By 2008 Derek Low had accumulated so many free flier miles that he was able to afford a $23,000 ticket aboard the Singapore Airlines Suite Class.Singapore Airlines boasts the most luxurious commercial flying suites in the world. Your seating is a lavish cabin with sliding doors that create a secluded private space. Everything exudes luxurious comfort as the elegant soothing fragrance of wealth fills the air. For example, the whole interior was designed by a French designer named Jean-Jacques Coste, a famous luxury yacht designer. The seats were hand crafted and designed by Poltrona Frau: creating the kind of heavenly comfy leather chair only this Italian master can make.
The price tag from Singapore to New York was a little over $23,000 SGD ($18,000 US) for Derek, but that didn’t stop him! Those frequent flier miles really came in handy.
It’s a funny thing when you order a super high-end product. Derek forgot he was supposed to check-in via the super lavish check-in instead of the normal check-in.
Which, for Spingapore Airlines Suite Class, looks like this…
The actual check-in area looks somewhat like a fancy hotel lobby. Probably designed by a famous exotic interior designer. Oh, and they didn’t even weigh his luggage.
Soon enough, he was bestowed the coveted Golden Ticket.
He was then greeted by an attendant who asked him “May I escort you to the Private Room?” He followed close behind, passing by roughly 60 people settling into their Business Class Lounge. The attendant walked hastily giving the impression she was concerned Derek might feel nauseated by them. He was then transferred to a different attendant who led him through the First Class Lounge, and then transferred to yet another attendant before finally arriving at the The Private Room.
All the staff inside the Private Room greeted Derek by his name, making him feel as though they already knew him.
And even though he wasn’t hungry he’d heard the stellar reviews about dining at the Private Room so he ordered himself some champagne with the Chicken and Mutton Satay.
… plus the Baked Boston Lobster with Gruyere, Emmenthal and Cheddar.
… plus the U.S. Prime Beef Burger with Foie Gras, Rocket Leaf and Fried Quail Egg with a Fresh Mango Smoothie.
Derek was totally stuffed by now and realized it was time to board the plane. There was a boarding bridge especially for the Suite Passengers so he knew exactly where to go. Standing at the bridge was a flight attendant who chimed “Good Evening Mr. Low!” He quickly realized that they’d address him with any title he wanted when choosing it in his Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer profile. That’s when he immediately regretted not selecting “President Low”!
He was then led to his suit.
And chose the middle suite which can be transformed into a double bed by using the adjacent suit.
“Would you like a glass of Dom Pérignon, sir?” To which he obviously answered “Yes.”
They offered him a copy of every single newspaper onboard. Every last one of them.
The Chief Steward of the flight, named Zaf, came out to personally greet him.
And also demonstrated how to put on the flight’s safety gear via a video.
Zaf let him know that of the 12 suites on the plane only 3 were being used. So Derek could have a bedroom, living room, and a dining room if he so pleased. He found a cozy dining room.
With some Dom Pérignon and Iced Milo ready to be savored it was almost time for take off!
It was time to explore. What other little extras come with this flight? Headphones from Bose..
And a Salvatore Ferragamo amenity pack carrying an entire full-sized bottle of cologne with creams and lotions.
But that’s not all. Everything.. the pajamas, the slippers, the pillows and blankets are all Givenchy.
Since it was only 1 AM and Derek was just beginning to really savor this luxury lifestyle he decided to order some coffee. He doesn’t know a whole lot about coffee but he does know that Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee costs $120 per pound at Philz Coffee, so that’s exactly what he ordered. Zaf complimented him saying “You have very good taste in coffee, sir.”
Without pause, he slammed that coffee back like a shot. And then pretended to appreciate the delicate nuances of flavor. Then he order some tea. He was almost instantly brought a cup of fine TWG’s Paris-Singapore Tea. Zaf then knelt beside Derek to tell him about the tea. He described the quality of the tea leaves, the hand crafted cotton tea bags, and all the cherry and red fruit flavor nuances. Then he mentioned how he’d been flying with Singapore Airlines for over 19 years and served high profile clients such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Morgan Freeman in Suite Class.
