Comparison: Singapore Airlines vs. Emirates A380 First Class

Ground Experience

Departing from Singapore, Singapore Airlines first class passengers (called Suites class on the A380) have a beautiful private first class check-in area and immigration, complete with porters to help with luggage right from the street. Upon arrival, there are comfortable armchairs to sit in during the check-in process.

Suite guests have access to The Private Room. This is one of the world’s most exclusive lounges which is open only to First/Suites class guests flying with Singapore Airlines. Having any airline status or flying with airline partners won’t cut it here. While the lounge doesn’t have any very unique features or amenities, it does offer a very refined space for eating and relaxing including top notch à la carte dining, nap rooms, and marble shower rooms. Service is excellent with the friendly staff addressing you by name and ensuring all your needs are taken care of.

At Dubai airport, premium customers with Emirates have a BMW chauffeur service which will pick them up in the local area provided they are on a cash fare – points bookings do not qualify.

Once at the airport, there are separate areas for first & business class check-ins.

There are many Emirates lounges throughout the airport, including several first class lounges. It usually makes sense to spend time at the one closest to your flight’s gate, unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands and can spend it moving around to different areas of the airport.

Inside you can expect a very large space as they typically span the length of the concourses. There is ample comfortable furniture, very high-quality à la carte dining and drinks. 15-minute spa treatments are available at the Timeless Spa located outside the lounge. Longer treatments are available at an extra cost. These don’t appear to be very memorable so I skipped it. The lounge at Concourse A has boarding directly from the lounge, otherwise you’ll have to exit to go to your gate.

While both experiences are nice, the feeling with Emirates is just one of immensity. The entire check-in area to the lounges, while well-appointed with excellent food, seem quite large, stale, and devoid of any personalized attention or real charm.

Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of this. The check-in area itself is both refined and cozy, while the The Private Room is one of the most exclusive ones in the world with a more personalized service.

Cabin and Suite

The front section of the Singapore Airlines upper deck on the A380 is reserved for the Suites. The greatest feature here is that there are only 6 of them! In terms of personal space, they are very difficult to beat and you have access to a reclining chair, a bed, a closet, and some extra space where you can stand up, all at the same time. It’s just incredible. If you go down the stairs and see the economy class seating below in comparison, the difference is just striking.

The suite has a huge television which comes out from the wall which you can control with a tablet. There are loads of interactive route maps, games, TV shows, and movies which will keep you entertained for hours.

If you’re travelling as a couple, you’ll want to choose adjacent suites from the two front rows. This will allow you to make the world-famous double bed in the sky offered by the airline, and I would argue is the single best aviation product when travelling as a couple.

Emirates also have their suites at the front of the upper deck of their A380. The biggest difference here is that there are  14 of them instead of just 6, in a 1-2-1 configuration. They are definitively blinged a lot more with lighting, mini-bar, snack basket, and gold accents. There is a single chair which turns into a bed with turndown service. Your luggage is stored at your feet. This generally is OK, but once in bed mode they won’t be readily accessible, so take out what you need before it’s time to sleep. A closet is available outside the suite along the aisle. A large television provides endless entertainment, and can also be controlled by a tablet. Emirates’ A380 also features a tail camera which is always a joy to watch!

Amenities

With Singapore Airlines, they have two large bathrooms at the front of the Suites cabin. Yes, that is two bathrooms for six guests. So it’s very unlikely you’ll ever have to wait in line for one. In addition to the usual toilet and sink, it has a makeup mirror and stool to freshen up, and a drawer full of toiletries you can freely use.

It would be nice to have a window or two in this space, but otherwise it’s frankly so comfortable in there that you could easily spend some time just relaxing! Compared with regular airline seats, and the usual airline bathrooms, the space almost feels like a lounge.

They don’t give you much as a toiletry kit to use on board since most of that is provided anyway. It’s mostly some presents that you can take and use at home, and there is a men’s and women’s version. They provide pyjamas as well, all provided by the French company Lalique.  Included in the photos below is the female version of the kit which the crew gave me to take home as a present for my wife.

On board Emirates……oh heck where to begin?  This is where the A380 sure is a joy to fly. They have one of the most popular on-board bars in the sky. This is quite a substantial space between first and business class and open to passengers from both cabins. There is top-shelf alcohol available, as well as snacks for the duration of the flight.

And then there is the famous shower in the sky. Like Singapore Airlines, there are two bathrooms for first class passengers. The downside is you are sharing this with up to 14 passengers instead of 6, however there is a bathroom attendant who cleans it for the duration of the flight, and both contain a shower. Inside you can book a 30-minute time for showering and have 5 minutes of hot water. This can be turned on and off as much as you’d like. There’s even a pyramid of rolled facecloths to dry your hands or wash your face which is topped up regularly during the flight. It’s by far the most luxurious bathroom in the world of commercial aviation.

