First-class experience ruins me
Having just spent a few days in Delhi, where the air quality is equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, it’s no wonder I felt rotten with an itchy throat and scratchy eyes as I queued up in Changi Airport to board the second of two flights home to Auckland. The gate agent swiped my boarding pass and an alarm-like beep sounded. My life was about to change. ‘‘Madam, we’ve upgraded you to first class’’.
The route
Singapore to Auckland
The plane
Boeing 777-300 ER
Time in the air
9 hours 50 minutes
The loyalty plan
Krisflyer
The baggage limit
A whopping 50kg of check-in baggage, and if you really shopped up a storm you can get an extra 20kg on top of that if you’re a Krisflyer or Star Alliance gold member. You can also take two carry-on bags of up to 7kg each on board.
The seat
The first-class cabin is laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration with only four seats available – making this the most intimate flight experience I’ve ever had. On this particular flight, I’m the only passenger in the cabin so while I’m lounging around, eating, and watching movies I’m in seat 1F. When it’s bed time, I’m in a lie-flat bed in 1D. What a life! The massive leather seats come with a 67-inch pitch (170cm) and a width of 35 inches (89cm). There’s lots of storage space available, along with a universal charging port, and HDMI cable input. There’s a remote control to my left, for the massive 24-inch HD TV screen. There is no overhead cabin storage, but plenty of space under the TV for carry-on cabin baggage.
The comfort
The very luxurious amenities kit from the French brand Lalique contains L’amour Lalique eau de parfum, lip balm, hand cream, a facial mist, and a handy travel-sized ziplock bag. The kit also contains those coveted first-class pyjamas. Linda, the flight attendant, kindly asks if I’m a small. I snort, and respond ‘‘medium’’, although I’m probably a large after the last three weeks in India. There are two immaculately maintained bathrooms for the cabin.
The entertainment
The entertainment offerings are the same as is in business class. I spot a good number of new releases and settle in with the Bang and Olufson noise-cancelling headphones to watch The Lion King. There are several international newspapers and magazines also available.
The service
The flight attendant serving the first-class cabin, Linda, is the perfect mix of witty, charming and helpful. She convinces me to try the newer of the two Champagnes being served on board – Tattinger’s Comtes de Champagne 2007. The classic being Dom Perignon, of course. We concur that a good Champagne should kill that bug brewing in my throat. It’s served with warm nuts – candied walnuts, salted macadamias, and cashews.
There are always two flight attendants in first class, she informs me. One is in charge of the galley and the other is in charge of the cabin.
The food
Since my surprise upgrade was a last-minute thing, and I’m the only passenger in first class, I have to ‘‘slum it’’ and choose a meal from the business class menu, which is fine by me as I spot Singapore chicken rice as a option. The local favourite comes with fragrant poached chicken, pandan-flavoured rice, grated ginger, soya and chilli – exactly the thing required to clear my sinuses. Other options included veal osso buco with gremolata, beef hor fun and grilled salmon.
The first-class dinner menu, had it been available, included dishes created by Los Angeles chef Suzanne Goin, who’s known for her fusion of Mediterranean and Californian flavours. Dishes included marinated prawn and roasted eggplant ‘‘kibbeh nayyeh’’, lobster and sweet corn chowder, and grilled halibut served with pomegranate, chickpeas, cauliflower and fregola pasta. A selection of fine French and Australian wines are available, as well as Champagne, spirits, beer, liqueur and mocktails.
If nothing on the menu takes your fancy you can use the airline’s ‘‘Book the Cook’’ service for a selection of off-menu items you can order before your flight.
The verdict
How will I ever fly economy or even business class again? This once-in-a-lifetime experience has ruined me for life.
The frequency
Singapore Airlines flies from Singapore to Auckland 19 times a week. See singaporeair.com for more information.
Carbon count
A one-way flight from Singapore to Auckland in first class generates 2.46 tonnes of CO2.
The writer travelled courtesy of Stuff and Wendy Wu Tours, but was upgraded by the airline.