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701 reviews
Welcome to my first blog post on FR! This is one of the four flights I took in April and May 2023 and one of the longest in duration as well. Please enjoy the trip report and every feedback is appreciated!
This is one of the flights that I most look forward to as it will be on Singapore Airlines, on an A380 and this flight will be in premium economy which there is not much coverage.
For this flight, I paid around £1100 and redeemed 8700 KrisFlyer miles since these are expiring soon.
Please note that Singapore Airlines charge a seat assignment fee in the Premium Economy class as well.
Since the flight departs around 11:30 am and I don't want to risk with TfL strikes, I decided to stay at Hilton Garden Inn Terminals 2 and 3. It was a pleasant stay with a good view of apron activities. Breakfast is acceptable.
The best part is that it is next to the terminal itself and it took me around 10 minutes to get to the check-in counter.
Singapore Airlines Premium Economy has its own check-in counter (just 1 though) which Star Alliance Gold card holders can use. The ground staff made sure that people were in the right line. There were only a few people waiting in line, and before long I got my boarding pass for the flight.
I also asked about upgrading to Business, and it was around £1,000 only for the London-Singapore leg of the flight.
I declined it as I was hoping it could be for all the way through Bangkok.
Premium Economy on Singapore Airlines doesn’t come with any lounge access so I decided to purchase an access to United Club. This is relatively easy as you can buy it directly from United App. The lounge itself is one level above the departure floor and it is very huge- which is totally understandable as there are dozens of departures from LHR to various airports in the US. The design itself is a little bit on a bland side in my opinion. The are several seating options with power outlets and even though it is crowded, I could still find a space to sit with ease.
During my visit, the lounge still serving breakfast which is a typical English fare of eggs, bacons, sausages, beans. There are also continental options like cold cuts, cheese, pastries, yogurt available as well. There are coffee stations at each end of the lounge and a bar around the central area of the lounge. You can get cocktails, beer, wine, and champagne here.
Since I already eaten from the hotel, I did not partake in a second English breakfast and opt for something lighter. The cinnamon donut is actually really good though. I did went back for seconds.
This lounge also provides a really nice view of the apron. There are a lot of activities going on out there such as VS A330 neo, UA B777, and AC B789.
After a spending sometime at the lounge, I decided to head to today’s departure gate, B42 and here is our jet waiting. 9V-SKS, an 11 year old jet that has been refurbished to feature SQ’s latest product.
The boarding is separated into four lanes for each cabin. Premium Economy lane can also be used by PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite Gold members as well.
The departure time came and went - this is not really a good sign. Over the PA, we were told that the plane is still being prepared, and after around 20 minutes, passengers were invited to board the aircraft. I was one of the first to board as I want a picture of an empty cabin.
Here it is, Singapore Airlines’ Premium Economy cabin - 44 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. The first two rows are missing the centre part to accommodate the stairs to the upper deck which makes these rows a bit calmer and more private. This area used to be where the original Suites class were.
The seat comes with a 38-inch pitch and a seat width of 19.5 inch which is a little bit wider than the ones on the A350 or B777.
At the front of the seat is a 13.3-inch HD screen which can also be controlled using a remote control. There seems to be an NFC reader, but I have no clue what it is used for. The seat controls are straightforward forward with one for recline and another for leg rest.
There is one universal outlet near the leg rest and a USB outlet at the back of the centre armrest. You will also find a port for the headphones there as well as a personal reading lamp which comes with multiple levels of brightness.
Waiting at the seat are: (1) Blanket (2) Pillow (3) Noise-cancelling headphones (4) Harrogate water.
There are also leaflets for in-flight Wi-Fi, safety information, and KrisShop Catalogue in the seat pocket.
The flight is quite empty with probably around 30% load which means that I have an empty seat next to me!
Let’s look outside, the internal windows on A380 is huge but the ‘real’ window is smaller.
From what I can see, there’s TG 777-300ER, AC B787, AI B787, 2xUA jets - a busy morning indeed.
I was feeling a bit warm and then I noticed that there’s no air vents on this A380. Oh well.
Soon enough, we pushed back from our gate and head towards the runway. Please find the YouTube video of the take off below.
I think this is Gatwick - that is an impressive skybridge over the apron.
Not before long, we can see France. Bonjour!
