Review of Singapore Airlines flight Manila → Singapore in Economy

Hi there, thanks for the time you took to read this flight report.

For seven days in September 2019, I went to Manila to attend a global program, and had so much fun meeting other people from various countries. Sadly that fun must come to an end. So on September 11 2019, me and my friends and a fellow teacher of ours took two flights: Singapore Airlines to Singapore, and then a SilkAir to Medan, our original town.

The plane we rode is a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. Singapore Airlines has a decent amount of them on their fleet, and after hearing some good stuff about them, I cannot wait to be on board one of the best airlines in the world.

But before that, let's start from, obviously, the airport. Ninoy Aquino International Airport is an international airport serving Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Oh, and stay tuned for the end, because things get incredible.

Best sky in Manila throughout my days there.

We then arrived the airport. 

We arrived via out apartment's shuttle to the airport quickly. It is now 5:30 AM local time.

As you can see, there is a huge line outside the terminal. I am quite confused at this point, as I've never seen such thing in an airport. Well, maybe it is something unique in the airport, I don't know. 

Sadly I didn't managed to take decent amount of pictures of check-in and the airport as a whole. Friends are really the best distractions known for life. However there is one picture; even that is blurry.

The airport is quite old and a bit dirty; my expectation dropped thinking that an airport for a great city will be as good as the city. I've heard from some people online that the airport is that outdated and that only one terminal is a good one. I hope it renews.

Also got a cool tag for my checked luggage: 

And also took a picture of one thing most enthusiasts overlook:

Oh! And forgot to show you my boarding pass.

This is our waiting area, at gate 116. To say, it is quite decent, nothing special (the white ceiling explains everything), but there's of course one thing special: planes! And planes, and planes, and planes. 

Sadly gates in Manila are far away from others. Plus, they are bordered by walls. So I am not able to photograph any planes from the gate other than this Cebu Pacific A320.

…And maybe that ANA tail too. That one's a 787, I think, if not a 777. As well as the two Philippine Airlines there, and MNL's ATC. I think the terminal PAL is at is the one I've heard good stuff on. Is it?

And also, who else, than our ride: a Singapore Airline Boeing 787.  

Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ/SIA)
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Flight number: SQ/SIA915
Route: Manila (MNL) - Singapore (SIN)
Registration: 9V-SCK | Engines: RRT1000
Flight time: 3:40 
MSN: 60261 | Line: 838 | Shipped: CHS-NGO-SIN | Hex: 76CC6B | Config: C36Y301
Age: 0.4 years (Delivered May 2019)

I don't know why, but this view gives me a sense of peace and nervousness at the same time. 

We are assigned on Boarding Group 4. The first three groups went in quite fast, actually. We then entered the gate, and then the plane. 

Cool photos I think I could include here.

Singapore Airline, being the Singapore Airline, offers free earphones and newspapers.

As of now, I am still searching for that earphone I lost.

I entered the aircraft and my first impression was: fresh from the fridge! It is beautiful and I hope I have never turned back. It's better than the previous 777-200 I took, which is so outdated. That plane itself is outdated. SIA needs to renew itself.

Short info: the Singapore Airline 787-10 economy class is set in a 3-3-3 configuration. These seats were originally meant to be for the A380 and 777, but was somehow placed here, alongside the A350. And what a great fit. In my opinion, this fits everyone's pallet.

I have always admired the Boeing Sky Interior. Do you?

Upon meeting my seat, 73E. I was greeted with all the things I expected.

And this is the time when I smile. This is the first time I had used this interactive flight map. And I am mindblown.

A beautiful iconic Singapore Girl when to all seats and gave everyone a hot towel for refreshment.

I was not seated right next to the window, which frustrates me throughout the flight; aviation enthusiasts know how it feels. Luckily a friend of mine took my phone and took the shot I needed.

A full row of planes with beautiful liveries. And being a jailed Asian, I've never been so proud at spotting a Delta! And an Emirates.

Oh and, by the way, all photos here are free to use, as long as you credit me. License is CC BY-SA 4.0.

And as you see from that picture, we have begun pushback. 

