The world's best airline experience, from Singapore to New York. In 2008, Singapore Airlines introduced their Suites Class, the most luxurious class of flying that is commercially available. The Suites were exclusive to their flagship Airbus A380, and they go beyond flat beds by offering enclosed private cabins with sliding doors that cocoon you in your own little lap of luxury. The interior was designed by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste and comes along with a plush soft leather armchair hand-stitched by the Italian master craftsmen Poltrona Frau. Perhaps most well-known of all, Singapore Airlines became the first and only commercial airline with a double bed in the sky. However, the experience came with a hefty price tag. With round-trip tickets costing up to S$23,000 (or US$18,400), it was completely unattainable for most people. Formerly, the only way for an average person to fly in the Suites was to take out a bank loan. And then I remembered that most of my personal net worth exists in frequent flier miles rather than cash.
So in September 2014, after splurging a colossal amount of miles... I was booked on Suites Class to New York! This is my trip in photos. Follow meKeep up with my latest adventures As I joined the line for check-in, I was promptly greeted by a staff. “Good evening sir, how may I help you?” A sudden realization hit me and I went “OH NOPE SORRY” and briskly walked away, leaving the lady astonished. I arrived at the lounge and was approached by an attendant. "May I escort you to The Private Room?" she asked. I followed her past what seemed to be 50-60 people in the Business Class lounge. She walked noticeably fast, seemingly afraid that I would be disgusted by the presence of the working class. Here I was transferred to another attendant who walked me through the First Class lounge, and then through a set of automatic sliding double doors before being transferred to yet another attendant. Completely stuffed at this point, I realized it was time for boarding.
There was a dedicated jet bridge solely for Suites passengers. Standing at the end of the bridge was a flight attendant ready to greet me. I realized that they would address me by whatever title I chose in my Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer profile. I instantly regretted not going with President Low or Princess Derek. Zaf told me that there were only 3 passengers in the 12 Suites, and joked that I could have a bedroom, dining room, and living room if I wanted. As soon as the plane reached cruising altitude, I was offered another drink. Seeing that it was almost 1 AM and I was just beginning to indulge in the whole suite experience, I decided to order coffee to stay up. I don’t know much about coffee, but I do know the Jamaican Blue Mountain costs a ton. A pound of the Blue Mountain beans sells for $120 at Philz Coffee. I unglamorously gulped down the entire cup at once, while pretending to appreciate the finely-balanced traits of the Blue Mountain. Zaf knelt down next to me as I sampled the tea.
He told me about the high-quality tea leaves. He told me about the hand-sewn cotton teabags. He told me about the fragrant cherry blossoms and red fruits infused into the tea. Somewhere in between, he might have mentioned about the history of coffee trade and the East India Company, but I can’t be sure. He says that he has been with the airline for 19 years. Within the past 2 or 3 years, he has served Leonardo DiCaprio and Morgan Freeman flying in Suites Class. I figured since Zaf was so available to recommend me coffee and tea, I asked him, “can you recommend me a movie?” He picked The Grand Budapest Hotel, a fantastic movie which I thoroughly enjoyed. Off his head, he could name me the actors and talk about how brilliant their performances were in the movie.“Are you like a savant of the cinema?” “I just happened to be someone who likes movies,” he said, modestly. “I will call you here every time I need a movie recommendation in the future!”
“Uh... okay!” he said, as brightly as he could. As I settled in, supper service began. Having stuffed myself with three entrées back in the lounge, I wasn’t particularly hungry so I settled for a 5-course supper. We walked up the front stairs to Business Class, down the length of the upper deck, and back down a spiral staircase to Economy Class. Zaf said he'd love to take me to see the pilots' cockpit, but the airline has stopped allowing that in recent years due to security concerns. In the Suites, you don’t just lie on a seat that has gone flat. Instead, you step aside while the Singapore Airlines flight attendants transform your Suite into a bedroom, with a plush mattress on top of a full-sized bed. When the adjacent suite is empty, the dividing partition can be brought down to create a double bed. Through the entire flight, the attendants check on you almost every 3 minutes without being intrusive or annoying. They would just briskly walk past you with a quick glance.
I paid a visit to the restroom to change into the pajamas provided. And henceforth, I slept. Well, not on the toilet of course. We landed at Frankfurt for a two-hour layover, and the three of us in Suites Class were escorted to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge which had a spa and hot shower. Getting back on the plane, a new crew was onboard for the flight to New York. For breakfast, I used Singapore Airlines' Book the Cook service. It allows you to pre-order a specific meal before the flight, which is then specially put onboard the flight for you. When it was time to nap, I didn’t want to trouble the crew for a full double bed, so I opted for a single bed instead. As we finally landed at New York, a huge problem presented itself — I didn’t want to leave the plane. I have to say, after being served Dom Pérignon in a double-suite bedroom at 36,000 feet, I’m not sure flying experiences get any better than this. But eventually I got off the plane, because New York's not too bad.