Review : Singapore Airlines Business Class between Denpasar (Bali) and Singapore

All good things must come to an end and my stay in Bali is over. First step for the return trip: a flight to Singapore on Singapore Airlines in business class.

Check-in and ground course in Denpasar

Smooth check-in with the Singapore Airlines app. I arrive at the check-in counter where there are few people and I will be served very quickly.

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In Singapore I take a flight to Europe on Lufthansa later in the day and the agent at the counter gladly checks-in my luggage to my final destination.

I then go to the Premier Lounge, the lounge where Singapore Airlines sends its passengers in Denpasar. A good experience before reaching the boarding gate.

On my way here I think that this airport has really changed for the better compared to 10 years ago…and it was necessary.

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A little walk to get to the gate.

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Singapore Airlines has a strong presence in Denpasar.

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There’s not a lot of hustle and bustle at the gate.

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Boarding in Denpasar

Boarding will start on time and boarding priorities will be respected. I will be one of the first to enter this B787-10.

I take my seat and see that the menu is already in place in the storage compartment on the side.

They immediately bring me a hot oshibori and a glass of champagne. Contrary to the outward journey which was an early flight, alcohol was available.

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It’s almost Christmas and the cabin is decorated accordingly.

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There is a high density of crew members in the business class cabin during boarding or at least they are very visible. 4 for 9 rows and they are very active in welcoming passengers, seating them and bringing them a welcome drink.

The Business class cabin of the Singapore Airlines 787-10

There are no surprises in the cabin: we have already seen it on the outbound flight and it is the model used on all the airline’s B787s, which are used exclusively for “regional” flights (max. 3 hours).

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Full flat seats in 1-2-1 configuration

The materials look very solid and qualitative.

In terms of privacy, it’s like being in a cocoon.

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On the other hand, I agree with those who find that the seat is not wide enough and that the shoulders are a little uncomfortable, especially when eating and when you have to move your elbows away from your body.

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The in-flight entertainment system is rich in content, the touch screen responsive and easy to use.

There is of course the wifi. It is free for business passengers and instead of receiving a voucher and entering a code, you just have to give your name and seat number and if you are eligible you are automatically recognized. On the other hand, when it comes to wifi, I don’t think that volume based billing is the most readable thing for the customer.

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We are ready for the takeoff. We say goodbye to the Jet Star parked beside us and we go to the runway.

The flight and the service in Singapore Airlines Business Class

The 787 is not equipped with window shades, but withdimmers” that allow them to be totally or partially darkened, either individually at the passenger’s command or collectively at the crew’s command.

For the takeoff it will be darkened a little to shelter from the bright sun outside.

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Take-off on time and without problems.

Once in the air the staff darkened the cabin even more, something they had not done on the outbound flight where the dimmers had not been used.

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The service starts quite quickly. Here is the menu.

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I will choose the chicken. I will also be offered an impressive choice of different breads including garlic bread that I will choose.

The meal is very appetizing and copious for a 2 hour flight.

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Not only is it beautiful, but the dishes are also of good quality. It remains to be seen if it is good.

Let’s start with the scallops.

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They are firm, fresh and not at all rubbery. The green mango salad is just delicious.

Let’s move on to the chicken.

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Perfectly cooked and melt in the mouth, a dish that has a lot of taste despite the fact that it is quite basic.

And the chocolate and ginger cake…

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I find it a bit dry. Not that it’s not good but when it comes after the first two delicious dishes in one go it’s disappointing because it’s a bit below quality.

I will be served wine and water at the time of the clearing and then at each passage of the stewart without even having to ask.

I appreciate the fact that the tray table is very easy to handle. It may seem obvious but I can tell you that this is not the case everywhere.

For the end of the flight the windows are almost completely darkened.

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As more and more often I will prefer my personal movie selection on my iPad to the in-flight entertainment system offer…

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Even though I was warned and used to it, I still find the seat painful every time I hit an elbow in it. Fortunately, these aircrafts are only used on short flights.

The Singapore Airlines crew

A crew at the level of the airline’s reputation. Very present, proactive, of great kindness and politeness while being rigorous and efficient.

These two flights change a little my perception on the subject, my past experiences having given me more the image of crews certainly very efficient and courteous but a little cold and locked in their protocol. This time I had complicit smiles and almost humor

Arrival and disembarkation in Singapore

The end of the flight was uneventful except for some strong turbulences just before the arrival. We will arrive at the terminal after a long taxi which will allow to make a little spotting.

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Everyone quietly collects their belongings….

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And we say goodbye to our 787-10.

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I have 8 hours to kill before my flight to Frankfurt. My luggage being checked-in until the end, I don’t have to worry about it and I could quietly go to the First Class Lounge of Singapore Airlines. But it was a little too long for me so I chose to go through immigration to go “landside” and visit the Jewell.

Moreover, when I went to the immigration, the person who was distributing the customers in the lines and to whom I said “I am just in transit but I want to take advantage of it to go to the Jewell” spontaneously gave me all the information to go there by foot or by Air Train.

This concludes this report….

My opinion on the Singapore Airlines business class

For a 2 hour flight, we have a very high level of service with an impeccable crew and moreover on a twin-aisle aircraft which is always more pleasant.

The only downside: the seat. There is some debate on the issue but given the overall quality of the service it is really the only issue that can be discussed. Some find this criticism unjustified, others consider it a bad seat and openly complain about it on specialized forums. I think that the criticism is all the more justified since Turkish Airlines, which has chosen the same seat for its 787s, is facing the same criticism to the point that the airline is considering changing it even before all the aircraft have been delivered.

If you want to see all this in video it is here.

For the record my routing Paris-Munich : Lufthansa Business Class A319

Munich-Frankfurt : Lufthansa Business Class A321

Frankfurt-Singapore : Lufthansa First Class A380

Singapore-Denpasar : Singapore Airlines Business Class B787

Denpasar-Singapore : Singapore Airlines Business Class B787 (here)

Singapore-Frankfurt : Lufthansa First Class A380

Frankfurt-Paris : Lufthansa Business Class A320 Neo (no review)

Bertrand Duperrin
Bertrand Duperrinhttp://www.duperrin.com
Compulsive traveler, present in the French #avgeek community since the late 2000s and passionate about (long) travel since his youth, Bertrand Duperrin co-founded Travel Guys with Olivier Delestre in March 2015.
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