Preparation for the first flight with the Airbus A350 to Singapore

From July 21, 2016, Düsseldorf will be served as the third German city in Singapore Airlines' route network. The non-stop flights to and from Singapore will be operated with the new Airbus A350-900. We will be there for the maiden flight Dusseldorf - Singapore of the latest addition to the Singapore Airlines fleet.

Airbus A350 XWB – a completely new aircraft

The A350 XWB Family is the most technologically advanced passenger aircraft family in the world. It competes with both the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777. The A350 offers 25% more fuel efficiency and, with the newly developed Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines, also 25% less CO2 emissions compared to current competing long-haul models Aluminum (Boeing 777).

The designation XWB stands for "Xtra Wide Body", the particularly large fuselage cross-section of 221 inches (5.61 meters). The cabin is six inches (15.24 cm) wider than the Boeing Dreamliner. As a next-generation aircraft, the A350 XWB offers passengers a new dimension of flying experience - from the moment of boarding. I am very curious about the allegedly low noise level and the advanced air conditioning technology. Thanks to the unique regulation of humidity, dry eyes and respiratory tract should finally be a thing of the past.

Singapore Airlines – the most awarded airline

When Singapore Airlines was founded in 1972, there were just 22 destinations in 18 countries on the flight schedule. Today it has a modern fleet of 103 passenger planes (as of July 2016). A hundred more aircraft, including over 60 from the A350 Family, are on order. The route network comprises a total of 60 destinations in 35 countries worldwide. Singapore Airlines has been voted “Airline of the Year” multiple times by Skytrax through passenger ratings. The most recent award also includes the Business Traveller Award 2016 as “Best Airline for Business Travelers”.

Düsseldorf is the third German city in Singapore Airlines' route network. From July 21, 2016, non-stop flights to and from Singapore will be operated three times a week (in each direction) with the new Airbus A350-900. This makes Düsseldorf the second long-haul destination, after Amsterdam, which is served by the latest addition to the Singapore Airlines fleet.

flight times

• SQ337: Tue, Fri, Sun 11:50 a.m. departure Düsseldorf (DUS) – 06:15 (+1) a.m. arrival Singapore (SIN)
• SQ338: Mon, Thu, Sat 23:30 departure Singapore (SIN) – 06:30 (+1) arrival Düsseldorf (DUS)

Product details Singapore Airlines A350

The Airbus A350 are equipped with the latest generation of cabin products. These include the new Business Class (42 seats), a newly introduced Premium Economy (24 seats) and 187 seats in Economy Class. We will test the new business class extensively, both in the live blog and in a later one detailed trip report report about it.

Short introduction: Business Class A350

The newly designed business class in the Airbus A350 is the most spacious of its kind. I immediately noticed the 86 cm wide leather armchair, which can be converted into a large and completely flat bed. Thanks to a 1 – 2 – 1 arrangement in the cabin, every guest has direct access to the aisle. Business Class is divided into a larger (rows 11-18) and a smaller part (rows 19-22) by the second door. For the outbound flight, I reserved seat 20A in the smaller and mostly quieter cabin section. On the night flight back to Düsseldorf, I'm sitting in row 11 (seated 11K).

Kurzvorstellung: Premium Economy Class A350

The travel class between Business and Economy was only recently introduced. At 96.5 cm, the seat pitch is fifteen centimeters larger than in Economy. The backrest can also be adjusted by up to 20.3 cm.

Kurzvorstellung: Economy Class A350

The Economy Class seats, with a seat width of 46 cm and a seat spacing of 81 cm, guarantee all passengers the greatest possible comfort. Singapore Airlines has an LCD display up to 28 cm in size for individual entertainment.

Preparing for a Singapore Airlines flight

As a passenger, you can prepare perfectly for a flight with Singapore Airlines. In addition to the online check-in that goes without saying, every guest has the opportunity to use the free SingaporeAir app to discover the in-flight entertainment program before the flight and to create a personal playlist. Singapore Airlines also offers the “Book the Cook” service in Premium Economy, Business and First Class.

Singapore Airlines “Book the Cook”-Service

With the “Book the Cook” service, guests can order their in-flight meals up to 24 hours before departure. Since the service is not offered by all destinations, I will only test it on the return flight from Singapore to Düsseldorf (Overview of the offered destinations).

You can select your individual dish online using the “Edit booking” function. There you will find the necessary input mask under the item meal/special meal. Depending on the duration of the flight, you can choose one or two dishes. However, the sorting of the selection menu is not very good and could be grouped according to the different cuisines, for example. So it took me some time to make the perfect choice for me. For dinner, I opted for a grilled American beef tenderloin with asparagus, spinach, and shredded potatoes, served with a balsamic onion sauce. For breakfast I wanted to take the offered US beef burger. In the end, though, common sense prevailed and there will be a poached egg served on hollandaise sauce with sliced ​​lobster, asparagus and roast potatoes. You can find an overview of all available meals in Business Class from Singapore here.

Companion App – SingaporeAir app for inflight entertainment

With the free smartphone app (available in Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store) you can search the inflight entertainment program KrisWorld before the flight and save your favorite series or films as favorites. On board (currently only on the A350) you connect your tablet or smartphone to your individual screen via Wifi. Now you can access your saved favorites, control the entertainment system with your smartphone and display the current flight map on your own mobile device.

Preparing for a trip to Singapore

During various trips (2015 or 2011) we have already established that the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore is not just a necessary stop on the way to Australia, for example. We like to call Singapore “Asia for beginners”, which is certainly also due to the British colonial rule. Our forthcoming press trip is titled “Green Singapore”. But before we give you an overview of the planned sights, we would like to briefly point out the entry and customs regulations.

Entry requirements for Singapore

As German citizens, we only need a passport that is still valid for at least six months to enter Singapore. Upon entry, we receive a residence permit for up to 90 days. Further information, in particular on the strict customs regulations, can be found on the information page of the Foreign Office.

Note: You can only obtain legally binding information and/or information about entry requirements that goes beyond this information directly from the embassy or one of the general consulates of your destination country.

Green Singapore attractions

During the three-day press tour, we will visit Gardens by the Bay, Fort Canning Hill and Chinatown, as well as take a trip to Pulau Ubin Island - the last "village" in Singapore. Also on the program is a visit to a Night Safari, where we will encounter over a thousand nocturnal animals after dark. My personal highlight will be the visit to the Singapore Airline Training Center, where the famous Singapore Girls train.

Singapore Travel Guide

For the perfect city trip to Singapore, we recommend you this guide. Here you will not only find a detailed city map, but also a lot of information about all the important sights.

Participation in the trip is supported by Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board. At this point we would like to thank you again for your cooperation and support. This post represents our free and independent opinion.