It felt good to be able to use the First Class check in again after almost 5 years! The First Class check in was not in operation during my flight to New York in November 2021 and after 5 years, the place looked the same. Check in process was fast and seamless. Once done, I went through the dedicated First Class immigration counter.
Been 5 years since I last came here!
Silverkris Lounge and The Private Room
The one thing that has changed is the lounge. Silverkris Lounge underwent an extensive renovation during the covid period and my experience in the makeshift lounge back in 2021 wasn’t great. I was looking forward to try the new Private Room.
The lounge staff will greet you once you get off the escalator. Unlike previously where both the First Class and Business Class lounge shares a common entrance, the new set up has 2 separate entrance. Once you enter the First class lounge, The Private Room is located on the left hand side (no more long walk through the First Class Lounge). The Private Room occupied a much larger space with a larger dining and waiting area. One new feature of the new Private Room is the slumber room (4 to be exact – more to it later).
The lounge was generally empty and what I like about the new lounge besides the space is the private seating area. It offers ample privacy – one can eat there but it is not as convenient as having your meal at the dining area.
Gone are the days of QR code ordering which can be rather cumbersome.
Unfortunately, my dietary restriction no longer allowed me to sample the food as what I used to do but I did sample some items from the menu.
The shower area looks posher and more spacious. Gone are the industrial looking soap dispenser and in came a more proper bottles of shampoo and soap. A Japanese style bidet is installed instead of the older vanilla toilet bowl.
A new feature of the lounge is the slumber room which came equipped with a Tempur massage bed. One is allocated 2 hours of usage of the room. It has a work desk, and the main feature is certainly the bed which is amazingly comfortable to lie in.
SQ 322 Suites
Decided to go to the boarding gate early to try to board early for some pictures (although I wasn’t in the greatest mind to travel I admit – hence I did not take as many pictures as I used to do). The new Suites is now located upstairs and hence it shares a common boarding with Business Class. On entering, you will need to walk through the galley to enter the Suites (not the most elegant way of boarding I admit).
Instead of 12 Suites, the new A380 has only 6 private suites in which Seats 1 and 2 can be turned down into a double bed. It is unfortunate that my flight was almost full hence I was not able to have a double bed for myself on this flight.
After not flying for 15 months, I am greeted by the familiar warm and friendly greeting the moment I walked down the aerobridge. I really miss the feel of walking down (in this case up) the aerobridge – that is how much I miss flying. Once on board, I was shown to my seat 2A by Chief Stewardess Adelina. After briefly showing me the feature of the Suites, I was offered the welcome drink – instead of the familiar Dom Perignon, we now have a choice of the Krug or the Taittinger Comtes. The one thing missing (since the start of the Pandemic) is the pre-departure hot towel.
Masking is no longer mandatory for passengers but the crew still work with a facial mask.
After a slight delay, we were on our way – 14 hours in my own private suite. Once the plane took off, drinks were served with nuts for nibbling. I opted for the honey walnut – no more salted nuts for me unfortunately.
The Suite
My main comparison will be with the 2007 Suites.
Cabin
The new cabin occupies a smaller space as it utilizes the aft section of the upper deck and hence it is a single aisle cabin. I miss the old Suite which gives me space to walk about especially after a full meal and more space to stretch myself. The forward area (staircase and toilet) offers a good stretching space though. The ceiling is also lower as a result of the relocation of the Suites to upper deck.
Suite
This is where the new Suite stands out. Each suite has a much bigger space – big enough to house both a seat and a bed separately! When the bed is not deployed, the floor space is enormous! Even with the bed deployed, one still has ample space to even stretch.
The bed is comfortable and is long enough to fit my 1.9m frame, sitting up may be less comfortable as your back will be against the curved aircraft wall. The back part of the bed can be reclined but one cannot sit upright and lean (unlike with the 2007 Suites).
The seat reminds me somewhat of the Premium Economy seat (most likely due to the colour). The chair control is on the left side of the arm rest and the leg rest and recline function can only be activated when the chair is facing outwards towards the TV (took me a while to figure why I couldn’t recline the chair when facing forward).
Next to the chair is the side table for storage and the dock for the wireless tablet which serves as the remote control for the TV. There is also the additional set of control for the chair swivel and suite lighting.
There is another table on the right side which is where the dining table is stored in as well as a separate dock for the tablet.
