Following the launch of Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350 flights to Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta in early 2016, the airline could send its A350s to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth – just don't expect them to be locked into a regular schedule.
Speaking with Australian Business Traveller at a media briefing in Toulouse, Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President for Product & Services Mr Tan Pee Teck shared that “certainly North Asia and South West Pacific (are) potentially both on the cards, it’s a very versatile aircraft.”
Tan confirmed the airline's plan to see the advanced A350s replace its ageing Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 777-300 jets, although not the Boeing 777-300ERs.
As it currently stands, two of SQ’s daily flights to each of Sydney and Melbourne are served by the to-be-retired Boeing 777-200 or Boeing 777-300 birds, while Perth also sees a daily Boeing 777-200 Singapore Airlines flight.
However, SQ is unlikely to have dedicated A350s serving these markets, instead preferring to fly them on longer routes and using a smaller number of comparatively shorter flights to help fill gaps in the A350s’ roster.
The A350-900 “has the range to do Europe quite easily non-stop (from Singapore),” Tan notes, “so we do see it replacing some of the long-haul routes and introducing new ones in the years ahead… but it certainly would be wasted to use that (solely) as a ‘regional’ aircraft.”
Also read: Singapore Airlines: non-stop USA flights with long-range A350
SQ: upgrades to Brisbane, Adelaide flights?
For Brisbane and Adelaide residents, Tan concedes that the angled-flat seats on the airline’s Airbus A330s “probably don’t compete as well with a lie-flat product” such as the Qantas Business Suite, but that “it’s done fairly well... (and the aircraft has) a pretty decent density of seats.”
Singapore Airlines' Airbus A330s: angled-flat beds at the pointy end...
“Of course it’s our plan to upgrade our products,” he continues. “The A330s are largely on lease with us so they will be replaced in due course.”
But with any new business class seat comes the issue of capacity, as more favourable business class layouts with fully-flat beds and direct aisle access typically take up more floor space on board – reducing the number of seats available to business class passengers during peak times.
“For a lot of business travellers, what’s important is being able to get onto the plane… and even with an inclined flat seat customers manage to get themselves comfortable in the seat,” Tan adds.
“We just have to make sure that the product in the cabin doesn’t age prematurely and keeps looking fresh… and continue with the signature SQ service that kind of keeps the customers coming back”.
Also read: Singapore Airlines: non-stop USA flights with long-range A350
Chris Chamberlin travelled to Toulouse as a guest of Singapore Airlines and Airbus.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Feb 2014
Total posts 144
As a BNE resident , this is something I want really badly to happen.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum
07 Feb 2013
Total posts 548
+1 I'm over those angled lie flat seats
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Nov 2011
Total posts 243
Great idea. Delta Airlines are mulling over buying less than 10 year old B772 for their fleet at significant lower price. Might as well!
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 466
I am an ADL resident and feel these upgrades are well overdue.It appears with the exception of the A330 and the Big Top 747-300's back when we shared services with Melbourne in that case We in South Australia have been getting since the beginning of services into Adelaide the left overs nobody wants old 747-200's,A310's,777-200's and the A340-300 for a while.We ae lucky by the time SIA got to SA IN 1984 the much maligned DC10's of theirs were long gone.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 444
Hi Chris, correct if I am wrong, but I'm pretty sure there are two 777 and two A333s to Perth a day.
06 Jan 2015
Total posts 66
Generally speaking, yes.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
Hi Chris_PER, we searched the schedule for October 24-30 for Perth-Singapore and saw 3x daily A330 services and 1x777, although this may vary as demand dictates.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1245
"continue with the signature SQ service that kind of keeps the customers coming back”
Kind of? Kind of?? This SVP isn't selling it very well, is he.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
For BNE resident, fly EK or EY to Europe. For ADL resident, fly QR to Europe. As long as people are filling up SQ's angled lie flat, they won't see the need for upgrades.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Mar 2014
Total posts 567
That is very true.
Vote with your feet or you'll always have the fleet rejects.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2441
Michael, for what it's worth both of my SQ A330 flights between Brisbane and Singapore this past week were completely full in business class – so much so that I was initially waitlisted on the first flight, but the waitlist cleared when a single seat became available around a week before departure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
Yes, I've noticed that too, that's why I made the comment.
Personally I feel Tan's comment a bit offensive, "...even with an inclined flat seat customers managed to get themselves comfortable in the seats..."
Just because we tried to make ourselevs more comfortable (by tugging more pillows and blankets under our feet), is that the reason for no need to upgrade? He might as well fly Silk Air's 737 to BNE and comment "customers with a squashed economy seat managed to get themselves comfortable in those horrible economy seat in 737!"
