Singapore Airlines has today confirmed that SilkAir, its regional carrier, will be upgrading the Business Class cabin on its 737 aircraft with true lie-flat seats from Thompson Aero. “Who knows, maybe I was just unlucky with the soft product on this flight.”. @ Andy SQ is better in terms of short haul catering. I just did my paperwork online Friday night, which took about 30 minutes total for my husband and I, and got my visas email to me last night, so about 48 hours later. But, it should be faster as you don’t have to wait when you arrive. Our flight was operated by a gorgeous new 737-800. I’m taking this same flight next month, glad to have a review of it since it’s a lesser known brand and destination. Required fields are marked *. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. Business Class benefits from 25% more legroom on the 737 MAX 8 (Photo:SilkAir) Earlier this month the fourth SilkAir 737 MAX aircraft was delivered from a total order of 37. The following table shows SilkAir's … The business class cabin consisted of 12 seats, spread across three rows in a 2-2 configuration. I filled out some minor paperwork upon landing and I was processed in less than 2 minutes. Seat controls are manual but with good recline and a footrest. Overall it was quite easy and went way faster than expected. They run a solid operation with great flight attendants and high staffing levels. Lucky, there’s also an American Ninja Warrior. Although Silkair’s new 737 MAX 8 looks really nifty, that aircraft wouldn’t be deployed on a 3 hour route like Hanoi. Bad thing is prices can be high and as Lucky mentions MI is not a staralliance member so star alliance gold accrual and benefits dont apply. While the crew was super friendly and attentive, unfortunately they didn’t have much to work with. Not impressed with the Pitch or Seat Width in business class compared to other airlines using the same type of aircraft. Who knows, maybe I was just unlucky with the soft product on this flight. They are caught in between SQ (can’t one-up the parent) and Scoot (can’t undercut their LCC) – that’s just within their own group – and there are many, many other choices out there, so very non-ideal situation. As a point of comparison, American has three. I have shared mine with the station manager of JOG and we had very good talk about the airlines ground/flight operations ex-JOG. SilkAir business class bottom line SilkAir is sort of like Singapore Airlines light. Staying at the PH Siem Reap? Thanks Lucky! Get the same things on AA or UA and you would complain how horrible they are. Even more surprising that they could print on another occassion my LH: SIN-FRA-AMS boarding pass aswell. All Rights Reserved. SilkAir Business Class Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, you have the option to relax, work or sleep in our Business Class cabin. SilkAir will also install all-new lie-flat business class seats across its single-aisle Boeing 737-800 and newer 737 MAX 8 jets, while the older Airbus A320 aircraft are retired, to deliver a consistent 'premium experience' across both international and regional Singapore Airlines flights. – ferry indonesian workers for construction/healthcare/maids employed in singapore (or other asian countries) or to visit their relatives (Used to fly SOC: solocity/surakarta when JOG was still domestic only @Andy From my own experience, CX only has a hot pastry or wrap plus a boxed drink for HKG-TPE/MNL flights. He chronicles his adventures, along with industry news, here at One Mile at a Time. Do you know if we can do the visa when we land or do we need to do it beforehand? Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. | Singapore to Luang Prabang return in April, with a stopover in Vientiane on the outgoing leg to Laos. I did recall everything being on-time at least. In order to bring SilkAir in line with Singapore Airlines, the airline is investing more than $100 million to upgrade SilkAir’s cabins with fully flat seats in business class… This site is for entertainment purposes only. Mmm… I guess that foreign carriers get automatically extra points . Stay connected via social media, or subscribe to our free email newsletter for tips on upgrading your travel and maximizing your miles! SilkAir's Boeing 737-800 aircraft operate short- to medium-haul flights. @Alan Dragonair are marginally better than CX in shorthaul catering. And therefore usually pretty empty flight. By using the website, you are agreeing to our. SilkAir A320 Business Class Seat. MI’s stationmanagers are all from Singapore. I flew SilkAir several years ago on one of their A319s in business class, though they now have a fleet of new 737s, so I was curious to see how that experience compared. Singapore Airlines selected British seat manufacturer Thompson Aero Seatingfor its new flat-bed Business Class seats on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft fleet, and according to the analyst briefing these are the seats planned to be fitted instead to the Boeing 737-800s coming across to the airline from SilkAir from next year. SilkAir has six flight attendants on their 737s. – can’t support a widebody SQ flight (JOG: yogyakarta for central java’s classic buddhist/hindu ruins, its runway is to short and no room to expand) Passengers in Business Class … I have travelled extensivly monthly from AMS to Central Java and the combination Singapore Airlines and Silkair works fastest in schedule and timing. Inflight entertainment is provided by programs shown on drop-down overhead screens and also through SilkAir Studio. In the meantime, the group aims to have new business class cabins installed on … Also have seen their flights cancelled more than once *probably* due to very low yields on certain routes. Star Alliance Gold members and KrisFlyer Elite Silver members travelling on SilkAir Economy Class are not entitled to access the lounge. Just did Visa on arrival in Phnom Penh the other day. Any transaction you haven't completed on this page of our new website will no longer be valid. I used to regularly fly SIN-SUB back in 2006-2008 when the choices were merely MI, GA, and low cost carrier Valuair (now bought by Jetstar?). The seats themselves … @ Ang — You can do it on arrival, but it’s WAY faster (and less expensive) if you do it ahead of time. Silkair is a bit of a strange one. In particular food is often barely edible. