Singapore Airlines A350 business class review: Singapore to Los Angeles

Singapore Airlines A350 business class review: Singapore to Los Angeles

Wouldn’t it suck if, due to unforeseen reasons, Singapore Airlines scraps their A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Haul) business class product for good? And that I totally wasted my time writing all of this? And that my blog dies a horrible death, and then I won’t be able to feed myself and…

Yikes. Let’s just do the review and hope for the best.

SQ38
Singapore (SIN) – Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Monday, January 27, 2020
Aircraft: A350-941ULR
Registration: 9V-SGB
Duration: 14 hours 13 minutes
Seat: 15K (business class)

Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR side view
Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR side view illustration by Norebbo.com
sq38 flight track
Our route from Singapore to Los Angeles this evening as SQ38

The full video review of my flight from Singapore to Los Angeles

To be honest, it would’ve been absolutely no problem for me to have made this Singapore Airlines business class review video 45 minutes long. I most certainly had enough footage to do it, and the challenge was real trying to parse it all down to less than 15 minutes.

That being said, I still felt like I was able to accurately document the Singapore airlines A350 business class experience in just 12 minutes and 38 seconds. I mean, anything longer than that would’ve just been repetitive footage of myself saying “oh my God” over and over again.

 

My full review of Singapore Airlines A350-900 business class from Singapore to Los Angeles

There are many ways to get from Singapore to Los Angeles, but I am firmly of the opinion that what you’re about to see is the best (by a whole heck of a lot).

Arrival at Changi Airport (Terminal 3)

Jewel Changi Airport
There. I did it. Mandatory video footage of the Jewel here at Changi airport is complete, and now I can officially start this Singapore Airlines A350 business class review!
Changi Airport terminal 3
Hey everyone, my name is Scott, I’m the founder and author of sanspotter.com, and after that brief (but mandatory) stop at the Jewel, I’ve just arrived here at terminal 3 for the 15 hour long haul back home to LAX.
Changi Airport check in kiosk
As I’ve already mentioned, I’m just a few hours away from experiencing Singapore Airlines a350 Business class for the first time.
Changi Airport terminal 3 departures hall
Don’t worry – I’m not letting this get to my head, because, well, my next trip is pretty much all economy class. Just like the good old days.
Changi Airport terminal 3 departures
Despite my imminent return to economy, you better believe that I’m milking this business class experience for all its worth.

The amazing SilverKris lounge at SIN

Silver Kris lounge singapore
The SilverKris lounge here at Changi is far too classy for me, but I’m here, and I’m going to enjoy the heck out of it.
Silver Kris lounge SIN food
Do I even dare show you the collection of flavors I’ve assembled for this lounge visit?
SANspotter selfie silver kris lounge
Things started out kind of normal…
silver kris lounge food
Then it got weird…
silver kris lounge food pics
But I finished it off in typical SANspotter fashion with another heaping pile of chicken and rice.

Anyway, this is an amazing lounge, and I will be posting a completely separate (and more thorough) review of it soon. Do stay tuned…

The pre-departure experience

Changi Airport transit area
Remember that video footage of the Jewel I showed you earlier? I thought I was being proactive by getting it out of the way first thing, but wouldn’t you rather be seeing that now instead of generic clips of the transit area?
Gate A15 Changi Airport
Gate A15 is our departure point to LAX tonight, and one of the things I really like about Changi Airport is the security checkpoints right at the gate. It’s fast, easy, and I really wish more airports did it this way.
Gate A15 Singapore airport
Although…there is a downside to having the security checkpoint right at the gate. Once you’re in, you’re in and there’s nothing to do in here but try and get pics of your airplane through the reflective glass.
Singapore Airlines A350 at gate
Said pic of the airplane through the reflective glass.

