Review: Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class Frankfurt to New York

I recently had the pleasure of flying onboard one of the absolute-best aspirational First Class experiences that can be booked on points: Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class. 

Singapore Airlines had revolutionized the premium cabin experience when they first introduced their original A380 Suites back in 2008, and they did it again when they rolled out their new A380 Suites Class 10 years later. 

As you can imagine, I had dreamed about trying out the new Singapore Suites ever since they first came to market, and I was delighted to finally try it out on this transatlantic journey between Frankfurt and New York.

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Booking

The Singapore Suites experience is only available onboard the Airbus A380, which the airline operates on several flagship routes out of Singapore.

In addition, Singapore Airlines also operates fifth-freedom flights, which operate between two foreign countries outside of the carrier’s home base. One of their most prominent fifth-freedom services is Singapore–Frankfurt–New York, of which I would be flying on the latter segment today.

The best way to book Singapore Suites on points is through the airline’s own KrisFlyer frequent flyer program, as the airline rarely releases premium long-haul cabin award availability to its partner airlines. 

In Canada, you can earn KrisFlyer miles by transferring HSBC Rewards points at a 25:9 ratio, as well as Amex US Membership Rewards points and other US transferable points currencies at a 1:1 ratio.

For this booking, I had earned the bulk of my KrisFlyer miles from my Amex US card, and then further topped up my account with some HSBC Rewards points.

After transferring my miles, I had been patiently waiting for Singapore Airlines to release some award seats on the A380 route from Frankfurt to New York. When they finally did, I quickly snapped it up at 86,000 KrisFlyer miles per person, plus ~€150 in taxes and fees. 

If you’re booking this flight, it’s best to fly in the westbound direction from Europe to North America in order to truly maximize the experience during the daytime.

Otherwise, the eastbound flight from New York to Frankfurt is overnight, which may impact your ability to fully indulge (or not, with the “Double Bed in the Sky” being one of the core elements of the experience after all).

I ended up taking this flight as part of an overall trip to Southeast Asia, so I had to take quite a few other flights to get me from Malaysia up to Germany to start this ticket – all of which proved to be worthwhile the moment I stepped foot on the Singapore Airlines A380. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Ground Experience

Before that, though, upon disembarking from my Thai Airways flight into Frankfurt, I proceeded through transit security and found myself airside. 

I wasn’t able to obtain my boarding pass until the Singapore Airlines agents arrived at the gate, as the airline needed to check our antigen tests prior to entering the United States. Thus, I headed to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt to pass the time. 

It’s worth noting that the ground experience for Singapore Suites passengers out of Frankfurt isn’t particularly great when compared to many of the other First Class lounges you’ll find around the world.

Singapore Airlines First Class passengers don’t get access to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal or Lufthansa First Class Lounge, as those facilities are reserved for First Class passengers on Lufthansa Group airlines only. 

Instead, Singapore Airlines First Class passengers only get access to the Senator Lounge, which is shared with Lufthansa’s HON Circle members and Star Alliance Gold passengers.

We killed some time here in the Senator Lounge and enjoyed some breakfast and coffee.

It wasn’t anything overly luxurious and certainly didn’t reach the heights of, say, The Private Room, which is Singapore Airline’s First Class lounge back in Singapore and the exclusive space you’d be able to enjoy if you were flying Singapore Suites out of their home base.

Nonetheless, I knew that today’s true star attraction was the in-flight experience, and so I was feeling quite ecstatic in the hours leading up to our departure. 

As boarding was called, we were invited to board first as Suites Class passengers. We were invited to take the airport gate escalator up a level, boarding directly onto the upper deck of the A380 for the upcoming eight-hour journey.

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Cabin

The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger aircraft and has two full-length decks.

The upper deck of the Singapore Airlines A380 features the six individual suites that comprise Suites Class, spread across three rows in a 1-1 configuration, separated by a central aisle. 

At the end of the hallway, steps lead down to economy class at the front of the plane.

Needless to say, I was astonished by my surroundings as soon as we arrived at the elegant central aisle with high walls surrounding each suite, and my amazement was only amplified as we were shown to our own respective Suites Class berths.

The suites in Rows 1 and 2 can be combined by lowering the middle divider between the two rooms, making way for an expansive shared residence and an even more luxurious double bed when it’s time to sleep. 

