Flight test: Singapore Airlines A380

Aircraft Singapore Airlines A380.

Route Sydney to Singapore.

Class Business, seat 19D.

Seat pitch and width 55 inches (distance between rows of seats; airlines use imperial measures) and 34 inches (between armrests); folds out to a flat bed.

Seat configuration 1-2-1 layout ensures all seats have unimpeded access to an aisle; 60 business-class seats on the top deck.

Luggage allowance 30kg checked baggage, plus two pieces of cabin baggage up to 7kg.

Scheduled flight time Eight hours.

On-time performance Spot on.

Lounge access SilverKris lounges in Sydney and Singapore. Don't miss the buffet in the Changi Airport lounge: stir-fries, curries, noodles, dumplings, braises ...

Aircraft condition As good as new; no signs of interior wear and tear.

Console Carefully designed, including a 39cm screen, mirror, spot for reading glasses, in-seat power supply, USB ports and handbag stowage. Even without a laptop, in-seat software means you can work on documents from a portable USB flash drive.

Comfort Serious. Leather seats so wide I could fit a small child either side; a fellow passenger meditated in the lotus position for hours with room to spare. Exit the reclined seat without adjustment. Stand up to fold out a flat bed with mattress. Settle beneath a cotton duvet with two feather pillows. And it's true: the A380 is noticeably quiet.

Service Efficient and, more importantly, gracious. In my opinion, the best-presented attendants in the air. Love those uniforms.

Food and beverages Excellent. For starters, smoked duck breast and confit salad, then seared wild barramundi fillet with udon noodles, shitake mushrooms and eggplant, inspired by Sydney chef Matt Moran. Charles Heidsieck champagne, Singapore Sling cocktails, choice of three coffee bean types and nine teas. And that's just one meal.

Amenities Only terry-cloth booties and eye shades handed out; L'Occitane toiletries, toothbrushes, razors etc available in business-class toilets, a move that must surely minimise waste.

Entertainment Plenty of choice: 112 movies on demand, more than 180 television programs, 65 interactive games and 740 CDs. The handset is well designed and simple to use.

Flight frequency Singapore Airlines flies from Sydney to Singapore 28 times a week.

Online singaporeair.com.

Tested by Helen Anderson, who flew courtesy of Singapore Airlines.

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