Tl;dr – Kicking off my journey to Japan, I flew to Tokyo onboard Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER business class. The flight was a good experience overall. Though the flight lacked any ‘wow’ factor, I enjoyed the in-flight dining and the quirky-albeit-fleeting service.
My journey to Japan started at LAX, with a Singapore Airlines flight to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. After resting at the Hyatt Regency LAX and spending time at the Centurion Lounge and the Star Alliance Lounge, it was time to board my flight to Japan. This flight would be my second journey on Singapore Airlines long-haul business class in three months. A few months earlier, I flew Singapore Airlines to Kathmandu, Nepal (with a layover in Singapore). The previous flight out of LAX was serviced by an Airbus A350-900 (trip report for Nepal and the Philippines forthcoming), so this would be a chance for me to experience Singapore Airlines’s long-haul business class product on a different aircraft. OK, let’s jump into it.
Booking the Flight
Given that this flight is a fifth-freedom – an international flight operated by an airline between two countries that are not the airline’s home country – there’s often sneaky good availability on this route. I booked this flight for 123,000 KrisFlyer Miles a piece, one seat for Mrs. Blackbeard and one for myself. As Singapore Airlines is one of Chase’s 14 travel partners, I transferred enough Ultimate Rewards Points to redeem these two tickets.
Boarding
Singapore Airlines Business Class on the extended-range Boeing 777-300ER features twelve rows of business class in a 1-2-1 format, with the first three rows right behind the first-class cabin. A galley and bathrooms separate this first cluster from the next nine rows of business class. We were seated in the interior (non-window) seats of rows 18, D, and F. Boarding was seamless—we were some of the first business class passengers on the plane.
Seat and Storage
Though they looked dated, the seats were large and spacious, and the surrounding area had ample storage space for your belongings. I always appreciate premium cabin seating where there’s an abundance of compartments to stash items. I’m generally a light packer, but having thoughtfully sized compartments to safely store a laptop, tablet, or shoes, where everything is within reach but also out of sight (and mind until you’re ready for it!), just adds to the relaxation of the journey.
Outlets, audio jacks, and reading lights are on the seat’s interior wall. A few push-to-release compartments align the wall; inside them, you’ll find bottled water, the amenity kit, and noise-canceling headphones.
Above this, you’ll find a privacy screen, which Mrs. Blackbeard pulled up when she had enough of me.
To the left of the in-flight entertainment display, there’s another storage compartment. Down under is a handy shoe well.
The seat controls are on the outside (aisle-side) armrest. The preset controls make it easy to recline into whichever position is most comfortable for you.
I didn’t snap photos of the seat in bed mode, but it was decently comfortable and made for a spacious sleeping well. I was able to catch a few hours of Z’s, but I was wired on this flight and also spent a good amount of time reading, writing, and watching movies.
Amenities and Facilities
Penhaligon’s, a British perfume house, has been providing amenity kits for Singapore Airlines business class for the last few years, and that’s what we received on our flight. You can expect face mist, hand lotion, and lip balm.
The comfort ‘starter pack’ included socks, slippers, and an eye mask.
Bose manufactures noise-cancelling headphones with ear covers, which are a small but nice added touch.
The bathrooms were standard. I didn’t make too many visits throughout the flight, but when I did get up, I was pleased to see they were kept clean. If you need to freshen up, the lavatories have additional toiletries, like toothbrushes (and toothpaste), sanitary bags, wipes, combs, brushes, and shaving kits.
Food and Dining
The food was tasty—easily my favorite part of the flight. Food is a bit of a Singapore Airlines calling card, so I decided not to snack in the lounges we visited at LAX so as to have room for the full experience. I pre-ordered my meals and modified my lunch course in flight. Here’s a look at the full menu.
Singapore Airlines famously offers the option to “Book the Cook“, allowing passengers to choose from a wider selection of premium meals, including creations inspired by the airline’s International Culinary Panel. I went with that option on my previous flight to Kathmandu and decided to do the same to Tokyo. Here’s what I originally selected:
The Lu Rou fan was a great choice. It was flavorful and well-presented. For dessert, I went with a tried-and-true class: chocolate ice cream.
A while later, Mrs. Blackbeard and I decided to split the margarita pizza. It was OK, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. (Sorry for the blurry photos.)
I called an audible for my lunch order and decided to move away from the burger for two reasons. 1) I was full from the previous meal and snack, and 2) I had eaten the burger on my previous Singapore Airlines business class flight. Instead, I selected the Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Oriental Sauce, which were also super tasty.
The flight’s wine selection was pretty decent. Mrs. Blackbeard and I sampled all three of the non-fortified reds. The Shiraz from the Barossa Valley—Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa was an especially solid value pick. It has a lot of depth for a bottle that retails for less than ~$30.
Service
The flight crew was friendly and cordial, though they weren’t super present. Outside of food service, I didn’t notice the crew passing through the cabin to check on passengers. That’s not a big deal; what they lacked in frequency, they made up in colorfulness. One team member (by the name of Zeth, I believe?) saw me looking at the cocktail list and insisted he craft not a special ‘Sling’ – not a Singapore Sling, nor a SilverKris Sling’ but his own concoction.
I have to give him his props; the drink hit.
With such a comfortable ride, the flight felt short and I was a bit surprised when we started our descent into Tokyo.
Conclusion
My Singapore Airlines business class experience on the 777-300 was a good one; this is a route to keep in mind if you’re flying between Tokyo and Los Angeles. If your JAL or ANA dreams don’t materialize, take a peak to see if there’s availability on this fifth freedom route, as it’s a solid consolation prize.
