Review: Singapore Airlines B787-10 New Regional Business Class SIN-BKK Review

What a better way to lose my SQ Business Class virginity than on their Boeing 787-10 with the new regional business class product. In short? Awesome.

26 Hours in Bangkok: Introduction
Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 New Regional Business Class SIN-BKK
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
EVA Air Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER Business Class BKK-SIN


Singapore(SIN) to Bangkok(BKK)
Flight Number : SQ982
Flight Date : 21 April 2018
DEP : 1730
ARR : 1900
Aircraft Type : Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Aircraft Registration : 9V-SCB
Seat No : 17A

Having checked in at Changi Airport Terminal 3 instead of Terminal 2, where flights to Bangkok on Singapore Airlines normally depart from, I went over to the SilverKris lounge for lunch and boy, was it quiet that afternoon.

Escalator up to the SilverKris lounge after immigration
Escalator up to the SilverKris lounge after immigration
Business Class section of SilverKris Terminal 3
Business Class section of SilverKris Terminal 3
SilverKris Lounge T3 Seating Area
SilverKris Lounge T3 Seating Area
SilverKris Lounge T3 Seating Area
SilverKris Lounge T3 Seating Area

I poured myself some bubbles and plated myself some pasta, chicken and fish and paired it with some Tattinger champagne, which I didn’t really like.

Wine and Champagne choices
Wine and Champagne choices

After having sampled the SilverKris lounges in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 as well as the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge in Terminal 1, I scuttled over to my gate at around 1645 to catch my first ever Singapore Airlines Business Class flight. Security checks are still handled at the gates for flights departing from Terminal 2 and as the bulk of the passengers were already in the gate lounge I got through in no time at all. Prior to boarding, immigration forms for Bangkok were distributed at the gate too.

9V-SCB at gate E4 at Terminal 2
9V-SCB at gate E4 at Terminal 2

When boarding was announced for business class passengers, I raced down the jet bridge in anticipation of being the first on board to snag some pictures. Business Class passengers boarded via door L1 and thus, I didn’t get the opportunity to “turn left” into the Business Class cabin. Pity.

As I stepped on board the aircraft, I was welcomed by the leading steward who pointed me to my seat. The business class cabin only had a total of 6 passengers on the flight and they were all seated 2 rows in front of me, leaving me free to go snap happy in my own world with 4 rows of seats for me to place my bum imprints on should I wish.

Singapore Airlines New Regional Business Class Cabin
Singapore Airlines New Regional Business Class Cabin
Singapore Airlines New Regional Business Class Cabin
Singapore Airlines New Regional Business Class Cabin
View from seat 17A
View from seat 17A

When checking in online, I had selected 17A, a window seat which had the console nearer to the aisle than the window. On the new Boeing 787-10 aircraft, the business class cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration where the seats are in a staggered configuration featuring direct aisle access for every seat. Aisle seats alternate between having the seat consoles located on the outside and on the inside and the same goes for the window seats. The seat itself was gorgeous in my opinion, decked out in a chocolate toned leather with Alcantara fabric wrapped around the panels surrounding your head. Waiting for me at the seat, was a pillow and blanket which I didn’t make use of in the flight.

My seat, 17A. Features the console on the right of the seat
My seat, 17A. Features the console on the right of the seat
Pillow and Blanket at the seat
Pillow and Blanket at the seat
Top view of the seat
Top down view of 17A
Blanket design looked like a quilt
Top down view of Seat 16A in front of mine, note the missing window.

Since there wasn’t anyone occupying rows 17 and beyond, I took the chance to get a shot of the middle pair of seats beside mine. Pictured below are seats 17D and 17F which do not feature the centre dividers.

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
Middle row seats without divider
Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
Seats that do feature middle dividers

The above shows 18D and 18F which features the centre dividers and these can be raised for privacy if you’re travelling with a stranger beside you.

Going back to my seat,  it features a 3 point seat belt and the shoulder harness must be worn during Taxi, Take Off and Landing (TTOL), other than those 3 stages of flight you don’t really have to wear the shoulder harness unless you like the feeling of being secured to your seat. The shoulder belt was fairly easy to use and the body strap can be unbuckled with ease. It will also recede into the headrest when removed and you won’t really feel it when you’re resting your head against the head rest.

