Onboard Singapore Airlines: SQ916 Business Class
After 4 fun years in the Lion City with countless flights between Singapore and Manila, I can't believe that this routine of ours has came to an end. For the last time, Paul and I headed to Changi Airport on the morning of the 31st of May as we bid a temporary goodbye to our 2nd home, which I fondly call, the Lion City. We'll definitely be back for sure but this time as tourists and perhaps with two little ones in tow but for the time being, it was time to head back HOME. A few years back, Paul and I agreed that when the time comes for us to bid Singapura goodbye, we just have to do it in style. By that, we meant flying Business Class onboard Singapore Airlines.
I got to admit that the thought of finally flying Business really got me so excited. Somehow, this lessened the bittersweet feeling that we both were feeling about saying good bye to our life in Singapore. Aside from that fact that the seats were extra spacious making it so comfortable for pregnant ladies like me, I just love the special service and of course, the beautifully plated food too.
Checking in was a breeze! Each business class passenger is allowed up to 40kg of checked-in luggage plus 2 7kg carry-on bags. This was just perfect as we had to bring so much things home. I just can't believe at the number of items that we've accumulated through all these years. Can you believe that Paul and I arrived in Singapore back in 2013 with only 90kg worth of items? Today, we flew home with all these luggages in addition to the 5 huge balikbayan boxes that we sent home. My golly! The ground staff was so friendly and helpful seeing that I was pregnant and she readily helped Paul carry all our luggages to the conveyor belt.
Together with our Business Class boarding pass comes the access to the Silver Kris Lounge. Readers of this blog probably know by now how much Paul and I love hanging out at the lounge while waiting for our time to board. We have been frequenting the SATS Premier Lounge as well as the dnata Lounge in Terminal 1. It was our first time to visit the very exclusive and premium Silver Kris Lounge and boy, was I so excited!
Let me take you on a quick tour around the lounge. I noticed that the food selection is very similar to the ones served at SATS Premier Lounge and to be really honest, I somehow prefer the choices of the latter. Perhaps it's also because we weren't that hungry during our time of visit and I have currently have a couple of diet restrictions so a huge part of the buffet had to be skipped. It's nice though that they offered predominantly Singaporean/local food which is perfect for visitors to have one final taste of Singapore's delicious cuisine.
One thing that we love though is the big seating area as well as a dedicated space for passengers to catch up with work. There's even a clothes pressing machine by LG in the lounge but we weren't so sure how to use it.
On to the most important part of our trip -- the flight home.
Time sure flies when you're having fun and despite being 3 hours early at the airport, the time finally came for us to head down to the boarding gate. We were, in fact, the last to board! We initially got the 3rd row seats but for some reason, our flight attendant transferred us to the front row giving us so much leg room making me one happy preggy lady!
Unfortunately, we got the older Boeing 777-200 plane so we noticed that the screens were relatively smaller and the controller was indeed the older kind. Too bad as we were quite excited to ride the newer plane model but this particular timing allows us to get to Manila much earlier and to have dinner with family.
Our slight disappointment though quickly faded by the superb and very attentive service by the Business Class crew. May was the 70th Anniversary Month of Singapore Airlines and all first and business class passengers were in for some treats! Kids who traveled during this month also got some gifts from the airline such as this pair of stuffed teddy bear which has a very limited quantity. I really wanted to get one and as soon as I sat down, I asked the flight attendant about it. Within minutes, she gave me a set of bears. Yay! I'm keeping this to share with my little ones someday.
The flight was very smooth and turbulent-free. Even before taking off, Paul and I quickly browsed through the entertainment library and chose our in-flight movie. Another thing we love about flying Business is that we got served our choice of drinks before take-off too. He got his favorite mocktail while I went for a glass of orange juice.
Flying First and Business Class on Singapore Airlines also allows you to avail of their Book the Cook program. These are dishes specially prepared by Singapore Airlines' International Culinary Panel and it comprises of a mix of cuisines from Singaporean, Western, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and more. The in-flight menu line-up that day was actually very enticing already where passengers can have their choice of the following: Sautéed Prawns with Coriander Seed Vinaigrette, Famous Singapore Chicken Rice, Seared Tournedo of Beef on Thyme Jus or Ginger Baked Garoupa Fillet served with Brown LaMian Noodles, Lotus Roots and Young Corn. If you ask me, these sound all so mouth-watering so regardless if you were able to Book the Cook or you opt to just choose what's available on board, you'll surely be in for a treat.
As for us, we started our meal with Parma Ham with Rucola Salad -- fresh cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and balsamic dressing. I had to skip this but Paul loved it! This is also why he happily offered to eat my share too in order for him to have a double serving of the salad. He loved the slightly salty flavor of the parma ham complementing the tangy hint of the balsamic vinaigrette.
For our mains, Paul went for the US 6oz Rib eye Steak from the Book the Cook program. The cut was very generous and it came with a good serving of mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. I got to try the well-done part of the steak and I loved how juicy it was! Can you just imagine how tender and juicy it could have been as Paul sliced through his medium well piece of steak. He was definitely one happy passenger as he was enjoying his lunch while enjoying the in-flight entertainment selections.
