In November of 2017, Singapore Airlines unveiled new suites for its Airbus A380s. Two years later, just six of its superjumbos had been fitted with them. Since then, the airline has been working on refurbishing the remainder. But what exactly is so special about these A380s?
Refurbishing an aircraft is no simple undertaking. Not only does it cost a great deal of money in labor and materials, but it also means that aircraft must be taken out of service, potentially resulting in lost revenue. Of course, with COVID-19 and waves of travel restrictions, the latter ‘cost’ was non-existent.
Thus, feeling optimistic that its A380 fleet would indeed return to the skies one day, Singapore Airlines decided to refurbish its entire fleet of superjumbos to give passengers a more modern, enhanced travel experience.
A general refresh
One notable aspect of a cabin refurbishment is the fact that everything is brought up to date in terms of materials and finishing. No matter how well an airline takes care of its cabins, there’s no hiding the fact that thousands of passengers have made themselves comfortable in older cabins with an expected level of ‘wear and tear’ over the years. Of course, some airlines mitigate this better than others and we would expect SIA to be one of the better ones.
But styles and material technologies can also change a lot over the years. In general, advances in design allow seats to get slimmer while maintaining the same levels of comfort. For example, with Singapore Airlines’ new economy class seats, adjustable headrests, additional stowage areas, and in-seat connectivity are things that passengers may notice.
In terms of inflight entertainment, screens that weren’t touch-sensitive before become responsive to touch, while those already fitted with this technology tend to work faster and offer higher resolution and image quality.
Thus, across all of the A380s four cabin classes (economy, premium economy, business, and first), customers will feel like they’re in a brand new aircraft, fitted with all the conveniences that that modern technology offers.
Big updates to premium classes
Changes to the airline’s business and first class suites are the highlight of its A380 refurbishments. Both classes offer handstitched full grain leather seating by Poltrona Frau, but that’s just where things begin.
In business class, seats naturally recline into a lie-flat bed. These suites are semi-enclosed by “sculpted wings” that offer support while lounging. Meanwhile, seats in the center offer personal dividers that span the entire length of the seat offering a better sense of privacy. However, for couples traveling together, the divider can be lowered completely to create two fully flat beds side-by-side.
In the updated A380 there are just six fully-enclosed first class suites laid out in a 1-1 configuration. This is just half of the 12 seats available in the previous version. These spacious suites offer both a chair and a bed.
Double suites offer traveling couples the opportunity to share the space of two suites. This is made possible with the elimination of the the center divider between rooms.
Separated from the aisles by a sliding door, the first class suites are given “hand-tufted carpets” and fitted with ultra-leather padded compartments and an ensuite wardrobe, which the airline says is spacious enough to house your cabin luggage. Meanwhile, lavatories in this top-notch cabin have also been retrofitted, offering a sit-down vanity counter.
Ultimately, Singapore Airlines’ refurbished A380s should feel more spacious and modern with extra attention going to first and business class products- something travelers can enjoy for many years to come.
What do you think of these refreshed cabins? Let us know by leaving a comment.
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