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
New 3 point seat belt design on the new regional Business Class seat

Moving on to the arm rest, these can be lowered should you require more bum space. A press of the black button (which is poking out beneath at the front of the arm rest) and some body weight was all it took to lower the arm rest. To lift it back up, simply press the black button again on the arm rest and it will rise back up. Personally, I was able to fit snugly into the seat so I kept the arm rests up to you know, rest my arms. Even though the seat looks tight from the pictures, it certainly didn’t feel that way to me throughout the 2 hour journey! (trust me, I’m fat)

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
Arm Rest

In the console as pictured, there’s a little cubby hole where you can store your small items in and there’s a sliding panel which must be closed during Taxi, Take Off and Landing (TTOL). The in-flight entertainment (IFE) headset was already placed there too when I boarded. Dual USB charging ports which can be used for charging your mobile phones and tablets as well as an multi-plug rated at 110V are also available. The compartment can probably hold up a tablet, definitely not a laptop. Also, a vanity mirror can be pulled out should you wish to check yourself out during the flight to reaffirm your sexiness without going to the lavatory. (my camera went cuckoo and didn’t capture the vanity mirror). A headphone hook is also present.

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
Storage area for small items
Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class
USB Ports plus power socket

Here’s what it looks like when closed. (the sliding thing to the right of the panel is the vanity mirror)

Vanity Mirror is located beside the storage cubicle. Pictured is also the headphone holder.

Also located on the console, is the IFE remote as well as the touch panel seat controls. The headphone jack was located beside the seat control panels too. Controls were intuitive to use and when “pressed”, it’ll provide haptic feedback to indicate that you’ve pressed it.

Seat controls, IFE remote and headphone jack

To the left of your head are the reading lights which can be adjusted with the press of the button(s). These lights work independently of the overhead lights which are controlled by the touch panel on the console. There’s 3 levels of brightness to choose from and each press of the button makes it go from brightest to dimmest.

Reading light panel

The literature pocket was located near the bottom of the entrance to the seat and is expandable.

Literature pocket

The in-flight entertainment screen boasts an 18 inch HD panel and images and videos were crisp. As with all monitors, the glare from the outside caused some visibility issues but this can be resolved by dimming your windows a notch. The selection of movies on board this flight were extensive and featured the latest releases like Star Wars and Jumanji. As this aircraft features the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system and has in-flight connectivity, you’re able to pair your mobile device to the IFE in the Singapore Airlines app should you wish to keep track of where you left of on a certain movie on a previous flight. The IFE headset was a generic Singapore Airlines branded one and features active noise cancellation.

Singapore Airlines branded noise cancelling headphones
View from inside the cabin
IFE Screen
Movie choices
Movie choices
Movie choices
Movie choices
Movie choices
Home page

The tray table is located beneath the screen and it was easy to get it out. Working on your laptop shouldn’t present an issue as it was very sturdy.

Tray Table

The cubby hole in which your feet will go to when the seat is fully flat was of a decent height and width and didn’t present any issues to my size 11 feet. Below that was a storage area where you can place your shoes if you decide to remove them for the flight. (Excuse my hairy legs and yes i have big feet)

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class Foot Rest
Foot rest
Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class Foot Rest
Inside of the foot rest
Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class Foot Rest
Hairy legs

Moving on to the actual events of the flight, I was offered a pre-departure beverage of either champagne, orange juice or water as well as a hot towel. I opted to have a glass of water as I already had some bubbles in the SilverKris lounge earlier and was afraid of looking like a tomato throughout the flight if I took on more alcohol. Seeing that I was taking pictures as if it was my first time on an airplane (well to be fair, it was my first time on SQ Business), the friendly (and pretty) stewardess offered to take a picture of me at my seat. I do apologize if your screen cracks as you scroll past my picture. Also, there’s a coat hook on the seat but I doubt it’ll be of much use as the cabin crew will offer to hang your coat for you in the closet.

