Originally Posted by boolean64

I've done both internationally (UA F ORD-LHR and SQ C LHR-SIN). To summarize, SQ C is a great C product (relative to other C products). UA F is a mediocre F product (relative only to other F products). However, C is still C and F is still F and there is definitely clear water between UA F and SQ C...in favor of UA F. But depending on what you're looking for, there are a couple places where SQ wins. So a more detailed comparison below...

Entertainment. The entertainment system on SQ is indeed much better than UA. dozens of channels, a much bigger screen, and the video is on demand. On UA you get nine channels of looped video and a selection of 8mm tapes to play on your personal screen. So UA has VOD but your selection is limited -- and influenced by what others have picked. And the screen is smaller. All in all not the end of the world IMHO but still clear water between them.

Seat. The F suite offers much more privacy than the spacebed. I really liked the spacebed but the flat bed was still superior. If you are much over six feet, the spacebed is a bit longer than the F suite. But you can bend your knees in the F suite without sliding down the bed. I'd go F suite

Food and wine. To the poster who referred to "gross" champagne, I have a tough time understanding that comment. I pretty much drank a bottle of Dom Perignon by myself in UA F. Sure, I am more a La Grand Dame fan, but I didn't think of Dom as "gross." And I am quite confident that SQ was not serving anything close to that in C. The food on UA was definitely higher end, more courses, etc. What SQ had going for it was it was different, with an asain flare to the non-main courses. (I liked the drunken prawns.) And SQ had a whole menu of specialty cocktails. And SQ does have the esperesso machine on the plane. So if you want a "better" meal, then go for UA. If you want something novel (at least it was novel for me), then SQ wins here. I give the nod to F suite though.

Service. The SQ service was friendly. No doubt about it. It was very attentive. They knew my name. And they offered much better than UA C service. But the FA to pax ratio is still MUCH worse than in UA F. I'm pretty sure my FA called me by name on UA. She was very friendly. She was very attentive (My champagne glass was never close to empty). And the fact that she only had five other people to worry about helped her be attentive to me. Sure she wasn't 26 and wearing a beautiful dress, but that's not every flight attendant on SQ. And a lot of people don't look for that as a criteria. I thought the service was a tie. But with the smaller FA to pax ratio, I give the nod to UA F.

Lounges. SQ lounges are indeed MUCH better than RCCs in general. I bet the UA arrivals suite in SFO is awesome though. If you are *G then you can get into all the normal lounges regardless of what ticket you buy. Don't have any direct comparisons here at the airports you're going to. But this is proably a place where SQ wins...unless you are *G.