Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class 737 Max 8 Da Nang-Singapore
Intro
Oh wow, what a fantastic time Vietnam was, filled with a sublime stay at the Four Seasons, shopping in Hoi An, and Coconut Boating. Finally, though, it was time to continue on the next portion of the adventure down to Singapore.
This specific leg would see me fly on the Singapore Airlines Max 8 in Business Class from Da Nang to Singapore. I have previously reviewed the product in more depth, which you can find here, but this flight was in a non-throne seat, which I was excited to try.
Even with a minor delay (rare for Singapore Airlines), this flight proved to be very good. A fantastic meal, free-flowing Piper Heidsick, and great amenities made this 3-hour hop more than comfortable.
Let's get into it!
Route-Da Nang (DAD)-Singapore
Seat- 11K
Flight Number- SQ173
Aircraft- Boeing 737 Max 8
Date- January 4th 2024
Flight Time: 2 Hour 59 Minutes
Price Paid- 665$ (2 Legs)
How I Booked
Seeing as I had to get from Da Nang to Bali, there were no nonstop flights. About 3 months away from departure, I snagged a ticket in Business (fare class U), to fly from Da Nang to Singapore and then onto Bali for 665 USD.
Singapore Airlines seems to be one of the most expensive carriers in Asia, if not the most expensive. When I saw this fare pop up, I knew I had to book it. Typically, non-stop flights from Singapore to Denpasar in Business hover around 700$ for that ticket alone.
Arrival At The Airport
The Four Seasons offers complimentary chauffeur service in their beautiful BMWs for pool villa guests and above. My driver for the day, the same one who played football with me, was taking me to the airport!
On the way, we stopped for a coffee (more on this later) because of the flight delay, and eventually, I was in a hurry by the time I got there😂.
Check-in is a breeze, and there is a dedicated business class check-in line for those flying in J. Within minutes, I headed off to the Orchid Lounge, which I wrote about in a separate extract.
Boarding
The original departure time is slated at 16:30. However, due to some serious weather in Singapore, the outbound was delayed, thus causing SQ173 to be delayed.
Boarding ended up commencing at 4:40 pm.
The cabin crew greeted me at the door with a big hello and informed me of my seat for the journey, 11K.
Now, this is where Singapore Airlines service sprung into action. Unfortunately, I have TMJ on both sides and when I was utilizing the bathrooms before boarding, I left my nightguard in the stall. The Singapore Airlines crew let me off to go take a look.
By the time I was back, a hot towel and a glass of champagne were waiting for me.
The Seat/Cabin
I'll touch on the cabin briefly, but I have a more detailed review of the cabin, which I have already posted.
The Singapore Airlines Max 8 is laid out in a 2-2, 1-1, 2-2 configuration featuring a total of 10 seats across three rows.
Each seat is equipped with a worldwide charger, a USB cable, and a reading/dining lamp.
When meal time comes, a tray table pops out with the use of this button. It's similar to the likes of Jetblue Mint (just a heck of a lot better).
My favorite aspect of the seat was the small shoe cubby located in the back of the seat in front.
IFE/Amenities
Another aspect I love about Singapore Airlines is the fact that Wi-Fi is complementary for business-class customers. I didn't choose to connect only since I like being disconnected when flying.
Plenty of options were prominent on the seatback screen, ranging from new releases such as Gran Turismo to Barbie and to many other blockbusters.
Lastly, the same blanket and pillow that were offered on the Singapore to Jakarta route were offered, as well as the amazing pair of headphones that Singapore Airlines distributed.
Departure
By 5 pm local time, the captain came to announce our pushback shortly, as well as a bumpy flight over to Singapore. Uh oh.
Just like that, we pushed back 35 minutes late at 5:05 pm. The light on these evening departures is just beautiful.
We took off from runway 35R at 5:25 pm, after a taxi of almost the whole airport.
The views out over Da Nang made me realize just how big the city is. No wonder why it is the third most populated city in Vietnam.
Following a northern departure, the captain made the right bank to get us on our way to Singapore. That's when this beautiful sunset came into sight.
Meal Service
Once we got to a safe altitude, the crew snapped into action to get the meal service distributed promptly, thanks to the horrific weather near Singapore.
Here is what the menu looked like for the flight today:
Flight attendants came around to take out our tray tables for us about 15 minutes after departure.
25 minutes after departure, my main was distributed to me.
Naturally, I had to choose only the best business-class meal I have ever had on a plane: the beef cheek with gnocchi.
The meal was delicious, like the last flight. Tender beef, flavorful gnocchi, and...
A glass of Piper Heidisick to wash it all down. Wait, wait, there's more we even got...
The notorious Singapore Airlines garlic bread. This garlic bread might be some of the greatest to ever bless the aviation world.
To finish the meal, I enjoyed a ginger chocolate cake that had already been placed on the tray. For a 2.5-hour flight, this was a fantastic meal, and I am craving this chocolate cake while I write this report.
The Rest Of The Flight
The rest of the flight consisted of a bit of relaxation after back-to-back flights and little sleep.
As fortune would have it, the person sitting next to me moved over to the other side of the cabin to sit with their small child (who was amazingly behaved the whole flight, wow). That meant I put out the tray table to create a privacy barrier and it felt like an enclosed suite.
Arrival
Approximately 40 minutes before landing, the captain came on to tell everyone to fasten their seatbelts and the cabin crew to take their jumpseats.
There was extreme weather in the area, meaning we had an awkward approach to Singapore Changi.
Thanks to the fantastic flight deck, we ended up touching down 35 minutes behind schedule at 9:05 pm.
Moments later, we pulled into gate 41 and were allowed to disembark. Exhausted at this point, it was time to clear immigration (which is always quick at Changi), and head over to the Yotel for a sleep.
I have already reviewed the Yotel here but will add another look at it in the next few days.
Well, as fate would have it, the Vietnamese coffee I had at 3:30 pm meant I couldn't actually fall asleep until about 2 am.
And... I had to be awake at 6 am to catch my flight over to Denpasar the next day. Oh, how traveling catches up with you.
Final Thoughts
Having already flown in the throne seat on this aircraft, I believe that the standard seats are also top-notch. The bulkhead seat was a good choice with a large footwell. The seat is modern and comfortable, the braised beef cheek with gnocchi was delicious, and having free-flowing Piper Heidsick is fantastic for a short flight.
My only drawback is the general price that Singapore Airlines charges. Looking at dates, it's about 700-1000$ one-way in business class from Da Nang to Singapore. However, because of the cost I paid, I would definitely fly this product again.
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