Short review
Lounge (SilverKris Lounge in Singapore): 4.5/5 (A great selection of food)
Cabin: 5/5 (Wide seat with direct access to the aisle; can be converted to a fully flat bed)
Service: 4.5/5 (Good service as expected from Singapore Airlines)
Food and beverages: 5/5 (Delicious meals)
Pros:
- Enjoyable overall experience
Cons:
- Nothing really
Long review
This flight was about a month before lockdown due to COVID-19. Singapore Airlines SQ211 was scheduled to depart Singapore at 10:30 and to arrive in Sydney, Australia, at 21:20. The total flight duration was 7 hours and 50 minutes.
My family and I arrived at Changi Airport about 2 hours before the scheduled departure time. After passing the immigration, we immediately went to the SilverKris Lounge. We have been here a few times, so nothing new. The business class lounge was large and, when we were there, was relatively quiet with plenty of empty seats available. As far as I know, this lounge was quite old. I think it still looks nice and well maintained though.
We picked some cosy seats near the food-serving area and started to enjoy a light breakfast given that we had breakfast in the hotel beforehand (see my Fairmont Singapore review here). The variety of dishes was good. A chef was also on hand to prepare a noodle dish by request. It was nice to enjoy some comfort, warm foods in the morning. The drink selection was very good as well.
Boarding was on time and uneventful. The plane was Boeing 777-300ER, which was equipped with the ‘new’ business class seats. The seats were configured in a 1-2-1 arrangement on each row, giving all passengers direct access to the aisle. The seat could be converted into a wide fully-flat bed. More information about the seat is available from Singapore Airlines website.
We were given the 2 middle seats on the first row. My daughter was less than 2 years old, so she shared a seat with a parent. The first row seats were good because the width of the beds was constant throughout the length of the beds. In subsequent rows, the width at the feet was narrower. Upon reflection, when travelling with a small child, probably it’s better to pick a middle seat and a window seat. The 2 middle seats were completely separated by a kind of low wall, making it difficult to transfer my daughter and her stuff from my seat to my wife’s. Fortunately, one of the window seats on the first row was empty, so in the end we did use a middle seat and a window seat. Before take-off, welcome drinks and warm towels were distributed as per the norm.
Once we were in a cruising altitude, a bowl of nuts and another drink (I ordered a cup of English breakfast tea) were served.
Lunch was then served about 2 hours after take off. The following is the lunch menu in this flight. The ones in asterisks were my order. All the dishes were enjoyable.
Appetiser
- Silken chicken salad: Sliced poached chicken breast and crunchy vegetables and fresh herb slaw with roasted sesame, miso and honey dressing*
Main course
- Lamb meatballs in spiced tomato sauce with feta cheese and toasted crostata
- Fried Hokkien mee with prawn, squid and pork
- Steamed sliced chicken with mushroom in dried scallop sauce served with braised black moss, long cabbage and snap peas
- Poached fish with sweet potato, cauliflower and green peas in a rich tomato and coconut garam masala sauce*
Dessert
- Haagen Dazs cookie and cream ice cream
- Dark chocolate and ginger cake*
My daughter was rather cranky in this flight, so we could not do much relaxing. The flight attendants gave her a Singapore Airlines bear and a kid’s pack to soothe her. About 1.5 hours before landing, refreshment was served. There were 2 refreshment options:
- Warm Reuben sandwich: beef pastrami with sauerkraut, cheddar cheese and grilled vegetables
- Indonesian style fried noodles with chicken and seafood satay
My wife and I ordered both dishes. Again, both were satisfactory, although the presentation perhaps was less delicate. Overall, another enjoyable experience with Singapore Airlines. Its consistency in delivering quality services is indeed commendable.
