Today I’m reviewing Singapore Airlines Economy Class on their regional Airbus A350-900. My flight today is a 3 hour hop from Singapore accross the Gulf of Thailand to Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. I really can’t think of anything negative about today’s flight, it was great. This formed part of a larger multi city trip from London to Hanoi via Singapore, then Saigon to London via Singapore. Feel free to check out my full review of Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 Economy class from London to Singapore. And their fantastic regional business class from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Singapore. Also if you want to see everything please watch my Youtube review for this flight below:
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Airlines’ main hub Changi International Airport really is one of the best in the world. First of all, it’s extremely efficient making layovers a breeze. Before this flight I had just arrived from London and had a 1h 25m layover which was more than enough time. We even managed to fit in a bit of shopping. Moving between the 3 main terminals (1,2 & 3) is seamless on the skytrain, though if you’re flying out of the budget terminal 4 it takes much longer. They also have basically everything you could want at an airport. We didn’t have time to check these out today, but my return flight had a 10 hour layover at Singapore so I apprecieted all the extras:
- The Jewel – This massive entertainment and shopping complex is the jewel in the crown of Singapore Airport. With the world’s largest indoor waterfall, a rainforest, hundreds of shops, restaurants and more it’s hard to believe this is an airport. Even if you’re not flying it’s still worth visiting just to spend a few hours here.
- Cinema – One of the best features of any airport I’ve been to is the two 24 hour free cinemas in Terminal 2 & 3. They don’t play the newest films but generally they have a pretty good selection of movies showing. Though when I visited they were showing Morbius so I gave that one a miss.
- Butterfly Garden – If you want to experience some nature in the urban airport landscape look no further than the butterfly garden in Terminal 3. This small tropical space if filled with over 40 species of butterfly. But since it is open to the outside you won’t be able to hear anything over the roar of jet engines from nearby planes.
- Food street – this food court is designed to resemble 1960s hawker stalls that Singapore is famous for. With a wide selection of global food at a surprisingly affordable price, I think this is one best bang-for-your-buck food options at any major airport.
- Rock Climbing – believe it or not Changi’s newest attraction is a rock climbing gym in the basement of Terminal 3. You do have to pass back security and step outside but if you have the time and fancy some extreme sports this could be for you.
The Plane and Seat
Singapore Airlines use a “medium haul” variant of the Airbus A350-900 in a 2 class configuration for routes like this. With 40 lay flat Business Class seats and 263 Economy seats it is perfect for short high demand routes. I was seated in seat 61A today, which is a pretty good location and relatively near the front of the economy cabin. The plane we flew on was registered 9V-SHN and was 3 years old at the time of flying.
The seats Singapore Airlines use here are some of the best I’ve experienced and almost identical to those used on the long haul Airbus A380. It has 32″ seat pitch (distance between each seat) so leg room is pretty excellent. To have such a great seat on long haul flights is one thing, but using it on short haul flights is amazing. Comparing it to Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier Scoot who use an Airbus A320 on this route with tiny 28″ seat pitch there’s no competition.
You also get all the other feature you’d expect from a quality long haul seat like a blanket, pillow, adjustable headrest, entertainment system with large screen etc. Again, for a short haul flight this is extremely generous and I can’t think of any Western airlines who provide all of this. They even had amenity kits available on request (eyemask, earplugs etc) which are usually only available on long haul flights. And in the toilets you can find a dental kit too.
Food & Drink
Considering this was only a 3 hour early morning flight, it was nice to have a full breakfast service. I went for the Asian breakfast choice which was Congee with pork meatballs and fried dough balls. It may not look too appertising but it tasted delicous and was once of the best airline breakfasts I’ve had. The Western option was a pretty standard omelette but looked nice enough. It also came with a good raspberry yoghurt and drink of your choice (I went for coffee and orange juice).
Whilst Singapore Airlines Economy on long haul flights will give you nice metal cutlery and sturdy dishes. Short haul flights have started using more sustainable wooden cutlery and paper food boxes. Whilst some people have come out against this, I think it’s a good move. According to SATS, it allows for a wider range of dishes (like noodle soups) which in theory will satisfy more people. The packaging is also recycled into biofuel.
Service
As I’ve mentioned in other reviews of Singapore Airlines, service is always great. I’m generally not overly bothered about service unless I’m flying business. But even in Economy the Singapore Airlines cabin crew seemed genuinely friendly and helpful. My only interaction with them was on boarding, food service and disembarking so that may not be enough to judge.
Final Thoughts
As someone from the UK who’s used to 4 hour easyJet flights to Greece, it blows my mind that Singapore Airlines provide such an amazing service on such a short route. Their Airbus A350-900 is brilliant and the Economy seats are exactly the same as their long haul seats. Which is to say, some of the best seats out there. The food service, though not the most visually appealing was delicious, and the service was fantastic. Even the airport experience at Changi was top notch.
To sum up… Singapore Airlines Economy in their regional Airbus A350 is superior to basically every western short haul economy product. However, it’s not exactly cheap. A one way ticket from Singapore to Hanoi with a budget carrier like Vietjet Air or Scoot will set you back about £90. Meanwhile Singapore Airlines charge more than double that at £190. Is it worth it? I think so… especially when it’s a connecting flight on a larger booking like I was flying today. For me the cost of flying London to Hanoi via Singapore was actually the same as just the flight to Singapore.
More from me…
Please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:
- Singapore Airlines Economy from London to Singapore – As Good as People Say?
- British Airways Club Europe London to Geneva – Another “business class” short haul flight
- Norse Atlantic Airways Premium from London to Oslo – Another unique widebody flight within Europe
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