We flew from New York to Frankfurt in Singapore Airlines Business Class on a Boeing 777-300ER. In this post, I’ll share my full experience on the ground and in the air, including my review of the airline and this flight’s value. I’ll go over some of the things I loved about this particular flight experience, and a couple things that actually surprised me.
Whether you’re considering booking this product or just curious about the Business Class experience, this post will provide an in depth look at exactly what to expect.
Meet Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is the flagship carrier of (you guessed it) Singapore. They serve over 120 destinations across 5 continents, with their hub at the crown jewel of all airports: Singapore Changi Airport.
I’ve had the chance to fly Singapore Airlines a handful of times, which is why I can confidently say that they’re one of my absolute favorite airlines. If you ever have the chance to fly with them, in any cabin, it’s worth doing.
Read more! If you want to talk premium cabins, be sure to check out my review on my sister site of our experience onboard Singapore Suites.
Their hard product is great, sure, but it’s the service that makes them elite. I’m truly not sure if its training or cultural, but the Singapore Airlines flight attendants have a warmth to them. In an industry that trades on professionalism, true kindness often gets lost. The service onboard is always just so friendly and genuine, and not at all intimidating.
Every time I leave a Singapore plane, I feel like I have to resist the urge to hug my flight attendant. That is not normal behavior. While that particular quirk might be unique to me, my feelings about Singapore Airlines are not. The airline won World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew and won World’s Best Airline five times (Skytrax).
Fun fact! Singapore Airlines operates the longest regularly scheduled flight in the world from Singapore to NYC. The flight covers 9,500 miles and takes 19 hours.
What does Singapore have to do with Frankfurt?
I love Singapore Airlines almost as much as I love Singapore — which is a lot. But this flight isn’t going to Singapore … it’s going to Germany. What business does Singapore Airlines have flying from New York to Frankfurt?
The New York to Frankfurt route is what they call a 5th Freedom Route. It means that an airline from Country A is allowed to fly between Country B and Country C, as long as the flight either originates or ends in Country A. Think of it as a flight with a connection.
Fun Fact! The term “5th Freedom Route” comes from the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. They drafted the first list of global air traffic rights, and the fifth freedom on that list is this one!
So in this case, Singapore Airlines flies a route from New York to Singapore, with a connection in Frankfurt. Anyone can book that New York to Frankfurt flight, regardless of whether they are continuing on to Singapore or not.
Fifth Freedom Routes are often hidden gems. They offer premier long-haul products on routes that might not otherwise have them. That is exactly what is happening here. No offense to Lufthansa — they did recently win most family-friendly airline — but their Business Class product is quite inferior to Singapore Airlines.
A visit to Frankfurt is lovely — they have a nice waterfront and Old Town — but it’s also a great gateway to other destinations. Hop op a train in in under 4 hours you could be in Munich (like we did), Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam or Zurich. This sneaky little route just might be the best business class option from JFK to Europe and you might not even know its an option.
Booking Singapore Business Class from JFK to FRA
You can book Singapore Business Class a few different ways. Of course, paying cash direct is an easy and obvious option, but what fun is that?
KrisFlyer is Singapore Airlines’ rewards program, and if you’re using points or miles, that’s going to be the best way to book the flight. If you can snag a coveted Saver rewards rate, you can end up with a pretty great deal.
Singapore Airlines typically releases Saver Awards (the lowest miles cost) 355 days in advance. Saver seats are limited and popular, and they sell out quickly. To prepare, it’s a good idea to monitor rewards availability and prices for the dates leading up to yours.
You can transfer points to KrisFlyer from most major points currencies, including Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and Capital One Miles (all at 1:1 ratios points to miles.) Transfers usually take a bit of time to clear and are usually final. (You can’t transfer the points back to your credit card points if you don’t use them.) This makes it a bit of a gamble.
It can pay off though. We booked three Singapore Airlines Business Class tickets for 243,000 miles and $17 USD cash on fees. (One way from JFK to FRA.)
