Singapore Airlines all business class launched.

[Greg McDonald]

From News.com.au:

SINGAPORE Airlines has launched its new all-Business Class service to New York, offering passengers the latest in technology and luxury.
The newly reconfigured Airbus A340-500, which is expected to arrive in New York at later today, is fitted with 100 of the Airline's new award-winning Business Class seats and iPod and iPhone connectivity.

With this new configuration, Singapore Airlines is the first to operate an all-Business Class service on the transpacific.

Each leather-upholstered Business Class seat measures 76cm in width, providing customers with more personal space and privacy.

The seats are arranged in a 4-abreast, 1-2-1, layout, with every seat having direct access to the aisle.

When it is time to sleep, the new Business Class seat converts into a fully-flat bed.

Passengers can also enjoy their personal audio and video content from their iPod or iPhone on Singapore Airlines' KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.

Each seat features a 15.4-inch widescreen LCD screen which is perfect for watching television shows and movies, as well as active noise-cancellation headphones.

Singapore Airlines' Executive Vice-President Huang Cheng Eng, said the all-Business Class service has been launched in response to demand from corporate travellers.

"Our direct flights to the US have always been well-received. With this newly

reconfigured aircraft, we will be increasing our Business Class capacity, and

offering our customers travelling to the US, the opportunity to experience our

award-winning new Business Class seat," said Mr Eng.

The conversion of all five of the Airline's A340-500s to an all-Business Class

seating is being carried out in phases.

The all-Business Class A340-500 currently operates three times a week, with daily services to New York by end June.

By late September 2008, Singapore Airlines will also fly the all-Business Class service to Los Angeles daily.

[Rhys Xanthis]

Say what??!

Won't they have any services direct from Singapore to Newark or LAX ???

Interesting though, both flights go to USA but 1 goes left and one goes right i assume..

[Kurt A]

Some more on the iPod functionality.


Adding another premium service to the Singapore Airlines entertainment package, KrisWorld now provides in-flight iPod and iPhone connectivity on its all-Business Class Airbus A340-500.

Customers flying between New York and Singapore, and Los Angeles and Singapore, will enjoy the newly reconfigured Business Class and enjoy personal audio and video preferences through the in-flight entertainment system.

Instead of utilising the traditional Ipod screen, the same content will be available on the 15.4 inch wide LCD screen provided by Singapore Airlines.
"Customers on our all-business class Airbus A340-500 flights now have an incredible way to enjoy their own iPod and iPhone music and video on the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system," said Yap Kim Wah, Senior Vice-President Product & Services, for Singapore Airlines.

"This is yet another example of our philosophy of creating customer satisfaction by providing an enhanced sense of choice and control."
A unique cable provided will provide iPods and iPhones with in-seat power supply and high quality audio, whilst privileging passengers to in-flight announcements and instructions made by the cabin crew and pilots.

"The iPod is the world's most popular digital music player and iPhone is a revolutionary mobile device, and they have become essential for millions of travellers," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod & iPhone Product Marketing.

"Singapore Airlines' customers can now enjoy their music, TV shows and movies on their iPod and iPhone through the in-flight entertainment system."

The service became available on the Newark-Singapore A345 non-stop flights earlier this month, and will be introduced in August to the Los Angeles connection.
-eTravel

[Mark Grima]

Say what??!

Won't they have any services direct from Singapore to Newark or LAX ???

Interesting though, both flights go to USA but 1 goes left and one goes right i assume..

Rhys, not sure what you mean by the first comment. Yes the direct services is what the topic is refering to, they will now be all J class. Reason for this is the length, 19 hours on the way to the EWR and 18hr 50 mins on the way home. Flights to LAX are about 16 hrs 20 mins and LAX - SIN about 17hr 10 mins. Due to this the higher classes always sold much better then Y.

They still offer flights with a stop either via FRA or NRT to NYC (JFK) and via TPE or NRT to LAX.

As far as I am aware both the non stop flights go over the pacific, I could be wrong though.

Cheers

M

[James Smith]

Wouldn't the New York flights go over the north pole?

[Rhys Xanthis]

Wouldn't the New York flights go over the north pole?

i think so. that would be an experience!

sorry for the confusion, i meant that there would be no y class direct.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Rhys, not sure what you mean by the first comment. Yes the direct services is what the topic is refering to, they will now be all J class. Reason for this is the length, 19 hours on the way to the EWR and 18hr 50 mins on the way home. Flights to LAX are about 16 hrs 20 mins and LAX - SIN about 17hr 10 mins. Due to this the higher classes always sold much better then Y.

