The launch customer for Boeing’s 787-10, Singapore Airlines (SIA) largely operates its -10 twinjets on midrange routes around Asia and Australia. The business class seats are based on Stelia’s staggered Symphony suite, a lie-flat product that differs from the Jamco-made custom seat found on the carrier’s long-haul aircraft.

I recently had the opportunity to try SIA’s 787-10 business class product on a 6hr 30min flight from Singapore Changi International Airport to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, and discovered that the product serves as a nice complement to the more premium experience offered on SIA long-haul.

Changi is a true wonder of the aviation world. It is enormous with four large passenger terminals, numerous amenities, world class lounges, and excellent shopping. Nestled between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 is a giant mall, known as Jewel, which is popular with passengers and indeed locals who visit for a day out. The airport’s website is excellent for finding your way around the maze of terminals, shops, lounges and transit hotel facilities.

An interesting quirk of the airport is that pairs or groups of gates have a dedicated security area so security screenings are done near the gates. This means generally shorter security lines and limited waits at the gates, enabling flyers to visit some of the impressive attractions at the airport including the Butterfly garden and the aforementioned Jewel mall. With check-in offered 48 hours in advance, I was able to meet up with some friends before my midnight flight. The airline’s app kept me updated on my bag’s progress, confirming that it was loaded onto the aircraft.

Changi’s Terminal 3 hosts a recently renovated SilverKris lounge which is open to business class passengers. The huge, tastefully decorated lounge is airy and has several airside-facing windows that provide natural light during the day. Expect plenty of food and drink, including buffet-style dining and some manned counters with food being made to order. The southeastern corner of the lounge offers some nap pods and a quiet area, while the bathrooms are numerous and include showers and bidets. There’s also a large staffed bar for drinks in the middle of the lounge. It’s safe to say that this is one of the nicer business class lounges around. 

Boarding for our midnight flight began about 45 minutes prior to takeoff. SIA’s 787-10 has 36 business class seats and 301 economy seats. Star Alliance status holders and business class passengers boarded first. My window seat, 12K, was biased toward the window. It was noticeably narrower than SIA’s long-haul product, but at 20 inches wide it’s competitive with most other airlines.

The seat has no door but the curved seat shell provides plenty of privacy. A bugbear, as with the long-haul seat, is that the second window is blocked by the seat shell so only one window was usable. 

I was surprised by the state of the pillow and blanket, with the former being lumpy and the latter appearing to be just cheap. 

There’s also no amenity kit on flights shorter than six hours and although ours was scheduled 30 minutes longer than that, we were still categorized as such and thus kit-less.

The tray table pushes out from under the 18 inch HD touchscreen inflight entertainment (IFE) system. It folds to be either half or full sized but the fold-out portion isn’t sturdy enough.

An aisle-side shelf offers plenty of storage, plus a mirror, headphone jack, power outlet and a cupholder. The seat shell has both reading and overhead lights but no individual air vents.

Interestingly, the restrooms on SIA’s 787s are almost double the size of those on the carrier’s A350 Ultra Long Range (ULR) aircraft which operate the world’s longest flights. Penhaligon’s skincare products were also provided in the restrooms. 

On this, a red-eye flight, SIA offers dining in business class either after takeoff or just before landing. I used the carrier’s extensive Book The Cook menu to secure a dumpling and noodle dish from a Singaporean restaurant post-departure. I used the live television feature on the IFE to watch Manchester United defeat Everton FC — which was a fine accompaniment to the delicious food.

The rest of the IFE was identical to my recent SIA long-haul experience with several hundred movies and TV offerings. However, the touchscreen on this system was the icing on the cake; it was responsive, snappy, bright and clear. Wi-Fi, which is free in business class, worked well and was fast.

The crew on this flight were professional and thoroughly efficient, as seems to be the norm for SIA. I was offered some drinks or warm beverages with and after my meal. 

This Stelia Symphony suite converts into a full-flat bed with the push of a button. And so, after my meal and the soccer match, I tucked in for a few hours sleep.

The armrests can be lowered to widen the sleeping surface. And while the crew made no mention of a mattress pad, I was able to sleep right up until our final descent into Seoul for a 7:30am arrival. I also managed to snag some coffee as we made our way back down to Earth.

Compared to the exceptional long-haul experience I had recently enjoyed, SIA’s midrange product aboard the 787-10 is certainly a tier lower. That said, the airline nonetheless excels with comfortable seats in a quiet cabin supported by top quality service.

It seems that Singapore Airlines has judged this product perfectly, ensuring that it’s premium enough to suit the carrier’s overall premium brand image. 

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All images of SIA‘s 787-10 business class interior credited to the author, Karun Mukhi