Singapore Airlines Sets Lofty Standard for Business Class

Singapore Airlines' business-class seats -- the largest in the class -- fold out into fully flat beds.

Route taken: Business class, Los Angeles to Singapore via Taipei

What it costs: $11,566, round-trip.

What you get: Room to stretch out. Singapore Airlines sets lofty new standards for business (and even first) class, with fully flat beds and 30-inch seats that are the widest in its class. A 1-2-1 seat configuration allows each passenger access to the aisle, so no more fretting about stepping over a neighbor’s legs to get to bathrooms stocked with fresh orchids and Bulgari products, or to the kitchen to pick up snacks like kway teow noodles with hot broth or focaccia with roasted vegetables and cheese. Partitions between each seat mean that once you’re down for the night, you’re in your own world — not your neighbor’s back. An abundance of well-thought-out storage allows you to keep all your carry-on baggage handy during the flight, and an in-seat, softly lit makeup mirror is good for touching up after a red-eye.

Singapore is famous for its solicitous service and pampering, and it’s no joke. Pre-flight hot towels are de rigueur by now, but the flight attendants on Singapore — sporting pressed batik sarongs and French twists with nary a hair mussed — dole them out with genuinely welcoming smiles.

Demand for Singapore Airlines' business-class service is strong -- so strong, in fact, that it recently announced it would convert five of its planes to new all-business class configurations on flights from New York and Los Angeles to Singapore -- the first carrier to offer this service over the Pacific.

What you don’t get: Claustrophobia; thrombosis.

What’s on the menu: It’s possible to feel not just satiated, but happily spoiled, when disembarking a Singapore Airlines flight. An international panel of chefs, including kitchen heavyweights like Georges Blanc, Gordon Ramsay and Alfred Portale, plan seasonal menus. Plump sautéed prawns with green pumpkin-seed sauce served on a recent flight were created by Nancy Oakes of San Francisco’s beloved Boulevard restaurant. Menupages.com fans may enjoy the “book the cook” service offered online, which allows passengers to make their selections before the flight.

Gourmet cheese boards, exotic Asian fruits and fresh chocolate truffles are trotted out after the main course, and even between-meal snacks like roast beef sandwiches or focaccia with roasted vegetables and cheese would be considered a full meal elsewhere. Breakfasts cater to both Western and Asian palates, with choices like rice vermicelli brimming with seafood, or chive omelets served with potatoes roesti. Wine consultants make their selections based on what holds up at 30,000 feet.

What wowed us: The truly comfortable beds, and the ability to fly all the way around the world and arrive not only jet-lag-free, but actually well-rested, well-fed and ready to see the sights. The in-flight entertainment options are arguably the biggest and best of its competitors: audio and video demand is delivered on 15.4-inch personal widescreen LCDs; over 100 movies and 180 TV shows are available on demand. After all — when’s the next time you’ll have two hours and fifty-five minutes to plow through The Godfather or back-to-back new releases? For those who want a challenge, the console even has language-learning tools.

singaporeair.com