Worth the upcharge? Flying Singapore Airlines premium economy
Quick take: Singapore Airlines is a comfortable way to fly long distances if you can't find business- or first-class awards that work for your budget.
Pros
- Comfortable seats have a lot of recline.
- Passengers can preorder "Book the Cook" meals.
- There's great entertainment and free Wi-Fi for KrisFlyer members.
Cons
- There are few seats per plane and high award prices.
- Some seat features are not ergonomic.
- Certain elements, like plastic cups, don't feel elevated.
I first flew Singapore Airlines premium economy over a decade ago, shortly after the carrier introduced the new cabin.
Although I've since flown Singapore Airlines premium economy on a handful of short routes within Asia, I was excited to try the service again on a longer jaunt. So, when I saw an award ticket on the eight-hour route from Melbourne to Singapore, I cashed in some Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles for a ticket.
While my flight was between Australia and Asia, Singapore Airlines has installed the same premium economy seats on its long-haul Boeing 777s, Airbus A350s and A380s. In other words, the plane I flew is similar to what you'll find on the airline's longest routes, as is the service on board.
Here's my experience flying Singapore Airlines premium economy, and how you can book it for yourself.
How much does it cost to book Singapore Airlines premium economy?
The cost of a long-haul flight in Singapore Airlines premium economy depends on the route, dates and whether you're flying round-trip or one-way.
My one-way flight from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) would have cost $2,784.25 Australian dollars ($1,995), which was pretty steep. An economy ticket would have cost AU$1,457.25 ($990), so my ticket was around twice as expensive. Just for context, a business-class ticket on my flight would have cost AU$4,246.25 ($3,042), just over $1,000 more than premium economy.
In terms of mileage prices ... it gets more complicated since Singapore Airlines introduced semi-dynamic "Access" pricing. Let me try to snapshot it for you, though:
| Cabin | Cash price | Saver award | Advantage award | Access award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Economy | $990 | 29,000 | 60,500 | 87,000 |
Premium economy | $1,995 | 53,500 | Not published | 94,500 |
Business | $3,042 | 72,000 | 103,500 | 160,000-213,500 |
First | $4,251 | 98,000 | 178,500 | 331,000 |
As you can see, mileage prices vary not just widely, but wildly. You could get a first-class ticket that costs over twice as much as a premium economy ticket for just a few more miles if you found a Saver award (one was available the week I flew) versus an Access award in premium economy.
In my particular circumstances, I could only find Access awards in all classes on the date I needed to travel. That meant an economy award would have cost 87,000 miles, but a premium economy ticket that would have been twice as expensive in dollars was just 7,500 more miles. So, I decided to book premium economy. I was hoping a business-class saver-level award would become available, but the lowest those fell to was 192,000 miles — most definitely out of my budget.
All told, I spent 94,500 KrisFlyer miles plus AU$114.25 ($77.65). That pegged my per-mile value at 2 cents apiece, which is well above TPG's September valuation of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles at 1.3 cents each.
To think about it a different way, I got a ticket that would have been $1,005 more expensive for just 7,500 more miles. So the value of each additional mile I redeemed was more like a whopping 13.4 cents.
Don't have a ton of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles? It's easy to stock up on them since the program is a 1:1 transfer partner of the following credit card rewards programs:
While it still pained me to spend over 94,000 miles on my ticket, it still felt like an OK deal given the eight-hour flight duration, the ready availability of award tickets and the ease with which I can earn KrisFlyer miles.
Checking into and boarding Singapore Airlines premium economy
Singapore Airlines premium economy passengers can enjoy the following priority services at the airport:
| Dedicated check-in | Yes |
|---|---|
Luggage allowance | Two checked bags up to 23 kg (50 pounds) each or up to 35 kg (77 pounds) total |
Lounge access | No |
Does the airline participate in TSA PreCheck? | Yes |
Priority boarding | Yes, Group 3 |
I arrived at the Melbourne airport exactly two hours before my 9:15 a.m. flight and found only a few other passengers waiting in line to check in with agents. There were dedicated lines for economy, premium economy, business class and first class, so I stepped into the lane for premium economy and was helped immediately.
