I recently flew Singapore Airlines Business Class on their iconic A380 from Singapore to London Heathrow. From the luxurious lie-flat seat to the top-tier service and great in-flight meals, this 14-hour journey was something I will not forget. Here’s a deep dive into my experience—what stood out, what could be better, and why I’d fly SIA Business Class again.
Table of Contents
The Background: A Multi-City Business Class Journey
This flight was part of my larger itinerary from Canada to Sri Lanka, Singapore and back.
My complete business class journey included:
- Toronto – Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)
- Istanbul – Colombo (Turkish Airlines)
- Colombo – Singapore (Singapore Airlines)
- Singapore – London Heathrow (Singapore Airlines)
- London – Toronto (Air Canada)
I booked all these flights using 225,000 Aeroplan points and just over CAD 300 in taxes and fees.
It would have cost me around 20,000 Cdn otherwise. The Singapore to London leg alone would have cost around CAD 6,000 if purchased outright. Some travelers say they paid 80,000 Aeroplan points just for this leg.
Check my post on my experience travelling Turkish Airlines Business Class from Toronto to Istanbul
My post on my experience snorkeling at Pigeon Island in Sri Lanka
Check my post on my experience at the Fox Resorts Hotel in Sri Lanka
Booking & Flight Preparation
Post-COVID, snagging business class award tickets has become increasingly difficult as demand is high while airlines are becoming rather frugal. So, I booked this flight nearly ten months in advance to secure my seat.
Two weeks before the flights, I pre-selected my meals for both the Colombo – Singapore and Singapore – London segments using Singapore Airlines’ ‘Book the Cook’ service.
Pre-Check-In & Check-In Experience
I arrived in Singapore from Colombo with a larger suitcase, a smaller carry-on, and my backpack. Since I was staying in Singapore for just one night, I asked the airline if I could check in my larger suitcase for the London flight—more than 24 hours away. They agreed, which saved me from dragging it around the city.
On the day of the flight, check-in was a breeze, and I decided to check in my hand luggage as well, traveling only with my backpack.
Boarding & First Impressions of the A380
Singapore Airlines operates both Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft on this route. As I approached the gate and saw the massive A380, I knew I was in for a treat.
There is something great about flying the beast in business class.
Boarding was smooth, but I had an unexpected detour. I walked the ramp and entered the aircraft and then climbed the famous stairs to the business class. I showed by boarding card to an FA who walked me through the section.
And then I realized that I was in the Suites section.
The flight attendant didn’t make a fuss about it—just one of those fun little travel moments.
Post Boarding
Shortly after boarding we were offered drinks – orange, apple or tomato juice. I went for orange juice and this was followed by a hot towel.
As I looked outside, it was raining heavily with thunder and lightning and our flight was slightly delayed taking off. We had already been told to wear seat belts at all times because of heavy turbulence.
The FA asked me whether I felt cold and needed a blanket. I didn’t.
After Takeoff
About an hour later, we had our appetizer.
I was looking for alcohol but wasn’t offered any, and then I realized that it was actually my breakfast so SIA thought there shouldn’t e any alcohol. Still, I think it would have been nice to have a shot but then it is perhaps a rich world issue. Some say one could ask for champagne and the staff will oblige.
Once the appetizers were cleared we got the main meal followed by the dessert.
At around four pm (I was still going by Singapore time and this was seven hours after our departure and another seven hours before our landing), I had my second meal.
This time I got my whiskey.
The flight landed quite late and an SIA official met me at the entrance to rush me through the immigration to catch the flight to Air Canada.
The interesting part was that the Air Canada aircraft to Toronto was literally parked next to our flight but I had to walk very fast for about 20 minutes to go in a loop to get to that
Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to London Business Class Cabin: Spacious & Elegant
The first thing that struck me was the warm and inviting color scheme. Soft pink ambient lighting complemented the bright orange accents on the storage shelf. The black leather seats added a sleek, premium feel.
Seats in this cabin are staggered, meaning my window seat was positioned slightly closer to the aisle with storage space between me and the window. Despite being closer to the aisle, I got the feeling of being in a secluded cabin.
