Singapore Airlines Business Class A350-900

Whirlwind weekend to the UK in business class? Yes, please! Use points to enjoy a fancy business class and avoid the majority of those pesky UK surcharges. Uh huh! Fly on one of the best Asian carrier in the world, Singapore airlines, on a route that most people don’t even know exists? Pretty, pretty please!

This was the goal of our flight to the UK for a long overdue family reunion. Per usual, my wife and I hadn’t booked tickets until a couple of weeks prior to departure, and as luck would have it, we were able to book two Singapore Airlines business class tickets from Houston to Manchester on the A350-900 using 70k Air Canada Aeroplan miles, wahoo!

If you don’t want to read the whole review…this is a quick video of it from my Instagram:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zachary Burr Abel (@zacharyburrabel)

Booking

Singapore Airlines is very tricky when it comes to booking and usually the best/only way to get Singapore business class is booking direct with Singapore. However, Air Canada’s Aeroplan + Alaska Airlines have been able to access premium cabin space that other Singapore partners are unable to see. This became a part of my strategy for booking.

Why?

We would be flying out of Atlanta, and if you try and use Singapore miles to connect, it becomes more difficult due to their routing rules. Principally, no backtracking ( which sometimes they allow? ), and all legs of a trip need to in the same cabin to book online. The latter can be remedied by phoning into Krisflyer, but it can often take a long time, and they don’t always see the same space that United or Air Canada can see. Additionally, they don’t always see the same award space on their own airline that is available online. Yes, they run two sets of award avail, and yes, it’s frustrating.

So…I decided to search on Aeroplan and voila…2 seats, originating in Atlanta, connecting in Houston, to Manchester were available for 70k Aeroplan Miles and $75 CAD

And you can see how this ultimately prices out:

How to get Aeroplan Miles

If you hold credit cards that earn transferrable points from any of the following programs, they can be converted into Aeroplan Miles.

• American Express
• Bilt
• Chase 
• Capital One

Flight Details:

• When: Feb 2023
• Where: Houston to Manchester
• Flight Time: 8h50m
• Cabin: Business Class
• Aircraft: A350-900
• Seat:15F
• Booked with: 70k Aeroplan Miles + 75CAD
  • Could have booked for 81k Singapore Krisflyer Miles and $5.60

Check-in

We checked in to our flight in Atlanta in the North terminal and our bags were checked all the way through to Manchester. Our first leg was in economy, we had TSA Pre and Clear and it was all fairly seamless. We didn’t attempt to use any lounges in Atlanta and our flight was a bit delayed.

Lounge

Upon arrival to Houston we quickly realized that the United Polaris Lounge is in the E terminal and we were flying out of D.  We decided to just pop over to D rather than try and squeeze in a lounge given that our layover had been cut down to just 90 minutes after our delay.  On top of that, our departure terminal was under heavy construction.

Instead, we decided to pop by the American Express Centurion Lounge which is in the D terminal only to see a massive line outside. So we just waited near our departure gate.

Boarding

Honestly it was a mess because the terminal is under construction and no one really knew where to stand.

Seating

The first thing you’ll notice is how absolutely massive the seat is. This is one of the widest business class seats you’ll find anywhere, and looks can be somewhat deceiving.

Singapore Airlines business class on the A350-900 is one of those premium products where it can make a big difference where you choose to sit. Business Class is split into two cabins. The first having 7 rows on the windows and 8 rows in the middle. The second, mini cabin, has 4 rows.

This is a look at the main cabin where we were sitting. Every seat looks exactly the same, but the big difference comes when you look at where you’d stick your feet.

The Best seats to choose: Row 11 and 19

In both cabins, the best seats are the bulkhead in rows 11 and 19. These have MUCH larger footwells and as you can see, the place where you put your feet is wide as is the area where you could store a bag. These are by far the best, and they are were unfortunately taken by the time we got our tickets.

The best seats for traveling alone: Window

The second best seats are those on the window. You’ll immediately see the difference in footwell size and underseat storage.

These seats have storage that is a bit further away from the aisle and of course having a window is much nicer.

Best seats for couples – E and F

The middle seats, whether in the main cabin or the mini cabin, are by far the best for couples. The seats ever face forward, but the divider opens up to make it easy to chat and hang out.

Seat 15F

We chose the middle seats, about halfway into the cabin, to avoid any noise there could be near the bathrooms or galley. I wouldn’t mind the added noise if I was in a bulkhead seat since you’re getting so much more legroom.

How it looks to rest your feet:

Storage

There are a few places to store your belongings.

1. Next to your head there is a small compartment that opens with an outlet and a spot large enough for a small item or water bottle.
2. Under the seat there is a spot for your shoes
3. Next to the IFE there is a small compartment that slides open, which, as you can see was large enough to store my wallet, glasses case, charger, and some hydration tablets.

IFE

You can control the IFE from either the tv itself or a small handheld device.

Bed Mode

This is where you’ll notice the biggest difference from the bulkhead. You have to angle yourself to where the foot cavity is located. I didn’t find this to be as annoying as many reviewers have indicated, but I also happen to sleep on my left side which meant I kind of curved around the seat.

Also note that the seat itself bends forwards vs reclining all the way down into bed mode.

Amenities

Singapore doesn’t offer a traditional amenity kit and instead gives you a bottle of water, eye mask, and slippers at the seat.

The remaining amenities are found in the bathroom

Dining/Service

You really feel like the crew, and the airline as a whole, takes pride in the service and experience they offer. This is unlike many carriers where you feel like you’re doing them a favor for flying their airline. Singapore makes you feel special, and this flight captured that feeling.

You can take advantage of a “Book the Cook” feature when traveling in Singapore business or first class which, if you’re flying out of Singapore, can feature some amazing options like Lobster Thermidor, etc. Since we were flying out of Houston, and booked last minute, this wasn’t something either of us took advantage of for our flight.

Instead, we ordered from the menu.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Undoubtedly the food is very good

Wifi

I connected to the Wifi and found it to be adequate, and it’s free for business class passengers.

Overall

I wouldn’t hesitate to fly this plane again. Singapore Airlines is one of the very best ways to fly in world and booking this for 70k Aeroplan Miles which can be easily earned from Amex, Bilt, Chase, or Capital One makes this a no brainer. I’d position to Houston to take advantage of this flight in a heartbeat especially when my in-laws live in the north of England.