If there are two passengers booked on the same reservation in Seats 1A and 2A or 1K and 2K, the crew will automatically leave the divider down for your arrival, as my partner Jessy and I discovered upon stepping into our respective suites and looking at each other across the divider in sheer disbelief. 

Meanwhile, the suites in Row 3 are more individualized and cannot be combined with another suite.

If you’re travelling as a couple, you should select your seats as soon as you’ve made your booking to try and get 1A/2A or 1K/2K.

Meanwhile, if you’re a solo traveller, any of the suites will do; however, the suites in rows one and two are slightly larger than the suites in Row 3.

The warm tones of bronze and beige in the cabin interiors perfectly complemented the metallic grey palette of the seat shell.

The carpet is plush and ornately decorated, while the seats themselves are richly upholstered in full-grain Poltrona Frau leather, with distinctive orange accents in the details and pillows.

This is a top-of-the-line First Class suite whose opulence would only slowly reveal itself over the course of the flight.

Normally, at this point, we’d take our seats and settle into our surroundings, but here it was more like we’d take a seat and then jump back out of it in excitement to absorb every inch of the incredible space all around us. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Seat

Featuring a swivel chair, multiple surfaces, a separate fold-out bed, and ample space for moving around, these suites are Singapore Airlines’s latest game-changing product.

The actual seat itself is unique among any other First Class products around the world in its capacity to swivel a full 360˚ around the suite, allowing you to enjoy multiple views of the cabin in any direction. 

Here in Seat 1A, you can turn the seat to face anywhere between your small TV screen, the large TV screen, the drinks counter, the tray table, the doorway, your seatmate in Seat 2A, or the counters by the windows.

The seat can be reclined into an angular position, but it doesn’t go full lie-flat. For that, you’d need to ask the crew to assist you with maneuvering the lie-flat bed. 

Let’s begin our tour at the swivelling seat itself. 

The seat controls and entertainment controller are housed under a cover in the left armrest, immediately at your fingertips. 

The entertainment device can be withdrawn into a handheld position, while the electronic seat controls allow for a very fine degree of customization – including the exact orientation of the seat. 

Note that the electronic seat controls are programmed in such a way that the seat position controls (at the top) will vanish if the seat isn’t facing one of the “default” directions of windows, bed, TV, or takeoff mode. That’s to avoid having the seat’s footrest bumping up against the walls when there’s no space to recline, etc. 

Let’s continue by taking a look at the seat console along the windows.

In addition to the controls in the armrest, a tablet is located on the console near the window, within your reach when facing this side of the suite. The tablet also provides full control over the seat features and lighting.

My first impression of the console surface was that it resembled the finishes of a luxury car, its sleekness and opulence glistening under the sunlight, as though somehow amplified by it. 

Along the flat-top console, there are three separate storage units that can be opened and closed individually.

The middle storage unit features a small vanity mirror with an LED light, while the left-side and right-side storage units were proactively filled prior to boarding with a pair of noise-cancelling Bang & Olufsen headphones and a hygiene kit, respectively.

Along the black edge of the console is a further row of buttons. These allow for adjusting lighting preferences, the TV position, and the blackout window shades.

At the base of the console, just below the surface space, a flap can be raised to reveal a power outlet, USB charging outlet, HDMI plug, headphone jacks, and even a contactless payment system.

Further below the console is an additional storage nook built into a vertical surface for storing any loose items.

More surface space is found further left, which later becomes part of the double bed, but is useful for placing items when not in use.

Turning to the front of Seat 1A, there is a small entertainment screen mounted on the bulkhead wall, with a literature pocket positioned below.

This smaller screen is unique to seats in Row 1, since the seat must be locked in the forward-facing position for takeoff, and the main entertainment screen would be behind the seat as a result. 

Using the chair’s swivel function, you can then turn towards the suite’s dining area. Even with the tray table withdrawn, the drink surface is plenty large enough to accommodate the multitude of beverages you’ll likely be enjoying at the same time. 

From within a flap on this surface, the hefty but sturdy tray table can be withdrawn and folded down into place. 

Beneath the table, there’s a second power plug and USB outlet – a very welcome feature as someone who’s always charging my many devices when onboard. 

The sliding door is latched for takeoff but can be closed once airborne.

The door allows for an impressive degree of privacy, screening the outside world away, although it isn’t the full height of the cabin shell.

