SilkAir to adopt Singapore Airlines brand, get lie-flat business class
By David Flynn, May 18 2018
Singapore Airlines' regional arm SilkAir will be folded back into its parent airline, losing its 26-year old brand in favour of the iconic colours and Kris logo of Singapore Airlines.
SilkAir will also install all-new lie-flat business class seats across its single-aisle Boeing 737-800 and newer 737 MAX 8 jets, while the older Airbus A320 aircraft are retired, to deliver a consistent 'premium experience' across both international and regional Singapore Airlines flights.
SilkAir's current flagship business class product is the wide recliner of its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet.
SilkAir's latest Boeing 737 MAX 8 business class
AusBT review: Review: SilkAir Boeing 737 MAX business class
The A$100 million upgrade will also see seat-back video screens fitted in both business class and economy class to "ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network."
Singapore Airlines says the SilkAir cabin upgrades are expected to start in 2020 "due to lead times required by seat suppliers, including to complete certification processes."
The formal merger of SilkAir and its parent Singapore Airlines is still some years away, however, and "will take place only after a sufficient number of aircraft have been fitted with the new cabin products."
There will also be "transfers of routes and aircraft between the different airlines in the portfolio" – which could see some current Singapore Airlines' short-range flights taken over by nominally SilkAir jets.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1205
This makes sense providing SQ can offer a similar customer experience across its fleet. Despite co-branding, it is likely that the companies will remain separate from a legal sense so SQ can continue to employ the SilkAir staff on their current employment contracts and avoid additional complexity with seniority issues across flight and cabin crews.
24 Jun 2015
Total posts 12
"I wonder how closely SQ and VA are working on the narrowbody J class product given both of them are now looking for a similar product suitable for 737MAX aircraft."
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 343
"I wonder how closely SQ and VA are working on the narrowbody J class product"
Probably little to none in regards to co-operation between SQ and VA. Both will be looking/researching for their own lie-flat seat designs for their own narrow-body fleets.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Jan 2018
Total posts 129
I think this is more reducing branding from 3 (SQ, MI, TR) to just a full service and LCC. There’s no need for 3 airlines under the one parent company operating out of a single country.
29 Mar 2014
Total posts 78
Interesting. Is there a source? You seem to be the only one reporting it.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
Just wait a little bit for everybody else to catch up...
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
Gotta love that AusBT is pretty quick off the mark with news :)
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
Sounds like a very sensible move, SQ gets back to just to brands, Singapore Airlines as the premium carrier and Scoot for the low-cost arm, and yes, once SilkAir 'becomes' SQ that means full Star Alliance benefits for what are currently SilkAir flights.
05 May 2014
Total posts 7
Already announced by other sources such as the Singapore Airlines website.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
17 Aug 2017
Total posts 22
I think this is a good idea. It’s Singapore Airlines or Scoot. Easier for customers. Singapore Airlines is Premium. Scoot low cost.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
Total posts 230
Also allows them more flexibility in terms of getting the right aircraft type on the right route, to match demand where required.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 79
Hello *A benefits on ‘silk air’ then? Seems like it should follow.
Asiana Airlines - Asiana Club
09 Feb 2017
Total posts 41
"There will also be "transfers of routes and aircraft between the different airlines in the portfolio" – which could see some current Singapore Airlines' short-range flights taken over by nominally SilkAir jets."
Didn't think that fully flat 787-10 regional seats would be viable for long on short Bali, Jakarta or KL hops ... if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2015
Total posts 54
Makes sense. Done a lot of miles on SilkAir over the years. The service was always pretty good although the Y seats in the 319/320's where terrible for anyone over 6ft tall.
05 Jul 2016
Total posts 22
I also think the statement means that there will be more transfers of routes from full-service SIA/SilkAir to Scoot than within the future SIA (incl. current SilkAir).
13 Feb 2017
Total posts 21
So finally Star Alliance elites will have access to Lounges, Frequent Flyer points and Status Credits!
Aegean Airlines - Miles & Bonus
17 Sep 2017
Total posts 17
Will be interesting to see a narrowbody in SQ livery !!
06 Dec 2017
Total posts 110
coming to think of it.727's and 757's aside back in the 70's and 80's when was the last time we saw a narrow body in SQ LIVERY.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Nov 2011
Total posts 129
Well there was the short lived concord in the late 70s that was branded SQ on one side and BA on the other!
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
20 Jun 2013
Total posts 63
Thank goodness for that, my recent flights on Silk Air, (ex SIN to Shenzhen) were dreadful, tatty and grimy seats and all !
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 320
Be interesting to see what happens to routes like CNS -SIN, currently the CNS Lounge is a poor standard and wouldn’t reflect a standard for business class on SQ , might be one of the routes to go Scoot.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jul 2013
Total posts 20
2020!!! That is a long time to wait, On well, much better then recliner seats they have on the 38M! Making red eye flights less red eye experience!
In seat screen! Awesome. BYD or Loan Tablet in J was bit hard to use and in J lacked location to place it during a meal time
08 May 2018
Total posts 19
And the fact that they are saving in double management is sensible too
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 997
Someone please tell Qantas a single brand strategy is the way to go
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 580
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Apr 2014
Total posts 19
So, maybe we can finally use Life Miles for MI route redemptions?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 May 2018
Total posts 8
A move in the right direction! 2020 isn't that long away... we are almost half way through 2018 and it feels like the year just started!
To this day I still find Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon relationship an odd one! Why not use Cathay Dragon (and change the name back to Dragonair!) as Cathay Pacific's LCC (as Qantas do with Jetstar / Singapore Airlines do with Scoot). Seems odd having two full service carriers under the one company flying out of the same hub.
Dragonair - The Marco Polo Club
10 May 2015
Total posts 11
HKG is a very different market compared to SIN. The proportion of FSCs versus LCCs is far more skewed towards FSCs in HKG. LCC growth has been largely limited in HKG mainly due to slot constraints.
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