If you value your credit card points at roughly 1.5 to 2 cents per point, that means the tickets cost the equivalent of about $3,645–$4,860 for all three tickets. The rack rate for these seats is about that much per seat. That said, the cash rate for three Economy tickets would have been about half that. Sometimes you gotta spend money (or points in this case) to save money.
Is Singapore Business Class worth it?
As you’re booking your flight and actually visualizing those points and dollars leaving your hands, you might find yourself second guessing yourself. Is Singapore Business Class really worth it?
Like all things, the answer is not black and white. However, there are a few specific categories of travelers that will benefit most from this Business Class experience.
First, is families with a small child. It’s not surprising that the ultimate (privileged) “hack” to redeye flights with children is lie-flat seats. This specific product goes beyond just that. The two middle seats (1-2-1 layout) are fairly open, so you can easily see and reach into a child’s pod beside you. There are also kids meals available, tons of in-seat storage for tablets and stuffies, and a cabin crew known for little surprises.
The upgrade is also worth it if you are taking a short trip. If you only have a few days in Germany (or Europe), you don’t have time to waste on jet lag. Spending extra on Business Class is buying you the best chance at the most sleep. It still won’t be much (3-4 hours at best if you plan on eating meals), but it’s probably more than you’d get in Economy.
And lastly, Singapore Airlines Business Class is worth it for anyone collecting premium cabin experiences. If you value a premium flight experience, this one is a good investment. This specific route is a great way to experience Singapore Airlines’ elite product, without having to actually go all the way to Singapore.
That said, Singapore Airlines Business Class is not always worth it. We booked this flight one way for a reason. The flight from Frankfurt to NYC is a daytime flight. When sleep is not paramount, the value of the lie-flat seat diminishes, as does the overall value of the product. It’s much easier to endure a daytime flight — even a long-haul one — in Economy.
If you need a good general rule, it’s splurge for an overnight and save on a daytime flight. (See, it even rhymes … sort of.)
Let’s (finally) fly!
Now that we covered all that, let’s walk through the actual experience of flying Singapore Airlines Business Class from New York to Frankfurt.
JFK Airport Experience
Singapore Airlines flies out of Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK International Airport. Coming from Astoria (Queens), we arrived via AirTrain at 6:30 PM for an 8:55 PM flight.
We previously checked in online, and received our boarding passes. This was a pleasant surprise, as many international flights require a passport check at the desk to receive your boarding pass. Since we didn’t have any bags to check, we bypassed the check-in desk entirely and went straight to security.
As it turned out, that didn’t end up saving us much time. Business Class passengers have a dedicated queue, and there was no one waiting waiting in it when we passed by 2.5 hours before our flight.
Next was security. JFK’s terminal 4 has CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and an expedited security lane for Business & First Class passengers. If you have CLEAR or PreCheck, use that. The Business Class lane is a shorter queue, but still requires the full security protocols. It’s a good option for passengers who are visiting the US and returning home.
We personally could have used any of these lanes, but we opted for TSA PreCheck. (When the lines are equal, we find CLEAR usually takes longer.) On a Friday evening, we were through security in 8 minutes.
Lounge Access (…or not)
One of the perks of flying Business Class is typically the airport lounge. I have had the privilege of visiting some incredible airport lounges, including Singapore Airlines’ elite The Private Room in Changi Airport. Our lounge experience at JFK was … not that.
JFK is a massive airport in one of the greatest cities in the world, but that doesn’t make it a good airport. (I’m firmly in the Team Laguardia camp, but unfortunately they don’t fly to Frankfurt.) I’ve had several issues with lounges here, and this was definitely one of them.
Singapore Airlines does not have a dedicated lounge at JFK and instead grant their passengers access to partner lounges. The primary lounge offered to Singapore Airlines Business Class passengers was the Capital One Lounge in terminal 4. (It is located to the right exiting security, on the way to the B gates.)