Boarding flight number 38 to Los Angeles

boarding flight 38 to Los Angeles
Let’s gooooo!
Singapore Airlines A350 boarding door
Walking up to the boarding door, and as usual, I’m fully expecting the cabin crew to mistake me as that QFS Aviation guy. I mean, nobody knows who SANspotter is but QFS Aviation? Who doesn’t know who he is?
Singapore Airlines A350 business class
Those of you who watched all the way to the end of my last video already knew that there was going to a “holy crap”, “holy Mother of God” and even a “holy ****” in this video. This is the part where those expressions go.
Singapore Airlines A350 business class seat
Honestly, this seat blew me away. There’s tons of storage everywhere, including bins filled with noise canceling headphones and water, and – I’m so excited that I don’t even know where to start. Yes folks, business class is totally worth it sometimes!
Singapore Airlines A350-900 business class seat
This is sweet!
Singapore Airlines SIN-LAX amenity kit
One really interesting thing to note is that there were no amenity kits distributed. These slippers, socks, and eye masks were all we got, but because this seat is so amazing, I don’t care.
Singapore Airlines SIN-LAX business class menu
The goal for this evening (should I choose to accept it) is to avoid chicken and rice. I fear I may be addicted to the stuff. However, that’s ok, because the menu for our flight to Los Angeles this evening is filled with what appears to be lots of other really great choices.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class leg room
The leg room. Holy crap, holy Mother of God, and…holy ****.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class cabin
Stupid commentary aside, the Singapore Airlines A350 Business class product has made quite an impactful first impression on me.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class seat controls
Mission control of this magnificent seat. Eject button not necessary.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class video screen
I know. The only reason she looks happy to see me is because she’s being paid to do it. Story of my life basically.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class pre-departure drink
A pre-departure drink? Don’t mind if I do.
SANspotter selfie Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class
Remember pre-Covid-19 days when we didn’t appreciate hot towels as much?
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class seat storage
Speaking of deadly viruses – all I can think when looking at this pic is how virus-y those surfaces must be. 
rainy night at Changi Airport
Scheduled flying time across the Pacific and over to los Angeles is scheduled to be 14 hours and 45 minutes, and I’ve never been more ready for a long haul flight in all my life. Let’s do this!

The first moments in the air

Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class experience
One of most interesting things about this experience so far was the smells. Not only did this A350 smell exactly like a brand new car, it paired magnificently with the scents of dinner being prepared up in the galley.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class full review
This wasn’t a perfect experience though. Turns out that the video screens weren’t touch screens, and the only way to interact with them was via a handheld remote. For a guy who likes poking at things, that was definitely a negative.
SANspotter Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class review
A few minor seat adjustments combined with a beverage, and…I do believe I’m fully prepared for whatever is next.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class drinks
Pic of said beverage. What’s next?

The dinner service

Singapore Airlines Business Class dinner appetizer
Turns out what was next was this chicken and lamb satay.
Singapore Airlines Business Class salmon appetizer
The chicken satay was followed up 10 minutes later by this plate of dill marinated salmon. I’m tempted to say the salmon was better, but y’all know my feelings on chicken.
Singapore Airlines Business Class bread
Oh – there was garlic bread too. The greasy finger aftermath was totally worth it!
Singapore Airlines Business Class dinner entrée
Speaking of my feelings on chicken, I hate to say it, but this right here was the worst business class dinner entree I’ve had in a good long while.
SANspotter Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class spicy food
The quality and presentation were fine. The problem was squarely on me, and my unfortunate white boy inability to handle food any spicier than catchup. Yeah – this was spicy.
Singapore Airlines Business Class dinner dessert
Dousing the raging inferno came courtesy of this banana split Eclair, which did the job admirably.
Singapore Airlines Business Class dessert
My taste buds were singed and I can’t tell you what it tasted like, but boy was it ever soothing.

Well, that didn’t go quite as expected. I’m drenched in sweat, my nose is still runny, and…my insides hurt. There’s no telling what the aftermath will be, but let’s just hope we make it to LA before things get ugly!

Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class lie flat seat
Seat flattened, and ready for action! Or something like that…
SANspotter Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class lie flat seat
The hell? I’m old enough to know that lying down immediately after eating spicy meal is a recipe for disaster.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class small footwell
However, being annoyed by the tiny foot well was the *perfect* distraction from the feeling of the hole being burned right through the middle of my stomach.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class cabin layout
Goodnight everyone. I’ll see you in the morning. Maybe.

The second meal service

Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class lavatory
Hold on now. Transitioning to bathroom footage immediately after telling you how concerned I was about the aftermath of dinner is nothing to be afraid of. I just wanted to show you the mood lighting in here. That’s all.
SANspotter sleeping Singapore Airlines
During the night I couldn’t help but to dream about gaining the ability to eat spicy food. What a miracle that would be.
cabin lights on Singapore Airlines A350
The second meal service started a little sooner than I expected, with three full hours of flying time remaining.
Singapore Airlines A350 wing view
I was so scarred from the dinner experience still that I just said “I’ll take the least spiciest thing available” when the flight attendant stopped by to take my order. As she walked away I couldn’t tell if she was laughing at me…or with me.
Singapore Airlines business class food
A light salad before the main course.
SANspotter Singapore Airlines
Trying my best to gauge the deadliness of the first bite.
Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class dumpling breakfast
Mission accomplished! It’s really hard to go wrong with a collection of dumplings isn’t it? Not only was it delicious *and* mild, but the way it jiggled when poked was incredibly fun *and* satisfying.
Singapore Airlines Business Class roll cake
A roll cake and a plate of fruit was the perfect way to end the second meal service, as well as to restore the confidence I needed to make it to LA without my insides melting.
a350 wing and winglet view from seat 15K
For as much as I bellyached about the food on this flight, do know that the quality of everything served (and the interactions with the cabin crew) were top notch. You should know by now that I complain a lot.

