Singapore Airlines A380s keep first-gen premium economy seats

By Chris C., November 2 2017
Singapore Airlines A380s keep first-gen premium economy seats

IN BRIEF | While Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A380s will feature all-new first class suites and business class seats, premium economy passengers won't notice a great deal of difference from the airline's Airbus A380s already flying today.

The biggest change is that instead of sitting directly behind first class on the lower deck, premium economy will be planted in the nose of the A380, where 'Suites Class' currently lives, as SQ's Suites are moving upstairs.

Down in premium economy, the seats themselves are as you'd expect: configured in a 2-4-2 arrangement, with the same 38-inch pitch at a width of up to 19.5 inches.

In front of each seat is a 13.3-inch full HD monitor for enjoying the latest movies and TV shows, while each passenger has their own AC power port for keeping laptops and large tablets recharged, plus two USB power ports for smaller devices.

There's also a personal reading light, cocktail table and stowage space for personal items like water bottles and mobile phones, with each seat offering a padded legrest and reclining up to eight inches.

The new superjumbos will feature 44 premium economy seats all up, a slight increase to the current count of 36 to 38 seats.

Australian Business Traveller is visiting Singapore as a guest of Singapore Airlines.

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

13 Jan 2015

Total posts 584

such a shame they didn't keep the same seat count and take the opportunity to increase seat pitch to something class-leading like 42 inches

SQ is very conscious of the possibility of PE cannibalizing J on regional flights, so don't expect them to expand the pitch. Indeed, I suspect SQ will do 8-abreast PE when their 787-10s arrive to prevent such cannibalization (their current A350 PE seats at 18.25" will fit perfectly in a 787-10 at 8-abreast).


For SQ, Premium Economy isn't Business Lite. Its meant to be somewhere between a "business lite" PE and an "economy plus with extra service" section. This is admittedly an awkward thing for SQ since they have the same product on regional flights as well as on VLH/ULH flights... but the point of their product is to cover the entire market space between Economy and Business, and their fears of cannibalization have opted for them to take a higher-density PE and rely on their service to demonstrate their value for money.


Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

14 Mar 2017

Total posts 152

I've never found pitch or width to be a problem with these seats. Being up the front is kinda cool too. Should make boarding and exiting quicker.

02 Nov 2017

Total posts 34

If an airport's using the standard 3 aerobridges, I wonder if that means PE would get its own bridge since it's being moved right up the front?

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Jul 2011

Total posts 1378

So if I read it SQ is at 39" pitch for PE, versus QF at 38" in the new Dreamliner and A380

No, actually what the article says is SQ will keep "the same 38-inch pitch at a width of up to 19.5 inches."

So SQ is at 38", the same as QF.

28 Nov 2012

Total posts 93

I did see a news thingy that the colour is going from grey to blue

AT
AT

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Sep 2012

Total posts 381

Gee Wiz, I remember the 90s when these seats would have been cutting edge business class!!

AT
AT

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Sep 2012

Total posts 381

Hang on...let me rephrase that...the config and the pitch would have been J in the 90s, the seat and tech/video/power were way in the future.


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