The Singapore Airlines A350-900, which flies long-haul routes from Auckland to Singapore and beyond. Photo / Supplied

Stephanie Holmes compares two cabin classes on a lengthy journey to South Africa

Airline: Singapore Airlines – an A350-900

From: Auckland International Airport

To: Cape Town, South Africa, via Singapore and Johannesburg. There was a four-hour transit and plane change in Singapore, then an hour refuelling stop in Johannesburg, for which I stayed on the plane.

Visas and requirements: Between 2017 and 2019, NZ passport holders had to get a visa to travel to South Africa, and this couldn’t be applied for online – rather, it involved a visit to the embassy in Wellington. Expensive and inconvenient. Thankfully now we’re back to being able to travel visa-free for up to three months.

There are no longer any Covid restrictions to visit South Africa, but depending where you’re going, you might want to get some vaccinations for traveller’s diseases like typhoid, hepatitis and rubella. Talk to a travel doctor well in advance of your trip – some vaccinations involve a series of injections weeks apart to be fully immunised. You might also want to consider taking anti-malarials, but again, discuss this with your doctor before travel.

Departure airport experience: Construction work at Auckland Airport’s car park is making good progress and caused no disruptions at the pick-up and drop-off area. I’d checked in online, but was unable to retrieve my boarding pass in the Singapore Airlines app, so still had to go to a check-in desk. There was minimal queue, and I was checked in quickly and efficiently, with my case being sent all the way through to Cape Town.

The lines for security were relatively long and took about 10 minutes to get through, but once in the departures hall there seemed to be few people around – where did they all disappear to? Perhaps the premium lounges were chocka.

My bagel from Best Ugly was delicious, and all the food and drink establishments were open, but it took me three attempts to find a shop that sold a plug adaptor for South Africa.

Seat: For my journey to South Africa, I tried two different cabin classes.

First up, Auckland to Singapore in Economy. There are 187 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 configuration and this flight, leaving on a Saturday afternoon, was about three-quarters full. In row 54 near the back of the plane, I lucked out with two free seats beside my aisle seat. The seats are spacious for Economy Class, with 32-inch pitch, 18 inches wide, and a decent amount of legroom, although they look a little dated, with a beige/mustard/grey colour palette and textured fabric.

For Singapore to Cape Town, I was in Premium Economy – this cabin has 28 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, and unlike the first leg, almost all were full. Premium seats have a 38-inch pitch, an eight-inch recline and are 19 inches wide, finished in a good quality grey leather, with seatback pockets in contrasting orange and blue. They’re comfortable and feel relatively private, with high-sided armrests, individual reading lamps, shelf storage for drinks bottles, individual in-seat power supply, two USB ports, and a calf-rest and foot bar. Customers can request an amenity kit which consists of a pair of anti-slip socks, a dental kit and lip balm. Additional amenities such as earplugs and eyeshades are also available on request.

Crew: Immaculately presented, polite and helpful on both legs of the journey. As we were about to land in Johannesburg, a crew member told me to put my shoes on “in case of an emergency, then you can just run away”.

Passengers: With Singapore being such a major international hub, there seemed to be a wide range of nationalities and types of traveller in the Economy cabin, from young families, to Japanese school groups, to honeymooning couples and retirees. In Premium Economy, it was a majority of South African travellers.

Food and drink: The Economy meals were surprisingly tasty and high quality. Lunch was a smoked salmon and waldorf salad starter, followed by a choice of beef rendang, chicken and mushroom creamy pasta, and a black bean dahl. I was hoping for the rendang, but it had run out by the time my row was served. The pasta was a substantial and comforting substitute. The orange cake with custard for dessert was dense and sweet, then cheese and crackers rounded everything off nicely.

Snacks were available throughout the flight with passengers able to help themselves at the galley.

Dinner was served about 90 minutes before arrival into Singapore – a pearl barley starter, chicken tikka masala or beef goulash main, and a rich chocolate cake dessert. Portion sizes were substantial. There was quite a bit of plastic waste, with cold dishes covered in cling film, and cutlery in ziplock plastic bags.

Premium Economy passengers can select from the Book the Cook menu up to 24 hours prior to departure, with an extended range of meal options available, including the famous lobster thermidor. However, it was going to be 1.30am Singapore time/5.30am NZ time by the time we were in the air for the onward journey to South Africa, so I was fast asleep before take-off and slept through “dinner”. I could have enjoyed a range of snacks if I was hungry during the night, but I slept right through to breakfast. The omelette and veal sausage with roast potatoes was a nice way to start the day.

After an hour refuelling stop in Johannesburg, the remaining passengers heading to Cape Town were offered a cheese sandwich and drinks service.

Entertainment: The KrisWorld entertainment service had a decent range of new and classic movies, TV boxsets, music and live TV channels, with 11.1 inch touch-screen seat-back TVs in Economy that were responsive and easy to use. Playlist functionality means you can save content you want to watch, without the need to go back and scroll through everything to find something.

Wi-fi is available free of charge for KrisFlyer members – this loyalty programme is free to join and gives you a range of benefits. You can also connect your device to the entertainment screen, although I couldn’t quite work out what you would want to do that for.

In Premium Economy, screens are larger at 13.3 inches with better definition than Economy, and noise-cancelling headphones are provided. The selection of entertainment was the same as the first leg, with the same playlist functionality.

Arrival airport experience: Transiting through Singapore’s Changi Airport is an absolute breeze. There is so much to do at Changi it’s easy to have a really enjoyable stopover, no matter how long you have to spend here. As I was arriving at what would be after midnight NZ time and had four hours until my next flight, I paid for access to the Plaza Premium Lounge at Terminal 1. It’s a relatively small but comfortable space, with a range of pricing options, from lounge only access, to lounge + shower, right up to sleeping pods, single bedroom suites, and VIP areas. Wines and beers are complimentary, as is a range of food; premium spirits come at an additional charge.

Getting through Cape Town’s luggage claim and security was a breeze and I was in the arrivals hall within about half an hour.

The best bit: Having a row of three seats to myself in Economy – the poor woman’s equivalent of a lie-flat Business Class bed. Then, in Premium Economy, our hour on the tarmac at Johannesburg to refuel was perfectly timed to see my first African sunrise – surely a good omen for a good trip to come.

The worst bit: Actually, nothing. This was one of the best and most comfortable long-haul flights I’ve had.

Final verdict: Premium Economy is definitely a more luxurious way to travel, and worth the upgrade if you have a long journey and want more privacy and comfort. However, Singapore Airlines’ Economy service is one of the best in the skies.

More details: singaporeair.com

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