Where is Singapore Airlines flying to in May 2020?

Singapore Airlines and SilkAir have published their flight schedules for May 2020, and like the previous month, it makes for grim reading.

As was the case in April, Singapore Airlines is maintaining connectivity to just 15 cities, with 325 flights scheduled (versus 308 in April, but remember, May has one more day). On average, just over five flights will be departing from Changi Airport each day.

What flights are still operating?

When Singapore Airlines announced their first tranche of Covid-19 flight cancellations in February, the accompanying attachments listed the cancelled flights. We’ve now come to the point where it’s simpler to list the flights that are still operating.

Here’s the list of Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flights that will operate in May. Any flight not listed below has been cancelled. 

Southeast Asia

North Asia

South West Pacific

Europe

United States

What if my flight has been cancelled?

If your flight has been cancelled, you’re entitled to a 100% refund in cash, or via flight credits with a S$75-500 bonus.

To make the point clear: flight cancellations initiated by Singapore Airlines/ SilkAir entitle you to a refund regardless of when your ticket was issued. This is stated in black and white in the FAQs on Singapore Airline’s website.

However, even if your flight has not been cancelled, you may still be entitled to a refund.

To summarize: if your travel date is up to 30 June 2020, and your ticket was issued before 15 March 2020, you can request a refund and receive 100% back in cash, or in flight credits with a S$75-500 bonus.

If your travel date is up to 30 June 2020, and your ticket was issued from 16 March 2020 onwards, you’re only entitled to a free one-time change to your travel dates. If you want a refund, it’ll be in accordance with the ticket’s original stipulated conditions.

For those of you with travel from 1 July 2020 onwards, my advice is to sit tight. Singapore Airlines is taking this month by month, and if the Covid-19 situation hasn’t improved by then, it’s a virtual certainty that the current policy will be extended.

The crucial date here is really 15 March 2020. If you bought a ticket after that date (when MOH issued an advisory against all non-essential travel abroad), it’s hard to argue you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into.

Other important Covid-19 travel information for Singapore Airlines can be found here.

Conclusion

The majority of Singapore Airlines’ fleet will remain grounded for May, with service to just 15 cities for the whole month. This is unfortunately the new normal for the foreseeable future, and it’s something we’re just going to have to wait out.

On the bright side, Singapore Airlines has been doing right by its passengers by making cash refunds available. That’s not to be taken for granted, in a time when airlines in Europe and the USA are bending over backwards to avoid giving them. Elite members have also received an extension of their membership, and miles with upcoming expiry dates have been renewed.

While I’m still holding out hope for travel in the last quarter of 2020, it seems less and less likely by the day.