SIA's New A350 XWB: SQ337 DUS-SIN in Economy

[yflyer]

I also browsed the arcade game menu.



This was something I normally did not have much interest in, buy I spotted that "retro" arcade classic, Asteroids on the menu...now that was more my generation's game. That I would try!



However when I started the game, I realized that the game's creators had tried to update the game, from it's perfectly good black-n-white version, to a new-fangled colour version, which just did not have the addictive quality of the original, where all you did was blast asteroids into smaller rocks. This new version, while in full colour and with lots of onscreen action, just missed the elegance and simplicity of the original Asteroids game. In some cases, new is better, but in this case, it most definitely was not!

[yflyer]

I watched the movie Jason Bourne...



Video and audio quality were both excellent (I used my own Shure earbud headphones, with an airline adapter)...



The Fast Forward, Rewind and Pause functions for the VOD functions were very responsive.



Overall, a great onboard movie viewing experience.

A couple of additional features to round off a well thought out system:

There is a function to switch between 16:9 and 4:3 screen aspect ratios. This would come in handy in case there were any old 4:3 format programs available.



There is also a very useful search function, with an onscreen keyboard, to search for entertainment content.



There is also integrated messaging where the cabin crew can send you messages, and ask for your feedback through a screen-based survey.

[yflyer]

Mid-way through the flight, the cabin crew came round with snacks, including this sesame encrusted ham bun...



This wasn't enough for me, so a few minutes later I asked if they had instant cup noodles onboard, and they did. Note that this was not listed on the menu, and sometimes on previous flights they either did not have them or ran out, so if you think you will need a substantial mid-flight snack, it is best to bring your own cup noodles onboard.

[yflyer]

I spent the remainder of the flight resting and/or sleeping, although an equally feasible strategy would be to stay awake on this flight, and then only go to bed after arrival in the morning in Singapore.

I did watch the map view closely as we approached the Pakistan-India border though. Regulars on SQTalk will know that one thing I try to do on Europe-Singapore flights is to look out of the window to spot the fence, which runs along the much of the India-Pakistan border.



At night, this is usually clearly visible to the naked eye, but is hard to catch on camera, not least with an iPhone.

On this occasion, I got lucky...this is best photo I have taken so far of this border, with the distinctive blended winglet of the A350 in the frame as a bonus!

[yflyer]

Breakfast was served 2+ hours prior to landing...



I chose the beef noodle selection, and was not disappointed.



This was a very tasty dish, with the noodles and beef slices still steaming hot, and none of the refrigerated/reheated taste that you sometimes get with airline food.

[yflyer]

Arrival information was shown on the IFE prior to landing...



Gates for connecting flights.



This is one aspect of the IFE where Finnair's IFE implementation is superior to SQ. Here is a screen shot of the Finnair IFE screen with equivalent connection information, which is a model of clarity. On the Finnair system, you are shown the arrival gate (In the example gate 32) and departure gates (Gate 17), and a map view showing the relative position of the gates on a terminal map, and the estimated walking time from the arrival gate to the departure gate.

In SQ's case, you are just shown a single map image, and you are left to figure out which gate you are starting from, and where you have to go, based on information on the earlier screens.



This is one aspect of IFE usability where SQ could learn a thing or two from Finnair's excellent implementation. In SQ's favour, though, the selection of programs is much wider on SQ's Krisworld than on Finnair's system.

[yflyer]

We approached Changi Airport from the west, and those on the left side of the aircraft had great views of the city skyline, Marina Bay, and the Singapore Flyer on a very clear pre-dawn morning.



Our landing on runway 02L was very smooth, although there was slightly stronger-than-usual braking action before we turned off the runway.

All the windows on the A350 misted up slightly on landing...this was something I did not notice on other flights...this meant that it was not possible to take clear photos of the airport after landing, but it did give the airport lighting a very attractive halo, not unlike Christmas decorations, which was entirely appropriate as we were landing on the morning of Christmas Eve.

