Barely a week after returning from Singapore, it was time to head to Guangzhou, China – via… Singapore yet again. Naturally, this meant a string of flights on the city-state’s coveted flag carrier, Singapore Airlines. While the airline has historically scheduled only its long-haul Airbus A350s to Jakarta, we’ve seen more medium-haul A350s on the route since the carrier restored its full schedule to the city. As I was booked on both A350 variants for this trip, I was certainly excited to compare them side by side.

Booking Singapore Airlines

I booked this flight as part of a larger round-trip itinerary between Jakarta and Guangzhou via Singapore. I made the purchase directly on Singapore Airlines’ website, which also happened to offer the best fares. For the entire trip, I paid IDR 15,928,000, or roughly USD 955 or GBP 729. While I wouldn’t necessarily call that a steal, it was still the most competitive option – especially compared to taking a narrow-body flight on a mainland Chinese airline.

Check-in

As always, I arrived at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport about two hours before my flight. This 20:20 departure is the last of Singapore Airlines’ nine(!) daily flights out of Jakarta. I was dropped off at the sleek Terminal 3, right at the Gate 3 kerbside point, which is conveniently closest to Singapore Airlines’ counters.

Given the airline’s extensive presence in Jakarta, it’s no surprise that it occupies an entire row of desks on Island C all day long. There are also dedicated counters for First Class and Solitaire PPS Club passengers, along with those for Business Class, Premium Economy, Star Alliance Gold, and Economy.

A few people were in line when I joined the Business Class queue, though it moved very quickly. Within moments, a friendly agent called me forward and reconfirmed my itinerary. After a bit of cheerful small talk, she tagged my bags, handed me my blue boarding passes, and sent me on my way.

Lounge

At Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Singapore Airlines passengers have access to a dedicated lounge, located within the massive Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge complex. Hidden in a corner at the far end of the main lounge, the Singapore Airlines Lounge is a small but solid space complete with an exclusive food spread as well as its own washrooms. Within it also lies the elusive Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge, open to First Class and PPS Club Solitaire members. As I’ve reviewed both lounges in the recent past, I won’t be doing that again this time.

Boarding

After spending a little over an hour at the Singapore Airlines Lounge, I headed to the gate to check out our aircraft. Flying us tonight was 9V-SHF, an Airbus A350-900 delivered new to Singapore Airlines in May 2019. As I wandered around watching the evening departures, the ground staff announced a slight delay to our 19:50 printed boarding time.

About 10 minutes before boarding, I joined the queue, hoping to be among the first onboard to capture empty cabin photos. Preboarding for passengers requiring special assistance began at 19:55, followed by about 10 minutes of radio silence. Business Class passengers and PPS Club members were finally invited to board at 20:05, by which time a sizeable queue had already formed.

Cabin

Introduced in 2018, Singapore Airlines’ medium-haul A350-900s feature a more efficient layout tailored to the carrier’s regional network. These aircraft are configured with 40 seats in Business Class and 263 in Economy Class, for a total of 303 seats. Notably, the layout omits Premium Economy, which has been installed on all of the airline’s long-haul aircraft since 2015.

Business Class

The 40-seat Business Class cabin is split across two sections in a 1-2-1 configuration spanning ten rows. The seats are based on the Stelia Symphony platform, which you will also find on Turkish Airlines. Naturally, Singapore Airlines has customised the design to its own specifications, featuring its trademark dark clay leather upholstery and subtle orange accents, blanketed in dramatic mood lighting.

Because of the cabin’s staggered layout, the seats alternate between those positioned closer to the aisle and those tucked by window and shielded by a side table. Since the aisle-side seats don’t offer any extra features, such as additional storage, I would always choose one of the seats set away from the aisle for better privacy and less disturbance from foot traffic.

Beyond Singapore Airlines’ own customisations, these seats also feature a large privacy wing attached to one side. While it does help shield the aisle-side seats from view, it somewhat annoyingly blocks an entire window for the ‘true’ window seats.

