Singapore

Fifth-freedom flights always feel a little special as they allow you to fly on international airlines without setting foot in the airlines' home countries.

The service was top-notch and the food and beverages were excellent. My glass was never empty and the flight attendants were quick to respond to the call button. I was addressed by my last name throughout the flight and the crew seemed to genuinely care about my well-being. I had three out of the four options — a black forest gateau, lemon-lime sorbet and fresh fruit — for “research” of course. It’s hard to get fish right on an airplane, but I thought it was flavorful and cooked to a perfectly flaky finish. Airlines usually don’t let you reserve a special meal just for one meal so I appreciated the ability to mix and match. Waiting at my seat during boarding was a pair of noise-canceling headphones, which I thought were decent enough, though not as good as the Bang & Olufsen headphones provided at the very front of the plane. That was followed by a lentil salad, which was light and fresh, albeit a bit bland. There’s also a small compartment to the side of the seat that can fit some reading material, a water bottle and a laptop. It was basically the same as any other seat in the cabin, but got a bit noisy since it was right behind the galley. Unfortunately, there weren’t any individual air nozzles, but the cabin was kept at a comfortable temperature throughout the flight. There were separate lines for each of the four classes on the flight — Suites, business class, premium economy and economy.