 30/07/23 01/01/23 to 28/10/23 01/01/23 to 28/10/23	Saver – 1,41,000 Advantage – 2,25,500

Conclusion

I was thoroughly impressed with my time on board the new Singapore Airlines A380 first-class suite albeit flying on a medium-haul flight of 5.5 hours. The amount of space available to each cabin is simply outrageous and this is definitely on the top of my flight experiences. Considering the limited time, a 4-course meal followed by a nap feels a little too much to pack and feels slightly rushed but the difference in cost for a business class redemption is only marginally less. The incremental difference in experience however at every step of the journey makes booking F class a sensible choice. It may lack the bling of a bar, or star-lit ceilings and floors but the solid hard product, minimal interiors, and impeccable service combined together make me look forward to flying the Suites on longer routes such as London very soon in the future!