[yflyer]

Final thoughts?

The A350-900 WXB is a remarkable plane. It is very quiet and flies very smoothly. The cabin temperature and humidity was very well regulated throughout the flight, and as I have described, the cabin product onboard is state of the art as well.

In terms of Y cabin product, I was quite happy with the seat, and overall cabin ambience. The new Krisworld IFE is a winner. Needless to say, catering and cabin service on this flight were top notch as well.

So is the A350 a better ride than the other planes in the SQ fleet? From a bean counter's perspective, it most probably is. Its efficiency is probably market leading right now. It looks like a great engine for SQ's growth and expansion, and the SIN-DUS sector is a good example of this, not to mention SQ's SIN-SFO nonstop service.

How about from a passenger's perspective? There, at least for me, the answer is more nuanced. The A350 is great, but then so are the 77WN and A380. Perhaps the A350 cabin, with the higher cabin pressure and humidity, will leave you more comfortable after a long flight. On the other hand, the 77WN cabin just feels fractionally more open on account of the wider fuselage. The sheer size, quietness and smoothness of the A380 also keep it on my list of favourites.

So I think SQ has a great long haul Y product on several aircraft types: the A380, the 77W / 77WN / 77WR and now the A350. All of these are superb, competitive Y offerings, and I would be happy flying any of these on long haul sectors.

How does the SQ A350 compare with QR and AY in Economy? The SQ and AY economy class seats and layout are quite similar. QR uses a different Y seat frame, however the 3-3-3 layout is similar in comfort to SQ and AY. SQ has the best catering of the three, and while Finnair's IFE has the best user interface design, SQ and QR both have a larger program selection. I like Finnair's cool Nordic cabin design with Marrimekko accents, but all three have a decent Y cabin in 9-abreast 3-3-3 layout.

Between QR, SQ and AY, only SQ has a true Premium Economy offering, so if you want something better than Y, SQ is your best bet.

I suspect the real fight will be in the J cabin, where SQ, QR and AY have very different cabins and hard products. I tried QR's J product when I was op-up'ed from Doha to Singapore, and was blown away. I hope to try SQ (and AY) in J at some point in the future, so that I can do a comparison.

And of course, there is SIN-SFO non-stop on the SQ A350 that is also on my to-do list. Watch this space!

For more on the A350, I would also direct you to these TR's:

SIN-JKT on SQ - PEY cabin
SIN-HEL vv on AY Y
SIN-DOH on QR Y
DOH-SIN on QR J

Thanks for reading!

[Pinkfloyd]

You are probably sick of hearing this by now but cheers for another great TR yflyer!

[sunnyday]

The stronger than normal braking action is due to a new feature in the a350 called BTV or brake to vacate. Basically the aircraft regulates the braking to vacate at a certain exit chosen by the pilot.

[yflyer]

You are probably sick of hearing this by now but cheers for another great TR yflyer!

Thanks, Pinkfloyd! Your comments, and everyone else's, are always appreciated!

The stronger than normal braking action is due to a new feature in the a350 called BTV or brake to vacate. Basically the aircraft regulates the braking to vacate at a certain exit chosen by the pilot.

Thanks for the info, sunnyday! All this new technology is pretty impressive. That said, I am one of those folks who think that automation is good, but some amount of hand flying and manual operation is good for pilots, as it keeps their skills sharp.

[loldude333]

Yet another great TR. Thanks!

[Hajimbo]

Again! I love the Yflyer TR standards!

[9V-JKL]

Another fantastic TR.

The lengths you go to to show the seat width difference between an A350 and an A380 deserves applause!

[SQGamespeed]

As usual, fantastic TR, yflyer! Looks like you pre-planned the seat width comparison (I presume the A380 was on your outbound sector). Also, the first landing shot looks very well-timed, with the red strobe light on top of the aircraft flashing at that exact moment. This can be a tricky picture to take.

Looks like the DUS-SIN route is doing well.