Singapore Airlines operates several daily flights between the Thai capital Bangkok and Singapore. For such a short flight, one might think that it doesn’t matter which aircraft type your flight operates on. But when you’re using your hard earned miles to redeem a seat up in front of the cabin, picking the right flight can truly make a difference.
This evening, check in was expeditious as I was on the last Singapore Airlines flight out, and most of the other Business Class passengers on the earlier flights have cleared out.
Before heading to the gate, I had enough time to check out the SilverKris Lounge, which I found to be nothing short of amazing. But more on that in a separate post.
I arrived at the gate just in time for priority boarding. This flight was operated by a B777-200ER, featuring the 2006 long haul Business Class seat. The seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, providing all passengers with access to the aisle. In my opinion, this is an excellent product for a 3-hour flight.
As I settled into my seat, I had a look at the light dinner menu for the flight, and was pretty impressed with the selection.
Before these seats get retired from the fleet in a couple of years, we should acknowledge that when they were introduced over a decade ago, these seats had set a high bar for the entire commercial aviation industry. At over 30 inches wide, these seats continue to fare even better than the First Class seats in other airlines.
Of course after years of wear and tear, it is evident that these seats will have to make way for a more up-to-date product, which Singapore Airlines has since introduced over the past few years.
Nonetheless, this seat has many functional features, such as ample storage space, a coat hook, and a reading light.
For those seated in the centre two seats, you can also make use of the privacy divider which can be extended if necessary.
The IFE controller is also conveniently located under the armrest.
Before the doors were closed, the cabin crew served some pre-takeoff beverages.
Once the boarding process was complete, we were on our way.
Traffic was a little heavy, so we had to queue on the taxiway prior to take off. But once we were airborne and attained our cruising altitude, the cabin crew were quick to commence the dinner service. To start, I had the seared tuna, prawn, and sesame crusted scallop, served with pickled vegetables and sesame dressing, which I found to be very appetising.
For the main course, I found the fish with egg noodles very tasty, and the portion was just right. Notice that as this was a short flight, everything was served on the same tray, in order to save some time during the dinner service.
After dinner, I didn’t have to but I decided to convert the seat into a bed to get more comfortable. I wasn’t planning to sleep as the flight would get me into Singapore just in time for bed.
Once common complaint about this bed is that it can be a little firm, and that you have to sleep at a weird angle in order to fit your feet in the little cubby.
Therefore, if possible, always get the bulkhead row to give yourself more space, and you can check out my review of that seat here.
I actually dozed off for a while because when I awoke, the cabin lights were turned on and the Captain was providing the latest arrival information at the top of descent. While you may not be able to fully enjoy the experience on a short flight like this, always remember to pick the right flight to give you the best value for your miles. Being able to savour more space in a cabin with seats in a 1-2-1 configuration sure beats the alternative 2-2-2 configuration!