Additionally, the centre seats in rows 11, 14, 16, 18, 19, and 21 feature the so-called ‘honeymoon seats’, where the two seats are positioned closely together. These are ideal if you’re travelling with a partner, as you’re seated near enough to chat comfortably without needing to lean in. If you’re not travelling together, the large headrest wings and a retractable privacy divider do a good job of separating the two seats.

Seat details

I was seated in 17K, the second-to-last window seat on the right side of the cabin. Although I’m generally not a fan of staggered configurations, the Stelia Symphony seats are among the better options out there. They offer enhanced privacy and well-optimised storage, which makes the layout more appealing. That said, the privacy wings do cut slightly into the shoulder area, which may be uncomfortable for passengers with broader shoulders.

However the seats do have a number of strengths. In particular, I liked the small storage cabinet built into the side table. It’s large enough for phones, passports, and books, making it especially handy on a longer flight. This compartment also houses the two USB-A ports and the universal power outlet. A thoughtful mirror also slides out beside the cabinet.

Next, the seat controls are embedded into the side table. They’re intuitive to use and light up at a touch, yet since they’re not physical buttons, they’re less prone to being pressed accidentally. Furthermore, as with many modern seats, there’s also a dedicated ‘Do Not Disturb’ button for the crew. Below that lies the touchscreen remote control for the KrisWorld entertainment system, which I’ll talk about later. On the opposite side, you’ll find a personal reading light, featuring three brightness levels.

Across the seat is the high-definition 18-inch touchscreen monitor, which was crisp and responsive. Thoughtfully, the screen can be tilted downward slightly to make it easier to watch while reclined. I’ll also note that the large, sturdy tray table slides out from beneath the monitor. There is also a coat hook embedded on the pod of the seat in front

Recline and bed mode

Historically, Singapore Airlines’ customised Business Class seats lack proper recline, as the seat converts into a bed by flipping the seat back. The Stelia Symphony fixes this issue. Beneath the entertainment monitor is a roomy footwell with a padded ottoman that joins the seat in bed mode. Thanks to the hollow space underneath, you can also slip your shoes there when the seat is reclined.

Like most flatbed Business Class seats, this one has a slight angle when fully reclined. The overall space felt a bit tight, but the footwell was pleasantly large. This made the sleeping position feel less constricting. I also appreciated the large, firm pillow, which pairs well with the thick blanket to create a comfortable setup for rest.

Departure from Jakarta

When I settled into my seat, Chatuluck came by to introduce himself and offer a welcome beverage of Champagne, Peach Moscato Bellini, or orange juice. I went with the Bellini, though I found it a bit too sweet for my liking. Before long, the other Business Class flight attendant, Sufyan, passed through with steaming hot towels and later returned to confirm our meal preferences. With the airline’s soothing boarding music playing in the background, this was certainly a calm way to start a flight.

Understandably, boarding wrapped up quickly, just after 15 minutes, given that most passengers had already queued up by the gate. Once the doors closed at 20:20, the captain welcomed us on board and announced our flight time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Pushback began four minutes later, during which Singapore Airlines’ relaxing safety video played.

As we taxied to the runway, we passed the lively mix of late-night departures, including two Qantas Airbus A330s bound for Sydney and Melbourne. Around this time, the inflight manager, Goh, came through the cabin to introduce himself and wish us an enjoyable flight.

Thanks to the bank of evening departures, there was a short queue before it was our turn for takeoff. We reached Runway 25R at 20:42, 18 minutes after pushback. Once lined up, the Rolls-Royce engines roared to life, sending us hurtling down the runway before lifting gracefully into the night sky.

Lavatory

About seven minutes after takeoff, we levelled off and the seatbelt signs were switched off. I took the chance to head to the lavatory to freshen up. Singapore Airlines’ medium-haul Airbus A350-900s feature three lavatories dedicated to Business Class; two of these are located between the two cabins and the third at the front near the galley.

