Singapore Airlines Ultra Long Haul in Premium Economy

[SelectSys]

I am curious about any direct experience with any of these flights to/from the USA in premium economy.  I have a cruise departing Singapore in very early January. I found a cheap, refundable ticket in Premium Economy and bought it without thinking about the flight.  I am now thinking of changing flights/airlines to get a business class ticket as 15-16 hours in a recliner is a pretty long time.  Of course, when I went back to look again at SQ and the price in business class is now really expensive (at least for me.)

 

Any thoughts one way or another in terms of keeping my current flight or searching for something else?  Thanks in advance for any opinions and direct experiences.

Edited September 2 by SelectSys

[the mice]

Haven't got any personal experience but maybe this video might help:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4HFwkpSkKw

 

[SelectSys]

1 hour ago, the mice said:

Haven't got any personal experience but maybe this video might help:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4HFwkpSkKw

 

Thanks, I have been looking at videos like this one.

[GeezerCouple]

8 hours ago, SelectSys said:

I am now thinking of changing flights/airlines to get a business class ticket as 15-16 hours in a recliner is a pretty long time.  Of course, when I went back to look again at SQ and the price in business class is now really expensive (at least for me.)

 

We took the Newark-Singapore flight at the end of November, 2019.  That flight is closer to 18-19 hours.  At the time, it was the longest non-stop passenger flight, which is why we routed ourselves that way. (A couple other slightly longer flights are gearing up; not sure if they've started yet.) Now that we have more time to travel, we are trying to make the flights themselves part of the experience, even if it takes longer - as long as it is flat bed. (Yes, really!)

 

We went business class, thanks to awards, and it was wonderful.  The bed was slightly odd; it was more square than rectangular, so to get the most length, one might want to be diagonal.  Neither of us is especially tall, so it was no problem.  Also, we are very spoiled, also thanks to awards, so we do compare premium seats/beds to F in Cathay Pacific or JAL.  (The CX F beds are ~33 inches wide, almost like a regular twin bed... amazing!)

 

Singapore has a "Book The Cook" available for J (business) and F, so we took advantage of that.  I had The Best Airline Food Ever, although that isn't necessarily saying much.  The first "dinner" type meal was a sort of short ribs, and it was SO flavorful (difficult to do at altitude) and tender that I would have been *delighted* to have it at a fancy restaurant. Yes, really.  There were a couple of choices available for F that weren't on the "J list", but I couldn't have enjoyed anything else more!

 

It was an extremely pleasant flight. 🙂 

The main surprise was that we flew EAST; we had assumed we'd go WEST.  Next thing we knew, we are over the Atlantic, and then... Moscow is below us (this was 2019; no way is that the same route now!).  And watching the flight map, then I noticed we were passing a bit north of Kabul!

Eerie feelings being over that area...

I'm not sure what the exact flight path is now.

 

At our ages, we can no longer fly long-haul "sitting up".  It becomes absolutely *painful* (not just "uncomfortable"), and then we need a few days to recover.  Given we can fly with awards, we can easily avoid anything less than Business.  (Thus far, at least.)

Note:  The sign up bonus points really add to the totals quickly!

 

We wanted to try Singapore Suites, but I don't think it's likely using awards nowadays, and we sure aren't paying cash for *that* level!

Even Cathay now seems to restrict F to one award per flight, so no more "GeezerCouple in CX F"!  However, we are glad we had the experience. 😉 

 

GC

[CDNPolar]

I don't have experience with Singapore Air, but we have flown to South Africa, China, Australia, Japan and all in Premium Economy seats.

 

For us, we will only book the PE seats if we can get the two on the side.  That makes this kind of flight tolerable when not in business because we are sitting together and not with someone else beside us.

 

Not sure if you are travelling alone?  I have done some of these flights alone and if that is the case then I go for PE on the left side of the aircraft and the aisle seat.

 

Why the left side and the aisle seat?  I am right handed, so when the meal comes and for most things that you do, if you have someone to your right then that cramps the movement of your right hand and arm.  So left side, aisle seat.

 

We have also flown Business when it is either in the budget or we have the miles for it, but I have learned to live with PE when the budget is not there.

