Review of Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Manila in Economy

INTRODUCTION

After about nine hours in Changi Airport, it was time to head to Manila on the airline that has won many awards in the past, and is still rated as a 5-star airline today by Skytrax. There are four Singapore Airlines flights to Manila daily, but I decided to go with SQ918 as I wanted to explore Changi Airport, as well as fly on SQ's Dreamliner as the other flights utilize A330s or B777s.

JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT

During my layover in Singapore, I decided to visit Jewel. This would be my first time going there as the last time I flew out of Singapore was in 2014, where it wasn't open yet. Of course, the one place in Jewel that I wanted to check out was the Rain Vortex. Take note that if you wish to visit here, you have to exit the transit area and go through Immigration. Therefore, be sure to check in advance before your flight if your nationality needs a visa to enter Singapore to avoid disappointment. 

Other pictures inside the Jewel. Changi Airport is a great place to have a long layover as there are lots to check out. 

LAYOVER IN CHANGI AIRPORT

I decided to enter the transit area after grabbing a meal at the Terminal 3 basement. There, I used the internet for a while and decided to plane spot during the long transit time.

Two Singapore Airlines aircraft, an A350-900 and a B777-300ER.

A Silk Air A320-200

Lufthansa A350-900 that arrived after a longhaul flight from Germany.

Afterwards, I went to Terminal 1 and plane-spotted there as well. The SkyTrain is also available airside if you wish to change terminals.

An Emirates B777-300ER that arrived from either Dubai or a fifth-freedom destination.

A Jetstar Asia A320-200

A Scoot A320, with a sister Dreamliner behind it. Notice the tail of the LOT Polish Airlines 787 as well.

BOARDING AND SETTLING IN

At about 6:15PM, the gate opened for security inspection. My request to move to an empty row was unsuccessful as the flight was almost completely sold out, with no empty row in Economy Class available. Most of the passengers were a good mix of nationalities, with the majority being Singaporean, followed by Filipinos. There were also a handful of Western tourists heading to Manila either for vacation or to connect to different flights.

The B787-10 aircraft that will be taking us to Manila. Registration# 9V-SCI.

I got an aisle seat, but was able to get a window shot before the plane started crowding up with passengers. There was an SQ sister Dreamliner next door.

Cabin view during boarding.

The KrisWorld entertainment system was one of the most extensive selections I've seen on an airline's IFE. I also logged in with my KrisFlyer account in order to gain a personalized IFE with more content choices.

I'm starting to think that my favourite airline will switch from ANA to Singapore Airlines. To me, ANA wins in the onboard service and meals while SQ wins in the IFE category, as well as hot towel service in Economy Class. 

Hot Towels provided. Certainly much better than wet towels wrapped in a plastic cover.

Safety video was shown.

TAKEOFF AND INFLIGHT SERVICE

The flight path on the IFE

Earphones were provided. Before, SQ used to provide actual headsets but have then switched to earbuds instead. The advantage of this, however, is that you can use them with your own personal device after the flight.

The meal service began, but since I was seated in the rear Economy cabin, the service went from back to front. The choice were Beef or Chicken. I went with the Chicken option. Chose 7UP and Green Tea for the drinks.

After the meal service, the cabin lights were dimmed and I explored the IFE. I also handed my flight logbook to one of the crew.

In addition to the extensive content, this was the biggest IFE screen in Economy Class I have seen!

I didn't feel like watching any movies, so I just put on Flight Path and played music in the background.

Cabin view mid-flight.

I decided to visit the lavatory and stand up for a while. The stewardess noticed me and we had a short chat to pass the time by until a passenger pushed the call button and she attended to it. The crew also passed ice cream and offered more drinks after the meal service.

Cabin view from the rear galley.

KRISSHOP DUTY-FREE PURCHASE

I decided to try my luck and see if any model planes are available for sale inflight. I wanted to order the Silk Air model aircraft earlier, but the attendant told me it was only available for Silk Air flights. I browsed the catalogue again and found two interesting items.

I initially wanted to purchase the A350 model, but they were out of stock on the flight. The Dreamliner was the only one available onboard so I went ahead and purchased that instead for S$59.

There was also a pack of complimentary playing cards that came along with the purchase.

DESCENT AND ARRIVAL

There was a lot of traffic congestion around Manila thanks to bad weather, and the plane was put into a holding pattern and we circled around the airport for about 20 minutes.

The Flight Path showing the approach into MNL International.

Once we landed, the weather became a lot worse and we were stuck on the ground for a further several minutes before actually arriving at the gate. No worries for me as I get to keep using the IFE until arrival.

We didn't park at the gate until over 15 minutes after arrival.

Flight departed on time, but arrived at the gate 39 minutes late.

Disembarking message on the IFE screen.

After the flight, I asked the stewardess if I could have a photo with them. They were more than happy to take one but it will have to be quick as the flight arrived late and they were going to stay in Manila for the night before flying back to Singapore the next day. While waiting for the last few passengers to disembark, I took a couple shots of the Economy cabin of the Dreamliner.

Afterwards, I had a picture with the crew onboard in the Business Class cabin. The crew members serving my row were also happy to pose for a picture. My logbook was also returned and they wished my good luck in my flying endeavours afterwards. Faces blurred for privacy reasons.

Flight Logbook returned. Surnames (and my name) blurred for privacy reasons.

It was a nice flight onboard the Dreamliner and was great to be flying Singapore Airlines again after many years.