They still offer flights with a stop either via FRA or NRT to NYC (JFK) and via TPE or NRT to LAX.

As far as I am aware both the non stop flights go over the pacific, I could be wrong though.

Cheers

M

SIN-EWR goes right up over China and Siberia, over the North Pole, and then down through eastern Canada. http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=SIN-EWR&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=&MAP-STYLE=

SIN-LAX goes over up over the North pacific staying east of Japan and Kamchatka, south of the Aleutians and Alaska, and west of coast of Canada and the US. http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=SIN-LAX%0D%0A&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=&MAP-STYLE=

The other reason for going to all Business layout was one of weight - the A345 was often weight restricted in order to make the trip back from LA and had to fly back with smaller loads, so they took out all the Y seats along with the heavy IFE screens, cables etc, alot of the overhead bins, some of the WCs and galleys etc, thus saving weight, not to mention the fewer number of pax and luggage too.

Here's the seating plan - http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Singapore_Air/Singapore_Air_Airbus_A345_B.php - only 98 seats - nice!

[Matt D]

The return KLAX-WSSS usually tracks lower latitudes. From flightaware:

VTU5 RZS MQO AUDIA STEVN 3400N 14000W 3200N 15000W 3000N 15500W 2800N 16000W 2400N 17000W 2200N 18000E 2000N 17000E AWK A450 PHILY A450 DEWSS A450 HOPPY A450 UNZ JOBSS ISGOG DAO W10 ZAM A341 VSN W461 BRU B348 SABIP B348 TOMAN LAVAX1B

Translating the location of a few of those navaids: Hawaii, Guam, Davao(southern Philippines), Brunei



Interestingly a few years back SIA021 used to go eastbound KEWR to WSSS over Scotland, Denmark, Poland and then effectively as per a Europe-Singapore flight

(FPL-SIA021-IS
-A345/H-SDHIJRWYZ/S
-KEWR0400
-N0482F310 DCT MERIT DCT HFD DCT PUT DCT TOPPS/N0484F330 N125A YAY/M083F330 NATV 56N030W/M083F340 NATV NIBOG/N0476F350 UN551 NURSI UN552 MAC UN562 SAB UL983 VES UL975 ELVIX UL996 ROE UL621 DIBED/K0872F350 UL981 SOBLO/K0878F370 B143 VEKAT/N0476F370 UM747 LUSAL UB702 DUKAN/K0880F370 B449 RJ A240 AFGAN UV838 RANAH/N0473F370 L750 ROSIE/N0473F390 L750 ZB G202N BI DCT MURLI DCT TIGER G452E DPN/M083F390 R460E LLK/N0477F390 R460 BBN/N0473F410 R460 CEA/M083F410 L507 BGO/N0472F410 B463 VKB M751 PK B469 VMR DCT
-WSSS1717 WSAP
-EET/CZQM0053 CZUL0122 CZQX0127 53N050W0219 55N040W0253 EGGX0325 56N020W0357 EGPX0436 EISN0442 EGPX0448 EKDK0539 ESAA0612 EPWW0623 UKLV0712 LUUU0734 UKOV0749 UKFV0802 URRV0829 UGGG0848 UBBA0915 UTAK0950 UTAA1012 OAKX1101 OPLR1143 OPKR1159 VIDF1213 VECF1319 VGFR1401 VECF1412 VYYF1423 VTBB1545 WMFC1630 WSJC1716 REG/9VSGD SEL/HRDM OPR/SIA NAV/RNP4 DAT/SV RMK/ACASII EQUIPPED DOF/041213 ORGN/ESSSSIAX)

[Mark Grima]

Thanks for the route clarification Andrew, when I said over the pacific, I new it would be the northern part but I didn't think it would be that north.

Cheers

M

[Craig Lindsay]

They will be making some serious money from those flights

[Tsen Tsan]

They will be making some serious money from those flights

From what I hear, the flights have been going out with more than 80 seats filled... 80 out of 100... I bet SIA is laughing allllll the way to the Bank.

[Tom Lohdan]

Close to 100% full for the next few days looking at the the seats available, they only seem to list/release them in numbers of 4 though.

The 380 between SIN-NRT is also doing a roaring trade, zero seats often.

You would be one happy airline :) to see this on most days:
SQ 638 SIN 23:40 NRT 07:30 +1 380 0 R0 Z0 C0 J0 D0 S0 Y0 E0 B0 M0 H0 W0 Q0 N0 L0 K0 V0 T0