The Capital One Lounge looks very chic according to this review. It is heavily NYC themed, complete with hand-rolled bagels, bodega-style coffee bar, and a Central Park aesthetic. Unfortunately, the lounge was at capacity and we couldn’t get in so I cannot confirm. There was a waitlist you could join, but we didn’t have that much time anyway so it wasn’t worth it.
Another lounge option — for us at least — was the HelloSky lounge. Our Singapore Airlines Business Class ticket did get us in here, but our Priority Pass membership did. (If you bought your ticket with points, there is a good chance you also have a credit card with that includes Priority Pass.) This longe is located to the left from security, toward the A gates.
The HelloSky lounge also had a line every time we passed it, but it wasn’t actually at capacity. It still seemed crowded though, so we didn’t think it was worth the effort.
Want to know what was worth the effort (and $12)? The Lego Store, conveniently located in the center of terminal 4. Our 5 year old happily spent an hour there, and left with two new mini packs.
Boarding Singapore Airlines Business Class
We arrived at our gate shortly before the scheduled boarding time. There were separate queues near the gate, each labeled by boarding group. We joined the priority queue for Business Class.
Boarding commenced just after 8:15 for our 8:55 PM flight, and we were at our seat by 8:20.
While the plane was still boarding, the cabin crew stopped by and to introduce themselves and offered a pre-departure beverage. Her tray included water and apple juice, but no champagne — or any sparkling wine. This surprised me! It’s a rare miss for an otherwise elite service offering. Apple juice it would have to be.
Shortly after that, she came by again to take my food and drink order. I had been so busy taking photos and getting my child settled in that I hadn’t even glanced at a the menu. Fortunately, I had pre-ordered my meal online (more on that shortly), the only decision I had to make was my beverage. I panicked and ordered a white wine.
After she left, I actually took some time to read the menu. I saw that they had a long list of delightful cocktail options, including a Singapore Sling and a Grand Pineapple Daiquiri. I flagged down my flight attendant and asked if I could swap my drink order to a SilverKris Sling, their twist on the aforementioned classic. She was of course completely accommodating and did not make me feel like this was annoying nor weird (even though it probably was.)
The Seat of my Dreams
TLDR: The seats are comfortable with great storage and smart touches. Downsides include on-demand amenity kits and limited privacy.
The Singapore Airlines Business Class seat on the 777 was one of my favorite business class seats for one reason: in-seat storage.
The lack of in-seat storage is a common complaint of mine in premium cabins. I don’t know if this has something to do with the lie-flat seat’s physical infrastructure or they just assume that bountiful overhead bin space is good enough, but I constantly feel like there is not enough accessible spaces to put my stuff in business class seats.
Not here. These seats had so many storage spaces, and I could actually use them during the entire flight. This is all in addition to ample reserved overhead bin space.
There were large spaces above and below the foot rest for personal item bags, two doored compartments on the center console, another doored compartment beside the screen, and a media slot that had space for thinner items like a tablet or slippers. There was another storage compartment in the center console and a small shelf near the screen — these were the only spots that you couldn’t use during takeoff or landing.
The seat had other things going for it too, in case you are normal and don’t obsess over storage.
Each pod featured a comfortable, overside seat with plenty of leg room. The seats have a synthetic leather material covering, which was very comfortable. A touchpad to the side controlled the angle and footrest of the recliner-style seat, which worked well. However, this touchpad alone did not convert the bed into the lie-flat position — more on that in the sleep section.
At 18 inches, the seat-back screen was a good size. It angled slightly up or down so you could easily see it while seated or laying down. Notably, the screen was not a touch screen and required a wired remote. I found the entertainment options to be lackluster, but those things ebb and flow.
Another thing I loved about this seat was the tray table — it swiveled! That meant that you could get in and out of your seat without having to fully stow your tray table. (And with a child, that’s something I do often.)