Line up please ladies

After taking my photo, she came back to confirm my Book The Cook choice of the Classic Lobster Thermidor for the meal service. There was an A5 sized menu in the literature pocket which featured 3 main courses to choose from if you didn’t pre-book your meals with the Book The Cook option. The menu listed options for both the Singapore – Bangkok leg of SQ982 as well as the options for the Bangkok – Singapore leg of SQ983 .

Singapore Airlines 787 Business Class SIN BKK In-flight menu
Dinner Choices for Business Class SIN-BKK
Dinner Choices for Business Class BKK-SIN

Cabin doors closed about 5 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time and we were push backed from the gate shortly after. As we push backed, I caught a glimpse of the first Boeing 787-10 to be delivered to Singapore Airlines, 9V-SCA, which was parked a few gates away. The safety video started to play at this point.

9V-SCA. The first Boeing 787-10 to be delivered to Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Safety Video

It was a short taxi to runway 02C from our gate and there was a Bangkok Airways aircraft ahead of us ready for departure to Koh Samui. As we lined up on the runway centre line, I managed to get a shot of the runway in its entirety. Ah, the things you can only see when flying at the front of the plane.

Runway 02C

As the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines spooled up, we hurtled down the runway and after a short take off roll, the pilot gently eased the nose up and we were airborne. The view after from Changi features an excellent view of the terminals below. The two flying whales of Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Qantas are clearly visible, as well as the the upcoming Jewel.

Aerial view of Changi Airport

The pilot turned off the seat belt sign about 10 minutes into the flight and the meal service commenced shortly after. It wasn’t announced that the Wi-Fi was in operation but being the geek that I am, I knew that Wi-Fi was available for the flight and quickly connected to “KrisWorld” and it worked flawlessly. As a business class passenger, you’re entitled to a complimentary 30MB Wi-Fi allowance which unfortunately for me, wasn’t enough to satisfy my Instagraming needs. #millennial

PPS club members also receive complimentary 30MB of Wi-Fi allowance regardless of cabin class when flying on Singapore Airlines. Wi-Fi was provided by Panasonic Global Communication Services and the speeds were very good, assisted by the fact that almost no one else was using the Wi-Fi. I didn’t do a speed test as it would have eaten up a chunk of my 30MB allowance but for reference, posting an Instagram Story didn’t take long.

WiFi login page
Wi-Fi log in page
Plans for purchase
Complimentary Wi-Fi button
Other Wi-Fi providers

If you have a Boingo pass which can be obtained from select credit cards, you’re able to use it on board the flight as well.

As the cabin crew brought out the tray with my Classic Lobster Thermidor on it, I went trigger happy photographing my food and only remembered that I had to eat it after 10 minutes of trying to get the perfect shot. Cause you know, you haven’t actually eaten something unless it appears on social media. The bread basket was also brought out and I was offered not one, but two slices of garlic bread which was warm. Mmm. Warm garlic bread. As this was a short flight, everything was served on a tray, not that I actually mind.

The actual dish itself was delicious, with chunks of lobster smothered in sauce and chestnut mushrooms. The asparagus wasn’t overcooked and the rice wasn’t nuked dry in the microwave and was still fluffy and moist. Not much effort was needed to scrape the meat off the lobster tail either.

Classic Lobster Thermidor
Full meal tray
My dinner ft. Garlic Bread. Mm.

The appetizer consisted of two thick slices of salmon with cucumber bits. Dessert was a pineapple coconut mousse which was light and refreshing. Needless to say, my plates went back to the galley spotless, with the exception of the tomatoes I left behind. Bleurgh.

I paired my meal with a Singapore Sling and sad to say, I didn’t like it one bit. Although it was novelty to try it on board Singapore Airlines. I’ll probably stick to Coke as my preferred choice of in-flight drink.

Singapore Sling

The crew pacing the cabin noticed I was done with my meal and the tray was promptly cleared and one of the leading steward came by to offer some drinks. When asked what kind of coffee would I like after recommending I had it, I paused for a moment and gave him a blank stare and the steward chuckled and offered me a cappuccino to which I sheepishly nodded in agreement. How embarrassing to not know what types of coffee could you could have. This is what years of flying in economy class does to your brain, hardwired to respond to “coffee or tea sir?”.

