Singapore Airlines (SIA) has just unveiled a new suite of product offerings.
It has overhauled its first, business and economy class cabins on select flights between Singapore and London.
Analysts said this US$150 million investment will go some way in fending off the growing competition from the Gulf carriers.
Singapore Airlines has installed wider seats and bigger LCD screens to go along with latest inflight entertainment on eight Boeing 777-300ER planes, costing US$150 million.
Passengers flying en route from Singapore to London will be able to enjoy these new trappings in September.
Mak Swee Wah, executive vice president, commercial, at SIA, said: “We have new planes coming in, with the A350s and potentially a retrofit of the older aircraft as well, which we have not finalised yet but we will announce in due course.”
This is the airline's biggest cabin overhaul since 2007.
At 35 inches wide and with a flat bed that has been extended from 80 to 82 inches, SIA said this is one of the most spacious first class products in the sky.
The new seat features a 24-inch LCD screen and the design allows passengers to watch movies in private.
The revamped business class features the industry's widest full-flat bed, at 78 inches in length.
The new economy class will provide increased personal space and legroom, as well as touch screen offerings.
SIA hopes these souped-up offerings will keep the airline buoyant.
Mr Mak said: “We are going through a period of economic softness and there are uncertainties in some markets and inevitably that has an impact on demand especially for the premium segment. But there are signs of recovery. Some markets like the US are already showing signs of recovery and we hope that the recovery can be sustained. And I reiterate what I've said before, what we do today is not for the immediate term but to position ourselves for the future. And we're confident that when economies recover, demand will return and this product will be well received.
“Our quest to be in the position of leadership is not just about hardware alone; it's also about our network and most importantly about our service delivery and that has been our strength and we will continue to strengthen that.”
SIA's cabin overhaul comes amidst a market that is already saturated with other premium offerings.
Just last year, Middle Eastern stalwart Emirates also launched full-length showers for its first class passengers on its Airbus A380 planes.
Brendan Sobie, chief analyst, Southeast Asia, at CAPA, said: "There are a lot more competitors at the top level in terms of premium products than there were several years ago and a lot of that is due to the Gulf carriers. They're investing heavily and putting in new products, like Qatar, Emirates and Etihad. They will continue to evolve.
“Most of them were long behind Singapore Airlines but in recent years, most of them have since caught up with SIA to some extent. This doesn't mean they match SIA's products but they're a lot closer to the SIA products of today than previously. That means SIA has to take another step to maintain that gap."
As for ticket prices for the new seats, SIA said it is a matter of supply and demand.
A round-trip first class fare on the current Boeing 777-300ER from Singapore to London will cost around S$14,000.
SOURCE
A major overhaul in the cabin to entice flyers into choosing SIA? We shall see how far can this improvement go.
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