SQ A380 Business Class seat

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 35 total)

  • Jomtien9
    Participant

    I recently flew SQ from Singapore to Sydney on the SQ A380 Business Class (seat 92K). Am I the only person to describe this as the worst lie flat bad in the skies? With only a 55 inch pitch between seats,the space for your legs when fully flat is positioned about 50 cm off-centre so you have to contort your body to get your feet into the narrow foot recess. I am amazed at the frequent references to SQ having the best seats in all classes, when the new layout on the all Business Class upper deck of the 380 is simply horrid. First and last time for me on the SQ 380.

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    esselle
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1209023]

    I’ve only flown this J class seat once, on an A350 and, based on advice from a colleague, booked a bulkhead seat as these are configured straight on, with a full width “shelf” that the seat bottom connects up to. The result was perfectly comfortable, but I know exactly what you mean about the more general configuration, which did not look very appealing at all.

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    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    I remember flying with Finnair on one of their 350´s and like SQ when the seat was extended you had to wedge your feet into what I would call an indent barely wide enoguh to fit two feet, Very uncomfortable

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    Jomtien9
    Participant

    The A350 seating is different to the A380. The 350 business class seats are offset so there’s no problem to lie straight when you lie flat. Its the 380 design that is terrible.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Inquisitive
    Participant

    I travel in SQ business class frequently and also travelled many other airlines, so here is my take:

    SQ is considered among the best due to the total package, ground handling, Food and entertainment, inflight services and the seat.

    The flip over seat may be slightly odd and difficult to adjust at the first time, but once someone use that regularly, it is pretty good. I liked that compared to sliding to lie flat ones. During sleep I get a clean new bed and during sitting I have wide seat where I can crouch or put my feet up. And most importantly, the crew is always there to make the bed and make the seat normal again.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    cwoodward
    Participant

    It seems that this seat is almost universally disliked.
    I have only used it twice (one return trip) and disliked it so much that I will defiantly not be repeating the experience.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    MarcusGB
    Participant

    Iagree. I found the SQ seat ex AKL to SIN on the A380 quite bizarre!
    The width of the seat is irrelevant if you have to try to sit crooked to get yr feet into the area it is meant too, you have to move to one side of the seat.
    I had poor experiences on both flights including at stopover thank goodness, just before 2020 Covid.

    Now would probably not be possible or acceptable, especially if travelling to Australia or NZ with a Stopover, and a minimum requirement of your days stay in your country you arrive in from, as opposed to transit. If you stopover, you would require a new PCR and up to 14 days prior to travel, as a minimum.requirement, which maybe differently classed by your destination country, as opposed to UK.

    These so called “Sealed” flights have been suspended (eg through Singapore and various airlines connecting).but will probably need to be brought back, with the UK atrocious rate of Covid of 4.5 Million, or 1/13. This is being reviewed by many countries at this moment!

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    Jomtien9
    Participant

    My first flight on SQ was December 1978, LHR -SIN 1st Class in a 747 / 100 complete with upper deck sleepers! Since then I’ve taken many many hundreds of long haul flights on many different airlines and held SQ Platinum for many years. It was without doubt the best in the world and set the bench mark for others to achieve. Sadly the current management are driven by R.O.I. and as the delightful Singapore Girl responding to my complaint about the seat said “we reconfigured to get as many seats in Business Class as we could.” I rest my case!!

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Not wishing to put any of you off your seat or sleep – but I found the Finnair seat very off putting, knowing someone’s smelly feet are close to my face, albeit, I am protected by the side seat moulding/design…

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    DJA1stClass4sure
    Participant

    I flew the SQ A380 from New York JFK to Frankfurt and onward to Singapore 29 March, seat 14K was so uncomfortable with the little cubby hole for my feet. Luckily the cabin crew was able to move me to 11D for the longer FRA-SIN leg. The bulkhead was fantabulous because of the shelf for my feet and not having to lay sideways. I have decided to cancel my return flight on 18 April from BKK to SIN to FRA to JFK. I have rebooked on Japan Airlines B777-300ER BKK to HND to JFK. Business Class to HND and First Class to JFK. Singapore Airlines has amazing food but I refuse to be uncomfortable in that sub par business class product of what they call a bed. Note JAL Flight on the return was $5K less than SIA.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Flying_Spanner
    Participant

    I actually quite like the the new SQA380 business seat (not as good as the previous, but still nice) Its the new SQA350 seat I dislike strongly, particularly on the window sides. On another note, I find the “post-covid” service experience on SQ somewhat lacking (the warmth has gone)

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    I wonder if any of major airlines invite frequent travellers to “test run” new business/first class seats to get feedback before they hit the manufacturing button. I remember asking a BA CSD on a flight from Singapore many years ago if they had been consulted over the eight/yin yan seats given the ongoing complaints about them He said with a wry grin “That would never cross BA senior management´s minds. They are rarely open to feedback”.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    cwoodward
    Participant

    For many years Cathay have invited their most FT’s to be involved in new cabin and seat designs at both early and later stages. I was some years ago involved in a couple of these projects. There was no publicity and all rather hush hush.
    It took some time at different stages of the development and I found the process very interesting.

    As I recall Air NZ did something like this some years ago but with much publicity and fanfare but with rather disastrous results that resulted in some very forgettable seats one of which is their current business seat -the angled inwards old Virgin type that has been around forever. It has to be the worst BC seat of any of the top 50 airlines and I found it difficult to believe when they fitted it on their newish long haul 787s
    There is though I understand a new BS seat about to be announced and about time as the current seat must have been costing them business for some years.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Years ago when Virgin were still using a cradle seat, I was invited to somewhere near Gatwick to test a new version of the seat. The test was a full overnight test, we were to act as if we were on a flight. There was a full food and drinks service. In return, I recall a very substantial number of airmiles.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    TGRW
    Participant

    On A recent flight with SQ, I did manage to get talking to the In flight manager who was very happy to speak to my wife and I, he did inform the crew have been told many times to reduce interactions with passengers as much as possible due to pandemic precautions. He did mention passengers have commented both ways on the reduced interaction, some miss the conversation and interaction (myself included) while other passengers have asked for more distance and less interaction. This conversation did you take place over the course of two hours and wine (for me) in a near empty SQ cabin where I believe the in flight manager felt he could speak freely.

    I recently returned on SQ from London and was impressed to watch an individual with two masks, goggles, completely disinfect his seat and the surrounding area with various liquids and wipes.

    On the seat, being able to secure the front rows of either business class cabin does increase the comfort level substantially.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
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