Review of Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore in Economy

I have heard many positive comments about Singapore Airlines’ newest economy class product since it was launched in 2013. The new product has so far been limited to their newer B777-300ERs, and a small number of retrofitted older B777-300ERs. SQ’s London-Singapore route was served four times daily by the A380s and the B777-300ERs with the new cabin product. This has now been changed to 3 A380s and 1 B777-300ER per day. So when I had to make a trip to London earlier this year, I made sure I had at least one sector on the new cabin product.
My Uber ride picked me from my hotel at 6.30am in the morning and I arrived at Terminal 2 in less than an hour. Thanks to the smooth traffic, I now had more than 2 hours to spare before my 9.25am departure. Terminal 2, also known as the Queen’s terminal, is a very pleasant terminal with plenty of F&B and shopping outlets to keep one occupied. Spotting enthusiasts will also enjoy the expansive views of the tarmac at both the main and satellite terminals.
Entrance to the departure hall

Self service check-in and bag drop. Very intuitive and easy to use, sparing passengers from long queues at check-in. I wish more airports around the world offered this instead of traditional counters manned by disinterested agents.

Cleared security in less than 10 min. It helps to choose who you queue behind in a security line. Avoid joining the queue behind parents with young kids, certain passenger profiles who tend to travel with way too much hand carry items, and last of all, passengers who look completely lost. Lots of natural light and seating areas in the main terminal.

Entrance to the B concourse, and the 10 min trek across.

Excellent close up views of the early morning long haul arrivals from Asia from the B concourse.

9V-SNC, the newest B777-300ER in the SQ fleet will fly me home. Catering and cargo loading in progress as this brand new beauty glistens in the morning sun.

The load on this morning’s flight was extremely light. Almost every passenger in the last Y cabin had 3 seats to themselves. I moved myself to an empty row by the window. First, let’s take a look at the much touted new cabin product. Very comfortable seats with excellent recline. One of the best, if not the best economy class seat I’ve ever sat on.

Small slim IFE box under the seat that doesn't eat into your leg space.

Seat pocket contents.

Touch screen IFE and controller. The latest aircraft comes with the new Voyager 3D maps. It was interesting at first, but after a couple of minutes going through the various maps, I got a little bored with it. I found the whole thing a little gimmicky, and doesn’t contribute much to my onboard experience. Young kids will probably find this feature more entertaining.

The new cabin retains the personal reading light feature that I find absolutely brilliant. No other airline currently has this feature, and I suspect it is because SQ owns the patent for this?

Push back was on the dot and this is the first time I am seeing a concord live! I’ve never caught sight of it on my previous flights out of LHR.

Hot towels were handed out before takeoff, while menus and amenity kits were distributed after takeoff, followed by an assortment of drinks served from a tray. It was another 2 hours or more before lunch would be served, so I could not understand why a full bar service was not offered after takeoff.

Lunch was served at noon. I opted for the braised pork and requested for a Citrus Delight to go with my meal. Citrus Delight is a mocktail served on SQ and is essentially a mix of orange juice and tonic water. As a regular on SQ, I was certain OJ and tonic water are readily available in every meal cart. The crew serving my aisle must have been unfamiliar with the particular mocktail and said that it needed to be prepared in the galley. Sensing her reluctance, I asked for a pineapple juice instead. The pork was a tad salty but overall satisfying and filling.

Ice cream was served after the crew had distributed the meals.

Turbulence struck at the end of the lunch service as the crew were about to clear our trays. SQ’s standard procedure is to suspend hot beverage service in the event of air turbulence. Coffee and tea service was completely omitted for this lunch service even after the seat belt signs were switched off as by then, half of the crew had retired to their crew bunks, leaving only 1 crew to man each Y class galley.
I love the fact that SQ offers a wide variety of cold snacks on long haul flights. I know for a fact that instant noodles are also uplifted on the LHR-SIN sector, but quantities are limited in Y class (as was the case on this particular flight) and are particularly well loved by the crew after their rest break. So if you want something hot and soupy in the middle of the flight, tough luck. Then again, the cold snacks on offer are more than enough to fill you up between meals.

Cabin lights were dimmed as passengers and crew prepared to settle in for the long flight…

Mood lighting. Hot towels were handed out prior to breakfast service.

Breakfast was served 2.5h before arrival into Singapore. I chose the poached eggs and it was one of the best, albeit greasy, breakfast I’ve had on SQ. The eggs were warm and runny, just the way I like them. Coffee and tea were served this time round.

Freshen up before arrival. Lavatories were kept spotlessly clean throughout the flight.

Final approach into Singapore Changi Airport…