When flying internationally, you’ll often get a different experience on the flight that leaves from the country where the airline is based. An airline has better control of the product from its base of operations and you’ll also find better-trained employees. Of course, these are generalizations as you can have a great flight with outstanding employees when flying to a country on its airline and a terrible experience flying from an airline’s main hub.
We flew on Singapore Airlines from Los Angeles to Singapore and the experience was great. However, some differences immediately stood out when flying home from Singapore to San Francisco, even though we were flying on the same aircraft in the same class of service.
There’s also no comparing the experience of flying from Singapore Changi Airport to LAX’s TBIT, or any US airport. When flying business class on Singapore Airlines, passengers can access the SilverKris Business Lounge.
This is a lounge where I wouldn’t mind arriving at the airport early to hang out for an hour and have food and a beverage. I appreciate a nice lounge but the biggest difference in flying from Singapore happens on the plane. More specifically, the endless food options available for these flights.
We noticed this when we selected our meals for Singapore Airlines’ Book the Cook service. While there were many selections when flying from LA, several dishes are only available when flying from Singapore.
For this flight on the A350-900ULR, we picked the “honeymoon” middle seats since we figured we’d be awake for more of this trip than for the flight to Singapore. The layout of the chair was the same as our previous flight.
The first drink delivered was the Singapore Sling.
As there were handed out, the flight crew asked if guests would like a glass of champagne after take-off. We both said that we’d have a glass.
Shortly after, the 1st meal service began with a canape, Chicken Satay. It was flavorful but not so spicy to cover the food that still was to come.
When you finished this dish, they prepared your tray table for the meal. The appetizer was Pan-Fried Scallops.
This dish was good but I knew what was coming next. I ordered one item which you can only get when flying from Singapore, the Lobster Thermidor.
Ordering this is like getting a cheesesteak in Philadelphia or barbeque in Texas. You get it for the first time because you can, and then you can decide if you want to order it again.
Sharon ordered the ice cream for the final course while I went with selections from the cheese tray.
For the 2nd meal, a few hours before landing, we were served a “Light Lunch.”
The meal began with a Crab Mayonnaise Salad served on grilled eggs. It was an interesting starter.
For my main dish, I preordered the Angus Hamburger with Portobello Mushroom. Because why not? Burgers are terribly challenging to cook on planes but this one was good. The mushroom cap was huge, so I took that off and ate it as a side dish with a knife and fork.
Sharon ordered the lamb dish served over mashed potatoes.
Besides the food we had when we flew in ANA First Class, this was the best in-flight catering we’ve experienced. When it comes to the Lobster Thermidor, I’m glad that I ordered it. It was possibly the only time I could get it so it was as much about the experience. Would I order it again? Probably not, but I’m not saying it was terrible. There are so many other options that I’d rather try one before having the lobster for a 2nd time.
Now that we’ve flown in Singapore Business Class, we also know that there are a number of snacks you can order between meals if you’re a bit hungry. When I ordered a soda on this flight, they also brought me a candy bar.
Final Thought
The biggest difference between flying to Singapore and from Singapore on Singapore Airlines is starting your trip at Changi Airport and the food you’ll have onboard the flight. While these may seem trivial, they make a big difference in how you judge the trip.
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