Singapore Airlines New First & Business Class A350-900
Intro
Singapore Airlines had long been known to be one of the best airlines in the world without doubt. However, multiple complaints from passengers showed that their business class seats weren't quite up to par compared to the likes of ANA or Qatar. Singapore Airlines has listened to the passengers' feedback and will now implement a new Business Class and First Class on select A350s.
The Details
Singapore Airlines technically has three different types of the A350-900 in its fleet. SQ operates an intra-Asia configuration with the same seats you can find on the 787-10, then they operate a long-haul fleet to the likes of Africa/Europe/Oceania, and lastly, they operate a variant with only business class and premium economy titled ULR.
Singapore Airlines has decided to invest 835 million USD into a new business class and first class product on 41 A350-900s. The 41 A350s will be those that are non-configured in the intra-Asia configuration and those that are primarily used for long-haul flights.
The capacity shift is quite the difference on the ULR, but the regular A350-900 will go from:
253 seats, including 42 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 187 economy seats
To: 258 seats, including 42 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 192 economy seats
The ULR variant will see a shift from:
161 seats, including 67 Business Class seats and 94 premium economy seats
To: 132 seats, including four First Class seats, 70 Business Class seats, and 58 premium economy seats.
Operating the ULR variant is already a costly endeavor, and now Singapore Airlines will have more premium seats on the ULR than non-premium seats. Wild.
What To Expect?
Singapore Airlines has just teased the new cabins, although we still don't quite know what they are going to look like. Considering the First Class cabin features four seats, my guess is that it will be a revamped version of the 777 product featuring one row of First Class. However, perhaps Singapore Airlines will surprise us, and the cabin will be in a 1-1 configuration featuring two rows. Below is the only picture of the cabin so far...
In terms of business class, we are still unsure about what to expect, minus the singular rendering that we have been given by the airline. I expect to see this new product be right in line with Qatar Q-Suites, which offers a door and all of the modern features. From the picture, it certainly looks that way!
I think this new retrofit is a much-needed aspect of the Singapore Airlines fleet. Not only is the new business class needed due to the complaints of the footwell in the older model, but adding First Class to the ULR variant is critical. For example, on my flight from Jakarta to Singapore in First Class, the other members of the cabin were flying to New York in Business and complained about not having a First Class on that leg (I overheard). This will allow Singapore Airlines to really get into the ultra-premium long-haul market.
Timeline
Here is where the bad news comes out. The timeline for this retrofit is a long one and it could take the next six years to retrofit the 41 aircraft.
The first retrofitted A350-900 will enter service in the second quarter of 2026
The first retrofitted A350-900ULR will enter service in the first quarter of 2027
The entire retrofit project will be complete by the end of 2030
If you ask me, United Airlines was able to retrofit their whole widebody fleet in just under six years, so I feel like this is a bit lackadaisical from Singapore Airlines.
Final Thoughts
Singapore Airlines is planning to retrofit 41 aircraft with a brand new business class and first class. While the timeline for this project is quite a ways off from completion, this is a much-needed revamp at Singapore Airlines. The products look nice, and I am excited to see more when we get the renderings 😉.
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