Another cool cabin. Neo-futurism at its finest.

This is the only window shot in the air I took:

We then taxied for quite an amount of time, and then took off. Sadly I didn't managed to have the footage caught, argh.

After reaching the altitude of 10,000 feet, the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign. I tried entering the toilet to take a photo of it, but every time I did, there's always someone inside, even one minute before the sign was turned on again. Curious who took so long in it.

There are no menus, expected for a medium-haul flight. They have two options: pork and rice or chicken and noodles. I picked pork and rice. They also gave a set of fruits, bun and butter, as well as an OJ. It was quite sour. Luckily I got a Coke later on.

There's also Wi-Fi onboard, but you gotta pay for it.

I went to exploring the IFE and it has a spectrum of things to watch, but I can only choose one considering a short medium-haul flight. I picked Us, a film I've heard lots of good stuff on. And to be honest, it is a great and scary movie, you should watch it.

Also, that blue and orange combination is solely the Boeing Sky Interior's work, not the light. It was calming and relaxing.
  
Singapore Airlines has a magazine in the pocket. There's not really much to see for me: magazine is sort of subjective. There's also choices of things you can buy. There's also a model plane, and I asked the flight attendant to show me it, but there's none: it is supposed to be pre-ordered. And all I can say is: Nobody tells me nobody knows, nobody knows anything….

In the middle of the flight, I had this crazy idea I had planned before. I will try enter the cockpit. I went to the backdoor and four amazing flight attendants assisted me, saying that it should be approved by the Captain. A few minutes later, the Singapore Girl came and said that I am allowed to enter after the plane has parked in the gate. Cool Captain.

Minutes later, it's time to descent. As the plane descends, my ears start hurting and it's so painful, not even my friend's candies are able to tackle it. I soon learned that the "airplane ear" is caused by a sudden shift in the G-Force. I'm lucky to have no allergies. If you have one and will be going on a flight, see Mayo Clinic's guide on the airplane ear. I tackled it, somehow, by watching other people watching.

Sorry, Uncle.

And more minutes after that, we finally landed at Singapore's Changi Airport, the best airport ever known! Sadly this is the only landing shot I can take. 

The moment it lands, the pain finally went away like birds on a rooftop.

We then did 5 turns and were parked at the gate. I forgot which gate it is, but it's on Terminal 3.

I told my fellow travelmates that I'll be getting in the cockpit for a sec, and they said they'll be waiting in front of the gate. We have a huge 7 hours of transit before boarding our SilkAir flight to Medan, so there's nothing concerning by my choice.

I was escorted by the same Singapore Girl to the business class for holding. I got to sit on one of the chairs for around 15 seconds, and got the chance to try things out. 

Legroom was wide!

The Captain told me to come to the cockpit and I did. The Singapore Girl supported me on recording/taking photos, but the Captain informed me that there is a "policy" on the airline that I "cannot record." I looked at the video, and screenshot a part where the cockpit was seen. Sorry Changi, just a glimpse ain't no problem lah. 

I talked to the Captain about various stuff: from the flight management computer, to difference between Boeing and Airbus. I also asked them on the rudder control as well as how's it like being a pilot. The Captain had been flying for 5 years, while the First Officer has flown for 1.5 years. I don't get to sit on the chair (I wanted to) because time is short and even the pilots had to disembark soon either for another flight or to leave the airport. Before leaving, the Singapore Girl took this shot:

And to those who knows the answer but is still asking, yes I edited my face, it's not like that's my true face. And if you're wondering, that stuffy is just a little merch I got on Manila.

Oh and I was granted a last shot of the plane: a wing shot! Finally! 

Unfortunately dusts are a problem on airlines. But it's still a cool shot, and is better than nothing.

I will be making a review on the continuation flight: MI238 to Medan Kualanamu, so stay tuned, but here are few photos of Changi  and Singapore during a long 7-hour transit.

Does any Singaporean know what building this is? I forgot its name.

Changi is always man's best creations.

Thanks for reading my flight report! This is my first ever report and I hope it is decent enough for someone new to doing this thing. I have more flights I would love to report, so stay tuned.