While the old suite has the storage compartment accessed from outside the suite, the 2017 version compartment is accessible from inside the suite. It is more spacious as it is able to accommodate my cabin bag and my backpack, my jacket and with space to spare.
Entertainment system
The 2017 Suite features a 32” LCD screen which angle can be adjusted to face the arm chair (or bed). The wireless tablet serves as a remote control for the in-flight entertainment system while there is a smaller remote stored in the armrest of the chair. Otherwise, it uses a standard Krisworld IFE.
Singapore Airlines still uses the same B&O which was introduced few years back to replace the Bose QuietComfort.
Toilet
The other standout feature of the 2017 Suite is the toilet. The 2 toilets on the forward section of the A380 upper deck is huge and it is utilized to the max for this cabin. However, there isn’t the bling of in-flight shower unlike that on the Emirates or Etihad’s A380.
There is ample space for you to change (unlike on the older A380 Suites) and you can even lie down flat!
The starboard toilet is larger (and brighter) than that of the port side toilet but both are spacious! There is provision for a vanity mirror with seat in the larger toilet while the smaller one spots a bench!
Food and Drinks
Gone is the leather folder for the menu that only showcase the food for that particular route. The new menu now is no different from that of the Business Class (other than the word that read FIRST CLASS) and it shows the food for both legs.
Given my current health status there are a lot of limitations on what I can or cannot eat. Some changes have been implemented since the pandemic days.
Pre-pandemic, First Class dining before the Main Course would include:
- Satay
- Salad
- Soup
- Appetizer
As for my November 2021 flight, the pre-main course now would be EITHER a soup, salad, OR caviar. Satay was served on my SQ26 VTL flight but not on this flight.
I had the caviar for this flight, but I only take the condiments (sans the sour cream) and 1/3 bottle of the caviar. The mother of pearl spoon was provided on this flight (which was not provided in 2021.
I had my Lobster Thermidor BTC on this flight and the lobster was done right this time. It was not rubbery unlike some of my previous lobsters ex-SIN. Big kudos to Chief Adeline who provided me with a bowl of water to wash away the lobster’s sauce (in view of my salt restriction).
I chose to skip the cheese and dessert for my supper as I was not hungry (so unlike me where I would gouge till I can’t lie down). Delectables were available but similarly I gave it a miss.
I had BTC Nasi Briyani for my breakfast and it was tasty and I would say it is something I would still go for (if not for my salt restriction).
Gone are the days of Dom Perignon ever since Emirates signed an exclusive deal for the rights to serve Dom Perignon at 40,000 feet. Krug is still available and the alternative is the Taittinger Comtes. I did not try any cocktail nor wine on this flight but I would never miss the Jamaican Blue Mountain each time I am in First or Suites.
Amenities
Singapore Airlines still uses La Lique for the kits, pajamas and slippers. These are comfortable to sleep in and not too hot (vs the older Ferragamo pajamas).
Service
SQ is synonymous with Service Quality. From the time I walked down the aerobridge until the time I disembarked in LHR, I was well taken care of by the crew of SQ 322. The warmth and smile that has been the hallmark of Singapore Airlines pre-pandemic stayed throughout the pandemic and still present post pandemic.
Arrival
Fast track card is no longer provided for passengers. Good news for Singapore passport holders, you can use the e-gate (which did not worked for me) and bad news for those whose passport is not part of those eligible for e-gate. It may not be an issue for SQ322 but for SQ 308 and SQ 318 where the flights arrive during peak hours, good luck!
In the past, SQ 322 Suites passengers have an additional benefit of access to the Plaza Premium Arrival Lounge in Terminal 2 but this is now not available as it is still closed.
Final Words
2017 Suites received much fanfare during the launch and is not without a reason. It is much larger than the 2007 Suites with a separate bed and seat. You have a bigger TV to keep you entertained too! You have a ratio of 3:1 passengers to toilet ratio (vs 6:1 for the 2007 suites) not to mention much bigger toilets!
Drawbacks? Smaller cabin with lower ceiling (physical limitations) and the lack of couple dining. Entering the cabin via the galley isn’t the most glamorous way of being introduced to the Suites.
Finally, a shoutout to the team of SQ 322 on 10 February 2023.
- IFM Azman
- CSS Adelyne Ho
- CS Gevin Chin
- LSS Louisa Lim
- LS Fadly Mohamed
Thanks for the hospitality and taking good care of me – you guys were great!
That Time Of The Year! 