Singapore Airlines in-flight cappuccino

The windows of the cabin were dimmed by the crew during the meal service as well, with the mood lighting becoming more prominent.

Purplish mood lighting

You still can override the pre-set dimness which the crew had set and in the business class on the 787, you’re actually controlling two sets of windows. One beside the IFE (as above) and the other beside your head.

Electronically dimmed windows
Two sets of windows per business class seat

After finishing my cappuccino, I got up and “made” my bed. It was a simple procedure which took about 30 seconds in total. You just have to press and hold the button which shows the flat bed and the seat will go into the fully flat mode. The arm rest can be lowered as well to give yourself more space to maneuver.

Full Flat Bed on board Singapore Airlines 787-10 Business Class
Anoter view of the Full Flat Bed on board Singapore Airlines 787-10 Business Class

If you’re planning to sleep when you’re on board one of the longer flights to Osaka or Perth, pressing the “Do Not Disturb” button illuminates the sign on the seat and you’ll probably not be disturbed for most of the flight.

Do Not Disturb sign illuminated in red feat. bottle of water

The cabin was kept fairly warm during the flight and there wasn’t any personal air vents overhead. I do wish that Singapore Airlines had installed personal air vents at every seat. I was actually sweating a little in-flight due to the heat generated from the headphones on my ears.

After placing my seat back upright, I paid the lavatories a visit. In business class, there are 2 lavatories situated at the front which serves the entire business class cabin. I can only imagine if the flight was full, there might be a queue forming for the lavatories. Throughout the flight, the cabin crew kept the lavatories spotless and the toilet paper was always folded neatly in the three times when I paid it a visit. Yes, I drink a lot of fluids in-flight. No, they weren’t champagne. #healthylifestyle

The lavatory was fairly basic and to me, the size felt comparable to those normally found in economy class on any other aircraft. For the germophobes, you’ll be glad to know that on the Boeing 787-10, the toilet features a sensor activated flushing mechanism.

Lavatory of the Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10

The sink features an automatic tap.

Sink area of the Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10

Penhaligon’s toiletries were stocked at the sink alongside a generic mouthwash bottle. Shaving kits and dental kits were also available alongside hand towels in the drawer.

Bathroom amenities
Hand Towels and Toiletries were stocked

After checking out the lavatories, I returned to my seat to peruse the IFE and catch up on some movies. Feeling FOMO, I watched The Greatest Showman for the remainder of the time that was left of the flight. One highlight of the IFE system to me was the moving map where the plane displayed was actually a 787 and not a generic aircraft. The IFE remote also worked hand in hand in map mode and I was able to pinch and zoom on the map with the IFE remote.

High Definition 18 inch IFE screen
IFE remote in map mode

Fast track passes for immigration at Bangkok were given out midway into the flight.

Fast Track for immigration at BKK

About 30 minutes before arrival, the first officer announced that we were commencing our descent shortly into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Realizing that this was my only chance to grab a photo with the cabin crew, I headed to the galley to check if it was possible for a photo with the crew for memory’s sake. Thankfully they obliged and I wasn’t going to be reported to the Thai authorities for asking. Here’s a photo featuring awkward hands (I’m terrible at taking pictures with the opposite sex) :

Awkward turtle

At this point of the flight, I realized I haven’t actually taken a photo of the massive Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines and the raked wing of the Boeing 787-10, so here it is featuring the blue tint of the windows from 19A :

Wing View

As we approached Bangkok, it was approximately 1815 in the evening and we were greeted with an awesome sunset on approach. The mood lighting was switched from a purple hue to an orange hue to mimic the sunset outside as well.

On approach to Bangkok

At approximately 1831 local time we touched down onto the runway of Bangkok Suvanarbhumi, 30 minutes early of our scheduled landing time of 1900.

Arrival to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International
Wing and engine of the Boeing 787-10 with speed brakes opening
IFE post-landing with goodbye message

It was close to 5 minutes before we arrived at our gate as we landed on the other side of the airport. Eventually, we pulled up beside a Thai Airways Boeing 777.

