Singapore Airlines bringing A380s to Sydney from December 2021

Singapore Airlines recently announced that its mothballed A380 fleet will be returning to service from 18 November 2021 on the Singapore-London route, the first flight of the whalejets since March 2020. 

In another sign of revival, SIA has further revealed that the A380s will be deployed to Sydney from 1 December 2021, increasing capacity to the Sydney market ahead of the Christmas holiday period and Australia’s border reopening. 

Sydney, incidentally, was the inaugural destination for the A380’s first commercial flight back in 2007. How we thought this jet would change the world, instead of getting cancelled slightly over a decade later…

Sydney gets A380s from 1 December 2021

From 1 December 2021, Singapore Airlines will operate daily A380 services between Singapore and Sydney on SQ231/222. 

Singapore Airlines sent out a media release with the following statement:

With the NSW and Australian border opening up from 1 November, the A380 will support even more Australians hoping to reconnect with loved ones ahead of the Christmas period

Here’s the schedule that’s been announced for the A380. SQ231 departs Singapore at 0045 (which means Supper service for Suites- no caviar course!) and lands in Sydney at 1150, while SQ222 departs Sydney at 1610 and lands in Singapore at 2120 the same day. 

From 1 December 2021
Flights			Days
SQ231 A380-800			S	M	T	W	T	F	S
SIN 0045	➞	SYD 1150	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
SQ222 A380-800			S	M	T	W	T	F	S
SYD 1610	➞	SIN 2120	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

This joins the existing daily SQ211/212 service to Sydney (B787-10), as well as the 3x weekly SQ241/242 service (B777-300ER).

The A380’s schedule for SQ231/222 will be loaded from midday AEDT on Friday 22 October, and will be available for sale shortly after. 

What cabin products will this A380 have?

If you weren’t a fan of the old 2006 Business Class seats on the A380, you needn’t worry- you won’t be seeing them again. This product has been phased out, and the only A380s Singapore Airlines will operate from now on are the ones with the latest 2017 Suites and Business Class seats.

There are a total of 471 seats on this version of the A380, split into:

• 6 Suites
• 78 Business Class
• 44 Premium Economy Class
• 343 Economy Class

The Suites cabin has just six seats in total, four of which can be combined to form two sets of private rooms with double beds. Each suite has a sliding door, customers relax in a plush leather chair upholstered by world-renowned furniture maker Poltrona Frau, and a separate bed folds out of the wall when it’s time to sleep. 32-inch HD TVs, wireless tablets and a personal wardrobe round out the suite. It’s textbook over-the-top Singapore Airlines, even if it’s got some design quirks of its own. 

Business Class marks a change in SIA’s design philosophy, insofar as seats now recline to a full-flat position, instead of requiring passengers to get up and flip them. They’re extremely private, and the bulkhead seats even convert into a sort-of double bed (your feet will be kept separate, so no footsie). 

For reviews on the new A380 Suites and Business Class products, check out the links below:

• Review: Singapore Airlines new A380 Suites Singapore to Sydney
• Review: Singapore Airlines new A380 Business Class Sydney to Singapore

How much do awards cost?

Here’s how much awards will cost on the Singapore – Sydney route.

Redemption Cost from Singapore to Sydney (Flight on Singapore Air)
	Saver (One-Way)	Advantage (One-Way)
Economy	28,000	55,000
Premium Economy	47,000	N/A
Business	62,000	90,000
First/ Suites	85,000	155,000

In terms of award space, I can’t seem to find any Suites availability from Singapore to Sydney in December 2021 and January 2022, but there’s waitlist availability (in Advantage) from Sydney to Singapore.

Man, redemptions are gonna be tough…

VTL coming?

Rumours have been rife about a VTL agreement between Singapore and Australia, with the latest news saying an agreement could be established within the next week. The initial plan will only cover vaccinated students and business travellers, but the route will eventually open up to tourists as well. 

New South Wales previously announced that it would allow the entry of fully vaccinated travellers from 1 November 2021, without the need for quarantine, although citizens and permanent residents will be first in line. Victoria is supposedly set to make a similar announcement imminently. 

I think we’ll hear some happy news soon.

Conclusion

I personally thought we wouldn’t be seeing the A380 return for at least a couple of years, so it’s exciting to see it deployed on at least two routes for 2021 (three, if you want to count the familiarisation flights to Kuala Lumpur).

Time to start making plans to watch the 2022 Australian Open?