Part 20: Singapore (SIN) to Manila (MNL) on Singapore Airlines in business class
Flight SQ918 - Boeing 787-10 - Seat 19A - 21,000 A3 miles + 16.42 EUR for SUB-SIN-MNL
STD 7.25pm - STA 10:55pm (flight time 3h30m)

My expectations and anticipation were both great for this flight. Singapore Airlines recently launched their brand new Boeing 787 regional business class product – and by all what I read about it would make for a great journey. Walking on board the aeroplane and taking the air-bridge towards the business class section made me feel like a little kid walking into a candy store.



I was again warmly welcomed by the crew. It turned out that the load in business class would be light this evening – only five seats were occupied out of the 36 seats in the forward section. And what a gorgeous cabin it is walking into it.









All seats have direct aisle-access but half of the window seats are slightly closer to the window giving a tad more privacy. The only seats to avoid on this plane are 16A and K – even though these are window seats the are misaligned and don't have an actual window. I had selected seat 19A more towards the back of the business class cabin. After stowing my trolley overhead into the bin I settled down in the very comfortable seat.





It did not take long before one of the flight attendants came by to bring the menu and to inquire if I would like a welcome drink. Of course, I cannot say no to a glass of champagne (Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve), which was instantly brought to my seat.



Let's have a look at the menu for today's flight! The dining options seemed to be decent (although I didn't pay too much attention as I booked the cook for the flight). That said, I found the drinks menu to be very extensive. Kudos to SQ there.

























As it took quite some time for economy class to finish boarding I snapped a few more pictures of the seat controls and other buttons where you can control the lights and such. The seat really feels private, has power ports/usb outlets, and can be configured in whatever way you want. It being a Boeing 787, you can also configure your window shade – an option which I actually intensely dislike as the crew can overrule commands (comparing just the plane, B787 vs. the A350 on CI which I would take later, I massively prefer the A350 as I also found it much more silent).







As economy boarding really took quite a bit longer than expected, the FA made another round to inquire if I might want a second PDB. Who am I to say no to that? :-) The refill came with the hot towel service.





After quite a while, the aerobridge finally detached from our plane and we were sent off to the runway for the flight to Manila, which would take a little over three hours.







Once on cruising altitude, service immediately kicked in. Talk about efficiency here again! Just like last flight, SQ also nailed this one. Unfortunately, the starter was limited to prawns. Even though I am not a fan of prawns at all, I had to try a bit given how much effort SQ put into the presentation. The plate is first brought to your table, after which the FA doses a sauce over it. It did surely look appetising! And even though I am not a fan of prawns at all, I found them to be edible for sure (although not as tasty as the prawns on an intra-European Air France flight I once took).



That said, some fresh garlic bread with the meal is always a big plus point in my opinion!



For my main dish, I booked the cook and ordered the lobster thermidor. For those who don't know, on Singapore Airlines flights ex-SIN you can pre-book your main dish in advance out of an extensive menu. Honest admission: I actually never ate lobster before. I did taste lobster soup (which I found yummy), but never ate lobster before. I have a very humble background and just thanks to some luck and some dedication I am able to sample more of the luxurious goods in life – lobster being one of them. Many of us frequent flyers know it has legendary status among Singapore Airline dishes, so I just had to try it out on this flight. And my gosh, it was absolutely delicious and easily among the best dishes I've ever eaten mid-air. It went very well with the same Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc I had on my previous SQ flight.



(yes I have to admit the second glass of wine is the Burgundy white as I had to find out which of them goes best with the lobster – you have to make up good excuses to drink!)

Dessert however was disappointing as they just had the ice-cream and not the more appetising-sounding raspberry bavarois listed on the menu. Not that it was bad at all – it just paled in quality when compared to the rest of the food served before. I had an espresso and a port wine to wash it down.



As I was in a good mood – amplified by listening to some of my favourite music and the alcohol – I decided to imbibe a bit more by ordering the signature Singapore Sling, which was served with a ramekin of nuts.



Even though I'm not the biggest (sweet) cocktail drinker around, I thought it absolutely hit the spot (it could however also have been my mood). I therefore might or might not had two or three more of them served by the excellent crew.

Despite the alcohol intake, I still was able to snap a few more shots of the gorgeous B787. The seats go fully flat, the toilet is spacious, clean and has the usual good SQ amenities. I wouldn't even mind having this plane on an intercontinental journey. The fact that Singapore Airlines is using it on regional flights says a lot – it is a game changer, especially when compared with their ageing Airbus A330's which I had on my previous flight.







We landed in Manila on time – I had a great flight and thanked the crew for their great service throughout the flight upon leaving the aeroplane.

In short: Compared to their Airbus A330 previously used on regional flights, the Boeing 787 is a game changer for Singapore Airlines on their regional routes. All seats have direct aisle access, seats are fully flat and comfortable in any position you put them in. And I do find SQ crews to be consistently great. Coupled with great food and a great drinks menu, it makes a fantastic way to fly. I can't really name a single negative point (OK: ditch the prawns or at least make customers choose for their starter!).

Next up:A short layover in Manila and two onward flights on China Airlines back to Europe.