SQ to offer all-business-class seats on Los Angeles, New York flights

[LeeCH 0]

Currency/Recency can always be accomplished in a Level D approved simulator. Even for initial license type rating. Just that A345 tech crew now will need to do their line checks whilst flying into LAX/EWR vv.

 

Lately SIA has been advertising for positions for Captains with A330 ratings. Signs of preparation is under way. If I am not wrong, A330 will start rolling in fourth quarter this year.

[FK Wong 0]

A330 capital cost against amortized B737-400 will allow low utilization economics to work. What's an A330 cost ? USD 130 - 160 million?. A B737-400 10 years vintage; USD 10-12 million and USD 1.5 on refurbishment? Remember, utilization is a means, not an end. 'Island' financial reporting so actual unit P&L can be looked into and monitored on a daily basis. Small agile dedicated unit just like what I do with Charters was the vehicle ideal to run this. The very reason why Privatair and LH is workable.

 

Then there is also flexibility when run by a small independent organisation. Aircraft can be mobilised onto other ops, similar with what AK is doing with their single widebody.

 

I know it would have worked.

 

i see someone that was trying to convince the company into potential business but the company disregarded him.tsk tsk.

i see a company that is pretty complacent in their position at that time and now they have to be regarded more like followers rather than leaders.

It is a sad to see this happening to our national carrier running into that line.

[Isaac 0]

If I am not wrong, A330 will start rolling in fourth quarter this year.

Do we expect a new regional business class here ?

 

[KK Lee 5]

 

Comparing SQ with MH is like comparing Hilton, Marriot, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-la with Sri Malaysia hotel.

 

In time, MH spin doctor will claim BTP2 is a complete success, MH’s CASK is significantly lower than SQ on North American route.

 

 

[Seth K 3]

Do we expect a new regional business class here ?

Aren't those 330 are on lease. So, I doubt there will be much modification will be done.

[S. Huang 0]

Aren't those 330 are on lease. So, I doubt there will be much modification will be done.

 

It depends on how long SQ plans to lease those A330s... if they are going to have it in their fleet for a couple of years, I'm sure they will standardize the cabin product with the rest of the regional fleet.

[Nick C 0]

New seating map for A345 in all J.

 

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/imag...5/A340-500J.jpg

[Steve 0]

I know SQ are doing well, but can they actually sell 100 Business Class seats for an 18+ hour journey everyday?

 

I've flown Business on the SQ A345 SIN-EWR and return about a dozen times this last couple of years. At the moment the configuration offers 64 seats and on every flight I was on it was full! This may be a brave gambit by SQ to make the A345 produce some money, but I personally think it stands a good chance of success. At the moment I suspect they are turning down business, and at the kind of fares that are being quoted that's gotta hurt :-)

 

Personally I much preferred the non-stop flight and timings compared with the hassles of a SQ B747 flight through FRA from New York. Then again I was totally intrigued everytime I flew on the route....circumnavigating the globe on two flights, each one routing East. Flying on the worlds longest scheduled flight...Awesome. But not as good as a Concorde trip

 

My family once flew KUL-CPH-EWR on the MH B777 but wasn't impressed, my wife much preferred the SQ A345. Sorry guys........

 

Now I'm going to make myself really unpopular The best airlines I have flown on business class are Singapore and Virgin, truly awesome service from start to finish.

 

However a change of employer and it's down the back for me. Even a MASwings F50 MYY-BKI, oh how the mighty have fallen! Still I get to fly and somebody else pays for it so I can't complain (too much!!).

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Steve

 

[Sanjay Thaker 0]

Comparing SQ with MH is like comparing Hilton, Marriot, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-la with Sri Malaysia hotel.

 

 

That must be a really vague comparison you have there if not misplaced completely. Sorry, but having flown on both, I wouldnt agree. My personal opinion though.

 

 

[KK Lee 5]

That must be a really vague comparison you have there if not misplaced completely. Sorry, but having flown on both, I wouldnt agree. My personal opinion though.

 

 

Fancy MH exclusive 5 star gourmet sour cream sandwich not found in 7-11, supermarket, subway or sandwich bar?

 

 

 

[Ryan Soh 3]

That must be a really vague comparison you have there if not misplaced completely. Sorry, but having flown on both, I wouldnt agree. My personal opinion though.

Let's just use Business Class for the sake of argument (since I fly this class often enough).

 

I would agree that he is vague if he made this comment in 2000. Back then, SQ still had the Ultimo seats in Raffles and MH their Golden Club seats which are also similarly found on TK, SQ, CI etc. While I found SQ's Ultimo seats a tad uncomfortable, I never failed to fall asleep on MH's.

 

Some prefer SQ's consistent, polished, starched but sometimes robotic style of service. But there are others (like me) who prefer MH's laid back kampung-style-relak-mesra disposition. There is always a tendency to treat visitors and guests from other lands a tad better than locals so in this aspect, MH always ranked a little higher than my experiences with SQ, simply because I was a Singaporean supporting the "underdog" and the crew always made sure I knew they were appreciative.

 

Food wise it was also a tie, in my opinion. SQ's pre-dished mains to MH's which are plated individually in front of the passenger. One man's meat could be another man's poison and I found that I liked both ways of presentation. SQ's quick and efficient service versus MH's old-schooled stance.

 

Fast forward to 2008. SQ's Spacebeds have come and are being overshadowed by the New Business Class so can be considered passe. MH is only new rolling out the Recaro shells, immediately makes them one-generation behind SQ. While there might have been enhancements in MH's service in JCL, there have been severe cutbacks in YCL making them a rather questionable option for fly nowadays given the amount you have to pay for an air ticket.

 

I myself have not stepped on board an MH plane since Oct 2004. My last flight was on an ex-SABENA A330-300 in First Class KUL-SIN and I thought they were refurbishing the seats when I saw the dark blue fabrics! But alas, that was not to be...

 

I do miss MH but my work travels nowadays seemed to be confined to SQ. Although I am not complaining but SQ isn't perfect. No airline is. But in a competitve environment like this, a tiny flaw gets magnified a million times and small touches to service can make or break a perception. While MH has one of the best cabin crew in the world, better than SQ some might say (sometimes i tend to agree). Sometimes there are careless holes left uncovered by the management that are small, no doubt, but like a splinter caught in your thumb, this microscopic kerfuffle is a nuisance.

 

[Rozhan 0]

Oh my! What a sandwich KK Lee! Even Seri Malaysia's restaurants serve better sandwiches.....

[Sanjay Thaker 0]

Great stuff, Ryan. I agree with you on most of the points. Its true that there is a sense of difference in the way MH flights are when compared to SQ and some makes them better, some doesnt. You pointed it our rightfully that of late, the cutbacks in YCL does creep up on the nerves of pax who pay quite a hefty sum to travel especially now, during this competitive times for airlines. The change of management and damages by the previous one has made caused them to lose lots of grounds to other airlines, not just SQ but those from the middle east. And damages take lots of time to be repaired. Its always easy to destroy, but it takes a whole lot more effort to rebuild. Many decisions by the current management may have caused some bitterness among loyal MH pax, whether or not the management's approach to cost cutting will benefit or hurt them in the long run remains to be seen. After all, we keep observing, and thats part of the fun of being the customer, right..