There’s a gap at the bottom and some flower-shaped openings to allow the crew to peer in if necessary (for example, determining whether your drink needs topping-up).

Still, the sliding door provides much-needed privacy from the opposite suite (Seat 1K in my case); otherwise, you’d be staring directly at your fellow First Class passenger when dining, given the direction of the seats and the tray tables.

Just inside the suite, to the right of the sliding door, is a vertical storage unit. When opened, the inside of the storage unit door has a small vanity mirror and a storage pocket. 

There’s just enough space for any garments you wish to hang, and potentially enough for a small carry-on as well. However, larger carry-on items are stored by the crew in a separate compartment in the front of the plane. 

Lastly, located next to the door is a 32-inch entertainment screen. The screen is optimized for viewing from the comfort of your bed in its default position (including watching something simultaneously with your partner from the comfort of the double bed).

Using the seat controls, the screen can also be swivelled outwards, allowing for more dynamic viewing from wherever your seat is positioned. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Amenities

As soon as we boarded, we were offered a choice of champagne for the flight: Dom Pérignon 2008 and Taittinger Comtes 2007 blanc de blancs. Coincidentally, the latter was the same one I had enjoyed on Air France La Première a few months back. 

Traditionally, Singapore Airlines has served a choice of Dom Pérignon and Krug in First Class, but on their recent services, they’ve been switching up the Krug for an equivalent high-end Comtes. I went with a glass of the Dom Pérignon prior to departure to kick things off, with a view of switching to the Comtes during the flight. 

The amenity kits by Lalique are presented in a sleek cubic leather casing. The premium amenity kit includes lip balm, body lotion, a soap bar, and a scented candle to bring home, unique to the Singapore Suites experience.

One notably missing amenity was the in-flight menu, which has been replaced with a digital menu in an effort to reduce touchpoints following the pandemic. 

Many of Singapore Airlines’s competitors have now restored full service, and I do find the digital menu takes away from the unique pleasure of flipping through a fine-dining menu in anticipation of your meal, which is one of the most enjoyable touches of any premium cabin experience in my view.

I do hope Singapore Airlines brings back the menu the future – browsing a digital menu on my phone while mulling over what to eat and drink at 35,000 feet in the air just doesn’t hit home the same way.

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Meal Service

As we climbed to cruising altitude, it was time to switch to the Taittinger Comtes 2007, which I dutifully enjoyed as the crew prepared the meal service. 

The lunch menu onboard today’s flight read as follows:

The meal began with Singapore Airlines’s signature satay chicken, which was one of the things I was looking forward to most about experiencing Singapore Airlines once again after so long.

The satay was just as delectable as I remembered, with a chunky peanut sauce melding together beautifully with the flavourful, juicy, and tender chicken. The cucumber and onion skewer added a touch of crispness and lightness to the dish, making for a mouthwatering start to the meal service.

Naturally, in the spirit of fully indulging in this all-time great aviation experience, I had ordered a series of appetizers and main courses from both the Western and Eastern menus.

After polishing off the satay, then, it was time for a favourite First Class ritual: the caviar presentation with free-flowing champagne.

Singapore Airlines serves up a full dish of chilled malossol caviar, along with many of the traditional accompaniments of egg whites, egg yolk, chives, crème fraîche, and lemon juice surrounding a set of feather-soft blinis. 

Alongside the Comtes 2007, the delicate black pearls went down beautifully.

After my first two appetizers, I then asked the crew if I could opt for a third, and they were happy to oblige after ensuring that it was available.

I switched to the double-boiled pork soup, a more traditional Southern Chinese-inspired dish. This isn’t necessarily my favourite type of soup – I’m more partial to the richer broths of China’s north – and I typically wouldn’t choose to drink this on the ground.

But here in the air, I figured it was as worth trying as any other appetizer on the menu, so I went ahead and savoured the pork bone flavours that channelled through every last drop of the clear broth.

Now, Singapore Airlines has a “Book the Cook” service which allows you to pre-order meals for a given flight in First Class, business class, or premium economy, which Jessy and I naturally partook in a few days prior to the flight.

It’s worth noting that for this fifth-freedom flight out of Frankfurt, the selection wasn’t nearly as wide as what you would get out of Singapore. However, we still had the option to pick a few unique items before the flight, and potentially combine them the items from the onboard menu.