My bag was tagged, my boarding pass was printed, and I was directed to security and immigration. Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines premium economy passengers do not receive lounge access, but there are a few Priority Pass options for folks with access to that network. I stopped by the Aspire lounge for a cappuccino, but then went to the gate for boarding, which started right on time at 8:30 a.m.
How comfortable is Singapore Airlines premium economy?
Singapore Airlines' premium economy is between the business-class and economy cabins on the 777. Passengers can board through the main door, which is just forward of the main business-class cabin — the same door the economy folks board through.
| Number of seats | 28 |
|---|---|
Cabin layout | 2-4-2 |
Seat pitch | 38 inches |
Seat recline | Up to 8 inches |
Seat width | 19.5 inches |
Screen size | 13.3 inches |
The premium economy cabin comprises 28 seats total in a 2-4-2 pattern. There are three rows of two seats each along either side of the cabin and four rows of four seats running down the center.
For families of up to four, those center sections are ideal, while couples should enjoy the two-seat sections.
The seats have 38 inches of pitch and are 19 1/2 inches wide between armrests, which feels much roomier than the 18-inch-wide economy seats (which are in a 3-3-3 pattern). That said, my bulkhead seat was effectively an exit row place and felt a little narrower due to the curvature of the cabin wall.
There are just two manual (non-electronic) buttons to control the seat: one to recline the seatback up to 8 inches, which feels very expansive, and one to raise the legrest.
My bulkhead seat's legrest had an attached pop-out footrest, though those in the other rows have footrests attached to the seat in front, which might affect the size of the bag you can put there.
The tray tables are stowed in the center consoles between seats. There is a cover you have to open to access them, and the finger hold you use to do so is blocked by the table when it's deployed, so it can be a bit of a rigmarole. However, the tray table itself is very substantial and easily fit my MacBook Air plus a beverage with no issue.
Beneath the control buttons, there is a corded touchscreen remote for the entertainment system, plus a small stowage cubby for little items like classes or a phone. There is a larger shelf next to the legrest where my computer could fit while I charged it.
Speaking of plugs, there was an easily accessible USB-A port in the island where the entertainment monitors were stowed. There was also a universal power port embedded next to the seat's legrest. A second USB-A plug behind the armrest was handy for keeping wires out of the way. Just above that was an adjustable attached reading light. There were no USB-C ports, unfortunately.
Premium economy passengers share five lavatories with the 184 folks in economy. Two were behind the first economy cabin, to either side of a small galley. The other three were at the back of the plane near the larger galley. Though they did not get too busy during most of the flight, there were huge lines for all of them after meal times. That said, the crew kept them very clean throughout the flight.
Amenities in Singapore Airlines premium economy
Each seat in Singapore Airlines premium economy came stocked with a medium-size pillow in eye-catching orange and a light fleece blanket. Since there weren't individual overhead air nozzles and the cabin was temperate, I didn't need my blanket.
Amenity kits are available on request and include:
- An eye mask
- Slippers
- Lip balm
- A pouch made from recycled paper fabric
The seat's entertainment screen measured 13.3 inches across diagonally. It offered hundreds of movies and TV shows, including recent releases like "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "The Mandalorian and Grogu," and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." Among the TV shows were "Dutton Ranch" and "House of the Dragon."
The screens on most seats were mounted in the preceding seatback and tilted up or down slightly for better viewing when reclined or upright. The screen for my bulkhead seat was stowed in an island between the seats and popped up on a metal arm, then swiveled right and left from there. So, I couldn't use it for takeoff and landing. Some wear and tear meant it sort of sagged downward on the unattached side, but it didn't really impede my viewing. The center bulkhead seats have their monitors mounted on the cabin wall in front of them.
