Everything You Wanted to Know About SQ25 in Business Class

I just completed my first flight on SQ25. Before I went, I had a lot of questions, and many people were kind enough to share their experiences. Thank you to everyone that gave me information and answers to make this a great trip.

So, I thought I’d pay it forward with one post that covers all the details I found relevant/interesting. Keep in mind—this is based on my flight, so others may have slightly different experiences. (Note: I used ChatGPT to clean up my writing.)

SQ25 Prior to Departure...

What is the flight routing for SQ25?
JFK–FRA, FRA–SIN.

What plane is Singapore Airlines using?
Boeing 777-300.

Can you preorder meals?
Yes—and you should! There are more choices than what’s available onboard. Select the Book the Cook option in your reservation.

What are the best seats in business class?
The bulkhead seats. They offer much more legroom.

How do you get the best seats?
At 96 hours before departure, call in (you can’t do it online at the 96-hour mark). Try for a window seat, but even the middle bulkheads have extra legroom.

How about check-in?
Use auto check-in at 48 hours. Make sure your TSA PreCheck number is saved in your profile.

What about boarding passes?
At 24 hours before departure, go online and get your boarding passes. For some reason, I always have to request the boarding pass for my onward flight separately. No big deal—just an extra click.

Will I get one or two boarding passes for SQ25?
One. (There are reports of people requesting separate boarding passes at the check-in counter. See other posts for details.)

What terminal does Singapore Airlines use at JFK?
Terminal 4.

What time does Singapore Airlines check-in open?
It varies a bit. For my 8:55 p.m. flight, it opened at 4:15 p.m. due to predicted congestion. (Singapore emailed the day before.) In general, it opens about four hours before departure.

Does security have a PreCheck line?
Yes. Singapore participates in TSA PreCheck. Just add your Known Traveler Number in your profile, and you’ll see PreCheck on your boarding pass. (Note: I was connecting from Delta, so I did not leave the secure area.)

Do you get lounge access?
Yes. You have three options, but note that you can only visit one lounge.

Which lounge is best?
No debate here. There are two mediocre lounges (Air India and HelloSky) and one excellent lounge (Capital One).

Why the Capital One Lounge?

• Full bar with bartenders
• Plenty of seating
• Bright, modern space
• Food cooked to order and delivered to your table
• Fresh bagel bar
• Grab-and-go items
• Shower (book early - There is only 1 and the wait can literally be hours. (My wait was 2.5 hours)
• Private bathrooms
• Truly amazing staff

I’d describe it as a solid international business class lounge—much better than the other options and even better than many Lufthansa or Air France business class lounges in the U.S., though not quite as good as Delta One. (Personally, I prefer it to Amex Centurion, though opinions vary.)

Do you need a special lounge card to enter?
No. Just your boarding pass—no credit card or elite status required.

How long can you stay in the lounge?
Departing JFK, the limit is three hours, and they do enforce it. If you’re connecting, there doesn’t seem to be a limit. I connected from a separate Delta flight and stayed about five hours without any issues.

SQ25 Boarding at JFK and In-Flight Experience (JFK–FRA)...

When does boarding start?
About 30 minutes before departure. There’s an announcement in the lounge to head to the gate.

How is boarding conducted?

• Wheelchairs board first
• Then First Class
• Pre-boarding for families with small children
• Business Class
• Then Economy

What are the pre-departure beverage choices?
Juice and water (no alcohol).

Is there an amenity kit?
No amenity kit by default (though you might be able to request one). Slippers are provided.

What’s the flight time from JFK to FRA?
About 6 hours and 30 minutes. Even if you depart late, there’s a good chance you’ll arrive on time or early. My flight was about 15 minutes longer than usual—we took off 30 minutes after pushback and still landed on schedule.

Is Wi-Fi free in business class?
Yes. Just enter your last name and seat number.

How are meal orders handled?
Before departure, pre-orders are confirmed, and meal and drink orders are taken.

What happens after takeoff?
Once the crew is up:

• Drinks and warm nuts are served
• Appetizers follow with drink refills
• Main courses are served when you’re ready
• Dessert comes afterward
• Drinks are available anytime.

How’s the onboard entertainment?
KrisWorld is one of the best systems out there, with tons of movies and shows. The interface is a bit outdated, so it can take time to find what you want.

Do the seats have power outlets?
Yes. Every seat has a multi-source plug, HDMI, USB, and the older round iPad/iPod connector.

What about the pre-arrival meal?
About 1.5 hours before landing, the lights gradually come on. You can choose between a hot ham and cheese sandwich with potatoes or a noodle and chicken dish.

Connecting in Germany on SQ25...

When you land in Germany, do you have to get off the plane?
Yes.

Do you clear customs?
No.

Do you clear security?
No.

What lounge options are there in Frankfurt?

• Lufthansa Business Lounge
• Lufthansa Senator Lounge (if you have Star Alliance Gold)
• Air Canada Lounge

How long do you have in the lounge before re-boarding?
Typically 45 minutes to 1 hour.

SQ25 Boarding at FRA and In-Flight Experience (FRA–SIN)...

When does boarding start?
About 40 minutes before departure. There is no announcement in the lounges.

How is boarding conducted?
Same as JFK:

• First Class
• Business Class
• Economy

What are the pre-departure beverage choices?
Champagne and juice.

Is there an amenity kit?
No kit, but slippers, socks, and eye masks are provided.

What’s the flight time from FRA to SIN?
Approximately 12 hours.

Is Wi-Fi free in business class?
Yes. Just log in with your last name and seat number. Be aware there are “dead zones” due to country restrictions (India and Turkey, in particular).

How are meals handled?
Same process as JFK–FRA: pre-orders are confirmed, and meal and drink orders are taken before departure.

What happens after takeoff?

• Drinks served with chicken satay
• Appetizer course and drink refills
• Main meal when you’re ready
• Dessert afterward
  Drinks are always available.

What about the pre-arrival meal?
About 1.5 hours before landing, the lights slowly come up, and breakfast is served. Choices were:

• Omelet with sausage on the side
• German breakfast with assorted meats, fruit, and cheeses

Final Thoughts...
All in all, this was a very enjoyable routing, and I’d definitely do it again. The plane itself is showing its age a bit, but it’s still a great flight. I highly recommend reserving the bulkhead seats and using Book the Cook for meal preordering.