Each seat had adjustable overhead lighting and a personal reading light, plus a small lit mirror compartment beside the screen. I know there are people who love this, but I do not need to see my face that well on a redeye flight. There was also an outlet (which supported US and Euro plugs) and charging ports for USB and UBC-C inputs.
There were also few things at my seat when I arrived. Each seat had a pillow and comfortable blanket, fresh pair of slippers, noise-cancelling headphones (with sanitary covers), and a bottle of water.
What wasn’t at my seat though, was an amenity kit. (Of course this was the one time I planned to rely on the amenity kit tooth brush.) I noticed on the menu card that amenity kits were available by request, so I again flagged down my flight attendant and asked for one. To my dismay (though I could have just looked at the photo), there was no toothbrush in side. Continue on the to sleep section for the end of that saga.
As far as privacy goes, these are not the most isolated pods. The two center seats face slightly away from each other and have a sliding privacy screen between them. If you’re flying with someone you know, this set up is actually very convenient. The aisle seats are offset and angled away, but are still pretty open. This is not a fully-enclosed private pod situation.
Food & Beverage Service
TLDR: The food was overall good, but be aware of Book the Cook if you have dietary restrictions. Also maybe don’t wake up early for breakfast.
Okay, enough about seats, let’s talk food. But first, let’s rewind a few days.
Singapore Airlines offers a service called “Book the Cook” for premium cabins on long-haul flights. You can reserve a specific meal from a menu of premium options, which are typically different than what’s on the menu onboard. (That makes it a bit of a gamble.) You can also pre-order a dietary meal, such as vegetarian or halal, without knowing what specific items it will be.
Note: All meal requests must be submitted at least 24 hours before your departure.
I am vegetarian. Instead of selecting the lacto-ovo vegetarian meal like I always do, I decided to go rogue and opted for what appeared to be the only vegetarian selection on the Book the Cook menu: cheese ravioli.
Okay, now back to the flight. After the flight took off, I received my SilverKris Sling and bowl of warn nuts. This is exactly how I love to start a long flight. The cocktail was so good — it was pretty boozy for an airplane, but very bright and refreshing. It was definitely worth being awkward and changing my drink for.
A short while later, the appetizer course was served. Much to my dismay, I poked at the arugula on my plate and quickly discovered some sort of fish. As it turns out, the Book the Cook entrees all come with the standard appetizer, which was not vegetarian.
Could I have sent I back? Sure. But like Mutt from Schitt’s Creek would say, “I never return food, I think that’s so rude.” I pushed it around a bit and then let them clear my uneaten plate.
Tip! If you find yourself in this situation, don’t be like me. Just mention it to the flight attendant when they confirm your meal order. I am sure that they would get you a different app.
When my entree came out though, it was delicious. It was honestly worth not having an appetizer for. The pasta was well cooked and the filling was very flavorful. The mushrooms were the real star though, as they were packed with flavor and made the perfect pairing to the cream sauce. There were Calabrian chilis on the side, though I did not actually note them to be spicy.
I switched to white wine with dinner. I don’t dink much wine and honestly don’t really care for it. Here’s the wine list though, for reference for those who know and care more than me.
For dessert, I had the choice between ice cream, apple cake or a cheese plate. I opted for the apple cake. It was fine, albeit a little dense. The caramel sauce was great though.
Before bed, I was also given a tasty little chocolate praline truffle.
Fast forward a few hours and I was being woken up for breakfast. I must say, I regret waking up 30 minutes early for this breakfast. It was a fairly bland serving of roasted vegetables, rice, and a yogurt cream sauce.
Sleep, what sleep?
TLDR: The 78-inch bed is spacious and comfortable, but requires a flight attendant to set up. This particular flight doesn’t leave much time for sleep.
On our 8:55 PM flight, meal service concluded just after 11 PM. Moments after I finished my praline, I slipped away to brush my teeth. (Thanks to the swivel tray table, I could do this without waiting for my plates to be cleared.)
