Review: Singapore Airlines Economy Class (787-10), Fukuoka to Singapore & Singapore to Nagoya

With existing plans for a trip to Japan and an enticing Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer status upgrade offer, I decided to book a trip to Southeast Asia onboard Singapore Airlines. The offer required four paid segments, so I chose to book the cheapest airfare possible in Singapore Airlines’ award-winning Economy class.

While we have previously focused on business and first class flight reviews on Frugal Flyer, it is no secret that Asian airlines offer very solid economy class products. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you can expect when flying on Singapore Airlines Economy class.

Booking Singapore Airlines Economy Class

I had a trip to Japan already paid for when I heard that Marriott Bonvoy teamed up with Singapore Airlines, offering complimentary KrisFlyer Silver Elite status for those with a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status or above. They had an offer where flying four paid Singapore Airlines flight segments within six months of linking accounts would give you KrisFlyer Gold status, regardless of class. 

An award redemption for Singapore Airlines Business Class would have been my first option when flying with them, however, the offer only allowed paid, non-redemption bookings to be eligible for the status upgrade. If you want to experience Singapore Airlines for yourself without having to pay for it, I highly suggest earning Air Canada Aeroplan Points and redeeming them for Singapore’s well-sought-after flights, potentially saving you thousands of dollars.

Since I held Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Status and I had some friends in nearby Malaysia, I took advantage of this offer, allowing me to fly twice on their Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

At the time of booking, I paid 68,970 JPY, or about $650 Canadian Dollars, for the roundtrip between Japan and Singapore. The price was lower than I expected when similar itineraries onboard Singapore Airlines for Fukuoka-Singapore-Nagoya could go for around $1,000 CAD and up.

Ground Experience

SQ655 – Fukuoka to Singapore: Lounge Fukuoka

I arrived at Fukuoka Airport at around 7:30 for my 9:55 flight. The airport was going through some renovations so there was a bit of walking needed to get to the check-in and departures level. Checking-in was fairly quick using the self-service kiosks with a quick security screening thereafter. Although I had KrisFlyer Silver status, no check-in or boarding priority services were provided to Star Alliance Silver members. 

Using my Priority Pass membership from the Capital One Venture X Rewards card that I hold as an additional cardholder, I utilized the Lounge Fukuoka, which had a lot of empty seating in the lounge space. The food and drink selection was limited but it still had more than the Transborder Maple Leaf Lounge at YVR.

The gate I was departing from in Fukuoka was actually quite far from the boarding desk, but boarding was extremely efficient. Although I was part of Zone 6 and the boarding time was 9:25, I was onboard by 9:30.

SQ672 – Singapore to Nagoya: Singapore Changi Airport

Singapore Changi Airport is a huge airport with many things to do or shop for. I utilized the Plaza Premium Lounge on the trip to KL and I was not very impressed especially since it was really far from my departure and arrival gates, plus the time I needed to allocate for the security screening at the gate. 

Although I had a 9 hour layover, I decided to venture out into the city before going straight to the gate area. Like every other Singapore Airlines flight during this trip, boarding was very efficient and fast.

Instead of the cabin crew handing out headphones, there was a tray full of earbuds in the jetbridge before you got on the aircraft.

Cabin Arrangement

Singapore Airlines configures their 787-10s in a 3-3-3 configuration, with the front half of the cabin designated as the Forward Zone.

At the time of booking, the only complimentary seat selection options were for standard seats. After checking in through the app, I noticed that some of the Forward Zone seats opened up so I chose 44K on the right side of the aircraft. It was also an empty row of seats, which stayed that way after boarding. 

Going back to Japan, the flight was busier so I didn’t bother moving from seat 48K, which was also on the right side of the aircraft. The middle seat beside me was unoccupied for the red-eye back thankfully.

Seat

For the flight to Singapore, the front economy cabin was only half full, leaving me with the entirety of row 44. Maybe it’s because the number 4 is superstitious in Eastern Asian culture, but I’ll take an empty row any day of the week. The seat is comfortable, with ample storage room for little things other than your personal item. There are no air vents at each seat so everyone will be feeling the same temperature across the cabin.

There was space for storage for small things and each seat had USB charging in addition to the universal power outlet between the seats.

The bi-fold tray table had a mirror for making sure you still look great after boarding (or for putting in my orthodontic elastics like me).

During taxi, everyone was given a steaming hot towel, perfect for freshening up from the humid weather outside.

Amenities

Singapore Airlines does not provide amenity kits for shorter flights in economy class, but they are provided for any long-haul flight that is over 6 hours. However, Singapore Airlines economy class passengers do get a blanket and a pillow at their seat during boarding, which became useful when the cabin became really cold around cruising on the flight to Singapore.

