A punishing start, but this business seat lets you bounce back

The airline: Singapore Airlines

• Route Melbourne to Singapore, flight SQ248
• Frequency Five flights a day.
• Aircraft Airbus A350-900
• Class Business; seat 18D (aisle)
• Flight time Seven hours, 30 minutes. Departure is delayed by 42 minutes due to the late arrival of the plane in Melbourne and we land in Singapore 18 minutes behind schedule.

Singapore Airlines has 65 Airbus A350s in its fleet.Credit: iStock

Checking in

My flight departs at the ungodly hour of 6.35am on a Sunday morning. The night before, I start trying to work out exactly how late I can wake up to get ready and get across the city to the airport without missing the check-in cut off. As it turns out, I wake up before my 3.50am alarm and am at the airport exactly two hours before departure. I’ve already checked in online and there’s no queue at the business class desk so it’s simply a matter of showing my passport and getting my suitcase tagged. Economy-class passengers also seem to have little wait time thanks to kiosks and electronic bag-drop facilities. Singapore Airlines has its own first and business class lounges at Melbourne Airport, with a decent selection of food and drinks. Despite the pre-dawn hour, I can’t resist the dim sum.

Baggage

Up to 40 kilograms of checked luggage for business-class passengers, plus two cabin bags up to 7 kilograms each plus an additional personal item (handbag, laptop etc).

Loyalty scheme

KrisFlyer, part of the Star Alliance. Members of Virgin Australia’s Velocity program can also earn points with Singapore Airlines.

The seat

The seat converts to at 78-inch (198-centimetre) flat bed.

The business class is split into two cabins, in a 1-2-1 configuration, and I’m at the rear of the first cabin on the left-hand aisle. Seats have 60 inches (152cm) of legroom and are 28 inches (71cm) wide, converting to a 78 inch (198 cm) flatbed. An ottoman sits in a footwell beneath the entertainment screen, so you can put your feet up even if you’re not opting to fully recline, and the seat is easily controlled from a panel beside the seat. There’s a storage compartment containing a bottle of water, headphones and the in-flight menu as well as the device charging ports. The early start means I attempt to take a nap after breakfast, as do many other passengers, so it’s a quiet flight. Seat 18D has a smaller overhead bin than the other seats – about half the size of the others, though there’s more than enough space for my backpack and any excess luggage can be shared with row 17.

Entertainment + tech

Content is edited on Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system.Credit: Bloomberg

There’s an extensive selection of recent movie releases along with a huge range of older films including plenty of Marvel and Pixar movies, along with the occasional golden age classic like An American in Paris with Gene Kelly (you will find content is edited on Singapore Airlines — though it’s easy to lip-read F-words even if you don’t hear them). There are also TV shows including a selection of HBO’s finest. Wi-Fi is free for business-class passengers though the speed varies throughout the flight. Noise-cancelling headphones are provided.

Service

Polite, professional and attentive, as you would expect. Drinks are offered regularly, but the crew remains discreet during the middle of the flight when many of the passengers are attempting to catch up on sleep. Amenity kits are now only offered on request and on an individual item basis, which probably reduces waste (and saves the airline money) but does feel a bit stingy. I’ve always enjoyed getting my kit and kept all the items for later use.

Food

Having missed the opportunity to do so on my last business-class flight with Singapore Airlines, I decide to log on to the airline’s website in advance to use the “book the cook” service to select from a wider range of meals, but when the lunch comes the crew have no record of my selection (perhaps I didn’t save it properly on the site).

Matt Moran’s braise lamb dish is excellent.Credit: Craig Platt

Instead, I opt for braised lamb neck with carrots and quinoa, a dish designed by Australian chef Matt Moran. It’s excellent – the lamb is so tender no knife is required. A lighter meal is served earlier in the flight where I opt for fried noodles with chicken, prawn and vegetables. The drinks list is extensive and features more than 10 cocktails including, of course, a Singapore Sling, as well as the airline’s own version – the SilverKris Sling – which is a simpler recipe featuring champagne as a topper.

Sustainability

The airline offers an offset program (which can be done at any time before or after the flight) and has committed to net zero emissions by 2050*.

One more thing

The airline’s Kris+ rewards app lets you earn additional points for purchases but more importantly obtain discounts (10 per cent off at restaurants, clothing stores and spas are common), and exclusive deals (which can be purchased with points) through a wide range of partners. In December 2023, Australia became the first country outside Singapore to be able to use the app locally, though at this stage most of the offers are in Sydney.

The price

From about $4000, Melbourne to Singapore return in business class*.

The verdict

While the early morning departure is punishing, the comfort and service of this class means you arrive in Singapore feeling refreshed and still with a full afternoon ahead of you.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew as a guest of Singapore Airlines. See singaporeair.com

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.

Read more
A to Z list of all Traveller’s expert airline reviews