Since Zaf was so helpful Derek asked him to recommend a movie, to which he suggested The Grand Budapest Hotel. Derek was delighted with the choice after watching it. Zaf could name the actors without blinking and describe their performances with precise detail. Derek was so impressed he asked “Are you like a savant of the cinema?”. “I just happened to be someone who likes movies” Zaf humbly replied. “I will call you here every time I need a movie recommendation in the future!” “Uh… okay!” said Zaf, as politely as possible.
Now it was time for some dinner! Derek was still stuffed from his 3 course meal back at the air port Private Room Lounge. Despite not really being hungry, he ordered a modest 5-course dinner. He started with a Malossol Caviar with Lobster-Fennel Salad. After 3 bites he might have licked the first plate clean had he not ordered a 2nd round.
Next, he ordered the Duck Foie Gras with Shaved Fennel-Orange Salad, Beetroot and Mizuna.
Then the Fish Noodle Soup as the main course.
Finally, he finished it off with the Vanilla Bavarois with Raspberry Coulis.
After a meal like that you can sleep or work off the extra calories through some exploration. He opted for the latter and asked for a guided tour of the plane. The crew did so gleefully.
They guided him through the front stairs of Business Class, across the upper deck, and around the swirling staircase where Economy Class resides. Upon arriving to his suit the lights were dimmed signifying it was time to sleep. This is when the flight attendants transform your room into a bedroom. Through a swift process of lifting and pulling the room around, a plush full sized mattress is stretched out over the entire floor space of the room.
He was incredulous with his room’s transformation, wishing he had Shakespeare there to describe it with poetic elegance.
He dove into bed like a giddy little girl on christmas morning.
And spent the following hour trying out every possible position to lounge.
While you’re doing silly things or just want some undisturbed privacy you can hit the “Do Not Disturb” button.
Throughout the flight the attendants would nimbly pass by every few minutes, take a peek, and make sure he’s happy. He decided to check the bathroom out and switch into the pajamas they included with the flight.
A foldable chair comes out of the wall to make sitting as comfortable as possible in a tiny space like this.
He’d had enough exploring. Once arriving back to his room he fell fast asleep. 6 hours later he woke up to a melancholy surprise. He was 6 hours away from Frankfurt and spent $6,000 worth of the flight passed out.
When you’re feeling down what do you do? Eat chocolate! He asked for some and got two.
They landed in Frankfurt where he and the other Suite Class passengers were escorted to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. There he found a convenient spa and hot shower. Probably the best way to spend a 2 hour lay over! Upon re-boarding the plane there was an entirely new crew. It was still 8 am and Derek thought, “I’ll start the day off right with a Singapor Sling.”
Singapore Airlines has a great service called Book the Cook, which allowed him to pre-order the meals he wished to have before the flight. So, he ordered the Lobster Thermidor with Buttered Asparagus, Slow-roasted Vine-ripened Tomato, and Saffron ride.
And of course, to satisfy the sweet tooth, some delicacy he couldn’t remember the name of.
When he felt like taking a nap he didn’t want to bug the crew for the full double bed so he humbly asked for a single instead.
The center section of the room has a wall that slides up to close off the each side.
And the single bed has plenty of room to rest comfortably.
Then upon waking up he was brought the next meal he had pre-ordered via Book the Cook.
U.S. Grilled Prime Beef Fillet designed by celebrity chef Alfred Portale.
The biggest problem Derek found through the entire experience was his earnest desire to STAY on the plane. After savoring the lobster, drinking Dom Pérignon, and enjoying 5 star services all at 35,000 feet, flying probably couldn’t be any sweeter than this.
After some pouting he eventually got off the plane because, of course, New York’s pretty great after all!
