I know I’ve raved about Singapore Air Business Class before (see the various posts below), but I wanted to add this review to the stack because I’d never flown this route before and it’s been 2 years since I flew this airline and a lot can change in that amount of time.
- Review: The World’s Longest Flight – 19 Hours In Singapore Air Business Class
- Review: 33 Hours In Singapore Air Business Class – $7,734 of Flights for $75 [Part 1]
- Review: 33 Hours In Singapore Air Business Class – $7,734 of Flights for $75 [Part 2]
Booking
In a surprise to no one more than me, booking this flight was uneventful 🙂 . My previous post-pandemic Singapore Air flights have involved a lot of drama because of cancellations and rescheduling issues, but not this one. Maybe that means the post-pandemic madness around airlines changing things every 5 seconds has calmed down. I hope so anyway.
All I did to book this flight was transfer 103,000 points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to Singapore Air’s KrisFlyer points and then I went on their website, logged in and used those points to book this flight. Easy 🙂 .
Pre-Flight
15 days before my flight I got an email from Singapore Air saying I could choose my flight meals in advance, including the special Book The Cook meals they offer.
Two years ago I had all kinds of issues selecting my meals in advance via their app, but this time the process was seamless! Nice. I chose an Angus Beef Burger for Dinner and Salmon for Lunch.
I also checked their website to see their policy on knitting needles, since that’s my new obsession this year, and I’ve decided to travel with them so I can knit with unique local yarn from every country I visit.
I discovered that Singapore Air doesn’t allow any kind of knitting needles (even bamboo) in carry-on bags and that the needles always have to be checked. Business Class includes 2 free checked bags so that wasn’t an issue.
Also through random googling, I somehow stumbled upon information that Japan is really strict about what kind of vitamins and medication you can bring into their country. You can only bring a maximum of a 60 day supply of vitamins, melatonin isn’t allowed and NyQuil is illegal. In addition to that, it looked like I needed a doctor’s note describing the purpose of any medication I bring, along with my prescription and that I also can’t have more than a 60 day supply.
I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of any of these rules before and spent a fair bit of time trying to be compliant with them, but as you’ll see below, that might not have been necessary. However, I’d rather be safe than sorry, especially when jail time is involved.
So those were all of the things I did to prepare for my flight. With my knitting needles properly packed in my checked 40L Backpack (that I take as a carry on when flying US carriers) and my medications counted, I was ready for this adventure.
Flights Details
- When: January 2025
- Where: Los Angeles, USA to Tokyo, Japan
- Flight: SQ11
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
- Flight Time: 11 hours 8 minutes
- Seats: 12K
- Distance: 5,474 miles
- Points Used: 103,000 KrisFlyer Points
- Taxes: $5.60 USD
LOS ANGELES (LAX) AIRPORT
Check In
When my Mom and I arrived at LAX, we saw TVs that showed letters and numbers corresponding to where each airline is located at that time. As I mentioned in my KLM review, I love seeing airlines adopting this system of not having set check in counters by airline and not taking up space unnecessarily if they don’t have flights coming up.
So we easily located the Singapore Air section and when we arrived, there was no line for Business Class. There was an employee standing there that asked which line we were looking for and when we said Business, they moved the stanchions for us in the Business Class line to give us a slightly shorter walk to the front. I’ve never seen that before! Very kind.
We walked up to the ticket counter employee and gave them our passports and checked 1 bag each (damn you knitting needles 😉 ). They gave us our boarding passes and I had noticed that within the Singapore Air app before we arrived, I hadn’t seen my TSA pre-check indicator on that boarding pass and was going to ask about it, but the employee asked first. When I confirmed that I have Global Entry and gave them my number, they printed a new boarding pass with the correct indicator without issue. Nice!
The employee then told us that TSA Pre-Check was all the way to the left towards the back of the building so we followed those instructions and headed towards security.
Security
We then saw an employee in front of an escalator with a TSA Pre-Check sign, so we showed them our boarding passes and they let us through to the escalator. Then things got a little confusing despite copious signage because I couldn’t figure out where the signs were pointing for the flight crew compared to TSA Pre-Check and Clear.
