Is my business class seat on Singapore Airlines lie flat?
Whilst there’s a very good chance your seat will be lie flat, there are a handful of regional routes still flown with recliners. Singapore has a number of different seats, so let’s step through them one by one.
Boeing 777-300ER and “Long Haul”/”Ultra Long Haul” Airbus A350-900 Business Seats
These seats are wide and spacious, and turn into a lie flat bed by having the seat back flip down – you can do this yourself, but many people find it difficult to find the lever behind the seat. Do not be afraid to ask the crew, they will gladly assist you with this!
Once flat, your feet will need to slot into the cubby hole on one side, under the seat in front. The airline advertises this as sleeping in a “Lazy Z” mode, though it is possible for most to lie straight as well (albeit at an angle).
You can find a seat map for the 777 here, the A350 long haul here, and the A350 ultra long haul (for flights to New York) here.
On the 777, we recommend seats in row 11 as they are the most spacious and quiet, or row 23 because it is the furthest away from the kitchen galleys. Avoid rows 19 and 21 as there are no windows in these rows!
On the A350 long haul, we recommend rows 11 or 19 (11K being better than 11A) for the spaciousness. Row 22 in the mini cabin may be the quietest if there are no babies in premium economy – but if there are, they will be located just behind you!
On the A350 ultra long haul, we recommend 10A, 11D, 11F, 11K and row 19 for their spaciousness. Row 29 may be the quietest if there are no babies in premium economy – but if there are, they will be located just behind you!
Boeing 787-10 and “Medium Haul” Airbus A350-900 Business Seats
This business class seat is not as wide and spacious as its long haul cousin, but is still a very comfortable way to ride, and has the advantage of having the foot cubby in front of you, plus not requiring any assistance to transform into a bed.
The trick in the seat design allowing everyone to lie straight forward is the alternating seat placement – as can be seen in the photo above, seats are either placed close to the aisle or close to each other in every alternating row, creating the room needed for the seat behind to extend forward.
You can find a seat map for the A350 medium haul here, and 787 here.
On the A350, we recommend seats in the middle in odd number rows if you’re travelling in a pair as you’ll be sitting much closer to each other than the even number rows, or window seats in even number rows if you’re travelling alone, as you’ll be further away from the aisle.
It’s largely the same on the 787 – we recommend seats in the middle in odd number rows if you’re travelling in a pair as you’ll be sitting much closer to each other than the even number rows, or window seats in even number rows if you’re travelling alone, as you’ll be further away from the aisle. Avoid row 16 as it doesn’t have a window!
Airbus A380 Business Seats
Ahh, the A380! Built big and has room to spare! Singapore Airlines’ most spacious seat is reserved for its biggest bird. If you’re travelling as a couple, the middle seats can transform into a double bed. What a treat!
You can find a seat map for the A380 here.
On the A380, we recommend rows 11, 91 and 96 for extra space.
Boeing 737-8 Business Seats
Not to be confused with the 737-800, the Boeing 737-8, also known as the 737 Max 8, does feature lie flat seats. However, as this is a single aisle plane, not all seats have direct aisle access. The plane generally serves short to medium haul routes, so is still a very comfortable way to fly. There is no need for assistance to transform the seat into a bed – this is simply operated from the control panel on the side of the seat. Note – in bed mode, the seat feels closer to the floor than other business seat types.
You can find a seat map for 737-8 here.
On this aircraft type, we recommend seat 12 as it is by far the most spacious – you even get a tray table on both sides of the seat!
Boeing 737-800 NG Business Seats
OK so you got the 737-800 NG – the workhorse of the air. No lie flat beds here in that case, but you do still get the legendary Singapore Airlines service! Seats are in a 2-2 configuration, with an aisle running between the pair of seats on either side. Perfectly fine for a short day time flight.
You can find a seat map for 737-800 NG here.
On this aircraft type, we recommend row 11 as you do get a little extra legroom.
Can’t seem to choose your preferred seat?
It may simply be blocked out! Check the seat map regularly, particularly as you get closer to departure date, to see if it frees up.
Are any of the details above out of date? If so, get in touch and let us know, so all travellers can benefit!
The PSSTT Insider KnowHow pages contain knowledge about airlines, hotels, airports, restaurants and cities that we’ve collected over many years. We regularly review this to keep things up to date but information can sometimes become obsolete. If you need definitive information, please always get in touch with your travel service provider!