No pressure, BA. Singapore Airlines launches its new First and Business Class.
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So, no pressure Alex. If you want to make British Airways First Class and Club World a leading global product, Singapore Airlines has just raised the bar on what needs to be done.
Singapore Airlines has announced a new look for its Airbus A380 fleet. They aren’t wasting any time either, with the new arrangement launching on Singapore to Sydney on 18th December. London Heathrow is expected to follow next.
The new look will initially debut on five new A380 aircraft currently being delivered. The existing A380 fleet will be refurbished, but that will not kick off until late 2018 and will take two years.
The big change is in First Class, where the current 12 seats will drop to six. In an arrangement not entirely unlike the Etihad First Class Apartment I reviewed here, the beds will be facing away from the windows.
There is a special Singapore Airlines website highlighting the changes here.
Take a look at this (click to enlarge):
Apparently the bed can be stowed away when not in use, although I’m not sure what you’d do with the space created. Without getting too Alan Partridge, you’ll be excited to know that the ‘the chair has a swivel capability of between 135 and 270 degrees’.
Travelling with your partner? Even better, as you can join two adjacent suites together to make a cosy double bed:
There are two smart bathrooms for the six passengers to share. Amenity kits will be branded Lalique.
Business Class is also getting a new look. First Class and Business Class will be on the A380 upper deck, with Premium Economy and Economy on the lower deck. There will be 78 Business Class seats per aircraft.
The layout is 1-2-1. The innovation is the cocoon-like shell which gives you a higher degree of privacy than usual.
Copying the new Qatar Airways Qsuite reviewed here, you can also join together pairs of middle seats to create a double bed:
Of course, with only six First Class suites per plane, the chances of getting one using Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles are probably slim.
Don’t even bother trying to book using any other Star Alliance mileage currency, as Singapore Airlines usually restricts First Class reward availability to its own members.
I flew the current First Class Suite a few years ago (review here) from New York to Frankfurt. That was a short overnight flight so I couldn’t make the most of it. If I try this then I really need to ensure it is a day flight. One option might be to book something currently showing as the old configuration and hope it gets switched over ……
That said, on the two occasions I have flown the Etihad First Class Apartment I have felt a bit lonely, closed off in a huge suite. I’m not sure if this will be different.
You can find out more on the Singapore Airlines website here.
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