Five hours was enough on Singapore Airlines' oldest, worst plane
Entertainment + tech
Under the seat is a universal power outlet compatible with Australian plugs and a USB-A port. These are shared between passengers on a two-between-three basis. Another deviation: There's no seat-back entertainment screens. A subset of the KrisWorld Entertainment system can be viewed from your own device; I've forgotten my headphones, so that counts me out. The crew provides headphones, to plug into the armrest to listen to one of the 12 channels, as in the olden days. Wi-Fi? I'm afraid not.
Service
Something that's not an anomaly is the service. The Singapore Airlines crew is as attentive and efficient as always. When I realise the overhead locker above my seat is reserved for crew use, a friendly crew member kindly whisks my bag to a space further forward.
Food
The spiced chicken in creamy tomato gravy is finished by the time the cart gets to me, but my fish arrabbiata pasta, and salad of barley, cucumber and smoked salmon are tasty. Wines, beers and spirits are complimentary and later there are individual tubs of ice-cream. Surprisingly, there is no menu card in the seat back, nor on the limited selection of KrisWorld entertainment on my device.
Sustainability
Among many airlines, Singapore Airlines has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.* Newer-generation aircraft help this cause by using less fuel, but not this one, which could be one reason the airline plans to replace it.
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One more thing
Singapore Airlines flies these dinosaurs on three routes, from Singapore to Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu. By October, the airline plans to replace all 737-800 NGs with the more modern 737-Max 8 (which it already flies, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, on the Kathmandu route). Seat pitch in economy will remain the same, but all seats on the new planes will have entertainment screens and Wi-Fi. Business class seats will lie flat, standardising this in the entire fleet.
The price
From about $1600 return for economy class from Sydney or Melbourne**.
The verdict
Five hours was long enough on the worst Singapore Airlines plane. The service was excellent, the food was good, but this does not feel like a Singapore Airlines experience.
Our rating out of five
★★★
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The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Five hours was enough on Singapore Airlines' oldest, worst plane
The seats are arranged in a 3-3 configuration, and my aisle seat is second from the back. I selected this seat hoping to score a spare seat beside me. I'm thrilled to see this has worked. The 737-800 NG is an older style of plane, a relic from former regional carrier Silk Air. For several reasons, this plane is an outlier in the Singapore Airlines fleet. The economy seat width is fairly standard, at 17.7 inches (45cm). But its pitch is a paltry 30 inches (76cm) with a 5-inch (12.7cm) recline, giving it the dubious distinction of having the least legroom of any Singapore Airlines plane. It's worth noting that this plane has the only business class seats in the fleet that do not lie flat. Entertainment + tech Under the seat is a universal power outlet compatible with Australian plugs and a USB-A port. These are shared between passengers on a two-between-three basis. Another deviation: There's no seat-back entertainment screens. A subset of the KrisWorld Entertainment system can be viewed from your own device; I've forgotten my headphones, so that counts me out. The crew provides headphones, to plug into the armrest to listen to one of the 12 channels, as in the olden days. Wi-Fi? I'm afraid not. Service Something that's not an anomaly is the service. The Singapore Airlines crew is as attentive and efficient as always. When I realise the overhead locker above my seat is reserved for crew use, a friendly crew member kindly whisks my bag to a space further forward. Food The spiced chicken in creamy tomato gravy is finished by the time the cart gets to me, but my fish arrabbiata pasta, and salad of barley, cucumber and smoked salmon are tasty. Wines, beers and spirits are complimentary and later there are individual tubs of ice-cream. Surprisingly, there is no menu card in the seat back, nor on the limited selection of KrisWorld entertainment on my device. Sustainability Among many airlines, Singapore Airlines has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.* Newer-generation aircraft help this cause by using less fuel, but not this one, which could be one reason the airline plans to replace it. Loading One more thing Singapore Airlines flies these dinosaurs on three routes, from Singapore to Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu. By October, the airline plans to replace all 737-800 NGs with the more modern 737-Max 8 (which it already flies, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, on the Kathmandu route). Seat pitch in economy will remain the same, but all seats on the new planes will have entertainment screens and Wi-Fi. Business class seats will lie flat, standardising this in the entire fleet. The price From about $1600 return for economy class from Sydney or Melbourne**. The verdict Five hours was long enough on the worst Singapore Airlines plane. The service was excellent, the food was good, but this does not feel like a Singapore Airlines experience. Our rating out of five ★★★
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Five hours was enough on Singapore Airlines' oldest, worst plane
The seats are arranged in a 3-3 configuration, and my aisle seat is second from the back. I selected this seat hoping to score a spare seat beside me. I'm thrilled to see this has worked. The 737-800 NG is an older style of plane, a relic from former regional carrier Silk Air. For several reasons, this plane is an outlier in the Singapore Airlines fleet. The economy seat width is fairly standard, at 17.7 inches (45cm). But its pitch is a paltry 30 inches (76cm) with a 5-inch (12.7cm) recline, giving it the dubious distinction of having the least legroom of any Singapore Airlines plane. It's worth noting that this plane has the only business class seats in the fleet that do not lie flat. Entertainment + tech Under the seat is a universal power outlet compatible with Australian plugs and a USB-A port. These are shared between passengers on a two-between-three basis. Another deviation: There's no seat-back entertainment screens. A subset of the KrisWorld Entertainment system can be viewed from your own device; I've forgotten my headphones, so that counts me out. The crew provides headphones, to plug into the armrest to listen to one of the 12 channels, as in the olden days. Wi-Fi? I'm afraid not. Service Something that's not an anomaly is the service. The Singapore Airlines crew is as attentive and efficient as always. When I realise the overhead locker above my seat is reserved for crew use, a friendly crew member kindly whisks my bag to a space further forward. Food The spiced chicken in creamy tomato gravy is finished by the time the cart gets to me, but my fish arrabbiata pasta, and salad of barley, cucumber and smoked salmon are tasty. Wines, beers and spirits are complimentary and later there are individual tubs of ice-cream. Surprisingly, there is no menu card in the seat back, nor on the limited selection of KrisWorld entertainment on my device. Sustainability Among many airlines, Singapore Airlines has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.* Newer-generation aircraft help this cause by using less fuel, but not this one, which could be one reason the airline plans to replace it. Loading One more thing Singapore Airlines flies these dinosaurs on three routes, from Singapore to Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu. By October, the airline plans to replace all 737-800 NGs with the more modern 737-Max 8 (which it already flies, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, on the Kathmandu route). Seat pitch in economy will remain the same, but all seats on the new planes will have entertainment screens and Wi-Fi. Business class seats will lie flat, standardising this in the entire fleet. The price From about $1600 return for economy class from Sydney or Melbourne**. The verdict Five hours was long enough on the worst Singapore Airlines plane. The service was excellent, the food was good, but this does not feel like a Singapore Airlines experience. Our rating out of five ★★★
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Overseas stars lure tourists Down Under in new push
Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online.