Jessy had opted for the massaman curry from the Book the Cook menu, which was served as her first main course. She found it to be well-spiced and delicious, and I thought the same as well, having hopped over across the divider to steal a bite.

Prior to my main courses, I swapped the champagne for some white wine, deciding to go with the Tapanappa Chardonnay in anticipation of some of the seafood dishes I’d be trying later on. 

My first main course would be the prawn wonton noodles. There’s no doubt a certain irony in digging into these classic street food dishes, the type you’d find for a couple dollars at Singapore’s hawker stalls, in such an elevated setting.

Nevertheless, as someone who has loved noodle dishes for as long as I can remember, I had gone ahead and enthusiastically ordered this dish when I saw it on the Book the Cook menu.

Now that it was served in front of me, I swiftly slurped the stuffed slippery parcels of shrimp and relished every drop of the savoury broth, to which I had added a healthy dollop of the spicy soy sauce for an extra kick.

As my second main course (again, after the crew had checked that it was available), I chose the braised sea bass and New England chowder – a creative Western-inspired dish.

The mild flavour of the sea bass was balanced by the stronger tomato-based clam chowder, and the dish also came with refreshing roasted leek and spinach to accompany it. 

As I worked my way through my second main course, Jessy sampled a few bites of the German wheat beer-braised beef cheek for hers.

As a light eater, Jessy’s normally more likely to skip a main course rather than order a second, but even she couldn’t resist a bit of overindulgence onboard this very special Singapore Suites flight. She didn’t finish the whole thing, though, which of course meant that I hopped over across the divide to polish off main course 2.5. 

I wrapped up meal service with some black tea and a decadent chocolate and coffee tart with mango sauce, while Jessy chose the black chocolate texture for dessert. Both were rich with flavour and accentuated with a fruity finish.

Overall, the quality of the meal was impeccable and certainly ranked among some of the best catering I’ve experienced in the air. The quantities were very impressive, bearing in mind that the Suites Class cabin wasn’t entirely full and we were lucky enough to be able to sample as much of the menu as possible.

What’s more, Singapore Airlines’s world-renowned in-flight service was on display throughout, the crew proactively on hand to offer top-ups to our drinks, withdraw our plates, and gracefully lay down the next dish in front of us.

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Bed

After indulging in such a satisfying meal, I headed to the restroom to freshen up. 

Singapore Airlines has two restrooms onboard the A380 for Suites Class passengers, with the bathroom right-hand side being larger and more luxurious than the one on the left-hand side. 

The main bathroom is simply immaculate, with a full-sized vanity and ottoman where you can primp and preen. There are several illuminated mirrors with LED lights dotted throughout, adding to the contemporary finishes of the overall space. 

The toilet is found in another section towards the back, covered by an elegant leather seat top.

The space was arguably large enough to fit a shower in here if Singapore Airlines had wanted to, and indeed, I do wish there were a shower onboard to take the enjoyment to the next level.

However, I also understand why Singapore Airlines might think it’s more of a gimmicky feature, and had perhaps decided to leave that stuff for Emirates.

Meanwhile, the other restroom on the left side is somewhat smaller, but still offers plenty of room to change and freshen up. This restroom also features a full-sized mirror and a leather upholstered bench on the opposite wall.

Both restrooms are equipped with Lalique amenities, faux marble textures, and soft ambient lighting. 

When you’re ready to sleep, simply ask the crew to assist with turndown service, and they’ll maneuver the lie-flat bed into place and install all the bedding. Blankets and pillows are then placed according to your preference. 

Jessy was already dozing off in her seat at this point, so I instructed the crew to make the double bed for both of us.

Once complete, at 76 inches long and 27 inches wide, the “Double Bed in the Sky” is a real sight to behold. 

This is truly a unique offering among commercial aviation, as no other airline does the double bed quite like Singapore Airlines. While other airlines have partitions by your legs or other barriers that make the space more cramped, Singapore Suites offers a proper double bed in the sky with complete freedom of movement all around.

The only subtle barrier is a small gap in the middle, created by the lowered wall between the two suites. Still, the top of this divider is made of soft leather, so you can certainly get close, cuddle up, and… well, maximize your sleeping experience onboard.

Furthermore, the two entertainment screens are well-positioned for optimal viewing from the bed, and makes for a fun activity to watch a movie or show simultaneously with your partner as you relax in the sky. 

