SQ ends Singapore to Newark direct flight?
- Thread starter mattlock
- Start date
- Status
Getting bumped to domestic first is so much easier compared with the Asian carriers :sweat:
In the burbs west of Boston, Framingham specifically.
I have 250k+ Delta skymiles. Its getting really tough to get a seat on a domestic flight nowadays since most of them are overbooked. Every flight I've been on is packed to the brim. In order to get a seat you gotta use 50k per roundtrip. That's a waste considering I could use 50k to upgrade from economy to Business class on an international flight. Now that DL is gonna merge with NWA I might be able to use them on a BOS->MSP->SIN flight on Northwest, but their planes are probably older than I am.
It might be time to start accumulating on OneWorld instead. Then I can go to SIN via BA or CX.
Its a lot harder to get upgraded nowadays. I have American Platinum and I can only upgrade 1 out of 7 tries. Most carriers have reduced flights, are fielding smaller aircraft, and are flying at 90% load factors. Even my executive platinum coworkers find it tough to get upgraded. Frankly I'd rather fly on JetBlue or Virgin America than domestic first class.
I heard that the A340-500s will be re-configured in an all business class format, so the direct SIN-EWR flight will only be available in J class.
Only business-class on SIA non-stop to US
High demand from business travellers, so direct economy flights to be phased out from mid-May
By Jessica Lim
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) will launch the world's longest business class-only flights in mid-May, when it strips the economy seats from its non-stop routes to the United States.
The airline currently operates two daily non-stop flights to the US - to Los Angeles and Newark, New Jersey - on Airbus A340-500 aircraft.
Come May, it will convert the aircraft's 181-seat two-class configuration into 100 business class-only seats.
But the move will come at a cost to economy-class fliers: They will not be able to fly non-stop to the US anymore, a route that has proven popular with them.
If economy-class travellers want to fly SIA to America, they will have to stop over in Frankfurt, Tokyo or Taipei, increasing travel time by as much as six hours.
SIA said it is making the move because demand for business-class seats on the non-stop US routes is very strong.
Said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, the airline's executive vice-president: 'Peak demand for non-stop flights is from our business-class customers'.
Frequent business-class fliers that The Straits Times contacted said they have to book tickets as many as six months in advance to be assured of a seat.
Corporate travellers and well-heeled vacationers are fuelling demand for business class-only flights across the world, and several airlines, including British Airways, are studying a move in this direction.
Some carriers, including Lufthansa, operate business class-only flights across the Atlantic.
SIA launched its non-stop flights from Singapore to the US in 2004.
The conversion to all business-class seats will occur in phases, with daily services in the new configuration to Newark in operation by the end of June, and to Los Angeles by late September.
Business travellers welcomed the move.
Mr Edward McKenna, 59, a business consultant who books his non-stop flights from the US to Singapore two months in advance, said: 'All-business class flights will mean improved, better service.'
He added: 'The airline should also be flexible to accommodate the flexibility of business travellers' plans. We often do not have a month or two to plan for trips.'
At the other end of the spectrum, however, passengers who usually fly non-stop on economy class expressed their regret over the move.
Renee Wu, 25, a business analyst who makes round trips from Singapore to New York once a year on economy class, said he will miss the flights: 'I always fly non-stop because the seats are more comfortable.
'I'm not sure it's worth paying extra for a few hours' difference in travelling time.'
A Straits Times check of SIA's website last night showed that bookings for non-stop economy-class flights to the US cannot be made for travel after June 25.
Meanwhile, SIA yesterday flatly denied a report that it may buy a 25 per cent stake in China Airlines, Taiwan's largest carrier.
The airline's stock jumped in Taipei trading after the report, by Taiwan's Central News Agency, yesterday.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_213288.html
High demand from business travellers, so direct economy flights to be phased out from mid-May
By Jessica Lim
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) will launch the world's longest business class-only flights in mid-May, when it strips the economy seats from its non-stop routes to the United States.
The airline currently operates two daily non-stop flights to the US - to Los Angeles and Newark, New Jersey - on Airbus A340-500 aircraft.
Come May, it will convert the aircraft's 181-seat two-class configuration into 100 business class-only seats.
But the move will come at a cost to economy-class fliers: They will not be able to fly non-stop to the US anymore, a route that has proven popular with them.
If economy-class travellers want to fly SIA to America, they will have to stop over in Frankfurt, Tokyo or Taipei, increasing travel time by as much as six hours.
SIA said it is making the move because demand for business-class seats on the non-stop US routes is very strong.
Said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, the airline's executive vice-president: 'Peak demand for non-stop flights is from our business-class customers'.
Frequent business-class fliers that The Straits Times contacted said they have to book tickets as many as six months in advance to be assured of a seat.
Corporate travellers and well-heeled vacationers are fuelling demand for business class-only flights across the world, and several airlines, including British Airways, are studying a move in this direction.
Some carriers, including Lufthansa, operate business class-only flights across the Atlantic.
SIA launched its non-stop flights from Singapore to the US in 2004.
The conversion to all business-class seats will occur in phases, with daily services in the new configuration to Newark in operation by the end of June, and to Los Angeles by late September.
Business travellers welcomed the move.
Mr Edward McKenna, 59, a business consultant who books his non-stop flights from the US to Singapore two months in advance, said: 'All-business class flights will mean improved, better service.'
He added: 'The airline should also be flexible to accommodate the flexibility of business travellers' plans. We often do not have a month or two to plan for trips.'
At the other end of the spectrum, however, passengers who usually fly non-stop on economy class expressed their regret over the move.
Renee Wu, 25, a business analyst who makes round trips from Singapore to New York once a year on economy class, said he will miss the flights: 'I always fly non-stop because the seats are more comfortable.
'I'm not sure it's worth paying extra for a few hours' difference in travelling time.'
A Straits Times check of SIA's website last night showed that bookings for non-stop economy-class flights to the US cannot be made for travel after June 25.
Meanwhile, SIA yesterday flatly denied a report that it may buy a 25 per cent stake in China Airlines, Taiwan's largest carrier.
The airline's stock jumped in Taipei trading after the report, by Taiwan's Central News Agency, yesterday.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_213288.html
haagen_dazs
New Member
all i can say is that they did not really respect us loyal customers by making this business move
it sure sucks to now have no option of a direct flight on economy back to our own home country...><"
it sure sucks to now have no option of a direct flight on economy back to our own home country...><"
then suan them back by boycotting sia completely lor. not like you have to take their bs and swallow it.:sweatsm:
i guess we're just not loyal (rich) enough...
looks like it's frankfurt for me then. sigh. so it's back to sardines for 12 hours flat...urgh!
looks like it's frankfurt for me then. sigh. so it's back to sardines for 12 hours flat...urgh!
Frak! Damn it... Well, then again, I doubt I will be flying to US that much anymore... Have not been there since 2006... But it was good while it lasted...
First Class has never been introduced on SIN-EWR with the A345s only on SIN-FRA-JFK B744.
- Status
Similar threads