[Gardyloo]

Check out business class fares departing Vancouver BC instead of (I presume) LAX.  The savings might be worth the positioning flight to YVR.  

[SelectSys]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

we will only book the PE seats if we can get the two on the side

This is our situation with respect to seats.

 

5 minutes ago, Gardyloo said:

Check out business class fares departing Vancouver BC instead of (I presume) LAX.  The savings might be worth the positioning flight to YVR.

Thanks for that idea.  I looked in SEA and SFO as well as LAX, but I didn't think about YVR.  I will look there too.

[FlyerTalker]

Cathay Pacific (CX) will sometimes run some excellent pricing out of YVR.  Not the non-stop from SIN that you have, but a sweet ride in any case.  Plus, many CX fares allow for a no-cost stopover in HKG, so you can add in another great city to your trip.

 

 

[SelectSys]

19 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Cathay Pacific (CX)

That is the most likely alternative.  For my dates, LAX and YVR are very comparable in price

[Zach1213]

17 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

That is the most likely alternative.  For my dates, LAX and YVR are very comparable in price

 

Definitely do take advantage of a stopover if you can. Hong Kong truly is an amazing place, and even just a day there would be a great idea. Hell, even though I've been there probably 100+ times, I still find any chance to leave the airport on even just a seven hour layover to grab a meal or see something. 

[FlaMariner]

Her Majesty and I (60 year olds) are booked in the Premium Economy JFK - Singapore 19 hour non-stop flight in October....We are also interested in anyone who has done the exact same flight/class.

 

We are excited.  Our previous longest flight was 13 or 15 hours (Japan to somewhere East Coast Canada) last year.  We were in steerage class and did fine. In fact, shocked at how well we did.

 

We've flown to/from Europe many times...always in steerage/back of the bus...and survived.

 

This one is, obviously, a world record for us.....as well as aviation history.

 

Who has done this?  Do tell.

 

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

Her Majesty and I (60 year olds) are booked in the Premium Economy JFK - Singapore 19 hour non-stop flight in October....We are also interested in anyone who has done the exact same flight/class.

 

We are excited.  Our previous longest flight was 13 or 15 hours (Japan to somewhere East Coast Canada) last year.  We were in steerage class and did fine. In fact, shocked at how well we did.

 

We've flown to/from Europe many times...always in steerage/back of the bus...and survived.

 

This one is, obviously, a world record for us.....as well as aviation history.

 

Who has done this?  Do tell.

 

If you read the 4th post above, I mention our experience.

That was from Newark, but there was also a flight from JFK.

Back then (pre-Covid), the Newark flight was non-stop.  The JFK flight could be ticketed as "one flight", but back then, it stopped in Frankfurt, and some passengers could get off or on, although others would continue straight through.  That was a different plane than the Newark plane, at least then.  The flight through FRA had the top F Singapore Suites, so I don't know if J (business) was the same as the J on the plane used from Newark.

Last time I looked, I think there was only one flight from the NYC airports, going via FRA.

 

So our experience, especially in terms of the specific "seat/beds" may not be the same (?).

 

But I think the same Book the Cook food was available.

And of course, our flight had no stop.  I don't know if the JFK flight allowed passengers to get off to stretch their legs or not.

 

The time just flew! 😉 

 

And previously, our longest flight had been East Coast to Tokyo... and then a bit longer when we flew home "via" Hong Kong (we spent a couple of days there "on the way home"!).

 

GC

[FlaMariner]

@GeezerCouple

 

Yes, I did read it.....great review....but as you referenced, we are flying in Premium Economy so no bed for us and I'm curious to hear from someone who has gone before us.....in a seat!

 

We are pumped.....should be a blast....but more info always helpful!

 

We do get "book the cook" in Premium Economy.....just no bed for us!

 

 

[Zach1213]

16 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

Back then (pre-Covid), the Newark flight was non-stop.  The JFK flight could be ticketed as "one flight", but back then, it stopped in Frankfurt, and some passengers could get off or on, although others would continue straight through.  That was a different plane than the Newark plane, at least then.  The flight through FRA had the top F Singapore Suites, so I don't know if J (business) was the same as the J on the plane used from Newark.

Last time I looked, I think there was only one flight from the NYC airports, going via FRA.