The cabin has some really nice touches as well. For example there is an area with a bar and snacks laid out, and during showering time it is transformed into a spa-like environment with tea freely available. Such a pleasant environment, especially at 30,000 feet.

Emirates also has a male and female version of a toiletry kit, which has a lot of products which are meant to use home. It’s furnished by BVLGARI, and very comfortable pajamas and slippers are provided.

Dining and Drinks

Singapore Airlines has wonderful catering in all classes of service, with both Asian and Western choices. I’ve flown with them from Economy to Suites class and have always been impressed. They also offer a “Book the Cook” option which allows you to choose your main course in advance online.

Suites class has caviar service, several different kinds of champagne (depending on route), and wonderful drinks including Graham’s 20-year old Tawny port and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon, my go-to spirit for the perfect Old Fashioned. You can have a fabulous multi-course meal including caviar, soup/salad, main course, cheese and crackers, fruit, and deserts. All of course is dine on demand.

A couple of downsides: Their popular champagnes usually have just one bottle on board. So if there is something you have your eye on, order it right away, because the next time you ask there might not be any left. Also, caviar is only offered once, and only on longer routes. A 5-hour flight won’t offer it, for example.

Below are some example pictures of the experience.

Emirates on-board dining is an experience in itself. In addition to what Singapore Airlines offers, Emirates serves bottomless Dom Perignon champagne, unlimited caviar, Hennessy Paradis cognac which retails for well over $1,000 a bottle, and even a choice of chocolates from a luxury box of them at the end of your meal. They don’t offer a choice of meal selection online before the flight, but have quite a larger selection of choices on board, and a much longer drink menu, with a finer wine selection.

Service

Singapore Airlines is known for their high standards of service, and also the consistency of it. I remember flying from Jakarta to Singapore once, which is about an hour and a half flight. Every passenger on board, including in economy class, got a full hot meal with full bar service. The flight attendants went to huge efforts to serve everyone efficiently and with a smile. It’s hard to be disappointed flying with them.

In Suites, I was blown away. The flight attendant taking care of me was a rock star. We chatted a lot during the flight. When I said I was getting full during the meal service, she kept insisting that I only eat a small portion of each course she was serving to be sure I could try as much as possible. Normally I’m dead set against wasting food, but I made an exception for this very special experience! After the main meal service, she gave me a personalized tour of the entire plane including all its classes of service and introduced me to the flight attendants of each one. We even took pictures in different spots around the plane.

She gave me presents for my wife and daughters back home, consisting of the female version of the amenity kit (pictured in the above amenity section), and a couple of Singapore Airlines stuffed bears for my daughters.

After that, she arranged for the first officer to give me a tour of the flight deck. This couldn’t be done in flight of course for security reasons, so it happened after we landed. Once the other passengers had disembarked, she escorted me there where the first officer was waiting for me. He cheerfully showed me all around, with obvious pride to be piloting such a magnificent aircraft.  For security reasons, I wasn’t allowed to take any photos but suffice it to say it was a very cool experience for an avgeek like me. I also happen to be an engineer, so it was doubly exciting for me! After the tour I was escorted as the last passenger off the plane. In the ramp heading to the airport was the enormous cleaning crew, all patiently waiting for just me to disembark so they could begin servicing the aircraft.  It was a spectacular flight!

The service with Emirates was also very high-end. First of all, they came through the cabin at the start of the service with some really nice reading material. That might sound like a small detail, but I’ve usually only seen airlines providing some newspapers in this regard. Here they came through with publications like National Geographic which I really enjoy so was impressed.

When I expressed interest in visiting the on-board bar, the purser told me she’d escort me there herself. She introduced me to the bartender, which ensured I’d get the very top-shelf drink service including Dom Perignon champagne which is not available to business class passengers.

After you take your shower and arrive back at your seat, a plate of sliced fruit is waiting for you, along with a cup of tea.  As I told the flight attendant: “It’s great having things given to you when you ask for them, but it’s even better when you didn’t even have to ask in the first place”.

Conclusion

The A380 is a joy to fly, and if you’re someone who really likes to travel by air, doing so in first class with premium carriers is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Both Singapore Airlines and Emirates provide incredible travel experiences aboard these jets. There is no hard winner or loser here, but rather the choice of product will probably depend on what kind of experience you are looking for.

If you’d like a very refined, exclusive, and personalized flight experience, then Singapore Airlines is very hard to beat. With only 6 suites on board, enormous personal space, top-notch and professional service, and one of the most exclusive airline lounges in the world on the ground with a beautiful check-in lounge, it is a surefire winner.

If you’re looking for a very high-end experience, but are OK with it being a bit less personalized, and are perhaps feeling more sociable, Emirates has a lot to offer. The experience on the ground isn’t as refined, but has more chances of interactions with other guests. On board the bar is a terrific social area, the suite isn’t as large but is blinged out and still very comfortable, the onboard shower is always fun, and the service, food, and drinks will all leave you wanting more.