What seats will I get on my upcoming SQ flight? March 2018 version

For many people, flying First or Business Class could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the type of seat you get can make or break it. Why does this matter? Well, there’s nothing more sian than splurging your hard-earned miles on a business class seat only to find out you didn’t get what you bargained for.

Consider Singapore to Seoul, a 6.5 hour flight. It costs the same number of miles to redeem a business class seat on SQ8 and SQ608. The difference? SQ8 is a 777-300ER with SQ’s newest business class seat that goes full flat and is 1-2-1 configured for direct aisle access.

SQ 608 is an A330-300. Its business class seats only go angled flat, and the cabin is 2-2-2 configured with no direct aisle access for some seats.

So I imagine if you were a newbie and assumed all the seats from SIN-ICN would be the same, you’d be pretty steamed for paying the same number of miles for an inferior product.

Although more seasoned travelers will know SQ’s fleet at the back of their hands, first-timers to the miles game may be unfamiliar with the seven types of planes SQ operates.

Therefore, I wanted to create a guide to SQ’s fleet, showcasing the different First and Business Class seats available and how you can figure out which ones your flight has.

Suites- 2006 Version

SQ’s 2007 suites product may be over 10 years old by now, but this still sets the standard for luxury. With 12 suites in a cabin, 4 of which can convert into double beds, this is the product honeymoon dreams are made of. Yes, there’s a new suites product in town, but if you end up flying this one I wouldn’t consider it “second class suites” by any means. Note that the hard divider in the middle makes this more like two single beds pushed together than a true single bed.

You can read reviews of the SQ Suites product here, here, here and here.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on an A380, you have a 88% (15/17) chance of this seat (the 2 new A380s only serve Hong Kong, London and Sydney, with Hong Kong and London on selected days)
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Suites- 2017 Version

Ah, the new suites. With only 6 in the new A380s in a single file configuration (versus 12 in a 1-2-1 layout in the 2006 version), these are guaranteed to offer an unprecedented amount of personal space. Unlike the old suites, you have a separate seat and bed which can both be deployed at the same time (the 2006 version had a bed that folded out from the wall, but that necessitated collapsing the seat). You’ll also have a much more spacious bathroom and, if you’re traveling with a companion, the suites in rows 1 and 2 can be converted into a double room. Yes, a double room, with a double bed.

You can read a review of the new SQ suites here, and I’ll have another review up by the start of April.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on an A380, you have a 12% (2/17) chance of this seat. The only two aircraft with this product, 9V-SKU and 9V-SKV serve Hong Kong, London and Sydney, with Hong Kong and London on selected days
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

First Class- 2006 Version

This seat was introduced in 2006 along with SQ’s first-ever lie flat business class seat (I’ve written a piece about the history of SQ’s premium cabin seat design here, it’s well worth a read in my humble opinion).

It’s now passing the 11 year mark and the seat has obviously seen quite a bit of wear and tear. First Class seats tend to go out empty more often than Business Class seats, so the wear won’t be as bad as on the 2006 business class seats, but something to note nonetheless.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on a 777-300, you have a 100% (5/5) chance of this seat
• If you’re on a 777-300ER (aka 77W), you have a 11% (3/27) chance of this seat
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Look at your seatmap- if you’re flying on a 777-300ER and see 4 seats in the F cabin, you know for sure you have the 2013 First Class seat (see next section). If you see 8 seats, you have the 2006 First Class seat.

First Class- 2013 Version

Way more chio than the 2006 version, the 2013 First Class seat incorporates sophisticated dark leather tones and a little set of orange lines near the headrest that for whatever reason I find super classy. It’s also 7 years newer than the 2006 version and is less likely to be worn. Other great features include a lot more privacy from the aisle and a bigger, crisper TV screen.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on a 777-300ER (aka 77W), you have a 89% (24/27) chance of this seat
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Check the seatmap. If you see a 4 seat First Class cabin, you definitely have the 2013 First Class seat (if you see 8 seats, you may have the 2006 seat, see above)

 Business Class- 2006 Version

This old girl was revolutionary when she came out, but time has taken its toll and she’s ready to be put to pasture. Although these seats are still wider and more private than what a lot of airlines have in first class, 11 years of service mean you’ll find discolored upholstery, chipped panels, the odd sticky controller and other deficiencies. It’s not a seat you should actively avoid, but it still pays to be informed.