The airline provided basic noise-canceling headphones that plugged into a jack near the USB port at the back of the armrest. It wasn't easy to plug the headset in, but once it was, the positioning meant the cord was mostly out of the way.
Singapore Airlines offers Wi-Fi on its 777s. You can purchase a paid plan at the following rates:
- One hour: $3.99
- Three hours: $8.99
- Full flight: $15.99
Business-class and first-class passengers, as well as elite PPS members, receive free Wi-Fi. Even better, if your KrisFlyer account is linked to your reservation, you can access free, unlimited Wi-Fi on multiple devices at once by entering your last name and seat number.
I found the Wi-Fi good enough to do a little web surfing, but uploading a short video clip to Instagram took over an hour. Fast.com clocked the speed at 280 Kbps.
How was the food in Singapore Airlines premium economy?
Although there were no predeparture beverages, the attendants came through with the first beverage service and passed out packets of mixed almonds and cashews about 20 minutes into the flight.
Passengers could choose from a selection of soft drinks, water, juice, beer and small bottles of spirits. The small, but respectable, wine list included:
- Charles de Cazanove Brut Champagne
- Craggy Range sauvignon blanc from Martinborough, New Zealand
- St. Hallett Faith Shiraz from Australia's Barossa region
On my eight-hour daytime flight, the meal service in premium economy included lunch and a light pre-landing snack — pretty much the same as you'd find in economy.
However, premium passengers could take advantage of the airline's famous "Book the Cook" service (bookable up to 24 hours in advance), though the options were more limited than those in business and first class.
I "booked the cook" in advance, selecting poached chicken with ginger and spring onion relish over steamed jasmine rice and served with Chinese cabbage and carrots. The whole meal was served on one tray and accompanied by a starter of melon and prosciutto over arugula, a garlic roll with butter, Arnott crackers with cheddar cheese and an apple cake with lemon curd. It basically felt like an economy meal, but the plateware had a ceramic-like finish, which elevated the look, and the metal cutlery did the same, though the cups used in premium economy were all plastic.
The dish was flavorful but not super substantial. Still, it made for a tasty light lunch. Among the options available on the regular inflight menu were:
- Stir-fried seafood with black pepper sauce and Chinese greens over rice
- Braised lamb in brown sauce with crushed peas and mint, roasted carrots and Kipfler potatoes
The other preorder "Book the Cook" dishes included:
- Seafood casarecce in cream sauce
- Malay-style nasi lemak coconut rice with spicy sambal prawns, anchovy, roasted peanuts and hard-boiled egg
- Braised lamb in red wine sauce with buttery mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
- A selection of special meals for specific dietary requirements
Because I'd ordered ahead, my meal was served first — about 20 minutes before other passengers, and just 30 minutes into the flight — so I was finished by the time meal service began for everyone else. That meant sitting around with an empty tray for quite a while, but it was picked up when everyone else's was.
About 90 minutes before landing, the second meal service was more of a "refreshment" according to the menu. It included a choice of:
- Chicken and mixed vegetable pastie pie
- Pea, pumpkin and chickpea samosas with chutney on the side
I chose the samosa, and it was hot, delicious and not overly filling. Overall, both meal services were efficient, and the choices were interesting. Not only that, but flight attendants passed through at regular intervals offering passengers beverages (pretty much anything on the menu, not just coffee, water, or tea), which made the experience feel more like business class than economy.
Would you recommend Singapore Airlines premium economy?
Singapore Airlines premium economy remains an enjoyable experience with spacious seats, solid entertainment options and, thanks to the small cabin size, personalized and polished service from the flight attendants.
Among the elements I most appreciated were the seats' significant recline, the option to use a pared-down version of the airline's signature "Book the Cook" meal preorder service and the free Wi-Fi.
I do wish the airline would release more saver-level awards on routes, but given the small upsell compared to economy awards, redeeming a few thousand extra miles for tickets that would otherwise be significantly more expensive feels like a worthwhile splurge.
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