One Mile at a Time has been sharing several purported leaks of the new Singapore Airlines Suites Class, which is a step above First Class and only featured on the Airbus A380. These images were originally posted by Jaffar on FlyerTalk and Avenger777 on SQTalk, but the actual reveal isn’t supposed to be until tomorrow, November 2.
There are a few interesting takeaways from the leaks, if they’re accurate.
First, the seat map shows a decrease in the number of suites class seats from the current 12 to only six. But those six seats appear to be far more spacious. They’re still enclosed with a door. They just look, to me, more like a private room similar to the Residence on Etihad’s A380.
Second, the bed and the seat are completely distinct. Unlike the current suite, in which the seat folds flat, these suites appear to have a separate bed against the wall. The seat is more like an office chair with an adjacent desk for working and dining.
However, the beds from adjacent suites can still be joined together to create a larger double bed. The difference is that this only works for some seats, apparently in rows 1 and 2, because those suites have beds against the same wall (which can be removed). Renderings of the port (left) side suggest that these beds retract into the wall when not in use.
Separate seats are a great move as they rarely work well when converted into beds, trying to be good at two things. Lufthansa has tried it. Etihad still does it in their first class apartments. I think it adds to the exclusivity of the experience since, after all, even economy class passengers are trying to sleep where they sit. Wouldn’t it be nice to have dedicated furniture for sleeping like you do at home?
Business class is also interesting. I haven’t found any pictures, but at first I thought they might be introducing a herringbone design. Now I believe they’re sticking with the current business class seat, and that the angles I see in the picture are just the side table at each seat. It appears the seat itself still extends forward. These seats are good enough — nearly as wide as first class but with a narrower footwell. Still, I find that they are not the most comfortable when folded flat to sleep.
I’m sure we’ll get more news tomorrow. Until then, it’s exciting to think about what Singapore has dreamed up! I’ve always had a great experience traveling with them.
