There are three flights on my bucket list: taking a shower on Emirates, the Etihad apartment, and the Singapore Airlines double suite. Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of checking the last one off my list on a flight from Frankfurt to JFK. If you are interested in booking this experience, there are a couple things to note:
- Singapore Airlines (SG) only flies the A380 with the double suites on certain routes so you need to check carefully that the plane type is right before booking
- There are 6 individual suites but only the first four can be joined to make a double suite. So, you need to book 1A and 2A or 1F and 2F
- We booked using points. You can transfer points from AMEX or Bonvoy. Certain routes, like the one we booked, can be done for a low amount of points but they are hard to find. Basically, you need to just keep searching different days, and take one when you see it, and work around those dates. Trust me, its worth the flight. Some flights are short, in order to get the full experience, you should find one that is at least 8 hours.
On the day of the flight, we checked in using the dedicated suites desk and then went to the lounge. One disappointing thing about flying from FRA, instead of Singapore, is that I am sure the suites lounge in Singapore and the pre-departure services would be much grander so we did miss out on some of the experience. The first class lounge in FRA was was small roped off area of the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. Here was the menu:
At the gate, there was a dedicated line for suites. On this flight, there were only 4 passengers (and a baby).
Upon boarding, we were shown to our suite. Beside the door of each suite, there is a large closet to put your stuff:
As my carry on did not fit in this closet, and since the suite behind me was unoccupied, the stewardess put my carry on in the suite behind me. So I essentially, had one suite for lounging and one for storage! My wife was in 1A and here is a look at her suite. The chair was extremely luxurious and it was controlled electronically (I found the controls a bit too complicated for no reason and a bit slow to react; however, the number of seating position options, when I did get it to work, were amazing). Note that if you are not travelling with another person, then there is a wall divider separating you from the next suite. In our case, the divider was down so we could chat and also, have the double bed later.
Here is a good view of the two suites:
…and my suite on its own…what was crazy about the amount of space was that even with the beds down (in the center), the seat was still usable and there was enough room to still walk around!
After take off, it was time for lunch. The table setting was extremely formal and the menu was quite extensive in terms of what was available to eat and drink. Note that you can take advantage of their “book the cook” program and pre order your meal before the flight. One thing to note is that because the flight was not originating in Singapore, the food options were more limited than if they had originated in Singspore.
The meal started with some caviar (I should note that champagne was served the whole time from boarding). One thing nice about the suite was the TV angle could be changed. Also, there was so many options for lighting to set the right mood.
After the caviar, we had the famous SG chicken satays. They lived up to their reputation. The sauce was absolutely delicious. The only problem was there were not enough!
For my main, I had chicken curry.
…and dessert…
Tea was from TWG:
The bathroom for the suites guests was also amazing. There are two, one larger and one smaller. Here is the former.
The airline provided PJs which I changed into, and it was such a pleasure to brush my teeth and take out my contacts on a plane in this type of environment! When I got back to the suite, the flight attendant was making our beds.
…and here are some views of the amount of space with one person and two…
A view of the TVs from the bed. Each person can watch a different program.
…and an example of having the option to use the beds or chairs…
On this flight, I tried to maximize all the options possible. Scheduling enough time to watch a movie, sleep, and eat!
Even thought I wasn’t hungry, I had to order as much as possible. Starting with coffee in bed.
…and noodles later on…
…as we approached New York City, the served breakfast. I had congee and my wife had the burger.
This flight was amazing. Probably the only time I didn’t want a flight to end. As I write this post, I am starting to wish all flights were like this, and if you get the chance, I highly recommend the experience!