How did I brush my teeth you ask? Since my amenity kit didn’t have a toothbrush, I ended up digging through my checked bag to retrieve my own packed toothbrush. As soon as I got in the bathroom though, I discovered that toothbrushes (among other things) were stocked and available in the bathroom. So keep that in mind.
When I returned, the flight attendant immediately asked if she could turn down my bed. These particular seats cannot easily but put into lie-flat mode by a passenger. (Technically, you could, but figuring out the exact order of operations seemed to require an engineering class or two.)
The flight attendant handled this for me, quickly toggling the seat to the right position, using a hidden lever to fold the seat down, and turning my seat into a 78-inch bed. She added a light mattress pad/fitted sheet, and I had the pillow and blanket that was already at my seat.
I regret not paying more attention to her because the flight attendant responsible for the other aisle — the one in which my child was seated — was not as prompt. As I couldn’t remember exactly how to do it, we ended up waiting another 15 minutes before our child’s seat was turned down. This was our only complaint about the Singapore Airlines service, and it honestly surprised us.
The bed itself was very comfortable, as was the provided light duvet blanket. The shape and angle of the bed though, is a bit awkward. It’s at a pretty sharp angle, which is best utilized by a side sleeper. The noise-cancelling headphones, however, are not, which made falling asleep while watching tv uncomfortable. I swapped my headphones out to my cheap corded ones though, and it turned out fine.
Just shy of midnight, we were all sleeping soundly.
For all the talk about lie-flat seats and sleep on this redeye flight, you’d think there would more of it. And yet, I’m always surprised by how little time there ends up being left for actual sleep. From the time my bed was turned down (11:10 PM) till my breakfast arrived (2:21 AM), I ended up with only about 3 hours of actual sleep.
POV: You’re 5 years old and flying Singapore Business Class
We flew from NYC to Frankfurt with our 5 year old child. This kid is a trooper and is no stranger to airplanes — long-haul redeye flights or otherwise. There are a few things about this experience that stood out to us.
First, was the children’s meal. Many airlines offer a children’s meal as an advanced meal request option; often in all cabins and classes. Our child has never gotten to order one though, because they’re never listed as vegetarian. Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines that offers a vegetarian kids meal option, which was very exciting.
The children’s meal on Singapore Airlines featured kid-friendly foods, in respectable portions, served like a fine dining meal. Our child received a Nutella sandwich (with the crusts cut off of course), veggie sticks, and a larger-than-expected bowl of mac-and-cheese. It was followed up with the dessert options from the main menu. My child chose the bowl of pineapple ice cream. 5/5 stars. No notes.
Before bed, the sweet flight attendant came by and surprised them with a small Singapore Airlines teddy bear. This struck a chord with me because my husband and I also received a pair of these bears when we flew Singapore Suites in our backpacker days.
While I rated the adult entertainment on board as mediocre, my child would like to note that the children’s selection was elite. They had more shows to watch than time, and would have stayed onboard twice as long if given the chance.
While my child would probably prefer if it couldn’t see them sneaking an extra episode of Spidey or completely ignoring their dinner, I appreciated the clear line of sight. With the privacy divider open, I could easily see into their whole pod. I was able to reach into their pod to control their screen and assist them as necessary.
At bedtime — which was after 11 for my usually-out-by-8 kiddo — there was no fight. We brushed their teeth, read a short story, gave them their stuffy and tucked them in like it was any other night. Thanks to the large, comfortable bed, going to sleep wasn’t a problem. Waking them up 3 hours later was painful, but putting Spidey back on definitely helped. (We do what we can on travel days!)
Most notably though, it was the service that made all the difference. They were so kind to my child and very accommodating. When my child barely touched their mac-and-cheese (it was 10 PM and we’d eaten at the airport), they offered to bring something else. They went out of their way to befriend them when we boarded. They went above and beyond to make them feel special and seen, and what more could you ask for?
