Fewer Suites, but larger and plusher coming....

[lovetravellingoz]

https://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-airlines-to-reveal-new-a380-first-class-suites-mid-2017

The new superjumbos are tipped to have between six and eight suites, although these will be substantially larger than today's cribs.



Airline CEO Goh Choon Phong Goh has confirmed there will be fewer suites on the new flagship A380s compared to the 12 private suites of the current fleet – a move in line with a general worldwide softening of the first class travel market.




So larger better suites, but there will be dramatically less of them. Maybe even only six. Once these new cabins roll-out Suite Redemptions are likely to be a lot harder to get.

 

[kamchatsky]

Yeah the suggestion is to join the lottery by booking a few A380 Suite Saver tickets now for travelling late this year and early next year, as it is expected that redemption of those flights with New Suites will be severely limited:

How to try SQ’s new A380 suites, a.k.a A380 roulette | The MileLion

It would be interesting to see which flight will have the New Suites.

 

[AnnaB]

Awh... I read mid-2017 and was almost hoping they would have a new or refurbished A380 in time for our flight in July.... guess I will have to try and go back for seconds
Bit disappointed of the no shower though...

 

[cove]

I am reading along as we do at least 4 runs in First or Suites each year and plan to increase our flying in the next couple of years.

 

[LadyC]

Hopefully they do not limit access to the new product - fewer seats already means harder to get. I wonder if they will continue to release 2 savers

 

[pauly7]

Wow do they really need to be bigger?!

 

[cove]

The Suites run to Los Angeles disappeared so I hope that comes back soon. I don't need showers and I believe Emirates regret doing them. The weight of the water and space taken is very expensive and the A380 has moved to being expensive to run by the newer 2 engine planes.

 

[get me outta here]

Agree, personally, I'd prefer roughly the same size and retain the number of saver rewards seats, or improve availability. Those w' status will probably be OK, but not so good for those of us who don't pay. Couldn't they make more savers available in the existing layout instead of flying w' so many empty suites currently.

Wow do they really need to be bigger?!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Agree, personally, I'd prefer roughly the same size and retain the number of saver rewards seats, or improve availability. Those w' status will probably be OK, but not so good for those of us who don't pay. Couldn't they make more savers available in the existing layout instead of flying w' so many empty suites currently.

Me too.

However I think SQ prefer to try and get more people actually paying for Suites rather than just redeeming for them and they are probably guessing that the market for this is small but there if they compete with "ápartments" etc. As Suites obviously seem to often empty their current model is not working. Just filling Suites with award seats is not going to help their bottom line.

 

[get me outta here]

Yes, but they could do more paid upgrades, that sort of thing.

Me too.

However I think SQ prefer to try and get more people actually paying for Suites rather than just redeeming for them and they are probably guessing that the market for this is small but there if they compete with "ápartments" etc. As Suites obviously seem to often empty their current model is not working. Just filling Suites with award seats is not going to help their bottom line.

 

[kamchatsky]

Yes, but they could do more paid upgrades, that sort of thing.

Since SQ J is pretty good already, there won't be that many people willing to pay upgrade to F/Suites. That's why they have to make the New Suites bigger and better to attract the $$'s.

 

[NoName]

Does fewer suites necessarily mean fewer award redemptions though? I don't have any experience with SQ here so more throwing out an alternative possibility which of course could be completely off the money. If they are sending out so many flights with apparently an half empty R cabin then could there be the possibility that they retain a similar number of award pax, a similar number of revenue pax with the end result simply being fewer empty seats?

Whats your typical number of empties with the current 12-suite configuration? I know it will vary between routes but just rough numbers.

 

[vitagen]

They doing this currently on some 77W routes with only one row of F, (limiting redemptions)

 

[vantage03]

They even limit A class on the one-row F 77W, and try to get full-fare F on those routes... though they're pretty good with clearing waitlists for PPS members on those flights.

I have been told by a couple of A380 Pursers now that they're very sure SYD and LHR will get the new suites first, as they are considered SQ's flagship routes. There's no doubt in my mind that they will limit reward availability at first, if not exclude Saver reward tickets all together (in the beginning).

 

[get me outta here]

This explains why my redemption booked a few days ago only has one row of F.

They even limit A class on the one-row F 77W, and try to get full-fare F on those routes... though they're pretty good with clearing waitlists for PPS members on those flights.

I have been told by a couple of A380 Pursers now that they're very sure SYD and LHR will get the new suites first, as they are considered SQ's flagship routes. There's no doubt in my mind that they will limit reward availability at first, if not exclude Saver reward tickets all together (in the beginning).

They doing this currently on some 77W routes with only one row of F, (limiting redemptions)

 

[JessicaTam]

Well I have booked 2x A380 R flights for early next year, so here's hoping I get lucky. No SYD or LHR though.

 

[Aeolus]

Mad dash before midnight last night, I managed to secure an R seat via SYD for December. It's currently showing 12 seats and I've booked 3A but here's hoping it'll change to the new config plane.

 

[kamchatsky]

Latest article from AusBT.

The winner is ..... SYDNEY!!!!!

https://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-airlines-wants-new-airbus-a380-for-sydney-in-october

 

[Aeolus]

Fantastic! Hope they keep flying the newbie until end Dec and I'll be over the moon!

 

[Lemon_Party]

6 suites and on upper deck is now shown on SQ seatmap - http://www.singaporeair.com/saar5/pdf/OurFleet/test.pdf