Singapore Airlines New York non-stop is a magic carpet

The business class seating on this aircraft is not the latest that was unveiled early this year for the A380 but nonetheless is very comfortable and still considered state-of-the-art. The airline, however, has made modifications for this ULR aircraft adding more padding to the “sleep mode” of the seat. The difference was noticeable and the bed was comfortable. I did get quite a few hours of sleep which is unusual for me on a plane. Mind you I have now discovered the best earplugs and those are ones I use for swimming, which are far better at eliminating all noise. So get some if tranquility is important. Back to the seat. It is a great seat or lounge if you like but only has limited recline or the flatbed option which doesn't suit everyone. I like to sit up or ar a slight recline so that does not bother me at all. All the controls are within easy reach and everything you should want is at your fingertips.      

This is where Singapore Airlines excels and has done so for decades. The inaugural Singapore to New York flight was no exception either. Sure they knew we were media but that added pressure as there were cameramen up and down aisles all flight asking them to repeat all sorts of delivery actions like serving meals or making up beds. These constant interruptions never seemed to upset their routine and there was no noticeable delay in service delivery or that "Singapore Girl" smile which was delivered with sincerity all the way to New York.        

Not long after take-off on the world’s longest flight, a marathon of food and wine started. And the order of things comes in a 32-page booklet, which covers the return journey. The menu is different in that it is influenced by the partnership with the chefs and nutritionists from Canyon Ranch, one of the leaders in healthy living and wellness. But there were also the traditional favorites from SIA’s own meal selections and creations by its International Culinary Panel of chefs. The first part is called "Äfter Take-off" and consists of a main course with four selections, followed by desert. The service was seamless and I chose the Pan Seared Head Snapper Fillet with Red Wine Vinaigrette. The snapper which was cooked to perfection. About halfway through the flight the second meal service commenced. There were three broad choices: Matt Moran's Selection; Canyon Ranch Selection and the airline's standard menu. Canyon Ranch tempted passengers with a Prawn Ceviche and Lavosh for an appetizer, then Braised Pork with Citrus for the main course. A French Apple Frangipane Tart rounded up that healthiest of options. Singapore Airlines’ describes the flight as an “Epicurean Journey” and that description is certainly apt. I opted for the main menu for the lunch. The starter was the famous Singapore Chicken and Beef Satay and it hasn’t lost any of its shine. This signature dish was followed by a Salad of Crab. For the main course, there were 6 selections and I opted for the Beef Cheek in Red Wine Sauce. It was perfectly cooked. Desert was a choice between Mango Cheesecake with Ginger Cookie Crump and Petite Patisserie. There was an excellent selection of cheeses. Of course, you could have selected, in the days before departure, options from the Book the Cook which appear to be almost endless. The only issue I had was with the white wine selection which was a little surprising. There were two Chardonnays (both oaked) and one German Riesling. I would have thought given the increasing popularity of Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc one of the Chardonnays could have been dropped.  

For this flight, Singapore Airlines has added another 200 hours of content. The airline has always been a leader in IFE and was the first to give all passengers seat back videos. For me, it was back to my iPad and a catch up on some favorite TV series. Passengers can also stay in touch with high-speed in-flight WiFi service. The A350 is equipped with Panasonic Avionics’ new satellite modem that operates with its third generation satellite network. The service is capable of delivering higher-speed Internet to passengers. This latest system will be rolled out to all the fleet over the next year or so.

Geoffrey Thomas was a guest of Singapore Airlines