Singapore Airlines has just announced that it would be retrofitting five of its Airbus A340-500s to Business Class only operations to cross the Pacific.
To be deployed on the non-stop SingaporeâNew York and SingaporeâLos Angeles routes, the move signifies recognition of the high level of premium travellers on these sectors.
The new configuration will see the current two-class, 181-seat aircraft fitted out with just one hundred seats in a 1-2-1 layout.
âThe peak demand for the non-stop flights is from our Business Class customers, and this change will expand Business Class capacity from 64 to 100 seats on each flight,â? said Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines Executive VP Marketing and Regions.
It is expected that the program will launch in phases, with the first service to begin in May. Singapore Airlines has plans that by the end of September, dailies will be operating on both US routes.
âThe new Business Class is being very well-received by our customers on long-range flights. The new product is the perfect fit for the ultra-long-haul services between Singapore and the USA.â?
Singapore Airlines Business Class seats are 30″ wide, and have the ability to be converted into a fully-flat bed. The same product is used for its A380 Business Class cabin.
For those flying Economy, daily direct, one-stop services will still operate.
Source:e-Travel Blackboard