As for me, I went for the Chinese Style Cod with Fried Rice. I really am very careful about what I eat these days and after going through the longggg list of dishes available, I went for this. Simply because I love seafood more than meat and cod is a very nutritious fish. Of course, how can I also resist having egg fried rice? The cod fish pretty much melted in my mouth and it complemented the simple yet fragrant egg fried rice. I got to admit that it was a bit messy to eat though being served on a plate. they should make it truly Chinese-style and have the rice on a nice bowl. I wasn't too crazy about the veggies served with this though but that's okay.
Moving on to dessert, we were asked to choose between a scoop of Movenpick Strawberry Ice Cream or their 70th Anniversary Seventy Surprise cake. They were happy to serve you two as well if you want to try both...which I did! Haha! The Movenpick Strawberry Ice Cream was simply perfect as it always has been. Served with a drizzle of raspberry sauce and a piece of chocolate on top, it's the perfect after meal indulgence as you continue to watch your chosen show.
The Seventy Surprise, on the other hand, is a beautifully created mango and lime cake made in 70-steps. Can you image how intricate that was given the size of this cake. Well, it was totally worth the effort as we both loved the cake! It has a mousse-like filling where you get a good balance of mango and lime flavors in every bite. The outer coating wasn't too sweet and it was just very delightful to enjoy during the flight. How I wish they'd have this year-round.
I had such a good meal that I ended up taking a good nap before we land in Manila. I woke up 30 minutes before we start making our descent only to be surprised with a birthday cake from the sweet in-flight crew of Singapore Airlines. Obviously, no candles are allowed on my cake but hey, it was one whole piece of Chocolate Mousse cake! Paul was still sound asleep so I asked them to pack the cake for me as I wanted to share it with my family too. It's just so sweet! I flew home a day before my birthday and the celebrated officially started up in the air.
Together with the cake, Angie, our friendly flight attendant also prepared this card for me. She even apologized as she told me she didn't had much materials available on board so she resorted to using some of the kiddie art materials they have on stock. I told her the card was very pretty and I loved it.
This is probably the best flight that Paul and I had in our many years of flying together. Singapore Airlines has consistently exceeded our expectations in the past and this one totally raised the bar way way way higher. It will really be a challenge now to fly Economy given this superb experience that we had.
So, our family asked us how much did this particular flight back home cost us and they were so shocked when we told them that we simply paid S$60 cash on top of 40,000 worth of miles. That's such a great deal, wasn't it? We've accumulated so much miles from our credit cards in Singapore and since we had to cancel most of them before flying home for good, we thought of converting all those points to our Krisflyer account. Since we've also been flying via Singapore Airlines in the past, we also got a lot of flight points from those too. So there you go, it was a very pocket-friendly flight and one that's just perfect to cap off our 4 amazing years living in the Lion City.
Till next time, Singapura!
On to the most important part of our trip -- the flight home.
Unfortunately, we got the older Boeing 777-200 plane so we noticed that the screens were relatively smaller and the controller was indeed the older kind. Too bad as we were quite excited to ride the newer plane model but this particular timing allows us to get to Manila much earlier and to have dinner with family.
Our slight disappointment though quickly faded by the superb and very attentive service by the Business Class crew. May was the 70th Anniversary Month of Singapore Airlines and all first and business class passengers were in for some treats! Kids who traveled during this month also got some gifts from the airline such as this pair of stuffed teddy bear which has a very limited quantity. I really wanted to get one and as soon as I sat down, I asked the flight attendant about it. Within minutes, she gave me a set of bears. Yay! I'm keeping this to share with my little ones someday.
Flying First and Business Class on Singapore Airlines also allows you to avail of their Book the Cook program. These are dishes specially prepared by Singapore Airlines' International Culinary Panel and it comprises of a mix of cuisines from Singaporean, Western, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and more. The in-flight menu line-up that day was actually very enticing already where passengers can have their choice of the following: Sautéed Prawns with Coriander Seed Vinaigrette, Famous Singapore Chicken Rice, Seared Tournedo of Beef on Thyme Jus or Ginger Baked Garoupa Fillet served with Brown LaMian Noodles, Lotus Roots and Young Corn. If you ask me, these sound all so mouth-watering so regardless if you were able to Book the Cook or you opt to just choose what's available on board, you'll surely be in for a treat.
The Seventy Surprise, on the other hand, is a beautifully created mango and lime cake made in 70-steps. Can you image how intricate that was given the size of this cake. Well, it was totally worth the effort as we both loved the cake! It has a mousse-like filling where you get a good balance of mango and lime flavors in every bite. The outer coating wasn't too sweet and it was just very delightful to enjoy during the flight. How I wish they'd have this year-round.
This is probably the best flight that Paul and I had in our many years of flying together. Singapore Airlines has consistently exceeded our expectations in the past and this one totally raised the bar way way way higher. It will really be a challenge now to fly Economy given this superb experience that we had.
So, our family asked us how much did this particular flight back home cost us and they were so shocked when we told them that we simply paid S$60 cash on top of 40,000 worth of miles. That's such a great deal, wasn't it? We've accumulated so much miles from our credit cards in Singapore and since we had to cancel most of them before flying home for good, we thought of converting all those points to our Krisflyer account. Since we've also been flying via Singapore Airlines in the past, we also got a lot of flight points from those too. So there you go, it was a very pocket-friendly flight and one that's just perfect to cap off our 4 amazing years living in the Lion City.
Till next time, Singapura!
