SQ 38 SIN- LAX
After flying Cathay Pacific's Business Class in 2008, it was
time to experience the all business class flight on Singapore Airlines A340
(345). This was my first time flying an
ALL business class flight, much less Singapore Airlines. I redeemed roughly 300,000 miles transferred
from American Express Membership Rewards into my KrisFlyer account to get the
booking. It was actually an easy redemption,
because the miles were acquired from three credit card sign up bonuses
The American Express Gold Membership Reward card…..the Premier Rewards Gold Card, and the Business Gold Card, which offered 75,000, 50,000, and 75,000 sign up bonus points respectively.…..multiplied by two (myself and my wife). There are rumors SQ might do away with this flight, as it does not seem economically viable in these tough times, but I haven’t heard anything solid yet coming from SQ in print, so I won’t comment on that. Either way, this a great nonstop flight to the U.S. originating in SIN.
The American Express Gold Membership Reward card…..the Premier Rewards Gold Card, and the Business Gold Card, which offered 75,000, 50,000, and 75,000 sign up bonus points respectively.…..multiplied by two (myself and my wife). There are rumors SQ might do away with this flight, as it does not seem economically viable in these tough times, but I haven’t heard anything solid yet coming from SQ in print, so I won’t comment on that. Either way, this a great nonstop flight to the U.S. originating in SIN.
Okay, enough of the schematics….let me review the
flight. Check-in was a breeze, as I was
flying into SIN from KUL on their subsidiary, SilkAir. The agent at KUL printed out my boarding
passes for the coach flight, as well my as my business class flight from SIN to
LAX. We were also given access to their
flagship SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 3.
The lounge offered extensive warm food offerings, clean shower facilities,
and the usual fare of drinks that you would find normally in the executive
lounges.
Singapore Airlines is known for its amenities’ and
service. They surely didn’t let me
down. Upon boarding, the crew welcomed
us into our seats…and we were offered a pre-departure drink. The flight wasn't completely full, and that was a good sign, because you get less
attention as there are more passengers, of course. There were roughly 100 passengers total on this flight.
The BIG Chair (and
bed)
The seat was spacious, and boasted a generous amount of
width and pitch. This was the largest business class I have experienced so far (until I plant my duff on an Emirates Business Class seat). These seats were true
light flat seats, which turned into a bed. I found the side arm lacking
personal storage, like the 777, but it was okay, as I managed. The tray table didn’t turn either, which
made getting out of the seat a bit tricky, if you had something on it….but
overall, it was a great seat to sit in for a no status flyer like myself. The
entertainment remote was easy to use, and like most, there was a game pad in
the bottom of the remote to keep the kids and big kids busy after watching 10 movies in a 17 hour flight.
The Dining Experience
The menu hosted an array of cuisine by Master Chefs from the International Culinary Panel, which put together a nice menu. Appetizers included Satay with cucumber, and spicy peanut suauce, to main courses of Tandoori prawns in a curry sauce. Finished off with a selection of fresh fruits, artisan cheeses, or various ice creams.
To avoid any dietary mishaps, I ordered the special meal on
this flight. It was delicious….an
appetizer of chicken satay & asparagus, and shrimp salad, with a sweet
chili sauce dressing....a main course consisting of braised leg of lamb in a
spicy curry sauce, with potatoes, and a finale of vienneta ice cream, accompanied
with a cup of Darjeeling tea. Various
cheeses and fruit platters were offered, but I declined. Also, throughout the flight, there were snack
offerings of cookies, fresh fruit, a basket of Toblerone, and other munchies to accompany that 17 hour flight.
The Verdict
Will I fly SQ again ? Most likely! Singapore has one of the best executive classes out there, and the service is awesome. However, I will be using United or US Air miles to book my next ticket, as the fuel surcharges put a dent in my fake Burberry wallet. Questions about this flight? Feel free to comment.
