Travelers on the 18+ hour journey between Singapore and New York must wait longer for an upgraded business class experience.
Singapore Airlines will not introduce an all-new business class for its non-stop flights to New York or the closer destinations of Los Angeles and San Francisco, at least for the next few years.
There were high hopes that the fleet of Airbus A350-900ULR jets might emerge from a mid-year round of scheduled maintenance featuring brand-new business class seats. These seats would have replaced the A350's current business-class design, which dates back to the early 2010s and debuted in 2013. The current design has two less traveller-friendly traits:
- The seat must be manually flipped over to become a bed rather than gradually reclining through several positions.
- Small spaces into which passengers must carefully tuck their feet while sleeping at an angle.
When Executive Traveller first revealed Singapore Airlines' A350 plans in mid-2022, a spokesperson for the airline coyly yet teasingly commented that "Singapore Airlines continuously reviews the cabin product offerings across its fleet and cabin classes."
Speculation arose that Singapore Airlines might upgrade the business class experience on its longest flights with the all-new suites intended for the long-delayed Boeing 777-9. This is the same approach now taken by regional rival Cathay Pacific, upgrading its Boeing 777-300ER jets with the Aria Suites business class initially created for the Cathay 777-9s and a new Cathay 777 first class to follow.
However, a spokesperson for Singapore Airlines confirmed to Executive Traveller this week that the A350s would not see any new seats or cabin changes during this maintenance period. This not only rules out the surprise appearance of SQ's new 777-9 business class and possibly the companion second-gen premium economy seat but also any changes to the current two-class floor plan of business class seats at 67 and premium economy recliners at 94.
In contrast, Qantas has opted for a conventional four-class layout on its forthcoming Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR jets, which will tackle 18-20 hours marathon flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York starting in mid-2026.
Singapore Airlines says the A350 maintenance schedule will extend "to the first quarter of 2025." As recently as May this year, SQ was targeting the same year to arrive its new 777-9s, which are expected to feature business class suites with sliding privacy doors, 4K video screens, streaming Bluetooth audio, wireless charging, and other modern conveniences. "At this point, based on our understanding, we expect the Boeing 777-9s to be delivered next year," remarked CEO Goh Choon Phong during an airline briefing on May 16, 2024.
However, all signs now point to 2026 for the first 777-9 to roll into the launch airlines Emirates and Lufthansa hangars.
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