But we figured it out eventually 🙂 . Basically the closer line is TSA Pre-Check. So we joined the line and quickly got to the front where a TSA employee scanned our faces and took our passports to scan.
Then we joined the security line and it was one of those with individual bin stations so you don’t have to wait for other people in front of you. So I went to a free bin and loaded it up with my bag and coat and then pushed it onto the belt.
There wasn’t a lot of room in our Pre-Check section so the line forming to go through the scanner seemed to mingle with the line forming to put bags onto the belt, so I let people with bags know that they could go on through because we were waiting for the scanner.
We finally got through with some patience – no big deal. Then our bags came out and there were lots of signs saying to bring your bin to the end of the belt, but my Mom somehow didn’t see the signs so I took my bin and hers to the stack at the end. We then laughed about how she could have missed so many signs about it 🙂 .
The employee at the Singapore Air check in counter had mentioned that the Star Alliance Lounge was after security on Level 6 so we left security and saw signs pointing to the right for the Star Alliance Lounge.
However, then the signs stopped and we were a bit lost. Luckily I found an elevator on that side of the building and read it because in small letters, it said that the lounge was up this elevator on Level 6. Alrighty then!
The Lounge
Basically:
So the lounge impressed me 🙂 . In addition to all the amenities mentioned above, there is also a balcony that wraps around the lounge and looks over the concourse, a media room and a business center.
The only negative I experienced in this lounge wasn’t the lounge’s fault, but several people chose to listen to whatever they were doing on their phones without headphones and someone turned the news on the TV up so everyone could hear it. It wasn’t a big deal since I just pulled out my noise-cancelling headphones, but it was a little annoying.
With tunes in my ears I signed into the free lounge wifi (called “Star_Alliance_Lounge”) and it asked me to complete a survey to enter, which I gladly did. I told them all of the things I appreciated about the lounge and that I thought they were doing a great job.
Then my Mom and I ate, drank and chilled until an announcement was made that our flight was boarding soon. I looked up the distance to the gate from this lounge because LAX is notoriously enormous and a random website said it was a 10 to 15 minute walk so we got up 15 minutes before our boarding time to head there.
However, the website I found was apparently incorrect because it was a super short walk 🙂 . We got to the gate in maybe a minute where more people weren’t wearing headphones while listening to things out loud. What is that about in this airport?
THE JOURNEY
Boarding
At the gate, there were giant signs taller than people that had the plane classes on them. Red was for First Class, blue for Business and green for Premium Economy. Before the boarding time, people started lining up behind these signs so we joined them.
There were three lines for business and two for first class with the first class line being understandably very short since there are only 4 First Class seats on this plane. Once they started boarding, employees told us to get into the First Class line. When we got to the front of the line, I had to put my feet on these little foot shaped things and then the check in machine scanned my face.
And then the doors opened and I went through. There was no scanning boarding passes or looking at passports. Then there was a boarding door immediately to our left for First and Business Class. We walked through the First Class cabin and then went into Business Class.
The Flight
As always, I chose the smaller Business Class section that feels more intimate, so I was in seat 12K and my Mom was directly behind me in 14K (we both love our window seats 🙂 ).
Once I settled into my seat, an FA asked me if I wanted to a take off drink. I chose champagne. I also requested an amenity kit because as they say in their menu, you now have to request it post-pandemic.
When I got to my seat, there was a plush pillow, slippers, a menu, a bottle of water, and a pair of headphones that have strange covers over them so that they don’t have to wash the headphones.
Soon after that we took off and I got this video of the experience:
Then I noticed that my TV wasn’t working – it was stuck on the “Announcement in Progress” screen even though there hadn’t been any announcements in a long while. So I waited until we reached cruising altitude and it seemed like the FAs were free and then I pressed my call light and asked if they could restart my TV.
