Singapore Airlines restores Houston service via Manchester (but no VTL)

Singapore Airlines has announced the restoration of services from Singapore to Houston via Manchester, effective 1 December 2021. Manchester to Houston will be a fifth freedom route, which means that passengers can book standalone tickets for flights between the two cities. 

However, and this is a crucial point, this will not be a designated VTL route. Passengers travelling from Houston to Singapore (via Manchester) will still be required to serve a 7-day SHN under existing Category II rules, notwithstanding the fact that both the UK and USA are VTL countries.

Singapore Airlines restores Houston service

From 1 December 2021, Singapore Airlines will fly from Singapore to Houston via Manchester 3X weekly, with the following schedule:

			Days
SQ52 A350-900			S	M	T	W	T	F	S
SIN  0130	➞	MAN 0755	✔			✔		✔
MAN 1005	➞	IAH 1425	✔			✔		✔
SQ51 A350-900			S	M	T	W	T	F	S
IAH 1850	➞	MAN 0930 (+1)	✔			✔		✔
MAN 1100	➞	SIN 0755 (+1)		✔			✔		✔

Although the UK and USA are both VTL countries, SQ52 from Houston to Singapore (via Manchester) will not be a designated VTL flight. 

Passengers who return to Singapore on SQ52 will be subject to prevailing Category II restrictions, namely a 7-day SHN in a hotel or at home. 

However, there’s nothing stopping you from flying Houston to Manchester, taking a train/domestic flight to London, then returning to Singapore on a VTL flight. In this case, you would be eligible for quarantine-free travel, assuming your 14-day travel history consists exclusively of Singapore and VTL countries.

Likewise, Singapore residents looking to visit the USA could fly from Singapore to Houston (via Manchester), travel around a bit and then return to Singapore on a VTL flight from San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles or New York. They would also be eligible for quarantine-free travel, provided their 14-day travel history consists exclusively of Singapore and VTL countries.

What cabin products will be available?

SQ51/52 will be operated by a long-haul configured Airbus A350-900, which has 253 seats split into:

• 42 Business Class
• 24 Premium Economy Class
• 187 Economy Class

These aircraft are equipped with the 2013 Business Class seat, configured in a 1-2-1 layout with all aisle access. Unlike the 2017 Business Class and 2018 Regional Business Class seats, this model requires that you stand up to flip it into bed mode.

For a review of the A350-900 Business Class experience, refer to the article below.

Review: Singapore Airlines inaugural VTL flight from Munich to Singapore

How much do awards cost?

Here’s how much awards will cost on the Singapore to Houston route…

Redemption Cost from Singapore to Houston (Flight on Singapore Air)
	Saver (One-Way)	Advantage (One-Way)
Economy	40,000	75,000
Premium Economy	73,000	N/A
Business	99,000	140,000

…as well as the Manchester to Houston route.

Redemption Cost from Manchester to Houston (Flight on Singapore Air)
	Saver (One-Way)	Advantage (One-Way)
Economy	22,500	40,000
Premium Economy	47,000	N/A
Business	72,000	85,000

Award space has already been loaded, and passengers flying from Singapore to Houston should expect to pay S$83.10 of taxes and surcharges on a return Business Class award.

However, passengers flying from Manchester to Houston will pay a much more substantial £225 (~S$419) in taxes and surcharges. Why? Because of the UK’s Air Passenger Duty. 

Passengers departing the UK to destinations more than 2,000 miles from London will be charged £82 and £180 for Economy and Business Class respectively, a rate that goes up to £84 and £185 from 1 April 2022. APD does not apply to transit flights, however, so bookings from Singapore to Houston will avoid it. 

For more about the APD, refer to this article. 

Conclusion

With the restoration of service to Houston (and Seattle, from 2 December 2021), Singapore Airlines will serve all its pre-COVID USA destinations except Newark. 

Even though SQ52 is not a VTL flight, the resumption of this route still provides additional ways for Singaporeans to visit the UK and USA quarantine-free, provided they’re willing to  reposition themselves to fly home from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York or London on a designated VTL flight.