Arrival in Los Angeles (and final thoughts)

Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class seat confusion
Nothing says “this is my first time in Singapore Airlines business class” more than not being able to figure out how raise the seat.
how to raise Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class seat
Yup, I needed help with this – as did most every other passenger. These seats are extremely comfortable but far from intuitive.
LAX missed approach
Welcome to Los…oh wait. This is footage of us executing a missed approach into 24 right, and the pilot made no excuses about it.

He simply informed us we were coming in too high and much too fast, and we had to go around and try again. Now, I appreciate the honesty of him admitting to his error, but that was slightly more information than I needed to know.

LAX 24R night arrival
Alright, this is looking better. Level. Straight. And the approach speed appears to be correct. But then again, what do I know? Our first approach seemed ok to me until we started climbing again. It was a lot cleaner than any approach I’ve ever made in a flight simulator, and if it were me, I would have sent it all the way in like a boss.
SANspotter Singapore Airlines A350 Business Class honest review
So what’s the final verdict? Holy crap, holy Mother of God, and holy…spicy food! Oh, and yeah: it’s really hard to smile after a 15 hour flight (no matter how comfortable it was).

Despite the heat, I will say that the Singapore Airlines A350 Business class product is one of the best international business class experiences of my life. I will be doing this again. Without the spicy chicken of course.

LAX terminal 6
I’ll be back in two weeks kicking off more adventures from yet another trip to Asia and back – starting with JAL 787-8 economy from San Diego to Narita. I can’t wait!

By the way, it goes without saying that I can’t wait to fly in Singapore Airlines Business class again. It’s pricy though, so I’ll need to come up with some clever ways of making it happen. Have you ever wondered how to buy a plane ticket for someone else? Just asking. You know…just in case you want to fund my next Singapore Airlines flight or something. lol

Pros and cons of Singapore Airlines A350 business class

Just as I mentioned in my review of Singapore Airlines 787-10 business class, coming up with a list of cons that didn’t make me sound petty was really hard. The Singapore Airlines A350 business class experience is downright phenomenal, and well… let’s just jump right into the pros and cons:

Pros

  • Everything you’ve heard about how spectacularly good long-haul Singapore airlines cabin crews are is true. The cabin crew on this flight was phenomenal, and I was treated like a king all the way from Singapore to Los Angeles. Every single crewmember that I interacted with on this flight was extremely happy, helpful, and did everything they could to make sure that I was having a good time. In other words, it was basically the polar opposite of what I experienced in Xiamen Air business class from Los Angeles to Xiamen last year.
  • Singapore airlines business class food is really good. However, as you saw in the video, I picked a choice that was slightly too spicy for me and I didn’t particularly enjoy my dinner entrée. That being said, the quality and presentation were excellent, and the second meal service just prior to landing was everything I hoped it would be and more.
  • The business class configuration on the Singapore Airlines A350 is perfect for long haul. The seats are large and spacious, and there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out. it should be noted that the A350s that are used on this route are designated as ”ultra long-haul” variants, which means that there is no economy class on these planes. It’s all business class and premium economy.
  • Video entertainment in Singapore airlines A350 business class is quite good (even better than what it is in there 787-10 regional business class product). The personal video screen is massive, and it’s stocked with an Impressive collection of video titles from all over the world. The only time that I’ve ever been more impressed with the wide variety of movie and TV choices to choose from on a flight was in Cathay Pacific 777-300ER business class.

Cons

The business class seats on these ultra long range A350s are indeed nice, but so very awkward for two reasons:

  • First, they are incredibly wide, and it feels like sitting on a couch rather than sitting in a seat. If anything, it reminded me of riding in an old car from the 70s or early 80s with those big cushy bench seats that didn’t hold you in very well in the corners.
  • Second, the way they converted into a flatbed was confusing. Most other airline business class seats convert to the lie flat position by extending the seat pan forward while the seat back reclines flat. In the case of the seats on the A350, it’s the seat back which folds forward to create a completely flat surface to lie on. This wasn’t intuitive at all, and I needed help from a flight attendant to figure it out. And then, when it was time to put the seat back into an upright position at the end of the flight, I needed help once again to figure out where the latch was to release it from its life flat state.
  • And since I’m complaining about the seats, I should probably mention that the effort it took to get the seat into a lie flat position in the first place was such a big deal that it wasn’t worth it to convert it back up to upright during the meal service. Therefore, I spent the entire second meal service sitting on a flat seat with my legs crossed just as I was sitting on the floor eating a graham cracker snack back in kindergarten.

Comments (7)

  1. AVLspotter

    April 7, 2020
    • SANspotter

      April 8, 2020
  2. Albert

    April 8, 2020
    • SANspotter

      April 11, 2020
  3. John Abraham

    February 21, 2022
    • Scott (SANspotter)

      February 21, 2022
  4. Peter

    July 15, 2022

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