Flying from the UK to Singapore might sound like a long and exhausting trip – around 21 hours door to door – and if you don’t enjoy flying (or long-haul in particular), it can feel pretty daunting.
Honestly though… it’s not that bad.
Yes, it’s a long day and it can be a bit tiring, but overall the journey is far more manageable – and even enjoyable – than you might expect.
We flew from Manchester to Singapore via Dubai, with a four-hour stop in between. That’s plenty of time to change flights and gives you peace of mind that your luggage should make it to your final destination too.
The first flight, from Manchester to Dubai, takes around seven to eight hours. We were on an Emirates A380 in economy and the seats felt surprisingly roomy. The cabin crew were great and really helped make the flight feel relaxed.
There was a huge choice of films on the in-flight entertainment system, plus regular food and drinks, which helps break the time up. You can always get up, stretch your legs and walk around the cabin too.
We landed at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and arrived into Terminal 3. If you’ve never been before, it’s absolutely massive – more like a small city than an airport. It runs 24 hours a day and is one of the world’s busiest hubs, so don’t be surprised if it’s still packed in the middle of the night.
We had Priority Pass through an American Express offer, so we headed to one of the lounges during our stopover. We were expecting a quiet place to relax, but it turned out to be really busy due to delays. Even so, it was still nice to grab some food and a drink before boarding our next flight to Singapore.
The second flight, from Dubai to Singapore, takes around seven hours. It sounds tough after already flying for so long, but once you settle in, put a film on and try to get some sleep, the time goes much quicker than you’d expect.
Before we knew it, we were on our way into Singapore – and proof that long-haul flights really aren’t as awful as they might seem, even if you’re a nervous flyer.
Here’s a very poor attempt at catching the sunrise from the window. Unfortunately, once the cabin lights are on, reflections make it really hard to get a good photo.
