On Flying with Singapore Airlines

Do!

Ok, I can't leave it at that. The service is excellent (even though I didn't get an upgrade - I was brave enough to ask, so that's a first).

First flight - Melbourne to Singapore (7 hours)
We left Melbourne at 10:10 and arrived in Singapore at 15:30 (two hours back).
I had booked an aisle seat as I prefer being able to get up and wander at will. If you're flying I suggest you go here to see the layout of your plane and to pick a good seat. It also meant there was only one person sitting next to me and all she wanted to do was sleep - result! I'd also pre-ordered my meals - gluten free - which meant I was served before anyone else and could eat in peace. Even if you don't have any special dietry needs, I would recommend your doing this.

So, once you're on the plane you get hot towels, then a drink and peanuts along with your headphones for the on-demand entertainment (I watched "I am Legend", "St Trinians" and "27 Dresses"). After lunch we were given an ice-cream then more hot towels to clean ourselves. Regular offers of water and/or orange juice ensured nobody dehydrated and the mid-afternoon 'snack' was excellent.

Changi Airport, Singapore (7 hours stopover)
After much strong thought (and, therefore, headaches) I had chosen not to continue immediately with the second leg of my journey but to have a stopover. I'd heard from various sources that Changi airport is considered the best in the world and I can see why. Clean, spacious, frequent well-considered helpdesks (don't forget I was in transit), free internet, free movie theatre, lots of duty-free shops (yes, I succumbed) and, most importantly for me, a transit lounge and hotel. I booked into the hotel for six hours (£24) got a room to myself with a queen-sized bed, stripped and slept for five hours. Showered and feeling fresh I checked-in for the second leg. No problems at all.

Second Flight - Singapore to Milan (12 hours)
We left Changi at 23:45 and arrived in Milan at 06:45 (six hours back).
Same as before but with an added bonus for me. I was in the aisle seat of three. The man in the middle seat wanted to connect his blackberry to the on-demand entertainment system so that he could access the internet (amazing what you can do nowadays) but it wasn't working. So he asked to be moved. The cabin crew found somewhere for him AND his wife, leaving the two seats next to me completely empty! For the entire flight I had the benefit of three seats, no-one asking me to let them out and I could (and did) lay down across all three to sleep during the night. This meant it didn't matter that the people in front reclined their seats as much as possible as soon as possible. In addition to the food and snacks we were also given a goodie bag containing a pair of socks and a toothbrush with toothpaste. There were spare ones in the toilet along with combs, one of which I nabbed. And the blankets, made of polar fleece, were sized for adult human beings (instead of the cabbagepatch doll sized ones normally supplied).

I arrived in Milan feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, was met by M who whisked me off to his new house. I managed to stay awake until mid-afternoon when I took a short nap but I was a very bad guest later, falling asleep while he cooked dinner and not waking up until midnight (bad Shiralee, slap on the wrist).

So, overall, if you can afford it (and this was no more costly than any of the other airlines flying this route) I would heartily recommend Singapore Airlines. My economy class experience was fantastic so heavens alone know what the business/first class is like.