Airline review: This business class offers a Goldilocks experience

The airline: Singapore Airlines

• Route Singapore to Brussels, flight SQ304
• Frequency Four times weekly
• Aircraft Airbus A350-900
• Class Business; seat 16A
• Flight time 13 hours 25 minutes

Singapore Airlines has returned to Brussels for the first time in 20 years.

Checking in

I’ve broken my flight from Australia in Singapore, so I have luggage when I attempt to check in early at Changi. I’m delighted to discover that Singapore Airlines (SIA) lets you drop off your bags up to 48 hours before your flight. Thanks to my business class ticket, I can enjoy the airline’s lounge (though it’s chockers) and a hot shower.

Baggage

Up to 40 kilograms of checked luggage for business class passengers, with some extra weight for various loyalty tiers, plus two cabin bags up to seven kilograms each.

Loyalty scheme

KrisFlyer, part of the Star Alliance. KrisFlyer miles have a fixed expiry period of three years unless top tiers rules apply. However, if you don’t use them on SIA, you could use them on Virgin Australia: transfer points to Virgin’s Velocity program. Likewise, earn Velocity points with SIA.

The seat

Business class on Singapore Airlines is in the Goldilocks zone – it’s just right. Credit: Bloomberg

Fun fact: there’s no row 13 in this business class cabin (many other airlines also omit it), which is in a 1-2-1 layout.

The seat has a 60-inch (152.4 centimetres) pitch, is 28 inches (71 centimetres) wide, and becomes a 78-inch (198-centimetre) flat bed. You sleep on the diagonal, and I’m more than OK with that. But after lights out, the couple in the middle seats beside me sit cross-legged facing each other and talk loudly, for hours. Ear-plugged up, I still hear them. I feel bad, but finally ask them to lower the volume.

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

The smart green amenity bag has a lip balm, facial mist and hand lotion from British perfumery Penhaligon’s. Socks and slippers are provided additionally, and there are toothbrushes and toothpaste in the toilet.

Entertainment + tech

Unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi in business class is strong. An 18-inch touch screen and comfortable noise-cancelling headphones access more than 1900 options across visual and audio entertainment. I watch Wonka over dinner, which looks great on the high-def screen.

Service

Singapore Airlines crews are always classy and impeccable, especially in the premium cabins.

Food

My body clock screams “sleep”, but given this 13-hour flight lands in Brussels in the morning, I force myself to have dinner: seared barramundi with red capsicum-lemongrass sauce. It is one of the airline’s International Culinary Panel choices, this one designed by three-Michelin-starred Georges Blanc. There’s a smoked salmon entree, and a chocolate cake as well as a cheese plate, which I forgo. So too, the snacks in the galley. For breakfast pre-landing, I opt for the scrambled egg over the dim sum. It’s all excellent.

Carbon emissions

It’s 3.6 tonnes flying Melbourne to Brussels business class. The airline offers an offset program under which 100 per cent of your contribution goes to eco projects.

One more thing

Singapore Airlines has returned to this route after a hiatus of more than 20 years. Brussels Airport is lacklustre, but it’s a pretty easy one-terminal experience. Belgium is a wonderful destination in its own right and the Flemish capital is the seat of NATO and the United Nations, but it affords train connectivity to other European destinations: France – Gare du Nord in as little as 80 minutes from the CBD (there is a station at Brussels airport – it’s 25 minutes to the city). Even London is less than two hours away.

The price

From about $9300 Melbourne-Brussels via Singapore return in business class.*

The verdict

This is a Goldilocks flight in business class, just right to meet the European day as refreshed as is humanly possible when flying long haul.

Our rating out of five

★★★★½

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

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