Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG to Singapore

The route from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was the busiest international flight route in the world in 2018 with 30,187 flights per year, according to an analysis by travel information service OAG Aviation Worldwide. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly reduced this figure significantly. Nevertheless, there are still numerous daily connections between the two Southeast Asian metropolises. We opted for a morning flight with Singapore Airlines. I was very excited to see what the Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG had to offer in regional traffic.

How did we book our flight?

To get from Kuala Lumpur to the Thai capital Bangkok, there are several options in different price categories. Both budget airlines such as Air Asia X and premium carriers such as Malaysia Airlines or THAI offer direct flights. However, as it was clear to us that we wanted to book an award flight, we opted for what we considered to be the best value for money and booked a connecting flight from Kuala Lumpur via Singapore to Bangkok with Singapore Airlines in Business Class.

I found a good offer via Miles+Bouns, the frequent flyer programme of Aegean Airlines, where I also have my Star Alliance Gold status. We paid a total of 97,500 award miles and only 78 euros in taxes and fees for the flights in Singapore Airlines Business Class (for two adults and one child).

What is the cabin and seat like in the Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG?

Singapore Airlines only operates a small fleet of eight former SilkAir Boeing 737-800 NGs, which are still equipped with the former regional subsidiary's business class seats. SilkAir's Boeing 737-800 NGs were originally destined for the low-cost subsidiary Scoot, while Singapore Airlines only wanted to take over the regional subsidiary's Boeing 737-8 MAXs and equip them with new business class seats. The two serious crashes of the Boeing 737-8 MAX at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 and the subsequent worldwide grounding of this aircraft type unfortunately cancelled these plans. Singapore Airlines was now forced to continue operating this older Boeing 737-800 NG as a full-service narrow-body aircraft in regional traffic.

The Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG consists of 12 reclining seats, which are installed in a total of 3 rows in a 2-2 arrangement. Behind them is Economy Class, which is separated by a partition and a curtain. As a special feature, Business Class does not start in row 1, but in row 11. The seats in the front row offer additional legroom, but have no storage options on the floor during take-off and landing.

The former owner SilkAir had installed the ‘Millennium’ leather seats manufactured by B/E Aerospace in Business Class. As already mentioned, Singapore Airlines simply took over these seats and only changed the colour to grey. My seat for the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was 11A, i.e. the left window seat in the first row. The seat was well upholstered and quite comfortable and ultimately more than adequate for a short day flight in terms of seating comfort. All seat adjustments were made mechanically via 4 levers in the armrest of the seat. The backrest was adjustable and a footrest could also be extended and lowered. There was also an adjustable lumbar support. The headrest was height-adjustable and could be angled to the side. The table was located in the outer armrest and there was a large shelf and a small table for drinks between the two seats. There was also a universal power socket and a USB-A port for each passenger. In Business Class on the Boeing 737-800 NG from Singapore Airlines, a fluffy blanket and a large pillow were available on boarding.

Was gibt es in der Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG zu essen & trinken?

As our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore only took 40 minutes, we were asked for our meal preferences by the flight attendant shortly after boarding. We were addressed by name and could choose between two cold dishes:

• Cold Soba
  Cold buckwheat noodles garnished with salmon roe, chopped egg, seaweed and spring onions, served with wasabi and dried bonito noodle sauce
• Gado Gado
  Cold salad of boiled egg, potatoes, cabbage and green beans with fried tempeh, fermented soya bean cake, peanut sauce and crispy emping crackers.

Since I already stayed at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur (click here Hotel Review) and in the lounge at Kuala Lumpur Airport (click here Lounge Review) had eaten something, I wasn't too hungry. I didn't know either dish, but I was more curious about Gado Gado. This lukewarm vegetable salad comes from Indonesian cuisine, especially from central Indonesia and the island of Bali, and is served with a spicy peanut sauce. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it tasted really good with the peanut sauce.

The service in the Singapore Airlines Boeing 737-800 NG Business Class was impeccable. The table was set with a tablecloth and real cutlery and the food and drinks were served on china. Drinks were served to order directly from the front galley. However, there was no welcome drink. Instead, a bottle of still water was available at the seat during boarding.

How is the in-flight entertainment in Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 737-800 NG?

The aircraft had ceiling monitors on which the safety video was shown. However, the monitors were not used during the flight. Like the previous owners of the Boeing 737-800 NG SilkAir, Singapore Airlines relies on the built-in Wi-Fi and the streaming service it offers. This could be used to stream films, series and music to your own smartphone/tablet. According to the Singapore Airlines website, Apple iPads are to be distributed to Business Class passengers. However, this was not the case on our short flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. However, it was not possible to surf the internet via WLAN.

Did you like the post? Then share it on the social networks! This way you support our work a lot. We are also happy about your opinion in the comments.