Travelling from Europe to South East Asia, a pairing that could do with more connectivity, and Singapore Airlines is likely to be one of the first options that pops up. With a renowned reputation, is Business Class worth it on their short haul flights? This review covers my experience on the short hop from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International (NAIA) Airport to Singapore Changi aboard the A350-900.
In this post:
Check-in and lounge in Manila
Check-in was relatively simple at the airport, once you get through the security scrum just to enter the terminal. Surprisingly, considering Singapore Airlines (SQ) operates five flights per day and a lounge here, the check in is not open all day and will only accept people three hours before departure. I had two connections on my return trip home, one being on the same ticket through Singapore to Frankfurt (to take Suites Class on the A380) followed by a separate booking on British Airways Cityflyer to London City. Testament to the excellent service by SQ, they were more than willing to check through the luggage to City and were even able to print that sector’s boarding pass!
Singapore Airlines operate their own lounge at Manila’s NAIA, a review for which you can read here. The summary is that is an average lounge that could certainly do with sprucing up in a few places owing to the age of the space. Regional rival Cathay Pacific has a far superior lounge in Manila located just a few metres away on the same hallway.
In-flight experience
Singapore Airlines operates an all lay-flat business class fleet from their smallest 737-MAX to their largest Airbus A380s covering even the shortest hops to the likes of Kuala Lumpur. Today’s aircraft was on a ‘Medium Haul’ regionally configured Airbus A350-900 – this is worth calling out because the seat type and layout differs to their Long and Ultra Long Haul variants. This seat is pretty good considering what it’s used for and that global competitors, such as Turkish Airlines, use it as their primary Long Haul seating type!
The seat is comfortable and, unlike their Long Haul variant, reclines directly into a flat bed as opposed to the seat flipping into the bed mode (similar to Virgin Atlantic’s older 787 Upper Class). Some may prefer this for the sake of simplicity and to get a better seated recline angle. SQ also include a plush, large pillow and blanket alongside a full printed menu on the seat upon boarding.
The seat feels incredibly private and private, despite it not featuring a sliding door as well as being located on an aisle adjacent seat on this flight. This is due to two factors, the first being the winged area around the top of the seat blocking most of the cabin from view and the rear of the seat being covered in a soft noise-absorbing lining. The winged area also holds the adjustable reading lights for the seat.
To the right of the seat, is a console which features a secure storage area who holds the headphones, provides access to the USB port (Type A only) and international power outlet, as well as pull out mirror next to it. Below this is the seat controls and touchscreen remote control for the inflight entertainment.
Those seat controls work as expected and within about thirty seconds puts the seat into lay flat mode. When in this mode, it’s quite easy to relax but the space is a bit constrained since the seat isn’t particularly wide at 26 inches. More of an issue is the foot cubby which extends quite far up the legs and doesn’t provide tonnes of space to move around – clearly the reason why this is only on shorter SQ flights.
And, as you’ve probably noticed, the bulkhead (front row) seat in Business Class has this space next to the screen. Technically, you’re not allowed to stow any items here during take off and landing but they were perfectly happy with me putting the blanket and pillow there.
Inflight entertainment under the name ‘KrisWorld’ was excellent, as I’ve come to expect from Singapore’s flag carrier. There is a large variety of content to choose from on there but, more importantly, they seem to be consistent on the content available between aircraft. This is quite a big deal because, as an airline heavily focused on connecting flights, it means you can continue a film or TV series from flight to flight. The screen itself was touchscreen, which isn’t the case on all SQ’s Business Class seats, and was smooth to the touch.
You can also play content independently not the remote control e.g. playing a film on the main screen and the news or maps on the remote – which I always find a nice touch. WiFi was available but I didn’t choose to use it on a flight this short. The airline announced earlier in May 2026 that they intend to begin installing Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite WiFi from Q1 2027 for those who might be interested.
Food, drink and amenities
As noted earlier, a hefty menu was provided at the seat upon boarding and it is incredibly detailed with a whole host of options. The menu is below but worth noting they offer real Illy Espresso and iced coffee drinks on board which are close to a mid-range coffee shop. That sounds a bit of a let down comparison however getting good coffee in the air can be a rarity!
We began today’s meal service with a glass of excellent Charles Heidsieck Champagne that was perfectly chilled. The crew on this flight were absolutely brilliant and helpful throughout with them being very accommodating to me taking photos of the service onboard (which is always helpful).
The tray table itself was sturdy, despite being the split type, which I would find it comfortable and strong enough to use to type on my laptop.
The appetiser consisted of a fresh and flavourful plate of cold poached salmon while for main I opted for the Kare Kare Filipino Braised Beef. The latter was well seasoned and had a strong peanut flavour that was very reminiscent of what you might find on the streets of Metro Manila. In particular, I’d say that the main was a very healthy, large portion which often isn’t the case on many airlines. Drinks were also kept topped up frequently throughout the service.
Dessert was a little disappointing with this Cappuccino Gateau which wasn’t the most flavourful nor particularly inspiring for Singapore Airlines.
After the meal, I nipped into one of the three bathrooms dedicated to the forty Business Class passengers. The bathroom was standard but kept exceptionally clean at all times, even down to covering the seat with a toilet cover. Amenity items such as toothbrush and paste were available, even though this was only a short haul flights, whilst premium Penhaligons lotion, soap and spray were available. The Penhaligons items have since been replaced with Le Labo, I believe.
And with that, we came soon landed into Singapore Changi on time and with no rainfall unlike most of my other visits.
Final thoughts
Consistent and Brilliant. Singapore Airlines may not be the most ‘bling’ or flashy airline in the world, but they certainly know how to do air travel well. Considering this is regional Business Class, it was an incredible way to start a journey and quite an oxymoron to this class of service offered in Europe. From the friendly cabin crew service to tasty food, besides the dessert, and great champagne – I wouldn’t hesitate to fly this again.
My one-way flight home from Manila to Frankfurt cost a hefty 260,000 KrisFlyer miles. That is not good value for money but was mostly inflated by my onward Suites (First) Class flight from Singapore to Frankfurt. Manila to Singapore alone costs 25,000 to 46,000 miles one way, depending if you are able to nab cheaper Saver or Advantage Award space, while Manila to Frankfurt would cost 108,500 to 291,500 (!) one way.