The FA was super apologetic about it, which was kind, but unnecessary. It’s no big deal. My Mom brings her own downloaded shows to watch on long flights and knows that I like to explore and watch the entertainment provided on planes as part of my review. So she kindly offered to switch with me, but told her I thought a restart would fix it and it did! I was good to go on that front.
But then…I discovered that with the TV working, that sound was only coming out of one of my headphones ears. I felt bad about bothering the FAs again, but this was an 11 hour flight so I kinda want sound in both ears 😉 .
So I waited until the FAs seemed free and asked if I could have a new pair of headphones since one ear of mine wasn’t working. They took my headphones and brought new ones no problem. And they worked! I was finally ready to dive into the in-flight entertainment system.
While I was dealing with that small drama, another FA brought out more drinks and some warm nuts. After that, I was given a hand wipe which I used that strangely irritated my skin and made it a bit red. New allergy acquired? I hope not.
About an hour after takeoff, we were given our Dinner appetizer and drinks.
The Tuna Tataki Nicoise Salad tasted like it usually does, but it’s not one of my preferred flavors. However, the warm Garlic Bread was DELICIOUS! I then received my Book The Cook choice of an Angus Beef Burger, which was perfectly cooked. It always blows my mind how things can be so well cooked on a PLANE!
For dessert I chose the Haagen Dazs Butter Pecan Ice Cream and it was quite yummy, though a little too cold when it arrived so I just let it melt a little before diving in (so I didn’t feel like I’d break the bowl trying to get a scoop 😉 ).
While I was enjoying all that food I also got the Wifi working, which is free in Business Class, but also free if you’re a KrisFlyer member, which is their reward points program that’s free to join and that I’m obviously a part of because that’s how I book these flights with points.
After that, I visited the bathroom which I was impressed by. They have actual actual towels instead of paper ones along with lotions and anything else you’d need to freshen up. I love it.
About 3 hours after take off, an FA came around to ask if we could close our window shades. I guess people want a full 8 hours of sleep before landing in Tokyo – we’re landing at night so I’m not sure why, but this wasn’t a big deal so I said of course and lowered my shade.
Then my Mom helped me put down my bed based on the instructions they show with the safety video these days. There were bright lights I could turn on to the left and right sides of my seat, but I prefer softer, warmer lights so I just turned those on from the buttons on my seat rest.
Then I set about making it through my film list. I first watched the live action Little Mermaid because my SIL who hadn’t seen the OG asked me to. I was able to live text my reactions to her over the plane’s Wifi.
I had suggested that my Mom watch The Wild Robot since I really enjoyed that on a recent flight and she loved it 🙂 . Then I watched Blink Twice, which had trigger warnings before the film started which I really appreciated because that film still haunts me. I ended up texting my Partner after that while revelling that that’s a wild thing we can do from 34,000 ft above the ocean now.
I then fell asleep watching Alien: Romulus (so soothing 😉 ) . 2.5 hours before landing, the lights came back on and the second food service started.
Once again, the warm bread was a standout and this salad appetizer was refreshing.
My main dish and the dessert were yummy.
After all that was cleaned up, an announcement over the PA told us to fill out a form before landing, but we were never given a form. So we were a little confused, but landed shortly after that. Once we reached the gate we deplaned and headed toward “Arrivals.”
Tokyo-Narita (NRT) Airport
Border Control
We then joined the Border Control line, which was luckily short because when we reached the final stretch of it, an employee asked us for a form, which we didn’t have. We had missed that they were located before the start of the line so we got out of line and backtracked to a station on the right that had forms.
The form asked how long we were staying, where we were staying and for a telephone number. When we finished filling out the form and went to join the line again, it was hella long. Usually when I enter a country that requires a paper form, it’s given to me on the plane by the FAs so I’m not sure what happened here or if there’s a new system I missed.
Anyway, we finally got back to the front of the line and the employee took our picture and scanned our pointer finger on both hands. They also looked at the form we filled out and asked for our passports. After that we were let through.
Baggage Claim
We then headed to baggage claim and our bags were not only already there, but had been taken off the belt. I guess that Border Control form stuff took a bit 🙂 . So we grabbed our bags and headed towards Customs.