We were quite exhausted by this point in the journey, though, so as the cabin lights and windows were dimmed, we turned in for a few hours of sleep for the remainder of the flight. 

Well, more accurately speaking, Jessy went ahead and slept while I simply laid down to rest while wide awake, still overly excited by my Suites Class surroundings. I ordered another glass of wine to sip on as I lounged around in the darkness,  simply soaking it all in. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Entertainment

Singapore Airlines’s in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, offers quite a wide selection. There are over 1,400 on-demand entertainment options, ranging from new movie releases to complete seasons of relatively new TV shows.

In addition to Hollywood blockbusters, they offer a selection of European and Chinese titles as well. 

Should you wish to binge-watch TV shows, there are complete seasons at your fingertips. Of course, the 32-inch screen makes for an excellent viewing experience no matter what type of entertainment you pick.

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is offered on a complimentary basis for Singapore Suites and Singapore Airlines First Class passengers. You simply need to enter your last name and seat number in order to validate and connect. 

The complimentary Wi-Fi is unlimited with no data caps, while the speed was fast enough for browsing but not quite for streaming or, much to my chagrin, uploading Instagram Stories. 

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class – Second Meal Service

With just about two hours left out of our eight-hour journey, I asked the crew to initiate the second meal service. I wanted to get a head start on the eating and drinking, since – you guessed it – I’d be ordering extra portions for full enjoyment.

The menu for the second meal read as follows:

Meanwhile, the separate snack menu read as follows:

I ordered the Thai congee dish as my pre-arrival meal, in addition to the tom yum noodles from the snack menu, along with some pineapple juice to guzzle down alongside them.

The crew mentioned that the tom yum noodles were essentially just cup noodles served in an elevated bowl, and I was totally fine with this; as mentioned above, I quite like the irony of digging into my favourite everyday dishes from an elevated bowl in the sky. 

The dishes were served in two separate bowls. The Thai-style congee was intensely savoury thanks to the minced pork and fried garlic, especially after I threw a healthy dollop of spicy sauce into it. I thought the overall execution was very well done for mixed liquid and solid dish like this, as it doesn’t seem like the easiest dish to prepare to perfection on a plane.  

Despite feeling completely satiated at this point, I continued at full throttle to polish off the tasty tom yum noodles. The crew mentioned that they had added some vegetables to the bowl just for me, whereas normally it’s just the noodles served on their own, so I couldn’t let their kind gesture go unappreciated.

As I dug into my meal, I couldn’t help but marvel at how the Singapore Suites configuration offers such an exceeding large and versatile space in regards to how it can be used.

It was quite remarkable that I was sat here enjoying a wonderful snack and getting some work done from the comfort of my seat, all while my partner was sleeping on the other side – a moment that, for me, crystallized the uniquely elevated experience here on Singapore Suites.

As we approached our destination and the cabin flickered to life once again, my little moment of gratitude transformed into a sense of wistfulness that the fastest eight-hour flight of my life was about to end. 

The crew stopped by to clear up our Double Bed in the Sky, offer a final top-up to our drink, and express their thanks for choosing to fly with Singapore Suites today, signing off on their impeccable service as gracefully as our Airbus A380 would eventually touch down on the tarmac at New York JFK.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class is, quite simply, one of the best flights that you can ever hope to experience, especially through the magic of redeeming KrisFlyer miles at a spectacular value. For me, this Singapore Suites flight very much ranked up there as one of the best, if not the absolute best flight of my life. 

The design of the suites themselves was intimate and exclusive, setting the standard for First Class cabins among global airlines, especially with an unparalleled “Double Bed in the Sky” that you won’t find on any other airline.

Rather than overpowering you with ostentatiousness, Singapore’s A380 Suites remain classy and understated, only revealing the full extent of its luxuries throughout the entirety of the flight.

Furthermore, the gastronomic offerings were exemplary, and the crew’s service was as outstanding as I’ve always remembered onboard this very special airline, as I lost count of the number of enticing appetizers, delectable main courses, and indulgent drink top-ups we were treated to throughout this transatlantic journey, 

If you’ve got the KrisFlyer miles to burn and want to splurge on a First Class experience, Singapore Airlines A380 Suites Class certainly won’t disappoint in the slightest, and I can only hope to have the privilege of experiencing this product again at some point in the future.