SilkAir is the regional arm of Singapore Airlines. It is a full service airline serving destinations in Asia from Singapore. It has also inaugurated flights to Australia starting with Darwin in the Northern Territory using the Airbus A319 and A320.
Flight: Singapore – Darwin
This was the second leg of a trip from London to Darwin. The first leg of the route with Singapore Airlines is reviewed here
Booking
The booking was done online through the Singapore Airlines website as it was all part of the same journey. The website was very user friendly and everything went through smoothly.
Check-in
You can check in online 48 hours before departure and choose your seat. These are pre-assigned but you can easily change where you sit by clicking on seats that are not occupied. All that remained was to print the boarding cards. Luggage was checked straight through to Darwin when we checked in at Singapore Airlines in London. Online check in closes two hours before departure. SilkAir leave from a different terminal than the arriving Singapore Airlines flight from London. There is a train but we chose to walk after the long flight from London.
Boarding
Boarding was done efficiently and quickly by seat numbers. Holders of Kris Flyer cards were included among those who got priority boarding. I had taken the opportunity to sign up during booking and was glad I did as it gave us time to settle in before the rest of the passengers arrived.
The Flight
Knowing that SilkAir was the regional subsidiary of Singapore Airlines led me to expect a more budget approach in all areas. Most of the seat back technology was missing and there were no films on the screens that dropped down from the overhead luggage compartments. The service from the cabin crew was excellent easily on a par with its sister airline; the crew were helpful, courteous and always there but not intrusive.
The flight arrived in Darwin in the afternoon so a lunch was served. I was pleasantly surprised considering the experience on the first leg of the journey. Unusually for airline food it had texture, taste and was identifiable. However, there was only a little of the main dish; three pieces of chicken on a small pile of noodles with a few vegetables.
There is nothing about SilkAir that screams “budget” or “regional” just a few whispers here and there. Service is up there with the best of the airlines especially its big sister Singapore Airlines. It is a medium and short haul airline and compared with many similar regional carriers it is up there with the best and has awards to prove it.
Rating 8/10
