Singapore Airlines Business Class Review: Dubai to Singapore

Singapore Airlines Flight Number: SQ495 Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER Dubai (DXB) to Singapore (SIN) Depart: 8:00 p.m. Arrive: 7:15 a.m. Duration: 7 hours, 15 minutes Seat: 16K, Business class

I splurged on a business class award seat on Singapore Airlines when I flew from Dubai to Singapore in December. I'd heard great things about the airline's business class product, and Singapore did not disappoint.

I typically fly in economy if I’m using cash, but for long flights, I prefer to use the miles and points I’ve earned over the years to treat myself. For this redemption, I paid 56,000 Lufthansa miles + $70 in taxes to fly from Dubai to Bangkok (layover in Singapore). Thanks to Lufthansa’s participation in the Star Alliance network, I used Lufthansa miles to book the award from Dubai to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, and from Singapore to Bangkok on Thai Airways.

Given that the latter flight was under two hours, this trip report will focus entirely on the Singapore Airlines flight experience, from booking to landing.

Award booking

I had 56,200 Lufthansa miles that were expiring at the end of December. Luckily, a business class award ticket from the Middle East to Southeast Asia is priced at 56,000 miles on Lufthansa’s region-based award chart. This award was the perfect use of my Lufthansa miles, and frankly, I was happy to get rid of them.

Lufthansa isn't a transfer partner of any of the transferrable reward programs, which makes it difficult to get a few extra miles in your account if you’re slightly short of an award ticket. In addition, the airline’s miles expire at the end of the quarter 36 months after earning them unless you have elite status or a Lufthansa credit card. Another negative is that Lufthansa adds taxes and high fuel surcharges on many of its flights. The combination of these three factors made it challenging to find an award booking over the last few years that made sense for me.

However, there is a silver lining with Lufthansa: fuel surcharges can be avoided when flying to/from certain regions and on some Star Alliance carriers that don't pass on these fees. Luckily for me, my flights from Dubai to Bangkok on Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways only included $70 in taxes.

» Learn more: Lufthansa en route to dynamic award pricing

Booking process

A scan of the Lufthansa website for award flights from Dubai to Bangkok only showed availability on Ethiopian Airlines. I wasn’t particularly excited about this award given that it had a layover in Addis Ababa, which was in the opposite direction of where I needed to go. I called Lufthansa in hopes that a telephone agent would have award options that weren’t on the website.

Fortunately, the rep I spoke with was extremely knowledgeable and found award space. Though there were no direct flights, I was presented with the option of flying from Dubai to Singapore on Singapore Airlines, then Singapore to Bangkok on Thai Airways. I’ve heard amazing things about Singapore Airlines business class over the years, so I was really excited about this option

Singapore Airlines business class review

Since this was an overnight flight, I spent the majority of the flight sleeping. I planned to eat a quick lunch in the lounge and have my dinner on the flight as soon as meal service began so I could get as much sleep as possible. Overall, I was very impressed with Singapore Airlines, and I found the food and service to be excellent.

Lufthansa Business Lounge

The lounge entrance was elegant, and I was really excited to visit a non-Priority Pass lounge for once. Since I was flying business class on a Star Alliance carrier, I was able to access the Lufthansa Business Lounge at DXB airport. My visit to the lounge was quick, and it was reasonably empty for an evening flight. (But maybe that’s also because this was a non-Priority Pass lounge.)

» Learn more: How to maximize your Priority Pass Select membership

I ate a mix of random favorites: guacamole, Caesar salad (with anchovies — nice touch, Lufthansa!), penne with tomato sauce, chicken soup, tomato juice, diet Pepsi and red wine. The food was delicious and I was very impressed.

Boarding

Boarding was fast and efficient, with business class boarding right after first class. I was one of the first people on the plane, which was great because I really wanted to take some photos and videos of the empty cabin.

Business class cabin configuration

This aircraft was a Boeing 777-300ER, which includes four cabins: first class (4 seats), business class (48 seats), premium economy (28 seats) and economy (184 seats).

Business class is laid out in a traditional 1-2-1 configuration, which is great if you’re traveling solo or with a companion. Each seat has direct aisle access so you don't have to awkwardly step over your neighbor if you need to visit the restroom.

I found business class cabin bright and modern with a beautiful, high-end look. Each pair of seats had brown or taupe leather, and the alternating leather color made the cabin look really elegant. The purple floor lighting was relaxing and the entire cabin felt new and upscale. Each seat included a small yet comfortable houndstooth pillow, which is in addition to the larger pillow positioned behind the headrest. The large pillow is more visible when the seat opens into a flatbed.

Seats in business class

I sat in 16K, which is a window seat in the middle of the cabin. I usually sleep on my right side, so I always prefer a seat on the right side of the plane.

As soon as I finished eating, I went right to sleep and I didn’t spend much time watching any of the TV options. However, I got a really good night of sleep, and the bed (and extra pillow) were pretty comfortable.

Video flight recap

The bottom line

I savor every time I fly in business class, and this experience did not disappoint. The food in the lounge was delicious and the business-class cabin was beautiful. As expected, service on Singapore Airlines was solid. I’m glad that I was able to put my expiring Lufthansa miles to use and try out Singapore's wonderful business-class product.

Have you flown in business class on Singapore Airlines? What did you think? Tell me below in the comments!

Seating chart courtesy of SeatGuru.