Singapore Airlines will add first class, revamp cabins for longest flights
Singapore Airlines is planning to add a four-seat first class to the Airbus aircraft it uses for its longest routes, a bet to attract high-spending travelers to flights that can top 17 hours.
Singapore Airlines is planning to add a four-seat first class to the Airbus aircraft it uses for its longest routes, a bet to attract high-spending travelers to flights that can top 17 hours.
The carrier will add the new seats to seven Airbus A350-900 URLs, or ultra-long-range aircraft that it uses for lengthy trips, including its longest, between New York and Singapore. It will also revamp its cabins on long-haul Airbus planes with new business-class seats that will likely include a suite with a sliding door, a popular design carriers are increasingly adopting to sell privacy as an onboard perk.
Singapore said the fresh first- and business-class seats will have new in-flight entertainment but the carrier didn’t disclose many details about the new cabins. CEO Goh Choon Phong said in a news release that they will “push the boundaries of comfort, luxury, and modernity.”
Airlines have been investing billions of dollars to revamp their premium cabins to chase travelers willing to shell out for more space on board. They range from international airlines like Singapore’s jumbo jets to smaller carriers like JetBlue Airways that fly smaller Airbus airplanes, both of which feature suites with sliding doors
Singapore’s retrofit plans also include new cabins for 34 long-range Airbus A350s, part of a 1.1 billion Singapore dollar (about $835 million), overhaul it plans to start putting into service in mid-2026. Those will still have 42 business-class seats, 24 premium economy seats and 192 in standard economy, up from the 187 economy seats it currently lists as the aircraft’s configuration.
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