Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class: the best kept secret in Asia?

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class: the best kept secret in Asia?

I know what you’re thinking. Why did I even bother writing a review of Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class?

For an airline known for it’s industry-leading long-haul international business class products (on A380s, A350s, and 777s), a rinky-dink 737 would surely be an afterthought in every regard. Right?

Wrong.

Trust me when I tell you that this is a review worth reading, and you’ll be nodding your head in agreement with me by the time you get to the end. I promise!

SQ183
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (SGN) – Singapore (SIN)
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Aircraft: 737 MAX 8
Registration: 9V-MBK
Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes
Seat: 12B (Business Class)

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 (9V-MBK) side view
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 (9V-MBK) side view illustration by NorebboStock.com.
SQ183 flight track
Our route from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore this afternoon as SQ183.

My full review of Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore

The fact that I voluntarily chose to fly on a 737 tells you everything you know about how good this is going to be. The experience was every bit as swanky as doing it on a 787 or A350.

My arrival of the Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN)

Never in my life have I had a more visually stimulating (and heart racing) taxi ride to an airport. Lawlessness abounds when a navigating the streets of any city in Vietnam, so I was happy – and a bit surprised – to arrive at SGN unscathed.

Ho Chi Minh city Airport departures entrance
Welcome to Pier 5 at the Ho Chi Minh City Airport! It’s actually the main entrance to the departures hall, but I like to be specific.
Ho Chi Minh city Airport ticketing hall
The Singapore Airlines ticketing counter is located in section E (over yonder – and around the bend).
SANspotter walking through Ho Chi Minh city Airport ticketing hall
“…F…G…H…uh…which way is C again?” They should just use the logos of the airlines instead. It would be a lot easier for idiots like me.
Singapore Airlines business class check in Ho Chi Minh City Airport
Hạng thương gia baby! Looks like I’m gonna be second in line today.
Singapore Airlines check in counter SGN airport
Make that first. The people in front of me bailed due to common sense (there was still 20 minutes to go before the check-in counter even opened).
Souvenir stands inside SGN Airport
The main terminal here at SGN isn’t all that extensive, but they do try really hard to prevent you from leaving without souvenirs.

Thankfully I didn’t have to walk past too many tempting souvenir stands on the way to the departure gate (16). They almost had me!

By the way, call Singapore Airlines business class passengers departing SGN get complementary access to the Le Saigonnais Lounge (located on level 3). I popped in for a quick bite to eat – but didn’t stick around.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 at SGN
I had no idea that it was even possible to make Singapore Airlines aircraft this small! Pretty neat to see a 737 MAX 8 with this livery in real life.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 parked at the gate at the Ho Chi Minh City Airport
It’s a wee little thing. But just you wait… there’s nothing wimpy about the business class seats in that tiny fella.

The boarding process for SQ183

All flights depart from the lower level at SGN. Since the upper level is where all of the shops and restaurants (and lounges) are, I didn’t bother going down to the departure gate until boarding had commenced.

Singapore Airlines business class boarding pass Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore
The pass which will grant me access to board (assuming the barcode scanner at the door deems it valid for international transport).

They called for boarding about 3 minutes behind schedule. By the time I made it downstairs to the gate, I was one of the last business class passengers to board. Fashionably late? Or just slow? Yes.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 forward boarding door
Puny little 737 or not, it ain’t never not fun to waltz through the boarding door of any Singapore Airlines aircraft. Especially when hạng thương gia is involved.

Seat overview

Unlike what you saw in my Singapore Airlines 787-10 business class review (which features their other regional premium seating option), there are only 10 business class seats on the MAX 8. Not only that, it’s a staggered 3-row seating layout featuring two single “throne” style seats.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class single seat
Seat 12B. I told you this was a review worth reading! Business class here on the Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 was definitely worth going out of my way for.

The first row is a standard 2-2 layout. The second row consists of single seats in a more spacious 1-1 layout. The third row is back to 2-2.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class seat 12B
“But Scott! That looks an awful lot like JetBlue Mint. Was it *really* necessary to go all the way to Asia just to try a seat that’s so widely available in the US?”
SANspotter drinking pre departure beverage in Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class
You’re damn right it was. I mean, how else would I have been able to know that the pre-departure drinks here on Singapore Airlines aren’t as good as the ones on JetBlue? #MintConditionFTW
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class single seat legroom
Leg room is just as good though. The colors and textures (and carpet) are better.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class single seat USB power outlet and reading light
Colors and textures! And the reading light. And the USB power outlet. And the audio port / headphone jack too. All good stuff.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class seat privacy
“Of all the flights between Saigon and Singapore today, I just had to choose the one that SANspotter was going to review.” In other words, these seats aren’t private enough for anyone to silently judge you (or just wonder what you’re thinking).

This is easily the nicest 737 MAX 8 business class seat that I’ve ever sat in. There’s an additional electrical outlet near the window, cavernous storage cubbies down by your knees, and high style and design everywhere you look.

Amenities

You already saw me pounding a pre-departure orange juice. An alcoholic fruit juice of some kind (along with water) was also available. No amenity kits were provided – nor expected – but they did come by with hot towels.

Hot towel
The hot towel was a godsend after pounding down the pre-departure orange juice. It wasn’t all that hot, and it was probably a bit too fragrant, but boy did it ever do a good job of wiping the stickiness from my fingers.

The departure

We pushed off the gate at 3:58 PM (3 minutes behind the scheduled time of 3:55 PM). Although I’m not normally one to scoff at a 3-minute delay, the weather was starting to get nasty. Time was of the essence.

