This flight on Singapore Airlines in business class from Singapore to Copenhagen will be an opportunity to see why the Asian airline is one of the best in the world. But also to question certain elements of the service.
I am in the final stretch to return to Europe. Heading to Copenhagen, then a short hop to Gothenburg where after a short break I will return to Paris.
You will find all the articles about this trip to Malaysia at the bottom of the page.
Ground experience
After a little more than 2 hours of waiting for my connection at the Silverkris lounge of the T3 of which I will not keep an imperishable memory I go to my boarding gate. Little stroll of a quarter of an hour at midnight in this commercial centre which is Changi airport.
In a waiting area, passengers watch a replay of the World Cup final of sad memory that took place the day before. I already know the result.
Then I’ll take the travelators to my gate, in B10.
When I arrive a group of passengers, Australian high school students going to discover Denmark, are already waiting.
We go through security quickly (in Singapore it’s at the gate) and here I am in the boarding lounge!
I think the only industry that still uses pin printers is the airline industry.
Boarding
The departure lounge fills up quite quickly and everyone waits quietly. After all, it is past midnight.
The boarding starts at the exact time and I am the first to engage in the jetway. Here two separate jetways allow separate boarding of the front and economy classes.
The cabin and the welcome
I find the business class cabin of the Singapore Airlines A350 already seen a lot these last days.
The night lighting is very pleasant.
My seat, in bulkhead.
Seen from behind it looks better.
The seat controls are very easy to use, as are the lights.
The touch-sensitive remote control is very pleasant, although I regret that the IFE screen is not tactile.
A first storage space in the console. We’ve seen better, though.
A second storage space in the side console is already occupied by a water bottle and the headset.
I recline my seat a little to wait. As I explained at length on the outbound flight, this seat is a “reverse herringbone” that hides it well and you will see why.
If you recline the seat you can see that you will run out of leg room and the “foot well” for sleeping is on the side. The seat is not converted into a bed position by reclining to the maximum, but by folding down the backrest, which creates a large bed in which one sleeps diagonally.
The amenity kit is nice but not fancy.
On the other hand, unlike the outward journey, I will not find socks or slippers. And still no oshibori which confirms to me that they have apparently disappeared on Singapore Airlines. They won’t put my coat in the cloakroom either.
The menus are also arranged in the storage units, but more on that later.
The welcome is very friendly and the flight manager comes to introduce himself to me and announces a flight time of 13 hours.
Then the flight attendant comes to ask me if I want to have dinner after take-off and reminds me that if I need anything I just have to call her.
We are finally ready to take off.
The flight and the service
Very shortly after take-off the service begins.
Champagne to start with.
On the other hand, the nuts could be served in a more attractive way, or even served hot.
Here is the menu of the day:
The table is set and the starter is brought in. I will add an excellent garlic bread.
Salt and pepper are in real salt and pepper shakers, not some grim plastic thing…
Marinated smoked salmon with capers. Celeriac and red apple salad with Japanese cucumbers.
The salmon is good, the salad good, the cucumber and celery more subdued than one might expect.
Gosht Biryani: Indian lamb curry with spicy rice and cucumber, red onion and tomato salad.
It’s very hearty and very tasty, well spiced but I would have liked a bit more.
I will then have a cheese cake and a cheese plate. At first I thought about not taking the cheese for fear of not being hungry enough but the flight manager reassured me “you don’t have to eat everything”.
A very good meal except that the red wine ordered at the end of the service was never served.
Now it’s time to go to bed.
The bed will be very comfortable and the bedding pleasant and of excellent quality.
I will sleep for 7 hours like a baby and wake up at 2 hours from the arrival while flying over Turkey.
Meanwhile the crew is in the galley chatting…forgetting to close the curtain, thus lighting the first rows of the cabin.
I connect to the Wifi to find that you can only connect one device at a time. Not very convenient.
Soon the breakfast service begins. Here is the menu.
We start with fruit and pastries.
The warm, crisp pastries are very good, the fruit could have been served in larger quantities.
Then the dish, a signature dish of the airline.
Ponggol Nasi Lemak: Coconut flavoured rice with spicy chicken leg, vegetable curry and sambal chilli.
For me, who does not like continental breakfast, it is perfect.
I have only one word: truly excellent!
As we prepare to get off, the crew comes to see us individually, thanks us for choosing Singapore Airlines and the flight manager says “See you next time Mr Duperrin”.
The Crew
Very polite and efficient, warmer than on the outward journey (which was my main complaint).
I was always called by name and the service was very attentive.
Landing and arrival
After a nice little journey we arrive at our destination.
The descent to Copenhagen goes smoothly and after a short drive we arrive at the gate. If two jetways are available only one will be used and we will have to disembark through the central door. However, the crew will close the economy class curtain to allow the business class to disembark first and quietly before releasing the back of the aircraft.
And so here I am, in the corridors of Copenhagen, with a short connection before boarding the train for Gothenburg.
Bottom line
An excellent flight, but…
I won’t mention the comfort of the cabin and the silence of the A350.
The crew was excellent if I forget the glass of wine forgotten at the end of the service.
But it is more on the protocol and certain elements that I wonder about with a service that was quite different from the outward journey.
As for the oshiboris, I’ve given up on it: nothing in four flights, Singapore Airlines seems to have written it off.
On the other hand, there were differences between my outward and return flights that I cannot explain: protocol, staff oversight?
So on the return journey my coat was not put in the cloakroom and I had no socks or slippers. This is not a real problem in itself (although…) but what surprises me is that between two flights we had two quite different protocols.
Singapore Airlines is an excellent airline, but it is not (any more) perfect.
Articles about this trip to Malaysia
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