We managed to get ourselves comfortable because we have no choice! Otherwise what are we suppose to do? Make ourselves uncomfortable? Can't believe such comment came from SQ.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
17 Nov 2014
Total posts 102
So in the end there's no F demand on SQ 211/212, the early morning departure from SYD? Currently they are serving F on this pair with B777-300 aircrafts. But I would welcome the introduction of Premium Economy on these pairs.
SQ
23 Oct 2015
Total posts 26
Sadly I just know that these flights will be gone. Never been on SQ212 but almost always use SQ211 on the way back in F. You can (almost always) get cheap FF seats in F on that flight.
on the 20+ times we have used it, we are the only two in F probably 80% of the time.
i just know there gunna replace it with J and less hull and there goes my daylight return.
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 141
Hooray for Aussie travellers!
20 May 2015
Total posts 581
SQ's A330s seat 285 people. A350-900s target 314 passengers in a three class layout (according to Airbus). So in real life, with SQ's less-dense product, we could easily expect the A350-900 to have a similar capacity to SQ's A330, with the added bonus of Premium Economy service as well as SQ's superior Business Class product... both of which correlate nicely with their partner Virgin Australia's "Business Lite" Premium Economy and "Business-First" Business class.
The A350-900 is cheaper to run than the A330, so honestly, I don't see why SQ shouldn't replace the A330 with the A350 on BNE and ADL. It would strengthen their competitive position against Qantas in the SIN market (and if they offered PE on the route they'd be filling a currently-unfilled market niche), assist SQ in winning back Kangaroo Route customers from Qantas/Emirates, fit in nicely with their partner Virgin Australia (and provide an alternative Kangaroo Route to going via Abu Dhabi)... It seems to me like its a no-brainer.
20 May 2015
Total posts 581
Oh, and just to add something...
SQ may decide to replace Australia's A330 services with 787-10 services (SQ have an order for 30 of them, with an EIS of 2018-2019). They also have a higher capacity relative to the A350-900 (about 15 extra pax), and allegedly have better economics on shorter routes relative to the A350... so its possible SQ are going to wait until the 787-10s show up before upgauging the Australian routes.
That said, I'd think most Economy flyers would prefer the A350 for Australian operations.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
13 Dec 2014
Total posts 80
I guess you meant via Dubai if referring to QANTAS/Emirates Kangaroo Route.
SQ may have to introduce an A350-900 into ADL sooner than later if they want to counter QR's entry in May 2016 and cut losing customers going onto Europe. They will also be one step ahead of EK who currently fly a B777-300ER. Just a thought.
20 May 2015
Total posts 581
"I guess you meant via Dubai if referring to QANTAS/Emirates Kangaroo Route."
Correct. But frankly, someone going to Europe generally is indifferent about their stop-over point, unless they want to enjoy that place too. Many Kangaroo Route customers simply don't care about the stopover and just want to get to Europe.
"SQ may have to introduce an A350-900 into ADL sooner than later if they want to counter QR's entry in May 2016 and cut losing customers going onto Europe. They will also be one step ahead of EK who currently fly a B777-300ER. Just a thought."
A very good thought. Given QR is Oneworld they have an advantage going into Adelaide so SQ really will need to step up their game to retain that market share (especially given QR's product).
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1245
I think you will find there are actually a lot of people on travel forums who are quite passionate about their choice of layover city.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 273
There's currently an A380 which flies to Sydney - is that temporary? If they upgrade Australia to A350's and A380's I would be so happy.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 113
SYD gets x1 daily A380 pernamently, whilst MEL gets the A380 during peak periods of the year. Those are the only 2 SQ A380 destinations in Australia.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
13 May 2011
Total posts 27
SQ 256 needs to do something about their aging A330s.
I was one of the unfortunate passengers on SQ 256 last Thursday. The flight was scheduled to depart at 9.10 am. The flight was boarded on time. Due to mechanical issues we were held on the plane for 3 hours. We were then told to disembark and given $30 vouchers to spend at Brisbane Airport.. Eventually the problem was fixed and SQ 256 left BNE at 4pm.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
17 Nov 2014
Total posts 102
A330s are not that old, the oldest one could just be about 6 - 7 years. I think B777-200ER and B777-300 should be given a higher priority to replace, at least they are even not using a proper IFE system than other SIA planes.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 466
I agree and had the misfortune on my first trip to Vietnam at the end of 2009 returning start of 2010 of getting on those B777-200ER planes which did not even have an Audio Video on Demand System from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City and returning from Hanoi to Singapore.Coming from the A330 ADL-SIN AND SIN-ADL which was new fresh and up to the minute It was like going back a step in time.I certainly would not want to be in ONE OF SIA'S old planes that old for anything more than say four hours.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Singapore Airlines mulls Airbus A350 flights to Australia