As you’d expect from Singapore Airlines, the lavatory was spotlessly clean. Payot-branded facial mist, body lotion, and cologne were provided, which was a lovely touch. I was also impressed to find cloth towels available alongside paper towels and facial tissue. While this is standard in First Class, which other airline offers this in Business Class? Truly world-class.

Entertainment

As I waited for my meal, I took the chance to explore the KrisWorld entertainment catalogue. Alongside Emirates’ ICE and Cathay Pacific’s StudioCX, KrisWorld remains one of the world’s best and most extensive inflight entertainment platforms. There are stacks of movies, both new and old, plus a myriad of television shows. That said, given how short the flight was, I didn’t have much time to watch anything, so I simply stuck to working on my laptop.

In addition to the sizeable 18-inch touch in front of the seat, there’s also an intuitive touchscreen handheld remote on the side panel, which can display the inflight map. A pair of decent noise-cancelling headphones is provided in the side storage bin as well. Finally, the seat pocket holds the usual shopping catalogue, inflight menu, safety card, and Wi-Fi guide.

Supper

For supper, there was a choice of three dishes: pan-fried chicken thigh, braised beef brisket in chuchou sauce, and udang gulai nanas. Since I don’t usually order beef on flights, I decided to prebook the chicken thigh online. This was definitely helpful, given how quickly meals can run out on these evening Singapore Airlines departures. For reference, the full menu is pictured below, along with the airline’s impressively extensive wine and drinks selection.

Because I had prebooked my meal, Chatuluck knew to serve me the chicken thigh as soon as the trolley reached my row. To drink, I had the 2018 Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage, which was nice enough. The meal was presented on a clothed tray – a pragmatic choice on the airline’s part, considering the short flight time. Soon after it was presented, inflight manager Goh came by to offer some bread and pastries to complete the meal.

As I wasn’t very hungry at this point, I only nibbled at the chicken, which was tender and juicy. It was served with fondant potato and roasted vegetables with a sauce au jus, all of which tasted fresh and flavourful. Both the Waldorf salad with smoked salmon and the banana cake were light and refreshing, and in my view, were the true highlights of the meal.

In addition, my travel companion opted for the local dish of udang gulai nanas. I was told that the curried pineapple and prawn dish was fresh and pleasant enough, at least by inflight dining standards.

Service

Although the entire crew looked understandably exhausted, they remained warm and hardworking throughout the flight. Despite the short flight time, they offered drink top-ups and ensured every passenger was well-fed and comfortable. I also appreciated that they still took the time to address each passenger by name, which is always a thoughtful touch. All in all, was the friendly service a surprise? I mean, this is Singapore Airlines we’re talking about. 😉

Arrival in Singapore

About 40 minutes into the flight, the captain announced that we were starting our descent into Singapore Changi Airport. Despite having more than 30 minutes before arrival, the cabin was prepared for landing, as is standard procedure on Singapore Airlines. Expectedly, the seatbelt signs were turned on soon after, requiring everyone to return their seats to the upright position.

We approached from the south, flying over the islands of Batam before passing the many commercial ships anchored off East Coast Beach. After crossing the country clubs along the island nation’s coast – accompanied by Singapore Airlines’ signature theme music – Changi Airport soon came into view. We touched down with a semi-smooth landing on Runway 02L at 23:06, just a minute behind schedule.

As we exited the runway and taxied towards our gate at Terminal 2, the inflight manager welcomed us to Singapore and apologised for the slight delay. Unfortunately, the windows fogged up as we neared the gate, limiting any chance of spotting planes outside. At the very least, the airline’s soothing music continued to play in the background, making for a calm and relaxing end to the flight.

Verdict

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience on this Business Class flight from Jakarta to Singapore. Despite the regional configuration of the aircraft, I still felt very comfortable on this sub-two-hour hop. This was thanks to the consistent hard product, excellent service, and above-average food. While I’ve long preferred the experience on Garuda Indonesia (and personally still do), it’s objectively hard to beat what Singapore Airlines offers. Short of flying First Class on Singapore Airlines, there’s really no better way to travel commercially between Indonesia and Singapore.

Read more from this trip here!