Singapore Airlines' new six-suite A380 first class layout leaked?
By David Flynn, April 14 2017
Does this leaked seatmap for Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A380 first class cabin confirm the superjumbo will have just six of the luxe suites ranked either side of an Etihad-style centre aisle?
The seatmap – which appeared briefly on the Singapore Airline website, albeit with the name test.pdf and labelled 'Layout 3' – shows three rows of two suites on the upper deck (we'd already tipped a change from the lower deck of today's SQ superjumbos).
That matches perfectly with snaps of the Star Alliance member's new A380 undergoing test flights at Toulouse, as shown below, where the upper deck sports three sets of two windows
The six suite count represents a 50% cut from today's dozen first class cribs, although they're rumoured to be almost double the size of their first-gen counterparts.
More crucially for some, it also appears to removes the ability to have two adjacent suites in the middle of the A380 converted into a double bed suite – although Singapore Airlines could still enable this by connecting suites such as A1 and A2, F2 and F3 and so on.
The configuration chart also confirms an 'all-premium' upper deck, with the first class suites section followed by 78 new business class seats divided into three cabins – one massive stretch of 50 seats, one medium sized of 20 seats and one of just eight seats.
There's also no sign of the rumoured lounge area which the airline was said to have been considering some time back.
We've made the (admittedly low-res) PDF available as a download, for readers who're curious – but we repeat that this might not be the final layout, as Singapore Airlines is known to play its cards very very close to its chest.
We'll know for sure when Singapore Airlines launches the new first class suites and business class seats around mid-year, and then flies the first of its new A380s to Sydney, an exercise which the airline hopes to achieve on October 25, 2017.
PREVIOUS | As previously tipped by Australian Business Traveller, Singapore Airlines is relocating its new Airbus A380 first class suites to the superjumbo's upper deck.
This is something which Airbus has been championing among superjumbo customers, and will see Singapore Airlines' fresh flagship A380s - the first of which arrives in October 2017 – sport a 'premium' upper deck dedicated to first and business class.
The lower deck becomes the realm of economy, with premium economy sitting at the front of the cabin – where today's first class suites reside – and economy stretched behind that.
Aviation blogger Tom Bihun from FlightMaestro has joined the dots by comparing photos of Singapore Airlines' newest Airbus A380 undergoing a test flight at Toulouse with the Star Alliance member's current A380.
Here's the first of five factory-fresh A380s bound for Singapore Airlines as part of its fleet renewal (photo courtesy of Eurospot):
And here is today's Singapore Airlines A380 (photo courtesy of Airbus PR):
Notice the difference between the windows at the superjumbo's nose, on both the lower and upper decks?
On the airline's current A380s, the lower deck has four groupings of well-spaced windows which correspond to where the first class suites are located.
On the new A380, those windows now appear on the upper deck – and in three groups of two, which also accords with the fact that we know the new A380s will have fewer suites than today's 12 – perhaps six 'supersuites' arranged either side of a central aisle.
Read more: Singapore Airlines to reveal new A380 first class suites mid-2017
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.
QFF Gold QC gold
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 56
If the final conclusion on layout is correct, we will either have seats with no direct isle access or single seats throughout so partners don't travel together. Really??
09 Aug 2016
Total posts 7
It will be both. Check out Etihad's 380 for reference. No one seems to complain about it, either.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2013
Total posts 203
Not being able to sit together is rarely a problem for most couples travelling in First because you can always dine together in either party's suite/seat/pod. Ultimately the benefit of First is being able to get a good night's sleep and for most of us not having one's spouse in the bed certainly helps ;-)
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
I dont understand how this allows SQ to boost their A380s considering that the original 3 class A380s have the same economy layout on the lower deck
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
Ooops missed a few words...i meant to say how can they boost the economy capacity of their A380s
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1207
SQ have the options of a small Y or W cabin at the back on the upper deck depending on how big they choose to make their premium cabins.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Fewer suites equals more room for Y seats.. possibly the entire lower deck.
20 Sep 2012
Total posts 76
Did you miss the part in the article that describes the (probable) location of premium economy?
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Well spotted by Tom!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Oct 2016
Total posts 175
Actually bad for J class as more seats will be behind the wing = more noise
I notice the difference with SQ front and rear Business cabin and I have done PE on QANTAS which was worse (although I may have to been cranky on that flight anyway)
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Noise cancelling headphones.
20 Feb 2012
Total posts 67
Anyone else notice more windows at the rear of the upper deck? That was the first thing I noticed.
18 Dec 2012
Total posts 9
That would be for the un-announced bar. 😉
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 12
Sadly not. The article says the "new business class seats [will be] divided into three cabins – one massive stretch of 50 seats, one medium sized of 20 seats and one of just eight seats." The four frames at the back will be for the eight seats. 2 frames per row, 4 seats per row.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2014
Total posts 19
Ten years this years since I was on the 6th SQ A380 flight, how time flies
24 Apr 2015
Total posts 128
surely these 744's will have little or no value even as parts as world is flooded with old 744's. Wouldn't it be better to keep 1 or 2, as back up or for charters or for something ?
30 Jun 2016
Total posts 51
Further proof if needed David -
15 Apr 2017
Total posts 2
My opinion on the 6 suites is that SQ is going to have separate seat and bedroom for the new first class, with an option to sleep on the seat as the seat can also be transformed into fully flat bed.
I hope SQ will also design their cabin, like CI.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 9
and I am flying SYD-SIN first class on the 24th October! might see if I can change that ticket to the 25th!
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
24 Jan 2013
Total posts 16
I am sure I not the only who has left SQ for Cathay so I could get a lie flat bed in business class from Brisbane. I won't be returning until Brisbane gets a real business class product.
12 May 2017
Total posts 1
I only fly Singapore because of the double bed.I really sleep well with my partner and will look at other airline options if this is not available. Unfortunately the Etihad Residence is not available in this part of the World
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