The Seat: Comfort at 40,000 Feet
Singapore Airlines describes its 180-degree lie-flat seat as “hand-stitched full-grain leather with side wings facilitating lounging”. Their tagline is:
“Go from boardroom to bedroom at the push of a button.”
And sure enough, the buttons to control the seat were few and simple.
Below the row of six seat-controlling buttons were the light, the button to call the FA etc. The panel looked somewhat old-fashioned but I liked it.
- The bed mode provided ample legroom, and the mattress was soft yet supportive.
- There was plenty of storage, including:
- A bright orange top storage compartment
- A side shelf for smaller items
- A hidden storage compartment near the entertainment screen
- A spacious ottoman that extend to the footreast with additional room underneath for shoes
- A flip-open vanity mirror.
- A universal charging port and two USB ports. They were USB-A but hopefully, they will install the faster USB-C ports.
- A credit card tapping module that can come in handy when buying duty free products or wifi.
The Meals for Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore – London Flight
Singapore Airlines has an extensive menu which are divided into three groups.
- Inflight Menu (regular onboard meals)
- Book the Cook (pre-ordered premium meals)
- Special Meals (customized pre-ordered dietary meals. These include meals such as bland meal, diabetic meal, low-fat meal, religious meals, non-seafood meals etc.)
Breakfast
- Assorted fruits, oats, and croissants.
- Eral Melagu Elumichai Korma (this was my first Book the Cook meal and it means Shrimps Pepper Lime Korma. It was fried prawns with black pepper and zesty lemon, braised lentils, luffa gourd, and curry leaves rice)
The prawns were well cooked, and the black pepper added a great kick. However, I felt it was a bit too much food for an early meal. It was possible that I had been eating a lot during the almost three weeks of vacation and my tummy was taking a rest.
Dinner
- First, we were served with the canapé: Singapore Chicken Satay (appetizer with spicy peanut sauce)
- Appertizer: Seared Tuna Loin (with haricot beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, and quail egg)
- Main Course: Singapore Roti Prata with Spicy Fish Curry (main course ordered from Book the Cook)
The satay was smoky and flavorful, while the fish curry had a great balance of spice and richness, though not as fiery as I would have liked but it is understandable that they wanted to keep it mild. This time, I got my whiskey.
Singapore Airlines also provides snacks throughout the flight, but I was well-fed and didn’t need any extras.
Inflight Entertainment for Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to London Flight
With nearly 2,000 options, the KrisWorld entertainment system provides adequate entertainment to cover the entire flight with movies (besides the latest and the not-so-new Hollywood movies, there are also Indian, European, and other Asian country movies), television programs like sitcoms and documentaries, live TV, kids TV, music albums, games etc.)
The touchscreen was responsive, and the entertainment remote was neatly stored near the seat controls.
Amenities & Comfort
Every seat in the business class was furnished with eye mask, bathroom slippers and socks. But otherwise, Singapore Airlines is rather frugal with its amenity kits compared to its peers like Qatar Airways or Emirates. The Penhaligon’s pouches are given only upon request.
But the toilet has a shelf with razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Talking of the toilet, it was always kept clean and smell free. There were lotions, soap etc.
WiFi: Much Better Than Before
As a business class passenger, I had free WiFi access. My last experience with SIA’s WiFi on a JFK-Singapore flight wasn’t that great as I had trouble connecting and then the connection kept dropping often.
However, this time:
- Connectivity was smooth and fast.
- There were occasional dead zones (expected in certain airspaces).
- The bandwidth was strong enough for emails, social media, and browsing.
Much improved!
Final Thoughts on Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to London
This was my sixth Singapore Airlines experience, including the world’s longest flight (JFK to Singapore). And once again, SIA delivered:
- Superb service—attentive yet never intrusive
- Great food—especially with ‘Book the Cook’
- Comfortable seat & bed—perfect for a 14-hour flight
- Strong in-flight entertainment—KrisWorld never disappoints
- Reliable WiFi—a major upgrade from previous flights