 

 

"One flight" is also called "Direct". Which is very different than what most people around here (not saying you) refer to as "Direct". Definitely not nonstop. But I digress. 

 

Singapore operates SIN-EWR-SIN on the A350-900, SIN-JFK-SIN on the A350-900, and SIN-FRA-JFK-FRA-SIN on the B777-300. 

[SFCAcruiser]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:23 PM, SelectSys said:

...

Any thoughts one way or another in terms of keeping my current flight or searching for something else?  Thanks in advance for any opinions and direct experiences.

 

I will do my first SQ premium economy in late November SFO-SIN. I was tempted by business class but I remembered that my partner and I have not slept well in flat seats we have had on UA, Swiss, LH.  Short naps are the best we can hope for. Therefore we could not justify the extra money for business class. We could afford it, but we have a long history of being frugal and always searching for value. 

We did spend a bit more (~$100 each) to reserve the bulkhead row to get extra legroom. 

SQ has made some small upgrades to their food and beverage offerings in premium economy - upgraded champagne, meals are served on china and the "book the cook" option is available. 

[SelectSys]

1 hour ago, SFCAcruiser said:

I will do my first SQ premium economy in late November SFO-SIN.

hopefully you will post your experience.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, SFCAcruiser said:

SQ has made some small upgrades to their food and beverage offerings in premium economy - upgraded champagne, meals are served on china and the "book the cook" option is available. 

 

It's good to know that "Book The Cook" is now available on premium economy.

As I mentioned, we were in Business.  First class had a couple of menu choices that we didn't have, but I don't remember seeing anything such that I thought, "Drat! I wish we could have that!"

Of course, at that point, reading about it and making choices for the first time, I wasn't prepared to find out that the special food was really "special"!  It was *not* just upgraded beverages and real china/etc., although that would always help.

No, it was the FOOD itself.  Unbelievable.

I don't want to create unrealistic expectations.  But we are *NOT* fans of airline food, not at all.  Even if first class on top international airlines, yes, the food is "better" than on domestic first class, and seriously better than their cattle-car meals, which are rarely even "good", and sometimes even only partially edible at all.  (We bring our own snacks in case we don't even want to eat the economy meals, which happens too often, alas.)

Again, I don't want to create expectations that lead to disappointment, and premium economy's Book The Cook choices may be a "lesser experience"...

However, as I have mentioned, that first dinner was like short ribs that were SO tender and so *flavorful* that I genuinely would have gobbled it up with pleasure at a nice restaurant!  And I'm a picky eater.  [Note that apparently it is particularly difficult to get good "flavors" for food served at altitude. So my expectations weren't that great.] Even the pancakes I chose for breakfast were very special, as silly as that sounds.  I selected a "dinner type meal" for my second meal (not a lunch type), and I remember wishing I had known and had asked for two of the first choice.  But having no idea at all about the food, I didn't want to double up on something and then find out I didn't like it...

And I don't remember the choices.  I should have made a copy of the menu options, but it never occurred to me that there would be anything "worth remembering"! 😉 

 

I wish it were always possible to have something like BTC on long-haul, even if it means paying more.  It made such a difference.

 

Enjoy your flight, and perhaps you'll report back.

 

GC

[ilovesalchows]

I flew Singapore premium economy with my family in Nov 2019 out of LAX and returning into SEA.  The food was much better than any other airline I've been on, I especially remember the noodle dishes for breakfast.  It was comfortable enough, we had the center row of 4 seats.  While not ULTRA long haul, our routes were pretty long.  I think I slept the most I have ever slept on a plane.  The key for us was to take the nighttime departure from LAX instead of the morning departure from SEA so we were tired and ready to sleep.  Coming home we were so tired from the trip passing out in the seat was no problem.  The entertainment system was very robust.  (Although my then 8 year old son watched the same Avengers movie over and over and over again)

 

Of course, it isn't anything as comfortable as business class, but you aren't going to find many airlines whose premium economy product is as good as theirs.  I suggest you watch a lot of videos and see if it is worth the extra cash.  

[FlaMariner]

I've found some really good YouTube videos of folks taking Premium Economy on Singapore Airlines from JFK to SIN....

 

I suggest going there if you want to see what it is like....We are pumped.  We depart next month.