Customs
Luckily, before we went into the line for Customs, an employee before this line was stationed by the baggage claim carousel and asked us for another form and when we said we didn’t have it they pointed to a kiosk behind us. The first kiosk we saw had forms all in Japanese, but we kept looking for another kiosk and found one around the corner with forms in English.
The form asked for our passport number and if we were bringing certain items into the country, but they didn’t mention any of the medication items I was worried about from the US embassy website. I guess all of my counting pills, contacting my Doctor to get a letter about my medicine and stressing about Japan’s rules was a bit for nothing. But once again, I’d better be safe than sorry.
We then entered the Customs line, which was quick, and when we got to the Customs employee, they took our form, asked what specific cities we were going to and let us through. We emerged in the Arrivals terminal and started our Japan adventure!
THE REVIEW
So that’s what happened, but now let’s get into the actual review portion and what I thought of the experience 🙂 .
Customer Service
As always, the customer service at Singapore Air was a highlight. In my experience they’re the best in the game and this flight just continued to prove that to be true.
From the very beginning of our trip with a random employee moving a stanchion to make our (already short) walk to the front of the empty Business Class check in line shorter, to employees telling us to go into the First Class line during boarding to keep anyone from waiting, to FAs being so apologetic about my messed up TV and headphones, the service was absolutely top notch.
In addition to all of those things, I felt completely taken care of on this flight. Service was always efficient and swift if I had a question or request. It was absolutely fantastic and one of the reasons Singapore Air stands out and why I keep flying them.
Seat
I don’t know if it’s because it’s been over a year since my last international Business Class experience or if things have changed, but the seat on this flight was even bigger and more comfortable than I remember.
My seat location is the exact same one I’ve picked on several long-haul flights in the past and it continues to be absolutely lovely. I love the smaller 12 person cabin compared to my one experience in the larger one. It definitely feels more like a small, intimate experience compared to that of the larger Business Class cabin.
The seat also continues to impress with its lie-flat bed that my Mom got down for me (she’s an expert at this point 🙂 ). The seat was comfy while upright or laid out, the storage options continue to be abundant and I have no complaints.
Food
The food was once again delicious. I had nothing but that one small nitpick about my ice cream to report. I was wonderfully full and was happy to see that my Book The Cook selections actually worked this time since I had trouble on my previous trip. I remain in awe that all of this can be made so well 34,000 feet in the air.
In-Flight Entertainment
I already mentioned my small issues with my TV and headphones, but those were fixed easily. The only negative after that was that I realized the covers they have over the headphones aren’t very comfortable. They’re kinda scratchy, which isn’t ideal. I miss the days a few years ago (still post-2020) where we just had the headphones without covers, but I guess it’s easier to clean if people keep the covers on.
However, I saw several people not doing that so I don’t know what to believe 🙂 . The scratchy covers got annoying after a bit so I switched to the cheap headphones I had brought instead even after all that hullabaloo.
As for the in-flight entertainment itself, as always it impressed! Singapore Air always has a large and amazing collection of films to watch, so many that I have never been able to make it through my entire list of films I’m interested in – even after flying this product for 36 hours straight.
However, they seem to have changed the interface for the TV because instead of having an option to scroll through all of the films A to Z in a giant list, it’s now all grouped into smaller sections, such as Award Winning, New, Bollywood etc.
I found this a little annoying since it got in the way of my usual process of going through absolutely all of the movies to make my list of options. Instead I had to browse all of these sub-lists, which had duplicates. Understandably my Mom didn’t have the patience for all of that and gave up quickly saying “there’s nothing to watch” which definitely isn’t true 🙂 , but it did require some extra work so I’m not sure why they got rid of the A to Z option, but I’d like it back please.
Instead I told my Mom specific film recommendations based on me going through all these lists and she had a good time with the ones she watched.
CONCLUSION
And that was my experience in Singapore Air Business Class in 2025! This airline continues to impress me with their wonderful food, abundant entertainment and fantastic customer service. I can’t wait to fly with them again.
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