Singapore Airlines flight SQ51 from Houston arrived in Manchester for its technical stop pretty much on schedule. Business Class passengers were the first to disembark, and were directed to the Aspire Lounge for some light refreshments before the onward sector to Singapore.
The Aspire Lounge also happens to be a Priority Pass lounge, so it can get a little packed. Thankfully, Singapore Airlines actually reserves an area for its premium class passengers at Manchester, which I thought was a nice touch.
I headed back to the gate for boarding at around half and hour prior to the scheduled departure time. It was timely as the gate staff were beginning to call Business Class passengers forward for boarding.
I returned to my seat 11D which was right at the front of the Business Class cabin. Since this was a bulkhead row seat, the seat area was very spacious. For the A350-900 operated by Singapore Airlines, try to reserve either row 11 or 19 as much as possible for a more comfortable ride.
For this sector of the flight, both lunch and breakfast were served. In addition, Business Class passengers can choose from a list of items on the delectables menu in between both meals should they feel hungry mid-flight.
All passengers were on board in time for our scheduled departure time. After a short taxi, we were airborne and the cabin crew prepared for the lunch service once the seatbelt sign was turned off. To start, I had the smoked duck breast salad with figs, walnuts, membrillo and sherry vinegar dressing. From the bread basket, I also picked a slice of garlic bread.
For the main course, I chose the pan seared monk fish and prawn with shellfish cream sauce, served with sautéed vegetables and bowtie pasta. This course was exceptionally tasty and well balanced.
Next was dessert, and I chose the Movenpick maple walnut ice cream with orange coulis, a perfect way to round up the meal service.
I decided to get some sleep for the flight, but got hungry once again about halfway through, so I ordered the chicken noodles with Chinese greens, a very comforting dish indeed. I was also feeling a little greedy, so I ordered a couple of sandwiches to go with my cup of tea.
After some more shuteye, it was time for breakfast. The cabin crew made their rounds to distribute hot towels before serving some fresh fruit and a croissant.
For the main course, I chose the baked egg with pan fried pork sausage, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms, black pudding and potato. The portion was huge for breakfast, but I certainly wasn’t complaining.
Once the breakfast service was complete, I moved over to an empty window seat to enjoy the beautiful sunrise over the horizon, just as the Captain chimed in on the PA system to provide the latest arrival information and weather in Singapore.
After a smooth descent, we touched down ahead of schedule, marking the end of yet another pleasant flight with Singapore Airlines.