Overall, Singapore Airlines Business Class is incredibly great for families. We always felt welcomed and never judged for traveling with a child.
Seat Selection for a child on Singapore Business Class
Seat selection is important if you’re flying Business Class with a child — especially one who is big enough to need their own seat but not big enough to be trusted to be left unattended the whole flight.
To quickly recap, the business class configuration on Singapore Airlines 777 is 1-2-1. The seats are semi-private pods, and they’re offset at an angle. The middle seats have a small privacy divider with two aisles separating the middle seats from the window seats.
If you book your child beside you in the middle two seats, you get the best view. You’ll be able to see into the whole pod and control their tv via the corded remote. There’s a large console in the middle though, so you cannot reach their seat controls or step into their pod. You’d need to walk to the end of the aisle, through the galley, and back to their seat.
If you book your child across the aisle, you have much easier physical access. You can easily walk into their pod and assist with anything. However, you will not have a direct line of site to your child.
If you have two parents, it works out well with the child on the middle. If you only have one and your child is small, I’d probably still go for the middle two seats.
Another pro tip! Business Class on the 777 is divided into two sections. One is much smaller than the other. Book your seats in the smaller section if you can! Fewer people in your section means fewer disruptions, quicker meal service, and an overall quieter experience.
Final Business Class Perks
We landed in Frankfurt and everything was kind of a blur.
First, we made our way to immigration. There is no expedited immigration queue that is included with Business Class. Fortunately, our morning arrival (10:30 AM local time) saw low crowds at passport control. We were placed in the family queue, which was maybe slower than the regular one, but were through in about 15 minutes.
We didn’t have any checked bags, but if we did, we would have grabbed them next. A huge perk to flying Business Class is that you receive priority baggage claim. Your bags will be the first down the carousel, which is such a good perk.
After that? Your vacation can officially begin.
The Journey Continues
We came to Germany for Oktoberfest, so we hopped right onto a train to Munich. (I love Munich almost as much as I love Singapore.)
It was our first time testing out a weekend trip to Europe with a child, and we honestly weren’t sure how it would go. That was part of the reason why we booked this Business Class flight. The relaxing flight experience and precious few hours of sleep played a huge part in the success of this short trip.
Everything went great and we honestly had the best time! You can read our guide to Oktoberfest With Kids | A Practical Parent’s Guide here to see more from this trip.
Would I book this flight Again?
TLDR: Yes! I’d book it again.
What I loved: amazing service, in-seat storage, swivel tray tables, vegetarian kids menu, good seat layout for partners/families traveling together.
What I didn’t care for: no pre-departure champagne, on-demand amenity kits, Book the Cook wasn’t vegetarian.
This is one of those flights that feels like such a treat. It’s not often that you get to enjoy such an en elite Business Class experience on a relatively short flight to Europe. (From NYC, the flight is under 8 hours.) Singapore’s service is elite, their hard product is premium, and their Saver Awards rates are an excellent value.
Given my line of work, I have the privilege to fly Business Class a fair amount. If I’m not paying attention, sometimes it’s easy to let the sparkle of it dull a little bit. It’s impossible to miss the sparkle on this flight.
A good reminder for me was the couple sitting next to me. They seemed to be flying Business Class for the first time and had the best flight. I was so happy for them.
The entire time, they were popping over to each other’s seats to share how amazing the sauce on their dinner was, how much they loved their dessert and which cocktail they were going to try next. They couldn’t stop talking about how incredible it was.
And they are right. These experiences are meant to be special and they are priced accordingly. Investing in Business Class is a big deal. I take a recommendation for a Business Class flight very seriously.
I can say confidently that this flight is a good one. It’s a flight I would book again. In fact, not only would I book it again to fly to Germany, but I’d probably go out of my way to add Germany to any Europe trip just to fly this product.
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