Thai Airways Boeing 777 at BKK

The seat belt signed was turned off and I bade farewell to the crew and made my way to immigration and the baggage carousel and onward to the city centre to begin 26 hours in Bangkok.

Concluding Thoughts

My first time flying on Singapore Airlines Business Class was really awesome and coupled with the experience of flying on the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, this was certainly a flight for the memory books. Singapore Airlines does have a fantastic hard product, but to really enjoy the full Singapore Airlines experience you need a set of fantastic crew as well. The service was super attentive and Mr Ho, one of the leading stewards in the business class cabin, seemed to know I drink a lot of water and offered me several bottles of water throughout the flight. Ms Sim, who was also part of the business class crew serving both aisles was also always on the lookout to see if we needed drink refills or really just about anything throughout the flight. So shout out to the crew operating SQ982 on 21 April 2018 if you’re reading this by any chance!

Stay tuned for the next installment of 26 Hours in Bangkok as I’ll be reviewing not one, but two of Thai Airways lounges in Bangkok.

Matthew Chong
Matthew Chong
Addicted to luxury travel while trying not to go broke, Matthew is always on the prowl for the best deals in the travel industry. When he's not busy studying, he can be found trawling the internet and reading up on credit cards, airlines and hotels. He also wouldn't mind taking you out on a date.

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Peter

Congrats on your virgin business class experience. Now you will find it hard to return back to economy. Lol.

Waldro

Nice cabin, but just the norm with its competitors recent business cabin upgrades. Having to pay for WiFi in Business Class is not good. Competitors offer this complimentary especially to frequent flyers. SG to BKK Royal Thai or Cathay via Hong Kong still a better service.

Ken

CX has a good product and they do have a BKK>SIN (and vice versa) but it’s only once daily landing BKK in afternoon and leaving BKK at lunch time (it’s a loop service, HKG>BKK>SIN>BKK>HKG, hence the funky timing), meaning if you’re looking at a short getaway, you’ll miss 2 meals on ground, making it less than ideal.. CX BKK>HKG>SIN would make a 2hr flight, a 7hr one (including layover).. err.. nah.. I took Royal Thai on a Biz Class promo once.. let’s say I won’t be doing so again.. I only felt more sorry for a family in F, was… Read more »

Waldro

WiFi is not free for all on SQ. Further Royal Thai have upgraded all its aircraft and or cabins’ recently.

anon

Awesome, thorough review Matt. Keep it up!

Chocolat

Must get master Aaron to send padwan on F.

Chocolat

Truly impressed that you visited 3 lounges in 3 separate terminals. That’s a lot of walking! How early did you arrive at the airport?

Kai

Hey Matthew, congrats on your virgin trip report and I must say it’s well written! Keep it up and I hope you’ll be able to go for a longer trip the next time round!

U John

Great review Matthew! Felt like I was on the flight with you! Will now order my Lobster Thermidor for my flight next week!

PlaneSimple

Great work Matt! I’ve also done BTC for my trip next week but gone with the steak – risky I know but that will add to the excitement. Keep up the good work, I look forward to the next part.

Flora Tong

Thanks for the detail write up to capture all the info. Love the seats and service. I ordered a fruit platter instead of the normal meal, still good standard.

[…] B787-10s, 9V-SCE and 9V-SCF, bringing the grand total to 6. These aircraft, which have the 2017 regional business class seats, now serve Osaka, Bali, Tokyo, Bangkok, Perth, and Manila. You can expect New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh […]

[…] Escapes rates and you would want to be booking SQ982 from Singapore and SQ983 from Bangkok to fly on the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner at a cheaper redemption award […]

[…] is on the list and this presents a great opportunity to sample the new regional Business Class product for […]

[…] Business Class will be in a 1-2-1 layout with all seats having direct aisle access as Singapore Airlines installing its latest regional Business Class product on its medium-haul A350. This same seat is also found on their Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.  […]

[…] The cabin interior should surprise no one, as SQ is using the exact same 2013 J seat as the rest of its long-haul configured A350-900s (regional configured A350-900s will soon join the fleet, with SQ’s regional business class product). […]

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