Durian is a polarising fruit. You either love it or you hate it and I fall firmly into the latter camp.

Singapore Airlines recognises this in its latest in-flight safety video, a creative combination of live action and watercolour animation that takes the passenger on an informative and entertaining trip through Singapore’s culture and landmarks.

The stinky fruit features in a segment about oxygen, with two young boys opting for masks when their parents and sister start eating durian.

I’m travelling business class from Perth to Singapore on a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner for the first time since taking the inaugural flight in May 2018. It’s a 7.15am departure that gets me to Singapore in time for lunch, ready for a few days going behind the scenes at Changi Airport.

Being half asleep, I initially struggle to find the SilverKris Lounge amid all the dazzling temptations of the renovated duty-free precinct. The spacious area, renovated in 2024, is an oasis of calm (no high-vis here!) where I enjoy coffee and breakfast including a pretty decent basket of dim sum.

On board, I am in seat 11D, the front row of business class. With no rows 1-10, it’s as close to the pointy end as I can get, with more space in the footwell. I am amused by the “no passenger stowage sign”.

Having overindulged in the lounge, I skip muesli and tuck-in to my preselected parsley omelette. Eggs in the air are never as good as on the ground, so I move on to the fresh fruit plate and a flaky, warm croissant from the breakfast basket.

Being a relative business class novice, I kick myself for having coffee from the pot and not ordering a barista oat flat white.

While I am feeling my age since that inaugural flight, and need assistance to reach the deep overhead lockers, the business class cabin still feels fresh and new. Possibly the only telltale sign of age are the USB-A points. Wi-fi is fast and free.

Is it weird that my favourite thing about Singapore Airlines business class is possibly the cleanliness of the toilets and the touch-free bin?

Sliding from seat to bed mode takes just a few button presses. My shoes go underneath and my handbag easily fits at the end, even with my feet in the alcove. I’m short, so this might not suit tall passengers. You can ask for slippers but amenities kits can only be requested for flights of more than six hours.

The KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system boasts 1800 options in multiple languages, from romantic comedies to zombie flicks. Various Artists: Deep Calm is my music choice to play through the supplied noise-cancelling headphones while snuggled under my blanket.

For my flight home a week later, I choose a 6.55pm departure to optimise my time in Singapore.

Terminal 3’s sprawling SilverKris Lounge has ample seats, lounge chairs and high tables with device charging points. Big orchid displays add a colourful touch, and one wing overlooks the bright concourse. The food selection is impressive, with plenty of Singaporean favourites and a whole hot section of western dishes including chips and individual lasagnes.

The showers are well-equipped and spotless, something I appreciate after a recent encounter with a mould-riddled shower at an Australian domestic lounge. Some excellent siu mai (open top dumplings), a cup of TWG tea, a few slices of kueh (local steamed desserts) and I’m ready for the flight home. It’s these luxuries, and priority luggage, I’ll miss next time I am back on Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier Scoot.

For this flight, I am in seat 19K. It’s a window seat with the console facing the aisle, allowing for more cocoon-like privacy. I also learn to maximise space by lowering the armrests.

Before flying, I used the Book the Cook option to select lobster thermidor for my main. Served in a rich cream sauce with Cognac, Dijon mustard and button mushrooms, it turns out to be too rich for my tastebuds after a week of living on mostly Hainanese chicken rice.

People rave about the Singapore Airlines chicken satay for a reason. This is the best dish of the two flights, and a great way to keep that Singapore love affair going a little longer. The feather-light ondeh ondeh cake comprising layered pandan-flavoured soft sponge cake and gula melaka (sweet palm sugar) comes a close second.

Singapore Airlines operates four daily flights each way between Perth and Singapore.

The airline’s capacity between Singapore and Perth has fully recovered to pre‑COVID levels, with a total of 467,950 seats per year in each direction of travel.

+ Sue Yeap was a guest of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.

fact file

Book air travel through travel agents and singaporeair.com.

As an example of prices, return business class prices from Perth to Singapore between November 22, 2026, and December 7, 2026, are from $3577.