Singapore Airlines to resume non-stop flights to LAX, double up on non-stop flights to SFO

Singapore Airlines has just announced that non-stop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles will begin operating from 2 November 2018 onward. This non-stop flight will be operated using their brand new Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range (ULR) aircraft which will also be deployed for non-stop flights to Newark come October 2018. 

In addition, Singapore Airlines will be introducing a second non-stop flight to San Francisco. The second non-stop flight will be served with the A350-900ULR instead of the A350-900 which is currently deployed on the non-stop flight to San Francisco.

2-class Premium Cabin configuration

As mentioned earlier, the Singapore – Los Angeles route will be operated using the A350-900ULR. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the A350-900ULR comes in a 2-class configuration featuring only Premium Economy and Business Class seats. We know that Singapore Airlines will be fitting the same Business Class seats which are currently used on the A350-900 onto the A350-900ULR (otherwise known as the 2013 J seats) and that there will be new Premium Economy seats which will be installed on the A350-900ULRs. 

Flight Schedules

Singapore – Los Angeles

The Singapore – Los Angeles non-stop flight will initially be operated 3 times a week with the inaugural flight on 2 November 2018. It will depart Singapore every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as SQ38. The return flight from Los Angeles to Singapore will be operated as SQ37 and will depart every Wednesday Friday and Sunday as well.

Just over a week after the inaugural flight, SQ38/SQ37 will be operating daily from 7 November 2018 after Singapore Airlines takes delivery of another A350-900ULR. From 7 December 2018, Singapore Airlines will be introducing a second non-stop flight which will operate 3 times a week as SQ36 to Los Angeles and SQ35 from Los Angeles departing Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. United Airlines recently decided to end their Singapore – Los Angeles flight effective 27 October 2018 and this will make Singapore Airlines the only airline to be offering non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles.

With the introduction of SQ38/SQ37 and SQ36/SQ35, the Singapore – Seoul – Los Angeles route operated as SQ8/SQ7 will be suspended after 30 November 2018, which will leave you with the option of routing through Tokyo-Narita if you wish to get off the plane and stretch your legs on the way to Los Angeles. The suspension of SQ8/SQ7 on the Singapore – Seoul route will be replaced by SQ612 and SQ611 which will be operating daily. Thus, this maintains the current 4 daily flights which Singapore Airlines has to Seoul. If you’re worried that this may make Seoul an all A330 route, you will be glad to know that SQ612/SQ611 will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER.

I’m not exactly sure how Singapore Airlines will rebook you if you currently hold a confirmed seat on SQ8/SQ7 but if you’re rebooked on the non-stop flight to Los Angeles then you’ve certainly got yourself a good deal.

Here is the schedule for the non-stop flights to Los Angeles as well as the new flight to Seoul:

Singapore – San Francisco

San Francisco is currently being served twice daily by Singapore Airlines by SQ2 via Hong Kong and SQ32 being the non-stop flight to San Francisco operated by a A350-900. From 28 November 2018, San Francisco will be served by an additional flight by Singapore Airlines which will be operated by the A350-900ULR instead of the A350-900.

As the A350-900ULRs only features Premium Economy and Business Class, passengers who wish to fly Economy Class will still only have the option of SQ32/SQ31 and SQ2/SQ1 out of Singapore.

SQ34 will depart Singapore for San Francisco every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with SQ33 leaving San Francisco for Singapore on the same day as well. Here’s the flight schedule for the new non-stop route to San Francisco:

Redemption Options

Thankfully, there isn’t a premium imposed on the non-stop flights to North America and redemption rates are at your usual Saver and Advantage rates. Here’s how much it’ll cost you to get to Los Angeles and San Francisco with Singapore Airlines using KrisFlyer miles:

Award inventory for these new flights has already been loaded and surprisingly, Saver award space can be found *gasp*. During my initial checks, I did manage to find confirmable Saver space on the inaugural flight to Los Angeles. I was so excited that I forgot to do a screenshot of it, so feast your eyes on this amateur picture of the Saver space on SQ38 which is now sadly gone.

Good news though! As of 11 July 2018 08:10pm, there was Saver award space on the new Singapore – San Francisco non-stop. By the time you read this article, this may or may not exist anymore. Random date checks reveal that there is actually good availability on the Los Angeles and the second non-stop San Francisco route in Business Class through the current schedule. 

Concluding Thoughts

It’s great to finally see non-stop flights to Los Angeles once again and it’s even better that there will be up to 10 flights a week once Singapore Airlines takes delivery of more A350-900ULRs. With another non-stop flight added to San Francisco as well, this will hopefully free up some award space in Business Class on the existing SQ2/SQ1 as well as SQ32/SQ31 to San Francisco.

Will you be taking the non-stop to Los Angeles and San Francisco or do you prefer a flights with transits?