Dining

SQ655 – Fukuoka to Singapore

About an hour after we took off, the flight attendants began the meal service. We were given packets of peas and crackers before our meal was handed out. If a special meal had been ordered ahead of time, it would have been delivered during the snack service as well. The cabin crew frequently went through the cabin to see if anyone wanted more drinks or to pick up any garbage.

No physical paper menus were provided, but you can see what can be ordered through the Singapore Airlines app. There is also a menu screen on the infotainment screen; however, it directs you to a QR code for you to scan with instructions on how to connect to the inflight internet.

For lunch, I chose the Chicken Shoyu Koji Yaki for my main. Until I removed the tin foil, I didn’t realize that this was almost the same thing that my mom would sometimes make for dinner. The flavors made me miss home in the middle of my trip, so this meal was really great.

After the meal, everyone was served a small Vanilla ice cream cup for dessert. There were also unlimited snacks in the rear pantry of the plane, which I totally forgot during both flights.

SQ672 – Singapore to Nagoya

On this red-eye back to Japan, it was about 2 hours before food was served. Most of the plane was asleep, including me, before the lights slowly came on and the sound of trays and carts began shuffling in the galley.

For breakfast, I chose the veal sausages for my main as I had a sensitivity to eggs. A very British-influenced meal, it was very carb-intensive so it put me back to sleep.

Entertainment

Entertainment Console

The seat comes with an entertainment screen with various pre-loaded content and live TV. I was really excited when I found out that one of the live sports channels was scheduled to stream an NHL Playoff game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers. However, it was streaming soccer instead. Obviously not the airline’s fault but the live TV displaying something other than what was supposed to be showing bummed me out.

A great amount of TV shows and movies are included to keep you entertained. You can also access the KrisShop duty free, though there are some regional restrictions on some items where you can only purchase them ahead of your flight. I wanted to buy a few of the souvenirs featured for May however, I didn’t realize you cannot purchase some of these items for flights leaving from Singapore.

In-flight Magazine

Seeing an in-flight magazine is always nice, especially since it’s rare to see them in North America. The duty-free selection was great, however, some items in the magazine were available for pre-order only or not even available on flights from Singapore, or to and from Malaysia. 

May’s theme for Singapore Airlines merchandise was Japan and I wanted to purchase something as a souvenir. I didn’t realize I wasn’t able to purchase anything in-flight until I arrived in Singapore from Kuala Lumpur before my flight to Nagoya, so I was not able to bring anything home. 

WiFi

WiFi onboard Singapore Airlines is free for all KrisFlyer members, regardless of status. To connect, you must enter your seat number and last name into the entertainment system to verify that you are a KrisFlyer member. If you don’t have an account, you can easily sign up through the link provided on the log-in screen.

Be aware that if you’re using a partner frequent flyer program for codeshare benefits, you may not have access to WiFi because your seat is attached to the frequent flyer number provided at check-in or booking.

Lavatories

The lavatories in general were clean and well kept. The trash cans were operated by a foot pedal, which was cleaner than pushing the lid and trying to stuff paper towels in before the lid closed on you. Any time any of the crew members were free and the lavatory wasn’t occupied, the toilet paper was folded into a corner like what you would see in a hotel.

Having more than one coat hook was also great to see.

Because the cabin was quite empty, I also got a chance to visit the rear lavatory as well. It was also as clean as the mid-cabin lavatory, and the toilet paper was folded into a corner every time as well.

Conclusion

The economy experience on the Singapore Airlines 787-10 is reflective of the worldwide recognition the airline receives. The food onboard was delicious and the service was friendly and helpful.

For the price I paid, I felt like it was well worth it, especially when the cheaper options were connecting flights through China or Indonesia, adding another 10 hours to the flight time each way. Overall, Singapore Airlines’ Economy Class onboard the 787-10 Dreamliner is an exceptional product that is well worth the price or redemption.

To compare, I briefly flew on Singapore’s A350 from Kuala Lumpur before connecting in Singapore, and I would have preferred the seats on the Boeing 787-10. They use a different supplier for seats on the A350, with less space under the seat in front. Although both the 787 and the A350 I flew to Singapore were about 6-7 years old, the A350 had the ancient iPod IFE control port. Interestingly, the lavatory on the A350 has an electric self-closing door for the garbage.

As an aside, if you are into planes like me, a really cool and free attraction you can see at the Nagoya Chubu-Centrair Airport is the Flight of Dreams Hangar, where they preserved the first-ever Boeing 787 Dreamliner. There were lots of Seattle features like Starbucks and It was really cool visiting especially right after flying on a 787.