From British Airways’ complete fleet refurbishment to Etihad’s Apartments and Emirates’ showers, the A380 has long been the pinnacle of flying, especially in First Class. Singapore Airlines is no exception. This is our review of the South East Asian carrier’s market-leading A380 Suites Class.
Some elements, such as the amenities or food and beverages, may have changed since the flight; however, the hard product and world-class service remain the same. Any changes are noted in the review.
In this post:
Ground experience
Singapore Changi International Airport is voted the world’s best, regularly fighting it out against Doha, Incheon and Hong Kong. That is well deserved, with excellent amenities available to all passengers, such as the flower gardens, the Jewel and a plethora of restaurants. First Class passengers on Singapore Airlines get access to the good Private Room (reviewed here), albeit the space does not quite match Cathay Pacific.
Changi is not perfect, though, and that was proven by the boarding process. If you are not familiar with the airport, all terminals bar Terminal 4 have security at the gate, which is slow and frustrating. With an aircraft the size of the A380, it was downright chaotic and a poor start to our departure, with no priority provision for First Class passengers.
First impressions
Stepping aboard the mighty A380 to the upper deck, you are greeted by one of the incredible Singapore Airlines cabin crew wearing their batik-patterned uniforms. Unlike Qatar Airways, the service does not feel robotic and the crew do not try to act overly friendly like Virgin Atlantic.
The cabin is secluded, with ultra-high walls and sliding doors to enter the suites. These are 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) high. The aisle itself is not particularly wide, showing how Singapore Airlines has maximised the space for use by the First Class seats themselves.
Suites Class is an exclusive experience, with just six seats in the cabin and only twelve A380 aircraft in the fleet.
The suite
The Suite is 4.64 square metres, with space similarly sized to its closest A380 competitor, the Etihad A380 Apartments. The design is much better, primarily because Singapore Airlines has fitted six suites in a more conventional rectangular shape, versus the more efficiently spaced eight suites on Etihad.
The design of the seat is smart, with brown leather. Funnily enough, the leather is by Poltrona Frau, who also supplied the leather on Etihad’s A380. A small, plump pillow and soft blanket can be found on the seat, with bedding stored elsewhere so as not to encroach on passenger space.
Upon boarding, the large recliner armchair can be found placed almost in the centre, while the bed remains folded away. The seat itself is locked to the forward-facing position for departure and landing. As a result, there is a minor issue: the primary in-flight entertainment display is located behind you near the bed. Singapore Airlines addresses this with a small display to show the safety video ahead of you.
A fixed table can be found to the right of the fixed forward-facing position, where the crew placed the menus and a glass of pre-departure Dom Pérignon. I was sure to have more than a few glasses of this during the twelve-hour flight.
Within the armrest are the buttons for the seat functions, which include a significant recline and the ability to rotate the seat by 270 degrees. This customisability was great, as it meant I could look out of the window without craning my neck or spin round to look at the view.
Next to the window is a small tablet that acts as the control centre for the suite. Its functions are extensive. It is similar to the touchscreen remotes found on many Business and First seats, except it is far more intuitive to use due to the large surface. It can control seat functions (instead of using the armrest buttons), adjust the suite’s extensive lighting, and display entertainment instead of the main screen. It safely locks into a dock which, I presume, charges the device and allows you to use it freely within the space.
Alongside the windows are also storage cubbies for personal items, which on this specific aircraft seemed a little difficult to open and close owing to a dodgy locking mechanism.
The windows themselves feature two-stage mechanised blinds, a small detail that really adds a touch of class. The first is a diffuser blind that dims the exterior sunlight, while the second completely blocks all light. You can close just the diffuser or both at the same time to achieve the desired level of comfort.
When the door is closed, the space feels exceptionally private and offers unparalleled privacy. You could easily use this space to do yoga (I didn’t!). Owing to aviation rules, there are small holes in the door in a batik-style pattern that allow the cabin crew to check on passengers.
Next to the door is the primary storage area for carry-on luggage and hanging space for clothing or shoes. Singapore Airlines opted not to install overhead bins, a smart move that makes the space feel airy with higher ceilings.
The meals
Singapore Airlines is widely known for its excellent food and beverage options in all classes. With this flight taking place from Changi, I had access to the Book the Cook service on their website. In short, this service does not just allow you to reserve the meal for your flight but also select from a wider menu of options. You need to do this at least 24 hours prior to the flight, but it is a great way to provide a more tailored and extensive experience for passengers; it is also available in Business Class.
That being said, if you don’t use Book the Cook, you won’t go hungry with this chunky menu.
For the dining service, the seat is positioned to face the door, with a large table that folds out. This means the crew can easily serve the passenger and arrange the table setting. The table itself is large and sturdy, with absolutely no flex.
Today’s post-departure meal service began with Malossol Caviar, alongside traditional garnishes and blinis.
The appetiser consisted of a Balik Smoked Salmon.
For the main course, I had pre-booked the famous lobster dish.
And finally, I opted for Chocolate Marquise with Caramelised Peanut.