You can read a review of the 2006 business class seat here.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re flying on an A380, you have a 88% chance of this seat
• If you’re flying on a 777-300ER (aka 77W), you have a 11% (3/27) chance of this seat
• If you’re flying on a 777-200ER, you have a 100% (10/10) chance of this seat
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

If you’re on a 77W, a quick check you can do is to look at the seatmap. If you see a forward J cabin of 8 seats, you have a 100% chance of having the 2006 J seat. If you see 12, you have a 100% chance of the 2013 J seat.

Business Class- 2013 Version

This is the refreshed version of the 2006 seat that SQ launched in 2013. I love the design philosophy behind this seat- it’s sleek, gorgeous and on some newly-refitted aircraft still has that new seat smell. Look forward to a touch screen controller, bigger screen and more lounging positions over the 2006 seat.

You can read a review of the 2013 business class seat here.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on an A350, you have a 100% chance of this seat
• If you’re on a 777-300ER (aka 77W), you have a 88% (24/27) chance of this seat
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Check your seatmap. If you see 12 seats in the forward J cabin, you know for sure you have the 2013 business class seat.

Business Class- 2017 Version

This purple beauty is yet another step in the evolution of SQ’s top of the line business class seat. Unlike the 2006 and 2013 versions, this seat does not need to be flipped over into a bed- you simply recline it at whatever angle you prefer. These seats are supposed to provide better noise isolation as well with the wrap around wings, and although narrower than the 2006 version, will still be plenty wide for most people.

The two seats in the middle can be converted into a double bed, but that’s a term used rather loosely as only your upper bodies will be together- the cutout for your feet is still separated. Here’s an idea of what it looks like in the bulkhead seats

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on an A380, you have a 12% (2/17) chance of this seat. The only two aircraft with this product, 9V-SKU and 9V-SKV serve Hong Kong, London and Sydney, with Hong Kong and London on selected days
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Business Class- Regional

This is easily my least favourite SQ business class seat- it doesn’t go full flat, and it’s simply uncompetitive for some of the longer flights SQ deploys it on (destinations as far as ICN/BNE) or routes where there’s a clearly superior competing product, like Eva Air).

These seats most often make an appearance on regional flights to Bangkok, HCMC, Perth etc. They’re ok for daytime flights (in fact, some weirdos even prefer them because they’re better for work), but good luck if you get one of these babies on a red-eye. And if you burn your miles on this, well, do your homework next time.

The good news is this seat will eventually disappear from the fleet once the new 787-10s come in.

You can read a review of the regional business class seat here and here.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re flying on an A330, you have a 100% (22/22) chance of this seat
• If you’re flying on 777-200, you have a 90% (9/10) chance of this seat
• If you’re flying on a 777-300, you have a 100% (5/5) chance of this seat
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

Business Class- Ultimo

A rare pokemon is the Ultimo business class seat. The DNA of this seat harkens back to 1998, so count yourself lucky it’s only on one of SQ’s oldest aircraft. You can sometimes see it on runs to Bangkok. I remember it has in-seat power, but it requires a special adapter/converter that only the crew has. Ah, the 90s.

You can read a review of the Ultimo business class seat here.

Update: it appears that 9V-SRL, the last SQ bird with Ultimo seats, has not been seen for a while and is pending sale/scrap. So barring some sort of u-turn, you’re unlikely to have to fly on this ever again.

How to know if I’ve got it?

• If you’re on a 777-200, you have a 10% (1/10) chance of this seat.
• All other aircraft have a 0% chance of this seat

If your seatmap looks like this 2-3-2 configuration-

Then congrats, you have the Ultimo seat. Send me a postcard. Or a telegram, or carrier pigeon, or whatever they used for communications back then.

Final Caveats

Airlines reserve the right to swap equipment for “operational reasons”, i.e. as and when they please. I remember being at the airport a year or so back and seeing that SIN-IST had an equipment swap where a 777-200ER with the 2006 J seat was swapped for 9V-SVF with the Spacebed. Man, I thought, are they going to get some angry letters.

Airlines don’t owe you anything if they do this, insofar as they promised you a business class seat and they’re giving you one, but if you make noise SQ will often give you some miles or a Krisshop voucher as compensation.

That said, knowing the SQ fleet is half the battle, and I believe with the guide above most people should be well-equipped to know what they’re getting themselves into. Once you know the aircraft type, all you have to do is check the seatmap and you’re all set. There used to be some confusion because there were some 77Ws with the exact same layouts, but some had 2006 J and others 2013 J seats. The 2006 J aircraft have since been retrofitted to the 2013 J standard.

Remember that you can always check out SQTalk for the latest fleet list. Here’s the list as of February 2018.