Singapore Airlines A380: SFO to SIN

Welcome Aboard

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feast on caviar at 36,000 feet while sipping Dom or Krug or whatever else they serve up in the front of the plane…yeah, well me to. If that’s the trip report you came here looking for, I’m sorry to let you down. Want to know about surviving 18 hours in coach with a 1-year-old? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Like most miles and points enthusiasts, I typically like to avoid flying in the “back of the bus” as much as possible. However when it comes down to sitting in coach vs. not going on a trip at all, I’ll reluctantly take my seat in that overpopulated section behind the wing, order a drink, and try to make the best of it. For those of us looking to redeem United miles with Singapore Airlines, that’s usually the way it goes.

So you may have read about that one day in the history of the world when a computer glitch at Singapore Airlines resulted in them opening up a ton of First and Business class seats to the other Star Alliance members…yeah, I read about it too…after it happened. On July 7th, 2012 I was busy ~~ditching work~~ sitting on the beach in Maui. There is another way in to First and Business class on Singapore Airlines using Kris Flyer miles, but without a Membership Rewards earning Amex card (and a whole lot of trips to the drugstore), you can pretty much forget about it.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Downstairs in Economy

Sitting in coach all the way from SFO to SIN actually wasn’t that bad. If you have to do it, Singapore Airlines is probably your best choice and I found their A380 to be among the most comfortable aircraft I’ve flown. We did the exact same SQ1 flight to Hong Kong in 2011 on their 777, and I’ve got to say, I preferred this one. Aside from the obvious- that the A380 is a really big plane- it seemed much quieter too. The seats were good (adequate pitch and surprising comfort for an economy seat), and every detail from strategic placement of the cup holders to the content of their KrisWorld entertainment system was well thought out. Food was tasty. Drinks were free.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Baby CJ chilling in his own seat

Surviving the long journey with a baby turned out to be a non-issue; He really was on his best behavior, meaning he slept for most of the way. Up until this trip our longest journey was to Hawaii, so to be honest I was a little worried. After a disastrous experience lap-childing with him to Alaska just a week before, I was terrified, but once we reclined his car seat and tucked him in with one of Singapore’s incredibly soft Givenchy baby blankets, he passed out. Our flight wasn’t full and we did get a chance to try out the bassinet in the row in front of us, and let’s just say that didn’t work out. I could see it being a viable choice for someone with a smaller, less-mobile baby- definitely not ours! Keep in mind, Singapore won’t assign you the bassinet seat if you buy your child his/her own seat. While I’m glad we got a chance to try it out, afterwards I didn’t feel bad about what we might have been missing. If you ask me, the convertible car seat (meaning it can go rear-facing in the car and therefore reclines) + getting the baby his own ticket is the way to go. Naturally, a trip halfway around the world is going to mess with everyone’s schedule, including the baby’s, but we made sure he was well-fed, gave him an extra bottle when he woke up in the middle of the flight, and he seemed to adjust fine.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Playing with Dad

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Testing out the bassinet (and Mom’s patience)

Because of our Star Alliance Gold status we were granted lounge access once we got to Hong Kong. All you need to know about the SilverKris lounge there is that they have a well-stocked bar and the bathrooms are located outside. My expectations may have a little high but to be honest I was a little let down given the reputation of the airline; if you don’t mind a walk, I think Thai has the better lounge. Anyway this lounge was right across from our gate, so we stayed, found a quiet corner of the club, grabbed some food, and let our little critter roam free for about an hour. Then it was back on to the plane, and off to Singapore.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Baby exploring the Silver Kris lounge in Hong Kong

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Mommy exploring the Silver Kris Bar

Leg two of the journey was about as smooth and anti-climatic and SFO-HKG. The legendary Singapore Girls (and boys) did a great job helping us out with a now very-awake and eager-to-play baby. I don’t know if they are expertly trained in child care and development or if they just really love kids, but our little man was treated like a VIP! Once he decides he likes someone, Baby CJ loves can be a huge flirt, and it was only a matter of minutes before he had all the flight attendants fawning over him. Without us even asking, they were volunteering to take him for walks and play with him in the galley while we enjoyed our meal. When I think back on our experience, it is this level of service that truly reaffirms Singapore’s position as the “world’s leading airline”.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Toys for baby

Overall, I really enjoyed our flight on Singapore even if it was in Economy. Given our continued ease of finding coach Star Alliance Saver Awards using United miles, I would definitely consider this a GREAT VALUE and wouldn’t hesitate flying with them again to Asia (and after a slightly underwhelming experience coming home in United BusinessFirst yesterday I’m tempted to save the extra miles next time). Of course, all of this has me thinking, if life at SQ can this good in the back of the plane, I can’t wait to someday find out what it’s like up front!

Let’s Eat:

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.