Singapore’s flag carrier to debut first class seats for ultra-long-haul flights

Singapore Airlines Ltd. is introducing first class on its ultra-long-haul flights for the first time as part of a sweeping S$1.1 billion (US$843 million) upgrade to its cabin products.

Singapore’s flag carrier, already routinely ranked as the world’s No 1 airline with its generous pourings of champagne and ability to book the cook and order Lobster Thermidor, unveiled its fresh and completely redesigned first and business class seats – with all-new privacy doors – on Monday.

To start, Singapore Airlines’ seven Airbus SE A350 jets that fly the 18- or 15-hour crossings between Singapore and New York or Los Angeles will get four first class seats installed. The move comes as rival Qantas Airways Ltd. prepares to launch non-stop flights between Sydney and London and New York as part of Project Sunrise.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said the investment is designed to show the carrier’s “unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience”.

“Over the past six years, we have extensively engaged customers and stakeholders in the design of our next-generation long-haul cabin products, anticipating their evolving preferences and expectations down to the finest detail,” he said

The retrofit – aimed at “setting new industry benchmarks for travel on the world’s longest routes”, according to the airline – will also apply to the rest of the carrier’s long-haul configured A350 fleet, or 41 planes in total. Down the track, the same premium seats will appear on its future Boeing Co. 777-9 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines’ pledge to “push the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity”, comes as other airlines also up their premium game. Gulf superconnectors Emirates and Qatar Airways also offer some of the most expensive seats in commercial air travel, and win the accolades to match.