This meal service was very good, with complex flavours that were on par with some of the world’s best, like Cathay Pacific or Air France. If I were to fly this again, which is unlikely anytime soon, I would probably have eaten less in the lounge to save room for the rich flavours on board.
Drinks were exceptional throughout the whole flight, with free-flowing champagne and an extensive selection of premium spirits. Coffee was very good too for an aircraft, with Illy espresso available, or the option for filter coffee.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed the breakfast even more, probably because of the Singaporean heritage of the meal. Of course, the pastries were freshly prepared and not dry, while the fruit was flavourful, but the satay chicken was the real winner, with juicy meat, accompanying fresh fruit and plentiful sauce. I could have eaten plate upon plate of this.
Luxury-grade bedding
The real magic of Singapore Airlines’ A380 is the fold-out bed, which provides a comfortable place to rest. The bed is 193cm long and 66.6cm wide, which is slightly narrower than a single bed.
The bedding is incredible, with a thick mattress topper, duvet and plump pillows. I slept for around six hours, which allowed me to still have plenty of time to experience the aircraft and land into Frankfurt refreshed.
Those in seats 1A/2A and 1F/2F can take down the divider to form a double bed and shared space with their travelling companion.
The dimensions of the bed are very similar to Etihad’s A380, give or take a centimetre, but I generally rested better on this aircraft. That could be down to the superior service or better bedding. It is perhaps a little on the narrow side, which larger people will find limiting for excellent sleep.
The amenities (with no showers)
Amenities are plentiful in Singapore Airlines Suites Class. The airline has worked with French brand Lalique for many years now across the entire First Class experience.
Lalique pyjamas are provided by the cabin crew prior to take-off, with sizes up to XL available. They are soft and extremely comfortable, and more than long enough with me being 187cm tall. The airline have since announced they are changing from Lalique to unbranded pyjamas from 2026, with amenity kits changing to Byredo – read more here.
Alongside this are gendered Lalique amenity kits, with the below an example of what was provided on this flight. The kits feature the usual items such as moisturiser and facial mist, but uniquely they often contain Lalique Eau de Toilette or even, bizarrely, candles as a way to further differentiate the airline’s soft product.
The bathrooms are home to more items, such as high-quality toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, combs, hygiene wipes and shaving foam. I would say this is a better way to provide these items, particularly as they were kept well stocked throughout the entire journey.
Those bathrooms are also extremely large. Remember, in this space Etihad fits The Residence with a full-sized double bed and private toilet. Even without a shower here, it is a good space that features room to properly get dressed into the pyjamas or apply makeup. It is well lit and feels well designed. Did I miss that there was no shower on the Singapore A380? Maybe a little. Is it necessary? Certainly not.
The entertainment and connectivity
Singapore Airlines features KrisWorld entertainment, which can be found on all their aircraft, from the smallest 737 MAX all the way to this A380 across all cabins. And it is seriously impressive, especially in this Suite.
At the core is the large 32-inch display stowed opposite the window, which is strangely touchscreen. Strange because it can only be reached if you stand up. The screen can be manoeuvred from the stowed position left, right, up and down, ensuring it is comfortably viewable from your position in the seat or bed.
Entertainment selection is excellent, with many films and full series available, alongside external cameras and interactive mapping. When I wasn’t sleeping, I used the screen to watch films and even connected my laptop via HDMI to use it as a second screen!
The screen can also do almost all the same functions as the aforementioned tablet. One great feature is the Light Controls, where you can easily customise all the specific lighting in the suite, rather than a simple on/off as with other seats.
Headphones are some of the best you will find on any airline, with them provided by Danish audio manufacturer Bang & Olufsen. These have active noise-cancelling and are exceptional quality both in build and audio quality.
Wi-Fi was available, which I didn’t use. It is currently provided by Panasonic and does not use low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites such as Starlink. The airline is due to install Starlink across the fleet over the next few years; however, the A380 isn’t yet scheduled for installation.
The crew
I don’t usually make a whole section for the crew, as good service should just be standard in any premium cabin experience, and often crew experience can be very dependent on who you get on the day. However, when it is this excellent, it needs to be called out, with Singapore Airlines almost flawlessly consistent in the standard of service. So thank you Gregory, Daphne, Lee Gek and Lee Hock for providing their high standard of service, which made me feel at home, and that is probably the highest bar for any cabin crew. Oh, and not forgetting the cute bears they provided as a parting gift!
Conclusion
So, is my title unfair on Singapore Airlines? Potentially, though this seat isn’t perfect. My number one overall First Class experience still goes to Cathay Pacific’s 777 First Class because it hits all the right notes: a wide, long bed; a seat that reclines; brilliant bedding, amenities and crew, on top of lounges that are consistently the world’s best. However, the Singapore Airlines’ almost flawless A380 experience is a close second.
The seat reclines well, the space is large and usable, with a long bed that is perhaps a little narrow. Food was great, particularly the satay, alongside good-quality French amenities and world-leading crew. While I’ve yet to try every A380 First Class, it easily beats Etihad’s form-over-function design. It’s just a shame it will be a long time, if ever, before I get to do the whole journey from Manila to Frankfurt again, having cost me 240,000 KrisFlyer miles… At least the taxes were only USD 250!