Ho Chi Minh City airport jet bridge detached from aircraft
The look on that jet bridge drivers face seems to imply that he thought we’d never leave. “It’s about damn time!”
Storm over Ho Chi Minh City airport
The jokes on him though. There’s a storm brewing, and there’s a real possibility that we might be calling him back to reattach the jet bridge in a few minutes…
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 pushing off gate at Ho Chi Minh City airport
The race against Mother Nature is on!
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class cabin
Then again, I can’t think of a better place for having to sit and wait out a storm. Me to Mother Nature: “Whatcha got?!”

Apparently Mother Nature didn’t have as much as I thought she did. At least not enough to hold back a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (and pilots) hell-bent on getting back to Singapore this afternoon.

In-flight entertainment

Sometimes I wonder why airlines even bother offering such a robust in-flight entertainment system on aircraft which typically fly short hops. Basically, that’s just a long way of telling you that the video entertainment system here on the 737 MAX 8 is pretty stinkin’ good.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class personalized in-flight entertainment
Hell yes! I’m a huge fan of personalized in-flight entertainment. Unfortunately, I don’t fly Singapore Airlines enough to warrant the effort of setting up this user interface just the way I like it.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class in-flight entertainment home screen
Signing into your KrisWorld account isn’t mandatory though. You’ll get full access to all the same content – but no ability to organize it just how you like. I think (hope?) I’ll survive.

Speaking of the content, there’s lots of it. Most of it is pretty good. But you’ll never (ever) be able to consume even a fraction of it on a short two-hour flight such as this.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class in-flight entertainment remote control
It’s the exact same remote control you saw in my Singapore Airlines 777-300ER business class review! They must’ve got a really good deal on these things down at the local airplane seat store.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class noise canceling headphones
The noise canceling headphones are different though. And don’t tell anyone that I said this, but…I think they might be better.
SANspotter testing the noise canceling headphones in Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class
Not that I’m admitting that a 737 is better than a 777 or anything, but… they’re better.

The meal service

The last time I flew between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore (albeit in the other direction) was in Vietnam Airlines A321 business class.

I ate extremely well on that flight – and it appeared that Singapore airlines knew this. They countered with and incredibly hearty (and delicious) meal offering of their own.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class dinner menu
The “light dinner” menu for this afternoon’s flight down to Singapore. Since when is pork belly considered “light”?

Just prior to the meal service, they came through the cabin offering drinks (but no snacks). Considering the amount of food I’m about to show you, I think you’ll agree with me that no pre-meal snacks were necessary.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class meal tray
Not too shabby for a two hour flight, eh? I can’t guarantee that I’m going to look all that graceful trying to shovel all this down within that short amount of time…
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class pork belly dinner
I chose the light option (braised pork belly with Chinese vegetables and egg noodles). Making healthy choices is important while traveling!

Also on the tray was a Vietnamese papaya and lotus salad with prawns. Sitting next to it (and waiting patiently to be devoured whole) was an awfully tempting looking blueberry cream cake with a butter cookie crumble crust.

Singapore airlines business class food detail
This was really good. The sauce was was plenty tangy – yet not overly spicy. The pork? As irresistibly delicious as fatty meat can be.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class passengers at meal time
I wonder what she said about the food in her review?

Seat comfort

Yes. These are fully lie flat seats. I didn’t have any desire to lay it all the way down on such a short flight, but I can assure you that it was every bit as comfortable as my Singapore Airlines A350-900 business class experience. The blanket they provide is obnoxiously soft and cuddly by the way.

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class blanket
This bad boy was easily 5 times as thick as the blankets they had in Vietnam Airlines 787-9 business class two days prior. So (so) good!
SANspotter sleeping in Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class seat
I know it looks like I’ve got a broom stick up my a**, but trust me: these seats are extremely comfortable for post-pork belly lounging.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class passengers
Confirmed: the single seats are the way to go for maximum comfort and privacy. As if I really needed to tell you that.

The descent and arrival into Singapore

Our descent into Singapore contained about 20 minutes of doing laps just off the northern coast (to wait for an arrival slot). I didn’t mind. The sun was just starting to set, and it was beautiful out there…

Flying over cargo ships on approach to Singapore Airport
Yup, that’s Singapore all right! The last time I saw this was from a seat in Thai Airways A350-900 business class. Am I still allowed to be an AvGeek if I admit that I enjoyed the 737 experience more?

The approach to runway 02L at SIN is one of my favorite in the entire world. Especially during sunset:

Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 landing on runway 02L at SIN
“It’s a, it’s a, it’s a, it’s a sin!” Welcome to Singapore.
Changi airport jet bridge
Total taxi time to the gate was 9 minutes. An impressive feat considering how busy Changi Airport is at this time of day (7:17pm)? Maybe. Or maybe it was because the 737 MAX 8 is so small and nimble that it can slither around in ways that larger aircraft can’t? I don’t know.
Singapore Airlines 737 MAX 8 business class passengers waiting to deplane
Not a single person got up from their seat before the boarding door was open. Asia > the rest of the world? Maybe. Or maybe because it was these seats are so good that nobody wanted to leave? I don’t know.

Pros and cons

If there was anything you learned from this entire review, I hope it’s the fact that maybe it’s not a bad idea to pass on the Singapore 737 MAX 8. It may be little, but business class sure is mighty.

Pros

  • The single seats are phenomenally spacious and private.
  • In-flight entertainment is world class – and totally overkill for an aircraft limited to shorter regional routes.
  • The colors and textures of the seat are very high-end. It looks (and feels) like a baller experience.

Cons

  • The fact that there are only two single seats means that you’re going to have to book early to have any chance of snagging one of them.
  • It’s a narrow business class cabin (because 737). Anyone walking down the aisle *will* be all up in your space.

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