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. SilkAir Business Class SilkAir Business Class. This time it wasn’t good. Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Maximum Weight for Economy Class Passengers: 66 lb/30 kg total; Maximum Weight for Business Class Passengers: 88 lb/40 kg total; Maximum Weight for Suite/First Class … I was impressed that SilkAir had “proper” pillows and blankets, even on a sub-two hour flight. I flew silk air to Phuket, silk air is expensive compared to other airlines that fly to its various destinations. SilkAir Studio was introduced in 2014 where passengers will be able to stream blockbuster hits, short features, and music, to their personal laptops and handheld devices via Wi-Fi. For my flight to and from Phuket I had an exit row all to myself. The cabin crew did a good job of distributing pre … Today’s flight was operated by a 737-800 that was configured 2-2 (what else) in business class. I’ve done it several times. They clearly didn’t leave much of an impression one way or another, as I don’t recall anything particularly remarkable about the flights. SilkAir also has codeshare agreements with Bangkok Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Virgin Australia and Vistara, as well as its parent company Singapore Airlines. Aircraft consists of 12 Business class and 150 Economy class seats. I flew Dragonair (Y) into REP, Vietnam Airlines (J) to Hanoi, and Dragonair (Y) back to Honk Kong. You’ll be shocked, a hot pastry or wrap plus a boxed drink. Earn 60,000 bonus points | 2X points on travel and dining. The visa has to be paid for in USD, so make sure you have cash on arrival. One Mile at a Time is owned by PointsPros, Inc. Silkair Business Class 737 MI751 Phuket to Singapore - YouTube The planes are clean, modern, and … Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure. By the way, last August I got to redeem Thank You points for the first time for SFO-SIN-SUB round trip on SQ and MI. Weirdly redeeming on MI in combination with SQ codeshare flight numbers and SQ onwards flight works perfectly. Now that SQ operates the daily morning SIN-SUB-SIN flight on an A333, GA is great, and the low cost carriers have stepped up their games due to competition, MI (which is still flies SIN-SUB-SIN in the evening) hasn’t made any improvements other than changing the crew’s uniforms and updating the J upholstery. The food was served just minutes after takeoff, but was borderline inedible. Silkair has much better reliability than the LCCs. – have no airlinks internationally but are subsidized (DIL: Dili capital of Timor Leste -now independent state) And at the end of the day, that’s likely the issue with SilkAir. It’s definitely not a full-service airline (although service and comfort levels are comparable with domestic and regional flights on legacy carriers in the US and Europe), even though it competes with full-service airlines on many regional routes (e.g. At the time of the initial announcement, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed to Mainly Miles that the seat model chosen for the 737 MAX was the Thompson Vantagemodel, as used i… It is clear that they can’t win competing against its parent company – they have the same ground experience but smaller plane, no entertainment screen, and no hot towel It makes the customers in SUB wish that they can get twice daily SQ flights instead like we used to. How *have* you not seen either?! Not sure how this happened, but I wanted to take you guys along with on my Silk Air Business Class experience! Only a handful of people were doing the VOA even though we came off a full ANA 787. It seems like their food isn’t their strongest selling point. They were considerably cheaper than Jet Airways, though frankly, if I were looking at a LCC/ULCC from India to Singapore or vice versa, I’d probably just go with IndiGo. Also there are reports that those paying for visa upon arrival not in USD (like GBPetc) get smaller change back due to “exchange rates”. Silkair flies to destinations that I asked if they had champagne, and they said “no, because of how short the flight is.” Hmmm…. Being as this was a nearly two-week business trip, like my old days working … How have I not seen that show before?!? Introduction. Still, there aren’t exactly many great options for getting to secondary destinations in Asia, so SilkAir is probably the best among them. They charge you an extra $2 if you don’t have passport photos (which we didn’t), but oddly they don’t actually make you take a picture then. Those four … SilkAir … One such upgrade is the inclusion of business class lie-flat seating onboard … I am flying business class with SA on the next sector (its on my bucket list) so am forced into using BC for this sector otherwise I wouldn’t bother. From May 2020 Singapore … (I have been to REP workwise archeology expat too just like JOG). The amenities on our SilkAir Business Class flight were light given the flight was short. Unfortunately otherwise they fail to impress, at least based on my experience. @Ang Visa is pretty simple to get online, tho it does take a few days. Garuda, Malaysia Airlines). So if you decide on visa upon arrival have exact notes ready for avoiding any confusion/misconduct. I am due to fly this aircraft from Darwin to Singapore in a few months. There were only two other passengers, so we had a 2:1 passenger to crew ratio. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. This system will complement the existing overhead systems. Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points | Terms Apply. About BenBen Schlappig (aka Lucky) is a travel consultant, blogger, and avid points collector. Is Malaria an issue in Siem Reap? No. I was also impressed by the service. Inflight entertainment is provided by programs shown on … I’ve flown them once in Y, HYD-SIN and back, though this was several years ago. @ Ang — On arrival worked great for us. Second time on SilkAir this year and I was very pleased with the service to Luang Prabang. That’s a shame because the business class … You are about to log out from corporate booking account.Do you want to continue? By continuing to use the website, you will be agreeing to our Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions and Cookie Policy. Took all of five minutes, and that was even though we were in the back of the line for our flight. – have appeal to Singaporeans for a weekend trip away (MDC: Manado for its food and beaches). If you’ve flown SilkAir before, what was your experience like? SilkAir also has codeshare agreements with Bangkok Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Virgin Australia and Vistara, as well as its parent company Singapore Airlines. – are primarely tourist leisure destinations filled with Y travellers (LOP unspoilt backpackers favorite lombok island) Ford had the veal meatballs, which he said tasted horrible. Just a correct, it’s slightly more expensive to do it online ahead of time, $40 (with the CC fees) versus $30 if you just do it upon arrival. free of charge and hassle. They will tag suitcases with a priorty tag if your onwards flight is in business. Your email address will not be published. Passengers in Business Class … Once we were in the air… Ever thought of trying Dragonair/Cathay Dragon so you can compare SilkAir with Cathay’s own subsidiary? Your email address will not be published. See I chose Muslim or Hindu meal I don’t remember and it was great. About 80% of the flight had chop, with about half of it being so rough that the crew had to be seated. Also @ LSG Sky Chefs AKL I don’t know the whole SATS system, maybe ask our colleagues at where does SQ flies (They fly to IAH instead of DFW). Unfortunately the coffee was vile, even by airplane standards (which is saying a lot). However this invitation is not extended to their guests. So well, that some suggestions were visible when i departed ex-JOG again. They run a solid operation with great flight attendants and high staffing levels. @ tiffany – you are right: if you have you visa in advance you can disembark and beat the crowds going straight to the immigration desks, they will stamp your passport and are done. After great flights on Cathay Pacific from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Singapore, and a couple of nights in Singapore, our next stop is Siem Reap, Cambodia. SilkAir certainly isn’t as full service as their “parent” airline. Reminder: OMAAT comments are changing soon. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. (No BA-stunts of no-through checkin) I have flown for milleage runs 1ticket MI:JOG-SIN SQ:SIN-BKK then 2nd ticket OS BKK-VIE-AMS or LX BKK-ZRH-AMS and luggage came all right through priorty and all. Finished in a dusky … At the same time, fares are much higher than the LCCs in the region. Quality in C and Y is constant and Singapore’s Changi Airport pleasent to be in transit. Back when they offered food in main cabin, it was 5. @LSG Sky Chefs AKL I don’t know, since SQ cater ex-HKG with Cathay Pacific Catering Services. You dont even need to send in the passport. Flying Business Class twice in one month!? – first tapping into a market before SQ resumes/starts flying again (SUB: surabaya before/during/after the indonesian monetary crisis) SilkAir has pulled back the curtains on a smart-looking set of  business class seats for its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet, which is expected to fly to Darwin and Cairns in 2018. SilkAir Business Class passengers are invited to access the lounge. Lots of staff working the counters. Unfortunately, SQ itself has a much weaker product on their regional routes. Hello from Siem Reap, Cambodia! Are you taking doxycycline? They don’t seem to offer much to choose them over a ULCC when flying Y, while if you’re looking for J class, you can get a better product on other full-service carriers. Still, at that time, I thought that MI is this premium choice. This system will complement the existing overhead systems. Well worth it to me to have it all settled before I arrive in Siem Reap. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Oddly SilkAir only had small single-serving bottles of wine, with one red and one white choice. Staffing with 3 was only for a few years around the time of the recession, when the 737 had 10 fewer seats. Long time reader but posting for the first time. Boarding Pass … Singapore Airlines’ subsidiary, SilkAir, operates flights between Singapore and Siem Reap. The planes are clean, modern, and in good condition. Nothing was set up ahead, I just had my $30 and a passport photo. Alcohol was even provided in cattle on Dragonair. They don’t have built-in personal televisions, but rather in business class have portable tablets. SilkAir flights operates from Changi Airport Terminal 2. Business class check in was empty as usual and i was hoping to get the SilkAir Boarding Pass but was issued the Singapore Airlines Business Class … Totally missed you guys while you’re here in Singapore! 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To Phuket, Silk Air ) to other Airlines been reviewed, approved or otherwise by. That before, even SQ Y receive Häagen-Dazs out of SIN ( for example SIN-BKK! Online, tho it does take a few days J promotion on MI and flew Economy... Veal meatballs, which he said tasted horrible seats are fitted on all of five,! ’ s own subsidiary stopover in Vientiane on the outgoing leg to.!