What it was like to fly Singapore Airlines Suites – the best first class in the world

By Michael Dixon

Because I’ve accumulated about 25,000,000 frequent flyer points through mostly credit card spending, I’m fortunate enough to fly at the pointy end of the plane on most flights, including first class.

Like everything in flying, not all first classes are created equal. And the best first class today may not be the best first class tomorrow.

It featured a luxury suite with privacy doors, a spa with onboard shower and a walk-up lounge bar. They also had a driver service that picked you up from home and took you to your hotel on the other side.

Then came Etihad Airways First Class on their A380. No showers or bar, but a significantly larger luxury suite with privacy doors and a separate bed, and an onboard chef.

They also had complimentary spa treatments in their first class lounge in Abu Dhabi. And like Emirates, they had a driver service that even took me to the plane on the tarmac, while others had to take the bus.

And then I heard about Singapore Airlines’ new first class suites on their A380s. Then I saw the photos. That’s when I knew first grade had been reinvented. And I had to try it.

There’s only one way to book first class on Singapore Airlines with points, and that’s through their KrisFlyer loyalty program. And if you think booking business class using points is difficult, try booking one of only six first class suites, or in my case, try booking two.

And try booking them all the way from Sydney to Frankfurt, which was my mission when I decided to take my mother for her 85th birthday, and give her an extra special, unique treat in the process.

I had a feeling this was going to be something special, and I wasn’t wrong.

Normally you’d pay around $30,000 for these seats on round-trip flights for two people, so you can’t blame Singapore Airlines if they decide to make it difficult to use your points.

However, it turns out that if you know what you are doing it is not that difficult after all, and with 25 years of experience booking these types of flights, I have succeeded. I knew that Singapore Airlines opened bookings 355 days in advance.

I also knew that they would be releasing two first class points seats on each flight that day, which would be filled quickly. So as soon as bookings for my flight opened, I logged into Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, found the two seats and booked them!

These were certainly not cheap flights – 282,000 points per person each way, compared to business class’s around 150,000 points. But I had a feeling this was going to be something special, and I wasn’t wrong.

Check-in was quick, as expected, as only six people needed to check in at Singapore Airlines’ First Class check-in. We then went through immigration and security to the Singapore Airlines First Class lounge. The lounge was excellent with an a la carte menu, champagne and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks included.

But once we boarded, the fun really started. Each first class suite was huge, much larger than both Emirates and Etihad first class suites I had previously experienced.

They had a freestanding full leather recliner, a separate bed, a big screen TV and too many compartments and storage spaces to fill. It was so big that I would get a pilates mat next time (if I actually did pilates).

We had two connecting suites, which made our suites feel even more spacious and allowed our two single beds to be converted into one double bed in the middle.

Unfortunately, because I was traveling with my mother, I did not experience this.

That’s all well and good, but what about the food and drinks? Sometimes having just one champagne isn’t enough. So how about a choice of 3, all vintage, including Vintage Krug worth about $700. And of course, what is champagne without caviar?

As expected, the food and wine that followed were excellent, including lobster thermidor served on fine china.

After our meals, we changed into our Singapore Airlines Lalique pajamas, in the most luxurious airline bathroom imaginable, and made full use of our twin beds, so we woke up completely refreshed and ready for our next flight – to make it to do all over again!

As expected with Singapore Airlines, the service was exceptional from start to finish. Now if they could just add a shower….

Michael Dixon is the founder of Pointers a new travel loyalty website aimed at helping Australian travelers earn more points and miles and spend less.