Up until mid-September when I boarded my flight with Singapore Airlines, 950 days had passed since I had last embarked on a long-haul flight. That previous encounter ominously involved me dashing home from the United States as the opening shots of the Covid-19 pandemic fast unfolded. After two and half years of having my long-haul wings firmly clipped, it felt so liberating, so sanity-restoring to be reuniting with the other side of the world.

As a travel fanatic, I was suffering withdrawal symptoms from my long estrangement with Europe. It was such a pleasure to reacquaint myself with Europe’s treasures after jetting my way from New Zealand, in the trusty aviation hands of Singapore Airlines. (SIA) All of my flights ran to time, all checked bags were faithfully waiting for me on the carousel and the in-flight experience was faultless. The award-winning full-service carrier has not only cultivated a world-beating reputation for its exceptional customer service and in-flight product, but also its innovation. Constantly refreshing their repertoire, if you’re yet to sample Premium Economy on Singapore Airlines, you’re in for a treat.

I experienced the cabin on their A350-900 aircraft, which are currently deployed on the Auckland and Christchurch routes to Singapore, as it is across SIA’s fleet of long-haul aircraft. Premium Economy is an increasingly alluring option for Kiwis flying long-haul and hankering for affordable space and extra-comfort.

I enjoyed priority handling and boarding, before kicking back in my comfy cabin, where the seating is arranged in a 2-4-2 seating arrangement – ideal if you’re travelling as a couple. The enhanced sense of spaciousness is readily apparent with greater seat width of 49.5 centimetres including a calf-rest and footrest, 96cms seat pitch and 20cms of sweet sleep-inducing recline. It’s remarkable how just a little bit more space and recline can make such a difference.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve champagne freely flowed throughout the cabin, while the full beverage service also includes the iconic Singapore Sling. Don’t mind if I do. The carrier’s esteemed in-flight dining service features an exquisite menu that includes dishes created by the Airline’s International Culinary Panel. You’ll enjoy individual in-seat power supply, two USB ports, personal in-seat reading light, cocktail table, and additional stowage space for personal items. The KrisWorld entertainment system brims with over 1000 movie, TV, music and gaming selections. Equipped with noise cancelling headphones, the high-definition touch screen monitors are supersized at 33cms, from which I devoured a feast of new-release movies, before nodding off over the Australian outback.

If you’re looking to indulge even more, Business Class on the A350-900 is a radiant affair. You have two seating positions—the Lazy Z, a cradling position that ensures your weight is centered and balanced when you’re sitting down, plus the Sundeck, a lounging position that extends the base and foot of your seat so you can stretch right out and rest your legs on the ottoman. I’m a fan – all that was missing was the splash pool.  Handcrafted from Scottish leather and diamond-stitched, the seat transforms into a full flat bed, with a cushioned headboard, linen, duvet and pillows.

Between Singapore and Frankfurt I experienced Business Class on the A380.  Each seat is 25 inches wide and has a generous seat pitch of 50 inches. If you’re a travelling as a couple, the centre divider between the centre seats can be fully lowered to create double beds. Designed to provide more personal space and privacy, the Business Class seats are arranged in a forward-facing, four abreast (1-2-1) configuration that offers all guests direct aisle access. Business travelling? The A380 Business Class seat easily converts into an office with its well-positioned reading lights, in-seat laptop power supply and USB ports.

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Singapore Airlines’ legendary in-flight dining service features a stirring menu, underpinned by signature dishes crafted by the Airline’s International Culinary Panel. All premium class guests can pre-select their main course up to 24 hours before their flight from the ‘Book the Cook’ menu, which features a wide selection of exquisite dishes. My in-flight culinary experiences were consistently superb. A great breakfast option is the Singapore hawker dish, White Bee Hoon. This rice vermicelli dish is soaked in rich and thick broth, enriched with fresh squid, prawns, eggs and choy sum. Absolutely sublime. Other indelible meal selections I plumped for, to and from Europe, included Stuffed Guinea Fowl with Alp Cheese and Tyrolean Ham; Seared Fillet of Barramundi in a lemongrass sauce; and Chicken Roulade with pretzel stuffing. It was dining in excelsis, complemented with fine wines.

Transiting en-route to Europe at Changi Airport, I savoured the opportunity to experience SIA’s flagship SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold Lounges in Terminal 3. Opened just six months ago after a $50million makeover, the new-look lounges have elevated the on-ground guest experience. Collectively, the lounges can now accommodate around 1150 guests, translating to 30% more seats and space. These airside sanctuaries have been meticulously designed with comfort and convenience to the fore, embodying a design ethos of timeless elegance.

The SilverKris Lounge’s First Class section boasts a range of cosy seating and resting options. This includes the new day rooms that deliver a supreme level of privacy, furnished with a recliner or a Tempur Zero Gravity bed. Meanwhile, the popular bar is decked with Lalique crystal flowers inspired by Aquatic Ginger, a flower in SIA’s signature batik motif. It now features an even wider selection of beverages, including fresh barista-made coffee in the morning and signature cocktails in the evening.

The highly-impressive Business Class section of the SilverKris Lounge is 20% larger since the refit, with four distinct seating sections. These include a quiet rest area to catch some shut-eye, a main dining hall with an extensive self-service buffet, a living room area with sofa seats and productivity pods, as well as an open concept courtyard-style area that offers light bites for the traveller on-the-go, plus a full-service bar.

Meanwhile, the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge has an open and contemporary design with an expansive runway view to thrill plane-spotters like me. The lounge now includes an expanded dining area and open concept working spaces, as well as dedicated restrooms and shower facilities. There’s a lavish array of meal and drink options including crowd-favourites like the laksa, chwee kueh, and freshly steamed dim sum.

Singapore Airlines has proudly connected New Zealand to the world for more than 45 years via its award-winning hub, Changi Airport. SIA’s longstanding commitment to New Zealand transcended the COVID-19 pandemic, through the continuation of limited passenger and cargo services. Key trade channels remained easily accessible to New Zealand producers and essential freight could be imported.

SIA operates services from Auckland and Christchurch with a current total of 21 flights a week to Singapore, including Auckland services to Singapore operated by alliance partner Air New Zealand. There are 98 destinations in 37 countries across the combined SIA and Scoot global network, including 14 European destinations.  Being a South Island boy, SIA has always been a welcome sight in the skies above Christchurch, since it first commenced services 36 years ago. It is so good to have the daily Christchurch-Singapore service fully reinstated. https://www.singaporeair.com

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.