Best business class seats on Singapore Airlines' Boeing 747
By John Walton, August 9 2011
Singapore AIrlines is best known for its fleet of Airbus A380s but the island-nation's flag-carrier still has plenty of Boeing 747-400s to ply the skies.
Here are our picks for the Business Class seats to request (and the ones to avoid!) on an SQ 747.
The plane
Singapore Airlines is slowly phasing out its large fleet of 747s in favour of newer Airbus A380 and stretched Boeing 777-300ER planes, but Australian travellers can expect to find 747s on many of the Asian carrier's routes.
With First Class in the nose and Economy stretching along the back of the main deck, Business Class is split into two sections: rows 11-20 on the upper deck and rows 22-25 on the main deck.
The Business Class cabin
The upstairs layout is the usual 2-2, while downstairs the wider cabin means a 2-3-2 configuration. Window seats upstairs have an extra storage bin on the outside of the cabin.
Picture: Thomas Kriese
The business class seats are lie-flat angled sleeper seats, not to be confused with Singapore's extra-wide Business Class beds on its Airbus A380, Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A340-500 aircraft.
It's a last-generation seat, with last-generation features, although it does have an AC power point to plug in your laptop, iPad or iPhone.
The best seats on the plane
17A 17C 17H 17K: these exit row seats on the upper deck have nearly unlimited legroom. The window seat passengers won't need to clamber over the aisle seat to get out either.
11A 11C 11H 11K: at the very front of the upper deck, these seats have extra legroom and space to move about, meaning the window passengers are less likely to disturb the person sitting in the aisle if they need to get out. 11K is a bassinet crib position, so you may be moved to make way for an infant.
Rows 12, 14 & 18: these seats on the upper deck are quieter and feel more exclusive than seats downstairs.
22A 22C 22H 22K: if you must sit downstairs, these bulkhead seats at the very front of the main deck cabin are the ones to pick. However, there are four bassinet crib positions in row 22, so you're more likely to be shifted to make room for babies and parents.
The worst seats on the plane
22E 23E 24E: E seats are middle seats on Singapore's 747, so avoid them and plump for a window or aisle instead.
24A 24C 24H 24K 25D 25E 25F: the very last row of Business Class is staggered, with row 24 last on the left and right hand sides of the plane, and row 25 in the middle. With the stairs to the upper deck, Economy Class lavatories and galley kitchens immediately behind, there's likely to be a fair bit of noise here.
20H 20K: the very last row on the upper deck is right by the stairs and close to the upstairs galley kitchens. Other seats will be quieter and less likely to be disturbed.
Also in our Best Seats series:
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Best business class seats on Singapore Airlines' Boeing 747