On board the Singapore Airlines plane with the squeeziest seats

The airline: Singapore Airlines

• Route Perth to Singapore, flight SQ224
• Frequency Four times daily
• Aircraft Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
• Class Economy, seat 53K (window)
• Flight time 4 hours 38 minutes, 16 minutes ahead of schedule.

Checking in

The flight is scheduled to depart at 6.25am and I arrive bleary-eyed at 4.40am. I’m travelling with cabin baggage only, so I breeze through Perth’s slick security and immigration with time for two rapid-fire coffees. Boarding is by zones, with staff requesting two queues to be formed. My queue is just to park us out of the way, but soon we’re efficiently packed into the plane.

Baggage

Economy passengers are permitted seven kilograms of cabin baggage and 30 kilograms of check-in.

Loyalty scheme

The loyalty program is KrisFlyer, and it’s free to join. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance. Virgin Australia Velocity members can also earn and redeem points.

The seat

The economy seats are arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. The Boeing 787-10 is the latest model of Dreamliner and has the narrowest economy seats in the whole Singapore Airlines fleet, even slimmer than those of Scoot (Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary) operating on the same route. The shoulder-rubbing width is just 44 centimetres.

The airline packs 337 customers into this people-mover. Other airlines use the space differently, with Etihad configuring the plane for 327 passengers, and British Airways carrying just 256 across four cabin classes.

On boarding, the middle seat passenger immediately falls asleep, elbows spilling beyond both very skinny armrests. Luckily, I have the window to lean on, and despite being squeezy in width, the leg room is a decent 81 centimetre pitch. The windows have adjustable opacity, which almost blocks the sunrise glare.

Entertainment + tech

The KrisWorld entertainment system is shown on a 29 centimetre touch screen. KrisFlyer members can enter their details so the system remembers their preferences. There’s a mind-boggling collection of choices; Hollywood, Bollywood, and Young Ones. TV shows cover everything from Formula 1 to Australia’s Muster Dogs. Live TV includes sporting events and news channels, but I’m choosing a National Geographic octopus documentary, before pinning my elbows to work on my laptop. Wi-Fi is free for all KrisFlyer members in economy, and you can join from your seat. Each seat has a USB-A charger plus a universal power outlet compatible with Australian plugs (particularly useful given using powerbanks on board is now banned).

Service

The service on this flight is friendly with a no-frills efficiency, as you’d expect from a cabin crew serving 301 economy-class passengers.

Food

Breakfast consists of three options; wok fried chicken with noodles, vegetarian Indian pongal, and scrambled eggs with veal sausage. I’ve chosen the eggs, which are creamy and smooth. The sausage doesn’t tempt me, but the fruit yoghurt, panini roll and fresh fruit are all perfect. The coffee is useful for heart-starting; that’s all.

Sustainability

Acquiring new generation aircraft, such as the 787-10 with its improved fuel efficiency, is one way to contribute to the airline’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline plans to replace at least 5 per cent of fuel requirements with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030, recently signing a memorandum of understanding with Aether Fuels.*

One more thing

In 2018, Singapore Airlines was the first to fly this Dreamliner variant. They now own 26, and are the largest operator of the model. Although Singapore Airlines flies these planes to Perth and Adelaide, they do not service Australia’s east coast. However, travellers connecting to other destinations will find them on 19 Asian routes, including cities in India, China and Japan.

The price

From about $490 return from Perth to Singapore, economy class.**

The verdict

The seats are skinny, but the flight otherwise flawless. The plane has modern touches like free Wi-Fi and Live TV, and the unflappable Singapore Airlines team efficiently handles the crowd.

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