After the seatbelt light is off, the crew quickly began lunch service with beverage cart and snacks. I asked for Singapore Sling but the crew said that would take a bit so I go with some coke and roasted almonds/cashews.
Then it is a turn for an obligatory glass of Singapore Sling.
Around 20 minutes later, my lunch arrived. Premium economy passengers can order from Book the Cook menu prior to departure. It is a smaller selection compared to the ones for Business/First class though, but I do appreciate that it is available.
Lunch service:
Appetiser: Smoked salmon with couscous salad
Main: Beef rendang served with rice and sayur lodeh
Cheese: Cheddar cheese with crackers
Bread roll, butter
Already on the tray - hand wipes and water
To drink: Champagne
The food was delicious. I highly recommend the beef rendang.
It is also good to see proper cutlery, but I would say that the presentation is too similar to economy and airlines like Emirates are doing a much better job at presenting the meals in proper china.
To finish, we had salted caramel ice cream for dessert and then a coffee/tea service - in a paper cup.
After the meal service, the lights were dimmed, and passengers were asked to close the window shades.
I then went to the lavatory to freshen up. The lavatory is shared between PE and Economy class, but I don’t really see much of a queue, and I think it is because there are curtains separating the cabin and the galley. It is also closer to the PE cabin which might makes people unaware.
Anyway, the crew did a fabulous job maintaining the appearance of the lavatory throughout the flight. The lavatory is well-stocked with dental kits and sanitary pads. There is also a solitary hand lotion on the rack.
Before I sleep I asked for an amenity kit, and I received one, which is definitely an economy class kit. I remembered that there’s a different version for PE. Maybe that is no longer the case.
The seat reclines quite deep, the pillow is plush, and the blanket, on the other hand, generates some static. At this point, I was getting too warm and uncomfortable, so I asked the crew if they could lower the temperature by a bit. The crew were more than happy to lower the temperature and also gave me a bottle of water. I had a solid 5-hour sleep.
After around 8 hours into the flight, I started to get peckish and asked the crew for cup noodles. They tasted good and you can asked them what kind of flavours are available too!
There are also fresh fruits, sandwiches, muffins, crisps, and more available in a snack basket which you can go grab one in the galley or when the crew were doing rounds around the cabin. Unfortunately, there is no sambal ikan buns available. Probably ex-SIN flight thing.
After that, I decided to try the inflight Wi-Fi, which at the time I took the flight, was free for 3 hours in the PE cabin but now I understand that it is free for the entire flight as long as you enter your KrisFlyer account when booking. The speed is decent, and there are no issues whatsoever.
Once that was done, I decided to open a moving map to see where we are.
Soon enough, it was time for breakfast which I also Book the Cook.
Breakfast service:
Cut fruits
Strawberry yogurt
Mushroom crepes, turkey sausage, spinach, potato gratin
Croissant
Orange juice
Coffee/Tea
Again, a very good meal but the mushroom crepes weren’t to my liking so I managed only one piece of it. The crew noticed that and said that I could get anything from the regular menu. I don’t have to get it now; just let them know 90 minutes before landing. However, I planned to eat something else in Changi, so I declined the offer.
My attention then turn to the view outside. It was a beautiful morning and this is why I love flying.
The cabin after the meal service.
We arrived in Singapore at 7:46 am local time. The weather was nice and the approach was beautiful! Just look at the sky!
After 14 hours we have arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3 where I will have an onward connections to Bangkok on their B787-10.
Thank you for reading along and I hope you enjoy my first report.
One of the most comfortable way to fly to South-East Asia. You can’t really go wrong with Singapore Airlines.
Spacious seats - check
Solid entertainment and connectivity - check
Welcoming and professional crew - check
In-flight meal - check
But for the return price of £2100, there could be some ways to make it more premium like better amenity kit or a nicer meal presentation.
Flying out of Heathrow was relatively quick and hassle free, the United club is also decent and might be better than designated LoungeKey in Terminal 2.
Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 14 avis concernant 2 compagnies sur la ligne London (LHR) → Singapore (SIN).
La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Singapore Airlines avec 8.7/10.
La durée moyenne des vols est de 12 heures et 57 minutes.
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1 Comments
Thanks again for sharing and looking forward to future reviews! Welcome!
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