Flight Review: Singapore Airbus A350-900 Business Class – IAH-MAN

This was the start of our trip to Corfu and Albania. After a quick and uneventful flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), we made our way to the United Polaris Lounge at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) for a few hours (review here). When it was time to board our flight to Manchester Airport (MAN), we walked over to Terminal D. Boarding was a mess as they were conducting a training exercise and writing manual boarding passes for each passenger. We boarded on time, but there was some confusion at the gate.

Anthony’s Take: I checked in on my phone and had a boarding pass when I arrived at the gate. The boarding was a bit messy, but the flight attendants on board could not have been more gracious. The food was tasty and the service was better than you would get on a US carrier, but not as polished or attentive as I have experienced on other Singapore flights. The Business Class seats on the Airbus A350-900 are great when you’re sitting up, but are awful for sleeping as you must first flip a board and then lay sideways with your feet in a tiny footwell. Wi-Fi worked well and overall, it was a nice way to fly to the UK.

Booking

I booked our roundtrip flights through American Express International Airline program when I saw a great sale back in January. Each Business Class ticket cost $1,844.20. This is a great price for Business Class across the Atlantic and for Singapore Airlines. These tickets booked into D Class and I am crediting the flights to United Airlines as I am working to potentially retain Premier 1K® status.

Boarding

Boarding looked like it was going to be orderly as there were separate lanes for Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class passengers. Whatever training exercise they were conducting threw everything off as they had to manually rewrite a boarding card for each passenger. We boarded largely on time in spite of this and were on the plane shortly after boarding began.

On-Board

On Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900, Business Class contains 42 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. We selected seats 14D and 14F, which were in the third row center of the Business Class cabin. I always go for the bulkhead seats, but these were booked already when I bought these tickets.

The front Business Class cabin had several empty seats. There are no overhead bins over the center seats, which makes the cabin feel even more open.

The seats are large and spacious when sitting upright. I felt like I had tons of room and did not feel as claustrophobic as I do in United Polaris® for example. A pillow was on the seat when I arrived. Another pillow and blanket were tucked behind the seat.

This pillow was fluffy and comfortable.

A bottle of water and headphones were in one compartment.

Amenity kits and slippers are available on request. These are Penhaligon’s branded.

Seat Features

The seat had lots of compartments, buttons, a remote, and the ability to flip it over into a bed.

The remote was easy to use and responsive.

Additional controls were on the left side of the seat.

There were two lights (one pictured above).

The seat provided an outlet and a few USB ports.

The tray table was large and I liked that the height could be adjusted.

The screens at each seat are a sizable 18 inches. They are not touchscreens and the remote must be used. The entertainment selection included lots of new movies, a good number of TV shows, and live TV.

There are no individual air vents in the cabin.

A compartment holds an individual mirror.

When the seat is flipped over, you’ll find your bedding. The one to the left of me was empty, so I took a picture there.

When the bed is made, it’s awkward. You need to lie down sideways and the board is firm.

Food

Menus were already at each seat when we boarded. They detailed both meals for this flight as well as the return and the onward flight to Singapore. The menus also outlined the wine and other beverages available. There was a large selection.

Champagne was offered as a pre-departure beverage along with water.

Piper-Heidsieck Essential was being poured. It’s not Dom or Krug like you’d find in First Class on some international carriers, but I enjoyed it just fine and it’s better than what the US airlines serve. It retails for around $40 a bottle.

Once we were in the air, hot towels were distributed.

Beverages and nuts came next. I had a ginger ale.

A tray was brought next with the Peppered Salmon with Seaweed Salad and Beets.

The flight attendants came around with a bread basket. I selected both a pretzel roll and garlic bread.

I booked my meal in advance using Singapore’s “Book the Cook” feature. There are lots of choices and Chicken Tikka Masala is one of my favorite dishes.

It was flavorful, but the portion was on the small side. My husband ordered the Wonton Soup and it was much larger.

Dessert was next. I chose the Chocolate Ice Cream. It was rock hard and nothing special.

Breakfast was served 90 minutes prior to landing. It started with yogurt, fruit, and bread. I also ordered an orange juice.

For my entree, I had the Caramelized Onion Egg Frittata with Chicken Sausage. It was tasty and filling.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi on this flight worked well throughout the entire duration. It’s free for Business Class passengers and all I had to enter was my last name and seat number. This worked on multiple devices and is a nice touch that I wish more airlines offered.

Lavatory

There is one lavatory at the front of the plane and two right behind Business Class. I only used the forward lavatory and while it was standard size, the flight attendants kept it sparkling clean. It also was stocked with various amenities and cloth towels.

The lavatory was kept spotless throughout the flight.

Cloth hand towels

Toothbrushes, combs, and shaving kits.

Facial mist and lotion

Orchids adorned the one wall of the lavatory.

Service

The flight crew was friendly, gracious, and fairly attentive. The service flow was off, though. My husband had eaten his entire meal before I was even served. Other things like drink refills and check ins were much more frequent on his side. My flight attendant seemed more junior and a bit overwhelmed. Service was fine, but not what I have experienced with Singapore in the past.

Overall Impression:

We departed on time and arrived on time. The flight was good, but the crew was not as great as I was envisioning for a Singapore Airlines flight. Food was tasty and plentiful. The bed is not comfortable, but the seats are great and feel incredibly spacious.

Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: The Platinum Card® from American Express is my go-to for booking airfare from the airlines to earn 5x points (up to $500,000 per calendar year booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel). The card has an annual fee of $695, but it provides many travel benefits and will always be my go-to for lounge access (both Delta Sky Clubs® and Centurion Lounges) and taking advantage of all that the Fine Hotels & Resorts program offers. Learn more. Rates & Fees. Terms apply.