Airline Experience Review

Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines missed the mark and came nowhere close to the standards that Emirates has set for me over the years. While Singapore Airlines is widely renowned for its service, I found the overall experience surprisingly average. On 3 of my 4 flights, the service felt overly scripted rather than genuinely warm or intuitive.

One of the things I have always enjoyed about Emirates is the natural personality and engagement of the cabin crew. By comparison, the Singapore Airlines service felt highly choreographed and lacked the spontaneity that creates memorable interactions. Needless to say, there were no amusing "harem photos" with the cabin crew on this trip.

The biggest disappointment, however, was the food. Given Singapore Airlines' reputation, I expected a premium dining experience, but the meals fell well short of expectations. The quality, presentation, and flavour were nowhere near the standard I have come to associate in premium class flights.

In fact, the catering was so underwhelming that, for the first time in all my years of premium flights, I did not even bother taking photographs of the meals. At the time, I saw little point in documenting food that failed to impress. Looking back, that was probably a mistake, as including the photographs would have provided a more complete comparison and better illustrated my disappointment.

When the food is memorable, reaching for the camera becomes second nature. On these flights, however, the meals simply failed to leave any lasting impression, which perhaps says more about the dining experience than any photograph could.

Admittedly, this is not an entirely fair comparison, as I am comparing Emirates First Class with Singapore Airlines Business Class. A difference in quality is to be expected between the two cabins. However, the gap was far greater than I anticipated. While I expected some compromise, I did not expect such a significant decline in the overall dining experience.

In my view, the disparity extended well beyond what could reasonably be attributed to the difference between First and Business Class, leaving the catering as one of the most disappointing aspects of the journey.

Some of the most memorable meals of the trip were enjoyed at street food stalls in Vietnam, where the food was fresher, more flavourful, and far more satisfying than what was served onboard. For an airline that prides itself on excellence, the catering was a genuine letdown and one of the most disappointing aspects of the journey.

Experience Score

Reservation Process

7/10

Welcome

6/10

Lounge

9/10

Menu Selection

6/10

Food Theatre

6/10

Food Presentation

6/10

Food Taste

7/10

Dinnerware

4/10

Food Portions

5/10

Attentiveness

5/10

Service

5/10

Staff Knowledge

6/10

Staff Attire

8/10

Passion

8/10

Beverage Selection

5/10